Nope, back to Saluma!

Isidora felt herself hanging in the air, her feet instinctively trying to find purchase on empty air as her arms strained against the ropes binding her hands. The rope around her neck squeezing her windpipe, cutting off oxygen, beside her the others were similarly dancing on air, but a voice yelled something unintelligible as some kind of commotion was starting and then Isidora was falling again. She felt her feet hit the ground and then she collapsed forward onto her knees, air was entering her lungs again and she took a number of deep breaths. On either side of her she heard coughing as the rest of the women being executed had similarly been cut down. There was fighting around her. She tried to focus on what was happening. Some remnant of Drakmir trying to save them, it didn't seem like it. The colours she was seeing looked familiar and a barbarian soldier, the one who had been in charge of the executions collapsed to the ground beside him. He was uninjured, but his opponent had clearly beaten and knocked him down. Isidora looked up to see her savior.

Leader of the Saluma City guard , Commander Samantha Vimes, stands over her, sword in hand. Other members of the city guard with her seemingly assisting in this endeavor, nonlethally fighting against the barbarians, though with the defeat of their current leader, most of the fighting has stopped. From his position on the ground he speaks, "what the hell is wrong with you, woman? We're on the same side!" he yells at her and Samantha sheathes her sword.

"You are correct," she says and then turns away from him to address the entire area, "I am Commander Samantha Vimes of the City Guard. These women are under my protection!" she announces.

"You can't do that!" the man argues.

"I believe I can. As the primary civil power in this area law and order within this city still fall under my jurisdiction. Speaking of, I don't believe I witnessed or was asked to be part of any trials for these women," she responds.

"We don't need a trial they are..." he pauses, seemingly trying to find the words," enemy... combatants," he says carefully.

"No... When the fighting was happening some of them might have been, but at current they are prisoners of war. You may have noticed after all that the fighting in the city has stopped," she informs him with a gesture to the surrounding area.

"Queen Alkadabuki-" he starts, but gets cut off.

"If Saintess Alkadabuki has an issue with my actions, she can come see me and we'll settle it, until then, these women are mine and I'm taking them to be properly held until trial," she announces and the man glares at her, but is silent. There's a few boos from the crowd, some of them were really looking forward to seeing some executions, but mostly everyone was silent. Samantha orders her guards to gather up the women and escort them to the guard barracks. She herself moves to help Isidora to her feet and she quietly speaks as she stands.

"Why... Are you helping us?" she asks.

"Human... Monster... Regardless there's been too much blood shed already," Samantha responds and then helps Isidora walk through the crowd as she and the other women are taken into the guard barracks.

A little bit later Isidora has been placed in a fairly nice cell, she's been given some food and drink as have the others and outside her cell she watches Meya and Liyu fawning over Samantha. Samantha is standing, Meya kneeling in front of her and Liyu clinging to one of her legs, both of them bawling out their gratitude for saving them. Samantha gently petting their heads, "of course I couldn't let you two die. It really is terrible how people judge the two of you," she says, sounding sad and both of them nod.

"We're still happy to do what we can if for no other reason than that there are people like you in this world, Sammy!" Liyu says with a cheerful coo and Meya nods vigorously in agreement.

"That's great girls. I am going to need to be able to walk again soon though," she says patting Liyu who reluctantly releases Samantha's legs and gets up, Meya standing as well, "for the moment at least don't leave the barracks," Samantha tells the two of them and they nod before she heads off to go speak to another guard. Meya and Liyu watch her and Isidora speaks.

"She really does treat you nicely, huh?" she states and Meya glances over at the cell.

"Of course! Like she says, 'it's not how you're born that makes you who you are, it's the experiences you undergo and so if you want nice people you should do your best to make every experience you are a part of a good experience,'" she quotes and then sighs, "it might not be the most... snappy of mottos I guess, but it's a fine sentiment," she adds and Liyu nods.

"She takes time to learn about people before making decisions about them. Like... she didn't send us away or hate us on sight, like most people, but... she also didn't immediately befriend us either. We had to prove ourselves and... it wasn't easy. She's a very strict boss, but eventually we proved ourselves and well... she was willing to potentially piss off Alkadabuki to save us!" she says and her tail is wagging back and forth rapidly.

"She seems... great... Reminds me of someone I once knew..." Isidora says wistfully and is shocked when Meya responds suddenly with a mocking voice.

"Who could a Darkie like you know as kind and caring as Sammy?" she says and laughs before quickly dragging Liyu away, "we've been locked up for a while! We should find out who else in the guards survived, I hope Millie got killed!" she says and both disappear. Isidora watching them go, the clear hypocrisy she just experienced stunning her.