Minga: Apologies for the long wait; Ina was being a pain and not working on the fight. From what I understand, track's been killing her.
Ina: ((had fallen asleep at the computer))
Minga: Oh well. On with the story!
WARNING: GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE. Lots of GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE. Ina got down as much as she was able to, but believe it or not, she envisioned it much differently, with a lot. more. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE. XD;;
"What is going on now?" Prowl asked and Narzenim looked at him, green eyes almost glowing in the gloom.
Narzenim shook her head at last. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." The leopard told him wryly, settling herself down in a corner.
Orion shook his head as well. "Narzenim, I think you'll have to explain things to us because I have no idea what's going on."
The leopard's fur bristled and she became a tiger, green eyes bright. "Let's start from the beginning, then, for Prowl's benefit." She settled herself down and began. "Prowl, you and I are in between an age-old battle between the Autobots and Decepticons – good and evil respectively. Your
friends – Orion, Jazz, Ratchet, Ironhide, and Bee – are on the Autobot's side, and those that captured us tonight are on the side of the Decepticons." She told him.
"How are you able to change shape?" Prowl asked, leaning against the bars. Despite there being enough room for the red creature from before to turn around comfortably, Prowl was in a cell next to them. It was evidently part of the cell they were in, for the only thing separating them was a row of bars.
"All of us – including you, Prowl – have these two abstract, tattoo-like Marks on our body. These define our characters as well as our alternate form." Narzenim replied easily, changing into a lioness with a huff. "There are certain rules regarding them, and actually, they're rather simple. If one's two Marks are animals, then their character as well as their alternate form is a cross of those two animals. If one's two Marks are objects, then they are shapeshifters, not bound to any one shape."
"Prowl is Marked?" Jazz asked, eyes alight with happiness but also alarm.
Narzenim nodded solemnly, changing once more into a snow leopard. "What are his symbols?" Orion asked and Narzenim shook her head.
"Now is not the time." She told them.
The door was opened and a very pissed Whin was shoved in, eyes red as blood. Unlike the others barring Narzenim who wore nothing to bind tem, Whin bore long bands of iron wrapped around her arms from just above her wrists to just below her elbows. She caught sight of them, even Prowl who was sitting against the wall near the bars, as close to Jazz as he could manage to get.
Her eyes softened slightly. "Are you guys all right?" she asked softly but pitching her voice just right so it'd carry to them.
"As well as can be expected. Are you injured?" Orion asked, standing and walking over.
Whin shook her head. "I am, but they're minor and I'll manage. I'm more worried about what they're going to do to you than what they'll do with me."
"Do you know what they want?" Ratchet asked and Whin sighed.
"Currently they have a grand total of five dragons, most of which are shorter than twenty feet. Two can't fly and the rest can – at incredible speeds. They have four shapeshifters, a hawk, a bear, and two who can't change their shape." Whin told them flatly, listing the numbers in a matter-of-fact tone. "If they manage to get us to allow them to Brand us, they'll have two more dragons, a Cat, a lion, a winged feline, two shapeshifters, one of which is the Seer, and two Dragons. Really, Ratchet. What would they want?" Her eyes closed and she rubbed a hand tiredly over them. "Sorry. If they can't persuade us, they'll try to break us."
"That can't be good." Ironhide muttered and Whin rolled her eyes.
The door clanged open and Whin turned as two men entered, bearing long metal spear-looking things in their hand. The door was closed by a third man who leaned against the bars to watch.
The first was a lithe man with long red-brown hair tied messily behind his head. Red-orange eyes stared at Whin who glared right back. He stretched, muscles rippling beneath his bare chest and shook his head, growling.
The second man was slender but just as lithe. Unlike the other, his hair was brown-black and neatly tied behind his head. Like the first, he wore no shirt but didn't display his muscles to look intimidating; instead, he swung his spear-thing idly as the first stepped forward.
"Stay against the walls." Whin told them over her shoulder, gently pushing Orion back as she moved to the center of the cell.
"Mighty Megatron has ordered us to fight you. To the deaths." The first man rumbled, eyes eager for bloodshed.
"As you wish. You have come to your deaths." Whin replied with a courteous nod.
"Oh my." Ratchet said faintly. "This won't end well." Ironhide snorted but agreed nonetheless.
"I will fight you first." The man continued and Whin nodded. She placed her right fist in her left hand and gave a Chinese bow.
"As you wish." She stood in a loose stance and waited as the man swung his spear before charging like an angry bull. Nimbly she hopped aside, smirking as the man roared and charged back. She clucked her tongue as she dodged once more. "My, my, Inferno. So angry."
"Arrogant, aren't you?" the second man asked, looping his spear around her neck from behind.
"Think we're smart, do we, Shockwave?" Whin gave him a cruel smile before grabbing him and flipping him over her shoulder. His spear dropped from his hands and Whin picked it up, swinging it back and forth experimentally as Inferno paused, just out of reach of her new weapon.
"For Megatron!" with that roar, Inferno flung his spear at her. She ducked and snatched it out of the air before whirling and flinging it back at him. Inferno dodged and rolled, coming up to her right. "Missed me." He sneered, and Whin smiled as Shockwave screamed in pain.
"I wasn't aiming for you." She nodded at the other man who was now pinned to the wall by his hand, impaled by the spear. She looked at the other spear in her hand and flung it at the wall, embedding it in the rock. "Now. Let's go hand-to-hand." She settled into a crouch, waiting for Inferno to move.
Inferno charged at her with a roar and they grappled for a moment, searching for a good grip on the other. Whin found it first and lifted him easily, throwing Inferno hard on the floor. The man staggered back up, glaring at Whin. He threw a wild punch at her face which she dodged and batted him lightly.
"Stop toying with me." He hissed, shaking his head to clear it. "Damn it stop toying with me."
"As you wish." He was lifted by his neck into the air and found himself staring into cold blood-red eyes so much like Barricade's. He was slammed into the wall then thrown once more to the floor in a dizzy heap. He scrambled up with the help of the wall nearby and roared in pain as Whin slammed a fist into his gut. "Do you want me to toy with you now?" she hissed in his ear, voice gone cold. He didn't have time to answer, for he was thrown across the cell, landing in the middle and staggering to his knees to the middle.
He looked up to find Whin standing over him, spear in hand. "Finish me." He told her, knowing in his gut that he wouldn't win this fight no matter what. That being said, he hung his head.
Whin swung the spear back and forth and suddenly raised it, slamming it hard across his head. The now-headless body fell to the ground and Whin turned hard eyes on Shockwave who was still struggling with his impaled hand. Whin hefted the bloody spear, watching the blood drip down over her hand and closed her eyes. When they opened, they were trained on Shockwave who was furiously trying to pull the spear out of his hand. Blood dripped down from the spear as Whin approached him. Easily, she yanked the spear out and dropped it at his feet.
"Get up and fight, you gutless coward." She growled, heaving him to his feet and shoving the spear in his hand. With a cry, Shockwave ran from him to the bars near where Barricade lounged.
"Let me out." He cried to the other Decepticon, shaking the bars furiously. "Let me out!"
"What's the matter, Shockwave? You don't want to play anymore?" there was an eerie tone to Whin's voice that made Orion shiver. He could hardly imagine what the Decepticon was feeling and concluded that he really didn't want to know.
"Barricade! Let me out!" Shockwave wailed as Whin advanced slowly on him. She was in no real rush.
The other man rumbled. "No. Your orders were to fight to the death, so fight."
"He's right, Shockwave; neither of us is dead, so by rights we should still be fighting." Whin fairly purred, bloody hand moving to grab the Decepticon by his neck. She tossed him easily back into the middle of the cell, circling. "Don't you want to have some fun?" her eyes were red, Orion realized with a start. Blood-red, and she wore a sort of crazy grin on her face as she toyed with the Decepticon – her victim. His pathetic little punches were mere taps compared to the crushing blows they had seen her deal out with Inferno. Now she was just toying with him in a way she hadn't with Inferno; letting him come close, making him think he had her only to flip him on his back none too gently.
He happened to land near his spear and before Whin could react, he had hurled it through her stomach. Surprised, the woman took a step back, looking down inquisitively at the metal protrusion.
"Who's the winner now, bitch?" Shockwave hissed, scrambling to his feet.
"You think a little scratch like this'll stop me?" Whin asked in that peculiar tone. She grabbed the spear and with a practiced jerk, snapped off the tip. With a predatory grin, she drew the metal shaft out her back and held it up for the Decepticon to see. "Are you going to fight now, Shockwave?" she swung the broken spear back and forth for a while before pausing, bringing it to her face. "Are you ready to fight yet?" she asked, licking the spear almost seductively. She flicked her tongue out and licked up the blood on her lips, watching her victim all the while.
"H-how? How is that possible?" Shockwave demanded, pressing himself against the wall.
Whin gave him a devilish smile. "I'm a Dragon, Shockwave," she told him, spreading her arms. "What do you expect?"
In a last-ditch effort, Shockwave threw himself at her, hoping to get her off-balance long enough for him to make a break for the door to the cell. Whin caught him easily, holding him up by the throat. She gave him a strange look. "You're beginning to irritate me," she told him calmly. "You'll die now." Easily, she threw him to the ground, leaving him gasping. As nonchalantly as you please, she slashed
across his chest with her hands, clawing the Decepticon enough to make his chest look like ground beef while holding him down and dodging his weak protests and ignoring his screams.
At last she plunged her hand into his chest. It emerged a second later with a reddish mass clutched in her fist. For a long moment she knelt there, looking curiously at the Decepticon's heart and ignoring the blood that dribbled down her arm. "I half expected to find an empty void there," she told the body without looking away from the bloody mass in her hand. "Guess I was wrong, really." Whin looked down at the dead Decepticon whose face was frozen in a mask of terror and agony. "I'd eat it – you know the old tradition of eating the heart of your opponents after single combat (though this could hardly be called combat) – but I don't want to be poisoned by your black heart." She flung the mass away with a grimace of disgust before looking back down at Shockwave's body.
Muttering quietly to herself she lifted the body and flung it with unerring accuracy to the door of the cell. Approaching Inferno's body, she lifted it – with his severed head on his stomach and the broken spears next to it – in a respectful fashion and carried it to the door where Barricade stood with a large cart.
"How badly are you injured?" he rumbled, tossing Shockwave's body into the cart and gently putting Inferno's in.
"Not badly," Whin replied, leaning against the wall to watch. "It'll heal fast, but it all depends on the reason you're asking."
Barricade grunted, closing the door. "Megatron wants to see you fight." He told her bluntly. He gave her a piercing glare that seemed more inquisitive than angry. "I'll see what I can do." He said at last, rolling the cart away.
Whin watched him for a moment before turning around. She took a few steps forward before pausing; noting the horrified and sickened looks her friends wore. She blinked for a second and looked down at her bloody hands. Her eyes became sad, and she looked back up at her friends, sighing, before turning back around and sitting down against the wall near the bars.
Narzenim got up and padded over to her, curling up at her mother's side and for a moment, silence reined in the large cell. Whin looked down at the cougar and said something quietly to her; Narzenim nodded and padded back over, head down, but not before her mother ripped the metal muzzle off as if it were made of paper.
"Have you ever seen her do that?" Jazz asked Ratchet, Ironhide, and Orion in a jaded voice; he figured that the three older men may have, for he was sure that he and Prowl hadn't.
Ironhide shook his head. "No, but we knew she was capable of doin' it." Across the cell, Whin winced and looked away.
"She saved us once," Ratchet told them, looking over at the older woman. "It was how we were able to get home early."
"What happened?" Orion asked after Ratchet stopped, looking as if he was debating whether or not to go and check up on his friend.
"We had settled down for the night an' Whin was with us in the tent, 'bout to get some shuteye herself. An' then there was this whole shoutin' match going on outside," Ironhide said, looking over at
Ratchet. "Whin went out to check an' got shot a few times; rebels had infiltrated the camp an' were reakin' merry havoc on our unit. Long story short, Whin got mad, killed the rebels, and saved the remaining survivors. Meanin' saved jus' me an' Ratch'."
"She's told me about that," Narzenim said with a nod. "She said that was one of the few times she's ever lost her temper."
Jazz glanced toward the woman who stared blankly at the wall. "And this is another, right?"
Narzenim's ears went flat and she looked away. Ratchet shook his head. "No, Jazz, it wasn't."
"You must understand that there is a lot about Whin that you aren't meant to know." Narzenim told them quietly, ears flat and eyes sad. "She has remarkable control over herself and her actions but even she has her limits. She is a fighter at heart – that's what she was born to do, essentially, and despite hiding it and burying it she yearns for a good fight. How would you feel if you were in her position, Jazz? She's been denying the bloodlust for so long that when she was faced with a fight – a perfect fight to the death where she didn't have to worry about hurting or killing someone she loves…how can you expect her to turn it down?"
Anything anyone else was about to say was interrupted as Barricade opened the door. He looked over at Whin, then the rest of them in the opposite end of the cell. "Come." He told them bluntly; a door opened in Prowl's cell as he stood warily.
Whin stood cautiously and walked up to him, conferring with him in quiet tones before stepping back and nodding. "It is safe," she told them, not meeting their eyes. Without a word, she stepped into the hallway and waited as they emerged slowly from the bars.
"You're not worried that we'd run off?" Jazz asked, peering at Barricade. "I mean, there's like seven of us and three of you." Indeed two more – twin brothers – had joined them, walking just behind them.
"I'm not worried." Barricade told him. "I'm a Dragon, and if things got out of hand, Whin here could easily take care of you."
Whin ignored the distrustful stares she got from her friends and focused more on walking down the hall just behind Barricade. Ironhide walked up beside her and tried to meet her eyes. "So are you on their side?" he asked, contempt evident in his voice.
Whin looked sidelong at him. "No." she told him softly. "I will remain neutral."
"Are you a traitor, then?" his tone was angry now, and Whin didn't answer him.
"She is not a traitor." Barricade rumbled in her defense, much to Ironhide's surprise. "We have found ways to control Dragons, and we used such methods on her; she is doing none of this willingly."
"Except for killing Shockwave and Inferno." Jazz muttered to Prowl who nodded. Whin winced and continued to walk beside Narzenim.
Barricade growled. "Windtreader is one of the most honorable people I have met." He snarled. "Show some respect."
Whin said something to him in a strange, odd language consisting mostly of odd, guttural sounds that seemed impossible to produce from a human's vocal cords. Barricade growled in response and looked away, continuing to lead the way. The twins had ditched them somewhere along the way.
Narzenim's head was hung and she trailed forlornly behind everyone else until Bee moved to walk beside her. The girl offered him a weary smile that he timidly returned. "Don't be scared." He said quietly. "We'll find a way out."
Green eyes regarded him and Bee realized then that it was as if Narzenim was a whole lot older than she let on; there was a deep weariness he had only seen shimmering in his grandfather's eyes. "Oh, I know that; I have faith in Whin and Jumper and Firebird, but what I'm really worried about now is what will happen to them – and us – in the mean time." Narzenim gave a world-weary sigh, ignoring Bee's startled look. Jazz and Prowl who had been walking nearby, slowed to listen; Orion did the same as Ironhide and Ratchet eyed Whin warily. "The Decepticons know better than to kill any of us off, as they need Whin as sane as they can get her; if they mess too much with her head, then she'll snap and Hell will be unleashed. Jumper and Firebird are laying low and waiting for Whin's signal. All she needs to do is find us a way out without endangering us in any way."
Orion snorted. "That's impossible; she can't take on the Decepticon army herself!"
Intense green eyes regarded him. "Nothing is impossible except slamming a revolving door." The teen told him dryly. "At any rate, you'll see what she can do in a little while; it is beyond what any of you can do at the moment."
Barricade led them into a large room with a steaming pool the size of a football field at its center. Smaller showers lined the walls, and in an alcove piles of towels and robes were neatly folded. A bizarre creature was carrying in a basket full of linens through another door and seeing them, paused as if unsure. Barricade beckoned to it and warily it made its way over. Closer, the Autobots got a good look at it.
It stood nearly seven feet tall even though it was hunched over. In some instances it resembled a centaur of Greek myth, though its back was too sloped. It seemed to be made of metal, bone, and wood, wired, hammered, and screwed together somehow. Its head was tear-drop shaped and it sported two mouths; one above the pits that must serve as its eyes and the other in the usual place, both lined with grotesque fangs like shards of broken glass that were at such an angle that it couldn't completely close either of its mouths. Its neck was long and made of chain, rope, bone, and metal. Both legs were wheels and on the shoulders of the thing, another pair of metal, wood, and bone arms emerged almost delicately; with this it bore the basket of linens.
The creature put the basket down near the folded towels and robes and made its way delicately over to them. There, it bowed low to Barricade and edged away from Whin. "Aye, Master Barricade?" it asked in a raspy croak that sounded more like a bullfrog than anything else. As it talked, both mouths opened and closed though it was unclear as to where the sound actually came from.
"Fetch for me suitable clothes for the Autobots in the correct sizes." Barricade ordered, eyes flicking toward the Autobots before turning to look at the creature.
"Specifics, Master Barricade? I cannot function on assumptions." The thing croaked with another bow.
"Fighting clothes for Mistress Whin and comfortable clothes for the others." Barricade replied. "Good condition, mind."
"Aye, Master Barricade." The thing bowed again and rolled away at a ground-eating pace. Within seconds it was gone.
"Creative." Whin said blandly and Barricade shrugged.
It soon returned with another basket, this one filled with clothes which it gently put down at Barricade's feet. "Can this humble Conjure do anything else for you, Master Barricade?"
"Yes, actually. Keep watch over the young Seer Narzenim over there. Ensure that none of the others try to mess with her." red eyes flicked to Narzenim whose face was carefully blank. "You never know."
"As you wish, Master Barricade." The creature wheeled over to Narzenim, pausing to regard Jazz, Prowl, and Orion who moved to step between them; Bee had grabbed the girl's arm and was staring at the creature, looking as if he would throw himself at it if it made any other move toward his friend.
The girl slid out of his grasp and slowly approached the creature, aware that her adopted mother was standing rigidly nearby, worried for her safety. In front of the creature, she gave a short bow which it returned slowly, as if surprised. "Hello." Narzenim said softly and Whin relaxed.
"Hello, Seer Narzenim." The thing croaked. "This humble Conjure has been ordered to ensure your safety. Is this permissible?"
Narzenim nodded and gave a short bow which the Conjure returned. Pleasantries apparently over, Narzenim wandered toward Whin as the thing followed dutifully. Barricade nodded and looked at the Autobots, eyes resting on Whin's bloody hands. "You can get cleaned up here. Cameroon will ensure you have everything you need." He added as another Conjure rolled in, summoned somehow. "From there I will take you to the Thorne Room and then the Arena." He turned to Narzenim and hesitated. At her nod, the spoke to her in that strange language from before, the one full of low guttural sounds. With a low bow to her at the end of his small speech, he walked out the door.
Once the door was closed, Narzenim's composure fell and she threw herself at her mother, burying her face in the soothing chest of the woman that raised her. Hands covered in dried blood and encased in thick, heavy metal wrapped around her and the Conjure assigned to protect her made a low sound of comfort.
"Let's get cleaned up, Great Seer." Whin told her quietly though her voice was heavy with importance and respect.
"I don't want to be the Great Seer to you," Narzenim whispered. "I just want to be plain old 'Sara'."
Whin gave a sad smile and rested her cheek on her daughter's head. "We were dealt a hand by Primus that we must live with to the end of our days. We must live with it whether we like it or not. Trust me, dear Sara, that I don't want to expose you to war at such a young age. The last thing I wanted you to see was the death of any living creature, but we are at war. So please put a brave face and let your friend keep an eye on you." She nodded to the Conjure. "I know it's hard, dear one, but come. Let's get cleaned up."
With a nod, Narzenim allowed herself to the led to the water's edge where she slid in, clothes and all. Whin turned and looked at the rest of them. "Get cleaned up and relax a bit. It's going to be a long night." That said, she slid into the water.
The Conjure assigned to protect Narzenim made a sad sound and kept a sharp pit-eye on her as she swum around. Whin swam to the bottom of the pool and sat there as if sulking. Little by little the blood came off her hands and clothes, though she scarcely took notice. She leaned against the wall and stared up at the light, meditating.
"What did Barricade tell you?" Ironhide demanded when Narzenim surfaced next.
She hesitated. "He told me what was going to happen to us and that he was sorry for the orders he will have to follow."
The big man snorted. "A Decepticon? Sorry? Pheh."
Ratchet was peering into the pool at Whin. "Is it normal for her to stay submerged as such for such a long time?"
Narzenim looked over at her adopted mother who showed no sign of surfacing. "Not really. She can hold her breath for a long time." As if she could they were talking about her, Whin looked up at them, eyes bright. Narzenim frowned and nodded, turning to look at the gathered Autobots. "She asked me to tell you a story that she thinks you should know. Prowl especially. But before I tell you the story, we should get cleaned up." Whin was swimming slowly upwards, almost lazily. When she hauled herself out of the water, Cameroon was there to hand her a towel and some clothes.
She wandered off to a stall nearby where, judging by the clothes being slung over the walls, she was changing. When she emerged, she was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit with short sleeves and hem that revealed her shoulders and navel; it resembled more of a halter-top than an actual shirt. Her shorts were long and tight-fitting, the hem coming down to her knees. She walked over to them, eyes cold. "Get cleaned up and relax." She advised them. "It's going to be a long night."
-
Barricade returned with seven more Conjures, each armed with spears or swords. He carried a pair of heavy-looking metal shackles. Whin looked over at him and nodded slowly.
"No!" Narzenim was a blur that leapt through the air and clung to her waist.
"Sweetie, I have to go." Whin said gently, calm façade cracking.
"You don't have to." Tears fell down the girl's face and awkwardly Whin patted her back.
"Yes I do, dear one." Her voice cracked near the end and she paused before continuing. "You know it to be true." The Conjure sent to protect her – called Marui – made a low sound as if to comfort her. "Take her please, Marui." The Conjure's upper arms gently lifted the teen and pried her away from her mother as the other Conjures approached. Most of them moved to ensure that none of the others would try to free the woman as they shackled her tightly.
"No!" Narzenim changed again, into a great saber-toothed tiger. A Conjure slapped her aside and reared, about to smash her with its front tires. Whin jerked her head; she wrestled an arm free and tore an upper limb off the Conjure beside her, throwing it like a javelin through the teardrop-shaped head of the thing trying to kill her daughter. Narzenim rolled away as the Conjure fell and was on her feet in a flash, fur bristling and claws and fangs flashing.
The Conjure behind Whin roar-shrieked and swatted her as the one missing an arm wailed. With a snarl, Whin turned and grabbed the shrieking one by it neck and swung it hard into the one trying to shackle her.
Another grabbed her by a leg and threw her into a wall where she crumpled to the ground. Yet another moved and finished shackling her as she began moving again. It picked her up and slammed her into the wall with enough force to crack and break some of the sturdy granite that it was made of. The remaining Conjures left, one of their own carrying Whin and others carrying the pieces of their fallen comrades.
Barricade was shaking his head near the door. "I hope they didn't do much damage to her." he said blandly. "Lord Megatron wouldn't be very happy with them if they did."
"What does it matter to you?" Narzenim snapped, slowly returning to her human form.
Barricade turned and looked at her. "Read my mind, Seer. It is all there." He paused as Narzenim looked away. "As it is, I am here to escort you to a cell. From there we will travel to the Throne Room and have an audience with Lord Megatron."
-
At the new cell, Barricade left them to check up on Whin, locking the door tightly behind him and leaving Marui to guard the door. Narzenim sat down and sighed, putting her head in her hands.
"What did you need to tell us?" Orion asked, trying to find a way to break the silence.
Narzenim looked up at them and motioned for them to sit. "A story. Where shall I begin?"
"How about the beginning?" Prowl asked gently though he was inwardly dying of curiosity.
"Mukashi mukashi…"
"English please, Narzenim." Jazz said with a chuckled. The girl rolled her eyes.
"Once upon a time, there was a young woman. She was studying to become an EMT in addition to volunteering at a local hospital. She was charming but hardly smiled, and many thought it was because she was lonely; no one knew where her family was or if she even had any family. Well, one day she met a soldier-medic who brought in a friend who as injured. He charmed her and she fell head over heels for him, so much so that it was obvious to everyone around them. He wooed her and brought her enormous bundles of flowers, the kind that filled a whole room with the smell. One day, the day after she got her degree and official job as an EMT, he proposed to her."
The Autobots leaned forward as the Seer paused, green eyes closed as if remembering. "Well? What happened next?" Jazz asked eagerly, earning a sharp elbow from Prowl.
Narzenim sighed. "She said yes. She was young and thought he was the one – the one who would never leave her, who she could love to the end of time and back.
"Their wedding day was planned for a cloudless sunny day, and the invites were about to be sent out when she found that she was pregnant. The soldier-medic agreed to postpone the wedding so she could have the child. Now the woman had also been a soldier at one point in her life, and she knew that when duty called, a soldier couldn't help but obey, so she said nothing when he was deployed oversees for a year." She sighed again, green eyes sad. "About two months after he deployed, her first child, a son, was born."
Ratchet stared at Narzenim, jade-green eyes sharp. "I know this story." He told her, voice tight.
The Seer turned her head slowly to look at him. "But not the whole thing." She whispered. "The woman was happy beyond compare, and the child was the more beautiful thing she'd ever seen. She cared for him well, and named him Apollo.
"Now, a year later her husband came home to find little Apollo playing in the living room. They worked together to plan the wedding a second time, and this time chose a cool spring day. The wedding was lavish and beautiful though not too festive; the woman wore the most beautiful dress, practically glowing in the cool air. She walked down the aisle alone; she had no father, and her mother was dead.
"Apollo was sitting with a few of her friends on the side as the march played, and he watched her with those icy eyes of his. Now, the woman had reached the altar and waited for her husband-to-be to appear from behind the screen with the priest. The priest came out, followed by the best man, matron of honor, and so on. But the man didn't come out. She waited and waited, so the best man and matron of honor went to go look for him.
"They didn't find him, but they found a note saying that he had run off. He didn't want a son, the note said, and his time away made him realize that he had never wanted to be tied down or married to a woman; maybe a tumble or two was all he wanted, but not a lasting commitment."
"So the woman walked down from the altar and picked up her son, little Apollo, and with him in her arms, walked out of the chapel." Ratchet finished bitterly. Ironhide shook his head.
"What was the point in this?" he asked.
"There's more." Narzenim said quietly. "She took him home, tore off her dress and washed off her makeup, and played with him for a while. Playing with him for a while and realizing that at any moment she could snap his neck or harm him with a single hit – a little tap to her, really. So she took him to the orphanage nearby and with a heavy heart, left him there."
"What happened to Apollo and the woman?" Bee asked quietly.
"The woman was heartbroken – the man she loved with all her heart and more had left her at the altar, and she had just given her son up for adoption. The day after she gave him up for adoption, she tried to drink away her sorrows, but it just didn't work. No matter where she turned, she saw her son and love and no amount of liquor could drown that away.
"She searched the entire house and found everything the soldier-medic had given her; every bit of jewelry was pried apart and melted down. She was a metalworker before, and her smithy was in the back
yard. She took the metal – gold, silver, copper, and brass, everything he had given her – into the smithy and mixed it all together, melting it into a beautiful chalice. This, she encrusted with the jewels – diamonds, rubies, and emerald, all that had been in the jewelry he had given her. When it was done, she filled it with the strongest vodka she could find and made a solemn oath to herself to never trust her heart to another. She drank the vodka down and broke the chalice. If she broke her oath and ended up having her heart broken, she would fix the chalice and drink from it again and make yet another oath.
"She still felt sad so she went back to her forge and lit a fire. The only thing she hadn't burned for the chalice was the engagement ring he had given her, but she couldn't bring herself to take it off and burn it. She needed something to show outwardly what she felt inwardly, so she stuck her hand into the fire and burned the ring off. Her ring finger still bears the mark of burning metal."
"What about Apollo?" Jazz asked, eyes wide. He had a brief flash of memory of a long-fingered, tan hand rubbing anxiously at a dark, scarred band around a ring finger…
"The woman couldn't bear to be parted from Apollo for very long, so after a year or two she adopted him and he's lived with her ever since, not knowing that she was his mother or his real name." Narzenim's sharp green eyes were on Prowl. "Shall I tell you what others know him as?"
Slowly, he shook his head. "Prowl?" Bee asked, eyes flicking from the stunned man to Narzenim.
"Why Apollo? Why not something else?" they whirled around to find Barricade leaning against the door to the cell, red eyes curious. "Something more fitting to our… strange abilities?"
Narzenim shrugged as Orion and Ironhide leapt to their feet. "What's it to you, Decepticon?" Ironhide snarled.
"I'm not entirely sure myself." Narzenim replied, ignoring Ironhide and Orion who tried to shush her. "From my understanding, Apollo was the Greek god of many things and I guess she felt it fit him."
"How long have you been there?" Jazz growled and Barricade gave a cool shrug.
"Since she started the story. I could hear Lord Megatron's displeasure all the way over here so I figured there was no sense in fueling the fire." He tilted his head to the side and nodded. "I'm to take you to the Throne Room now. Come, please."
Ina's Monologue:
Today's topic: The Decepticon Army, Conjures and Barricade
The Decepticon Army: As Narzenim mentioned before, there are fourteen Decepticons; with fourteen, how can the Decepticons have an army? Well, though there are fourteen Decepticons, the Decepticon Army is quite a force to be reckoned with. True, the Decepticons have lost two of their number to Whin in the battle in the cell, but they have bred themselvesa deadly army. Conjures serve mostly as servants and guards, as they're known to be none too bright. They can be used as shock troops as well, but most of the Decepticons' military strength lies in the guncrews - the humans they have commandeered from their "natural habitat". Some of the human guncrews are there willingly; others are forced into service by way of draconic magic on Megatron's part. The main purpose of a guncrew is to ride on the backs of the dragons and shoot, basically. The size of the guncrews vary from dragon and is based on size; Blackout would have less humans on his guncrew than Bonecrusher would. Other humans are used as medics and engineers; yet more are locked in rooms to forge and create Conjure bodies. Another defining force behind the Decepticon Army are the ferals they manage to catch and "tame". Such concepts (the forced bondage the of the humans, the ferals, and a little more of the guncrews) will be explained later when they begin to play a part in the story.
Conjures: These are creatures made special by Decepticon engineers and the laborers forced to make them. They resemble praying mantises with pits for eyes and two mouths, one above adn another below the eye-pits. They do vaguely resemble centaurs of Greek mythology, as their wheeled legs are built to resemble horse legs. Their upper arms are long, and tipped with single-jointed clawed hands. The basic structure of a Conjure is made from metal-covered bones and rods. The forearms are made using either metal rods or horse bones from the forelegs. The wheeled legs are usually made of horse bones as well, covered in metal and supported with yet more rods. Horce or cow ribs are used to make the main body, and the neck is made of alligator spine covered in metal. A wooden cover is then made to go over it, and that in turn is covered in metal plates that serve as armor. The head is put on last, and made special by master metalworkers. Then a shaman bound to Megatron would bind a dead human soul to the body, thus giving it life and some semblance of sentience. Shards of broken glass covered in molten metal are used for their teeth. Conjures are usually used as servants and guards, thought to be rather dumb.They're extremely loyal and humble, though have tendencies to become depressed. They're good warriors and horrible trackers, though if they can see their prey, they are well enough chasing them down.
Barricade: Yes, Barricade seems very off when dealing with the Autobots and Narzenim. This is mostly because he, unlike many other Decepticons, has the ability to feel remorse. He wasn't exactly born into the war; he had lived a peaceful life with his family in Germany before he was kidnapped by the Decepticons. His familyandfriends werekilled and his house burned to the ground: thus he had nowhere to go but to those who had ruined his life. He is mates with the Decepticon known as Slash, but not much more is known of him. Also, he likes kids and he can see how young Narzenim really is: he doesn't want to cause mental damage to such a young being, as he remembers how hard it was for him to recover from seeing his family and friends murdered before his eyes.