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Something wasn't right. I didn't feel the familiar comfort of plush pillows and warm sheets.

I drew my legs up to my chest, somewhat perturbed at my inability to separate my hands, but even more annoyed at the feeling as if I had a wad of cotton in my mouth. I needed a drink, but I couldn't remember what had led to such dehydration. I certainly hadn't gone out the night before, and I had never drank enough to make me black out, and why was my room so uncomfortable and bumpy?

My eyes split open slowly, rewarded with only darkness and three small holes of light. The brightness hurt my head, but what was more uncomfortable was the heat of the box I was in.

"A box?" I thought as I tried to sit up, only to find that I was stuck in the fetal position with little to no room in any direction to stretch."What in the hells is..."

That's when the memories came flooding back. For the first time in a long time, I knew for certain the these memories were real. The dart in my neck, the two black garbed hyenas, our descent out of the window of my new home and... My collar.

The heavy metal dug into my neck, the rusted chain leaving a dark orange smear in my white fur. It was the most likely reason that I couldn't use my magic as I was wearing nothing else, but I couldn't even begin to try to break the enchantment; I was still too drained from the night before.

Panic seized me as I fought against the rope binding my wrists together and tears streamed down my face. I couldn't go back. I _wouldn't_go back. With my hands hopelessly bound together, I gave a muffled cry before trying to pull the cloth out of my muzzle, only to find that it was secured in place with another rope looped through several links of the chain around my neck. I wouldn't be screaming for help, that was for sure.

I couldn't tell how long we had been moving, but I cried myself to the point of numbness well before whatever I was being transported in came to a stop. I barely noticed. All I could focus on was the dread that gripped my heart at the prospect of being taken back to the Guild. Punishments were severe enough for small transgressions, but this? Even _attempting_to escape led to people disappearing for good.

While my mind ran through every terrible possibility, the holes where my only light filtered in were blocked and I heard a heavy latch click. My headache doubled in pain as the lid of the box I rested in was lifted, showing me a beautiful cloudless blue sky and a hyena dressed in a simple grey tunic that any non-noble citizen of the realm would be found wearing.

"Figured you deserved to stretch your legs a bit." He said in a gruff voice as he reached into the box and pulled me out of it, depositing me on my feet next to the wagon his horse had been pulling. My legs immediately gave out and I crumpled to the ground, writhing in pain from both my migraine and now my shoulder.

"Well, he definitely won't be running anywhere." The other hyena said as he climbed off of his horse and led it to a large pond so it could drink.

"We're putting an awful lot of trust in you as it is, kid." The one who pulled me out of the box left me where I had fallen, moving to detach the cart from his horse so he could get it to the water as well. "You betray that trust and we'll have to break one of your legs to make absolutely certain you won't run."

I couldn't tell if I had begun crying again or not; my eyes were dry and bloodshot, and all that came out of my blocked muzzle was a string of pathetic whimpers. My tail curled up between my aching legs and for once, I wished I at least had clothes on me to give some sad little semblance of protection.

The hyenas laughed at some unheard joke while I struggled to get myself into a sitting position, my eyes slowly adjusting to the brightness of the mid-day sun. From where I sat, I could finally get a proper glimpse of the two hunters that had managed to kidnap me after so many others failed.

The one who had first 'greeted' me was broad shouldered and perhaps only an inch taller than myself, but his body was packed muscle that told me that he could make good on his promise to break my leg with just the use of his pinky finger. The other was slimmer, likely six foot two, with a face that wasn't wholly unattractive. He seemed to be the 'people person' of the duo; the one who could talk his way into and out of most situations.

It was this tall, slender hyena that walked over to me with a water skin. He knelt down in front of me and gave me a smile; it wasn't a kind one, nor was it malicious, but it was certainly threatening.

"I'm going to give you a drink, pup." He said as he reached up to take a hold of the rope that held the cloth inside my muzzle. "If you scream or make any loud noises, I'll ensure you experience enough pain to keep you quiet for the rest of our time together."

I trembled before him, my ears flat against my skull and my eyes downcast in understanding and submission. He deftly undid the rope and pulled out the cloth, which, at this point, was the single greatest feeling I had ever experienced. I immediately began coughing as the fabric was pulled away, but the fact that I could now take in a proper lungful of air was a blessing.

The hyena waited patiently for my coughing fit to stop before placing the water skin in my bound hands. "Now drink. Don't choke."

I couldn't help but shiver as the cool water cascaded across my tongue and down my parched throat, and for an instant, I felt like it gave me the energy to make a break for it. 'Stupid.'_I mentally chastised myself. _'Not only do you not know where you are, you also wouldn't be able to outrun a five year old in this state.'

Escape would have to wait until later, but how would I manage it without my magic?

"Can... Can I ask why?" My voice came out hoarse, with much more of a tremble to it than I had anticipated. "Why are you doing this?"

The shorter, broad shouldered hyena turned his head. "For the money, obviously."

"The Guild pays good gold for returning escaped students." His partner added in. "We don't just do this out of the kindness of our hearts."

"P-please, I've got... I've got a lot of gold saved up, and I don't need it. I've got a job that houses and feeds me, I could give you all the gold I earn!" Well, that much was true at least, though the fearful part of my mind corrected me and switched 'I've got a job' to 'I _had_a job'.

"Oh, but you see my little friend, that white table you've got is worth a _lot_more than a lifetime of doing that job you had would ever earn you." The short one said. "We hand you off to the Guild, then they make us rich as kings and we're set for life."

So they knew that my enchanting table was worth a fortune. I chose to see that as a positive, considering that table was the Guild's best kept secret. If they were sharing that kind of information with the people they hired, it meant they must have been running out of bounty hunters willing to take on the task, so they had to sweeten the deal. These two didn't know just _how_much it was really worth though, which could work in my favour.

"Do you really think they'll pay you that fortune?" I asked. With a clearer head and water to quench my thirst, I was feeling bolder. "The Guild won't just give you the money, they'll take me back, kill you, and leave with it all."

"Don't try and get into our heads, kid." The short hyena growled as he stood up. He stomped right up to me and knelt before my face, bearing his teeth. "The mages won't mind the state that we deliver you in. A few broken bones won't earn any sympathy."

I shrunk in on myself, keeping my muzzle shut as I truly believed that he would make good on his threat. My mind was thrashing about against the magic cancelling choker around my neck, but so far, there were no weaknesses to exploit, so I calmed myself and turned my thoughts elsewhere.

Narhan was at least a week from the nearest Mage Guild by horseback, but I had perhaps three days given that they likely would be sending representatives ahead to meet these bounty hunters halfway. From there, once the hand-off was made and these two were killed, it would just be a simple matter to open a portal back to the central conclave hidden high in the Ashfall Mountains and my life would officially be over.

I couldn't stop myself from shivering at the thought. These two were too stubborn and blinded by greed to see just what was coming, but what could I possibly do to change their minds, or at the very least, delay them from handing me over?

"Do you realize what the guild does to its students?" I asked as the two hyenas returned from the pond and began attaching the wagon to the short one's horse once again. "They torture children; starve them, beat them... Please, I can't go back, I'll do anything you ask of me! I'm an enchanter of no small renown, I could enchant your gear to make you stronger, faster! I know dozens of nobles who would pay you more than the guild to get me back!"

In truth of course, I only knew two or three nobles, but they were of fairly significant power in their own rights, but these two didn't need to know that. The hyena's ears flicked towards me, but neither of them said anything. Hopefully I had gotten to them.

'Hold up a moment.'_I thought, an idea slowly coalescing in my mind. _'Any anti-magical barrier could be overcome if enough pressure is applied to it. Granted, it would take a sizeable amount of power, but this collar shouldn't be able to withstand a sustained assault for long; I just need the energy...'

"We'll be switching to the back trails in about half an hour." The tall hyena said as he mounted up. "You can stay in the wagon, but if you start making noise or try anything else, you're going back in the box for the rest of the trip. Understood?"

I nodded quietly, not wanting to suffer that claustrophobic experience again, even if I had been unconscious through most of it. I kept my head and eyes lowered as the short hyena picked me up and set me into the wagon among two large backpacks and the box I had been imprisoned in. He quickly mounted up and we were back on the road soon after.

It occurred to me then that I hadn't eaten at all since dinner the day before last, and it was wearing on me a great deal. Exhaustion was quick to set in, and before long, I found myself losing the battle to stay awake. I needed to plan, but my body implored me to rest, to save what little energy I had left in me for what was to come.

***

Laughter awoke me from my dreamless unconsciousness. My stomach was tied in knots from hunger pains, and it made sitting up more difficult than I would have liked. If I was this bad now, I wouldn't last long on my own, especially considering it was now nighttime and we were evidently deep into the forest.

Just how they had gotten the wagon as far as they had was beyond me, but I wasn't about to question it seeing as how it had provided a somewhat comfortable place for me to sleep. My captors were conversing about some kind of previous mission, though I couldn't afford to spend any conscious effort to listen to them; I needed a way out of this.

That's when my mind drifted back to my earlier thoughts of overwhelming the magic cancelling choker placed around my neck. I barely had the energy left in me to conjure a small fireball, my starvation was seeing to that, but perhaps an injection of cum would do the trick? One virile Doberman had been enough to keep me riding high for nearly two days, and that had allowed me to enchant a sword and set up over a dozen wards in my room.

Surely another dose from one, or perhaps _both_of these hunters would be enough to overload the choker. Hells, if I had the time I would even consider milking one of the horses, even though I didn't even know whether or not they provided the same energy boost as a grown person. One thing was for sure; I'd likely need a dose from them both. It would take a great deal of energy to overcome the choker, and I would likely need much left over to ensure these two hyenas wouldn't be able to restrain me again. I couldn't afford to have another one of those darts hit me.

Peering over the side of the wagon, I noticed that the tall hyena's horse was, indeed, a male. _'Well, there's the desperate backup in the bag.'_I thought grimly to myself as I turned my gaze to the fire pit, around which my captors were sitting and talking. I scooted myself to the back of the wagon, noting that my weight wasn't enough to even tip it as I slid off the edge, landing heavily and almost stumbling into a pine tree.

The hunters looked over at me for a moment before returning their attention to the fire and whatever conversation they had been having. That two individuals could know full well that returning a young coyote like myself to the guild would mean my torture and eventual death was deeply disturbing, but if I wanted any chance to avoid that fate, I needed to submit to them. There was no other choice unless I wanted to wait for them to sleep so I could risk taking my energy from a feral horse.

There was no guarantee that they wouldn't restrain me more when it came time to sleep however; I couldn't see them even considering taking that risk, so my decision was essentially made for me. I stepped gingerly over to the fire, happy to be near warmth considering how chilly the night air had gotten. My fur could only protect me for so long against it.

"Can't have you dying before we get you there." The short hyena held out a skewer with some form of meat on it, and I accepted as I sat down. _'A long stick of meat. Fate is unusually cruel to me this week.'_I sighed inwardly as I bit into the food, glad that I was at least getting actual food in me.

"I... I have a request." I said quietly, earning the undivided attention of my captors.

"We aren't letting you go, we aren't sending a letter to anyone." The tall one said suspiciously. My acting had to be spot on for this to work.

"W-when you hand me over..." I started with a shaky voice, willing a few tears to start forming in my green eyes. "My l-life is as good as over. I-I don't want to d-die a virgin."

I looked at the ground in false shame, oddly optimistic given the silence that had descended over our small campsite. All that was left was the chirping crickets and the crackling fire between the three of us.

"I-I won't c-complain..." I added after a few long moments.

"What do you think?" The short hyena looked over at his companion, a look of indifference on his face. "Those whores we visited back in town weren't exactly prizes."

The taller one leaned forward, looking me directly in my terrified and sorrowful eyes, judging my act over the fire for painfully long moments.

"You go first." He said, evidently accepting my request at face value. "Break him in. I guess we can grant this one mercy for him."

The short hyena stood up, a little too quickly for me to believe that he really cared about his partner's opinion on the matter, and hauled me up by the rope around my wrists. With a pleased growl, he pulled me roughly over to the wagon and shoved me down to the ground behind it, giving us at least some semblance of privacy.

"Don't want to die a virgin, eh?" He said in a gruff voice as he began pulling open his pants. "Your wish is granted."

I had expected him to at least give me a chance to suck him off for a bit, to lube him up before he mounted me; it gave certain males a stronger sense of dominance and power. Apparently he thought he couldn't possibly have any more power over me at this point as he began stroking himself to his full seven and a half inches of pink hyena meat.

I didn't want to accept that I was giving myself to someone who was willing to give me over to torture and death for gold, but I had no other choice. I focused intently on the vegetation on the ground around me as I felt his pre-slicked head press against my tight entrance. The hyena gripped my hips in his strong hands and pushed forward, stretching my ring until his head popped inside. I let out a pained yelp which, unfortunately, wasn't a part of my act.

He didn't pause at all as he took me, only giving a satisfied grunt when I felt his thighs come flush with my own, and the slight bulge of his stomach resting on the top of my backside, just under my tail.

"Fuck, kid, you weren't kidding." He said while his length pulsed and throbbed inside of me. I couldn't deny that I was aroused, likely an effort by my mind to keep my pride intact as I imagined it was just another guy taking me in an alleyway back home. To me, I was no longer in a cold dark forest being carted off to my doom; I was back in one of Narhan's tavern districts with some stranger pinning me down to take his pleasure in a purely innocent way.

Or at least as innocent as that kind of thing got.

I grunted and whined as he pulled back out of me, my backside oddly enough craving to feel him fill me once again. The dirt and dried leaves being pressed into my fur as my captor repositioned himself above me didn't take away from the pleasure I was taking from the ordeal, even when he drove himself back in as hard as he could.

I'm sure the tall hyena was enjoying himself as he listened to my pained yelps and submissive whimpers. These two seemed to delight in taking their pleasure from others whether they wanted it or not.

His hands squeezed roughly onto my shoulders, smearing me down into the dirt even more as he ravaged my tail hole with all the strength and speed of a rutting feral. I knew my shoulders would be bruised by the time this was all over.

My captor, whom I idly decided to name 'Stocky' was no longer making the long hard thrusts he had been using on me at first; now, with all of his weight pressing me down to the ground, he was simply making short, quick thrusts. Every time his pelvis made contact with my backside, he'd take a few moments to simply grind himself against me, giving me ample opportunity to feel his heavy sac rest against my own.

_'Size and... ugh... weight are... mmfh... promising at least.'_I thought to myself. The only thing breaking my concentration was each successive thrust into me, but I needed to keep my mind occupied.

Stocky's grip became tighter all of a sudden, making me wince in pain as he slammed into me several more times. Each wet smack came with the sensation of another thick rope of cum being released into my ass, which at least wasn't wholly disappointing. The hyena's satisfied growl of climax was music to my ears as I struggled underneath him; I was incredibly uncomfortable, and my shoulders were burning from his vice-like grip.

Still, that hot pressure in my backside was a welcome feeling. Not only did it, as much as I hated to admit it given my situation, satisfy my cravings I still had from two days before, but it also meant that I could begin to absorb the energy in his seed to fuel my escape. Granted it would likely take longer to charge myself given I couldn't use magic, but hopefully by morning I would feel the changes taking place.

I felt Stocky slide out of me, dragging with him a small stream of cum that I lamented the loss of. Knowing that I had to keep up appearances, I stayed on the ground despite my uncomfortable position, trying to sell the idea that I had just indeed been taken for the first time.

"He's a great fuck!" The hyena laughed as he hid his shaft away in his pants and walked back over to his comrade, evidently confident that after 'taking my virginity' in such a rough fashion, I wouldn't be making a run for it. "Tighter than anyone I've ever had."

I rolled onto my side, unable to bring myself to care about the sorry state my fur was in given the twigs and crushed leaves and dirt that had been ground into me. The forest stretched for another few feet in front of me, illuminated by the orange glow of the nearby fire, before disappearing into an abyssal blackness.

Camping out in the wilderness had never scared me before, but this time was different. This time I didn't have my magic to rely on for defence, and considering the things that lurked out in the woods, being defenceless was utterly terrifying.

"Back to the fire, kid." It sounded like 'Slim' was the one calling to me. "Wouldn't want you getting dragged off by something."

_'Well, at least they're concerned enough about getting their payment to keep me safe.'_I thought to myself sarcastically as awkwardly got up to my feet. I walked around the front of the wagon so I could get a look at the horses, trying to pick out where my enchanting table was being stored. Slim's horse had a pack strung over its hindquarters that looked to be the right size and depth, so I figured that was my best bet.

In any case, once I had enough power to overcome this infernal collar those two wretches would burn. It tore at me to think about how many other escaped students they had tracked down and returned to the guild to suffer fates crueler than death. I would make them regret it.

Back around the fire, I sat down gingerly, keeping up the appearance of a virgin that had just been robbed of his innocence. Slim seemed to find it amusing.

"You can drop the act." He said with a grin.

The forced wetness in my eyes instantly vanished as the words hit me. "What..."

"We tracked you for weeks." Slim said as he stoked the fire. Some unknown animal out in the woods keened. "That little home of yours was a fortress of wards; more than the devices the guild supplied us with could handle. And that Doberman you went out and picked up? Damn kid, you must have gotten around plenty to take that guy."

Stocky was already snoring lightly, wrapped up in a blanket on the opposite side of the fire. They'd be sleeping in shifts, obviously. I couldn't distract myself from the revelation that these two had been so close for so long. So many things could have gone wrong...

"Why didn't you capture me then?" I asked, dropping my act.

"You think we're stupid?" Slim laughed. "Attacking a mage at night while they've got full mental control? No, it was best to wait until you were distraught, distracted. That's why we offed that family you gave your house to when you moved. I'll be honest, we thought the guards would find out about your relationship with them and inform you of their deaths. We would have struck that night, but you never found out."

"They're..." Tears formed in my eyes unbidden. The number of people I trusted in my little world could be counted on one hand, and I had just found out that three of those fingers were lost to me.

The Wilks family; Judith, Markham, and young Alan had given me a home when I first arrived in Narhan after I helped Alan defend himself against some bullies. They had shown such kindness that it almost made me believe that life would improve from then on, so I sent what little extra gold I could to them every time I completed an order in an attempt to thank them and make their lives a bit easier.

When General Galavar hired me, I had sent them word that my house was now theirs, a great improvement over where they had currently been living.

"W-why..." I asked quietly, only barely able to keep myself from breaking down. On the inside though, I was seething with pain and fury.

"Like I said; we needed you distracted and mentally unbalanced." Slim said matter-of-factly, as if he was discussing nothing more interesting than the weather. "Luckily, fortunes turned when you moved to the general's house. All that energy you had to spend to get your first round of defences up worked out perfectly for us. The devices we were given struggled a bit, but the window opened without incident, followed soon after by the door to your room. Always easy to grab someone when they're having a mental breakdown."

I felt like throwing up. I didn't care that my defences had been breached or that I had been captured anymore; all that ran through my mind was the poor family that had given me shelter and kindness, dead simply because they knew me. It was Alexis all over again, only the scales had been tripled.

"Anyways, since you seem intent on getting one last hurrah in before you go back to the guild," The hyena stood up and pulled down his pants enough for his semi-erect cock to bounce free. "Let's give you a round you'll remember. There's a few more in your future before we hand you over too."

'He doesn't know how you recharge.'_Whether it was the shock of incredible loss, or just my consciousness trying to keep me focused, the logical part of my mind took control while the rest of me withered away into despair. _'We take his seed, by morning you will be overcharged enough to break this collar, then we can escape.'

"I feel any teeth, you're losing them all." He stroked himself until his entire nine inch length was oozing pre from its fat head. I barely registered it passing between my lips and forcing its way to the back of my throat and further.

'We have purpose now, purpose with which to focus your power on.'_My mind soothed me enough that I took his length deep into my throat again and again, twin trails of saliva and pre dripping from the corners of my muzzle. _'Vengeance. You tortured the one who took Alexis from you for hours before you killed him, but these two... These two deserve worse.'

The hyena's thrusts were coming faster and harder, his heavy sac slapping against my throat with every push forward. My throat would be beyond sore tomorrow, but I didn't care. I had hatred to soothe my pain.

'When we make it home,'_The voice continued, drowning out my captors guttural growls and the wet sucking noises of my own muzzle. _'Appeal to Galavar. These two are just the beginning. The Guild is next.'

My ears were grabbed roughly, the pain dulled by how far I had retreated into my mind, and my nose was buried in the musky fur at the base of Slim's large cock, and I felt it. I felt my salvation shooting down my throat in thick hot spurts from an orgasm that lasted for minutes. He held me there, my muzzle impaled on his throbbing shaft for a good long while, letting him savour his temporary victory.

When he pulled himself free, I wasn't aware if I was coughing or not; my entire consciousness focused on drawing as much energy from his seed as I possibly could as quickly as I could. The analytical part of me was pleased to note that the process of converting sexual fluids into energy apparently wasn't a magical one, as the collar wasn't able to prevent it. I would need to experiment with this more.

I received the back of Slim's hand to the side of my head, knocking me to the ground as I had evidently not done as he had ordered. Funny; I didn't recall him vocalizing any orders, but then, I could no longer hear the crackling fire or the sounds of the forest around us either.

My hips were grabbed and I was pulled onto all fours, my tail wrenched up painfully as the hyena prepared to mount me.

'Let it come.'_I thought, a mad little smile appearing almost imperceptibly on my muzzle. _'Let him cum. Let him fuel his destruction.'

Who knew that madness had this kind of perk?

******

I didn't sleep during the night, though, even if I had been allowed to it would likely have just been tormented with nightmares.

Each time the two hyena's switched shifts, they would use me in one way or another. Stocky would jerk off by the fire, then blow his load across my face, after which I attempted to clean up as much of it as I could, or he would mount me again. Slim was evidently more a fan of muzzlejobs, as every time he was roused for his shift he would keep me pinned between his legs with his shaft resting comfortably between my lips whether it was hard or flaccid.

I was beyond caring. Every time they used me only ensured that I would have more than enough power to overcome my bonds, and bring these two to their knees afterwards. Even though my fur was matted and crusty in places, even though it was painful to move and even breathe given the abuse I had endured, I was content.

I was even almost excited.

The waking nightmare was nearly over. I could feel the collar cracking and bending under the pressure I was exerting on it, fuelled by a near endless supply of power that I was still drawing from the copious amounts of seed I had been gifted with. Sure, my stomach was somewhat bloated from the sheer amount, but that would settle soon enough.

Anti-magic devices such as the collar around my neck were typically mass produced and weak, only able to fend off simple spells or reduce a fireball enough that it only burned for a short while rather than explode the target apart. This device, however, was tailor made to stop _me_it seemed. The effort I had to put into breaking it was mind-numbing, and I was fairly certain the tears rolling from my eyes were tears of blood.

Luckily for me, I was facing to Stocky's back as his horse dragged the wagon I sat in. Slim couldn't see the blood either, else I'm sure he would have tried to stop me. I was sitting as comfortably as I could while still maintaining the appearance of one who had been so thoroughly and absolutely defeated.

Not that my appearance needed any help conveying that.

The anti-magic field felt like an immense pressure around my head, which explained the bleeding; the harder I pushed, the pressure increased. As much as it hurt, though, the image of the smiling family that had been so kind to me remained at the centre of my focus, giving me the willpower I needed to force more power outwards against the invisible wall that was around me.

I could feel the pressure lessening in two or three places after a time. There was always an imperfection, but rare was the individual that could seek it out and exploit it like I was presently attempting to do. My ears and nose twitched as blood began trickling from them, but I pressed on in spite of it all.

A crack.

A single, infinitesimal crack.

That was all I needed to break the power that held back my magic. The pressure around my head abated and the blood dripping from my eyes, ears, and nose ceased. The incoming migraine would be one of legendary proportions, but I would deal with that after I ensured my own safety.

Most of my energy had been depleted in the effort of breaking the collar's power, but with the amount of energy still painting my insides, I could feel my battery quickly recharge.

Slim was the first to go.

Several thin low hanging branches of a birch tree snapped around his neck, cutting off his yelp of surprise and lifting him off of his startled horse. When he turned around to see what the commotion was about, Stocky was thrown from his saddle head-first into the trunk of a thick spruce with a wave of kinetic energy. The crack that issued forth from the impact didn't make me flinch, but it did make me slightly disappointed.

I hoped he would still be alive.

My legs were still shaking and weak, but as I calmed the horses down with a sliver of magic, I was able to crawl to the edge of the wagon and lower myself to my feet. Slim still hung from the branches, his legs kicking uselessly while the branches restrained his arms and head. He looked furious until he caught my eye; that's when his fur seemed to pale in fear.

He couldn't talk, given how tightly the branch around his neck was coiled, but I was certain he would be begging for his life. They both would be begging soon enough, and I would ensure that I heard every pathetic word of it.

Within minutes, I manipulated the branches and roots of the surrounding trees to restrain them both, facing each other with only a few feet to separate them. Spread eagled, with their clothes torn from them, I could see scars that had been earned from a lifetime of mercenary work. A few burns and bare patches of fur made me wonder how many young mages had fought them for their freedom.

The migraine was pulsing in my head, making it hard to truly focus on either of them. I needed rest.

"Now." I said with a shaky voice. "I'm going to go catch up on some sleep. I want you two to think about every horrible thing you've done, and picture just what I might have in store for you when I wake up."

The cloths I had stuffed in their mouths muffled any retort they might have made, not that Stocky could make any to begin with considering he was unconscious. I locked eyes with Slim one last time before I turned around to crawl into the wagon, swiftly falling into a blessedly dreamless sleep.

******

It was the cold that woke me up; the cold of a night that rested close to the end of the summer.

The lack of a fire didn't help, but at least the horses seemed content. As I slid myself off of the wagon once more onto stronger legs, I took the time to pet each animal, soothing it in an attempt to apologize that their trip had been delayed. I didn't know how to ride a horse, nor did I want to. These beasts deserved freedom, for they had nothing to do with my capture nor my imprisonment or rape.

I pulled a dagger sheathed in one of the saddles and carved small inscriptions onto the leather of their reins; simple wards designed to keep any wildlife from hunting them until they made it home. I knocked the saddles off of them both and unhooked the wagon, ushering them both to start moving in the direction we had been travelling. They got the hint.

A fiery orb appeared above my head, showering me with a gentle warmth that chased away the chill of night and gave me enough light to rummage through the bags we had with us. My table was the first item I found, and I hugged it close as if embracing a long lost friend for the first time in ages.

Perhaps it was the delirium of my ordeals, but it felt as though the object was embracing me in return, giving me a second source of warmth that set my heart at ease.

I gathered all of the supplies that I could fit into one of the large bags, somewhat disheartened that I would need to carry such weight around for an undetermined amount of time. I had to conserve the energy that I had left, given that I had expended so much to break the power of the choker.

Besides, I could use the exercise.

With my table tied tightly to the bag of goods I had gathered, my mind turned to darker purposes. Stepping up to the imprisoned forms of my captors, I couldn't help but smile with glee that they couldn't bring themselves to look at me. Stocky had recovered, though he likely had a concussion, and Slim looked just as fearful as ever.

It was amazing how quickly someone's true colours shone through when they lost control.

I pulled the cloths from their muzzles and tossed them to the ground, the fiery orb above my head illuminating dry, cracked lips and surprisingly, matted fur under the eyes of Stocky. Could he have been truly remorseful? Should I even care?

"What shall I do with the two of you, hmm?" I asked, giving them each a long stare despite the fact that they averted their eyes. My voice may have been cracked and weak, but they were smart enough to still be afraid. "You both are fully aware of the suffering you've caused to others. Tell me, did they scream?" I looked up at Slim, but he remained silent.

I drove the dagger I pilfered into his knee, earning a howl of pain that echoed through the woods and continued on until I replaced the cloth in his muzzle. I wasn't a sick person. I didn't torture people, nor did I particularly care for violence.

Well, that was before the writhing hyena had told me of what he had done to three people I cared about. I didn't intend to torture these two any longer however; I didn't want to make myself believe that such distasteful actions were okay, no matter what I had thought about while I was still chained.

I returned to the wagon and the other discarded clothes and items I had deemed not important enough to bring along and found Stocky's dagger, not wanting to cause more discomfort to Slim by removing the one I had placed in his knee. I slipped the sheathed weapon into a free pocket on the backpack and stepped back over to the two restrained hyenas.

"May whatever gods you follow give you mercy, for I will not." I said as I hefted the bag over my shoulders. "Perhaps the Goddess of the Hunt will listen to your prayers given your history, though they may be hard to hear over the sound of her pets devouring you."

"P-p-please!" Stocky was urinating himself. 'How pathetic.'"I-I won't ever d-do it ag-again! I'll make amends! I'll do whatever you want!"

_'A pity that it took impending death to lead someone to realize the error of their ways.'_I thought as I began walking, albeit slowly, back down the barely noticeable path we had come down originally. Oddly enough, I found that Slim seemed more penitent that Stocky given that I couldn't hear his voice adding to the cacophony of noise his comrade was making. _'Oh yeah, I left the cloth in his muzzle.'_I suddenly remembered.

'I should have hurt them more. We should have made them beg_for death.'The thoughts ran through my mind constantly until I was far enough away from the two doomed hyena's to no longer be able to hear Stocky's screams for help. _'Well,_one_certainly is begging.'

A distant howl heralded the coming of a predator, or perhaps a pack. It could have been a wolf, or a werewolf or perhaps some other apex predator that mimicked such sounds. It was a haunting noise that sent shivers up my spine and caused the flaming orb above my head to flicker in shared apprehension.

I had done this many times before, walking in the wilderness, but never under these circumstances. Plus I had always camped near an actual road, not some rarely used path deep in the forest. This would be interesting to say the least.

More howls accompanied the first, and I idly wondered if the pack had found some prey somewhere in the forest as I made my way back towards civilization. At least, I thought I was heading back to civilization... Surely if I was brought out here from a main road then this trail would intersect it at some point.

I couldn't help but feel liberated, not only because of my escape from... I couldn't recall their names anymore, but also because I was back out in the wilds. Miles from civilization; from responsibility and noise and crowds. If the pine trees weren't so thick around the path, I was sure that the several moons in the sky would provide more than enough light for me to find my way and offer me a breathtaking view of a night sky city dwellers rarely ever glimpsed.

And the stars! I could stare up at the millions of pinpricks of light for hours on end, wondering just what secrets they held in their orbits. To think some people believed that ours was the only world out there, even with the knowledge of the spirit worlds and other dimensions. Some people led such depressing lives.

It took two hours for me to find a place to sleep for the remainder of the night. At the top of a hill sat a large rocky outcropping that would provide protection against the wind that had picked up and made the trees around me moan in a most unsettling way. It was under one of the tall leaning rocks that I deposited my bag and set up the enchanting table.

When I sat down before the table, waves of pain rippled through my body as my earlier rage subsided and allowed the abuses of the previous night to catch up to me. A whimper escaped my muzzle and fresh tears fell from my eyes as everything that had happened finally set in; a family murdered, a night of near constant rape, the fear that I would never find my way out of the forest.

My one small consolation was that the orb that began hovering above the table was blue, as I'm sure red illuminating the pine trees around me would have given me nightmares and made sleep all but impossible. I walked out to the nearest tree, protected by the light and warmth of the flaming orb above my head to utilize some of its large branches as a makeshift mattress and to keep the cold stone from stealing my heat during the night.

One blanket over top of half a dozen large pine branches, and a second to cover my body, and I almost thought I was back at the manor. Minus the comfort, of course. Still, it was better than sleeping on just rock.

The moaning of the trees around me sent shivers down my spine in spite of the warm blankets, and before long I found that my earlier confidence had all but abandoned me. My table's aura would keep me safe, I hoped, from any predators wandering the area, but the darkness surrounding me and the sounds that filled my ears dredged up fears I didn't know I was capable of creating.

I couldn`t help but imagine what it would be like to be bound and helpless out here in the dark wilds with no one around to hear your screams as predators closed in around you. What a truly grim way to die.

Perhaps it had been too long since I had spent any length of time out in the wilderness, or maybe it was the recent harrowing experience I had just escaped from, but I was scared. Scared that I wouldn't find my way back to Narhan, scared that I would never have four walls to keep me safe from hunters again.

Scared that the company I craved would never be mine again.

In the span of a few seconds I felt like I was back in solitary confinement at the guild, though I couldn't recall what mistake I had made to earn me such a punishment. Cold stone walls surrounded me and seemed to close in, suffocating me in an all-encompassing blackness that made it hard to breathe. My emotions were tumbling around inside my head, sending me so far into distress that my brain simply shut off and allowed me some measure of restful sleep.

I awoke to find that night was still upon me, unable to recall just when I had gone to sleep. The wind had picked up a great deal and rain had begun to fall. I was sheltered from the worst of it, but with the distant flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder, I feared I wouldn't get any sleep.

Sitting up with a sigh, I drew my legs up against my chest and huddled under the blanket, staring up at the blue orb pulsing above the white table. Aside from the whole 'being hunted' thing, this table was the only constant in my life, and I was able to draw some small amount of comfort from it. Still though, something warm that could hold me would have been more preferable.

Surely General Galavar would be looking for me, if not to ensure the safety and well-being of one of his staff members, than to ensure that the insult of having his home broken into was addressed properly. A shame he wouldn't get the chance to see those hunters punished, though I'm sure he would have had it done and over with much quicker.

The worry that my absence had gone unnoticed was grim, but it wouldnt surprise me if they still hadnt clued in as I had already demonstrated my willingness to avoid everyone in that household even if it meant going hungry. Dianas face flashed through my mind; the young horse standing by her mothers side waiting at my door after a knock that would never be answered.

"I imagine they would have already gotten into my room by now." I spoke out loud, more in an effort to keep my mind occupied than anything else. "Hopefully whatever those two did to the door disabled my wards. Would be a shame to have the only ones who could possibly rescue me get incinerated."

Rescue.

I didn't need rescuing. As I shuffled under a blanket I pulled from the backpack I snorted derisively.

Rescue was for those who needed help. I didn't need help. I would make my way back to Narhan, back to the mansion and the family that had hired me, tender my resignation and gather what little of my belongings I would need, then hunt down the leaders of the Guild.

As I closed my eyes and nestled my head on the backpack, my head was filled with thoughts of everything I would do to those that had wronged me. My future path would be a bloody one, but perhaps if I survived I could finally afford to sleep soundly for the first time in my life.

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And there's #5! Hope it was enjoyable, and I REALLY hope things are running smoothly for the reader.