It didn't seem real. How could he be dead? Was he dead? I flitted back and forth in my cage, fearful to cry out because what I may or may not hear. He said he was the last, the end. In theory that meant, I could be free. My heart pumped an erratic song in my chest.

What would I do now? I wasn't Alice without them. No, that wasn't right. I had already decided. I would be Alice for Pitri and Honi. They were mine and I was there's.

"They are mine and I am there's."

I repeated the words out loud, over and over, as though it would help. I felt insane. I was clawing at a reason to live when I might not even see the next sunrise. I was nothing but a prisoner caught in a cage. Tears cut through the grime on my face. I couldn't go back to being nothing caught in darkness. I wouldn't make it.

The sun bathing my face with its kisses rose me the next day. I had survived the night. Angry voices were yelling below me, and I realized it hadn't been the sun which had pulled me from the depths of dreams.

"He's dead and he broke the cage! What a waste." The sound of it being kicked and banging against a tree reached my keen ears. "Those cages are expensive."

The troll responded with a less shrill rage, more shimmering from annoyance and inconvenience. "I found a good treasure last night. We'll make up the cost and then some. Don't worry about it."

Both pairs of eyes turned up to me, shiny even so far below. I shuttered, pulling away from the edge.

A giggle came from another cage. "You're going to be sold."

I couldn't see the figure hiding within the shadows, but something about it seethed me.

"Shut up so are you."

"Not like you, they got plans for you. Big plans."

I grabbed a stick that had fallen in my cage and chucked it as theirs. "I said shut up!"

The giggles subsided as the cage stopped swinging, but not any sooner.

I needed a way out of this. Pulling my knees up to my chest, I buried my face in them. Pressing the bones straight into my eyes. The pressure hurt, but felt good. I didn't do it hard, my eyes were one of my best defenses. Still for the moment, I didn't want to see what would happen.

"Hey!"

I shot up. That voice, I knew them. My hand flew across the floor looking for something to throw, but it appeared I had found the only stick for flinging and wasted it on some weirdo who ruffled my feathers. I looked up. I was in a tree. I just needed a stick or something.

Swinging the cage, I attempted to get closer to the large sprawling branches which held me aloft. If anything I could fall, though my chains didn't looked as nearly as old as those of the departed doctor, so it seemed a slim possibility. Each pass brought me closer and yet my tiny stature couldn't quite reach the tree.

I screamed. I yelled bloody murder. The laughing erupted again from my neighbor, which only made me shriek louder. Something more inhuman beginning to pour from my lips.

"Sounds like you got a live one up there."

"Yeah give me a sec." The troll's hand reached up toward me and for a second I thought I had done it, but instead they batted the cage, hard.

The thing went wild. My head and body banged against the bars, bruising anything it could. I was like a doll being shook.

"Hold on a second. Do you see what I see DeeDee?"

"Why yes I do Duke. Hey get that cage down, we had a deal no snatching our clients."

The troll grumbled obviously upset.

"Did you hear that Duke?" The sound of a gun cocking reached her. "It appears we have someone trying to double cross us."

"I did indeed DeeDee. What a shame. I mean really what is this world coming to when there isn't honor among the lowlifes." The gun went off, dropping the troll with one shot to the head.

I leaned over trying to get a better look. How had they done it? Yes guns worked on Others, but not particularly well. It usually took pefurating them with lead to do any damage let alone kill them.

The sound of heavy plodding footsteps came crashing through the trees. The giant had come back from wherever they had sauntered while I had been trying to escape. An enraged scream resonated in the forest upon seeing their fallen friend.

"Ah shut up ugly." DeeDee sighed and shot them too, bringing them toppling to their knees and onto the ground.

Duke called up. "Hold tight there girlie. Have you down in a jiffy."

"How?" I yelped as the chain was shot through and I was sent careening to my potential death, only to land on the still warm body of the giant. I rolled down his big stomach and was stopped by the boot of my shooter and rescuer.

"I know what you're thinking. I look even better in the light of day." Duke winked before leaning over and opening the door with a key DeeDee handed him.

I stumbled out before vomiting all over.