Claire awoke to the vent being brought down by a pair of armed guards.
"SHE'S IN HERE!" a soldier called out. Claire jumped out and ran out before any of the guards could grab her.
Claire shot through the corridors as she heard the heavily armored soldiers running fast after her,
crap! crap crap! crap! crap! she thought as she stood desperately looking for a way of escape.
A trash chute stood out amongst the walls. She frowned and groaned but hurried and jumped inside bracing her legs as she slid down. She landed with a dunk and was swallowed but what was surrounding her. She struggled up and realized how lucky she was for it to be rotten food she had landed on. The other bins in the dark trash room were filled with heavy rocks, trays, wooden chairs, and other things that would've snapped her spine with no second thought. She rolled off the bin and looked around. It looked like it was the lowest level of the flying castle, so there must be a way out. A throat cleared behind her. She swiftly turned and raised her hands to fight but the man with dragon features only smiled.
"You're with Trinity aren't you?" he said noting her holding the green and white issued taser. She nodded slowly and carefully not lowering her guard. His smile dropped. "we've got to get moving then if we're going to sneak you out without making a scene," he said urgently as he walked past her opening a door to the other rooms. The dark halls screamed warnings as he moved effortlessly in the dark as if he had night vision. Claire hesitated. The man turned and frowned. "My name is Mod, I am against the Infernals, I wish to help you escape to show Trinity that there is resistance in the Infernal castle," he said sincerely.
Something within Claire softened and she took a chance. she was determined to survive this hell, determined to kick the Infernals ass for destroying the one she loved the most no matter the price. Revenge sparked flames of will in her.
She nodded and followed Mod through the halls and to an empty room. She entered carefully and noted a small door on the floor. He pointed to it.
"That's the way out," he said. "I am old, and cannot pick it up, but I have a parachute for you," he said pulling out a backpack. Claire nodded softly, kneeling to open the hatch. She mentally thanked Arielle for making her lift weights with her because without it she wouldn't have been able to open it. A gust of wind blew and screamed. "Hurry!" he said helping her put on the backpack, "Patrol is coming this way!"
"Thank you!" Claire yelled over the loud wind.
"Tell Trinity that an ally is soon to come! bearing the cure to finally ending this war!" He yelled, Claire, confused, still nodded reassuringly that she would. She jumped down and the hatch shut behind her.
As she fell she gripped the straps of the parachute and pulled. But nothing happened, her heart dropped. had he given her a broken parachute? she pulled again, harder. nothing. she desperately pulled but nothing happened. She began to get lightheaded from the desperation and the altitude that she loosened her grip and slowly lost consciousness.
Suddenly a force grabbed onto her and held her closely in the sky. She opened her eyes slightly and saw a blond short-haired dark girl holding her close to her chest.
"Belm?" she called out softly and somberly. the fair girl looked relieved to see she was awake.
"Lieutenant colonel Claire! you're okay!" she said contently. Claire fully opened her eyes and looked around.
"You're floating," she said easily until she realized they were actually floating. "YOU'RE FLOATING HUNDREDS OF FEET IN THE AIR!" she said holding on tightly onto Belm.
"New Monarch core tech," she said lightly. Claire understood and quieted down. Belm blushed slightly but said nothing, Claire was safe and when the adrenaline wore off, she remembered what had happened in the flying deathtrap. somberly she looked down. Her eyes began to water and she cried softly.
"Claire… what's wrong?" Belm said gently. Claire began to sob unintelligently but Belm managed to get the words
"Arielle.... control... gone..."
her stomach twisted. She held Claire closer to her.
"I'm sorry," She whispered as she got them to the ground and into a Trinity rover.
---
The ride was silent on the way to Trinity headquarters. Claire looked off and Belm awkwardly whistled.
"How did you find me?" Claire asked after the longest of pauses. she faced away from Belm but she could tell that she was tired and worn out. Belm peered at the side of Claire's face to see that her eyes were red and moist. She's still crying, Belm thought.
"Ruper told me that Ari-" she stopped knowing it was a sensitive topic. "that you went to the Infernal Castle. I was worried... so I went to go make sure you were okay. That was when I saw something come out of the castle and flew to see what it was, and I caught you," she responded trying to avoid making her cry again. Claire nodded.
"Arielle was mind-controlled," she said softly and broken. "by the advisor of King Dale, that witch," Claire whispered. "She sacrificed herself so that I wouldn't get captured, there- there was nothing I could've done," she looked down and sighed so brokenly. "what am I going to do?"
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