*Warning: rape, violence, sexual content, slavery*

They were taken to a wagon with three Bugbear guards and a human commander and loaded. A bugbear male, a Bahku female - maned and tawny furred cat person with one eye, and herself. Manacles locked to rings on a metal bar.  The Bugbear, tufts of black shaggy fur protruding from stained shirt and trousers, had it's large rounded, bare skinned swollen and orange head down, the pointed ears up. It's yellow eyes in their triangular sockets looking down at it's pedestal legs and blunt nub toes on bare pillar feet. They rumbled down the cobbled streets, lined by walled villas and buildings like cliffs. Dracna looked up, marveling at the tall buildings of three, four or even five levels, with windows, open air ledges with drying clothes, people or boxes with plants in them. Smells of smoke, foods, urine and garbage rotting in the gutters and alleys. It was all strange and bewildering to her.  They turned from a sunlit main corridor to a shadowed side street less busy with the people going about their business, bringing back baskets of foods and flowers and children chasing through the street.  Then turning again at a small square and finally arriving to a walled compound, past a gate and around to the back of a building.  Gazakral emerged from a carriage pulled by centaurs and shouted to his servants “ Wash them, they stink.  Separate pens.” He walked towards a large house across the yard.  

Gazakral was one of her kind. She was now his, which meant she would be in his dominion or tribe. Dracna called out in the Ghenid language  “I want to see your S’oang (matriarch)!” She would not stay subordinate to a male.

Gazakral stopped and turned, smiling.  “There is none.”

A male with a war band of males - a pa-mueo?  "He is building his value and seeking a status female." she thinks. Or he may be one who prefers males. Still, she knew Ghenid ways. “You may be a worthy male” she said.  

He grinned and walked away.

The Bugbears lifted the shackle bar and carried it with the prisoners attached into the barn-like building. Off the open entry were sets of small stalls, some with iron bars.  They were set in the larger open corridor and the bar attached to ropes and pulled up. The Bugbears hurled buckets of cold water, and roughly soaped them up, laughing as they were groping and feeling. Squeezing the breasts and nipples of  Dracna and the Bahku under their thin tunics. She snarled and considered the value of trying to bite, but her hands were chained, her range of movement and options restricted. Endure. Keep a tally to pay back later.  Wait until darkness and her Shadow will free her. 

The Bugbears continued gleefully, slapping rumps and thighs. Rubbing between the legs of the prisoners. “Oh, you want it  don’t you?”, “Like it- eh?”  they said as the prisoners tried to shake them off. The Bahku swung up, kicking a Bugbear hard with both feet, bouncing it off the wall, ripping clothes with clawed feet.  The others howled with laughter. The injured one got up, showing a mouthful of sharp, jagged teeth.  The others closed in as the human, who had been watching, opened a chest and removed leg irons and heavy weights.  The Bahku female fought and struggled, her biting snaps and kicks rebuffed with a punch, but ended with the leg irons on and weighted  down. Her long, thin coated tail waving it's tufted end wildly  The shackle bar was raised so the others stood on tip toe, but became a comfortable level for Dracna. Then came the beating.  This made the Bugbears more excited, hooting and calling.  They cut away The Bahku lioness’ clothes and took turns holding and raping her as she twisted, yelled and shook from their assault, groping and pinching, bites, punches and pounding, yelling and trying to bite at them again.  More buckets of cold water.  Wet tunics and soggy breeches clung to the other prisoners.  Manacles and leg irons were put on. The bar  lowered and all but the Bahku were unlocked and shoved into straw bedded cages.  They raised the bar again leaving her standing wet and exposed, stretched between the shackle bar and the leg weights, head down and breathing ragged, bleeding from dozens of wounds. The soapy pools on the floor pink from the blood.  “ Worth the resistance?” Said the human. “You are not someone now, you are a thing.” He herded the Bugbears out and closed and locked the outer door. The space was dimly lit by narrow slit windows when the outer door was closed.  

The  Bugbear prisoner spit and masturbated, chains rattling, chuckling, muttering to himself and gazing at the Bahku.  These others are nothing to her. Not true people like other Ghenid.  Dracna glanced over at the leering creature in the next cage, turned her back to that and  considered her resources.  The slave Ikheerha. She could pull his chain to make him come to her. But what? Not enough money. He wasn’t going to fight to free her. Pull chains on those her tribe?  Days away and they would be more lost than she was.  A handful of warriors against the city? Laughable. Against Gazakral's house? Maybe could help her escape..but then what?  Her Shadow- the ghostly familiar, Krarue.  The ghosts of her cubs. Her other ghosts. These had to wait until nightfall. The gnome Verborin, though she has nothing to surrender to him aside from herself. The city is strange, as are it’s residents, but Ghenid followed Ghenid ways. Gazakral has no female to whom he is bound. Not even mother, aunts or clan queen? He is alone in the city. He is without a tribe, traveling and trading. She has value and making him hers should be easy. Males are weak and without status if they have no mother, sister or other females to lend them place. She is now under his chain and part of his “house”, his dominion.  He thinks he has advantage with this and the Soul Chains placed on her.  Typical foolish male.  His few links give him influence, but the weight of the hundreds of hundreds of links held on her cubs, her slaves, the ones held by her tribe and clan would stop her from being compelled for more than a few moments. That weight marks her status in the Ghenid society and the  status he gains under her.  She will offer him place and they will remove the city bond. She wished she could remove the wet gown and tried shaking herself while ignoring the bugbear.

Several hours passed. The human returned with two Bugbears and Gazakral. Dracna lay on the bunched straw, smiling.  “You are a worthy male. You have esueh, wealth, servants.  I have seen you making trades in the tribes and the village. I will make you all, your pa-oang, my Cra-oang, yes?”

Grazakral laughed “ I consider, hehe, your offer! Now I surrender something to you, a small trinket. I will put this necklace, on you, yes?” His hands hidden, one behind his back, the other in the pocket of his robes.

She bowed her head in acceptance, ears back, eyes down. They unlocked the cage. Gift? She thinks. She wears an iron slave collar, now something else? He used the submissive form, giving to a superior. A good sign.

“These will help you to kneeling.”  He directed the bugbears to take her arms, raising her. He stepped in and snapped a collar on her neck before she was fully to her knees, closing it with a small lock as she tried to look at it. 

“You have the aedoteerua on me, you don’t need these.” She raised the manacles and nodded at the leg irons.

“Maybe, so heh.  I will bring  you, to the house. Then we will settle, this pact, yes?”

She smiled at him, ears up.  The plan working to her liking.  “I will surrender myself to you after you take my Chain. You will not be alone. ” she said, starting to stand. 

“No.” he said in common. “Hold her”  The Bugbears tightened their grips, holding her kneeling.

Dranca fought her impulse to tense and fight them.

“Not yet.” He said to her in Ghenid,” The offer is considered.” He turned to the human, switching to the common Atan language, commanding “Remove the wet rag. Give her a dry towel.” 

The human took a handful of the wet cloth, and split the fabric with a dagger on each side, stripping it from her and tossing it by the gate. Some of the whip marks on her back stung as the scabs were pulled away with the fabric.  Gazakral watched, grinning. No doubt inspecting his gain, she thought. A dry towel was fetched from a trunk by the main door and stuffed between bars in her cell. With a word and nod the Bugbears let go and withdrew with their master. The gate locked. The damp, cut and blood stained rags put in a basket with cut shreds of the bahku’s tunic. Then they turned and left.  The Bahku watched with slitted swollen eye.

The Bugbear smashed his manacles against the bars and floor. “I big boss, yeah. Give yourself to me, you be boss with me.”  Dracna flattened her ears and bared teeth at him.  “Put tail against the bars, yeah? I make you feel good.” he continued, ignoring her implied threat.

She felt the metal band on her neck. Ignoring the Bugbear, and the rattle of the Bahku testing her bindings. Dracna traced the etched markings in familiar letter shapes, but could not figure out the words. She shuffled in the leg irons and took the towel and dried herself rubbing vigorously before wrapping it around her body. One improvement.  Nothing to do but wait. She settled into the hay to sleep.

She was awakened by the human talking as he hit the cage bars with a dagger. “Master wants you at the house. Get up!”.  She pushed herself to hands and knees, then got her shackled feet under her and shuffled to the door as the human unlocked it, two Bugbears at his sides with clubs in hand.  “Be smart and don’t give us trouble.” said the human.  She bobbed her head “No trouble” she repeated.  The human pointed at a bucket and a Bugbear grabbed it, and pushed it into the cage. “Piss or crap now.”  She chose to relieve herself, balancing over the bucket.  

They made their way out of the barn, and across a courtyard with bushes and ordered lines of plants, then on to the house. She shuffled along, naked, the towel left behind. Dracna took inventory of guards, of positions, of angles and shelters. The heat and light said later afternoon. They went around the side to a downward sloped place with a door under the grade of the house and courtyard. The human unlocked the door and they entered the cool space under the house. The floor was of flat smooth stone laid out with a tree design in the center of green stone and white around it, then a 20 cm thick line of green a meter from the walls, and then white again for the last meter. Lanterns lit the space and a table with a bowl of fruits sat in the middle. Doors left and right and forward.  Unlike human places, she didn’t need to stoop to use the doors or stand in the rooms. They crossed the floor to the opposite door, unlocked it and entered a short hall with more doors. She was led to one, and shown a room with cushions along one wall, hooks set in walls with lanterns or bundles of smelly flowers on them, alternating with wood panels.  There was a cabinet by the door with a table on the other side set with a pitcher, cups, a bowl and a tray of sliced meats. The human opened a panel and worked a winch hidden within.  A chain descended from the ceiling. 

“Master Gazakral says you may eat and drink but must be secured.  This goes to the neck collar.  Obey and bend down.”

Dracna weighed the value of attack and attempting escape versus staying and making this Gazakral hers. She bent down to allow the human access to the collar as he attached the chain.  One Bugbear turned and left the room.

The human stepped back and poured a cup, and offered it to her.  She sniffed. Watered wine. Took the cup in both her manacled paws and drank. Then she shuffled to the tray of meats, sniffed, and detecting nothing off, took a handful to eat in her manacled hands.

“Food and drink.  He tries to impress.”  she thought. 

Gazakral entered wearing a long robe with landscape embroidery. His mane was swept up in a mohawk and bleached white. He wore rings on his fingers and a gold chain wrapped around his forearm. He waved the Bugbear and human out. Turning to her “ Now, your proposal.”

Dracna looked him in the eye, tail and ears up. “You show esueh (power/ influence in the ghenid language) and apa (cunning/ wits). You make a good display. I will take you and your band in my Chain and dominion. You have no aunt, mother or sisters and will have status from this and we will be stronger.”

He grinned. “Yes. This interests me. Surrender yourself to me for sex and we will make the Chains, yes?”

"Typical male," She thinks to herself. Simple, short sighted. Yes, he wants  sex as much as the status. 

He took a key from his pocket and bent looking up at her with a leer. “I release the legs, yes?”

She nodded.

Unlocking and taking away the leg irons, tossing them aside by the door with a clang.  He caressed her legs, first one then the other. Hands flowing up along the inner thigh, claws pressing trails of cold heat. She widened her stance as he felt higher, hands between her legs. 

“Free my hands now.” she said.

He ignored her and rubbed where the touch was more pleasurable. 

“Manacles off now.” she repeated.

His muzzle pressed her as he licked. Making a mark and placing another Soul Chain on her inner thigh.

Dracna needed him think he was irresistible. That he had her in his Chain.  Sex was just another tool of control and dominance for her kind. She widened her stance and groaned. It wasn’t unpleasant, and he did bring wealth and resources to her.  She relaxed and let him caress, lick and run his paws over her body. Taking enjoyment in the tracing her nipples with clawed finger or licking caress, the nibbles and squeezing.  

Standing, he pressed her back, pushing her to the pillows. She walked backwards, kicking aside a cushion.  The robe slid from his body and fell to the floor. He was not unattractive to her.

“I can, eh, make it better.” he said taking her manacled hands in his.

“Yes.” she said expecting he would unlock them.  Instead he raised them up  and quickly set them over a hook in the wall. They made a clicking sound as they settled. Dracna looked and saw there was a hinged clip to the hook so it couldn’t just be lifted up without pressing the clip.  She pulled, testing her strength against the hook holding her shackled hands. Strong and solid.

“Lick. Make your mark.” he said presenting the back of one hand to her mouth. The other lower, stroking her ǂpkoah, the phallus, now swollen and standing like a finger. He nibbled at her shoulder and side of neck.

She made the lick and chanted the words of her Chaining, squirming as he continued stroking her groin.  He grinned. Knowing that now he was in her dominion and gained place from her status. She would possess him.

Gazakral kicked her legs from under her, catching and sliding down her body as she was suspended by her bound hands- arms stretched to a mild strain as he again applied licks and sucking to her lower parts. She heard him repeating the Chaining chant and chuckled as he cast Chains on her so that she couldn’t just set him side.

She struggled and he held her tight. In Ghenid culture females are dominant. She might hold down a male in mating but being restrained was unique. She calmed herself. She wasn’t free yet. He was rightly serving her and her pleasure.  Gazakral was only lightly held and she needed to finish that. She moaned to encourage him and judged the stretch and mild ache in her restrained arms as a new pleasure. “I will take you now.” she whispered to him. 

He chuckled. “Will you now?” and then set to bringing her to climax before pressing his ǂpkoah to her.  She pulled against the manacles and rode the feel of his mating. Dracna had used strength and restraint,  but it had never been used on her, and it was a uniquely different pleasure.  She heard his making of more chains around his licks, bites, hands caressing her tits and his thrusts. And she used her legs to pull him closer and deeper until they were both spent and panting.

Dracna settled her breathing.“Now, release the manacles and I will mark you as mine.” 

Gazakral merely put on his robe and opened the door calling in the human and the Bugbears. “Back to the cage.” he said to them.

Dracna got her feet under her and stood, pulling against the hook. “I am your S’oang! You are in my shackle. I will place the chains to make it so and you become something.”

He laughed. “ Stupid tribal barbarian! City rules here. You are a criminal. A slave. Monster. Cannibal. I own you and none owns a stronger chain.”

The words confused her. What was “barbarian”? What is “ criminal”? “Cannibal”?  The Bugbears approached as she stood staring at the male. “What? I offer you a place under me. You gain status and recognition for your abilities.” They unhooked the manacles from the clips as she spoke.

He laughed more at her words. “I have status. I am master.  Of the house, and the slaves. I am a citizen of the city and have wealth and power. You are nothing but a slave I own.  Take her away!”

The pent up rage, hurt and frustration erupted in a roar as she thrashed, tugging on the chain around her neck. Leaning back and kicking to try to pull down the chain, tensed neck muscles fighting the collar. Attempting to pull her arms free, twisting and pulling to break the manacle chains.

The Bugbears pulled the metal capped clubs from their belts. Eager for violence. One took the lead, swinging the club at her.

Dracna evaded the swing, stepping back in to catch the arm on the backswing. Pivoting to hurl the bugbear into his companion. Lunging to bite them but pulled short by the chain and collar on her neck. She settled for several clawed kicks. 

“Stand still!” commanded Gazakral- his will flowing through the Soul Chains he had placed on her. And she stood shaking as the human closed in and hit her over the the head with a club. Her vision filled with fireballs as if she had been staring at torches or the sun, and the room spun. The human brought the club up again, before she doubled him over punching him in the gut with her metal bound hands. She staggered towards Gazakral as he stepped out the door, only to again be stopped by the chain and collar at her neck. Turning too late she was hit by the Bugbears, then the human from her side. They rained blows on her, beating her down. Choking on the collar pulling at her throat until another crack to the head and suddenly it was all gone.

She awoke in the cage. Sunlight  evident through cracks. Everything hurt. Her eyes squinting to limit the bright light. Her head throbbed and her breathing hurt.  Rolling to try to push herself up made her vomit- a mix of blood and stomach acid. 

“Still alive, eh?”  The voice stabbed her ears and burned her head. It was the Bahku, now chained in a cage next to hers. 

Dracna tested her hands and fingers. All there and working but cramping her arms in trying to move them. Manacles still there too. And leg irons. Legs not broken but torn and bruised. She dragged herself slowly across the spinning floor, panting in pain and stopping frequently to try to breathe.  By the door was a bowl.  Her goal.  Water. Mushed grain.  She gulped the water and food, fighting another urge to vomit, then just lay on the cool stone of the floor. She woke again. The sun low. There was another bowl. She pushed herself up with leaden arms cramped and aching. Her whole body hurt and it took everything to lift the bowl and drink the soup. Then she noticed the chain on her collar hanging loose. It went to a ring on a hook above the bars of the cage top. The hook was on a rail with ropes and pulleys. It hurt and made her dizzy trying to look. She gave up and slumped back to the floor. Then brought her hands to her face. Cheekbone broken. Teeth seemed unbroken. Muzzle, nose bone probably broken. Feeling elsewhere, broken ribs. Scabs and bruises everywhere.  Everything hurt, but she had always been taught Ghenid were strong. They were tough. That pain was a poison that weakened if one listened to it. She would not. It was a thing of the meat of the body and not her will.

She forced herself to stay awake.  The Bugbear was gone. The Bahku scabbed and bruised. Collared and in irons like she was.  Also naked, like herself.  "What day?" she whispered to the Bahku.

One ear flicked. "This is third day." 

Dracna coughed. Jagged stabbing pains  in her chest. "What...... barbarian be?" she asked between gasps.

The Bahku turned her gaze to Dracna. "Not living in cities or towns. Uncultured lawless savages. Wander. Traditional old ways. No books. Simple."

"What laws?"

"Rules and commands of the rulers and the city, towns or kingdom."

"Cannibal?"

"Eat the flesh of people."

"Criminal?"

"That is what we are. Broke the laws, the rules of the city and got caught. "

Life in the tribes was traditional. They ate what there was to eat. They ate their dead and the dead of other kinds.  That is the natural way of the world.  The way Gazakral had said it made it sound wrong.  City dweller ways.  City and smooth skin rules.  Coming here had been a stupid mistake.  She didn't understand it.  But she had a plan. Once the sun was down from the sky.  She tried pulling herself up using the cage bars, only rising to half standing before she slid back down too weak and in pain. The next thing she knew there was the faint light of dawn penetrating the cells.

Looking to the Bahku, she asked "You stand?"

Sitting up, blinking and rubbing her face the bahku replied with a simple "Yes"

"Dracna be me.  Gone from sky is sun I make go.  You me help stand. You me go."

"You speak Atan very badly  Dracna." replied the Bahku.  "I am Olrhee.  Do you promise by your gods and blood that you will take me with you if I help?"

"Yes.  Promise make.  You take Aedoteerua you help?"

"Yes, I swear on this Aedoteerua that I will help."

Dracna crawled slowly to the bars that she and the Bahku, Olrhee, shared.  "Hand give." she barked.

Olrhee walked to the bars and put her hand between them. Dracna put a finger in her mouth and then made her mark and chanted the Chaining. 

Olrhee gave a sigh and took her hand back, wiping it on her leg. "You are one of those wild barbarians from up north, aren't you?" 

Dracna nodded. "North.  Yes."

"They beat you up good. Why?"

Dracna thought for a moment. "Start train. Me fight."  Gazakral had called her khaengsua,  "Dirt under foot" , the ghenid word for slave. You placed the chains, you showed them resistance was punished and pointless. Reward correct actions. Use the chain to command obedience. Beat  them and punish misbehavior.  Use food and physical restraint. Make sure they know escape was impossible between the Soul Chain and the Ghenid of a camp.  As she reflected on this she felt the pull of the Chain and found herself crawling to the corner of her cage closest to the door.  She forced herself to stop.

"What you doing?" asked Olrhee.

"Gazakral come."  Dracna replied.

A minute later came the sound of the door being unlocked and Gazakral entered, followed by four humans and four Bugbears. The followers all had clubs and the humans had coiled short whips on their belts.  He looked at the caged prisoners. "Time to start earning your keep."  The humans pulled the ropes on the hook and it moved outward, pulling the chain and collars around their necks, pulling Dracna and Olrhee up.  Dracna coughed and struggled as she was pulled up by the neck. Gazakral said "That one will not give us much trouble today."  The Bugbears unlocked the doors and two stepped into each cage. Hers grabbing her and pulling her to standing, which she managed with tremoring legs that threatened to give out.  Gazakral went into Olrhee's cage and made his marks and chains on her as she stood on toe tips with Bugbear guards holding her arms. He then had the hooks moved and the collar tension released so they could remove the chains from the collars. "Follow!" he commanded, the words reinforced by his will in the Soul Chain. Olrhee shuffled behind and Dracna tried, but was half dragged by her  guards.  They crossed the yard in the afternoon heat and bright sunlight to a pair of carts by the house. Chains from a cart were connected to their collars.  Gazakral turned and smiled at them. "Easy job. Move the bags from this cart to that one. The one who moves more gets extra food. Go slow and you get whipped."  He walked to the shade where there was a cushioned chair, a table, some cups and a pitcher.  He sat and poured into a cup. "Get to work!"

Dracna leaned on the cart breathing heavily, feeling weak and light headed.   Olrhee grabbed a bag and dragged it from the cart and hauled it the three meters to the other.  A human guard told her to put it all the way at the other end.  She climbed into the cart and pulled it to the far end. Then turned and went to the first cart.  Another human yelled at Dracna "Get going you lazy beast!" and showed the whip.

Dracna shuffled around to the back of the cart, using it to help keep her up. Suffering in the heat and bright afternoon light. Grabbing a bag and pulling it off the cart, pulled her to the ground. She heard Olrhee say "Wait.  Dracna, get in the other cart, stack the bags as I bring them, ok?"  She helped Dracna to stand, with a human guard standing glowering at them, and guided her to the other cart.  Then as Olrhee brought the bags over, Dranca pushed and pulled them to the back and stacked the bags, panting in the heat.

When about half the bags had been moved Olrhee had Dracna move to the first cart and move bags to the back. She then carried the bags to the  edge of the second. Gazakral called out that the Bahku had earned water, and a cup was brought to her by one of the humans. Dracna got none.  Work resumed and Dracna was moved back to the second cart to shift and load the bags from the first cart.  The sun was setting as they finished, were unhooked from the cart chains and taken back to their cages and collar chains replaced. Humans in slave collars brought bowls.  Water and soup. Bread for Olrhee. Once they were alone Olrhee tore off a quarter of the bread for Dracna. 

Dracna wolfed down the offered bread and gulped the soup.  She fought off her drooping eyelids and waited for full dark.  Then she chanted the summoning of her ghosts.  Nothing happened.  Mentally pulled at the Chains.  Olrhee looked at her. "What are you doing? Is that speaking to your gods?"

Dracna looked around.  Nothing.  "No." she replied. "Me ghosts bring.  No come."

Olrhee looked at her with eye gone big.  "Ghosts?"

Dracna nodded. She then focused on pulling at her daughter, Ngokhu.  Nothing.  Her shadow, Krarue, the ghost of grandmother's brother who is her ghostly familiar.  After a minute she felt the cold presence.  "You come.  Why no others?" she asked in the mindspeaking of shadow and bound.  Krarue replied that he didn't know.  She commanded him to undo the locks on her chains and irons. The leg irons dropped away.

Olrhee jumped up.  "How did you do that?"

"Shadow Krarue do.  Ghost things move. Lock do."

"It's here?" Olrhee said, looking around, ears up and forward.

The manacles dropped.

Dracna felt the ghost recoil from her.  "What?" she demanded.

Krarue's voice in her head. "The collar is magical and blocks me. I can not touch it without great harm, and can not work it.  It blocks you calling ghosts chained by you, but those with bindings to you could come."

Dracna swore. "That shit is a​​ ǂPkoah, a sorcerer!"  Unnatural crazy males who violate the rightful order to wield magics and rival matriarchs and live at the fringes of the Ghenid world.  Gazakral suddenly made more sense to her.  She can't summon ghosts to help her escape. She only had Krarue. He could summon his ghosts but she would need to pay them and him, and she had nothing but blood to offer. Not much as beaten and weak as she was.  Olrhee maybe?

"Olrhee, you free want?" Dracna said.

Olrhree nodded.

"Blood give free be?" 

"What? "

"Need blood. Ghosts feed."

"Blood is the path of the soul. If I give it to these ghosts they take my strength and they might control me!"

Dracna laughed.  "No!  Stupid thinking.  Blood little take. No aedoteerua. No control.  You want stay?"  She silently told Krarue to release the irons on the Bahku.

Olrhee stood, her eye wide. She yelped and jumped back when the leg iron came off.   Shaking as the manacles fell away.  When the collar chain came free she spun and frantically raced to the cage door panting, ears flicking back and forth as she looked around.  

"Olrhee!" Dracna barked.

The Bahku looked at her, fear in her gaze, claws out and trembling.

"Want go? Make cut. Give blood." She told Krarue her plan, that he would summon his ghosts to help them escape, distract guards and watchers and open doors and locks. He demanded a year of offerings of food, drink and other sacrifices like slaves, along with the blood. She offered a week of offerings, no slaves as she had none and no captives.  If she didn't escape she had nothing to pay. He pointed out the Bahku. But Dracna was too weak and wounded. He would wait a moon cycle for the Bahku, and expect other offerings for half a year.  They fought over terms in silent mind speak. In the end she would make offerings for a month, sacrifice the Bahku and others, owing the ghosts a total of six sacrifices.  To Olrhee she said "Now. Blood!"

The Bahku reached down and ran her claws into her leg with a whimper. The blood dripping. She watched fascinated as the drops  vanished, feeling invisible licking on her leg and a sort of slime being left behind. Tickling traces on her leg fur as the blood trickle was swept away.

Dracna watched Krarue lick the blood, stab his own paw with a claw and place a chain with his ectoplasmic blood before bringing up other ghosts. Dracna couldn't see them but Krarue watched as they too took licks of the fresh blood, obvious delight on their gaunt skeletal faces. She told Krarue to open the door locks and have his ghosts go out scouting and find the way out.  He did this after placing a few more ghostly aedoteerua marks on Olrhee and taking more blood.  He chuckled to himself on his riches to be gained and the taste of the living that he and his chained had gained. 

The doors swung open and Olrhee came to undo the chain from Dracna's collar and then help her stand and hobble to the door. They looked out into the dark yard.  Bugbears and a pair of Ghenid were on the wall watching.  "Shit" Dracna thought to herself.  More Ghenid and their shadows.  "Krarue, can your ghosts take the guard ghosts?"  He affirmed that they could. His warband were strong. The two living limped out of the barn and toward the gatehouse, the ghosts streaming out around them.  

Halfway across the yard they were struck by a strong wind that pushed them back, whirling into a dustdevil funnel.  They tried to advance but were pushed back.  And then a gong sounded. An alarm. Dracna cursed the sorcerer and his magics. She pushed Olrhee to one side and fell rolling to the other. The whirlwind followed pushing at the standing bahku, driving her step by step back toward the barn.  Dracna crawled towards the gatehouse.  

"Dracna, help!" Cried Olrhee as she lost more footing.

"Much magic. Ghost guard many." Dracna shouted back at her.  She looked and saw that Krarue had opened the gatehouse door.  She redoubled her efforts crawling as fast as she could.

The cobbles of the yard erupted and a vaguely ghenid shaped figure rose up from the ground blocking Dracna's way.  The figure was covered in dirt and rocks like scales. It had no muzzle, snout or tail. Actually more human shaped than Ghenid. The wall guards were gone...they must be coming down to the yard.  She tried to stand and run but the dirt thing slid across the ground to block her. It's arms swung and she tried to dodge but mostly just fell to the ground. And the thing arched over her, covering and restraining her.  She fought, struggling to get free but there was no air. She was buried and held by rock and earth. Damned Gazakral had expected this. His trap sprung and she would die to become his eternal slave in the underworld.  Except suddenly the thing withdrew from her face and head.  She was back in her cage, arms and legs encased in stone and earth wrapped tight around her.  Gazakral walked in with a human. They reattached the collar chain. He commanded the human to have the "Elemental" show her wrists. The human put a hand on a medallion hanging from it's neck and gave the command.  The manacles went back on. The human pulled the collar chain up while Gazakral had her feet exposed for the leg irons.  He stepped out and told the human to release her and the earth thing to fetch the Bahku.  "You can not escape. You cannot fight me.  I showed you that things can be good for you with obedience."

Dracna spit at him.  He laughed.  "You will be, hard to break, it seems.  But I will break you."

The earth thing suddenly rose up in Olrhee's cage with her held tight.  Gazakral attached a new collar around her neck above the slave collar and reapplied the collar chain, the manacles and leg irons before the earth thing sank away into the ground leaving the floor of stones undisturbed. 

He gently held Olrhee's face "I don't blame you. That one." Pointing to Dracna. "That one used you as a tool. I,  will make it harder, for her." He then placed aedoteerua upon Olrhee several times before leaving them.