Chandra glanced behind her at where both vampires had disappeared, "Um, I still don't trust you." She slid down the roof of the building and dropped onto the street below. I'm being watched. I don't know by whom but I know I am. "Oh boy," she darted down an alley and out into the outskirts of the city. "Oh gross, it's all wet," Chandra looked around her in disgust, "I don't like being wet."
"Well, well, what do we have here?"
"A little fire mage?"
Chandra whirled around, "What do you want?"
"Nothing," a young man smirked. His black eyes looked her over intently. He glanced at the woman standing beside him, "Think she's strong enough?"
"Definitely," she leaped towards Chandra.
Chandra jumped back. Two?! I'm not sure I can hold off both of them if he's as fast as she is! She ducked a blow from him. However the woman managed to hit her in the back. Chandra growled, "Dammit."
"Well, it's time for us to say good night," the man tossed a bottle onto the ground. As it shattered an odd gas filled the air.
Chandra suddenly felt tired. No! I'm not going to sleep! Everything dulled around her and she collapsed. When she opened her eyes the first thing she noticed was that her arms were in chains that were attached to a solid iron pole. Runes covered each of the chain links as well as the pole. Chandra looked around the room. I won't be able to melt the metal. The runes see to that. I can't draw any mana. But if I can find keys or even something to pry the links apart I should be able to get out.
"Well, good morning." An insane cackle followed the words.
Chandra looked to her left and saw a young man crouching on a shelf. Vials of various liquids she couldn't identify lined the many shelves. None of them had labels on them. Well damn. So much for getting out of here without too much trouble.
"Let's see," he dropped off the shelf and turned to the vials it held, "Which would you like to try first?"
"What are they?" Chandra asked. Though she appeared calm impatience and fear flitted through her mind. How am I going to get out of here? I can't draw from anywhere. "Why am I chained?"
"They are going to test your stamina," he grinned, "and the chains are to ensure that you don't run away. You're the strongest person we've come across so we're going to find out if you're strong enough to fulfill the job we have for you."
Chandra's eyes narrowed, "You're kidding. How do you plan on doing that?"
"Well," he grabbed a vial and a knife, "We'll start with this since you don't seem to have a preference."
Chandra pulled as far away from him as she could.
He kneeled down in front of her, "You have permission to scream." The knife reflected light as he held it vertically, point up, in front of his nose.
Chandra struggled against the chains, "And what if I don't want to scream?"
"You won't be able to help it," he used the knife to cut her right shoulder.
Chandra hissed. That burned. I'm not going to give this freak the satisfaction of hearing me scream. She gritted her teeth as pain began to etch its way into her mind, "Poison huh?" How is this supposed to make me stronger? Poison weakens its victims. The pain steadily increased until it pushed everything else out of her mind. Chandra squeezed her eyes shut. Her breath came in short gasps. This hurts a lot. After a little bit, the pain slowly eased away. She gasped and opened her eyes. That's better. I'm glad that's over.
He remained in front of her and watched her carefully, "You have a strong will. Let's try something else."
"What?" Chandra asked in shock, "But it just faded."
"So?" he shrugged, "This is part of what we're trying to find out." A twisted smile crossed his face as he stood. The next vial he grabbed held a thin black liquid.
Chandra gritted her teeth. Rage clouded her thoughts, "You better believe I'm gonna get you back one hundred fold for this."
"Oh I bet," he cleaned the knife carefully, "We don't want cross contamination. If that happened you could die."
"Poison will kill me anyway!" Chandra snarled angrily.
"Not in the amount that I'm giving you. You'll feel all the pain but you won't die."
Chandra hissed. I hate you. When I get out of here I'm going to kill you.
A thin line of blood cut across her left shoulder. It was in the exact same spot as the cut on her right shoulder. The cut instantly started to burn as though it were being touched with an acidic cloth. Chandra snapped her jaws shut on a scream. What the?! That burns. It hurts but it's different than the other one. Blood dribbled down her arm but as it did the poison it held burned the skin it traveled over. It felt as though a mild acid traveled through her veins. Tears budded at her closed eyes but she kept her mouth stubbornly shut. You're going to pay for this.
"Well, you aren't screaming at that one either. You really are stubborn. Everyone else we've tested died on that one. One poison after another really weakens the body in the short term," he observed.
Her eyes opened to slits just so she could glare at him.
"Ah, the anger. That is how you're resisting, I'm assuming."
Chandra hissed but didn't bother speaking. If he's just going to run through poison after poison then I'm not going to bother speaking with him.
"Let's try this one."
"It hasn't worn off yet," Chandra muttered.
"Oh well," he shrugged and returned to the shelf, "And we'll try doubling the dose. You are strong willed enough to survive. I'm sure."
He cleaned the knife and put a clear liquid on it, "This is one of the higher grade poisons. It will hurt."
A feral snarl escaped her lips. Like I care. The moment I get out of here I'm killing you. And everyone in your little organization.
He slit her right shoulder just under the other cut. She couldn't hold back a scream of pain with this one. Pain instantly shot through her entire body and the longer it sat the more intense it grew. The poison continued to wrack her body with pain.
He grinned as her screams filled the room, "I knew I'd get a scream out of you eventually. I just had to take a poison that kills seventy five percent of its victims double the amount that I gave you and now I have the screams I requested. What a beautiful sound."
Chandra glared at him even through the pain, "I will kill you." Rage burned inside her and it was evident in her words. Her promise caused him to smirked, "That's only if you get free."
Her burning rage settled into an oddly cold hatred. I will get free. I promise you I'll get free. Then I'll kill you. The pain finally fell away leaving only hollow exhaustion. She let her head fall limply. I'm so tired and weak but that won't stop me. When I get out of here, no matter how long it takes or how weak I am I will get my revenge for this. She smiled in icy satisfaction.