Prey: A Character Driven RP [FINISHED]

[TheDoctor455]

Dr. Strauss glared at Lily in a way that clearly read: Just how stupid are you?

"You know, that dragon can hear you," said Dr. Strauss, "Lily? Is it? There's only one way I'd agree to do that... and that's if you consented to being put under the same spell. Ever heard of the Categorical Imperative? You might want to learn that one."

 

[DktrAgonizer]

"Absolutely not!" Zetta said, once she'd gotten over the shock of hearing Lily voice the option. "Isn't this exactly what we wanted to stop Rin from doing? How could you even suggest that?" She shook her head fiercely, pausing to try and gather her words. Goch was already giving them all a rather anxious look.

"All I want," Zetta continued slowly, "after all of this is over, is to be left alone. I thought that was what all of us wanted. You really want to go down the path that vile... woman went down?"

Without waiting for Lily to reply to either her or Strauss, Zetta turned to Gabriel to gauge his reaction to Lily's suggestion. "None of us want that," she added, maybe a little desperately. "Right?"

 

[TheDoctor455]

"Right," Dr. Strauss turned as much as he could without moving the Sword to face the dragon, "Er... what do I do to set your people free?"

Dr. Strauss struggled to control his anxiousness... now would quite possibly be the worst time to be shaking.

 

[JoJo]

Lily sniffed in reply to Dr Strauss and Zetta's virulent responses to her suggestion.

"Alright jeez, it was just an idea, sometimes looking after yourself isn't such a bad idea. On that note good doctor, I have a number of disagreements with Kant's views, but this isn't the time or place for philosophy. Ugggh, carry on."

After a pause Goch spoke, his voice now etched with a tinge of anger.

As Strauss said, I could indeed hear that little idea of yers Lily and make no mistake, yer lucky I don't make toast of yer now. However I'm not gonna do terrible things in front of a kid and I'm not gonna leave your friends without yer either, so we'll help yer back with the rest but once that's done, consider us through.

The dragon then turned wearily to the other two.

Just hold the sword and feel for the magical chains that bind my folk, then use yer imagination to break 'em. You'll hear a mighty roar when it's done!

 

[DktrAgonizer]

Zetta couldn't help but roll her eyes in exasperation at Lily's comment. Since when should looking after yourself involve the enslavement of another species? she thought, then grimaced. Lily's suggestion really shouldn't have surprised her, come to think of it. Although Zetta still didn't know a great deal about Lily, the way the other woman talked to Rin--and everyone else--should have been an indicator that she was cunning and ambitious. Still, Zetta didn't have to agree with her views...

She shook her head to get rid of the thoughts in order to focus on what Goch was saying. "Sounds easy enough," she said, wrapping her fingers a bit more tightly around the sword. She took a deep breath and reached out with her mind, feeling a strange sort of resistance around Goch and somewhere else nearby. The other dragons, she assumed. It felt almost like ropes binding the creatures, though they ebbed some sort of energy that was probably due to the binding magic itself.

So, what, just imagine them breaking away? Might as well try that, she thought, then closed her eyes and began to imagine the invisible chains around the dragons to break.

 

[TheDoctor455]

It can't possibly be that simple. Of all of the outlandishly "weird" we've done all... year? Hmm... how much time has passed exactly? How long has this 'adventure' been going on? Feels... like longer than I've been involved... yet... here I am... apparently one of the few survivors. Heh... for another minute or two anyway. Well... one way or the other... when I die, I hope there isn't an afterlife. I... don't know how I could face them again. Well... it has to be done anyway... so...

Dr. Strauss started picturing chains breaking, despite himself.

 

[JoJo]

A still silence fell over the chamber as Zetta, Strauss and Lily focused their minds on breaking the curse; Maya, Gabriel and Alec watching from the sidelines. Excalibur began to glow with a blue light, at first dimly and then brighter and brighter until it was impossible to look at.

Suddenly without warning Goch let out an deafening roar and rocketed up into the air, Maya let out a yelp and clutched onto Alec's trouser legs yet again. The entire chamber shook and through the hole in the ceiling above the companions innumerate dark shapes flew over, each crying with the same intensity as Goch. If it was possible, the walls of the chamber seemed to move even more and this time the dragon returned quickly, landing with a thud next to the others.

Quick, climb on my back before this damn cavern collapses on yer!

Maya scrambled up onto the beast and Alec quickly followed with Gabriel close behind, offering his hand to help the next climber.

 

[TheDoctor455]

Goch... do you have any idea how large this facility is? It... might be large enough to contain my... issue... just make sure to weld the ruins together, make the rubble completely air-tight... and... that should be enough to prevent me from... from...

Dr. Strauss slowly lowered himself to sit down on the floor.

Keep Maya safe. Please.

To the others he said...

"Go! Get the hell out of here!"

 

[JoJo]

"Daddy!" Maya tried to climb back down towards Dr Strauss but Gabriel wrapped his arms around her to keep the struggling child on the dragon's back.

"You sure?" Gabriel shouted to Strauss "There's no coming back once we leave!"

 

[TheDoctor455]

"If I don't stay... if we don't contain..." Dr. Strauss was forced to pause as a raging coughing fit took over him, "me, then everything we just did to stop Rin will have been pointless. My... condition, will only get worse from here. Its evolving too fast for anyone to cure. One way or another, it'll leave my system and spread to everyone else. I've already seen how the world will end... I can't let that happen. Once you're gone, the dragons are going to seal this facility, weld it shut. No escape..."

Dr. Strauss fell onto his side as another, wretching, heaving, convulsing coughing fit took over. A moment later, he gasped and panted.

"Gabriel, please... just go... and," Dr. Strauss coughed again, "make sure Maya gets a good home with a loving family, okay?" Dr. Strauss turned his gaze to Maya, and gave her a weary, but loving smile, "Maya, you make sure and have a good life. I wish I could be there to see you grow up, and follow your dreams, but... if I leave this place... everyone is in... danger. I... think you'll understand when you're older. I love you Maya."

Goch? Is there... anything past this? Is this the end for me? Anything... after this? Do you even know? Does anyone really know?

 

[DktrAgonizer]

While Lily had wasted no time climbing onto the big dragon's back, Zetta hesitated. Seeing Strauss on the floor, his condition worsening at an alarming rate, was somehow more scary to her than the chamber falling all around them was. Would the ruins of Rin's facility really be enough to contain... whatever it was that was so close to coming out of him? Then again, it wasn't like they had any other choice.

"We'll take care of her," Zetta shouted over the noise to Strauss. She felt like she should say something else, since she was after all looking at a man about to let himself be crushed by tons of falling rock. But nothing came to mind; it was likely all he cared about right now was Maya's safety, anyway.

As pieces of the chamber began to fall around them, Zetta finally scrambled onto Goch's back. "We're good!" Lily shouted, giving the dragon a firm thump with the palm of her hand. "Go!"

 

[TheDoctor455]

"Thank you, Zetta," Dr. Strauss coughed some more, "Heh... I'm sorry about... when we first met," he coughed again, "Thank you... and, please, don't let Maya see me like this."

Dr. Strauss could say no more as another wretching coughing fit over-took him. What little strength or endurance for life he had left, he had used up in the fight with Rin. It was time.

Goch... on second thought, don't answer. I guess I'll know soon enough. Just make sure they get out safely. And... really... I hope there isn't anything after this.

 

[JoJo]

The dragon didn't say anything in reply to Dr Strauss but bowed his head momentarily in respect, then without waiting any longer took off into the air. As they rose, Maya looked down silently on Strauss and while they didn't speak, their eyes met for a second of mutual understanding. Then Goch soared upwards and the doctor disappeared amongst the falling rocks, Maya let herself fall into Zetta's arms in a pathetic heap.

The companions looked down on the remains of Rin's mountain base as dragons of many shapes and sizes poured out caverns in it's sides, circling the rocks and flaming them with bright fire-balls.

All that's in there, good and evil, for better or for worse, shall now be locked away until the End of Days, Goch said solemnly, before adding more jovially Don't yer worry, that ain't for a while yet!

Alec tapped Zetta, Lily and Gabriel on the shoulders and gestured for them to shuffle around, he whispered in a low voice so only they three could hear.

"Eh... maybe this isn't the best time to bring this up but there was just so much going on down there before... basically Rin left a letter for Maya a few hours before she died with eh... interesting contents. Care for me to read it out?"

 

[TheDoctor455]

I love you Maya. I'm so sorry... for everything.
Dr. Strauss hoped Maya had understood that when he looked into her eyes that one last time before Goch sped off. Even as far down as he was, Dr. Strauss could hear the muffled sounds of hundreds of dragons beating their wings... and breathing fire on this horrible place to weld it shut.

Good... at least I didn't screw that up.

Dr. Strauss struggled for a moment between his coughing fits to reach into a pocket and pull out an old photo of his family sitting down for a picnic in their backyard.

I'm so sorry...

Then... something hit Dr. Strauss on the head, putting him out almost instantly.

 

[DktrAgonizer]

It was glorious, seeing all those dragons flying free in the air and letting columns of fire spew from their mouths. Or it was until Zetta remembered the man down in the ruins of the base. She took a deep breath and averted her eyes, one hand absently stroking Maya's hair in what she hoped was a comforting manner.

When Alec spoke, Zetta gently moved Maya around so that the girl was laying on the dragon. There was plenty of room on Goch for Zetta to be sure she wouldn't roll off, though flying on the dragon still made the woman a little more than nervous. As it was, though, her tiredness and curiosity about the letter Alec mentioned won over her worry.

"Now's as good a time as any," she whispered, casting a glance over her shoulder at Maya. "Before we land and have to figure out what to do with... with everything, I guess. Go on."

 

[JoJo]

Maya curled up on the back of the dragon as Zetta put her down, eyes staring unblinkingly into the distance at the gradually fading mountain. Alec took out the faded paper from his shirt pocket and holding it carefully on the swaying dragon so he didn't drop it, began to read in a voice quiet enough so that only Zetta, Lily and Gabriel could hear.

Dearest Maya,

By the time you read this, I may well be gone. I have come to realise over the last few days, starting with the death of my beloved Merlin, that my foresight is beginning to fail me. For the first time in countless years I don't know what will happen when I challenge those accursed invaders and traitors in my lair. I accept there is a chance I may pay the ultimate price for my attempt to do what is right.

I was the one who rescued you from the mountainside today, as of course you remember I was the one to pluck you off the streets of Jinan. Since then I accept that everything got confusing and I made a few mistakes. For that I am sorry. You must know the truth though, however hard it is for someone of your age to understand. Rezetta and Lily were the ones who murdered your mother, you can never trust them, nor can you trust Strauss or the others who helped them. If they have finished me too, I implore you to run and escape from this place. I have foreseen that it won't be easy but you will survive and one day get your revenge. The magic folk killed your mother, and it is now your destiny to one day extinguish their blight from this world in her and my name. I have faith in you.

Regards,

Guanyin Rin

PS: I wrote this in Chinese on the other side in case you can't read English, I've forgotten which one you can. ​

Alec looked over on the other side and sure enough, it was covered in neat rows of Chinese symbols. Gabriel took the letter and studied it closely.

"I think Rin somewhat overestimated the average reading ability of a seven year old but ugh..." he commented with a disgusted look on his face "Unless I radically misjudged you two, I'm guessing that the part about you killing her mother is grade A bullshit?"

 

[DktrAgonizer]

Zetta couldn't help but sigh in exasperation and roll her eyes as Alec read the letter. She couldn't even work her anger up about what Rin claimed. The woman was already dead, and what was left of their group was safe. "I've never even been to China," she said in reply to Alec's question. "That accusation was just another ploy of Rin's."

"A pretty weak one, if you ask me," Lily said. "Did she really expect Maya to believe this?"

"It doesn't matter now, not anymore," Zetta said with a shrug. "You might as well rip that thing up." She paused, staring over her shoulder at Maya for a moment. "What... What are we going to do now? With her, with ourselves? I don't know if I can just go on living like none of this ever happened. Bet I've been fired, too." The last part was muttered under her breath.

 

[JoJo]

Gabriel shrugged and tore the sheet of paper in two, letting it drift off in the wind towards the desert below them.

"Manipulative even in death," he muttered before speaking louder to the whole group, "I say we go back to Paris, that's where most of us were because this whole mess started, except Maya and maybe Alec... say where did you come from anyway?"

"I met in Rin in China originally..." Alec replied "but I was only working out there for a short time and I was fired before I even met old Mr Kimura who sent me to find her, so I have no reason to go back there. Eventually I'll go back to the good US of A but I could take a European holiday I guess, where do you guys want to go?"

This question was directed at Zetta and Lily.

 

[DktrAgonizer]

"I'd like to go home and take a nice, hot shower and maybe get some sleep after," Lily said. "Maybe get back to work. I'm sure my contacts have been wondering where I've been."

Zetta gave the other woman a searching look. It occurred to her that she had no idea what Lily did for a living... and, yet, she had no real desire to find out. "A shower and a rest sounds good to me," she said with a sigh. "I think I may try and get a new job someplace, if I've lost the delivery one. Maybe save up some money and move out. Paris doesn't really hold any good memories for me." She paused, thinking about it. "Maybe to Italy. I hear Italy's nice."

"So," Lily said, "that just leaves Maya. Is one of us going to have to take her?" She wrinkled her nose at the thought; caring for a child was not high on her list of things she'd like to do.

 

[JoJo]

"Well it's either that, or hand her to over to the authorities when we get back to Europe," Gabriel replied to Lily "...and that's where the issue lies. They'll probably deport her back to China eventually but they'll understandably be perturbed how such a young child managed to get half way round the world supposedly on her own, they'll suspect human trafficking or something."

Gabriel paused for a moment, then carried on.

"They'll probably want to interview her and it would only take one fright for her to become invisible and give our secret away. I have my suspicions that the government may already have an inkling of the existence of people like us but even if they try to cover it up, anything they get out of her will lead directly back to us."

"That's worrying" Alec interjected, "but you're forgetting another option. We're actually flying above western China right now, it would only add a few hours onto our trip to fly to the Shandong region where Maya came from before heading back west. We could drop her off at an orphanage there, I'll be honest, generally they're pretty terrible but no-one would pay her much attention and with her power she could always steal extra food to get by."

Seeing the expressions of the others in response to this, he shrugged his shoulders.

"It wouldn't be an easy path and the whole orphan problem bit of a glossed over issue in China at moment, especially with the high number of girl babies abandoned at birth. I've heard that many of the nation's orphans have simply vanished and many die of easily treatable diseases. That said, raising a child wouldn't be easy for us either and personally in my short time with Maya, me and her haven't exactly gelled together well."