Jade tried to ignore the fact that she was a little embarrassed, or even sheepish, for being caught in such an affectionate situation with Tori. As far as she knew, the elf wasn't aware of how close they were getting. She fidgeted under Kessler's stare and quickly grew irritated at him. He shook his head but didn't say anything as he casually walked further into the room to stop at the door to the cage. He glanced at her in a calculative manner before pushing open the door and stepping inside.
"What?" she demanded. He chuckled and walked over to free her of the chains. While alone, the two had a much different interaction than when they were around anyone else. The elf made the dragon hybrid a deal. If she behaved, he would let her move freely when they were alone. She readily agreed, needing that small amount of freedom.
"So, it seems you two have some history between you?" he commented casually.
"You could say that," Jade responded, running laps around the cage while Kessler watched.
"Is there any use in asking what happened in the past and recently?" he asked next.
"The same thing happened here as in the past," she replied selectively, excluding the information he sought in order to evade it.
"Hmm, and does that have anything to do with the pheromones permeating the air?" he wondered idly, waving his hand in a small circle for emphasis. Jade skid to a stop and looked at him with wide eyes. Her tail curled slightly with her shock. She hadn't known the elf's senses were at that level.
"I, um…this is awkward," Jade grumbled, unable to find words.
"It is alright young one. It is natural to still feel attracted to the human species as you are still a part of them. I just hadn't thought you would choose the most unattainable one," he observed. Jade groaned and moved to rest her head on a bar, feeling the warm vibrations of the magic imbued in it hum against her skin. It felt calming.
"I know, I'm an idiot for that, but I just can't help it. She drew me to her ever since that first day we met. It just felt…right," she shared with a sigh. The elf watched her shift into a sitting position and rest her back against the bars. She let her head fall back and closed her eyes. Kessler felt sympathy for the young hybrid, and uncharacteristically, wanted to aid her. So he crouched down next to her and gripped her shoulder to get her attention. She opened her eyes and leveled the colorful orbs on him.
"To be completely honest with you, I have seen many dragons create strong bonds with their masters. Some claim the dragon let themselves be caught because they were already drawn in. A close friendship is shared mutually between rider and steed along with love sometimes. They fight together as a team, and if one falls, the other fights to the death to avenge them. It happens a lot, and maybe, that is what has formed between you and the youngest Vega," he explained, taking note of her expressions as he spoke. She was interested, curious, shocked, then frightened, before an oddly blank contentment took its place. She had made her decision.
"I guess I'll just have to see where this takes me, won't I?" she responded evenly, glancing at him with a smirk and then getting fluidly to her feet.
"Indeed," Kessler agreed, pushing off the ground to stand too. Jade gestured for him to get in an offensive stance and he complied as soon as she crouched into her own. They sparred for hours, clearing Jade's mind of Victoria Vega and the emotions that she brought. As for Tori, she was more than glad that Trina's training regimen kept her father busy. He did as he said he would and checked in on her once in a while. She reported no disturbances and he left without anything more to say. In those couple months Tori was the happiest she had ever been in her life. Jade was a wonder she could never hope to fully solve. She kept amazing her every day simply by being her. Kessler would often let Tori step in to patch Jade up after a particularly rough training day and the two would go on to spend some time together while the intuitive elf 'ran errands' in order to give them time to themselves. Days like that were far between and hard to come by with the senior Vega lurking about, but one night they managed another meeting. Tori had snuck in with Kessler's help. Now, Jade was lying across the floor on her stomach with her shirt pushed up to expose her defined back.
Tori ran her hands over the smooth scales with interest. She loved the feel of Jade's body under her hands. They hadn't moved past heated kisses but Jade had taken to receiving massages from Tori who was really skilled in that department. But the massages soon turned into caresses. They often sat in silence, Jade enjoying Tori just being there and Tori busying herself with Jade's unique texture. Tori hummed a tune quietly and stroked upward along Jade's sides so that she gripped at the tense muscles of her shoulders. She worked out the knots patiently, loving the sounds of appreciation Jade made sometimes. Her thought process began with doing everything in her power to make Jade happy, which included sharing the secret she had discovered. Her father smacked her around until she promised she wouldn't bring it up to Jade for fear much worse would befall her. It was a moment of weakness, but the strength Jade gave her finally pulled through. She didn't give a damn what her father would do. She had to tell Jade. It was tearing her up inside. She sighed heavily and her hands came to a stop. Jade pushed off the floor, fixing her shirt as she went, to give Tori a questioning look.
"Are you ok?" she asked in concern. Tori went to nod out of habit but stopped herself and shook her head. Jade quickly sat by her, wrapped an arm around her back, and followed the action with her tail curling around Tori protectively from its place resting on the floor. It ended on her lap, resting on one leg. The inner warmth from Jade's body comforted her so that she could speak.
"They're alive," Tori whispered quietly. Jade cocked her head to the side in plain confusion. If Tori had something to say she should at least make sense.
"Who is?" she responded. Tori tentatively flicked her eyes to Jade before looking away and curving in on herself. She wrapped her arms around her raised knees and hid her face in them.
"What is it?" Jade asked, growing more worried by the minute. She had noticed the signs of abuse on Tori. That hadn't escaped her. Vega hurt her, and that made Jade furious, but the worst part was that she couldn't do anything about it. She was helpless in all areas concerning father and daughter except simply being there when Tori needed her. Now seemed like that time, because if Tori was being punished, there must be a reason. Tori sniffled and Jade grew alarmed from the sudden tears on her face. She took Tori's hands in hers.
"Who are you talking about?" she questioned. Tori's lip trembled and she bit it to make it stop. Jade waited for her to say something, but when Tori wasn't able to, Jade leaned in to persuade her. The kiss was a gentle encouragement. Tori broke it to cup Jade's face in her hands so that she could gain focus.
"You're parents, they're still alive. I overheard my father say they were never killed. He was using their fake death as a way to keep you weak, to break you, so that he could 'tame' you along with tormenting them in order to force information out of them. I knew for some time but-I was afraid you would get mad at me for not saying anything sooner. I was too scared, scared of what he might do if he found out," she rambled with slight fear and guilt in her voice. Just the mention of the senior Vega made Jade growl quietly. She hated that he treated Tori so cruelly. Those first few bruises made her silently fume when Tori begged her to drop it but Jade couldn't. Deep down it would plague her. She was supposed to take care of Tori. She was passionate as well as protective of the half Latina, which screamed for her to make her father pay for what he did, but for Tori she had to act uninterested in her. Tori had waited for Jade to say something, and when she didn't, she rushed to explain further but Jade just covered her mouth before she could start.
"Where are they now?" she questioned simply, taking in the information and accepting Tori's reasons for doing what she did. She couldn't get mad at Tori, but she did want to know everything as soon as possible. Tori shifted uncomfortably in Jade's arms before she began.
"They're here somewhere. I don't know where exactly but I know they're here. They've been here all this time. My father turned to them when Kessler began refusing him," she started. Jade had seen marks on Kessler too yet she couldn't understand how such an intelligent, wise, and noble creature would ever allow himself to be mistreated that way.
"I have to get out of here, save them, and cripple Vega. Your father has to be stopped," she growled. Tori nodded, knowing this already. There was no escaping that. Her father was a ruthless man, using and abusing living things for his own profit. They had to make things right. She had to make things right.
"I know, but how will you do that?" she wondered. Jade thought about it before her eyes flashed with an idea. She looked at Tori and smirked.
"You," she clarified. Tori was confused.
"Me?" she repeated. Jade nodded.
"Yeah, look, he won't suspect you. Take a leaf out of that performing arts school's book and just act like you're interested in learning what it takes to help your father. Get a hang of it, make him trust you, acquire the knowledge, and then when the time is right we turn this all against him," Jade explained, her voice rising in excitement. Tori grinned, seeing her so lively again. She loved seeing her happy.
"Ok, I'll do it," she said with an enthusiastic nod. She pulled Jade into a hug and the hybrid returned it lovingly. Tori pulled back to look into Jade's glowing eyes and watched as the pupils flexed into slits in the flickering lights overhead. Jade frowned and glanced up at the faulty lighting. A faint yet mechanical hum in the distance put her on edge. The feeling she got in the pit of her stomach was far from good. The lights stabilized but the humming persisted.
"What was that?" Tori wondered. Jade stood to slowly pace, closing her eyes and letting her senses wander.
"It sounds familiar. I think it's some kind of machine," she guessed. Tori stood and walked over to her, placing her hand on Jade's forearm.
"My father's been working on some kind of machine. He says it's going to make him far more money than he does now. I don't know how that will work but-" Tori began to ramble but a gasp from Jade shut her up.
"No," she growled, gritting her teeth.
"What?" Tori asked.
"He can't do that," Jade muttered.
"What?" Tori repeated, her tone becoming concerned.
"He made it. He made the machine that jumps through dimensions. If what you said is true then he got what he wanted from my parents and Kessler. That's the only reason he kept them alive, but now…" Jade speculated, letting her words drown out in fear. She couldn't sit around and let the only people she cared about get hurt, or worse. She growled and began pacing again, her tail whipping behind her and her hands clenched into fists that brought her nails into her palms. Any harder and they would break skin. Tori called to her repeatedly but Jade wouldn't listen. Her worry was too great. Tori desperately grabbed Jade by the shoulders and pushed her back until she was slammed against the bars.
"Jade, calm down! We can get through this! I won't let him hurt you and I won't let him hurt your family! Just tell me what to do," she shouted. Jade looked at her with wide eyes but smiled a moment later.
"You've already done so much," she mumbled, reaching up to cup Tori's face gently in her hands. The contact alone already calmed her. Her sharp nails traced Tori's cheekbones carefully before her right hand slid into her hair to grip behind her head and bring her closer.
"Victoria?" Jade whispered softly, her lips inches from Tori's mouth.
"Yeah?" she replied, enchanted by the way Jade stared at her.
"I think I'm falling in love with you," Jade confessed. Tori's heart felt like it would burst from her chest. Her breathing sped up and tears gathered in her eyes. She didn't know what else to say so she took action instead. She brought Jade's lips to hers and pressed herself into the firm yet comforting contour of the hybrid's form. Jade leaned against the bars and let Tori kiss her with so much passion she was deliriously overwhelmed. Tori's hands slid down Jade's body to grip her hips, her thumbs sneaking under the hem of Jade's shirt. She groaned into Tori's mouth and then deepened the kiss fervently. Her tail hooked around Tori's thigh and yanked her closer so that her bottom half pressed into Jade more snugly. A breathy moan left Tori's lips and Jade smirked.
"I think I'm falling for you too lizard girl," Tori panted, her own smirk on her features. That was the turning point, the one thing that convinced Jade that putting her trust in the youngest Vega was the best choice she ever made. Spending time with her was all she ever did from then on besides the usual training. Jade was actually happy in the hell hole she had been dragged into. She told herself she could keep going as long as Tori was there for her. She should have known that it wouldn't last much longer. She was naïve to even hope, but she did. It all fell apart one night when Tori came in to accompany Jade as she always did after training. They talked and sometimes exchanged affectionate gestures but they hadn't kissed since that confession. Jade took it upon herself to bring Tori closer and give her a simple peck on the lips. Tori smiled with a light blush staining her cheeks. Jade laughed and leaned in for more when disagreeing voices met her ears. The intimate moment was shattered when the door flew open and David Vega strode in, shoving Kessler aside harshly as he did. He froze when he took one look at Jade and Tori's close proximity.
"Victoria, what is the meaning of this?" he demanded, face red in rage and fists tight. He wasn't happy to return home after a year of training Trina to see his youngest with the dragon hybrid. Tori jumped away from Jade like she was shocked. Jade could see the panic in her expression before her brown eyes met Jade's conflicted gaze. She watched as they changed to become eerily calm. A hollow expression took its place on her face, reminding Jade of that first meeting all those years ago. A cold smirk played on her features and her body shifted into one of indifference.
"Sorry father, I was trying to get information out of the hybrid by faking trust but I think you've ruined that for me now," she explained without faltering. David Vega's heavy brows lifted into an intrigued expression. She sounded so confident yet heartless that Jade had a hard time disbelieving her. She hoped with all her heart that what Tori said wasn't true. She couldn't even ask because if it wasn't true and this was a ploy against Tori's father then she would get Tori in trouble. But what if it was really true? Who could love a thing like Jade anyway? She shrunk a little and used the bars behind herself to keep from sliding to the floor in heartbreak. She looked at Tori hopefully but the young Vega glared at her in return.
"I can't believe you thought I would actually like you. I can't believe you tried to kiss me," she sneered hatefully. She said it all without flinching and Jade took the blows head on. She told herself to ignore the cutting words, told herself she was sure they were fake, but they sounded so real. She may have been an efficient killing machine but she was never unfeeling. Her heart always remained pure.
"Victoria," she whispered brokenly. She reached out to touch her arm but Tori smacked the hand away. Her hand then whipped across Jade's face, back handing her sharply. Jade gasped at the stinging contact to her cheek and held a hand there. Her eyes locked with Tori's before she finally gave in and slid to her knees, defeated. Her head bowed and her body deflated as the pain settled in. Kessler watched with a bruised countenance, hoping that the young Vega was faking it. He truly wanted their relationship to succeed as they both deserved someone who loved them for who they were. Just watching the scene unfold made his hope flicker. He always had faith in the young girl but it seemed it might have been misplaced. What if this was her true colors and she had been working for her father all along? Perhaps the whole Vega clan really were unfeeling? No, he couldn't believe that. Victoria was a good person, and he still held his belief that she would free Jade. His silent decision was lost on all as Tori gave Jade one last withering look before removing herself from the cage.
"You have her unchained when you go in there?" Vega questioned with irritation, yet the pride in his tone was apparent. He had never thought Tori capable of this line of work. He had always cringed at the amount of care she put into everything. Life wasn't always so nice and he tried for years to get his youngest to understand that. It looked like she had been playing him all along and he couldn't have been more satisfied than he was now.
"How else would I have been able to fool her and get her to work for us?" Tori replied with a shrug. Vega laughed and casually threw an arm around Tori's shoulder. Kessler caught the slight flinch from Tori when the oldest Vega lifted his arm but Jade hadn't. She was too busy wallowing in her grief. Her pain was so deep it looked like she had her own personal black rain cloud hovering over her. Kessler frowned and wanted dearly to explain to the young dragon that Tori was definitely acting, but he couldn't, not without exposing her plans to the senior Vega. He didn't like it but it had to be done.
"Very nice, Victoria. I had lost hope in you ever following the family business. You shared your mother's sentiments too closely but I see it was all just a scam. You are your father's daughter after all and I don't want to waste another moment of our time here. I want to share something with you," he stated, leading Tori to the exit.
"Elf, lock up the hybrid and stay there until I allow you to leave. You don't deserve to return to your cell after defying me again," he ordered. Kessler nodded silently and entered the cage. Vega watched him a moment longer and then left with his youngest still under his arm. The door slammed with a finality that crushed Jade. She had been holding in her tears the whole time but they finally broke free, a single tear running down her face. She didn't respond to anything Kessler did as he worked to chain her up. She just sat with emotionless disinterest. He began to worry for her after he sat for an hour, waiting to see if she would come around. Instead, she curled up on her side and cried. Her broken sobs tore at him because he knew despite dragons being fierce and mighty creatures, they loved with a capacity no other creature he had met could ever match.
To him, that included humans, although they seemed to be almost as complex. A dragon's bond was strong, and because they were, they fight mercilessly to keep their loved ones safe. It was the reason taming a dragon companion in his world was so sacred. If one was able to gain the trust of a dragon then they too were pure of heart. For a dragon's trust was the highest blessing anyone could have. It was the reason Kessler couldn't quite believe Tori's actions. He had come to trust her too and couldn't see her behaving this way was truly who she was. No, Jade may be half human, but all the important qualities of her dragon lineage were there. Her trust was honest and true. He would just have to wait and see who the youngest Vega was truly fooling. Kessler sighed and sat next to Jade who flinched when he placed his slender, long fingered hand on her arm.
"She didn't mean it young one, I'm sure," he mumbled. Another sob wracked Jade's form before she could answer.
"She did, Kessler. She's been playing us, can't you see? I'm so stupid to ever believe that someone besides the ones who raised me could ever love me," she lamented. Because dragons felt so much it wasn't a wonder that their hearts could be broken easily. The wise elf had seen many distressed dragon companions fly into an inconsolable rage after the death of a partner. They had to be put down because of how fierce they became. They lost a piece of their soul and they would never love again. Jade's human qualities may save her from feeling that intense but he couldn't be sure that she wouldn't let the rage fester within. In fact, knowing her for so long, he knew she would fight harder, kill with brutality, and train until she dropped to forget this ever happened. Right now, she just needed the comfort to get over her heartbreak, and he would provide for her as much as he could.
"Jade, ever since that amazing day when you were born I always knew you would be great. It was not because you were a hybrid and it was not because of what you were a hybrid of. I could feel your purity and knew you would be a very special individual all on your own. As you grew and our paths have crossed once more I can only feel honor for being the one to stand by your side even in these harsh circumstances. I have confidence in you and hope you trust me in return because of the history we share," he began. Jade sniffled and rolled on her back to look at him. Her usually strong features crumbled with apparent remorse.
"I don't know about all that purity shit but I trust you too, Kessler. You're my only friend," she responded honestly. He smiled fondly and patted her arm.
"Then believe me when I say that Victoria can still be trusted," he insisted. Jade's expression darkened at the mere mention of her name. Kessler could feel her anger already bubbling under the surface. Her mourning was over. Now, she would fight.
"No, she can't be trusted. She wasn't what we thought Kessler, and she'll never be," Jade disagreed. He sighed.
"Jade, I've vowed to protect you ever since I learned that you had been kidnapped. I know you as well as your parents. You are careful and deliberate in your actions, which include who you put your reliance in, and when you do it is well placed. Victoria Vega is devoted to you. You two have been planning a breakout for some time now. She has told you about your parents, yes?" he continued. Jade tensed at the mention of her parents and then sat up quickly. A hiss escaped her mouth in anger.
"You knew?" she snarled at him.
"Of course," he replied calmly.
"Why didn't you say anything?" she demanded, getting to her feet to tower over him. He wasn't affected by her attempt at intimidation. He stared down purebred dragons that were over fifty times her size and three times as strong.
"I had faith Victoria would tell you and she did. That's proof that she-" Kessler tried again but Jade just roared in agitation and tackled him to the ground.
"No! She told me when she knew the time would be right! It was a ploy, a trick. She lied to get close to me so she could break my heart and break my will, so that her father could break me further! Stop this nonsense talk of love and trust, Kessler! We're in the real world not some fairy tale!" she shouted in his face, her nails digging into his shoulder and drawing forth his dark blood. His brows creased in discomfort but he didn't back down.
"You are wrong," he stated simply with conviction. Jade's eyes contracted into slits and she bared her teeth. A low growl slid from her mouth in a threatening manner. Her claws dug deeper in the elf's flesh but he did nothing to stop her. Jade looked seconds from tearing him apart, but no matter how hurt, confused, and angry she was, she couldn't truly harm him. He knew this and waited calmly as her jagged breathing faltered. She gasped on the air like she was suffocating now, her fierce expression dissolving. She pushed off the elf to stumble over her restraints in an effort to put as much distance as she could between them. Hot tears ran again, both full of sadness and rage. She screamed and spat vivid green flame that scorched the floor. Her blows fell hard against the bars of her cage to bend the metal.
The outward force of strength and her own brand of magic was easily beginning to overcome the charms and spells he placed on the enclosure. This was the kind of emotional outburst he was expecting and it had finally arrived. He sat up and quietly kept an eye on the rampaging hybrid that was now nothing more than a beast at the moment. If Vega knew what was good for him he would stay clear until she was worn out, but knowing him, he would use her new found fury to his advantage. In the three days Kessler was left with Jade he witnessed all the stages of grief. Even the various personnel that brought food for them were not safe even though they did nothing. The fact that they even worked for Vega angered Jade. She didn't want to kill them, because killing an innocent just wasn't something she could ever do.
She wasn't above scaring the shit out of them though by inflicting a small amount of pain in the form of a bite or scratch. Hell, she had bitten off the finger of a server until Kessler stepped in. He calmed her before she could tear into him with her claws. After she had calmed for the day, having worn herself out, she apologized profusely while he cleaned up. He always waved her away but his silence was getting to her. She didn't want to lose another person she cared about, so by the third day, she resolved to let it all go. She was calm and indifferent, lacking all emotion. The stillness that accompanied her concerned Kessler, but even he had to admit it was better than the turmoil that surrounded him before. It was just odd and a little frightening to see the passionate hybrid so emotionally dead. Even when Vega returned to gather her for a small tournament that would lead up to the big one she hadn't reacted much besides a grudging growl.
Kessler was dismissed to join maintenance on the machine, leaving Jade to be dragged out like a dog on a chained leash. He hoped she hadn't completely given up. She hadn't, and it showed in the battles she partook in. They held no mercy. When she fought she fought to kill without a second thought. She didn't do it for Vega of course, but for herself. She had to release the toxic need to inflict her pain on something. She still didn't want to hurt anything at all, but if she had to pick it would be her opponents. Years of abuse at the hands of Vega combined with her broken heart made her icy. She knew she would be nothing but a disappointment to everyone if they saw her like this, giving in to such hate. Her Mother, hopefully being taken care of by her father's personnel, would be ashamed of her, she knew. It couldn't be helped though. She was nothing but a beast answering to her master's orders as she should be. She had nothing else to live for.