Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2022 16:01:18 GMT -5
The sorceress could feel the life inside her, as slow breaths took their rise and fall within her breast. Disorientation persisted; the muffled roar of an engine over tires tearing their way across a mountain highway, naught but a distant echo beyond the abyss she still found her sense of self waking from within. Weakened eyes struggled to search about for any signs of the outside world, any tear within the umbral veil that hid it from sight. Fractured memories of Halloween flashed through her train of thought violently; visions of darkened woods, witch hunters and excessive violence all filtered in red. More recollections came as the sound of indiscernible voices spoke over the girl’s struggle to fathom memories that barely felt like her own.
Celeste made to move, but found with surprise that she was unable to do so. Blurred vision opened wide with a gasp of shock to steeled walls down a narrow corridor, whilst several protesting thrashes of her body would come to reveal herself bound. A bright cerulean ring, ornate and arcane from its appearance, held her form securely in place by a brace welded to the wall. Similar, smaller devices were attached to her wrists, which were held in suspension above her head. IVs plugged into the girl’s arms continued to pump various drugs into her system, their various tubes and colors snaked down and around her into low decibel humming machines of some variety. Her usual elaborate attire had been replaced by a sleeveless white gown, and further inspection found her ankles bound much like her wrists. Several heavily armed mercenaries patrolled this corridor, a refurbished truck trailer filled to the brim with instruments, and tools not unlike those found in the lab she had discovered with Kamae. Upon further inspection, this prison appeared to have been designed for the lone captive now waking from her slumber.
”Yes, the Itto-Ryu escaped, and we still know very little about this Yggdrasil cult mentioned in her notes, but she is the one we were hired to bring in.”
Celeste didn’t recognize most of them, save for a lone member of the Levinwood clan, her clan, conversing with an apparent authority among the roughneck mercs. She knew this girl well, having encountered her on numerous occasions in a now distant past when she ran among Selene’s circle. Not a true blooded resident of the village, no, this one belonged to the select few whom Selene had found among the cities. The cold blues darted from beneath those familiar auburn locks to find Celeste bound at the end of the trailer, the smuggest of smiles creeping upon her face. Celeste noted an uncontainable, merciless joy behind those eyes, doubtless that Meryl would relish in this chance to goad upon the former prodigy.
”Be alert everyone, the subject is awake.” Yes, there was a hint satisfaction dripping from that familiar voice, the sorceress now all but certain. A datapad was picked up off the nearest instrument, before she began to read off its contents with a growing confidence. ”Celeste Lux Verum, born 997 to Estelle and Mars, the latter deceased. Subject grew under care of her grandfather, Solus - former village Elder and archmage, in a near isolated community. Possesses extensive knowledge of the arcane, rivaling that of known practitioners. Possesses unusual strength and spell potency. Known to specialize in the Arashi discipline, shock and electrical protection advised. Exhibits high function capability and understanding in social scenarios despite reclusive childhood. Demonstrates charismatic and sociopathic behavior in social interactions. Very intelligent. Highly unpredictable, and extremely dangerous.” The screen was lowered enough so that Meryl peered over it to observe their captive, whom barely offered reaction to this fancified dossier file. There was little care as to how they obtained the information, barely enough as to the why for that matter. Scarlet irises had let their gaze fall to the diamond plating of the floor, still finding it a chore to keep themselves open under the influence of whatever drugs they had put into her system.
The trailer of this high security transport shook violently as it bounded another icy curve on the highway, yet the inertia dampeners inside this containment room made it feel as nothing more than the smallest pothole in the pavement. There was no telling where they were taking her, but Celeste suspected it wasn’t anywhere delightful. Meryl approached, as did her armed entourage, stopping before the sorceress to look upon her in observation like nothing more than a lab rat. Though that smug confidence still exuded from the woman, evident by the hand she placed upon a relaxed hip.
”I do hope we got all of that right? We miss anything?”
”The omission that I once stole your boyfriend notably stood out.”
A hard backhand struck the weakened sorceress across the face, enough force put behind it to ensure Meryl might draw blood, much to her satisfaction. Spitting out the scarlet from her mouth, the pain would sting, but it brought relief that she could still feel anything at all. Celeste would force a chuckle through the strained breaths of lungs fighting off fatigue, cracking a smile up at her jailor to see that haughty joy had soured into a contemptuous venom.
”Still sore about that are you? I doubt it’s why we are here.”
Another rumble of the truck as they continued onward. Meryl straightened her composure in an attempt to regain that misplaced confidence in her ill-begotten authority. The hunter began to pace back and forth, Celeste finding herself to be quickly growing weary of her imprisonment, though not so much as the company. Many questions began to form about her current predicament. Fortunate it was that Meryl was never good at hiding her cards with these sorts of things, and yet Celeste cringed at the recollection of how droll her monologues tended to become.
”It’s rather quite simple Celeste, and given your condition- I'll spare you the excruciating details so you can try to fathom it all...”
There came a static over the radio from the driver. Never a more gracious deliverance. Celeste felt her eyes drawn upward to the speaker out of curiosity.
”Central City, ten minutes out.”
Meryl and Celeste would meet each other’s gaze, only for the former to feign disappointment.
”Well I suppose your little revelations will have to come later, won’t they?”
A hearty laugh as she turned her back on the prisoner, walking away almost triumphantly to the other end of the mobile laboratory.
”I can hardly wait.” offered Celeste after the woman weakly, voice laced in sarcasm.PL: has been reduced to 1 for this thread. | Antisense: Inactive
WC: 1,101