☢ Chapter Written By StriplessKitten ☢

The hazy day, with its hues of evening's breath- burnt orange emerging and mixing with rose and crimson that bled into a deep maroon, was soon docking its light upon darkness' shores as evening swiftly approached to sail the blanket of blackness and stars across the skies above for its transformation into the ebony skies, yet- still no sign of the rebellion leader, who had been missing since dawn. The Queen, situated in her luxurious castle was indeed very flustered about Aya's whereabouts, as were the others.

Inside the majesty's chambers, the irritating silence was an wavering ache in everyone's mind, questions left unanswered and no words exchanged, just dull faces and a few sighs and exhales here and there until, it eventually drove Fredrico to amplify his ability to speak.

"If your grace would permit me to search for the pretty eyed lady, I could assist her arrival to be a sooner date, I do have her scent obtained in my memory after all." He offered.

Perking up from being mentioned, dwelling on the thought, as to which Sakura responded by turning to face the wolf boy, her fan fluttering in front of her face to hide her anxious expression.

"Very well, Fredri--"

"I believe there was a small rebel squad following Aya's lead, would that be necessary enough to sustain her till she returns?" Mikah, sitting aside the room on a fancy seat, would suggest.

"Those few rebels wouldn't be enough to protect a helpless stray on the road, let alone their commander. No matter how well they are trained- they are most likely injured too, regardless. Fredrico, act fast, we have an agenda to follow." Sakura side glanced Mikah.

"How ironic, you call her a mutt after all, alas a stray and a mutt are two different things, are they?"

Mikah, being the gentlemen he was, silenced any more of his discomfort, exhaling and biting his tongue from Sakura's harshness, as he believed he had the final say, based off Sakura giving him another warning stare, it was clear that she was in no shape to snap with this much worry.

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Time-Skip

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Wasting no time at all, Fredrico made his journey a reality, venturing out to discover Aya's location. Trailing along the footpaths and plains till eventually he had tracked down the female's stronger scent of vanilla. Navigating within the pale moonlight as a guide.

He had been advancing for a long while, when he had stumbled upon the location he was set out to retrieve sightings on. His first initial thought process when he arrived on scene, was that the girl was deceased, judging off how there was ashes and a roaring fire spiralling skyward, surrounding the dusty gray substance- and a slightly burned leather jacket, that no doubt belonged to Aya. Circling the fire, he managed to locate the back of the embers, where he had spotted her, inhaling and exhaling deeply for air and gripping at the soil with clenched fists, she was evidently angry yet weakened.

Laying on her side, her hair sprawled out everywhere behind her as she coughed, attempting to catch whatever breath she was forbidden from inhaling, soot covered some parts of her pale skin, giving her a slightly dirtied look, it would've been Fredrico's guess that Aya had somehow managed to jump out of the flames as fast as she could, only recognising burns to her clothing and not her flesh itself. In a fast approach, he crouched down, and shuffled the female into his arms, holding her in a bridal fashion.

Instead of her usual rejection, Aya was weakened to a point where she just held him, clinging to him out of pure distress, curling herself up against his chest, petrified of the flames that was to their right. The wolf incarnated male didn't comment on it, but was indeed taken by surprise. Petting her head lightly, he had managed to persuade Aya somewhat to calm her nerves, proceeding with the black haired 17 year old to 'purr'. Much to his delight, he continued to indulge this behaviour, running his fingers through her long locks, as he travelled back to the castle. Leaving behind the fire as he noticed how the jacket he returned to Aya was being clutched to her chest.

A vulnerable side to the almighty rebel?

Unheard of.

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Time-Skip

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Upon witnessing Aya's arrival, Sakura immediately goes to her, and attempts to drag her out of Fredrico's grasp, much to his defiance he avoided Sakura and waltzed over to the Queen's bed, placing Aya down onto it. Sakura hopped onto her bed also, ignoring Fredrico's denial earlier, she would deal with it in due course. She placed her small, tanned palm against Aya's forehead and then trailed her soft hand down to Aya's defined cheek, caressing her for comfort.

"Aya, what happened to you?" Sakura tried asking Aya.

"Dad..? Wait, I'm frightened, don't touch me, no;; keep the match away, leave the candle back, don't touch me, don't touch me!" Aya jerked away immediately from the touch, sweating profusely, Fredrico gave Sakura a cloth to clean Aya off after the sudden outburst.

Sakura, turned off by the idea of Exavier being mentioned, would shy away from Aya, handing the cloth to Mikah instead, who gladly would wash Aya off of any dirt.

"Zellie, how can I aid her to speak about the journey she was on back here, to the castle?" Sakura glanced over to the blue haired girl.

"I would.. suggest a blood bond. If you were to give some of your blood to Aya, she would strengthen up, there's either the medical treatment, which is not fun.. or the brutal way. I can perform either in an instant or surpervise.. haha~ yeah. Superviseeee~" Zellie rambled on, "Though you should e-expect it to hurt, oh yes- quite a lot.. it's dangerous too~ but since we are dealing with a hybrid it's only necessary.. perks are its super fast to do the brutal way, though that's pretty much it. Hehehe~"

Sakura declined to answer momentarily, shooting back a look at Aya who's out of her head type of delusional. She takes a singular deep breath, swallowing her pride as she kept her head held high.

"The faster route." Sakura said plainly.

"Faster route it is!~" Zellie cheered, withdrawing a knife and handing it to Sakura, a creepy grin etched onto her features as she jabbed the air before Sakura, overly eager for it to be taken from her grasp.

"Oh?" Sakura analysed the blade, switching it between each of her fingers in a fast movement to fidget with the object, since she was a type of person to play with things in her hands.

"Slit your hand with that, then slit Aya's palm, then hold her hand so your blood transfuses with hers. She will be good as new afterwards- due to the strength of your blood amplifying Aya's own bloodstream to become good as new, if not better- and lucky for you I always carry stitches and a band aid collection in case anything emergency related.. h-happens!~ oh I do!-" Zellie giggled to herself, putting a hand to her mouth as she looked down at the ground.

Sakura after pausing for a short while, nodded in understanding and then drug the tip of the dagger through her palm, slicing the skin as if it were paper, she would then repeat the process onto Aya, who didn't react. Based of the fact she had passed out while Zellie had ranted.

Outstretching her hand to Aya, Sakura was careful with the approach. Not wanting to alarm Aya to do anything hasty, her efforts. weren't in vain due to the success of her grasping Aya's hand with her own. The process began. Throughout raggedy breaths, and swears, the blood began to mix a great amount. Watching the process unfold, Zellie would take notes, scribbling things down excitedly as Sakura considered Aya her main priority to heal.

Stirring in her sleepy state would catch Sakura's attention from the slumber-induced Aya, Mikah had stepped aside, as Aya gradually retrieved energy from the blood source. Slinging her free arm around Sakura's neck, Sakura thinking nothing of it more or less than an attempt for Aya to gain support which was to lean on her for balance, but instead, Aya tugs her down, and hugs her tightly in a side embrace with her singular arm.

Awakening from her minute or so of slumber, Aya gazed at Sakura wholesomely, as Sakura blushed lightly.

"Now can you tell me what happened?" Sakura requested.

"Right.. not gonna even ask what you did with me with that thing, but anyways, I was returning from the mission, some nobles I couldn't make 'em out, made it look like they were attacking some children, I went to aid them- turned out to be a trick, they lit a stupid fire surrounded me in it and stole my sword, well, it was a blur.. to be honest. However , this sword contains practically my survival from Lezabella's enchantments.. so it was important I got it back.. but I was surrounded in fire that almost resembled hell itself.." Aya trailed off, then regained her composure.

"I see.. we'll need a plan to get that sword of yours back, Aya." Sakura said.

Taking her time to turn and face everyone, Sakura cleared her throat to speak, lowering her fan from her face. Giving Aya a soft smile of reassurance beforehand, just in case the stubborn female would need such.

"The plan.. should consist of hostages. Something tells me that those kids aren't any normal kids, they're most likely those.. rogues. Zellie, achieve the hostage situation, gather them up for me, Fredrico, you have the scent of those children who had snatched Aya's sword away from her based off the scent of her jacket, they must've tarnished Aya's scent to a degree, their muddy little hands had to have gotten on the leather too. I can sort of sense it from here." Sakura brainstormed, her philosophical thoughts coming in handy as usual.

"Oh!~ Good, goodie~ Rodger that, your highness!~ Aha! This is brilliant, I cannot wait to see this one through.. haha.. aha~" Zellie clapped her hands vigorously, summoning Harumi to the room, out of breath as he tried to situate himself next to Zellie as soon as possible.

"Yes, Miss?" Harumi gulped.

"You're gonna tag along with me and wolf boy, I'll explain the plan on the way, toodles, your grace!~" Zellie pulled Harumi out of the room by his hand as she laughed to herself, her chilling giggles filling an echo in the hallways as Fredrico gave Sakura one last desperate look before following suit. Leaving Sakura alone with Aya and Mikah.

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Time-Skip

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Under the veil of the night sky, the trio, accompanied by royal guards and spare rebels, had been in pursuit of the bratty children who had messed with Aya so badly, Fredrico lead the way, holding Aya's jacket to his nose to sniff out the scent of the kid who grabbed her sword, his tracking becoming successful as they did take the right route, leading them to the suburbs of the Hybrid Kingdom, that was a 30 or so minutes on foot journey from where the Vampire Kingdom is placed.

Zellie, retrieving her chloroform from her medical kit, etched a grin onto her face that creeped the life out of Harumi and Fredrico. Neither commented though. She then passed around a load of filthy, what looked to be a white in colour rags, before they were dirtied, to everyone. Analysing where the victims were, the group had sprung onto the sleeping village, taking any person they could find linked with the scent that was present on Aya's coat that wasn't belonging to her already.

Handling the situation mainly, Zellie had instructed her helpers to tie all victims up with barbed wire, and to secure it with a heavy lock, her reason for such brutalities? Boredom. Worth to tie up seven or more people was left of barbed wire, not needed, Zellie stored it away, happily humming to herself whilst she stared down at the captured villagers. Harumi approached Zellie from her left.

"Miss, I must ask you, what was the point in bringing the children's parents and other family members into custody? Lady Aya only mentioned the children being present at the scene.." Harumi said softly.

"Well, dog boy over there told me that he picked up the same scent from the snotty brats off their ugly overworked guardians, and the like! So~ I decided instead of having a lot of wanted posters and annoying parents crying and all that, why not bring them along for the ride? It's much funnier with a audience, don't you think?~" Zellie drew near to Harumi's face, rubbing her hand against his hip to tease him, the poor boy's cheeks heating up into a fiery blush.

"I-I understand your viewpoint, M-Miss." Was all he said as Zellie drew back, grabbing him by the wrist as her and the other supporters sent to aid on the hostage situation began to load the unconscious bodies onto the cart as they made their way back after doing such.

The victims would be brought into what was the castle's lab now reconstructed into Zellie's.. laboratory. Used for a wide range of "amusing" activities that Zellie had planned and mapped out ever since she was granted ownership of that said room from Sakura herself.

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Time-Skip

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Zellie had requested privacy as she did her workings within her safe space. The said laboratory held three life sized tubes, two being filled with a neon green substance that bubbled, an entire wall that was adorned with a variety of weapons hanging from it, some torture devices scattered here and there around the room. Dried blood marring the steel floor. She had all of the children, who were not blindfolded on one side of the room, chained collars around their necks that were attached to the wall and every time the struggled or move the chain would get tighter, two.. children as a result didn't make it, and their parents, well three adults from their village, on the right hand side of the room, were not more fortunate in their ability to move either. The lone woman was tied down to a metal table in shackles, and the three other men were tied against a metal contraption Zellie crafted in a crucifix style; all blindfolded.

The ocean haired girl remained silent, just staring at the children and the gags in their mouths, a creepy undertone to her wide eyed expression and smirk that would leave anyone majorly uncomfortable. Meanwhile, Fredrico and Harumi decided to seat themselves down at the table where the woman was, and witness the show yet to happen, based on interest and Zellie's openness for a wider audience of two.

Zellie first began by retrieving some medical tools with her as she waltzed past each and every adult victim, trailing a scalpel across their flesh on a variety of body parts. A saw, and then a lethal injection, all grazing skin, but not indenting. It was for a showing of intimidation.

"I would like to welcome you all here to my humble abode now that you're all snug and cosy!~ here, you'll have the time of your life.. or the last time of your life. All depends if you.. b e h a v e. 'Kay?~ alright, so." Zellie clasped her hands together.

"I'll be asking a series of questions, as you can see, you're all bound together, the only two that has escaped my questionnaire extravaganza is the two brats who wouldn't stop moving when I asked them two, nonetheless, we can carry on. You better answer me when I ask a fucking question, understood? Great!~ we wouldn't want you all to end up like them little rats, mhm?~" Zellie chirped.

Based off the silence in the room, the one she installed earlier wasn't to be carried forth by her victims, they were supposed to communicate with her, but if they wished to make it difficult for the younger, that was a challenge she was willing to except, a deadly one at that. She didn't like stalling, but the more of a kick she got out of this question game the better enjoyment for her, right?

"Seems like you flea bags have other plans than to cooperate, is that so? If you don't answer my questions nicely, I'm going to rip the womb straight out of the womb laid on that fucking table." Zellie orders.

A whimper or two was sounded but none dared speak or beckon a word, one of the men dangling in the crucifix structure line up had wet himself from how terrified he was, having no vision at all, the woman on the table was thrashing about, kicking at her binds, but all she really resulted in was wasting her energy with feeble attempts. Without any comprehensive discussion from her "guests" Zellie grew irritated.

Ripping the branding iron rod from a fire pit within an enclosed space she made, the tip of the rod was glowing red, symbolising its excruciating hot attributes, Zellie pulled down the blindfolds with a single snap of her finger, having the cloth modified to do as she pleased, she would give a showing to the scared beings of the iron rod, each acknowledging the exceptional detail of the royal symbol engraved into it.

"Pick a child. Pick a body part, make it fast~ If you don't answer quickly, I'll pick one at random-- no! I'll do it to them all, and tighten that pretty little chain noose around their grubby necks, yes?~ Hah..haaha!"

Harumi who unfortunately had a weak stomach from all the scenery around him, had vomited into a nearby bucket, heaving out whatever discomfort he witnessed beforehand. Fredrico, however stared at Zellie, captivated. Noticing Harumi's sickness, Zellie would laugh aloud again.

"Poor devil, I haven't even done anything yet!;;" Zellie put down the rod, scattering over to her counter, where a caged rabbit was held, she then shook her head and chose to go for a child instead. Unhooking the chain and allowing the kid to choke on his own breath, his wrists and legs still shackled though, as the rest of the kids remained on their knees in a linear fashion.

Signalling for the lot to watch as she used electromagnetic radiation she had been practicing on animals but also a few test subject humans, and it proved that electric magnetic wavelengths could in fact destroy lung and brain cells so it causes amnesia, and can also re-programme their minds through this form of torture so she has the ability to bend their mindset to do her bidding and admit what they did or make the person a mind slave, or even.. make them murder.

Which is exactly what she did.

Battling for dominance over the child's mind, Zellie had eventually lured the mindset into her very own whim controlled plaything. Using her weapon of electromagnetic radiation, she would point to the kid he was previously knelt beside, a sinister smirk on her face.

"You're gonna kill him, because the other adults won't comply with me and answer the questions I wanted to yet ask them. When someone admits you're the rogue's colleges I'll stop you, and free you all. Till then you're going to suffer!~ hurry up. Prove a point for me, slave." Zellie punches the child in the shoulder so he'd move faster.

An eruption of chaos unfolded, the men shaking and writhing at their bounds as the woman was clearly the mother of the child who was about to be strangled. Based on how she was the one screaming through her gag. Zellie whistled over the noise as she watched as the boy began to tug on the other's chain, the one being strangled making crackling, croaky noises, his mouth foaming with salvia as his eyes rolled, the little girl next to him screaming in dismay too.

Continuous tugging, choking, panicked noises surrounded the room. A satisfied smile gracing Zellie's features before she turned to face one of the men.

"I'll ask again, are you apart of the fucking rogues? And where the Hell is Aya's sword who has it?"

Suddenly there was no more choking noises and the child lay limp, Zellie then snapped her fingers and didn't need to watch as the chained leash wrapped back around the boy who lost his mind's neck again, forcing him to kneel once more.

The man with the handlebar moustache refused to speak, a look of hate and sorrow in his brown eyes as he stared down at Zellie from his high place.

Wrong move.

"Fredrico release this one. Make sure he doesn't move." Zellie instructed.

Fredrico did as he was asked, letting the man down from the position he was previously in as he landed on his feet the man attempted to make a bolt for the door, the nearest exit, but Zellie launched on his back, making him fall as he let out a shrill yell.

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?! AHA! No escape, no escape, no escape, no escape, no escape, no escape, no escape, no escape..! DO YOU HEAR ME?!" Zellie then yanked him back with abnormal strength as she dragged him to a dark room she kept for a storage room mainly, but she had it cleared out just for this type of case.

Forcing him down as she worked swiftly outside the storage room that Fredrico had opened for her, Zellie fastened a straight jacket onto the man, securing it before she tossed the male into the dark storage room, slamming the door closed, panting for her breath as she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand to rid it of sweat.

"Thank you Freddie.." she said in a strung out voice, hyperventilating as she laughed.

She dusted herself off and smiled nervously to herself, twitching every now and then before she went back to her duties. Another finger snap. Leaving the chains of the children to squeeze without being guilty of moving, sooner or later the strangulation of the cool metal became too much and their little necks all snapped in a row.

"Now then.. who's fucking next?!" Zellie snapped.

Not wanting to be the next set of people to die, the group of prisoners came clean. The woman was the spokesperson this time.

"Philip stole it.. Philip, has the-- sword. We are apart of the rogue organisation.." she murmurs, utterly defeated as the two men remaining cursed her for selling them out. With a hand of the royal guards, the prisoners were taken to the dudgeon and the corpses were cleared up, leaving the laboratory empty besides Fredrico, Zellie, and a very ill Harumi.

Victory at last. Fredrico slipped behind Zellie, hugging her from behind, lowering himself to her right ear.

"Congratulations darling Zellie, for gathering the info. I must admit, before I was anxious around you since you seemed peculiar, now I'm surely fascinated."

Zellie then tugged him down by his own ear in response, "Coming from a dog, I'm glad to have my obedience complimented." She would then let go.

Walking away after a hard day's work she was about to beckon Harumi to follow suit behind her, but Fredrico had stopped the blue headed woman. She pauses and turns to face him in slight interest due to his eagerness to be around her so suddenly after all that she had just commenced.

Fredrico brought a knife to his cheek and cut it, allowing the blood to drip down his jawline, hinting for Zellie to lick it clean. She brings her finger tip to the blood and swipes up, before sticking her digit into her mouth and sucking the blood straight off.

"If my tongue is what you want, try harder~" She cooed.

Trapped in a daze, Fredrico leaned in for a kiss, only for Zellie to swiftly evade and tilt her head to the left, trailing her tongue along the cut teasingly like he previously desired. Grasping her chin, he would guide her face in front of his and crashed his mouth onto hers, a French styled kiss occurring between the two unlikely pairing as the shared a messy kiss.

All the while Harumi was still throwing up in the background, unaware the two of them were making out on the table the woman was previously tied down to, about to do the deed in front of him before he even had the slightest chance in recovering from regaining all his strength, in accordance to getting sick so often.

Copyright © 2018 by StriplessKitten

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