Lucy gasped for breath, scrambling to try and get back up to the top of the hill. She couldn't, it was almost as if she had fallen into a trap; looking around the ditch, she bent down and grabbed a handful of soil. Still damp, so the earth was freshly turned as the air was dry today.
She sighed and tried to look for a way out, unbeknownst to Lucy a figure landed behind her, nimble as a cat, and with a swift blow to the neck, knocked her out.
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When Lucy came back to consciousness, she felt a rocking sensation and the creaking of old wood, and the pungent smell of hay and manure. Grappling the side, she sat up and rubbed her head, trying to stop the ache of her neck and the migraine.
Looking into the sky she could tell it was extremely late from the darkness of the night, when she tried to move the most she could do was roll her body. Only now does she feel the cloth that was gagging her, preventing her from making any noise.
Lucy is filled with terror. She did not know what her captors would do to her, so she could only lay there and await whatever fate she would receive. It was another two hours before Lucy could feel the carriage stop, with the sound of the slightly frozen grass under heavy boots, she shivered.
The night was cold, it kissed along her skin, raising goosebumps where it touched. The footsteps approached her, and then the shifting of the carriage and the neighing of the horse, notified her that her captor was near. Lucy laid still and closed her eyes.
She could feel a sack being put over her head as she acted limp, relaxing her muscles and keeping an eye on her heart rate as to not give her away. She was thrown over the shoulder roughly, and she forced herself to be limp, holding back the groan of discomfort.
Lucy had lost track of time, her head had started spinning again and it was not long before she passed out again.
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When [Name] was notified of this by Lucian, and he was worried, so worried. That it changed his behaviour, especially when he could feel Lucy somewhere in the camp. He tried escaping but he did not know how, he didn't want to raise suspicion either.
His choices got more difficult when he was assigned a mission to kill the guards that were guarding him for 50 points and another 50 would be rewarded if he were to save Lucy and escape with her. But he didn't know how to, he did not even know how to start.
[Name] stared at the wall from his bed, ignoring Castiel when the other came in to bring in his meal. Staring blankly, his mind numb with worry.
Castiel also noticed the lack of focus that he was receiving from the other, "What's wrong with you? Where's your normal attitude?"
"Who was your most recent prisoner?"
"A woman who was searching for you-"
Castiel was cut off by strong hands clasping around his throat, choking the life out of him.
He distantly heard a voice growl by his ear, "You take her to me or find a way to bring her to me or vice versa."
"O-or what?", Castiel managed to choke out.
"As I have already said, I would turn into your worst nightmare," [Name]'s eyes glowed, "I will bring to the front the things that you wish not to be reminded of, and tear apart your hopes and ambitions-"
"Apprentice Castiel!"
[Name] dodged the spear tip that was aiming for his back with deadly efficiency. He would have been impaled if he had not moved.
He glared at the guard that was in a defensive stance, he snarled letting his fangs come out, "Get out of my way. Or I will move you myself."
The guard gathered an orb in his hand and sent it flitting out of the room. [Name] growled, that was a call for reinforcements. Summoning a ball himself, he launched it at the two guards who were sprinting towards him, knocking them through the wall before running out.
He sprinted out of the room, he looked down both sides. He heard numerous footsteps thundering down and the rattling of their armour. Looking down the corridor that was going in the opposing direction from the soldiers he bolted.
Flying down the cobblestone steps and past some other servants that were working, he bolted into one of the empty rooms.
'Where is she, Lucian?!'
'Further down, the hallway, turn left, then right and right again, third door down the hallway.'
'Thank you, Lucian.'
He followed the directions Lucian gave him, he heard some footsteps coming up from behind him. [Name] panicked and his claws came out and scales now prominent on his arms. Thinking quickly, he could probably cloak himself, and make himself unseen. The magic around him flared a bit before it stopped and [Name] looked around himself.
Stumbling back a few steps he was surprised to see a lot of faded people walking around before it clicked. They were ghosts! He looked around and he was about to tap a ghost when the lady turned around and let out a bloodcurdling scream.
"Demon!" the lady ghost screamed flying down the hallways.
Then just as she disappeared rounded the corner [Name] saw some soldiers race down the hallway, ignoring him. [Name] shook his head and followed them, he needed to find Lucy. Who knows what they were going to do to her?!
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Lucy shivered slightly, the cell was damp and had an old musty smell. She looked around the cell, trying to find a way out, but surprisingly the cell's bars were kept in great condition and there were no weaknesses to be found.
The candles were then suddenly blown out, and the other prisoners all turned to where the stairs were that led down to the cells. There was a chilling breeze that brushed past all of them, making the hairs stand on their necks.
Then the slight clanging of the bars, before it finally stopped in front of Lucy's cell, a final clang, this one louder than the rest, scrambling back further into her cell. Lucy tried getting away from whatever entity was in front of her cell, shivering uncontrollably. The temperatures were freezing around her.
[Name] was about to cry in frustration, he did not know how to revert to his human form and he needed to get Lucy out.
[Name] tried thinking about it as hard as he could and then started falling, smacking the floor with a dull thud.
Lucy scrambled to the bars again, "[Name]! Are you alright?!"
"I'm ok! How did you get kidnapped?"
"Mw and my sisters went on a search for y-you as you disappeared," she looked away for a moment, "Stacy isn't well. Ever since you disappeared."
[Name] looked at her in shock, he looked around again, "We need to get you out of here."
"What about you?"
"My main priority is to get you out first. That-"
[Name] looked up the hallway, voices were getting louder, he turned back to Lucy, "I need you to get back and tell the others that I am alive. The Bandits have some use of me."
"Then why would you stay?!"
"Because they can track us. You're not as important to them as I am, you have to get out of here. If you don't they will torture you! I will not stand by and let someone I care for being hurt."
"Alright," Lucy sighed, then looked up at [Name], determined, "Wait for me, for us, we'll come back for you."
"Alright," [Name] said dully before his expression changed quickly, "Let me blast the bars off."
Gathering mana into his hand, [Name] waited for a few moments, he started hearing the louder footfalls of guards and their shouts before, he could feel the heat emanating from his orb before [Name] launched it.
The orb latched onto the railings in streaks of light before they was a sizzling sound and the orb disappeared and there was a big hole where the bars were now melted away.
'Lucian, can you change into an animal?'
'I can. What do you request of me?'
'Change into a bull elk. Manifest when I say.'
'Yes sir.'
"Follow the elk out and he will take you back to the village premises," he grabbed Lucy's shoulder's and looked intensely into her eyes, "You tell them all to cancel the search parties, you tell the guards also to keep a vigilant eye out for bandits, magical creatures and whatnot. If there are visitors to your village do not house them at an inn, house them separate from the rest of the village. Take no chances. Am I clear?"
Lucy nodded frantically, hands tightening on the winter cloak around her.
The voices and footfalls were just around the corner. He could see their torches and their silhouettes.
"Manifest Lucian."
The bull elk materialised in front of both of them, the elk seemed to be running on a fine mist, its steps were silent and they galloped away, Lucy following.
The guards saw Lucy running around the corner and [Name] standing there defensively, his fangs were bared and [Eye Colour] eyes glowing.
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Once they left the compound, Lucy clambered onto the back of the elk, and they galloped through the forest.
Two hours passed until they reached the village again. They galloped through the gates, almost knocking down the guards that were on duty at the time. Lucy got off the elk, and just as she was about to guide it through the village by gently pushing the snout the elk huffed and reared up onto its hind legs before it whirled around and pawed at the cobblestone ground, warding off some of the hunters that were trying capture it.
Lucy rushed towards the clinic, the elk trotting after her.
She rushed in and told her sisters of the events that took place, she told them what [Name] had ordered her too and she also told the village Elders and the Guards, they all became more vigilant and keeping tabs on people and where they were coming from. The village was an area where many had to pass through to go and visit other villages and towns, so they had to become stricter with who was leaving and who wasn't, who the common and long-term residents are and who was just passing by. What pastimes they were taking part in all had to be written down. The village scribes had to work overtime and there was now an increase in the literacy rate of the village.
One week passed. Nothing.
Three weeks passed. Nothing.
A month passed. People were beginning to slack, they thought nothing of the threats. But the sisters were still uneasy as were the Guards and the village Elders, they felt that the Shan Ze Bandits were waiting for them to lower their guards, they believed that they were waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
That was almost true.