Previously: The Siberian appeared in Lailight Scintillation - the capital of Roshal. Roshal is the country of [Slavers] and Sibby was caught and bound as a Djinni. She was sold to Riqre'ma Medaale who performed vile experiments on [Slaves] and twisted them in both body and mind to serve him. Sibby eventually killed everyone with the help of the memory of William Manton. Now she, and Laila, are journeying to a country that the Dead God Cauwine mentioned to Sibby after Cauwine volunteered to join with Sibby's Shard.

Laila stared at Sibby as the two of them sat around the fire.

It struck her as ironic. She needed the fire to stay warm, but as a Stringfolk, it was a deadly hazard for her. If she got to close, her body might literally go up in flame.

Well... what was left of her body. She wasn't exactly a Stringfolk any more. After the events in Roshal she had a new body and a new class: [Stitch Selphid]. She was little more than her life thread now. All Stitchfolk had a life thread. It was the one thing they couldn't change - that, and their heads where it was stored.

Laila had been 'lucky' to get a [Slave] class that somehow had allowed her to overcome that limitation.

Now? Now she was coiled around this body's brain. She controlled it like it was her own, but it's original occupant was still inside with her.

Zehia.

Her former owner. A skilled [Assassin]. Far higher level than Laila had ever guessed. She could use Zehia's [Skills] and body... but there was the twist.

Zehia had also been forever changed by Riqre. She had a blood class that had twisted her body into that of a monster. That was why Laila was in control, because Zehia didn't want to be. They couldn't exactly talk, but they could somehow communicate.

Laila felt sad for her.

Being a [Slave]... was the worst thing that had ever happened to Laila, but the levels of awfulness had been dependent on her 'owners'. In hindsight, she had to admit that Zehia had been one of the best ones. Aside from a few notable events, she had definitely been the nicest of the people that had owned Laila for an extended period of time.

Next to her, Zehia stirred. Anger. Fear. Hatred. The feelings bubbled off of her as she woke up, but only for a moment. That was her default state, but the [Assassin] always tried to dampen the effects her blood class was having on her.

If they could have a real conversation, Laila might be able to offer her some insights from her time as a [Flayed Slave]... but that probably wouldn't be of much help. It wasn't like she'd learned to live with her class or had gotten rid of it on her own.

She shuddered. She had to keep what she was a secret from everyone else. Roshal would stop at nothing if they'd learned of her. They would torture thousands of Stringfolk to try and replicate her.

Without Sibby to help... they would fail, but that wouldn't stop their experiments.

Sibby. The Djinni. The naked black and white woman who seemed... detached. As if nothing in the world mattered to her.

That was probably what it was like to be a creature of pure magic. Wild, destructive... yet soothing.

It was like the fire.

Deadly if you treated her badly... or if you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Warm and protective if you were lucky.

Laila hoped her newfound luck would withstand the test of time.

Sibby appeared.

She looked around.

Red sky? Check.

Tombstones? Check.

White van at the side of the road? Check.

Ah, she'd done it. It had been difficult getting back here. While it was easy to visit William, now that she knew the trick, finding the right one seemed to be a matter of keeping the correct memories in her mind.

Her original creator looked up from the grave he was standing in front of. "Natalie?" His eyes went wide.

"No." Sibby spoke out loud as she strutted towards him.

"No?" William winced. "Natalie is... dead. I drank a vial... and... and..." His shoulders slumped. "And I'm dead."

Sibby climbed up on the gravestone and sat on it with her legs crossed. "Hi!" She smiled at him.

William took a deep breath and then exhaled. "Hello, Sibby. How are you doing? Still evading the slavers?"

"Yep!" Sibby nodded. "All the regular ones haven't bothered us in a while. Last night a cape attacked us!" Her eyes shown. "But he ran away after I tore a chunk out of him!"

"I see." William nodded. "And your opponent survived that?"

"Yeah." Sibby shrugged. She might be the strongest, but prey did escape her from time to time. At first. That was what made hunting so much fun. "He tasted good though. It was a really subtle flavor, but well-aged."

"Hmmm..." William hummed as he walked over to a tree and tore off a branch. He then moved back towards Sibby before using his new tool to draw in the dirt.

"Laila's been doing okay. I don't have to hold her at night. I think she might be starting to realize that she's safe as long as I'm around."

"I see." He looked up from his drawing. "And the other one? Have you spoken with 'Cauwine' again?"

"Nah." Sibby shrugged. "It's hard to find her." As amazing a huntress as Sibby was, those skills didn't help navigate the world of memories. She'd come up with that name for this place herself!

"So, you don't have any more details about the countries you're going through?"

"Nope!" Sibby smiled.

"Alright." William stepped back from his drawing. "So, where are you right now?"

Sibby jumped off the carved rock, and landed next to the map her former creator had just finished drawing. "Let's see..." Her eyes traced the lines. "We crossed the river here." She pointed at a squiggle. "A while ago." Her finger traced a path. "We avoided that city. I stole some food for Laila from that village." She looked up. "You know, she still is refusing to eat human flesh? I keep offering it to her, and I can see that she wants it, but she always just shakes her head."

William gave her a flat look. "How often do you have human flesh to offer her?"

"Not a lot recently." Sibby shrugged. "The slave guys have stopped being able to find us, except for that winged cape. So I haven't gotten to eat anyone or offer her any for weeks."

William rubbed his temples. He did that a lot when Sibby told him about how awesome she was. It must be hard to comprehend just how skilled she was - even for someone as smart as he was!

"Right. So, where are you now?"

Sibby tilted her head. "Right... about... here!" She pointed at a different squiggle. Unlike some of the other ones, it represented a border - not a river.

"Ah." William bent down. "So you are about to cross into Tiqr then."

"Yep! The land of wild beasts. Cauwine said I should fit right in."

"Yes..." He stroked his chin. "I imagine you will. What about magic?"

"What about it?"

"Is it something that exists in Tiqr? Is it something you have to look out for?"

Sibby rolled her eyes. "No, William, I'll be fine. If I can eat that winged guy, then I'm sure I can beat up some dumb animals - even if they have powers."

"Yes, well." William looked at her. "I still worry." He let out a sigh. "At least, I worry when you're here. When you're not, I lose my train of thought."

"That's odd."

"Why is that?" He raised an eyebrow. "It was how it was for the 'me' that's here before you visited. It's clearly the natural state for the engrams - a way to preserve our minds." He shrugged. "Or a broken version of it. I can only hypothesize about how it might be for the second Entity's Shards."

"That's not what Cauwine says." Sibby nodded sagely as she shared her knowledge. "She watches what I do, and also knows things that have happened other places far away."

"Really?" William looked surprised for a moment before mumbling to himself. "No, that makes sense. The Shards connect by growing a mass in our brains. That's the initial point, but they go by several other markers too. As a non-biological existence, it would be different for Cauwine, after all, she doesn't have a body in the traditional sense, much less a brain..."

Sibby turned her attention back to the map. Tiqr did sound like fun. Running across the plains. Scarring prey. Scaring predators. It was such a thrill to encounter creatures that didn't know they should be afraid of her. It reminded her of her early days, when it was just her and William. Back when people tried to fight her sometimes.

Although...

She felt a little strange about it now. What was the word? Melancholy?

She had told Kevin once that if she could go back in time and do things differently, then she would.

Oh well. No point in thinking about it! She should instead focus on her ultimate destination.

Of all the places Cauwine had told her about. It had drawn her attention the most. It clearly was a place created just for her. She was the strongest, so she should go to where the strongest gathered.

It only made sense.

She'd probably find Kevin there too. He was strong, and she could feel him growing closer each day.

Although... there was another, more serious matter: What was she going to eat?

The random slavers that tracked them down had dwindled as the weeks went by. Animals didn't taste as good as people, but maybe the ones in Tiqr were different?

There was only one way to find out!

Laila watched as Sibby scanned the horizon.

"So, where do we go?"

The Djinni smiled at her. "We need to avoid the cities and roads close by the border. Tiqr exports gem stones, which are easily hidden. So their border is well patrolled." She paused as if remembering something. "The non-populated spaces are also dangerous as the beastmasters of Tiqr have trained the animals to hunt intruders."

"We can't get across?" Laila was worried.

"It would take some extra steps if you were... someone else." Sibby's eyes gleamed as she offered her hand.

Laila took it without any hesitation, and the Djinni swept her up in a bridal carry. Laila was heavier than she'd once been. Her body's long limbs had a surprising amount of muscle in them. Still, it was if she weighted nothing at all to the black and white woman.

Then, the world went black. She was alone in the void, with only Sibby's touch.

Just as suddenly as it had gone, her vision came back. She was in Sibby's arms as her friend ran across the grass. Laila looked down. No, not across the grass. She was on top of it.

Laila couldn't see herself or Sibby. She should still have been able to see the footprints her companion left, but there was nothing there. Not a single thing to mark their passage. No foot prints. No broken twigs. Not even a bent piece of grass.

Was this how teleportation worked?

Was this was what happened all those times Sibby seemingly vanished?

Was she somewhere hidden, but watching?

That made Laila feel safe as she relaxed in her savior's arms. If she was still a little girl, before she'd been sold by her parents, she might've felt afraid. Afraid of Sibby's power. Afraid of constantly being watched.

She'd gotten over those fears in her first year as a [Slave]. [Slaves] had no power. Their masters could command them as they saw fit. Even if they didn't have the [Skills] to enforce obeying their orders, there were far, far worse ways they could do it.

Laila hugged Sibby tighter.

Similarly, there was nowhere a [Slave] wasn't observed. Once again, it wasn't [Skills], just the conditions. If you had no private space, then people would see what you did. Most other [Slaves] didn't notice or care, but the ones that did? The ones that reported what they saw in an effort to gain favor with their owners?

Laila hated them.

She watched the landscape fly past them as Sibby moved with inhuman speed. She could have gotten to her destination so much quicker on her own. But, if she had, Laila would doubtlessly have been captured. Just like she would've died in Riqre's mansion if Sibby hadn't come for her.

Why did people enslave Djinni? They could offer so much to the world?

Actually, she already knew the answer. Greed. Greed and fear that made other's capitulate to the idea. But, that was how the world was. If she had been alive thousands of years ago... she still probably couldn't have made a difference.

...

At the border, they saw a pack of large cats laying in the sun. They were tawny, with large, golden eyes. There were two types. The first kind looked like a regular house cat, but ten times the size. The others were like the first, but they also had a large tuff of fur that circled their heads.

Laila watched them as she was invisibly carried past.

A few raised their heads and sniffed the air. One even stood up and swatted at where she and Sibby had passed.

Then, they were gone - lost in the distance behind them.

They turned visible, and Sibby set her down. The black and white woman then languidly stretched and looked around with bright eyes.

They walked for a while before seeing something in the distance. Laila's first thought was to hide, or go in another direction, but Sibby boldly walked towards it.

Laila pulled out the scarf she'd made and wrapped it around the lower half of her face before clenching her fists so that they wouldn't peek out from inside her sleeves. She would still attract attention, if for no other reason than her height, but hopefully people wouldn't think she was a monster and attack.

She quickly hurried after Sibby as her friend got closer to the moving gray things.

They were animals - as big as a small shack. They had five legs, or rather, four trunk-like legs and a flexible appendage that hung from their faces. They also had huge ears, and long, sharp-looking tusks.

They paid them little attention until the pair drew close, then the smaller animals moved away and the largest one turned to face them. Its ears went wide and it pawed the ground before charging them!

Sibby stood in a cocky stance with one hand on her hip.

Laila would've called it suicidal, if she didn't know how powerful the Djinni really was.

The charging beast bore down on them... and then stopped. It huffed and blew air out of its appendage.

Oh. It was a nose?

"Ha! I've never seen old Sheba back down like that before!" A man called out from the side. As he walked up to them, Laila could see that he was short, burly, and had a long, brown beard. "Nothing like seeing a herd of Elephants is there?" He stroked his beard as he looked Sibby up and down. "A Zebra beastkin, eh?" He smiled wide. "I've never heard of or met one of you before, but I must say, I like your fashion sense." He winked.

Laila was outraged, but Sibby preened under his attention.

"W-what?" She'd been a bed slave, herself, and was used to nudity, but to have some random guy talk about Sibby like that!

...Then again, she WAS naked. It might be odder to not talk about it. The only people they'd exchanged words with for weeks were fellow slaves or the slavers that had died at Sibby's hand.

"Oh?" The man faced her and took in her abundance of clothes. "You must be new to Tiqr. There's no need to bundle up here! Winter has passed, and even at its peak we don't get visited by many Winter Sprites."

"No, sorry." Laila bowed her head. "I'm fine. We've been traveling, and most other people react... differently to Sibby's appearance."

"Is that right?" He smiled as he stroke his beard. "She'd fit right in at the capital. Modesty is a dirty word there. Ha!"

Laila wanted to change the subject. She motioned at the large, grey animals. "What are they?"

The man's eyes glinted. "Elephants. They don't exist anywhere else in the world." He beckoned and one of the smaller ones came over. "Intelligent, strong, affectionate." He patted the young elephant as it wrapped its distended nose around him. "I'm Wellie, the [Druid] that's looking after this herd."

A druid? Laila had never met one of them before.

"Do elephant herds need someone to overlook them?"

"Not in the slightest." Wellie laughed. "They can fend off predators, poachers, and hunters just fine on their own." He gave the young elephant a gentle swat and it trodded back towards the herd. "I'm here because I want to be. And because Martha over there is pregnant." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I'm staying around until the calf is healthy and hale." He crossed his arms and nodded. "So, what brings the two of you to Tiqr?"

Laila glanced at Sibby, but the Djinni that was being mistaken for a zebra-beastkin only smirked. She never spoke to anyone else aside from Laila, and even then she was perfectly fine with silence that lasted for days.

"We're just passing through." She looked at Sibby. "My friend doesn't usually talk, but I was hoping we could find some of her clansmen here."

"Doesn't talk, eh?" Wellie shrugged his shoulders. "Well, like I said before, I haven't heard of any zebra-beastkin. You could always try the capital. Our queen would definitely grant her an audience. In fact, I'd bet she'd offer to let, Sibby, was it? To let Sibby start a clan of her own. Beastkin breed true, after all."

"And which way is that?" Laila asked.

"You'll want to head north until you hit a wide, dirt road." Wellie pointed towards the horizon. "If you follow that west, you'll eventually come to Niiwele. They have a lot of antelopes there. Intelligent creatures. They'll bow to you if you bow to them. Some of my friends look over them, so they've gotten spoiled." He spit on the ground. "I keep tellin' them that thinnin' the herd is necessary at times, but do they listen?"

"No? They don't?" Laila guessed.

"That's right! They don't listen to old Wellie!" The stocky man folded his arms across his chest. "Still, it's a nice city. Not too divorced from nature, but we make sure none of the settlements in Tiqr are like that. Not like other countries." He shrugged and let out a sigh. "Anyways, from Niiwele, you can take the main road north. That'll get you to the capital, Oliphant, in a week or so."

"Ah, thank you." Laila bowed before looking at Sibby. "And if we wanted to wander?"

Wellie's face broke into a wide smile. "Then wander! You'll meet all sorts of other people that don't like to settle down in one place." He jerked his thumb at the elephants. "If you can handle Sheba, then you should be fine on your own. Just don't disrupt things, and you'll be left alone."

"We'll take care." Laila started to wave before remembering that she needed to keep her hands hidden. She turned it into an awkward motion that didn't really mean anything.

Sibby was already walking away with long, confident strides. Laila hurried to catch up. It would've been difficult to keep pace with the Djinni before, but Zehia's body was stronger than she was. It now also had longer limbs, and she could run pretty fast if she needed to.

The pair traveled in silence. Laila was used to it. Being silent was a natural part of being a [Slave]. Drawing attention to yourself was never a good idea. However, the silence between her and Sibby was different - more comfortable. It helped her relax.

...

The days passed by, and Laila wondered at the marvels of Tiqr.

It was so... uncivilized. And wonderful.

She saw animals all over the place. Birds, snakes, cats... and plenty more that she couldn't identify. For being so close to the great desert, the land was surprisingly lush. The few people that they did meet were friendly. The few animals that attacked them, died easily at Sibby's hands.

It was on their third day that she saw them: the zebras.

Laila had seen horses before. She might've been a [Slave] for most of her life and had mainly been kept inside, but someone would have to be truly sheltered to not have seen one before. The zebras... they really did look like black and white, striped horses, but they were different.

Their mains were short and spiky, and they looked smaller, but it was hard to tell at a distance.

The stripes made it even more difficult. Laila was surprised. The other animals they'd seen - lions, hyenas, and the like - were colored to match the land. They didn't blend in perfectly, and it could hardly be called camouflage, but they didn't stand out.

The zebras did.

Their black and white bodies were easy to spot from a distance... but that was it. They were just a mass of lines. Their stripes didn't hide them in the surroundings, it hid them within their herd.

It made them seem... large. Imposing. A singular creature that was impossible to overcome.

Laila looked at Sibby. The parallels were obvious.

The pair watched the zebras for a while... until one strayed away from the herd and was killed by a lioness.

Sibby seemed to lose interest after that, and they continued their journey.

...

The days were pleasant.

Laila still hid her face with a scarf, but she'd started to use her claws. Sibby insisted that she hunt with her... and it felt good. It made her feel powerful. Strong. Safe.

Zehia whispered to her at times it felt like. She had no ears, and Zehia had no mouth, but she could still feel her former Mistress guiding her - showing her how to move, how to strike, how to use her [Skills].

Today, she was hunting a rabbit.

No. Not just 'a' rabbit. 'The' rabbit.

It was taunting her.

In many ways, it was a far craftier foe than a lion or an elephant would've been. They would try to fight, and Laila could win in a fight. The rabbit? It was faster, more agile, and had a burrow network that seemed to go on forever.

It had been three days, and she would kill the rabbit or die trying.

Laila sat in a tree that overlooked the rabbit's tunnels. She knew how it operated. It would poke its head out of one of them and look around. If it saw her, it would duck back inside quicker than she could reach it. But, up in the tree, it wouldn't notice her. All she had to do was wait for it to leave the safety of its home, and then ambush it.

She could imagine the creature's blood dripping down her claws. It would be so satisfying to rip its stupid little head off! To eat something that she had caught herself!

...Sibby might have been rubbing off on her a little too much.

Something brushed against her leg, she shooed it off. She couldn't be distracted by a bird. If she was, then she'd miss the rabbit coming out-

It brushed against her again.

Laila frowned and turned to look... It was the rabbit.

The rabbit was in the tree. It was right beside her. It was staring at her. Mocking her.

She swiped at it with her claws... and it vanished. Her blow struck the branch she was squatting on instead. The little demon teleported a foot to the side and then raced down the tree trunk.

Laila chased it after she picked herself up from where she'd fallen with the branch. She failed.

She really hated that Waisrabbit.

She sat and leaned back against the tree until Sibby came back from her hunting trip. "Okay. I give up. Let's continue."

...

They were getting close to the border, when they came across a large progression moving north-east along the road. There were dozens of wagons that looked normal, but there were also cloth-armored outriders on zebras, patrolling hyenas, a pair of lions, and several elephants - including one that was twice the size of the rest of its kin.

Even from a distance, Laila could see that an entire pavilion had been placed on its back.

In the air, dozens of Garuda of every color imaginable circled protectively.

"Ho, there!" One of the zebra riders called out to them as he approached. "This is the caravan of Empress Nsiia of Tiqr. The [Empress of Beasts]. What business do you have?"

Laila easily slipped back into her formal mode. She clasped her clawed hands together and bowed. "We are but two travelers on our way to Pomle. We were merely passing through the Empresses' country. We did not expect to encounter Nsiia herself."

"Ah." The man broke into a smile. "Well met then." He motioned to them. "Come, you are welcome to travel with us and share our bounty. We are close to the border so it would not be an imposition."

Laila bowed again and glanced at Sibby. The Djinni was eyeing the grand elephant with a amused expression.

"We graciously accept. Please forgive my companion, she speaks little and is wild by nature. She is strong, and I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt by making untoward advances towards her because of her lack of attire."

"Fear not." The rider laughed. "While I'm sure she'll have no lack of admirers or interest, that will be due to her race, not her nudity." He petted his mount. "Even I have never heard of a zebra beastkin before, but if there's any place on Chandrar that she would be welcome, it is Tiqr!"

Laila was nervous at first, but true to his word, the caravan was open and friendly. The people chatted with her and Sibby as they walked. While they certainly noticed her clawed hands, they didn't comment except to ask if she had claw-related [Skills]. Stitchfolk could look like anything, and in that sense, her body wasn't out of place.

Laila found herself relaxing and enjoying the company. Sibby remained silent, but clearly enjoyed the attention. Laila suspected that she was eager to go and explore, but was staying close by for her sake.

Sibby felt comfortable - because she always felt comfortable. She was the strongest, and nothing could hurt her. She still was interested in the huge elephant. She'd seen plenty of hyenas, lions, and zebras already. While she appreciated the Zebra's ascetic, they were pale imitations of her.

The main elephant, on the other hand, was massive. She was stronger, faster, and better in every other way, but its sheer size was intriguing.

She wondered what it would taste like.

Other people came up to her and Laila and asked questions. Her friend answered them. For some reason, she cared about what others thought. Sibby wondered what William would say about that. Or what Kevin would.

She'd told William what Cauwine had told her. That Tiqr was a kingdom full of beast tamers. William had theorized that there were standard ways in which certain classes came about. Over time, such dynasties would naturally form as a powerful person created an environment suited for their class.

Other people would then come, and be influenced in turn.

The cycle would continue until the group either ran out of space, destabilized from within, or encountered similar groups that did not assimilate.

Sibby had stopped paying attention after that. She understood enough. Similar capes gathered together. She'd seen it happen a lot, and didn't need to guess as to why it was happening here as well. It just seemed natural to her.

The progression was much more interesting, and she couldn't wait to explore it!

Actually... she guessed she could wait. She should stay next to Laila and make sure no bad people approached her.

And so, they walked with the caravan. Several people came over to talk, but she ignored them and let Laila speak with them. Sibby was too busy plotting what she'd do during the evening.

...

Once all the people had settled down for the night, Sibby started investigating this and that.

She prowled through the camp and peeked into the different wagons. They held chests, and the chests mainly held food. Boring, bland food. She ignored it and continued to search for something interesting.

One of the wagons had people standing guard around it. That was promising!

Sibby easily slipped past them and opened the chests that were inside... rocks. Nothing but colorful, polished, rocks.

Useless.

She persisted. There had to be something of note with all these people!

She moved to where the house-sized elephant was. The building on its back had been removed, and the large beast was laying on its side to sleep. That was a little interesting, but she couldn't see what it tasted like without hurting it, and that would cause a ruckus, and that might get Laila involved.

...Maybe just a bite from one of its tusks?

No.

Well, not right now.

Her eyes turned to the discarded house. It had been attached to a lavish tent, and even more people stood guard around it.

Sibby's eyes gleamed. It was too bad she was invisible and couldn't show off with a pose.

Instead, she leapt to the top of the tent. She allowed herself to rest on it for a moment as she took in the view. Then, she phased through it and dropped down to the floor.

"So you've arrived." A woman stood proudly in the middle of the lavish room. She wore more feathers than cloth, and had a long halberd in one hand, and a smooth, ivory javelin in the other. She was also looking right at where Sibby was standing. "State your purpose, [Rogue], before I kill you myself."

Bios:

Sibby - The Siberian. Now bound to Kevin after he sacrificed his Summoning power to keep her alive when William Manton was killed. Has learned some new tricks. Mostly non-evil these days.

William Manton - Former member of both Cauldron and the Slaughterhouse Nine. The original controller of the Siberian. Preeminent parahuman expert. Dead. Exists as memory fragments within Sibby's Shard.

Zehia Maquet - OC. Was one of Lailight Scintillation's top problem solvers. She is now a [Carrion Eater] with Laila controlling her body.

Laila Yosef - OC. A [Slave] from a very young age. After experiencing a lot of torture managed to get the [Stitch Selphid] class after being eaten by Zehia. Now lives as a life-thread inside of Zehia's body. She's in control as Zehia has mostly retreated into her own mind.

Nsiia Oliphant - [Empress of Beasts]. Ruler of Tiqr. Not that politically savvy.