#zaraj

Happened on Gem but with men. How much art, inventions, they missed out on because men were suppressed, enslaved, weren't allowed to hone their talents or pursue their dreams. (Probably happened with some women too but not particularly because they were women {as with men on our world})

And my characters perhaps have talents that were suppressed... Zaraj and Kelari...

Things they are perhaps able to pursue now that the world is broken open and the Marches arrive...

A rustling behind her. Kirashu stood against the waning light.

"You can hold your own, I'll give you that," said Kirashu. "But you're inexperienced. You don't know how to properly use your power. And, needless to say, you're not ruthless enough. You shoulda killed us when you had the chance. You had an advantage—and didn't take it. We, on the other hand, will always have an advantage over you, and so we have the luxury of toying with you, not killing you unless we feel like it." Kirashu crouched down in front of Tashi, shedding the last of the rope from her wrists. "Death is too good for you, my dear." She slid her fingers over Tashi's cheek.

Tashi jerked away from the cold touch. She wished Kirashu and her friends were far away from her.

Kirashu laughed and grabbed Tashi's chin. "You are beautiful, in a sort of unconventional way. Something exotic about you…without being blatantly half-bred. Probably how I'd have looked, if I'd been full Karijan." She squeezed, fingernails digging into Tashi's chin.

She walked past the blond man and stopped in front of the Fed. He was smaller, about Tashi’s height, and instead of exuding boldness and good humor, he looked afraid. His eyes did not meet hers. He held his hands crossed in front of him, almost a protective gesture. And scars laced his chest.

“Do they mistreat you?”

“N-no, mistress,” he said, in a barely audible voice. “They are very good to me here.”

His response hardly reassured her. She whirled to face Ran. “Do you mistreat your men?”

“No, no, they’re very good, very obedient. We only punish them as a last resort. Don’t want to scar them up.”

“What about this?” She touched the Fed’s arm, near a hash of scar slashes. He flinched, but did not pull away.

“Yes….they did break it. In the…prison.” His voice broke.

“Did they do anything for it?”

“Not there. Here they gave me a splint….”

Rule: Post the last sentence you wrote and then tag as many people as there are words.

From my character background sketch I wrote part of today.

He kissed her back.