The albino skunk watched the rabbit walk off dejectedly. She felt bad for him, but...what Doran said was true. No one here had any power to change their fate, and thinking they did was suicide. She nodded, "Convince them to keep their heads low, and choose the pragmatic option instead of the foolhardy one. I...think I understand." Other slaves were afraid of her as it was. She didn't like that fact, but maybe their superstitions would make this job easier.

***********

Elsewhere...

As the three gunshots rang out, a purple hedgehog abruptly halted, dropping into a defensive curl, petrified. Suddenly, a boot connected with her side, not hard enough to actually injure her, but enough to cause discomfort.

"Hey! Get up, lazy slave! I don't recall saying you were done with training for the day!"

Serenity said nothing, but raised a shaky hand and pointed in the direction of the gunshots.

"Don't give me that. For once, they're not shooting at you. Now get UP! You [i]wanted[/i] this training, didn't you?" Her guard/trainer physically lifted her back into a standing position. "Ow! Watch those quills, girl!"

Somewhat recovered from the fright, Serenity again found her voice, "Yeah, well...you probably ran into them on purpose, just to spite me. You expect me to just ignore the demon firestick noise? Give me a break!"

"Watch your mouth girl!" 

The guard gave a warning yank on the chain around her neck, and she shut up...for the time being anyway. Oh what she wouldn't give to punch this guy in his smug face!

"Ok, now where were we..."

"I believe you were about to let me start running..."

"Haha...nice try. Since you stopped, we have to work all the way back up from the walk. Once more...start around the ring...at a walk."

Serenity glared at her surroundings as she did what she was told...the circular, fenced, track...the pole in the center to which a long chain was attached, running to her metal collar...her "trainer" on the other side of the fence. She glanced fearfully to the high, metal walls - with their "demon firestick"-toting guards - imprisoning her and the other slaves, and then up, up...above them, to a lonely bird soaring in the sky. How she wished she was like that bird...free to fly beyond these walls. 

"You guys will PAY when my father, brother, and...fiance...find out what you've done to me..." she mumbled under her breath. The threat was a futile one, of coarse. What fool would come here intentionally, when all those guards had those demonic weapons, even if to rescue a loved one? Especially when there was an entire estate to be run. Not even HER father would drop everything to rescue his wayward only daughter...Besides, everyone back at home probably all thought she was dead...Although...she might as well be, in a place like this. Her thoughts trailed off darkly.