<span style="font-weight: bold">One month back. . . </span><br/><br/>"Please follow me sir," Crystal said politely to the customer before her. Standing up from her station at the front desk, she walked down the hall, her dark blue kimono flowing gracefully behind her.<br/><br/>The customer was returning to New Boise and stopped at a small city called Twin Falls for the night. A common stop for travelers. With a close call with a raider group on the Hale's railway, the man needed some stress relief.<br/><br/>He eagerly walked after Crystal to door 106. She took a key out and unlocked the door, holding it open for the customer. "Please enjoy yourself tonight sir." The man walked in and Crystal closed the door softly behind him.<br/><br/>A mattress was laid out in the center and a single lantern resting in the corner bathed the room with a soft orange glow. Standing on the other side of the mattress a young lady slowly turned to face the man. He took a sharp intake of breath at the sight of the beautiful lady before him. Her hair was fairly short, the longest strand just barely grazing her shoulder, but the color was eye catching. Flaming red, the flickering light of the lantern adding a shine to it. Her eyes seemed to absorb the light as it turned a bright silver, the lady almost looked demonic, a she devil. As if they were dry, the lady licked her red lips, a hint of a smile forming at the edge of her mouth.<span style="color: #8080FF">"Shall we get started?"</span>Viv asked as she pulled the sash of her kimono to expose her nakedness underneath.<br/><br/>__________________________________________________<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">Two weeks back. . . </span><br/><br/>The front door opened and Crystal looked up and stiffened at the sight of the Desert Flower and a small entourage. Biting her tongue to keep herself from saying anything stupid, she bowed hurriedly and got up to lead the headmistress to her quarters. The room was expensively furnished, paintings lined the walls, a mattress with silk sheets and embroidered pillows rested on the far side of the room and a velvet couch with a coffee table before it, invited anyone who entered to take a seat and relaxed. Quietly two Fire Lilies stripped Slater of her outer kimono to allow Slater to drape herself onto the couch, the fabric of her robe sliding down to reveal her smooth legs,the other two women shuffled around the room to light some incense. A sigh of relief left Slater's lips as she glanced back at Crystal.<span style="color: #ffa07a">"How is Scarlet?"</span><br/><br/>Crystal stood obediently and answered quickly, "She has settled. Before we had to help her get into the mood of things. However she hasn't been using the stimulants lately and has been able to earn more from the customer."<br/><br/><span style="color: #ffa07a">"And the name she calls herself by?"</span><br/><br/>"She still prefers to be called Viv," Crystal replied and lowered her head when she saw a visible frown on Slater's face.<br/><br/>A quiet crept throughout the room, Crystal began to wonder if Slater was going to say anymore.<span style="color: #ffa07a">"When will the preparations be complete?"</span><br/><br/>Crystal paled slightly but kept a mask of calm. "They have been ready, we were just waiting for your next order."<br/><br/>Slater's eyes remained distant, calculating. Smoothly she stood up and two women took the last bit of clothing off Slater as she made her way over to the mattress.<span style="color: #ffa07a">"Send her out with Nina. If she intends to continue on her current path."</span>Her silver eyes turned to Crystal.<span style="color: #ffa07a">"Change her mind."</span><br/><br/>___________________________________________________<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">The following day. . .</span><br/><br/>Viv breathed in heavily, the dry dusty air filling her nostrils. This was far better than the suffocating incense she's had to deal with for the past few weeks. Sitting on top of a bicycle, her rifle on her back, Viv looked through her binoculars scanning for any unwanted raider groups who might try to hit the incoming caravan. She was on guard duty with Nina, and although the caravan moved sluggishly across the dry land, Viv doubted that a raid group would waste their time with the vehicle that only carried relatively important people rather than any real supplies. Still, Viv would take up any boring mission outside over. . . She sighed, all she needed to do was endure this for three more months and she'll get the necessary help to finally kill Hale. She'll play her part as a Fire Lily.<br/><br/>"Hey Viv?" Nina spoke up beside her.<br/><br/>Viv turned to look at Nina, the girl was a few years older than Viv, and like a few others, she was also taller. Nina's hair was brown and tied back away from her face which showed a dimpled smile and honey colored eyes.<span style="color: #8080FF">"What's up?"</span><br/><br/>"I know you hate being with us, but it's good to have you back."<br/><br/>Viv shrugged giving a weak smile back before turning her attention back to the caravan.<span style="color: #8080FF">"What can I say? I had no where else to go."</span><br/><br/>Nina turned to rummage through her bag, producing a canteen of water. "So you plan to stick around?"<br/><br/>Viv only shook her head and caught the canteen that Nina passed to her.<br/><br/>"We can always go back to how things were," Nina suggested hopefully.<br/><br/>A humorless laugh rolled out of Viv's throat as she twisted the cap of the canteen open.<span style="color: #8080FF">"Back to eight years ago? We were kids back then. Things are different now."</span><br/><br/>Nina rolled her eyes but smiled sheepishly. "Alright maybe not how things used to be. But come on, you have a future with us, you'll soon be called the Desert Flower."<br/><br/><span style="color: #8080FF">"Yeah well, I always hated that title,"</span>Viv commented and with lightning speed she pulled out her pistol and pulled the trigger.<br/><br/>Nina's eyes widened with shock as she looked down at the blood that was spilling out of her stomach. She added pressure to the wound in a futile effort to stop the bleeding but in the end she fell off her bike, her eyes becoming completely empty.<br/><br/>Bringing the canteen near her nose, Viv took a small sniff. There was that metallic smell from the canteen, but she definitely smelled something sweet. Her theories confirmed, she calmly closed the canteen.<span style="color: #8080FF">"You know, we were really close when we were kids, almost completely alike. That said, I knew that if I were to watch you leave eight years ago, I'd hold a grudge too."</span><br/><br/>Out of nowhere, something seemed to flick at Viv's neck. Before she could check what it was, her world blacked out.<br/><br/>__________________________________________________<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">Now. . .</span><br/><br/>Slater looked at Crystal.<span style="color: #ffa07a">"Alive?"</span><br/><br/>"Yes, he was spotted walking around New Boise. What would you like us to do?"<br/><br/>Pulling the kimono more securely around herself, Slater looked to a painting.<span style="color: #ffa07a">"Has Scarlet come to her senses?"</span><br/><br/>"We've been working on her for almost two weeks now, she hasn't come around," Crystal admitted. "But she has her limits."<br/><br/>Slater sighed.<span style="color: #ffa07a">"I'll travel back to Star Lake. No doubt our warrior will try to find me there." </span>She moved towards the door and paused.<span style="color: #ffa07a">"When I come back, I want my Scarlet."</span>