She slowly uncurled herself from her place on the ground of her �cell�. From time to time a limb would twitch or a quick stab of body �memory� would seize her frame. At this point the best she could do was clench her teeth and will it to stop. Back in the holding place she was able to do this. When in the scholars labs she had no such freedom.
        She had lost count of the days in which they held her and �studied� her. Each day blurred into the next as they stripped, poked, prodded her. At the start of it their focus was on her physical make up. It seemed to intrigue them that she was part Lyeazic -and part something else. They had �tested� and examined her body mercilessly. Taken samples of blood, skin, muscle and bone. They even stole from her body, for further study of course, a few ova.
        When the study of the physical aspects of her body was momentarily satisfied, the mages were called in. They wanted to further pursue what magic she had. The focus shifted on her ability to shape-shift, while the scholars watched and began their examination process, testing the strength and weaknesses of each form.
        But today they team of �experts� wanted to see the resiliency of her body to the force shifts of all her forms. At times the mages purposely slow- blended one shift form into the next to better examine the transformations. The process was incredibly agonizing. Several times the pain blossomed so quickly it crowded out everything, blinded her and shoved her into unconsciousness. But this was not an option for the examination team. They would inject her with substances that made her heart jump and race.. and kept her chained to the body that they manipulated. The day dragged on: seconds stretching to hours. Eventually she was able to escape when her mind split off and abandoned her body to slip into the Dreamscape. When they saw that she had gone catatonic on them, they quickly concluded their tests and had her taken away.
        As awareness slowly came to her, she realized that she was not alone. There was someone in the room with her. She moved slowly, partly out of keeping her body ache bearable, and partly out of not wanting whoever it was upon her yet. Her mind cleared enough so that she knew she was in no shape to fight or defend herself much.. but if she could gather whatever information she could before she was taken again, it might help. She eased herself to her hands and knees and turned to scan the room with her other senses while she waited for her vision to gradually return.
        The place where she was kept was more like some dormitory room. Neat. Clean. Adequately appointed. But well thought out enough that there was nothing on the premises that could be readily be used to help her escape. Not some dungeon cell, but, for her a holding cell none the less. She had the feeling that the building was a type of complex where each occupant had his/her own room. With the dining, lounging and other facilities as common areas. She had never seen the inside of the common areas.. only took note of them as she was taken from her room to the interrogation area and back. And it was back in her room where she found herself with someone she couldn�t yet see.
        Slowly and with infinite care not to rouse her battered body into more spasms she tried to at least maneuver herself in preparation for any confrontation that might happen. The darkness around her vision cleared and she looked on the dark elf who sat a few paces away on the settee against the wall.
        The Lyeazic before her sat calmly as he watched. He seemed comfortably settled in the chair. Apparently he had been watching her for quite some time. She quickly tried to figure how long she had been laying semi-conscious upon the floor but could not tell. It could have been minutes. It could have been hours. And for the way he sat there studying her with glacier-blue eyes it was probably more like hours. She thought perhaps she knew this one from her capture at the beach, but she could wasn�t be sure. She tried to recall that morning a few days ago.. more like months it felt like, and found she couldn�t remember much. He was the same except for the eyes. The midnight sky of dark stars was now replaced by glacier-ice but still there was that maddening infinity of calm expectation.
        ''So who am I and why haven�t I killed you yet?'' His near-obsidian skin, amplified the quiet intensity of his eyes and the soft hiss of his voice echoed in her room. Though the question sounded almost as if it he were thinking out loud rather than to her, it was just one of those that crowded her mind she remained silent and waited. The slightest shift in a blue-black eyebrow. ''Good. You want to know so I will tell you.''
        ''The Hand of the Synod. A Magus of the Xalliryn Order. An Elite of the Cadre. The Executor of The Conclave�s Will. I have been known by these titles. I have developed the training regimen of the New Cadre. I have had renown among the Cadre, Synod and Conclave. I am bearer one of the four Bane Blades of Shikul Lyeaz� Immaculate Reach.'' As he spoke he leaned forward resting his elbows upon his knees. His movements were easily fluid but that did not belie the increasing intensity of his voice. ''I had the respect of my peers and those high ranking in other castes. I have known all of this and more, but now, because you refused to summon them, and because I could not present the Synod with the Quickning were, I have been given the dubious honor of 'Warder of the Mongrel.' '' His lips peeled back to reveal stark white against the deep dark skin as he hissed through clenched teeth. ''Your life is now mine.''
        A gradual grin played across her lips and she pushed herself back to sit upon her heels. Her voice rasped, lately more used to screaming out in the throes of torture than actual spoken words. ''I�m so sorry to disappoint you.''
        He tilted his head at her sarcastic apology. As quickly as the cold anger rose to those pale eyes it now faded to a detached smirk. ''You have no clue. My charge is to make you something useful, by indoctrinating you to the caste. The Synod has been gracious enough to allow me to show your station -as a member of the caste. The thing that makes you such an abomination, oddly enough also is the reason you still live. You are an Enigma. You shouldn�t be but you are. You are so much detritus cast aside in this war to rid the world of impurities. A mistake. An accident.. and now, a simple utensil to be used in the demise of those we seek.''
        ''Do what you will. I will never betray the Quickning. You will never have them.''
        ''You think too much on others you cannot save and not enough on preparing yourself. ''
        ''I am prepared to die so they stay free. There is nothing else to prepare for.''
        ''As I have said. Your life is mine, until the Synod says it is not. But let me tell you this: The minute they take you back into their care -be afraid. Because as hard as I twist your life around, As miserable as I make your existence, It will be nothing to what they will do to you, to what they will make of you. Consider yourself fortunate that I own your life, Mongrel. As I break you I will remake you. You wont understand, In fact you will hate me. But realize I am the best thing that will happen to you here.''
        ''I already hate you''
        ''You say that now, but I will see you kiss the very Bane blade that will strike down your precious weres.''
        Khyaris rose slowly from her heels to look down on him. The smoldering hatred in her green-gray eyes bored into his, telling him otherwise.
        He smiled coolly and rose from the seat to stand looking down on her, ''I was hoping you�d say that.''

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''Warder of the Mongrel'' Copyright � 1999 Angelina Greenwood