Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [Ariamella & grungeknuckle]

A low rumble sounded in the a earth, something that was unnatrual as it was unexpected. Then, a steady beat of heavy drums filled the air and—

The scene shifted. Animals came pouring out of the woods and forests from some unknown fear. Behind them came creatures of darkness, creatures that existed in only mzyths and tales, and yet they were walking towards...towards Gwynathel.

The scene shifted once more, but the surroundings were covered in blackness and fire. Six faces could be seen lying cold on the floor, each of their bodies mutilated and torn apart.

The oracles were dead.​

Felicity opened her eyes to the warm room of the Oracles' Chamber, a grand space of ornate decor. Her brows furrowed together in confusion, her deep blue eyes searching for an answer in what she had seen. All around her, five other humans like herself had the same expression. She knew then that they had all seen variations of the same thing. Anduin, the High Oracle, raised his voice.

"I have forseen the fall of the city, of its people, of ourselves. Felicity, dear, how much time do we have, can you see?"

"I...Thirty minutes. No, wait..." An internal feeling rushed through the girl as she sensed the change. "An hour at best."

"Anduin, what exactly is coming?" Another asked, a male named Fellin.

"Something that has not been seen for centuries. The Underfolk are coming. We must tell the citizens and get them out."

"And what of us?" Fellin asked, "What is our fate?"

"We are the protectors of this city. Meet me by the archer's tower near the south entrance...we will escape into the wilderness and travel to Orianthe to warn the others. Go now."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Blood lined the streets, tinging the stone with red as people ran. In the distance, Felicity could see the Underfolk, creatures whose skin was dark as night, watching as they tore through the buildings and to the Oracles' Chamber that was sitting atop a small hill in the center of Gwynathell. The City of Sight, as some called it, was home to beings of many races. Humans, elves, mages, and others that lived in the neighboring countryside. But more importantly, city-state itself was home to the Oracles, a group of six humans who had the ability to see some aspect of the future. The magic varied from Seer to Seer; some could see definite futures, some could see events that would happen in the far future, and still others could see the nearer future.

And then there was Felicity, a young Seer of only 20 years, who could sense the likeliness of most every possible outcome of a certain situation. It would've been likened to seeing percentages, and every action around her manipulated each outcome to becomw more or less likely to happwn. It was almost as if luck were on her side. Admittedly, it was rare for her to ever have visions of what was to come, unless it was with her companions, but her own gift proved to be helpful in many situations. Sadly, she was alone now, making her way through nearly empty streets. It had been nearly two hours since she and the others left their hilltop home to warn the citizens of Gwynathell, ushering them to safe paths for leave. Unfortunately, the Underfolk had arrived sooner than expected and few whole families had been saved.

She had sent her own family away and was heading toward the south entrance to the city when she stopped, sensing that her death was likely to happen had she went that way. So she hid, crouching behind a barricade of carts that covered a hidden alleyway. Periodically, her mind tasted the outcomes of each escape route, and each time her heart sank deeper and deeper into a pit of despair. Survival for her was slim to none.

But then, a flutter of hope tickled her senses. Had she imagined it? ...No, for it was still there. A chance of escape was drawing near...closer...and closer. She would know what it was when it arrived, and there was no way she would pass up a chance to live. Another hour and she definitely would have been caught...and killed. Eagerly, she turned to keep an eye on the streets, blonde hair softly rustling in the slight breeze.

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

As he ran, Devlin swore loudly.
"Horseballs cockspittle assbunching tittyknockle!" He yelled, an almost constant stream of curses and nonsense spewed from him. He took a flight of steps, leaping two at a time, as arrows whizzed past him, striking the walls and stairs, the railing of which provided some minor cover. He reached for the door at the top, only to draw his hand back in reflex and duck down, as a thick, jagged arrow planted itself deep into the wood, just above the handle. Devlin made another grab for the door, pried it open, and dove in, rolling to the side, as more arrows struck and skidded off the floor.
Two of the invaders, the Underfolk he'd been told, barreled down the small winding path, charging towards the stairs Devlin had just used. Three more were on the rooftops, notching more ragged arrows into their bows of bone, sinew, and enchanted stone. Striding, almost leisurely, just above the edge of the rooftop, coming up behind the archers, was one of the Underfolk Preachers. He was larger than his bretheren, with a great, single eye in his forehead, and oily black tendrils squirming along his jowls and scalp. A prophet of an old god, forgotten by all but the deepest and darkest of beings. A god who's might was being used by the Underfolk to fuel their invasion. With a throaty, maniacal howl of delight, one of the Preacher's hands burst into flame, and he moved as if to fling something at the doorway. Devlin didn't wait for him to finish, kicked the door closed, and half crawled, half slipped, across the stone floor, trying to get away.
There was a dull, heavy thud, as the wall cracked, and the door splintered, fire splitting and shredding the timbers.
Devlin, having finally hauled himself to his feet and on the other side of the room, leapt through the window, down into the waterway below.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Devlin stormed through the sewers beneath the city, the sack of loot at his side jangling with each step. If it hadn't been for that, he would have been able to sneak his way through the city, with little incident. Hell, if it hadn't been for that, he would have been out of the city hours ago. But when the call went out, and people started evacuating, he started doing what a thief did best; looting. Row after row of abandoned houses, hastily abandoned, doors left wide open. There were always valuables that people hadn't time to secure, and they were all his for the taking.
But now, Devlin was left to wonder if it had all been worth it. The sack of gems and jewelry meant nothing if he couldn't get out of the city alive. Every once in a while, he drew his rapier, as some other poor sod with the same escape plan as him scrambled down the sewer. He hadn't seen any Underfolk in the waterways yet, but he wasn't taking the chance.

Devlin knew these sewers well. He'd used them as an escape route on more than one occasion, having plotted and memories their pitfalls and crannies. He hit a passage, and knew he could go no further. The tunnel would become steeper, and more slipery, and end up opening up in the clifside beneath the city. A drop like might not be survivable. Instead he went back upward, climbing, grunting, and eventually pushing up a grating in the street. It looked mostly abandoned, save for the bodies and blood.

Scratch that. When Devlin first spotted a lone figure, huddled near a barrier of overturned and abandoned carts, he'd quickly assumed it was another invader, and ducked his head down. After tentatively poking his head back up, he saw it was indeed not the case.
"Psst! Hey! You there!" He loudly whispered, trying to get the girl's attention. "Is it clear?"

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

Her heart seemed to thud loudly within her chest as she waited for someone, anything, and everything. Sundown had just started to fall across the horizon and the finals roars of the enemy started dying down. Screams faded into nothingness, but Felicity clung onto the one hope that she had, the one hope that would keep her alive and— there! A grating popped open with a careful clang! and a mysterious-looking man hopped out with equally careful movement, though he seemed graceful in doing it. He looked around hesitantly, eyeing the bodies on the ground. Yes— yes! He was it. A feeling deep inside her soul told her that he was her ticket out.

"Psst! Hey! You there! Is it clear? he called out in a whisper, obviously speaking to her.
Felicity stood then, making quiet shhing noises as she untangled her long, lavender robes from her legs. The dress was torn in various places from the struggle of escape, including the long slit she made herself that ran up her thigh and to her hip. It was easiest to run that way, and considering she carried only a dagger and some throwing knives, fleeing always seemed a better option than fighting...not that she was particularly good at using the weapons anyway.

"Keep it down! Some of the Underfolk probably have excellent hearing, and if you keep yelling like that, you're going to get us both killed! Trust me, I would know." She hurried over to him, crossed her arms and narrowed a pair of hazel eyes at him in some unrecognizable emotion. It was probably fear, disdain, or her rather large ego. Or quite possibly all three. "My name is Felicity...Felicity Ashfell, one of the Oracles. Surely you know who I am? ...No? Well, in any case, you should know that we have to go now. I see..." she frowned a bit, calculating the reaults of them leaving as well as all of the escape routes she knew. Unfortunately, all she knew were the main entrances and one cave that led them underground. "We have close to 10 minutes before we are caught here in this very spot. If we leave through the caves, we will surely be killed, and each of the main entrances has us in a...40—no wait—55 percent chance of us being caught."

Her senses were on overdrive as she paced in front of the man, getting a slight headache from the constantly changing numbers. She had no choice but to trust him because when she calculated their survival on the premise that he lead the way...it was almost a hundred percent shot at freedom. Was he worth trusting? She eyed his tattoos and sack, debating for almost an entire minute before deciding that she would go with him. He was, after all, the sense of hope she struck earlier.

"You know ways out that I don't, do you not? Take me with you, and we'll get out of here alive. Trust me on this...please." Her request sounded less like a plea and more like a command, but she didn't expect him to refuse. He wouldn't dare deny an Oracle, would he now?

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

Devlin wasn't listening to the girl, at least not very closely. Everything below his armpits was still in the hole, so he hung there, legs swaying slightly, bracing himself against the street stones with his elbows. Not the most comfortable position, but from down here, he had a great view of her legs. And with that slit up her dress, and what with her striding back and forth in front of him... Well, the way Devlin saw it, sooner or later, he'd get to see more than just some thighmeat. Very thin chance, mind you, but worth it. So he hung there, adding a "Uh-huh," every once in a while, and watching that slit like a roc watches a small fat child.

Eventually, Devlin realized she expected something more than an unintelligent, gutteral reply from him, judging from the way she was standing and studying him.
"Huh? Oh, right. Uh, so I guess we're thoroughly boned if we stay topside then." Devlin was barely managing to tear his eyes away from her leg. Come on, just a little more to the left... and lift the leg... lift the leg...
Blinking, he came back to the reality of the situation. Still didn't take his eyes away from her skirt, though.
Well, that was one plan down. "Shiteknockle. Uh... only way out now it to back-track through the sewers, try to get to the main aquaduct... If I climb that, I can follow the channel back up to the mountains..." He nodded his head, seeming to be in agreement with himself on the new plan, then looked back up at the girl.
"Right. Thanks for the heads up, sister. Best of luck to you!" With that, he simply let go, dropped back down into the knee-high waters below, and began running back up the tunnel. Devlin had heard the girl's... request? Command? Whatever it was, he had heard it loud and clear. He just didn't give a damn.

He wouldn't be hard to follow, though. The constant CLANK CLANK CLANK of his sack, full of ill-gotten gains, echoed loudly through the tunnel.

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

The best thing about men was that given the right circumstance, you could make them do anything. Literally, anything. Now the best thing about this particular man was that they were in the perfect situation for him to do what she said. For one, they both seemed to want the same thing: escape from the city. The second thing Felicity noticed she could use against him was her body. His eyes hadn't gone unnoticed— how he watched her bare thigh as she paced back and forth, how he just muttered uh-huh a majority of the time like a slack-jawed idiot. But...she needed him right now. And whatever the case was, she definitely wasn't going to let him have her. In her mind, desire and the body were for her utilize as a manipulation tactic.

She had to admit, though, that he knew what he was doing. As he disappeared back down into the grate, she peered over it, seeing the dark waters below. Ugh, why, why, why was this the only way? But, she copied his actions and swung her legs inside the hole, carefully carrying herself down and— damn! She slipped, making an echoing splash! noise as she fell in the water, wetting almost her entire body. The thin robes stuck to her figure, also becoming slightly see through, but it was a good thing the air was warm, otherwise she'd be shivering as well.

Hurriedly, Felicity maneuvered her way through the sewer tunnels by following the clanking noises coming from the man's sack. Gods, what did he even have in there? A slight frown touched her face as she finally caught up to him near the entrance of the main aqueduct. "Do you have a name?" she asked him, messing with the natural soft curls of her blonde hair, leading the way through the large tunnel. The air was less stuffy here, and while it still had a stale aroma to it, it definitely had more ventilation. The water progressively got shallower, which was fine as she had resorted to tying her dress up so that it was knotted on the uncut side. This allowed her to move freely without the dress weighing her down, although it showed a bit more skin on the front of her thigh rather than just the side.

The aqueduct opened up to a uncovered stone waterway outside the city in a green hilly area. Above them, mountains loomed over the landscape. Is that where he said they were headed? Tapping the man on the shoulder, Felicity put a hand on her hip and said, "Do you even know where you're going? Because I need to get someplace...Orianthe. Do you know where that is?" She was impatient, and she uknotted her dress to let the ends dry while she was waiting.

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

Devlin stood, trying to shield his eyes from the light and water coming down from above. They had reached a junction, where all the city's waterways met, and to which the main aqueduct could be reached.

He was standing in a small, circular room, a large pillar of stone and brick in the middle. Above them, three channels within the city met, their overflow splashing and dripping down into the sewers. And high above them, the endpoint of the main aqueduct, pouring down the pillar itself. Devlin hitched his britches, and started feeling around the pillar, looking for lose edges and handle-holds.
It wasn't best of escape routes, but it would have to do. The running water made it trickier to climb, and he'd be in full view of the surrounding streets, once he made it to the surface. And then there was the problem with getting through the aqueduct itself, high above the city, with the water getting deeper and more turbulent the further you went.

He'd found a few good crevices in the stonework, and had begun to climb when the girl caught up to him. When asked his name, Devlin jokingly replied, "Yes, yes I do."
He was perfectly aware that she wanted him to lead her out of the city, but at this point, Devlin simply didn't see it as his problem. After all, she hadn't mentioned any form of payment, reward, or reimbursement... And unless she was offering something, he wasn't taking her anywhere.
He turned to say as much, then lost his grip, and fell roughly on his backside, with a loud grunt.

"It's slippery..." he said defensively, before the woman could even comment on his fall. While that was partially true, he'd also been severely distracted by the woman, ah, state. When he'd last lain eyes on her, her dress hadn't been that clingy, transparent, or that high up on her legs. The cool air whistling down from the shaft above wasn't helping either, as her nipples were standing out as little bumps, from beneath the dress.

Devlin sat there, in the water, staring very intently at everywhere on the girl but her face. Somewhere in the back of his brain, something primeval was getting ideas. It took some effort, but Devlin managed to focus his attention back on the pillar.
Disregard breasts, acquire loot.




And then later, use loot to acquire drink, food, and whores.
Pushing himself back up to his feet, Devlin began the climb again. The woman asked another question, and though he had no interest in helping her, he answered anyways.
"Yeah, I know where I'm going, there's a smuggling route that comes down this way twice a year or so. Though it usually goes with the current, not against it. And yes, ghnn..." Devlin nearly slipped again, after looking down at the girl. "And yes, I know where Orianthe is. It's in the opposite direction, you want to head along the coastline, then west when the cliffs finally peter out. But I ain't heading that way, sister, so why don't you go toddle off."
As he finished his sentence, a sound, metal and wood being rent asunder, echoed from somewhere up ahead. One of the streaming, coming from the channel above, was slowly becoming stronger.
Devlin froze and bit his lip.

Somewhere up the line, the Underfolk must be tearing down the water walls. For whatever reason, perhaps to simply purge the city's waterways, they were planning to flood the channels. Devlin was about ten feet above the floor, a mere fourth of the way up to the surface.

Frantic now, Devlin began to climb faster. Two other explosions were heard above, along with a distant rushing sound, growing louder and stronger. He knew, if he didn't make it to the surface by the time the waterways flooded, he's be swept out down the cliff-side exit. The girl's fate was no concern of his.

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

It was amusing watching him slip and fall, slip and lose grip, or just simply...slip. Of course, it was only amusing because Felicity could see which hand holds would provide the best way up, and he couldn't. Her Sight worked like that, where she could only see one problem ahead of her, one situation, but she could analyze it like no other.
A little to the right...no, don't grab that one— aw. Poor baby, she thought as she watched him fall on his arse, though she displayed no emotion on her face.

What wasn't amusing was his smart mouth, which was becoming more irritating by the second. First the name, know telling her to toddle off... But Felicity held her tongue, knowing that he would come around...with a little bit of bribery. Just as she opened her mouth, the steady stream of water had become stronger. It would take a while for it to really become a struggle, but judging by the 40-foot climb...they wouldn't have long.

Well, the insolent git had the right idea, at least, to climb faster, even as she heard two sounds that mirrored the first. Gods, she was really going to have to try. Sighing, she pasued for a bit, calculating the surest foothold. Then she went to the opposite side of the pillar and began the trek upwards, pausing periodically to test out different crevices and holes. Left, right, up, diagonal...her mind told her which direction was the best. Occasionally she had been wrong, each chance changing as more and more water trickled down the sides.
But ultimately, she made it to the top before the man did, and that was really all that mattered.

She pulled herself out, now wet and messy, dirt streaking her arms and legs. Physical activity wasn't exactly her forte, but she didn't have a choice then. It was either climb or die.
She did, however, have a choice right now. She could leave him, the rude pighead of a man, or continue an attempt to convince him into taking her to Orianthe.

Both seemed equally desirable.

But, she had a duty to fulfiill for Anduin. Were any of the other Oracles even alive? She shook the painful thoughts from her mind and peered down the man, a cold look in her eyes. "Need help?" she asked, feigning a sweet tone to her voice. "Well here's a bit of advice— I need to get to that city. And you're going to take me there." Her fingers gripped the edge tightly as she hissed the words at him. He didn't seem the type to value glory and honor, so she took a different approach with him.

"If you take me there, you will be rewarded with riches beyond your imagination...at least, beyond whatever it is you have in the sack of yours. Many people would pay lots of gold to see the safety of my arrival there..." Her voice was already sweet, but she made it drip with honey as she said her next words. "Or, if the gold doesn't appeal to you, I'm sure we can find something else you may like..."
A hand reached up to her shoulder, pulling part of the dress down so it revealed the soft skin of her breasts. She stopped just before her nipples, leaving the dress hanging in a way only a tease would leave it.

"What say you?"

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

"Focus your rage. Feel the burn."
That's at least what Devlin was trying to tell himself, huffing and puffing his way up the pillar. When he got the the first ledge, the on just above the waterline of the channels, and discovered that the girl, that annoying, stuck up gnat of a human being, was already there, he almost popped a vein. Her mocking wasn't helping the situation either.

"I'm fine," Devlin hissed through gritted teeth, when asked if he needed help.
After he'd hauled himself up onto the ledge with her, Devin rested a moment, breathing heavily, glowering up a storm. Now in full pouting mode, Devlin simply sat there, sulking, his hair plastered to his face, bruises and cuts on his arms and hands, crossed over his chest.

Normally he wouldn't take this kind of shit from anyone, and momentarily considered simply shoving the girl off the pillar. Her scream would probably draw attention though, and Devlin generally avoided killing. Too messy, to much work, and he had enough bad karma as it was.

At the mention of money, however, his ears perked up. And the promise of some skin time sounded good too. Devlin fiercely blinked water out of his eyes, drawn in by the girl's tease.

Maybe half of one and half of the other...

"Ok funmuffins, here's the deal. When we get out of the city, I want you to prove you can deliver, one way or another. And I want my payment in coin, not gold bars, not jewels, I want hard bread, understand? And we do this under the table like, the last thing I need is a bunch of oracles lookin' down at me, seein' all I've done, and all I'm gonna do, with a bunch of guards in toe." Devlin spat on his hand, and stuck it out for her to shake. "We have an understanding, Shugarlumps?"

The rush of water they'd heard had finally hit them, a roiling wall of water and sound, tearing down each of the channels. Though both were drenched by the sudden onslaught, both Devlin and Felicity were out of reach from water's more torrential effects. Being above the channels, they recieved not much more than a thorough splashing.

The pillar they were sitting upon, however, bore the brunt of it. Though stone and mortar are strong, currents of water and time can wear them away. And at this particular junction, at this particular pillar, the stone could stand no more.

A gut-jostling crunch issued from the base of the pillar, far below where Devlin and Felicity sat. It began to lean. Devlin looked down, and simply uttered, "Uhnn.." There was simply no time to do much else.

Stone crumbled. Waters boiled. Devlin had brief flashes of struggling for air, as he was swept back down the sewer tunnels, and out the cliff-side drain he had been trying to desperately to avoid. He had the sensation of flying, utterly terrified, as the sea-waters below surged forward to greet him.

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

"Ok funmuffins, here's the deal. When we get out of the city, I want you to prove you can deliver, one way or another. And I want my payment in coin, not gold bars, not jewels, I want hard bread, understand? And we do this under the table like, the last thing I need is a bunch of oracles lookin' down at me, seein' all I've done, and all I'm gonna do, with a bunch of guards in toe. We have an understanding, Shugarlumps?"
Felicity listened on, half-satisfied with his answer and half-appalled. First off, she was never planning on giving him anything until the end of their journey. If he wanted coin, then that was fine, but she wanted to offer no payment until she reached Orianthe. And being that she had no coin at the moment...nope.

No. Absolutely not.
He was dead insane if he figured she would actually offer up her body. She, whose body remained untouched for 20 years as an Oracle was to remain pure and untainted. He was definitey not going to defile her. She shuddered just thinking about the horror of having him place his hands all over her. Surely it would be even worse than his eyes, which had already visually molested her more than once. Although...somewhere in deep recesses of her mind, a nagging voice told her that sating the primal need of human nature would be fun. Exciting, even...

Felicity shook the thoughts, banishing them from her mind. Thinking upon what else he said, she almost rolled her eyes. The oracles weren't going to cheat him out of his money, and they weren't going to spy on him to see what he would do with the coin. Well...Felicity would do that, but really only out of curiosity, not to take it away from him. Ultimately, she was a woman of her word.
She looked on in disgust to the spit on his outstretched arm, gently pushing his hand away. She wouldn't be touching that, and she wanted to relay the major points of her thoughts before finalizing anything.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, water came pouring down, silencing her. It soaked her nearly-dry dress, and a flash of anger came up...right before it was sharply brought down with the sound of crumbling stone, plunging both individuals in the churning waters. Where did he say this lead out? ...Oh, the cliffs. Focusing on breathing, the numbers flashed inside Felicity's mind. The chance of surviving the fall was no higher than 70 percent and it wasn't changing at all, which meant the danger was something that was permanent...rocks, maybe? It definitely wasn't carniverous aquatic animals because if it had been that, the percentage of survivability would have been much, much lower. There was no choice then, but to fight for breath and wait till the sewers spit them out to the ocean.

An orange light of sunset greeted her as she felt herself fall, her stomach having a distinct sensation of coming up into her chest. Then, tremendous pressure filled her mind as she was swept underwater, the current of the outflow of water taking her further and further away from the cliffside. She needed something...anything to hold on to. There was no time for analyzing anything— using her eyes was her best bet. So she scanned her immediate surroundings, latching herself onto a rock that as jagged on the underside and flat on the other, and she found herself grateful for it as she pulled herself up. Her dress was definitely torn almost to shreds, and a large amount of fabric had been ripped off by the waters, leaving it in a permanent knee-length state.

She looked around; this rock was furthest out, but she knew that when the sewers completely drained and the water was calm, she could swim to the other rocks, and from there to the small beach on her left.
But...Where was the man? Her guide to Orianthe? Frantically, she looked around, trying to spot the hazel hair or even the sack of goods.

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

It was the rocks that you always had to look out for. If it wasn't for the rocks, Devlin would be more inclined to use the cliff-side drain spout as an escape route more often. Yes, the fall was nauseating, and there was always the chance you could hit the water the wrong way and break your neck, and of course there was the old-fashioned drowning way to go.

Ironically, it was the flooded tunnel that saved them. If they had just slid out of the spout, and fallen directly below, the two would have hit the jagged rocks below. Splat, end of story, feast for the fishes. But they had been shot out with such force, the rocks were cleared easily.

If such a fall could be called easy.

Not sure which way was up, Devlin struggled and sputtered underwater, grabbing onto anything that seemed to be moving. He was lucky, and soon found himself bobbing up and down on a piece of driftwood, some shredded piece of lumber that had come out of the sewage with them.
Devlin didn't see the girl, but then again, he wasn't looking. His main concern, right now, was getting to shore. With some paddling, and the help of the small, lapping waves, he got close enough to shore to start walking.

It was only then that Devlin saw he was missing something. He'd recieved a few bangs and cuts in the fall, and the rough tunnel ride, but his sack had been hit the worst. A rip had nearly torn it in half, and almost everything had fallen out. Clutching onto the few jewels that remained, Devlin began to wade back into the water, panicked, devastated almost.
"No, no, no, come on, where are you? Hell's damn it, no!"
After fruitlessly feeling the bottom, and blindly diving down, he gave up, and stumbled back onto shore, spitting water.

"Unbelieveable," Devlin muttered to himself. He'd risked his lift to get those valuables, only to have them ripped away from him at the last moment. For a thief, that was the saddest story.

Wait a minute, wasn't there a girl too? Devlin sat up, stood up, and looked around. There were forms in the water, bodies floating by, but none of them matched. Cupping his hands over his mouth, Devlin nearly called out for her, but then realized, he couldn't remember her name.
Felisha? No... Faith? No, no, definitely a F-e-l name...
Eh, what the hell.
"FELICihrmmmmgggmmgmg...." Devlin shouted out, intentinally mumbling and flubbing the last part of the name. Unless she was nearby, she probably couldn't tell the difference. Maybe.

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

The last of the surging waters died down, leaving only a steady trickle coming out of the stone tunnel that protruded from the face of the cliff, and Felicity gingerly stuck a foot into the waters to test the strength of its pull. It wasn't so bad, but she was still terrified, her fingers gripping the rock so fiercely that her knuckles were white, and she had some difficulty relinquishing the safety of the dark stone. Then, shivering from the evening chill, she braced herself as she dove back into the water swimming from stone to stone, finally navigating herself to a cluster of rock formation.

A perfectly groomed brow was raised as gold and silver jewelry floated by, aloing with semi-precious stones that were rapidly floating to the bottom. Was this what the man had in his sack? She smiled, knowing that if he had lost this much, her own offer would be near impossible to refuse. And maybe she'd be able to get out of this without revealing herself even once.
It was at that moment that a muffled, butchered version of her name was called out by someone she could only assume was her ticket to Orianthe. Following the sound of his voice, she stumbled upon the small beach, dirtying her dress and legs even further. She frowned, standing and walking awkwardly as the feeling of rough sand irritated her torso and groin areas, but she managed to make her way to the man.

"It looks like you lost a lot," Felicity started off, taking a seat beside him despite knowing that the sand would also irritate her rump. "And it's Felicity. And what is your name?" She paused, giving him time to answer and then continued on.
"Does our deal still stand? I will give you the payment in coin. After all, it's no business of mine to know what you're going to be using it for. Although by basic judgement, I'd say you'epre the type to squander it away in the tavern and brothel house. Am I wrong?" She raised an eyebrow, hazel eyes twinkling in amusement. "Of course, I have a few issues...

"You will get your coin payment, but only after we reach the city. I carry no other form of payment...[/I]" She didn't bother with telling him about the other form of payment. If she could avoid the topic at all costs, she would.

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

As he watched the girl wade towards him, Devlin didn't bother to offer her any assistance. In fact, he acted impatient, as if he was the one who needed to get to Orianthe.

"Great observation, oracle. Good to know you can't keep your eyes off my sack." Devlin sneered, flicking a thumb across his pointed nose. He didn't seem particularly eager to hand out his name, and told her as much. "Name's Devlin. And no, you don't get my last name. Let's try to avoid just tossing the first one out though, I... may have a price on my head in a kingdom. Or two." His shoulders sagged as he walked away, heaving a sigh. "And a province in the Holy Solgaid Empire. And half a dozen cities." Devlin knelt down near one of the bodies that had washed up on shore, and examined it. A girl, dressed well but not too well, black tangled hair, and the broken shaft of an Underfolk arrow sticking out of her neck. The half-elf didn't even check for a pulse, and simply pried the knapsack off the girl's stiffened back and arms.

"And there's certain Inns and Taverns I'm not allowed in anymore."
Devlin glanced up at the sunset sky. They'd have to get off the beaches soon, to avoid any patrols. Time for one more body.

Heaving the knapsack over his shoulder, he moved over to an overweight man, face down in the sand. Without any ceremony, or even respect for the deceased, Devlin yanked a traveler's bag off the man, and took his belt as well.

"And, ah, there may or may not be some sort of cursed horse after my blood. Something to do with me breaking into a crypt, I don't know, the point is," He briefly turned around, his clothes soaked in seawater, his frame loaded with the possessions of the dead, "I think we'll both be more comfortable if you just refer to me as 'Hey You,' ok?" At a quick walk, Devlin headed down the beach. Once they'd out from under the cliffs, and to the woods, they'd have a chance to start a camp.

As they moved, Devlin chuckled at the girl's demands, and further questions. "You're damn straight I'll blow this wad on wine and women. I'd like to forget this night as soon as possible. Best cure for a bad memory is an empty bottle, and a wench with a fat ass."

He had problems with the details of the arrangement, however. "No, no, no." Devlin shook his head, the soaked pony tale sluicing back and forth across the back of his vest. "I've been a pinchman for one too many a'noble to agree to that. I don't care what it is, or how much it is, but you give me something up front."

The cliffs were retreating, and the land before them opened up as the duo moved further east. The light was quickly dying, but a forest could be seen ahead.

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

As an oracle, Felicity lead a life of peacefulness and purity. She, along with the other members of the Circle, were almost independent beings from religion, politics and the law, and they preferred it that way. The gift of Sight was to be used by all citizens, not kept for the use of any one organization. So it was that the families of the oracles (for the gift ran in blood) were treated almost like royalty, without having any official titles associating them with the state, and were also brought up as such. It was in complete horror that the young girl watched Devlin loot the bodies and take what he wanted, viewing it as an act against humanity. It disgusted her, but who was she to give him lessons on moral and etiquette? There would be no room for trivial bits of ethics when there were greater dangers ahead.

"Have you no respect for the dead?" she asked him, eyeing the pieces he had taken, but following him as he walked. "I mean, who raised you in such a fowl manner?" It occurred to her then that she was traveling with some sort of criminal. Of what kind, though? Did she even want to know? Shaking her head, she decided to be kind about it. "And I'm sure your, er, travels would make for an excellent story...for another time. You know, when we're not outrunning a horde of Underfolk." A edge of sarcasm was added to the last bit of her words, revealing her nervousness at the whole ordeal.

"And I really don't care for what you've done. The point is, if you do this one thing for me, you can have all the wine and women you'd like, plus you'll be free of any criminal charges. In this kingdom, at least. I'm much too important to let go of, and if I'm the last of the Seers, then that more than doubles the reward. Don't you want to be known for doing something good for once? It'll leave a good feeling in your soul, I promise."

The rest of the walk to the forest was silent, and by the time they reached the first line of trees, the light was nearly gone. The night animals had begun to come out, causing scurrying noises and different callings. Felicity jumped a couple of times, making sure to stay close to Devlin just in case anything happened. If an animal attacked, it could have the man first.
"Here's the thing, Devlin. I have no coin. I don't have a way of paying you until we reach the city, where you will undoubtedly get your handsome reward. Is that not enough? Is my word not enough?"

As she said the words, her foot caught on a vine on the forest floor, and she stumbled forward to catch herself on a nearby tree. A loud sound of ripping fabric could be heard, and when she looked down she could see where a plant had caught on her dress, tearing through the a seam. Now two of her legs were exposed, and an annoyed look crossed her face. If it weren't for the fact that she had no other form of clothing, she would have ripped the dress right off and tossed it.
"Great, just great. Fantastic, even," she mumbled, letting out a string of curses afterwards. "You wouldn't happen to carry some extra leather or cloth, and a needle, would you? I'd be able to roughly put it back together..."

Felicity looked around, her heart sinking as night plunged the forest into darkness. Crickets chirrped in the bushes, and the thick foliage prevented her from seeing anything further than about 20 feet. A small clearing in the wood was just on their left, and she looked at Devlin questioningly, as if asking 'are we really going to have to stay here for the night?'

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

As the reached the clearing, Devlin dumped the two bags, as well as his own rucksack, onto the ground, and started clearing the leaves and twigs away. "Known for something good?! Shugarlips, if anything, I'd rather stay utterly unknown. Harder for people to find you that way. Here, sit tight, I'll be back with some sticks."

Devlin disappeared into the woods, though judging by the sound, not too far. The squelching of water in his boots could be heard, and he rummaged through the undergrowth, snapping limbs, and hauling along broken branches. In a few minutes, he was back, a and dumped his findings into a pile, and set about making a campfire.

It was a ramshackle thing. Devlin hated the outdoors. But surviving in the wilderness was not so different from surviving in the city streets. You needed to stay warm and dry, especially at night. You needed to scrounge for food where-ever you could. And you needed to keep an eye out for predators.

"Your word?" Devlin smirked, rummaging though his rucksack, and pulling out a small clay vial. "Maybe if we had a few other witnesses out here, I might take you up on that. But since we don't, I ain't." Shielding his eyes and face with one hand, Devlin popped the seal off the vial, and dumped it's contents onto the rough collection of sticks and branches. As soon as it hit the air, the liquid ignited, and Devlin had to take a few steps back to keep from being burned.

Now that he had a fire going, it was time for Devlin to get out of his wet clothes. A line of rope was strung between two trees, running close to the fire itself, and onto it, he started hanging clothing to dry. His vest was first. His boots, set down by the fire. Devlin peeled off his shirt, and undid his various belts, hanging both on the line as well.
Then his pants came off, and were slung over the line.

In nothing but a simple cloth, bound about his hips, Devlin moved as if to remove those as well. He looked over a Felicity.
Perhaps not. Yet.
He had been soaked to the bone, and his still-damp loincloth stuck to him, leaving very little to the imagination, it's contents shifting and jostling as he walked and moved.

"Some thread, yes. But I thought you would have noticed, seer," Devlin sat down, on the mossy ground, next to his bags, and began going thorugh them. He picked up one of the taken bags, the one from the dead girl, and dangled it in the air. He held it away from Felicity, however. She'd have to get quite close to retrieve it.
"She was about your size."
Of course, any spare clothing the girl might have packed would be as soaked as their own attire, if not more so.

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

While Devlin had been gathering wood, Felicity was scanning the place, getting a feel for the surroundings, and most importantly, she was looking out for any imminent danger. Her body visibly relaxed as she found that they were relatively safe here, away from people and away from the Underfolk. Most likely, the brutes were staying in the city to make sure all citizens were dead and to spend their time enjoying the streets, taking the abandoned treasures, eating the leftover food and drinking the well-aged wine.

Devlin returned, starting a fire and going about disrobing.
"Could you not?" Felicity asked in disgust, taking a seat by the fire, averting her eyes from his loincloth. It was improper and lewd. "I don't really want to look at whatever it is you've got there. Or—" she turned to look in his eyes "—there could be nothing there." A smirk played at her lips and she stood to take the bag roughly from him. She walked forward, eyes raking over the man's lean muscles, stopping at the cloth. Her eyes held a look of curiosity, but she quickly recovered, the coldness taking over again. "Give me that," she muttered, grabbing at the bag.

The contents were basic: a traveling cloak that was big enough to double as a blanket, a spare set of clothing, and a pair of leather shoes. Well made, but a little worn out. Felicity turned the clothes over within her hands. The dress was nothing like her lavender robes— they were a dull grey and navy blue, made of linen and cotton. They would pass for her size, however, and at least the cloak looked to be of good material. She hung up the garments on the rope, and resumed her seat by the fire.

"Just because you disrobed, it doesn't mean I should. I'll just dry myself by the fire, thank you. Some of us aren't as inconsiderate as others. Besides, I don't want you eyes all over my body. I'd consider it close to dirty." Felicity showed attitude and outright hostility, but she knew she'd have to be careful. After all, she still needed him. After a moment of silence, she turned to Devlin again, asking, "If I don't have money with me, what sort of other payment would you accept?"
She picked up a small twig and drew different designs into the dirt beside her, just to keep herself busy.

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

Outwardly, Devlin remained cool. Within, however, he could clearly visualize lighting the girl on fire, and throwing her off a cliff. She acted like a noble, a particular caste he had no love for.
Then again, he tended to deal exclusively with the ugly underside of nobility. Some lord or duke who wanted something done, but didn't want to get their hands dirty, would pay Devlin and his kin for their services, and their silence, all the while keeping clean and smiling in the sunlight. Pinchmen, assassins, snitches and spies, forgers and con-men, all spat upon by their "betters," but all expected to dutifully do their jobs.

He had no mercy or pity for this girl. Some corrupt little cock-tease, he told himself, no doubt just using him as she though fit, because her rank had earned her the right.

It took Devlin a few moments to realize he'd been clenching his fists.
"Relax," he told himself, "Don't let the bitch see you sweat." He'd been lost in his own thoughts, ignoring the girl, but came back in time to hear her question about payment.
Devlin turned smoothly to gaze at her, a coyote grin plastered on his face. "Well, I seem to recall, up on that aqueduct, you suggested, ah, what word the words you used... Oh yes. I believe you offered up 'something else' that I might like," he said, mimicking Felicity's own tone. Not his specialty, but it was an apt representation.

"And if you're decided to rescind that particular offer, I would suggest looking at your predicament in a different light." Whatever playfulness had been in his voice was gradually evaporating, as was his cocked liar's smile. "It's not about what I'm willing to accept as payment. It's about what you're willing to give up. What is your life worth to you?"
The fire danced in his eyes as he gazed Felicity, a devil's light shimmering in his sockets. There was a deal to be struck, and he wanted his due.
"What will it be, child? Will you huff and complain and throw your brat's tantrum? Or will you put on your big girl bloomers, slide on over here, and slip them right off again?"

He returned his gaze to the fire, before another cruel gear began spinning in his head. "Oh. And since you seem to think I've nothing worth hiding, I suppose I don't need these, now do I?" Saying that, Devlin stood, and slipped off his loincloth. With a backward flick of his hand, he sent it spinning through the air, to land on the line behind him. With a touch of flair, Devlin settled back down, leaning on his side, his legs open, his "Scepter and Crown Jewels" lying languidly on his thigh.

There was a joke about the various races. Elves are long, skinny, and hairless. Dwarves are stout, short, and hairy. And Humans are stuck right in the middle. If such a saying is true, then Devlin benefited from his mixed bloodlines, with elvish length, and human girth. Not a monstrous member, mind you, but a respectable size, for such a disrespectful subject.

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

Purity and peace, the two central teachings of being an oracle, had always been present in Felicity's life. From the time when she was found to be gifted with Sight to the coming of the Underfolk, she was the one that upheld both teachings to the utmost perfection. No one had ever taken that away from her or made her fall away in the slightest.

No one except Devlin.

With each word he said, she could feel herself growing in anger and annoyance. The man had no bounds, no limits and absolutely no respect. She made an internal snarl; there was no way she was going to let him affect her this way. As a person of class and equal to royalty, she held herself far above him. Who was he to demand such things of her? Granted, she lied to him about offering up her body as payment but she only did that to get him to take her with him. It was a ploy, a manipulation tactic, and nothing more. But...he had to be put in his place. He was a criminal, the lowest of scum on the entire planet, a people that she never associated herself with.

"Well, now that I see what a man you are—" she almost gagged from saying the words "—I can see that I've been in the wrong this entire time." She sauntered over to him, her partially dry dress rustling from the movement. Lifting a section of the lavender material, she straddeled herself on one of his legs while taking care not to touch any part of his manhood. It was a struggle to keep up the façade, disgusted as she was by even sitting near the thing. She ran her arms over his shoulders, sliding them up to his neck and then face as she slid her mouth close to Devlin's ear.

"You are the most amazing, driven...worthless little shit I have met in my entire life," she whispered, her tone switching from sensual to hostile in a matter of seconds. Lightly scratching her nails against his cheeks, she pulled her head away and slapped the man hard across the face, earning herself a satisfying crack of sound from the skin-to-skin contact. Felicty plastered a blatant look of disdain on her face, getting up from her seated position. "You are a pig of a man, and I will not tolerate such treatment. You will take me to Orianthe, otherwise I will make sure you are found and killed. Do you prefer poison or a hanging?"

Her face was contorted into a snarl, and she turned sharply on her heel to sit on the opposite side of the fire. The sack that she had left to dry seemed mostly water-free, and she grabbed it, placing it underneath her head as a makeshift pillow. A careful eye was placed on Devlin, making sure he did nothing to hurt her. After all, a dagger was kept in that sack, one that she decided not to tell him about. It wasn't long, however, before the girl started drifting off into sleep. A light sleeper, but she was tired from the day's events which caused her to fall into a deeper state of slumber than usual.

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

Devlin awoke early, an amber fringe on the horizon. Something was wrong. His instincts screamed at him, something was wrong, something had deviated from the norm. His mind was half-frozen from slumber, but already racing. What was it, what could have gone wrong?

Oh, right. He'd gone to sleep sober.

He breathed a long, cool, sight of relief, and rubbed his brow. Thank the gods. He'd nearly had a heart attack for a second there.

The girll had got him going, last night. When she'd gotten on top of him, well, gotten on his leg, but it still counts, his cock had actually jumped a bit. He should have been more suspicious, but Devlin had wanted to see where her antics were going. Then she slapped him, and told him off. Though bitter, he'd simply told her, "Fine. You're the boss," rolled over, and gone to sleep.
She should have been more suspicious too.

Standing and stretching, still without a stitch on him, Devlin glanced over at the still-sleeping Felicity. The girl had slighted him. Not that such a thing was new, quite the opposite, it was commonplace, but that wasn't the point. In the city, he took it, because what else was there to do? You start knocking the pearly-whites out of the skulls of the wealthy and noble just because they disrespect you, you'll end up with a sword in your chest. In the city, surrounded by guards and prestige, the girl had power, political clout, that she could hold over Devlin's head.

Out here, though, she had shit. And unfortunately for her, she had to learn that the hard way.

Quietly and efficently, Devlin strapped on his boots, loincloth, and pants, then picked up what he'd need for his project. With that same gliding, silent, and careless ease he'd had dressing, Devlin stepped over to the girl, and kneeled down.
Then he violently and abruptly flipped Felicity over, gripping her arms behind her back, and pinning her with his knee. In the space of time it would take her to open her eyes, Felicity would find herself face down in the earth, with one wrist being bound to the opposite arm's elbow with a long leather strap. Not giving the girl the time or leeway to even struggle, Devlin had wrapped the strip around her forearms, and was already tying down her free wrist.

Her arms tightly bound behind her back, Devlin roughly turned the girl back over, placing his knee in her stomach, and his hand on her throat.
"Morning, sugar-sshine," he chirped cheerfully, a false warmth in his voice, but a very real smirk on his face.

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

Strange dreams floated in and out of Felicity's mind as she slept, most of them involving Devlin in some way. Each dream was lucid and like a broken segment of something, but she couldn't piece them together because her mind was unable to. This really only happened when she was impaired by wine or...shit. Or when she was having a vision of the future. These didn't happen too often because her gift of Sight took a different form, but when they did happen, they were always like this. Her mind lacked the training to see the link between each image: Fevlin and his wicked smile; a sudden sensation of pain, and the sunrise. What? Sunrises weren't painful, they were beautiful. Devlin's face was a pain to look at, sure, but he didn't have anything to do with sunrise. Felicity's mind contemplated all of this before being rudely woken up, face down into the dirt.

She was turned over, and a knee briefly knocking the wind out of her before she squinted against the light to come to her senses...Devlin, his wicked smile, a sunrise, and a sharp pain of her arms being tied across her back. So that's what the dreams were about. Felicity, who had never known pain before in her entire life, teared up at the uncomfortable situation, joints and muscles aching from the forced positioning. She grittted her teeth, gasping for breath, forcing her trachea to open against the man's large hand at her throat. She glared at him, unsure of what to think or say. After all it was she who was tied up, which meant she had to start being careful. Maybe she could sweet-talk her way out of this...at this point, her body was suddenly less important than the general well-being of her life.

"Good morning, Devlin," Felicity answered back, voice soft as she let out a small cough. She forced a somewhat genuine-looking smile and raised her left leg slightly, opening a gap between her legs and causing the slit in her dress to open, exposing her hip and inner thigh. Gently, she pretended to attempt to stretch her shoulders, pushing her breasts up in the process.

"What is this? If you wanted to play, you could've just asked..." She bit her lip and breathed heavily against his knee, struggling to keep an adequate amount of air in her lungs to even stay conscious. "I do think I've changed my mind. I can give myself to you, now, if you'd like. Of course, you'd have to release me from the binding so I can show you what I can do..." A nervous laugh escaped her, and panic was beginning to build within her. She wasn't a liar; would he be able to see through the lies? What if he didn't believe her?

Felicity struggled to release her arms, but the pain was too much to bear, and she soon quieted, biting the inside of her cheek to keep tears from sliding down her face. No matter what he did, she wouldn't let the bastard feel the satisfaction of breaking her. She was stronger than this; she would win.

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

"Really? Well gosh golly gee-whiz, I guess a good night's rest really can do wonders!" Devlin puffed out his cheeks and blew a long whistle, an expression of mock surprise. He slid off her chest, and sat on one of Felicity's legs, in much the same fashion she had the night before.
"Ah, honeyduckling... I wish I could believe that," Devlin chuckled slowly, sighing. He had taken most of the pressure off her neck, but still had his hand on her throat, mostly just to keep her hand still.
"I really do. That would be so much easier on both of us. You would have actually enjoyed yourself. And me, well, I wouldn't have to get creative. Ah, if only."

Devlin leaned forward, his face almost to Felicity's, as if to force a kiss on her. For a second, he thought about it. Instead, however, he reached behind her head, and pulled the dagger out from her bag. Leaning back, he held the dagger aloft. "It was a good idea, plumb-nubbins, it really was." With a twist, the knife twirled in his hand, and as Devlin deftly clutched the blade between his fingers, he rapped the handle, twice, on Felicity's forehead. "But five years in the pen gave me ample time to perfect the art of paranoia. I know when to spot someone stashing a shiv."
His face deviated from it's usual cocky, pleasant smirk, replaced by a more serious scowl. "Don't do that. It makes me nervous, and when I get nervous, I get violent, undersand?" The handle of the dagger was in his grip again, the blade wavering above Felicity's milky-white throat.
From his perch on her, Devlin lifted the leading edge of the dress, and slipped the edge of the knife under it. "Good thing we got you those extra clothes. Now don't squirm, else I'll end up slitting you belly open as well."
With a single, smooth motion, learned from years of slicing coin-purses and slashing bags, the blade ran up Felicity's ruined dress, from bottom to neck. Two more flicks of the blade opened up the shoulder straps.

Felicity's "dignity" was still intact, however. She still wore her underwear, and save for the thin strip running up the middle, the dress still covered her body. Devlin was working to remedy the former, however, and was already sliding the blade between her hip and the fabric that clung to it. The slow scriiiittch of fabric could be heard, as it gave way to the sharp edge.

"If you're feeling in a compliant mood, however, you could do something for me," Devlin said, his eyes on his work. "Ask me if I'm going to fuck you." He raised his gaze, under wicked brows, to look into Felicity's eyes. "Keep in mind, however, that the answer might very well be 'Yes, very hard, up the ass, until you're bleeding and can't walk.'"

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

Never before had Felicity felt such disgust for one person. What kind of man ties a woman up and holds her hostage? No one she knew, but apparently Devlin thought it was perfectly okay. Her gaze cooled as he sat on her leg and took out the knife, shivering lightly as he toyed with the blade. She knew she was walking on thin ice now, and any false move could send her through the woods alone or even worse still, through the black void of death. She said nothing as Devlin cut up her dress, only raising an eyebrow as his eyes took in her body, then she shivered more violently as the knife touched her hip, the cold metal an uncomfortable sensation on her skin.

Finally, Felicity opened her mouth to speak, letting out a soft whisper as she said, "Will you fuck me?" Eyes wide, the words came out automatically after Devlin gave her the choice. A slight breeze opened up the shreds of fabric, and she squirmed uncomfortably at the air as it made her nipples taut. And then for some reason, she could feel herself getting slick between her thighs, which was both wanted and unwanted at the same time. Somewhere deep inside her, she knew she wanted to be fucked here on the forest floor...

But she was still the same old Felicity, and she wouldn't go down without a fight. She wasn't weak, wasn't going to be made into a bitch by some lowly peasant.

Looking at his boot for only a moment, she returned a smirk, regaining some of her confidence. "How about this: I will shove your boot so far up your ass that you will taste the leather." Her free leg opened further, and she let out a snicker as the sudden coolness provided a strange, tickling sensation.

Yes, the girl could be dangerous and intimidating in her own way, but at this point she wasn't either of those things. She herself didn't even know what she was doing. But, her confidence came from the fact that gut instinct told her she would be introduced to carnal knowledge anyway. It was almost a sure possibility. Unless a meteroid struck the earth where they lay, it was going to happen. So...why not enjoy it rather than pout and whine, pretending like it didn't feel good?

"I don't know, Devlin...you don't seem like you could even do a good job at this. In fact, the whores you speak of probably had to fake orgasms because they just wanted it to be over. You know? I don't even know if I can believe you." Felicity was provoking him, and she knew it. "I mean, I'm not even sure you can handle me. Nobility really shouldn't be fucked by the likes of...well, people like you."

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

Devlin's grin spread wide. Not the false, joker's smile he would plaster on his face, this was genuine, one of surprised glee, as if he'd found hidden treasure in the most common of places. Felicity would be able to feel the bulge in Devlin's pants get a little larger and stiffer.
"Ohh, you little ball of sparks you. I love a girl with a fire in her belly!" He bent down, almost throwing himself on Felicity, forcing their lips together, in a long, hard, ferocious kiss. When he sat up again, a fierce light gleamed in his eye.
"Hells, you almost make me want to ream that sweet cunt of yours here and now." Devlin licked his lips, excited, but clearly trying to calm himself down, inhaling in slow, concise breaths. "But no, I ain't gonna fuck you. Not yet anyways. Damn do I ever, but not yet."
Devlin planed the dagger into the ground, and reached under Felicity, grabbing a big handful of her dress. With a violent pull, it was yanked out from under, and around, her, and thrown to the side. Her panties followed suit.
Devlin looked down at her naked form, and ran his tongue through his teeth. "Though... It'd be a shame not to sample the goods..." He bent over again, both hands going to Felicity's breasts, squeezing and cupping them, while his lips met the skin in between. His breath, hot on her skin, as he moved his head over, sucking and licking one of her nipples, pinching it between his teeth.
Damn, did he ever want to fuck this girl. But she had to lean not to cross him first. Sure, she could swear and curse and threaten and cry and scream and beg, call him whatever profanities she could think of, but she'd play by his rules, damnit.

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

The kiss had caught her by surprise. Felicity would've pushed him back, but her hands were tied behind her back, which meant that she had to take it. It wasn't bad...not really. In fact, she would've called the kiss alone excellent. It was rough, hot, needy...things that were generally exciting with men. Not to mention his growing erection, the feel of it on her leg causing her own arousal to rise.

The problem was that the man who held the erection was Devlin.

Caught between wanting to encourage him and wanting to mouth off curses, she kept her mouth shut in a thin line when he yanked at her dress, exposing her nude body to his eyes. Her blonde hair was messily tousled across the grass and her shoulders, and she shivered at the air. She possessed a healthy figure with lean muscles, a shapely behind and good-sized breasts to fill out her relatively short stature. Down below, her mound remained clean shaven in all areas save for a neatly trimmed, small triangle of hair abover her womanhood.

And man, was Devlin ppreciative. It hadn't been the first time that a man oggled over her body, but then, all the previous times had her in nightwear and not completely naked. She forced a look of boredom on her face as he bent down to fondle her breasts, acting as if she were disinterested in what he was doing.

But it was his mouth that had done it.

Felicity arched her back into him, issuing a long, drawn out moan as his mouth enveloped a nipple. Being that the sensation was new to her, she wasn't sure if she was just extra sensitive or if Devlin was just that good, but she didn't care. It felt damn good. What made the situation all the more torturous was that she wanted to move her arms; wanted to grab at something, even if it was to hold Devlin's head to her breast, but she couldn't because of the binds. She brought up her free leg, bending it at the knee as she tried clenching her thighs together to ignore the pooling heat in her loins.

"This— feels— awful—" Felicity managed to spit out in between moans and pants. But even as she said the words, her waist was turning in such a way to let him know that she wanted the same treatment on the other side. Not that she wanted it, she tried to convince herself. If one breast got the heavenly sucking, then it was only fair for the other breast to receive the same thing...right? She gritted her teeth against the onslaught of sensation, sighing as her head got lost in the clouds.
"Please...stop..." she said weakly, tilting her head back, closing her eyes. No, don't stop. Keep going. Did she want him to stop? She didn't know. Moans turned into whimpers of need as she soon figured out she wanted more, more, more.

"Devlin, I get it. You have me naked on the forest floor...isn't that enough? You said so yourself: you're not going to make lov— er, fuck me. So, please. Hand me the clothes so we can get going..." Felicity's voice sounded small, lost somewhere in shame and lust. She'd accidentally let out the beginnings of 'make love,' which was something that Devlin wasn't actually doing, but she could pretend he was...right? She looked at him with pleading eyes, pleading for him to both continue and stop, though her eyes burned with a haze of desire clearly shown on her face.

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

"No, no, no, don't lose that fire, girl. You'll need it." Devlin teased. "You made me get creative. And this little bit here?" He twirled his finger at Felicity's state, "This isn't me getting creative. This is me getting started."

Two more things completed Felicity's ensemble. The dead man's belt, snug around her neck, making a makeshift collar. And a gag, for which Devlin wadded up the girl's own underwear, stuffed it in her mouth, and secured it with another thin band of leather. Devlin tied the rope he'd used as a clothesline the previous night to the collar, and held tightly to the other end, as he threw on his own clothes, and stuffed the last of their belongings into the remaining bags.

"But, you are right, however. We do need to get moving. And that's just what we're gonna do." He was still grinning like a fiend, as he hoisted Felicity to her feet. "Little fishing village down the way called Estfall Point, about 20 or so people. We're gonna go get supplies!" With a jerk on the rope, Devlin "encouraged" Felicity to start walking, whistling a lively tune as he strode along.

------------------------------------------------------------

Estfall Point was a tiny wilderness village, Half it's trade came from fishing, the other half lumber. It had no wall, no gate, and just a simple log-lined footpath acting as a main road. The buildings had sprung up haphazardly, growing from a simple shack and tents, to a cluster of log and driftwood buildings, with sheds, lean-to's and additions being constructed as needed. There was no Inn to speak of, but being used to the intermittant wanderer and traveler, a few stalls for trade had been constructed. The original building had been expanded over the years, and now served as a meeting hall and tavern of sorts, where the villagers could gather with one another, and trade coin, drink, and stories with whomever passed through their quaint little home.

Devlin and Felicity, but mostly Felicity, were drawing attention as they approached the village. One man in particular, graying beard, bald head, with an old, tanned, but heavily muscled body, came striding over to them, a sword at his side and a battered shield on his back. He had no armor to speak of, but his clothes looked heavy, and durable. Scars decked his exposed arms, marking him, most likely, as the villages self-appointed protector and guard.
"Hail, traveler!" The man called out. Though his words were friendly, his eyes were concerned and suspicious, darting from Devlin to Felicity.
"Why have you bound this girl? And why is she naked?" He was doing his best to avert his gaze from Felicity.

Devlin sighed, as if he'd been asked that same question a hundred times that day, and handed the man a folded parchment. "Briarwitch I'm collecting a bounty on," he said in a bored monotone. "Trust you me, I'd rather not see this much of her either, but I couldn't risk her hiding a charm or token on her person. Can't risk her speaking either, else she'd hex me like she did the last three hunters." The older man nodded knowingly as he looked over the parchment, before handing it back to Devlin. It was just a torn page from the dead man's journal, but like most of the peasantry, this man was illiterate.
"Is... is she a danger to our village?" the older man asked. Now that he'd been "informed" of Felicity's vile nature, he seemed less concerned about her dignity, and more willing to look her up and down.
"Shouldn't be, but we'll be moving on shortly." With the same slow, calculated boredom, Devlin slipped the parchment back into his bag, "I just wish I could have cashed her in at Gwynathell, but now that the city's fallen, I'v-"
The older man jerked his head away from Felicity. "Fallen? What do you mean, fallen?" Fear and shock spread about his face.
Devlin mimicked that same shock. "You mean you haven't heard? Monsterous beings, some vile creatures from the depths, rose up and took it! It's been invaded!"
The old man brought a hand up to his mouth, eyes wide with terror. "Gods above preserve us. We... I've..."
"You've got to get a militia up and running," Devlin interjected, nodding his head pointedly.
The old man nodded back. "Yes... yes, of course." He quickly turned back to the village, running, hollering at various villagers.
A slow tricksters smile spasmed across Devlin's face, as soon as the old man had turned his back. It was quickly stifled, and he strode forward. The further they went into the village, the more eyes turned to view them. Outside of Estfall's Hall, Devlin tied the end of Felicity's rope to the hitching post, as if she were a horse. "Now don't you worry that sweet cunny of yours. I'll be right back." Devlin hissed into her ear, before sauntering away.
Behind her, in the same street, most of the men in the village were being gathered and organized for the militia.

RE: Fortune's Eyes, Fortune's Hands [BlinkyWinky & grungeknuckle]

At least I have shoes.

Felicity repeated this in her head over and over, trying to convince herself that Devlin wasn't all that much of a prick. She watched him leave, glaring into his back. Once he was out of sight, she struggled to pull against the rope, hoping it would break even though she knew it wouldn't. The possibilities of that were slim to none, and even without her Sight she knew it to be true. But...the possibilities of someone else untying her were more likely. But who would do that? Devlin wouldn't, she was sure of that. Then again, he was gone and there were men behind her that might release her...and then she could escape or better yet, find Devlin and personally castrate him. Her hate for him had grown to a level that was unimaginable, but she was surprisingly good at holding it in. Of course, she didn't have a choice being that she was bound and gagged, but at least she knew she could control herself.

The trip to Estfall Point was long (at lest for her, who never had to travel a day in her life) and she had been pushed to a point as Devlin pulled her along, almost dragging her at some points when she was too tired to continue. But never had it occurred to her that he would leave her alone in the middle of a street that held a growing mass of the town's men. He probably thought it was humiliating and degrading to be on show for anyone and everyone to see. Too bad for him, though, because Felicity saw it as a way of escape. All she had to do was get one of those bone-brained men to untie her from the the hitching post, and that would be easy enough.
Making a strange coughing noise, she turned to the group of men, whimpering and making a face that resembled innocence. This caught most of their attention, and their talking slowly died down as they edged a bit closer to her.

"Who is that?" one of them asked out loud, not really to anyone in particular.

"Some briarwitch that a fellow was bringing through here," said the older man that she and Devlin encountered on their way in the town.

"She provides a mighty nice sight, though. Maybe she's magical in bed as well!" A round of snickers went through the crowd.

"She's kind of pretty to be a witch, don't you think?" Another man asked. He stepped forward, a younger man with a medium build, dirty clothing and a few days worth of stubble spattered about the lower parts of his face, and jaw. His eyes fell on Felicity's face, breasts, then...lower. He walked forward, with the others tentatively following him. "Do you think she's harmful?" His arm reached out to touch her, but the old man gasped and pulled him back.

"What do you think you're doing, Garen?" he roared, "She could hex you like she did the last three hunters!"

Felicity wanted to roll her eyes at the blind repetition of Devlin's words, but instead she whimpered louder, a hurt expression on her face as she shook her head from side to side.

Garen, unafraid, took pity on her. "Are you going to hurt me. girl?"

Felicity shook her head vigorously as he reached forward to touch her, first on the arm, then up to her neck and down to her breasts. He removed the tie from around her head, and Felicity spat out her wadded up underwear, carelessly letting the white cloth fall to the floor.
"Thank the gods!" she exclaimed. "You're a very kind man...unlike the scum that brought me here." She gave a nervous laugh, unsure of how to go about telling them she wasn't actually a witch. She could tell them who she actually was and tell them the truth of Gwynathell, but few would actually believe that. After all, the Oracles were known to be very secretive, and few outside their city had ever seen them. But so far, everything was working just as she expected it to, just as the Sight told her it would happen.
"Do you think you could get this wretched collar off of me? I promise you, I'm no witch. Er, if I were, I would've been able to get this thing off with only a word, but as you can see, I'm incapable of doing so..."

By this time, many of the men were enthralled by her body, and a few others ventured forward to touch her. One even slapped her bottom, which made her let out a squeak, jumping forward. The smack had stung a bit, and she looked around her body, shocked to see that it left a pink mark on her skin. She backed herself to the hitching post, realizing that her plan backfired. By telling them that she was like any normal woman, they had pounced on her with little regard to her dignity. What would they do? Surely they weren't going to use her...right?

Breaking the act, her true feelings for the lot of them appeared, and a snarl twisted her otherwise beautiful features. "Get your filthy hands off of me. You have no right to touch me!" Her outburst of anger worked; they backed off, unsure of what to do. Silently, the girl hoped Devlin would be back before the men decided to continue with their exploration of her body.