The Most Dangerous Game

[Nasira]

January 4

In her room, Nasira sat on her divan unmovingly, her long legs tucked under her, as she scrutinized several documents. Piles of manuscripts bestrewed her coffee table, and she pored over them again and again while intermittently sipping her coffee. Her head pounded like a drum from last night. She gave a low sigh, massaging her temples. Her mind was foggy, a disconcerting feeling, but she resolved to pull herself together and focus.

Unfortunately for her, Perthmail had other ideas.

[Perthmail]

Why. Did. This. Have. To Happen. To. HIM?!

He was gone for two minutes, two freaking minutes. He had to help Mortaray with getting the soldiers together, it should of been simple to do. It was simple to do! Yet by the time he got back Thomas was gone and Mystic wasn't watching him like he had assigned her(well more like asked) to do.

Why the hell did this shit always have to happen to him?! He usually wasn't the type to panic, in fact, he'd usually be collected in this situation. But he wasn't this time, no, in fact, he was in panic mode, maybe it was because of the hangover he had but all he knew was that he needed to find Thomas right then and there, and hope to every god possible Maleficent didn't bust him. She scared the absolute shit out of him!

He came nearly crashing into Nasira's room, his usually neatish hair unraveled and hanging over his shoulders. Icy blue hues wide with fear and bewildered. "NASIRA!" He nearly bellowed, stumbling over to her. "I need your help right now!"

[Nasira]

"WHAT THE-!" Nasira spasmed wildly as the ghazi barged on in. When she got up to confront him, one of her knees bumped her coffee mug on its side, spilling the scalding beverage all over the manuscripts and floor. "AH! NO!" Would they still be legible? Those papers were handwritten; there were no known copies!

She glared at Perthmail with the ferocity of a hurricane. "Okay," she growled irascibly, clenching her fists until her knuckles turned white. "You better think of a good reason for barging into my room before I-!"

[Perthmail]

Perthmail almost back reeled at Nasira reaction. His face mixed with worry and sheepishness. It was obvious that he was struggling with whatever emotions he was trying to deal with at that moment. "I'm sorry! I'll buy you more coffee I promise, I swear on my honor as a dang Pirate King I'll fix that, also I'll help with fixing the letters! BUT WE HAVE A SERIOUS ISSUE RIGHT NOW!" He entered the room and shut the door behind him with a loud thud. Perhaps that was a dangerous move but Perthmail was not known to live on the safe side of things.

"Thomas is missing, Thomas is freaking missing!" He walked over to her, gently grabbing her arms. "I put Mystic in charge of watching him for a few minutes! I had to help Mortaray with gathering everyone training and by the time I got back both her and Thomas were gone! He's escaped! Please, please for the love of all my greying hair help me find this little shit before Maleficent SKINS ME ALIVE!"

[Nasira]

Nasira was not to be mollified. "I don't care! I'm off the clock! If I'm in my room, I'm not available. Period!"

But Perthmail walked in anyway. He closed the door behind him. Nasira's brow creased in disapproval, her pencil-thin black eyebrows drawn together over the bridge of her nose. The gall. That was way too presumptuous - even for him. Something had to have been wrong for him to cross that line, but Nasira had to save face. "You're treading on thin ice, pal," she warned. She crossed her arms, her thumbs planted firmly on her biceps. "I have half a mind to have you throw you in the dungeon!"

Then the impudent bastard took her by the arms and dropped the bomb that effectively ruined the rest of her day. Nasira stared at him, wide-eyed, for a long moment, then she exploded: "WHAT?!" Her bedroom window rattled. Thomas was gone?! How?!

Realizing he still had his arms on her, Nasira struggled like a fish dangling from a hook. "Get off me!" she roared. "Who do you think you are?!" She shoved him off and plopped back down on her couch in shock, suddenly too tired to get on to him for touching her. Perthmail was right; Maleficent was not going to be happy that Thomas was missing, she thought plaintively. Still...

"How is this my problem?!" she pointed out. "What are you talking to me for?! Find him yourself!"

[Perthmail]

Okay, so this was not the best way to go about this. Get your shit together, Perth!

Calloused hands immediately came off of the necromancer as she struggled in his grip. His face turned to that of genuine apology and worry for his mess up. He hadn't meant to be so personal with the other, he knew he had crossed a possible delicate line with her. She had made no clear signals that she wanted to be touched ever in their short friendship. This line was one that he hadn't intended to cross without her permission and yet he had. Guilt riddled his chest.

In addition to that her scolding caused even him, who was usually boisterous as it stood now to become almost sheepish and reluctant. The elder seemed to even back up a few paces from her, turning his icy blue gaze to the ground. His hand came to place on the back of his neck, rubbing at the base of his hair for a moment. Thinking carefully over what to say next, he had caused damage, at least in his mind towards their relationship.

"Sorry, sorry-" He held up his free hand, open-palmed to her with fingers slightly splayed. Something he didn't even realize that he did, it was a habit he had still yet to come out of. Back where he came from it meant an honest apology, he did not even think that Nasira might not know what it's intention was.

"Look," He gave a heavy sigh. His whole chest seeming to heave with the effort, breathing was not something a demon needed but again he did it out of habit. "I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't important, alright? I know you're busy and you got a lot on your plate but I really need your help Nasira. I'll pay you back by helping you with your workload or something, just help me with this, please? I ain't the begging type but gods, I'm begging you help me find this little shit so I don't get freaking skinned."

[Nasira]

Nasira sighed. What would Thomas have to gain by running, aside from wolfing down a morsel of food while they were still none the wiser? It was not like he'd get very far. They all saw what went down in the throne room. There was always at least one person in the kitchen (as there were always dishes to be washed), and Nasira thought it was unlikely anyone would be stupid enough to let Thomas walk unattended, let alone eat anything. Still, Maleficent was thorough enough to have the kid kept under constant surveillance to ensure he did his time. Besides, it was Nasira's job to make sure the ghazi warriors did theirs. And right now, Perthmail was not doing his job.

"Oh, all right," Nasira relented, holding up a hand. She hoisted herself off the couch. "Let's check the courtyard. Mystic's probably with that lion again. And if she values her head, Thomas will be there too." It was an empty threat; Nasira loved that tiger to pieces. But she was going to be pretty disappointed in her beloved pet if the latter did lose Thomas. Mystic knew better.

"No time to walk." She quickly grabbed Perthmail by the arm, and by means of magic, they were both taken to the courtyard in seconds. Their arrival startled a crow, which took to the sky in a fit of annoyed caws. Nasira spotted Mystic walking by the fountain, and her heart sank when she saw that her pet was alone.

"Mystic!" 

[Mystic]

The white tiger's head spun around at the familiar call of her name, and for a moment, she felt relief upon seeing her human, then dread when she noticed the look on her face.

Quickly she trotted over to the two,
"Before you say anything, I can explain. Perthmail, not long after you left, Nuka showed up. He was trying to show me some sort of new hunting technique he was trying to come up with, but the goofball hurt himself, so I asked Scar to watch Thomas while I took Nuka to the medical bay. Once I got back, Scar was gone, and Thomas wasn't anywhere that I could see, so I left to try and find him."

After getting out her explanation, she let out a loud sigh, ears pinned back,
"I know I'm partially to blame here, and I apologize for the trouble this caused, but at least let me make things right by helping you find him."

[Perthmail]

His anxiety was instantly quelled as Nasira agreed to assist in finding Thomas. His hand landed on his face and he sighed with audible relief. Gods bless whatever deity put Nasira on this planet. He was thankful for them, and for her. "Thank you." He replied. He moved to turn away from her. Ready to get on with the search before her hand clasped on his arm, a slight look of confusion painting his features and his eyes cast down to her hand gripping his forearm.

"Wait what-" He yipped in surprise as the world around them buckled and shook. Suddenly they stood in the courtyard and Perthmail looked around like a startled cat. How the hell did she do that? Teleportation was something that took years to learn where he came from and yet Nasira did it like it was nothing. "How the fuck." He murmured to himself in shock. 

He almost stumbled over his own feet as he heard Mystic speak, the thought of how Nasira was able to proceed with a such a skill quickly lost to the back of his mind. He jerked his body around to face her, almost scowling. "I thought I told you-" Before he could finish in bitching she explained herself and his 'angry' expression deflated. "You put Scar in charge of him?! That damn cat hardly watches where his little ones scramble off too!" He exclaimed before covering his face with his hands. He was so indefinitely dead. He rubbed his hands down his face and sighed roughly. He needed to get it together. Acting like this wouldn't help him in the least.

"Alright, alright- thanks for the help, let's just try to find the little troublemaker before anyone else finds out."

[Nasira]

"Perthmail." Nasira pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. She fell silent for a few beats, struggling to process the utter bs'ery this sorry sod had put her through all while enduring a painful hangover. "Watch it. You're already in trouble for losing Thomas. Let's hold off on the trash talk, okay?" Nasira opened her eyes and looked right at Perthmail. "Scar is your superior, and you're obligated to show him respect at all times. I won't ask you again." 

Perthmail was not wrong though, Nasira begrudgingly admitted to herself. That "damn cat" was probably the worst overseer to ask a favor from, but it did not matter who did what. Maleficent did not ask Scar to watch Thomas; she asked Perthmail. And at the end of the day, it was Perthmail's head on the line. 

"Okay, here's what's going to happen: the three of us are going to go back inside, and we're going to search the whole palace. If we don't find Thomas then, I'll have no choice but to call this in." Her dark eyes narrowed. "So help me, Perthmail, if I have to go tell Crow and quite possibly Maleficent that Thomas is missing, it won't just be our vizier and our queen you have to worry about."

She opened the door most people used to get to the garden and pointed inside. "Go!" she snapped.