“Master?” She had a wild grin on her face, what a hilarious thought. The tiny, weak half-elf taking on such a man. “You think you can harm him?” Scarlet laughed, a cold and cruel laugh that echoed, bouncing off the broken debris around them.

“Go ahead and try. I’ll even give you his name, something I had to earn. Something I had to befoul my body, hands and soul for. Lichensith Ulroke.” Her eyes flashed dangerously as she began pacing around him. “Answer me this, Jake. Why would I give you his name? Is it because you’re my friend? Is it because I want to see you fail? Or is it because I...quite frankly, don’t give two flying fucks about the man anymore?”

“Maybe it’s because you’re losing your mind.” Jake said, his voice choked by emotion.

Scarlet paused, he was right, in a sense. She had lost her mind. But his timing was off. Her mind broke long ago. Before the night she sacrificed herself for a foolish ronin, before she was subjected to night after night of rigorous torture by Lye and Aure, before being abandoned in rubble town….her mind broke long ago. She had simply come to terms with it. Small giggles rippled through her body before it turned into boisterous laughter, she gripped her head with one hand, the other wrapped tightly around her waist.

“You’re so funny Jake!” She gasped between her fits of laughter. “Look at you, you’re so confused! So sad! It’s hilarious!” Scarlet took one step forward, then another, then another till she was able to lean forward to press her shaking form against Jake.

“You saw it all! You felt it all! How can you deny such a wonderful feeling?” She released herself from her own grip and reached out to wrap her fingers around his throat. Wild eyes on his. “Why not join me, Jake? Fuck the Crimson Hand, fuck the headache of this pitiful world. Come with me, and we can start something great! Don’t you want that?” Her grip tightened, just enough for the half elf to feel pressure. “Don’t you want to be free?”


“I’ve always been free,” Jake said sadly, his body rigid, “I’ve always been the one offering you freedom. What makes you free now, just because you’ve stopped caring? Won’t your master come after you?”

Scarlet nodded as she pressed her forehead to Jake, biting her lower lip. “Yes. It’s a wonderful game between Master and I. It’s what makes it fun.” Scarlets body still shook with stifled laughter as she swept a booted leg up and underneath Jake, with the added pressure of her weight they toppled to the floor. Clouds of dust formed around them, and the woman pressed harder into Jake as she shifted to straddle him, fingers still tightly wound around his throat.

“You’ve only had a taste of what I feel.” She leaned in closer, wine red hair spilling over her shoulders. “Don’t you want more, Jake?” Her fingers sparked with a crackling red energy, and a heat began to emit from her hands. “Or should I show you...just like I showed Taka...just like I showed Fenn…” Her lips lightly brushed against his cheek, “C’mon Jake, you’re not truly free.” She ground herself into him, knowing the glances he had always given her.