The Urbem (Completed)

Chapter Eight: Behind Bars

(Nephele)

I remember opening my eyes and thinking two things: I must be in a dream for it felt like I was tied up and, a warrior of Uxor-Russia is never defeated, and the second being that it couldn't possibly be a dream because of the constant pounding in my head. 

Harsh and painful reality jolted me awake as I tried to gather my surroundings. The world was still spinning as I blinked a couple of times into the night sky, but out here in the forest, everything looked the same. I shook my head; how did I even get out here? Every time I tried to remember, the pulse in my head got worse.

I wriggled my hands and heard the clinking of metal. Confused, I looked down and groaned for clamped around my wrists was the handcuffs that I am sure once belonged to Twelve... But how did...

"Do you remember anything, or did that head injury warp your mind?" asked a disgustingly familiar voice. I looked up and memories came flooding back; the brown-haired traitor who had dragged me all the way out here was now standing above me. How did that happen? I'm sure I remember having the advantage? I'm sure I put a blade to her throat.

Raising an eyebrow I said, "Didn't I kill you?"

"I'm afraid not," she smirked. "Maybe if you had been less focused on causing me pain and more focused on killing me, you might have, but you underestimated me. I suppose it's not your fault; you're only a Uxor after all."

"It could not be helped; after all, they do say that pain equals understanding, and, from what I know of you, you lack a lot of understanding."

She chuckled. "You don't even understand what you're saying." She looked at the owl on her shoulder. "I think you hit her head a bit too hard, dear."

My eyes darted to the white thing on her shoulder and they narrowed in anger. "Ah, now I remember. You lost and had to reply on that thing to help you."

She had no shame in her face. "When you fight me, I'm afraid to say that you fight him as well. I don't expect you to understand why now, but you'll learn soon enough."

"Oh, I understand all right; you're incapable of standing on your own two feet, so you need a ball of fluff to help you," I said. Ignoring her patronizing gaze, I tried to look round her for means of escape, but, whilst doing this, I saw something that made my jaw drop. Twelve was wondering freely, warming his hands on a fire and eating what looked like delicious food. "Why is he free!?" I demanded.

The Insurgo grinned. "Because he doesn't belong to you anymore."

"Twelve!" I shouted and he came obediently over. I looked back to the Insurgo. "You were saying?"

Her smirk didn't fade as she slowly reached into her pocket and pulled out a little device I recognized instantly; I didn't have time to panic as she held down the button that triggered the shock on the handcuffs that were once Twelve’s. 10,000 volts coursed through my body in less than a second, and if it wasn't for the ropes holding me in place, I would have been rolling on the floor in agony. Instead though my body convulsed and twitched against the tree, my head and arms jerking involuntarily as I had no choice but to allow the electric to eat away at my nerves. The hardest thing about the whole situation was to not scream; like she had done to me, I was refusing to give her the satisfaction of letting her know it hurt. Finally the pain ceased and I looked up at her.

"You were saying?" she mimicked.

I panted heavily. "Why are you keeping me here!?"

Her arrogance faded and she looked a bit kinder. "You won't like this one bit, but bare in mine that he," she gestured to the bird, "wanted me to kill you, which I won't do. But we very well can’t let you go back to the city... So we're taking you with us, to live with the rest of the Insurgo."