The Death Market *Obi x OC* (COMPLETE)

Scars

Song: Scars - I Prevail

  I spot the key that's come free from her shirt and bring the sword down toward her with one hand as I grab the key with the other. I rip the chain from her neck as she falls back. I hurry to put more distance between us before jamming the key into the lock. It clicks open as she tackles me to the floor. My back hits the hardwood floors and the air leaves my lungs. I cough as I try to regain my breath while fighting to keep her from subduing me. I've gotten this close to freedom, I'm not letting her trap me again this easily. I latch onto her upper arms and flip us so she's pinned beneath me. She's absolutely livid. I smirk as she struggles beneath me but my size alone won't let her escape. My eyes fall on the chain and I remove one hand from her to grab it, then secure it to the nearest limb, her left wrist.

"I'm going to kill you!" She growls as she swings at me.

I block her hit and abandon my position on top of her as I snatch the key off the floor and back away until I'm out of the circle. I'd made it a point to scratch slight marks into the floor along the diameter so I knew where my freedom rested.

"Well, it's been fun Harlowe, but I have things to do."

I offer her a cheeky grin as she fights against the chain to get to me. I take my time to grab Master's sword and scoot hers further away from her reach, then decide I'm hungry after all. I start to dig around in her cabinets and score a bottle of rum before starting to make myself a sandwich out of the peanut spread and grape jam I found.

"Are you seriously eating right now!?"

I sigh and look over at her as I grab the sandwich. "Yeah, it would be much more pleasant if you'd stop shouting."

"You chained me to the floor!"

"And you did the same to me. At least it's simply your wrist. I could have bound you like you'd had them do to me. I'm sure at some point soon your little hooded friends will come to check on you and you'll be freed. By then I will be long gone and I'll never have to worry about you again."

"I will hunt you to the ends of the earth Obi." She huffs as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"Ah, but the thing is, Harlowe," I start as I leave the stool I'd settled on to stand in front of her, just out of her reach. "if you did that, you'd have to abandon your precious Market and I know you'd never do that. You'd be in my domain then. I know every inch of Clarines and Tanbarun and have a reach much farther than you could ever hope to know. You wouldn't stand a chance."

Her expression changes from anger to curiosity suddenly as they focus on my chest. I follow her gaze and realize that my castle ID had fallen out of my shirt in the struggle.

"You... You're one of them." Her voice comes out a whisper.

She stares up at me with wide eyes and takes a step back that I can tell is out of reflex. She's afraid, but why?

"Is that a problem?" I take a step forward and she backs away again. "You didn't fear me before and you didn't fear Mitsuhide, so what changed?"

"Castle employees aren't allowed in my domain." She's trying to sound confident but the waver in her tone is noticeable.

"Well, you decided I belonged to you, remember? I'm stuck here according to you. So, why are you scared?"

Her gaze drops to her right arm and she subconsciously flexes it like she'd done before and I piece it together.

"They hurt you, didn't they?"

"You know nothing!" She snaps as she turns away. "If you are going to kill me, do it, otherwise leave Obi. If our paths cross again I will kill you."

I move quickly through the market toward Torin's cottage. I left Harlowe behind in hers after her threat. I gained a little bit of information from our exchange but hopefully I won't need it. I plan to tell Torin and Iladriel that I'm safe and for her to go into hiding for a while, then I'm leaving by any means necessary. I've had enough of The Death Market to last me for a good while.

"Obi!" I lose my breath as Iladriel crashes into my stomach as soon as I walk through the door.

I absently pat her head and she peels herself away from me and clears her throat.

"You're alive. I figured when you didn't return that you'd been murdered. Iladriel was worried and wouldn't shut up about it."

"I was not worried!" She huffs. "I-I just wanted to know where his body was so I could have his boots. You have the sword... You're going back to the castle aren't you?"

"I have to but I needed to talk to Torin first."

"Ila, why don't you-"

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm old enough to stay here and hear what's going on."

I sigh and shrug as we head into the kitchen to talk at the table.

I fill Iladriel and Torin in on what happened after he left me the other night. As I finish I notice that Iladriel's face has gotten really pale. I ask if she's okay but she nods her head and tries to wave it off with a shaky voice.

"The Miss is really mad at me, isn't she?" She finally whispers.

"She just thinks you were a part of helping me because you had the sword. If you lay low for a while I'm sure she will forget about you. I think I've sparked her rage enough for her focus to stay on me anyway. I just need to get out of the market without her knowing I've been here."