Khurl glanced contemptuously at the ring shackling her to the table. These chumps had made a big show of their ability to keep her in, but she was beginning to suspect it was all theater- a show not for her, but for others watching. Brightwater was like that. Everyone was always trying to impress each other, one way or another, and no gesture was treated as a small thing- except those that were made for the express purpose of appearing to be unprompted and selfless, therefore being extra-noticed and elevating the person who did it. It was a complete mess of tangled posturing that made Anchorsway look sane and Khurl absolutely hated it.
It was then that she noticed a shape coming into the light. A big, brawny one. "Convict."
"You cut my weight room time for this," she responded. "Are we gonna go over the gory details of the crime again, because I have no patience for that."
"No." She recognized him now: Chief Walter Underpaw, the head of this whole law enforcement operation. He was the one who stood to make so much hay out of her arrest and everything that came after it. This was going to be insufferable. "No restating the facts this time. You know what you did." He sat down in the chair opposite her. "Just an offer: We'll commute your sentence..... if you can beat me." He put one big, meaty arm on the table, muscles undulating as his fingers flexed.
Khurl's eyes widened. She sat up to her full height- taller even than the Chief's imposing size- and THUD went her elbow on the table as her hand wrapped around his. "Let's do this."
