How many days had it been? Kanae couldn't tell while trapped in a dark confined space the entire way. They planned to send her to Buhar, but what if that was a lie? What if they locked her inside some kind of magic box, doomed to be stuck there forever like Alicia had been in the sunken temple?

The journey was bumpy at best, so they were headed somewhere at the very least. But the box was small and cramped. Kanae barely had any room to move, and she was getting hungry. In both senses of hunger. However, bound tightly everywhere possible, she couldn't so much as even attempt to break free. If being trapped in a box wasn't bad enough, they still threw a bag over her head and tied the tip of her tail shut.

Eventually, Kanae's ears twitched to the sound of running water. In a place like Savir? No, it was possible. Either an oasis or Buhar. Archbishop Patrice had uncovered some information about Buhar in a book before arriving in Elusis. It described the place as a kind of mountain wrapped around by a stream.

But even as the caravan grinded to a stop and its passengers descended, no one risked opening the box. Kanae rolled about within as they hoisted her onto something, a smaller cart maybe, and pushed her on it. The footfalls and wheels crunching on soil soon echoed on hard stone instead.

A foreign magic in the air tickled Kanae's skin and made her hair stand. Distant hymns almost too subtle to make out played like a soft tune in the air. Whoever inhabited the monastery exchanged terse chatter, but they fell to a hush as her cart passed by them. Something powerful permeated the space around Buhar that Kanae couldn't quite put her finger on. But she had felt it before fighting elementals in the Arkesian Wastes, as well as when Uzazzsa merged with the Harpy King.

Wherever they were taking Kanae, it seemed to be deep below considering all the stairs and steps she had to suffer through in a confined box. Finally… Finally, they stopped moving, seemingly for sure this time.

"Is this her?" a rickety older man's voice asked.

"It is. Be careful, Kaseem. The Harpy King has plans for her after he's conquered Savir," Nasiri said.

Kanae clicked her tongue. Nasiri was here, too? Jahree did mention that Buhar would be guarded by a couple of Dervishes. Things were looking grim already.

"The rest of you, leave!" the Thundering Dervish boomed. "The succubus can charm just by looking. Only Kaseem and I can resist her."

Armored footsteps faded into a nearby corridor, and the heavy door slammed shut. Someone took a crowbar to the box and pried it open, then ripped the bag over her head. Even the dim light from torches blinded Kanae, but she caught a glimpse of Nasiri looking in before stepping away.

Tendrils of water lifted Kanae out and into a round dungeon, where hundreds of disheveled prisoners sat behind fiery cages instead of metal bars. They pressed their backs to the walls to escape the intense heat. She followed the watery appendages to a well of water beneath her, channeled by an aged harpy man, whose black feathers had long since shedded. A hood shrouded his face and a cloak draped over his scrawny frame.

"Mmmh! MMM!" Kanae struggled against her restraints to little success.

The threads expanded and stretched to form an egg-like watery prison. Nasiri punched through the surface, untying the bindings and pulling off Kanae's gag. She floated listlessly in the not-quite-water but not mid-air either. It suspended her in the space within.

"Welcome to Buhar, Kanae. I pity we couldn't show you the splendor of this monastery. You'll have to settle for the dungeons. Now if you will excuse me, I have a prince in need of an elemental to be infused with." Nasiri took a bow before heading for the door.

"I'm going to break out of this! Mark my words, because when I do, I'm going to fuck you in the ass!" Kanae yelled.

"You're welcome to try, but if Petyr couldn't beat me, what hope do you have? Sit back and relax. Oh, you and Nawan know each other, right? Maybe I'll even let him come down and see you. If he survives." She flashed a sneer and exited the prison.

Kanae pressed a hand to her prison. It felt like water. As if she had touched the surface of a still pool. The only difference was, her hand didn't pass through. She couldn't pass through. Kanae balled up a fist and winded back for a Titanic Blow. The barrier of water absorbed the impact and knocked the lights out of her as she bounced all over the place.

"Ughh… What the…" Kanae pressed a hand to her face.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the elderly harpy named Kaseem warned. "My prison will reflect all physical and magical damage. You'll only hurt yourself."

"Damn it… And who are you? The warden?" she asked.

With one arm across his chest, he bowed slightly. "Yes, I am. My name is Kaseem. I am the Frigid Dervish, an adventurer if you will, but that was many years ago. Now I serve the Harpy King to keep his enemies imprisoned. Rejoice, for you are the newest addition. Do enjoy your stay."

Kaseem left in the opposite direction Nasiri had gone, through a door on the other side of the room. Stuck with nothing but her thoughts, Kanae searched for anything that might help her escape. Unfortunately, she found nothing but prisoners lamenting their fate in the dark torch-lit dungeon. Except… for one.

In a lone cell of their own, someone was panting. Kanae knew better than to think it was dirty. Their breathing sounded quick and purposeful. Behind the raging wall of fire, a harpy was doing upside down curls while hanging from the ceiling.

Orange plumes, unruly hair of the same color, wings as black as obsidian, and long brows that crested over her eyes…

"Sivvy? Sivvy Brenhallow?" Kanae called out.

The harpy stopped exercising. She dropped down and straightened her back to a staggering height, but not quite as tall as Petyr. The tatters of a ceremonial garb draped her body, torn and tied, sewn up in poor patchwork that it barely resembled anything respectable. But despite living in a prison, she boasted very sculpted muscles that female athletes could only dream of in the perfect setting.

"We've never met before, succubus. Who in three hells are you?" Sivvy came right up to the fiery wall undaunted.

"Knight of Amethyst, of the Knights of Colors. Queen of the Commonwealth of Sin. High Priestess of the Eminence of Sin," Kanae introduced with the many titles she gained over the years, but Sivvy's brows remained knitted as ever.

Of course. The Knight of Red had been imprisoned here for years. She couldn't have known all that had happened up north.

"Uhm… Streaking Dragonslayer?" Kanae threw one last shot in the dark.

"Hah! Ahahahaha!" Sivvy's laughter was boisterous, contagious, and even Kanae couldn't help but chortle a little. "No fucking way. Now that name, I recognize. You were the succubus who ended up giving Bardell some shit in Lograin. Man… How many years has it been now… Don't tell me. I don't wanna know. So, Aidenhall's trialing demons? They probably replaced me by now."

"No, that's not true. You're still the Knight of Red! I came to save you, but as you can see…" She gestured to the prison of water.

"Well, in here, you and I ain't nothing but prisoners. We've got all the time in the world. How about you catch me up some, huh?" The harpy plopped down on her ass.

Kanae wasn't sure where to start. There was a lot to tell Red. She started with the Commonwealth's founding. Gretchen Redbaron's rebellion didn't surprise her. Neither did Ortesia's invasion. But Radevic and the Commonwealth siding with Artaggon did. She also particularly enjoyed the comeuppance Petyr Stormcloud got.

Hours must have gone by as Kanae recounted years worth of events leading up to now. All the while, Red picked up blanched bones from a pile to her side to stuff down her throat. At one point, the harpy picked up a femur bone the size of her forearm, yet it slid down her gullet all the same.

"Hold on, I'm sorry to cut the story about fighting Maelstorm short, but… how are you just swallowing bones like that?" Kanae asked.

"What do you mean, how? Bones make up the majority of my diet. Oh, wait. You probably don't know. I'm a species of bearded vulture harpies. This is what we eat. So, while everyone else is living off scraps of bread, there's no shortage of bones out in the wilds for them to give me. Literally, they're throwing me a bone every day! Been staying in shape, too, waiting for the chance to break out. Now that you're here, we just might," Red explained.

"I can't break out of this. You can't break out of that. There's no way…"

"There is a way." She pointed to the door where Kaseem was hidden behind. "That fucker is infused with a water elemental. He's got the power to release you and put out this prison of fire. The key to our escape is literally the very guy that guards us."

How was the biggest part of escaping. Kanae tried to exert a charm on Kaseem earlier, and Nasiri was right. He resisted her.

"I'm stumped. Do you have a plan?" Kanae asked.

"I say wing it. KASEEM!" Red yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Oh, no. I hate winging things!" she groaned.

The warden emerged from the other room anyway.

"What is it now?" Kaseem sighed.

"Come here for a sec. I gotta talk to you," Red said.

"You can't be serious." Kanae gasped.

"As if I'm going to fall for that a fifth time!" He glowered.

"It's worked before?! You're a terrible prison warden!" She pinched the bridge of her nose.

So much for jailbreak.

"Come on, man. One of the bones I was gonna eat rolled out. Just kick it back or something." Red pointed to a long arm bone belonging to some dire beast.

Kanae didn't even notice until the Knight of Red pointed it out. She must have tossed the thing through the fire a moment ago. But the bone had been charred black. It couldn't have touched the flames for more than a split second though, which means they burned extremely hot. No wonder the prisoners never attempted to run through to escape.

When Kaseem saw the bone a couple of feet from Red's cell, he heaved a sigh. The old harpy kicked it back, only for Red to fling another bone in her other hand at his head. It hit him square in the face. He recoiled, and she lunged out of the fiery prison.

The intense fires burned her clothes to a crisp. Vibrant orange feathers turned to ashes, leaving behind quills. Her hair ignited, but she put Kaseem in a headlock. Just as quickly, Kaseem encased Red's head in a sphere of water and put out the fire.

"Stop it… I'll drown you this time for sure…" Kaseem choked between each word.

Air bubbles escaped Red's lips. She was running out of breath. But it was Kaseem who passed out first. The sphere of water persisted. Red staggered over to a table, hoisted it up, and covered the well beneath Kanae. Doing so severed the tendrils of water drawing from it. Her prison of water vanished. Red, however, collapsed to the ground.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit." Kanae scrambled to find a way to help. She ran into the proof Kaseem had come out from. It was a modest office with a few books on the table. After opening all of the drawers, she found a discarded wand in the last one. "Dispel!" Kanae fired at the bubble, causing it to break apart and drench the ground.

But Red wasn't breathing. Kanae started chest compressions on the harpy woman. She didn't come this far into Savir to let the Knight of Red die. Not today. Not tomorrow. They were going to escape and return to Radevic. Grand Eye Analise was going to get to see her best friend again. Kanae was going to hold Arenade's big boobs again.

"Wake up already!" Kanae infused her fist with Titanic Blow and brought it down hard on the harpy's chest.

The Knight of Red coughed up water. She turned to one side and heaved out more. Terrible burns still covered most of her body, but she was alive.

"Supreme One's ass, that hurt…" Red croaked.

"You tried that five times? Six now!" Kanae administered Flash Heal repeatedly.

"First three times, I passed out from the pain. It took months to recover each time. Fourth and fifth, I was able to jump out and stay standing. But Kaseem or one of the other Dervishes stopped me. Heh. With you here, that puts the ball in our field." She grinned.

After what must have been one hundred casts of Flash Heal, Red looked as good as could be for someone who walked through magical fire. The spell was never meant to provide any significant healing, just a quick patch-me-up. At least Red wasn't covered in burns anymore, but a third of her wing on each side needed a good molting to replace fried feathers. Her brows were mostly gone, too.

Nevertheless, the Knight of Red stretched her wings.

"Amethyst, right? I'm feeling giddy getting to fight alongside a colleague after so long, even if we hardly know each other. How about we break some heads?" Red turned to Kanae and stuck a hand out.

"There's someone here I want to save. His name is Seven. Or Nawan. Will you help me?" Kanae clasped her hand, only to wince at the firm grip.

"Hells yeah, I'm down. You got a weapon?" the harpy asked.

Kanae only had one. When they imprisoned her, they left the weapons back in the Opalescent Spire. She didn't have the Blade of the First Temptress and Lust on her. All she had on her right now was the Matron's Regalia, Collar of Domination, Ring of Scorching Ray, Piercings of Impurity, and Doom & Gloom.

Including…

The tail pussy opened wide and let slip out Cockcalibur.

"Ew. Is that a dildo?" Red recoiled.

"A magic dildo. It's a strong weapon, I swear. What about you? What are you going to fight with?" Kanae asked, curious to learn of her peer's class.

"I got a unique one that lets me cast spells through a weapon instead. It's why these shaman fuckers in Buhar kept me alive, to try and convince me to take in an elemental. Now… where did Kaseem put it?" The harpy woman rummaged through the warden's office until she found a two-handed metal club with a ram's head. "Knight of Red, crowned Battlemage! Hybrid warrior and mage. Alrighty then. How about a good ole prison break?"