JP - The Keep - The Dungeon - Tria's Cell

Tria was in a cell shackled to the wall. She was giving no resistance, which only made Bai more worried. She stood slumped and defeated against the shackles, neck bent, tail touching the floor, her wings hanging loosely over her shoulders.

Bai could not get over the damned wings. He had read about children of Molech growing wings, but no one seemed to know how. Most of them looked completely human. Like Yehudit, or Pinja’s twins. Too bad Tria was too dangerous to let live, he might learn a lot from her.

“I’ll tell you everything I know.” Tria said. “Just kill me before they can get me.”

That was not assuring either. Bai decided to get back up before getting started. He sent someone to fetch a crate from his room, and a guard to bring Alex to the dungeon.
Alex entered the dungeon with a calm expression on his face.

Bai was wrapping Tria in a long, thick chain made of different metals when Alex entered the dungeon. “Hey Alex, have you ever seen anything like this?” He asked, gesturing to Tria’s wings.

Tria pulled her wings closer to herself and wrapped her tail around her own ankle.

"It's ok I'm not going to hurt you" Alex spoke in a calm voice as he approached her.

Tria closed her eyes. “Please kill me before they get me.” She pleaded.

“Before who gets to you?” Alex asked in a concerned voice.

“Galina and her people.” Tria said, wrapping her wings tighter to herself.

“Tria was caught trying to seduce Lek… And by trying to seduce I mean she drugged him and apparently planned on taking advantage of the guy while he was unconscious.” Bai said.

“Care to explain that” Alex asked in a kind tone as he took a seat next to her.

“I was ordered to.” Tria shifted her neck uncomfortably in the silver torc.

Bai thought that was truthful, Galina hated Aislyn, getting some of Molech’s spawn to seduce her son was the kind of thing she would do. He curiously lifted the torc with the end of his staff. It looked like pure silver.

Alex lowered his collar showing the scar around his neck where the shackles were “trust me I know what it’s like to not be in control, so tell me the full story.”

“Fortune Calm isn’t my grandmother… I don’t think she is. She’s my handler and had been spying on Millicent Gerthrim and Pinja Esposito for almost a year before the raid. I was supposed to get pregnant by Lek, kill Millie and help steal all the babies after they’re born.” Tria said.

Bai’s eyes widened, of course Aislyn’s daughter would be under threat too. He sent a guard to make sure Millie was okay.

Tria shifted her wings uncomfortably. Millie had been kind to her, Lek too, she really had not wanted to harm either of them.

“But you hesitated “ Alex replied piercing things together “why is that?”

Tria shrugged her wings. “I thought all I’d have to do is make myself available and Lek would just do it.” She had put herself alone with Lek several times, but it never happened. “He didn’t.”

“You also didn’t want to do it did you?” Alex asked.

What Tria wanted never mattered, she glanced up at the mage in surprise. “N-no.” She admitted.

"You don't have to die, you can help us put an end to this and even have a life of your own" Alex offered.

“They’ll get me eventually.” Tria said fearfully. “It would be better if one of you killed me first.”

“Don’t lower your guard around her, Alex.” Bai warned. “She’s not quite human.”

"No offense Bai, I'm not exactly fond of humans despite being one I've suffered firsthand of our kind's cruelty" Alex spoke while lifting a sleeve up to show them any scars and brands covering his arms. Turning to Tria he continued "you don't have to die, we can protect you, help us strike against those who are controlling you first so they can't harm you, help us put an end to it."

“I don’t mean she isn’t human like Beatrix of Miyuki. She isn’t human in the sense she doesn’t have humanity anymore.” Bai’s eyes flicked over Alex’s scars. “By doing things like that.”

“Just don’t let them get me.” Tria pleaded with Alex.

"I know what it's like to be controlled and it's not having any freedom" Alex told Bai "That's why I'm addicted to Mage's blood, The witch hunters they force you to drink it over and over again and once you're addicted they deprive you of it until you go so crazy you want to do anything even sell out your family." Turning back to Tria He stared into her eyes looking into her soul to see if she could be saved.

“This is deeper than Mage’s blood.” Bai said.

Uncomfortable with the staring, Tria shifted and looked away.

"Tria we won't let them get you just help us get them first okay?" Alex replied.

Tria did not think Alex and the others could stop them, but she nodded. “When they get close… please.”

“We won’t let them get you.” Bai said gruffly.

Alex placed his hand against her neck muttering a spell. His hand glowed for a second before an intricate choker appeared on her neck. "A safety measure if we fail, touch the Gem and it will be quick and painless" Alex explained looking into her eyes "promise you won't do it unless you absolutely have to." Hugging her he stepped back and began casting wards around the cell. "They'll have to work for it if they want in."

Tria tensed at the hug, any expressions of friendliness were foreign to her and she expected him to take some payment for the choker and was confused when he stepped back to set wards. She shrugged her shoulders to feel the choker. “I’ll only use it if I have to.” She promised, feeling relieved to have an escape from the torture she felt was inevitable.

“You softy.” Bai chuckled softly, letting Alex cast more wards. The more security measures they had the better.

“Just because I want her to live doesn’t mean I want her to suffer” Alex replied “quite frankly when you sent for me I thought you were going to lock me down here to detox.”

“I should lock you up and dry you out, but I thought the demon in our midst trying to have her way with Lek was more urgent at the moment.” Bai said.

“My stash is already destroyed and Beatrix offered to help me” Alex replied “which is a good thing, detoxing frome mages blood can be deadly to the user if not monitered.”

Bai decided to not tell Alex that his Mage’s Blood stash was secured and still intact in case he needed to be weaned off it instead of stopping cold turkey. He did not want Alex wasting energy trying to get it during a moment of weakness. “She sounded like she knows what she’s doing.” the short mage said, turning his attention back to Tria.

Tria was still in chains and wrapped her wings around herself.

Alex nodded before giving Tria a comforting look “I’m going to rest for now everything will be ok.”

Tria nervously watched Alex leave.

Bai cracked his knuckles and began questioning Tria. He did not torture her or harm her in any way- besides not being like that bastards Tri was so afraid of there was no point- she really did want to tell him everything she knew. Of course he kept her chained up, he did not trust her no matter what Alex thought.