This time when she woke, it was from the pain in her head striking the cold stone floor. A drip of water in the background and the scuttling of tiny feet added a sense of desolation to the dimly lit cell where she found herself. A pile of fetid rags graced the corner and she shuddered to think of the vermin that inhabited them. Lydia was cold but not yet so desperate as to wrap herself in those.<br/><br/>She had gathered no sense of panic and certainly did smell smoke wafting through the tiny window high up on the wall. She wasn’t underground  or at least not too far underground and Lydia was thankful for that. Shenyo would find her if he was still alive. He would come for her. Together they would burn this city to the ground.<br/><br/>Running her fingers lightly over her neck, she found the amulet that nullified her power still resting between her breasts. She gave it a tug and it collapsed in her hand. Setting it close to her, she flexed her fingers and a small flame appeared. Lydia gave a sigh of relief.<br/><br/>She was indeed in a small cell made of small handmade bricks. A large grey rat popped his head from the pile of rags, waggling his whiskers at her. Lydia put her finger over her lips and then whispered to the rat.<br/><br/>“You and your kin stay over there and we won’t have a problem.”<br/><br/>Lydia wasn’t above annihilating vermin but she would prefer not to harm another creature that was just trying to occupy the space given to them. She smiled and thought that was her preference with these nobles also, but they had already crossed a line with her. The rat would benefit from her mercy before the nobles would.<br/><br/>She heard footsteps scraping along the hallway so she closed her hand, damping the flame. Quickly, she tied the amulet back around her neck and lay down as if she had suffered head trauma from being shoved inside.<br/><br/>“I told you not to be so rough with her before Milas had seen her. He must be placated. You know he always gets first choice or the necks of underlords are forfeit.” A sniveling voice whined.<br/><br/>“She is a woman and I will not check myself. Women are nothing but sheep to be used, herded and butchered. I will not bow to a woman, not even for Milas. She should have moved along quicker. When she failed, I simply gave her a boot to help her along.” A rumbling voice barked in answer.<br/><br/>Lydia felt a stab of real fear. These were different voices from the cultured ones who absconded with her. Who were they  and who was Milas?<br/>