I vividly felt my body curl up like before, when I was on the Zephyr's wagon.
This was a first, I didn't want to wonder or think about anything anymore.
"Thinking hurts."
…
POV -----> Anastasia
'Horrifying Images.' I thought to myself.
I was trapped in deep thought wondering if that ruthless evil beast in the memory was truly Azur.
Merely by viewing that memory along with him I was completely robbed of my ability to move and think straight. I couldn't even process my thoughts properly. All I could think of was the destruction.
Eventually I regained consciousness. I opened my eyes to what seemed to be a wagon, but it was completely different from that of the criminal Zephyrs.
It was made of a mostly shiny and metal like material and it covered everywhere securely.
"What is this?" I asked but it turned out that this entire compartment was efficiently sound proofed so no one on the outside could hear.
"It wouldn't be wise to try screaming in here." A familiar voice said.
It turned out to be Whitlock, He was completely restrained in tough chains that held him to the floor seizing his mobility completely. In fact, it turned out that I was wrapped in similar chains and I couldn't even feel my limbs.
Although in such a situation I shouldn't be ranting about my limbs when Whitlock had his limbs completely severed off.
"You weren't joking about having a "Complex reptile-based volition". What even is that?" I asked.
I wanted to leap from my position and blast the most powerful Battle Cry I could muster right into Whitlock's ear because of all he had caused but I was weirdly not really angry at him.
I was angry at that boor Azur.
"This? Oh, it's a Paragon Axolotl Volition. One day I carved out the heart of a Paragon Axolotl because it was quite valuable in the black market but I didn't know that Paragon Axolotls could possess Volitions that could actually pass on to humans. It was just dumb luck." He explained.
His head was regular and had no scales and his red hair looked like it was wet, the rest of his body still looked like the transformation and had white scales and a tail that was cut in half along with his limbs.
"How did you lose to that guy?" I asked, not because I was curious but because I wanted to see how he would react, maybe his broken pride would become a wound.
"Haha. I would have won on my own. I was trying to not hurt Zane and without his hearing and all those wounds he was stronger." He said with a chuckle. Not what I expected at all.
"What do you mean?" I asked this time in earnest curiosity.
"I can't really explain it myself since it's some noble secret skill but some Sorcerers get increased attack potency or speed or something after taking severe damage. He could do that. And his Sorcery was no joke too. I don't even know how to use one proper Sorcery Variant and Chris can use five, I wonder why he didn't win faster." He said, then took a brief pause as though he wanted the information to sink in.
"I can only use Wind Elemental Sorcery and a bit of the Axolotl based Variant. That's pretty much it. I was too impatient to try learning any other variants and most of the strong techniques I know are self-taught. Christopher has learnt many Sorcery Variants from the best of the best. He has more in his arsenal." He added.
Whitlock was only as strong as we made him out to be because of how weak we were. In this world there are most likely people eons away from Whitlock in terms of power.
I stayed quiet understanding the situation we were in.
"They may be moving us to the Capital for trial and punishment. We fucked up again." Whitlock said to himself.
"For real?" I asked in a sarcastic tone.
"I only explored Publicly owned Crypts from the AO. I didn't know that this one was owned by the son of the AO Spearhead. Madden turned out to be a fucking traitor and Ashford was her pet or something. She manipulated us just to get to your friend." He explained not sensing my sarcasm.
"You say you are exploring like you aren't a bandit." I reprimanded.
"Call it what you will." He said and swiftly ended that topic.
"This isn't the first time I'm being arrested. I'll be fine, but you guys, not so much. By the time we get to our location I will be gone. Please at least follow and listen to my brother or you will be skinned and your heart will be stolen for your volition or possibly even tamed by that mad geezer."
What he said was startling. Could he possibly know I was a Dragon?
After his questionable sentence he went silent and seemed to fall asleep.
"Hey! What do you mean 'follow'! I'm an independent Subject! Take your brother with you for all I care." I said but he was already too far gone.
He did say his brother prevented him from going all out in that battle with Christopher so I think his escape will be inhibited by his brother also.
I couldn't tell where we happened to be going and I couldn't stop my mind from racing.
Memories flooded my mind. Memories from when I was in Stein's Facility.
The horrors of the nigh-inescapable labyrinths in that maniac's residence, the beasts he had created and enslaved, the ones that ran rampant around there. The constant gloomy feeling of lurking death and hopelessness.
This was the way the home of the first human I have known was, could it be a similar place that I was being ported too against my will.
Could I ask to escape along with Whitlock?
Was his method of escape really reliable?
Would I be able to survive with Zane wherever I go ?
Why was I suddenly thinking so much? I don't remember ever being this anxious about anything.
I guess Azur rubbed off on me, I always feel like this is how his mind would be. I thought it would be nice to talk to myself, it's really not what I thought.
"Thinking hurts."
End of Prelude volume