Kipling Greigh is woken up from his half-drugged half-asleep state by the sound of someone outside his door. He slowly blinks awake and squints at the figure. Harrow is an imposing force and Kip knows why the Nest fears him so much.
"Up." Harrow grabs Kip by the shoulder and wrenches him to his feet. The Vampire sways as nausea crashes into him.
Harrow further secures his wrists together and runs a third chain from his feet to his wrists and up to the chain around his neck. Kip slowly lifts his eyes to Harrow, "Is this necessary? I can barely walk. Where am I going to go?"
Harrow doesn't answer but leads Kip out of the holding cell he's been in the entire time. Harrow drags him through the observation room and into the hall. A muffled voice catches both of their attention.
The Half-Orc, the Fae and his brother round the corner. It doesn't take much effort to notice that the smaller twin, Gunn, is considerably paler than when they last met. He's leaning heavily on his brother, with the Half-Orc leading the way.
"What happened to him?" Agnes and Harrow ask in unison.
"Not your concern." Harrow growls his response and maintains eye contact with Pollyora.
She answers swiftly, "He tested Ivy's new automobile. It's working."
Kip finds Gunn's blue eyes across the distance. It was like some god had decided to put the whole sky into one small space. Kip looks away first. He shouldn't make it harder on himself than it was. He was going back to the Pit for a few weeks and then was leaving Aisla. Forget this country and all of the bad memories with it.
"He's being prepared for transfer," Harrow states, "Polly, you and the twins will escort Inmate 437 to the Cage tower first thing tomorrow."
"The Cage?" Kip yelps. He can hear Gunn's voice too.
"He broke into a high security prison. We cannot risk his knowledge. Especially with the Night approaching. He goes to the Cage."
Kip finds Gunn again. He's standing on his own, facing Harrow, "He'll die there. The Cage is solitary confinment. You can't just let him starve to death."
"He will recieve the same sustenence as the other inmates."
"Oh good, you'll kill him slowly." Gunn holds his ground, "Vampires need blood, otherwise he'll just turn into a monster."
Harrow tightens his grip on the chains, Kip feels them dig into his skin more. "You are out of line, Mr. Spearod. Go back to your apartment and rethink the way you address your superiors."
"He's going to die," Gunn allows Polly to take his arm and pull him backwards. "You'll let him starve up there and that's not fair!"
Polly and Agnes both pick up Gunn and carry him down the hall, out of sight. Kip can still hear Gunn's shouting when the cell bars close behind him. He's now in a vacant room. There's not a bed or anything.
"What if I have to pee?" Kip raises an eyebrow.
Harrow looks around and finds a metal bowl on the floor, he kicks it towards the cell, splashing water out of it. "Bowl."
"Ahh. Yes. Classy." He eases himself to the floor and winces. After being strapped to the chair for so long, his arms and legs ache. But he doesn't have the extra energy to waste on pacing and making them hurt less.
He falls into another light, fit-full sleep. This time, he's woken up by a plate with a few slices of bread on it. The gruff guard voice tells him that this is dinner. Kip manages to eat half of one piece before his stomach refuses to take anymore. He had to be pushing 36 hours without blood. A new personal record that he wasn't wild about breaking if he ever got out.
He eases himself to his side and stares at the back of the cell. Everything hurt.
"Kip? I don't feel good."
He presses his hand to her forehead. She's burning up. She shouldn't be sick. Vampires didn't get the Plague. They weren't supposed to anyway. "Here, get into bed with me, I'll try to warm you up."
She crawls into bed beside him and shivers. "Can you tell me a story?"
"Uhm… sure." He tries to think of what to tell her, "Did you know there used to be a city built of crystals in the sky?"
"That's ridiculous," she whispers.
"It's true. One day, I'll get us out of Aisla, we will go see it."
"Where is it?"
Kip searches his memories, "Eir, I think. In the mountains."
"Can we have a castle?"
"Maybe. Do you want a castle?"
She nods, "The biggest one. Pink."
"Deal."
"Hey, Kipling?"
"Yeah?"
"Kip."
"Kip."
He lifts his head slightly. The dream was gone. He wasn't curled in a soft bed with her. He was on a dry concrete floor, staring at a jail cell wall. A figure is casting a shadow on the wall. Someone is at the door. He slowly rolls over, even in the dim light, Gunn's blue eyes shine. "Fitting that you show up," Kip's joke falls flat as his stomach rolls over and he almost throws up.
"You look terrible," Gunn says softly. "Are you hungry?"
Kip's eyes fall to the dinner he barely touched. "Not exactly."
Gunn sighs and holds something out through the cell bars, "Here."
He carefully moves forward, trying to make sure he's not imagining this. In Gunn's hand is a small glass vial. It's probably less than a tablespoon of blood, but it might knock the edge off enough that he could actually eat. "Where did you get this?" Kip takes the vial rolls it between his fingers.
Gunn hold up his left hand, bandaged. "It's mine. Ag and Polly don't know."
"You could get in a lot of trouble," Kip holds it back out, "Don't. Not for me."
Gunn shakes his head, his fluffy white hair bouncing. "It's not going to do me any good now."
Kip closes his hand around the vial and sighs, "Thank you, Gunn."
"Hurry up and drink before I have to get back." He turns around, putting his back to the cell door. Kip finds himself wondering if Gunn has ever seen a Vampire feed. It could be uncomfortable for him. He downs the blood quickly and sits still for an extra second.
"What were you doing here?" Gunn asks, "You got caught."
Kip looks at the empty vial in his hand, "You shouldn't have come here, Gunn."
"Because you're a scary Faeling? Dangerous and unpredictable."
Kip tears his eyes away from the bottle and holds it back out to Gunn, "You don't know me."
"No, but-"
Kip finally builds the courage back to look at Gunn, "Because I am dangerous. The only reason I haven't hurt you or anyone else is because I'm heavily sedated."
Gunn holds his gaze, "You're a liar."
"Yep." Kip leans back on his heels, "A liar, a theif, a murderer. I've done a number of bad things."
Gunn sighs and stands up. "I just thought you should know that you had someone on your side. Polly thinks we can get transferred in a few weeks if we follow the rules and process. If you can just-"
"I don't have a few weeks," Kip lays back down, "If I go to the Cage, it's over. That's why I'm dangerous. But I'm not any different than the other Faelings that have fallen this way."
"I-"
"You'll understand eventually," Kip rolls his eyes, "When you or your brother are singled out as Fae. You'll see all the discriminations that have befallen our people."
"I'm trying to help you."
"Then leave." Kip states. "You're only hurting yourself in this."
Gunn starts to speak again and stops himself. There is a faint sound of something being placed on the ground and then the fading footsteps. Kip glances over his shoulder to make sure he's gone.
Gunn has disappeared, but in his place is a second vial.
Kip's night is only slightly better after Gunn's visit and subsequent generosity. A bell in the town rings, signaling the 5 am shift change. The new guard, a scarred human who intercepted the group Kip arrived with, tosses a gray uniform through the door and gives him single word command. "Change."
He follows the order for little reason other than he wants out of the blood stained clothes he's in. A loose fitting gray shirt and pants. It was nothing like the leather armor he had been wearing. It's not like he had much of a choice in the matter.
"You seem bright eyed today," Harrow steps into view a few minutes after he's dressed. The Human looks exactly like he did yesterday. Well-groomed, put together.
"What can I say? A good meal does the soul wonders."
Harrow casts his eyes down to where the plate of bread remains. "Obviously, I've over estimated how much food a Vampire needs. I'll add that to your file."
He tightens Kip's restraints and leads him down the hall.
The half-orc is ready. Her brown hair is rolled up behind her head, a smart choice really. She's wearing the feminine version of Harrow's uniform. Dark green skirt and a white button up. The twins are less together. Gunn is wearing his worn scarf, a shirt that is too big and stained pants. Agnes is wearing all black, his pants are faded and ripped. Clearly getting the twins a full uniform was not high on the agenda.
"To the cage?" Kip tilts his head and tries to make the joke. "Only three guards? Man, I must have been good."
Harrow passes a silver stake to each of the trio. He refuses to acknowledge the Vampire.
"A stake?" Ag holds it at arms length, "Isn't that archaic?"
"If you shoot me, there's a chance it just passes right through. Then I heal and tear your throat out with my teeth. I can't heal around a stake." Kip shrugs.
"That's-"
Kip makes eye contact with Gunn and stops him, "Morbid? Dark? Terribly pessimistic? Surprise, I'm going to the Cage. Optimism isn't in the cards for me."
Gunn starts to argue but Harrow steps between them, "I want you to exercise caution. He is tricky and will get the better of you if you aren't cautious. Keep conversation to a minimum."
Kip rolls his eyes. The four tablespoons of Gunn's blood wasn't enough to charge him fully up. He wasn't going to be compelling anyone or anything of the sort.
The ride to the Cage is quiet. No one is talking. Kip stares out the back window and watches the Mountain disappear into the early morning fog.
The city is alive, people bustling around for work, continuing their lives while Kip's was ending.
The car stops and the back opens.
"Come on," Pollyora motions to him.
Kip steps out of the back and blinks in the light. The Cage is nearly 400 feet above them, a floating birdcage that was inescapable. Refueling airships came every few days to supply it with water and coal to keep it in the air. Other than these ships, the only way up to it was a teleportation pad kept under constant guard.
Armed guards talk to Polly at the gate, checking the paperwork.
"Step over here," a man drags Kip to the side. "Full name?"
"Kipling Greigh." A shadow shoots across the edge of Kip's vision, darting for the portal. Instinctively, he tracks it. Nothing there. His rapid movement does gather the guard's attention and a gun is aimed at him.
"Did you see that?" Gunn whispers more to Ag than Polly, but the half-Orc still hears him.
"See what?"
"A sh-"
Alarms blare. A long continous whistle that raises and lowers. Kip covers his ears, "What is that?"
"Stay here!" Five guards, including the one that was standing beside Kip race for the portal. They disappear into a quick flash of blue light.
Kip tilts his head, trying to make sure he's seeing what he's seeing. Yep. The Cage, the impenetrable fortress in the sky, is falling towards the city.