Ivy cried out as she was thrown backwards through the air. She landed with a hard thud, and weakly tried to stand up.

A Stellas with black hair stood facing her, well-muscled arms carrying a razor-sharp tomahawk. As she warily got to her feet, he stepped forward to grab her arm. Ivy jerked back and bolted towards the pod controls, but his reactions were faster than she anticipated. He grabbed her ginger-colored hair before she could get there, holding her back.

Ivy hissed in pain as her hair yanked against her head, and stopped almost as quickly as she had started.

The Stellas switched his grip from her hair to her arm, and forced her out of the pod. He half-carried her until they were out of the sinking sand-like substance, and then put her down again. Immediately, four guards surrounded her, each carrying their respective weapon.

They walked until they arrived at a new building, solid grey walls looking uncaring as to her plight. Without stopping, they led her into the new room, which Ivy noted with despair, had two chains hanging from the walls. Forcing her towards them, they locked each of her hands in them, and then left. The door closed, and the lock was switched.

Ivy let her hands hang limply from the chain, and looked around the room.

A single ball of light was attached to the ceiling--out of reach--the only light source in the room, since there were absolutely no windows and the door was completely solid. Three blankets were stacked as a mattress below the chains, and Ivy sat down, feeling ridiculous as her hands had to hang half-bent while slightly above her head.

Ivy sighed, feeling hopeless. She thought about Maggie, and realized with a start that her sister most likely didn't even know she was missing. That thought set a whole new batch of emotions churning while Ivy pondered whether it actually a good thing.

Without any warning, the door slammed open, and Morocco stormed in.

"How dare you try to escape." he began talking angrily as soon as he entered the room.

"You could not possibly have hoped to escape," he continued raging, "But you tried anyway! Why?" he demanded.

She stood up deliberately, "I had to try!" she exclaimed, "You have held me here against my will! I know nothing, so why keep me here?" her tone had taken a hint of pleading.

"You know more than you let on to. Tomorrow's questioning will not be as easy as last time's." He abruptly turned and left the room as quickly as he had come, the door swinging shut behind him.

There was a click as the door locked, and then Ivy was alone.

||<<<<<<\/>>>>>>||

Ivy woke up with a start, realizing she had dozed off, exhausted. Casper stood in the doorway, his twin whips curled around his burly arms.

He crossed the room in three large paces, and unlocked her chains, jerking his head at the door.

Ivy began walking towards the door, but then whirled around and threw a punch at Casper's face. With ease, he caught her fist and twisted her arm behind her back. A cry of pain escaped her lips, but she cut it off soon after. Casper forced her towards the door, his hand changing grips from her fist to her forearm in a split second.

As they stepped out the door, Angus joined them, twirling his daggers with familiar ease. Casper walked her quickly to Morocco and Nyssa's house, not pausing for a moment as he walked up to the doors.

The guards opened them up, allowing Casper, Angus, and Ivy to pass through easily.

Ivy was forced to the throne room--as she figured that was what it was-- and before Morocco and Nyssa who were seated on the couch. At that point, Casper released Ivy's arm, and retreated back to the door along with Angus.

To her surprise, Ivy saw Lenan standing next to the couch.

Morocco spoke first, "I am not one for 'beating around the bush' as you humans would call it. So I will begin this process immediately." he paused for a short moment, "Will you tell us where the Starbeam your planet has is?"

"We don't have any." Ivy said, having a deja vu from the previous questioning, "And if we did, then I wouldn't know where it was!"

Morocco turned his head towards Lenan, and began speaking quickly in a language that sounded both flowing and guttural at different points in the sentences.

Lenan responded in kind, talking in the same speed.

Morocco looked back at Ivy, "According to Lenan, you would know. He found you at a," he hesitated, and Lenan filled in for him, saying quietly, "Conference."

Morocco smiled, "Ah, yes. A conference," he spoke the word so strangely, stressing the second syllable, that Ivy had to stop herself from laughing. It was obvious then, that English was not his first language. He continued his sentence, "that is only for humans of great intellect."

Nyssa spoke for the first time, "So will you tell us where this treasure is?"

"I don't know where it is!" Ivy insisted.

Morocco stood, "We do not like taking extreme measures, human," he gestured to Casper, "but when you refuse so adamantly, we have no choice."

Ivy was forcefully tied to a pole that was on the side of the room, despite her struggling.

"Will you tell us?"

"I don't know!" Ivy swallowed hard, realizing what this meant.

Morocco's expression hardened, "Begin."

And the whips came down.

MWAHAHA SEE I UPDATED BUT NOW IT'S AT A WORSE ENDING SPOT!!!

Everything up to the "||<<<<<<\/>>>>>>||" I wrote on Monday. Everything past that point, however, I updated today (Wednesday).

So GadSul, I got out of my corner and wrote! ;)

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