Hour of Specter III.
Claraste woke up with a strong headache and a mild sensation of her body floating in the air. And in all fairness, she did float or hovered in the air while engulfed in a white blue light with particles dancing in her blurry vision.
“Morning Claraste. It has been a long time.” To the familiar voice she hasn’t heard for at least a century now, her head perched up and as she tried to speak the name, only a muffled mess of a moan came out.
She quickly became aware of not just her surroundings, but that a wide strip of sealing tape that pressed against her lips and cheeks stronger than a bread and dripping slammed to the wall. As she looked down, she also became a hundred and twenty percent sure that she wasn’t just kept in a paralytic state.
Layers of gleaming silver tape looped around her torso, pressing into the borrowed uniform of Freydul. Even at the lower parts, her thighs and ankles pressed against each other not too comfortably thanks to the precisely wrapped tape. Her hands curled into fists, layers of tape over them keeping them in a mitten-like restraint while another crossed her wrists, binding them together behind her back.
“You’re welcome my old friend. They wanted to relieve you of your binds, thinking this little contraption would be enough to keep you in place.” Adelia gloated into Claraste face. Her dark cheeks gained a reddish mauve tint as she blushed as Adelia’s perfume slithered into her nostrils.
Adelia softly caressed her chin then suddenly let go and walked around Claraste like a starving predator, her eyes darting around the hovering bound form of the dark elven agent. “Hope you like this. I know you prefer to bind your victims with sealing tape, so when I saw you, all knocked out and trussed up, I felt like Myelia smiled upon me. Or well more like frowned upon you.”
“Well, I’d like to start spend quality time with you just like in old times, but this is an significant day to all of us.” Then Adelia grabbed her head by the crown of her luxuriant white hair and placed one of her thumbs over her forehead. A muffled cry echoed within the small cell with gaudy silver walls as dark mauve magical inscriptions latched onto her forehead, onto her brain.
**
Ainumil stood in front of the ornated black metal door guarded by two Einherjiers of the Skyguard Branch of the Black Rose Order. The branch directly under the control of Hersith Haldoreen who utilized them to the maximum during the Great War. Most famously – or infamously if you asked the Central Heleion Alliance – at the leveling of Apelmeer, the capital of the north western isle of Albion and the total destruction of the formerly largest martial city of Arghyria, Scylatium.
Einherjiers were the rank within the branch tasked with security measures on the Skyvessels and the recently invented Void Station like the Pale Specter Station. Their uniform consisted of the dragonid leather Valkyrieth Type-IV Coat which followed the parka design of the southern nations except the neck which was elongated slightly with winged tips which flapped even when they made small movements.
As Ainumil straightened her suit-like coat and rouge pink blouse that matched almost perfectly with her luminous, lavender hued skin. “Welcome my dear friend. I am happy to see you are alright.” As the door opened, she stepped in without hesitation, while her fists clenched up at first, she loosened them and offered an amicable smile to Haldoreen who stood directly opposite to the door, behind her large obsidian-hewn desk on which if not for the smorgasbord of papers, Haldoreen’s graceful, battle-hardened form would have appeared.
A desk that was hewn directly from the sturdy, lustrous obsidian native to the Deep Lands. Behind the desk, behind Haldoreen, a panel window spanned across the wall, on the other side light came through from the stars and the spherical world Heleion itself.
“Magnificent, isn’t it?” Haldoreen asked with a grin as Ainumil’s eyes lit up in wonder at the sight. “It is.” She muttered as she almost walked past her superior Sister. “But what is the occasion?”
Haldoreen beckoned her closer and as soon as she arrived beside her, her arms slinked onto her shoulders, pressing down the shoulder straps while pushing her collars against her neck. “I wanted to make a confession my friend. The reason I haven’t allowed you up here till now was simply because…” For a moment Haldoreen stopped as a streak of light cut across the darkness between the stars. “To keep it short, I had my doubts about your loyalty to our cause after the little incident at Raven Rock. A spy – even someone commended by Adelia – infiltrating one of our complexes raised a few eyebrows. Even some of our friends had their doubts about you Sister.”
“Naturally. Truth be told even I had days where I suspected that I may have been conditioned as a sleeper agent.” Ainumil stated calmly as she gazed upon the distant stars that stood calmly in the vast, eternal darkness of the Void Between Worlds.
A wicked, sly smile curved onto Haldoreen’s enchanting visage. “Well that is all in the past now thankfully. Now what should be our target?” As Haldoreen swiftly changed the topic, Ainumil gulped for a moment then turned to ask. “Do you have anything in mind?”
Haldoreen tapped her chin with a pensive expression. “You know I always regretted not destroying Apelmeer completely. So why not that?” Ainumil’s eyes popped open and for a moment she hesitated to ask. “Wouldn’t that lead to a war?”
“Of course it will, that is why we built this weapon in the first place you dummy. Enough time has passed already.” Haldoreen said as she poked Ainumil’s head. “Time to unite the world. Or something” She whispered to herself as she looked down upon the world.
Ainumil stood frozen in place, contemplating her next action, on what to say even though she knew there was no room for refusal. “I see. I’ll prepare the weapon myself.” Hearing those words, Haldoreen once again smiled as she burned with joy and anticipation.
She released her soft grip on Ainumil’s shoulders and with a snap of her fingers a tray with a chilled bottle of whiskey and two glasses appeared on it. “Then shall we celebrate this momentous day.” Ainumil nodded and took one of the glasses, and slowly hovered it above the other while from the edge of her vision she watched Haldoreen open up the bottle.
“To the glory of the Alliance. And to our friends who made it all possible.” Their glasses ringed through the large office and the two hastily gulped down the whiskey with smiles on their faces.
**
“Pretty sure it’s this one.” Muika, an eastern stygian with indigo blue smooth skin, two thin and slick horns sprouting from her forehead, under her thick fringe said pointing at the apartment door directly overlooking the office of Ainumil. Her contrasting vermillion red, voluminously tangled hair coursed down her studded, dragonid leather rider jacket with popped up neck with sharp, angular edges.
“This is definitely the place.” Her fellow orii elven sister Sannaera with a shorter, tousled bob style grayish black hair said as she peeked inside. Unlike her much younger Sister, she preferred to wear a less punkish look, as she wore a simpler leather jacket without any standout feature besides its refined luster and smoothness, and the high, asymmetrical neck that circled around her white blouse’s collars.
As her eyes wandered around the living room, she noticed the photographice on high legs stationed in front of the curtains slightly tilted down with a long lens. “Let’s look around, they must be still here.” Sannaera whispered as the two stepped inside after applying a second layer of silencing spell onto their flat harsh leather boots that kind of ruined their overall image with their dry leathery appearance.
Muika gestured towards the room to their right while Sannaera pointed at the table besides the photographice setup with numerous photographs laid out on its top.
The stygian agent nodded and headed towards the room while unholstering her pistol hanging on her belt. As she approached it, she loosened her neck tie and let the rolled down collars of her bright red aetherna satin blouse spread against the midnight black satin lining of the jacket. As she reached closer to the room, she picked up on a couple of small, muted sounds.
While she was focusing on the sounds, The Lady In Red rose from the shadows and applied her own silencing upon the room before she swiftly clamped her gloved hand over Sannaera’s mouth and stabbed a needle laced in paralytic poison into her neck, phasing it through both collars.
Entering the small, narrow room – a simple office room with two bookshelves opposite to the window with a small desk directly on its right. The sounds – a soft moan and buzzing – came from the empty area before the desk.
“Don’t worry, we will rescue you in a hot second.” Without hesitation, Muika reached out her hand as the revelation dawned on her. She pulled off the sheet that made Vivika – still encased in perfectly wrapped layers of silver sealing tape on a chair – invisible. Muika leaned closer and attempted to rip off the wide strip with a red lip mark at its center where Vivika’s desirable lips bulged out.
But before she could deliver on her promises, The Lady In Red appeared behind her and with a single shot to the back of her nape, Muika collapsed into the lap of the trussed up Vivika. “Ncm Fmnphnrm.” A joyful muffled cry followed as the silently buzzing vibrator fidgeted while Muika’s horns also scraped, tickled her torso even through the layers of silver sealing tape,
The Lady In Red heaved a sigh and grabbed the unconscious agent and dragged her out while cursing Claraste under her breath, envisioning the various ways she will punish the agent.
**
The light from the stars shone directly on Ainumil as she sneezed. “Bless you Sister!” Yeva and Lorenaith said in unison while she scraped her nostril. “Thanks. Seems like someone took my name onto their lips.” She said while noticing the footsteps approaching.
The corridors of the void station followed the preferred interior style of the Black Rose with a slight change. Instead of using expensive wood, they opted for a strong magical metal they harvested from the few meteorites that fell from the sky down near the Maelstrom. These glistening stones beside resulting in quite a refined, smooth surface also proved strong enough the withstand the elements of the Void, the strange storms that passed near their home world that proved to be as powerful as high grade spells.
“Ah Sister Ainumil. It is good to see you.” As soon as she turned to the left, she got greeted by the calmly gloating Adelia with two Einherjier behind carrying the trussed up Claraste by her armpits. Her crimson eyes lost their light while her cheeks weakly puffed out as she wheezed behind the strip of sealing tape that adorned her alluring visage.
“PHhm nph mm!” Her head slowly perched up and a muffled grunt followed before the dracorith Einherjar with long teal hued hair and scales stroke at her nape that sent her into the lands of dreams. “Sorry about this, we’re about to get rid of the trash.” Adelia said jokingly as she looked at her former comrade with poison in her voice, a gleam of slight disgust and pity in her eyes.
“I see. Then I won’t take more of your time. I myself also have to prepare the weapon.” Ainumil said with a cough as she looked indifferently at the albionian agent who failed to take her on.
Surprise dawned on Adelia’s face. “Oh did she finally decided on a target?”
“Yep. The city of Apelmeer.” Hearing those words Adelia looked out the window and searched for the city but gave up as clouds passed through the Albionian Archipelago. “Well, its her decision. Though I hoped she may target the capital instead.” Adelia said masking her slight disappointment at the choice for the target.
“Anyway, we won’t hold you anymore. I still have one more to catch after all.” Adelia walked close to Ainumil and caressed her body top to bottom, their faces get awfully close and their lips locked together only for a moment. “After this wraps up, drinks on me.” Feral delight ringed in her voice as she whispered into her ears while their entourage diverted their gazes awkwardly.
“That I cannot refuse.” Ainumil said then the two groups passed by each other and Ainumil looked at the captive agent one last time before she continued on.
**
“What in Myelia’s name taking them so long.” Zoryne muttered under her nose as she approached the door to the apartment of Vivika. She grew tired after waiting for the two down at the car for now half an hour. Reaching it, she suddenly stopped and stretched out her right hand, her fingers moved into position as if she held a wand pistol in it. And in the next moment, she did as it appeared amidst a whirling of shadowy energies then without further words, she entered the apartment with silent steps.
Her light violet hued eyes wandered around the room without aim, taking in every little detail from the photograpice set up to the left of the television and sofa. Then her gaze moved onto the carpet that was left wrinkled and pulled at the left room where soft sounds came, she recognized as muffled moans and groans coming from the unconscious. Her flat chest puffed out as she sighed deeply and pondered if she should check on them or not.
In the end she decided to tuck down her head when she picked up on the faint sign of mana being condensed and formed into a spell. “And here I thought the Raven Eyes lost their spark.” The Lady In Red said as she closed the entrance door with her left foot while still aiming her wand pistol at Zoryne who slowly raised up while pointing her own at the albionian handler with an enchanting face veiled in soft shadows under her large hat.
Zoryne remained silent as her singly ponytail of her silken charcoal hair dangled left and right while she slowly fixed her posture. For the next five or ten minutes the two stood still in silence, increasing their detection of the unseen, channeling their mana and preparing to unleash defensive wards around their bodies.
“I guess it comes down to pure brutality.” The Lady In Red sprang into action first. Instead of just forming wards, her eyes darted to the right and looked past the dark elven Raven Eye only for a millisecond. Then she appeared at that exact location with her empowered left leg heading towards the gracefully triangular head of Zoryne with supernatural speed.
Zoryne groaned a little as she dodged the strike just in time, and aimed just as quickly her silenced wand pistol at the Lady In Red – directly at her private area. Yet just like her, the albionian handler and ex-spy managed to evade in time, and the mana bullet went right through the wall, stopped at the next. “Be careful or you may end up killing one of your own.” The Lady In Red said with a mocking tone.
Zoryne cliqued her tongue and for a millisecond she too looked beyond her opponent, then disappeared in a burst of shadows that left behind a thick, dark mist. The Lady In Red inhaled a little that led to her coughing and hoping to seize the moment – Zoryne aimed at the back of her head. But before a mana bullet could have left the flat, square barrel of her small wand pistol, she grunted as air swiftly left her body upon the impact of the Lady In Red’s right foot planting itself into her gut.
She flew into room in the right and crashed into a bookshelf that fell on top of her, burying her in a dozen or more books. At the sound – the Muika and Sannaera woke up from their magically induced short slumber and their muffled moans and groans became more intense. “Relax my dears.” The Lady In Red shushed at the two agents tightly bound with enchanted white ripe that coursed around their waists as it bound them back to back on the floor while sealing tape looped around their mouths and eyes with the signature of the Lady In Red on the former for each.
Her wand pistol disappeared and in its place the roll of silver sealing tape and white enchanted rope appeared. The bookshelf raised back to its previous station while books flew back to their places, revealing the groaning Zoryne twitching and reaching towards her alluring adversary. “Sweet dreams.” With that, a silent mana bullet sent Zoryne into an even deeper sleep.
**
“Pmmnphm, N nm Nnnnmnm!” Claraste muffled plea entangled with the harsh tearing of the silver sealing tape quickly covering more and more of her uniform clad, well-honed delicate body. In the end, when the einherjiers severed the tape from the almost empty rolls, she flailed around like a helpless worm that was forcibly placed on its “head”.
“You know, I thought you would have more dignity at the end. But I guess the desire to live is strong in all of us.” Adelia said with a bored expression as she looked at Claraste.
Then her palms loudly clapped together. “Well, then Sisters, would you do the honors.” At her words and pressing her palm onto the screen, the wide door on their right slid diagonally open. On the other side of the cabin a thick window showed the seemingly endless expanse of the Void Between Worlds. “Trust me my dear old Claraste, it will be over in the blink of an eye.”
Claraste wriggled around in her tight binding, vehemently continued pleading through her gag to the point her crimson eyes teared up even. Yet all her efforts proved useless as disgust dawned on Adelia’s enchanting, cold visage. The two einherjiers grabbed her and threw her inside like a sack. She landed not so gracefully between two benches built as extensions in the wall.
“Farewell old friend.” Adelia pressed her palm onto the screen above the former, and her expression once again changed into one filled with pure anger as she witnessed Claraste’s face changed into a mass of featureless fluid mass of snow silvery shade, her body shrunk a little and finally the fluid retreated back to the disk hidden by her collars and jawline.
“CLARASTEEE!” Her scream echoed through the vast network of corridors as Ainumil flung into the cold embrace of the Void Between Worlds.
**
“Leave no survivors.” Claraste chanted to herself softly still wearing Ainumil’s visage, while the two Skjaldmaeriors stood behind her with blank expressions.
The trio stood in front of an enormous gate with the core of the Void Station on the other side. Sloegriirs and Einherjiers turned their attention at the buzzing howl of the gate and bowed lightly when they noticed the disguised agent.
Then the gate behind closed forcibly as the two Skjaldmaeriors drew their weapons, Claraste shot the furthest Sloegriir in the head with sour expression.