"Good job with the freeze." Lama said as Sara entered the small office. Lama stood behind Derret's oversized desk, which took up most of the room.

"Thanks, but it was not a full freeze." Sara said, nervous about any compliment from Lama.

"Close enough." Lama said with a smirk, and threw down a small pouch of coins onto the desk. "Let me just get out the ledger. It's around here somewhere."

Sara inspected the coinpurse without moving, looking for a trap. Not seeing one, Sara moved cautiously to the desk and poured the coins out into her hand. Four coppers is not much of a bonus, but I will take it. Sara stuffed the coins back in the bag while Lama continued moving around the room in search of the ledger.

Sara felt the distinct snap of a link collar around her neck, interrupting her thoughts. No! Sara's mind cried out loud enough that she was not sure if she also yelled aloud. She lunged backward, trying to get herself back onto the docks, but the linkchain was being held taught. Sara did manage to get a grip on the edge of the doorframe. I am not going back! Sara grabbed at the link collar with her other hand as she did her best to backpedal.

The link started developing between them. Sara could feel Lama's presence forming in one corner of her mind. "Lama!?" They will all betray you! Sara lost her grip on the edge of the frame from yelling, but recovered quickly. "What are you doing?" Sara already knew the answer to the question though. She must have sensed it, when she touched me with the rod.

"Sara!" Lama tried to sound affable while straining with her end of the chain, but Sara could hear the falseness of her tone. "Don't be so defiant. Just relax, yeah?" She gave a nervous chuckle as she continued pulling on her end of the chain, dragging Sara deeper into the office. "Come on, Sara. You're a Maker. I could feel it earlier. You are supposed to be linked." Lama managed to pull in the chain until there was only a short length between her hands and Sara's neck, trying to keep Sara inside. Sara wanted to rip the chain out of her grasp, but knew even touching the chain while a link was formed could cause a very unpleasant feedback loop for the Maker.

As the link solidified Sara's mind began slipping back into darkness, into the box. Not the box again! Never again! Panic began taking over but Sara knew that would not help. She gripped hard on the wood of the door frame, feeling the familiar ridges of the wood grain under her fingertips. It was the only thing her hands had been able to feel inside the box. I escaped before, I can do it again. She tried to take a calming breathe through her struggles. Her last escape had left her Burned to a low level of magik, so it was unlikely she could escape by melting the link, which she had done for her first escape. Sara put up a mental block to prevent Lama from using any of her magik through the link, and tried to think of another way out. Rosk was likely to side with Lama if he found out she really was a magiker, so calling out would not help. They will all betray you. Her hand gripping the link collar still searched for a manual release, but Sara did not expect to find a way out. Magik was normally needed to release a link collar, and if she tried to access her magik, the link would give Lama control.

Lama hammered on her mental shield, but for Sara it was easy to resist. I have resisted much stronger than you, Betrayer! She could see Lama's frustration increase the longer they were locked in their stalemate. Sara could feel the sweat forming on her forehead when Lama moved a hand off the chain as well, reaching for her partially charged rod, still strapped to her thigh. Magik! Sara immediately let go of the doorway and grasped at the rod, letting Lama pull them into the office. Lama's hand got to the rod first, so Sara moved with Lama's pull and shoved her hard into the desk. I will not go back! Sara let go of the link collar to lean a forearm into Lama's neck, choking her while she used her other hand to pry Lama's hand free from the rod.

"You...will not...trap me." Sara grunted between their struggles.

Anger built in Sara at being betrayed, being lied to about the bonus. But the lie made Sara's worry burrow much deeper. How much did Lama know? How long had she really known for? How long would it have taken her to get a link collar? "What really makes you think I am a Maker?" The first time Sara had been caught, she had been discreetly charging her own rods to keep up in the battles, and she had been noticed. I was careful this time though! "Tell me!" Sara pushed harder on Lama's neck, and Lama made some weak attempts to shift Sara's weight off her using her hand holding the link chain. She did not let go of the chain though. "Tell me!" Sara repeated, but Lama face was turning purple, mouth gaping like one of the frozen fish from the pits.

Sara could feel magik suddenly pooling inside of her, not sure where it had come from. She checked her mental shield and it was still up. As she traced the magik back to its source, she realized there was something odd about the magik. She could not pin down what exactly it was since the link was feeding the magik to Lama too quickly for her to study. Despite the odd 'flavor' of the magik, Lama was already starting a weave with it.

Sara realized the magik was coming from her hand over the rod. I am pulling the magik through Lama's hand! Sara pulled ruthlessly on the source of magik, not caring that the link was feeding the magik back to Lama. She could feel Lama's hand go ice cold, and Lama's partial spell shattered as she turned to free her trapped hand from Sara's furious grip.

"Nggaaa!" Lama breath hard through clenched teeth. "What...are..." The magik being pulled from the rod suddenly disappeared. Out of charge? Lama was able to work her hand free after the magik pull ended, leaving Sara gripping the rod. The rod was empty. Sara refocused on delivering whatever magik was left inside her back through the link in an overwhelming pulse. The odd-feeling was too slippery though, and Sara was not able to do much with it before the link had sucked all the magik out of her. She realized when she finally focused on Lama's contorted features that she probably did not need to anything else. Sara stepped back.

Lama stayed on the desk, staring at both her hands held high in front of her. The hand that had been on the rod had an unnatural blue tint, while the other was a swollen, angry red. Pulling the magik through her must have pulled the heat with it as well. Sara could see the chain had slackened so she ripped it from Lama's limp grip and stumbled back towards the door.

"Ahh! Sara!" Lama yelled at her, but her attention was all on her shaking mismatched hands, still held up in front of her. Sara gathered the extra link chain in her hands, feeling the metal links warm against her skin, and continued backing away from Lama.

"Sara!" Lama yelled louder this time and Sara turned and ran.