They ran wheezing, exhausted, darkness falling into the deep black of night. Onward they fled, their pursuers never giving them but a mere moment's rest.

"Wait, wait," Lem put a hand to his dark forehead wiping the sweat away. "We need to go back to the beginning to figure this out. There is something I'm missing here."

Red froze in place and turned to face Lem.

There it was, her secret. Almost on the tip of her tongue. She wanted so badly to tell him everything. How Val'Rend kept finding them. Why he always was just around the corner. It didn't matter how fast they ran or how far they went. He would always be there, hot on their heels, his despicable displacer beast at the ready. She clutched her sword in hand. Beside her, her wolf-dog growled almost as if she were in agreement.

They'd been fleeing the drow slavers for hours, their tentacled, six-legged, catlike displacer beast never too far behind pushing them along.

She opened her mouth to explain, but then the wretched displacer beast was among them, tentacles lashing out as it yowled. Red found herself flung back when a tentacle caught her in the stomach and sent her flying. She saw stars as hit a tree and fell to the ground. Stunned but managing to hold onto her sword she rolled onto her feet, springing up just in time to see her beloved wolf hybrid Sitka facing off with the displacer beast.

The dog had no chance against the demonic creature.

"No!" Red shrieked leaping towards the pair just as the tentacles flashed downward. Blood spilled across the dirt as the tentacles latched onto either side of Sitka and the hooks pulled apart, splitting the animal at the sides. Sitka let out an agonizing cry that Red had never heard before going silent and limp.

Red stopped moving forward as she stared at her longtime companion, a gift from the only blood relation she'd had from her mother's family.

"Nooooo," the raw cry ripped from her throat.

Three drow warriors moved in, their grins the only parts of their faces visible under their cowls. Lem drew his black sword as the displacer beast turned its attention to him He moved to place himself between Red, the creature, and the incoming drow. The blade hummed in the dark, and Lem tightened his grip on the blade.

A fourth drow warrior taller than the rest came from behind the three, moving swiftly he appeared out of nowhere. Taller than an average drow male, his height alone betrayed his human heritage. He pulled his cowl back from his face, a grin of triumph splitting his dark face. His long white hair was tied back from his face, tattoos marked his neck and she suspected his shoulders. A scar marked his cheek and his eyes held a crimson glow.

Red would have known him anywhere.

"I told you, I'd find you, Sabriel." He smiled. But the smile didn't reach his eyes.

Red flinched hearing her birth name spoken in the language of her father's people. The drow, dark elves had abandoned all decency, following Lloth, their spider queen goddess into the Underdark.

Lem looked between them. "Red, what's going on?"

Val'Rend glanced at Lem, his lip curling in distaste. "I see your choice of company hasn't improved much." He turned to his companions. "Take him, he'll make a fine gift to Matron Nialo."

The displacer beast hissed and the drow began to circle them. Red pulled up her sword but she was still reeling from the loss of her hybrid wolf dog.

Time slowed. 

Vengeance sang in her ear and for once she listened. The black blade was hard to control and she felt its magic slip out and caress the barely suppressed grief even as it tapped into the inferno she kept buried within. Burn them all.

She felt the power well up inside of her and this time she didn't try to stop it. There was no holding back the fiery tide. Her eyes began to glow orange and Val'Rend hesitated, his eyes widening.

She stared at him, willing him to hold her gaze. By this time the other drow had drawn their crossbows, uncertain, but it was too late. Time was hers. She sensed more than heard several incantations nearby. Her fingers stretched out before her, flames licking off of her fingers, and then in one final push it exploded out of her.

At that one moment, she felt regret that Lem was still standing nearby. Vengeance sustained her throughout the blast. She didn't lose consciousness as she normally did. Pushed on by the sword's magic she strode forth pushing flames out at each of the beings in front of her, an out-of-control goddess drowning in grief.

The three drow accompanying Val'Rend disappeared shrieking into the inferno. Their screams echoed for mere moments before being snuffed out. The displacer beast started to shift to a new location only to be caught by the blast further back behind his master.

Val'Rend alone had saved himself, leaving his fellows to their fate. He knelt an arm in front of his face, his cowl pulled low against the bright light.

But he did not burn.

Frustrated she poured all her fury at him and while he was rooted to the spot, everything around him melted down into soot and ashes he remained unsinged. All he could do was hide his eyes from the white light.

Red felt the wave subside as grief began to replace her rage. She wobbled in the ashes that now floated around them. Steam rose off of her bare dark skin but she stood resolute. She wasn't going back to Menzobarrazan, at least not quietly.

Her sword was still in her hand when a cloak floated around her body.

Lem was at her side hastily fastening a cloak around her. "We got to move," he snapped not looking at her. "The big one is still there."

She looked down at herself, once again naked, but for her sword and Lem's cloak. She glanced around for Val'Rend but didn't see him. She nodded and turned a fearful gaze towards Lem. His face was full of questions but he only nodded in return. The questions would have to wait.

Together they fled, making their way through the darkness the stars were their only path. Red ignored the ground biting at her feet and tried ignoring the pain in her heart. There would be time for that later. For now, they needed to live to fight another day.

"The guild is a days walk south," she whispered when they paused under the low branches of a fur tree. They'd been at it for hours, and she wanted so badly to rest but that would be foolish.

"I'm sorry about your dog," Lem said as he peered out into the darkness.

Red said nothing but the words stabbed into her chest.

"Look at this way," Lem continued. "His cat thing, whatever it was, was destroyed."

"Displacer beast," Red whispered. "I'm sure he'll find another one."

Lem started to ask another question when a twig snapped nearby. Both froze intently listening.

It could have been something. It could have been nothing. 

Both hoped for the latter except for Lem's sword. The blade hummed from its scabbard promising safety. Lem grimaced at the blade's audacity.

A wolf howled in the distance and both tensed. The silence was broken by the sound of hooves bounding away in the darkness. They both relaxed against the bark but remained silent.

It didn't last long.

The ground shook under their feet and they glanced at each other in fear. Another rumbling step only confirmed Red's suspicions.

"Giant," she whispered.

"We have the worst luck," he whispered back. "What goddess did you say you angered again?"

"Apparently Lloth," Red said, her voice a little too loud. The steps continued in their direction.

Lem tapped her shoulder and pointed up. She nodded and motioned him to go first. When he looked puzzled she pointed at her torso. "Go! Climb!"

The whisper was harsh but Lem's eyes widened as he recalled that under his cloak she was naked. He turned without a word and started up.

Red began to climb up after him, the cloak hanging off her body. The branches and bark scratched as she went up but she soon joined Lem in the tallest boughs of the tree.

Underneath them, the hill giant, a large brute that Red could easily see in the darkness. His loincloth left little to the imagination as he scratched his bum. He dragged a large fallen tree branch behind him that he would have wielded like a club if given the chance. Gripping her sword tightly, Red held to the main part of the tree. They weren't the smartest creature out there.

The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon and the hill giant followed the darkness, moving away into darker parts of the forest. They watched it shuffle away until the footsteps were gone before descending swiftly.

Once on the ground they again began running south. The surface of the ground was turning rocky and Red had to pick her way through a little more carefully. They were mere hours away from the guild.

A laugh came out of nowhere.

On the rock above them was Val'Rend. He carried a small crossbow and aimed it at Lem.

"Surely you didn't think you'd get far, Sabriel," he gloated in the drow tongue. "I told you I'd always find you."

"I'm not interested in going back," she snapped taking a step back.

Human men appeared around them then bows raised. There were too many of them and Lem took a step closer to Red protectively, Vengeance hummed in his scabbard once more.

"I'm not sure you have a choice," Val'Rend leaped down and nodded to the men.

They began to move forward and the first man stopped short and whistled appreciatively at Red. She wrapped the cloak protectively around her and he leered.

"Come on, luv, whatchu' hiding under there? Never seen a naked dro--"

Lem put himself between Red and the bearded man, this time Vengeance was out humming with energy and power, placing itself between them.

But before he could swing a red line opened up across the man's throat. He gurgled gasping as he sank to his knees. Val'Rend behind him, his eyes a mask of fury.

"She goes home, unspoiled. She's for the altar and I'll take anyone of you with me if you'd like to join." His common was rough but even Lem got the gist of what he was saying.

Val'Rend dispensed of the dead man's shirt and trousers and tossed them at Red.

"Here," he said. "Take his boots as well. You'll need them for the walk ahead."

He turned to Lem who still held his sword out in front of him before drawing his own. "Where did you get that blade, human."

"I made it," Lem snapped stepping into a fighting stance.

"Really?" Val'Rend eyed him with doubt. "Not even dwarves would have crafted a blade like this. I doubt a mere human created it. Who are your people?"

"My people are from the southern part of the continent." Lem stepped forward. He was eager for this. The drow Red had killed might not have been the same drow, but it was the drow who slaughtered his village.

He moved in blade swinging, but he didn't have the years of training the young drow possessed. Val'Rend side-stepped him easily and flicked Vengeance away with a flick of the wrist. His sword point was against his neck. "I think I should kill you where you are. Consider it a kindness. You really don't want to go where my sister is going and see what will be done to her."

Lem's eyes widened and he flicked his gaze to Red. Val'Rend smiled at the reaction. Lem was too shocked to move. He'd known that Red was part drow, but--

His sister?

The blade came down.