Much time had indeed passed since Pumyra's departure. Enough time for Fuzzy and Zhie to come up with a few leads as to who the killer was, not enough to catch anyone. Enough time for Cheetara to become heavy with child, not enough for her to birth the cub. Enough time for Sumik to hear many tales about ancient Thundera, not enough to uncover the one most sought after.

Enough time for a tired lunatak to think of escape, not enough for him to succeed.

Chilla had long since disposed of the keys for the locks which held Alluro captive in the darkest depths of SkyTomb. His days were spent dreaming of escape and hoping for death, wanting that one or the other would come before she came sauntering down the steps. But they never did.

Many times over he had begged the forgiveness of anyone who might be listening, even pleading to Mumm-ra on occasion, in the chance that he might be listening. Even if Mumm-ra was, Alluro had to assume more pleasure was derived by the old mummy from his captivity.

A sudden light from the steps caused him to shudder as he tried to focus on the person approaching him. His eyes felt nearly swollen shut as an effect of the darkness, and his shifting caused a multitude of scars that were on his back and arms to reopen, puss oozing from them, or what little of it was left.

"Oh, man, you really are in shit shape. Put some clothes on, will you?" said TugMug, holding up the lantern for a better look. "Chilla told us you fell out a window, but Ms. Happypants is always looking for reasons to sneak down here. When ever she's in a good mood, she's runs to the dungeon, you poor bastard. Guess I was lucky not to be blessed with your good looks." he laughed.

"Help me...get away..." Alluro's voice cracked. Although Chilla kept him alive, it was done with the least amount of nourishment she could possibly give him. He had fought back the second time she raped him, biting into her shoulder and even tearing the flesh a bit. Since then, he had been kept as weak as possible.

"How? She's got the keys." said TugMug, surveying the shackles Alluro wore.

The psi-lunatak hung his head. "Then kill me. Quickly, and painlessly, if possible."

"Whoa--you're in worse shape than I though. Chilla must really be fucking with you. Sorry, no pun int-"

The mid sentence stop alarmed Alluro. His head whipped back up and met TugMug's glazed over eyes. Chilla stood behind the gravity lunatak, admiring her latest ice sculpture.

"Naughty, naughty. Now, you'll have to be punished, too." Chilla said, feighning sadness. She grabbed a steel pipe from a table nearby, then exchanged it for a mace hanging on the wall. The first blow took TugMug's head clear off, and subsequent hits continued to dismember him, until about two hundred or so softball-sized pieces were scattered across the dungeon, still mostly frozen. "What did I tell you about you being the lucky one, pet?" reminded Chilla as she picked up the lantern from the debris and continued upstairs.

RedEye watched her carefully as she locked the door behind her. "Where's TugMug?" he asked.

"TugMug's..." Chilla searched for the right word. "...gone."

RedEye's uneasiness of this answer was kept to himself. He had seen Chilla follow TugMug into the basement. He was also the one who provided her with the drugs just before Alluro's disappearance. He had a feeling only the former was dead. With them operating at only half the force they had when Luna was in charge, he wondered if they would continue what they started, or if Chilla would eventually just off them all.