Pressed into service

“Tharros? That’s an awfully long way away.” Seleste said in response to Hood’s mention of the legendary city-state.
Qir, the city were she was currently carrying out her profession, was on the other side of the sea from Tharros, and for the first time Seleste realized just what kind of influence the Nightengale must hold to be able to claim the royal mansions of the queen of Qir as his turf.

“Not that far,” Hood objected, “and either way that’s where you’re going.”
“What if I refuse to work for your precious Nightengale?”
“Well, then he’ll have you killed.” Hood informed her, “Which would be a waste of that pretty neck of yours.”
“My options seems a bit limited.” Seleste did her best to sound businesslike despite the fact that Hood had just cupped one of her sightly breasts.
“No, its just one very basic choice that you’ve got to make; do you want to be rich and alive, or dead and poor?”
“Fine,” Seleste conceded, “how are we to get out of here then?”
“Same way that you got in,” Hood said, finally loosening his grip of her body, “with you going first.”

The two said nothing more to each other as they sneaked back outside, descending the wall and passing the loving couple outside, where the guard had now proceeded to shoving his hard member in and out of the maid’s dripping wet snatch.
Clearing the garden and traversing the wall surrounding the mansion, Seleste could see that Hood was a good ten yards behind her.

Considering making a break for it as she leapt onto the road beneath the wall, Seleste decided against it when she noticed another shadowy figure approach her, coming from the tree where she had removed her dress.
Clad in the same sort of cloak as Hood, black with a thin outlining of scarlet, and leather pants over long, shapely legs, the figure sped towards Seleste, whose mask and weapons were still in Hood’s possession.
From the way her body strained the cloak in various places, Seleste guessed that the new figure was a woman, and one equipped with quite a generously sized bosom at that, although her face and hair remained hidden under the hood of her cloak.

“So, this is the one?” The woman whispered to Hood as she landed next to Seleste.
“Yes Thamara, this is the one.” Hood replied, and then pulled Seleste with him down the street, Thamara walking a step behind the two other thieves.

After an uneventful journey on foot which lasted about fifteen minutes, the two henchmen of the Nightengale had brought Seleste to a warehouse located not far from the city’s harbour.

Expecting this to be the place where she would be held awaiting to be brought aboard a ship taking her to Tharros, thus giving her at least a few hours to plot an escape, Seleste was astonished to find upon entering the warehouse that it was completely empty of any goods or merchandise, the open space instead housing a woman who looked as if she had been waiting for the trio.
Dusky and completely naked, with long black hair that flowed down over her shoulders, the strange woman was standing directly in the centre of a drawn circle filled with strange symbols.

“Ah, you’re here.” The woman said, almost cheerfully.