Dec 22 108 PA - No right to remain enslaved
From Chronicles
Rattle. Rattle. Rattle. Spurred boots on cement, as Sebastien makes his way inside. He carries a burlap sack, letting it sway a bit as he scans the room from under that hat's brim. The sunshine outside is reflected off the piled snow, a bright yet frigid dichotomy. So much sun and so little heat. Sebastien queues up with the other complainants in the nonemergency line, whistling tunelessly as he waits to be seen.
Its a quiet day, the queue is not very long at all. After all it is the holiday season. People are nicer to each other this time of year right? The line offers just enough time for one to fill out the standard paperwork regarding the nature of the visit. So when Sebastien reaches the counter the clerk gives a nod, extending his hand to take said paperwork for initial review.
The sheet of paper is succinct, at least.
Name: Sebastien Dubois. Age: 28 years Place of Birth: Devil's Gate, Missouri Residency: Raleigh's 102 Occupation: Nurse Employer: Knight's Hospital Citizen: No Complaint; Vampire named Donna making zombie army in the dregs. Duration of complaint: 3 weeks Have you sought to settle this dispute privately?: I am psychically blocked from taking direct action.
Sebastien smiles helpfully as he passes the sheet of paper across to the clerk, nodding as he does so.
A moment is taken to review the form and check marks are made in the department only section. A few glances back to Sebastien during the process. After which the clerk knits his hands over the form a places his focus completely on Sebastien. "You are aware we have no jurisdiction in the Dregs?"
Sebastien lifts his sack and drops it on the counter. "Jurisdiction?" he wonders with his French lilt. "Monsieur, there is no such thing as jurisdiction. The dregs are not a foreign country; in fact, they are within our walls. You simply have written them off. I don't dispute that -- in fact, I think your policy saves the lives of many officers -- but vampires are making an undead army. Killing citizens, drinking blood, hiring mercenaries. If such a group existed outside the walls you would mobilize the armored divisions." He points at the sack. "That zombie was killed on Main Street. It won't be the last."
"An army? Of how many? And where is it housed? Its my understanding that necromancy is a very committing process in terms of arcane power. You claim a force is building undead legions in the Dregs without access to a Ley line?" The clerk asks as he dons a set of latex gloves to carefully unveil the proffered package. Somehow he manages to hold his lunch, but doesnt look long. "Well that is solid evidence to one part of your claim at least. Let me go get the officer in charge of Dregs affairs." He begs before leaving the desk to knock on one off many enclosed offices in the background. A moment later he returns with a very shady looking officer. You'd think he lived in the dregs from the looks of him. "Tell me more about this army."
By now the head is either immaculately preserved or looking pretty ragged. Either way, it's probably morose and tryng to cry. His wife killed him! Sebastien ignores Tim's head. "A group of vampires, perhaps a dozen at maximum, is using the Ivory Lady to lure in victims. I don't know the means except that it is something novel. This one--" Sebastien points at the head, "this one did not realize even he was dead. He had full capacity if cognition. I don't know how many there are. I can sit outside the Lady and watch for people who are cold and dead, but who is to say they must return there? This is worse than three years ago. Then every psychic in the city was on notice. The enemy could not invade the city without us knowing. The shambling hordes were outside the city, and we could easily identify friend from foe. This is like the Uprising, Messieurs. When so many of the juicers suddenly reanimated."
"Well my studies say there is no more than ten." The officer replies with a slight nod. "I've be assigned on surveillance of the Lady since word got out of the changes in staff. My job is to watch and evaluate. To determine if the vampirism is likely to spread and when. To date it doesnt look to be spreading at all. Though the resources available to them is rapidly growing. From what i can tell, Donna is building her resources pool and influence to make herself beyond elimination. So no there is no army. There is a force and a threat though." The officer admits before pausing to get Sebastiens take on the information so far. Meanwhile the clerk moves to another station to deal with other complaints.
Sebastien frowns. "They don't know that they are dead," he points out. "How would you know? Resources do not bother me so much. She can accrue magical weapons, rifles, and armor, but there is only so much harm that twenty people can do. But if she put her mind to it, there could be thirty vampires and a hundred zombies in a week. Are you saying this does not concern Kingsdale police?"
"No, actually I'm pretty sure I said we were concerned when I said I was assigned to watch the situation. You have to realize sir that it is not the brass in the KDPD that decides to leave the Dregs to its own devices until a purge is absolutely necessary. Its the council. If my superiors had their way the area would be routed and order enforced immediately. Unfortunately politicians have a different view. So I'm assigned to observe so that I can report all evidence that can be used as leverage with the council to authorize action." The officer replies a bit blandly.
"Then help me," Sebastien implores, and he drops his head. Stepping closer to the counter, the would-be knight utters in a more quiet voice, "Know that I have been ... constrained from acting against the club. But there is nuance. I lack your subtle investigation. Give me write-ups on the mercenaries she employs, the homes of the zombie slaves. I'll make people afraid to work for her. I'll make her business terribly unprofitable."
"You want me to help you, by giving you information you can use for activities similar to extortion. And that will in turn look good on me? No. not going to happen. You do not cure a disease by attacking the patient. You want help, I'm authorized to take you into protective custody as a material witness. After which I can file for a request to the Magic and Psi force to purge your affliction. Do you have any further statements to make before you are processed?" The officer asks, a clear pause given.
"I want you to help me," Sebastien replies evenly, "to kill mercenaries who would side with the dead over the living. To put the dead to rest." He gives the man a level look, though that mention of 'purge' causes him to take two steps back, and look left and right. His mouth opens, and then his eyes harden, and he says flatly, "It's too late." And then he walks quickly, and deliberately for the door.
"Stop him!" The officer cries and guards are quickly dashing to do just that. Three are present and have turned to address the issue. Two charge at Sebastien immediately in attempted take downs and one holds back a moment.
And take him down they do. Both officers making very solid hits to Sebastiens main body at nearly the exact same time. Catching him completely off center and effectively bowling him over. Then the third officer comes into play before anyone can recover, making a quick chant and casting a magic net over the area.
Sebastien rocks back, head swinging left as the first policeman blinks and runs his way. There's a moment frozen in time, when the still of the police station is shattered but only the one man is in motion. Sebastien continues rocking back. There's a look of surprise on his face, his feet leaving the ground moments before that first body impacts his. The spurs spin wildly as he tries to react to the second body, but it's like being hit on roller skates. Sebastien just goes flying. He should have worn shoes, today.
More officers are arriving on the scene and soon the are a bakers dozen surrounding the net containing Sebastien and two fellow officers. Without hesitation two officers go to each netted officer and immediately start efforts in extracting their comrades from their unfortunate position. All the other officers keep their focus on Sebastien, weapons drawn.
Sebastien looks helpless. Well, he *is* helpless. But he'd just as soon pull a weapon as pull a head out of a bag. The young man struggles valiantly -- and ultimately futily, without going on a rampage.
And without a rampage there is also no firing. The officers are extracted and shortly there after the netted catch is dragged to a holding cell and locked tight. Guards are placed at the door. Their Sebastien gets to wait for some hours, any and all pleas unanswered until what seems to be the dead of night, the officer that netted him stands before the cell. "I am here to do your purging."
Sebastien hasn't been pleading. He's been meditating. His legs folded before him with hands on his knees, Sebastien sits in as close a lotus position as the armor will allow. He's even tried his clairvoyance, to gain some sort of inkling to his future. "There is no purging," he says calmly, his eyes opening. Sebastien looks up at the officer, head tilting to the right. "She is a vampire. There is only one way out. Let me go, and I will take as many of Donna's minions with me as I can."
"You are so very wrong." The officer replies before raising his hand. In it unfurls a very ornate looking parchment, a magic scroll of some sort. He concentrates a moment before it hits Sebastien fully. Soul wrenching pain. Like a god has reached into his being and started cutting with long sharp claws..
And then all of a sudden the pain is gone. But nothing seems to be different in its absence. Is this some arcane torture the KDPD is employing these days? The officer looks him over in the aftermath, considering the results. "Who was your enslaver?" He asks calmly.
Sebastien gasps, his back arching as a scream emits through the small jail. The screams aren't even human, an atonal piercing sound that might be a machine being rent apart save for the brief pauses for breath. And then he collapses, panting, sweat on his pale face as he curls into a ball. And he says nothing, save to spit blood onto the floor.
The officer waits a moment, waiting to see if there will be an answer after a moment to recover. If none comes he departs without a word and there is no contact before morning when he returns with a much older man, clearly a mage, and breakfast.
Sebastien's hardly slept. After some hours he began meditating, and the morning finds him looking remarkably less haggard. Little things rattled during the night, seemingly at random, though as no conveniently-placed loop of keys existed nearby he's still present in the morning. Those eyes open, and Sebastien looks up with a vaguely pale face at the pair. "Who raided your pension fund?"
The officer and older mage exchange a glance at the question, showing no understanding. But seem to decide to move on as the mage steps forward. "Do you know what it means to purge your condition?" He asks, looking very curious about the answer.
Sebastien raises his eyebrows. "I die," he replies simply. "Or she dies. Which can happen only over my dead body. What you try to break is not magic, and I wonder if it is even psychic. It simply is." He stands then, and implores again, "Please. Just let me try to end this in a manner that redeems. Allow me my last stand."
The mage nods as if to confirm the answer. "Worse actually, from your prospective. A fate worse than death, as you've just stated. Thats why you resist so hard. Even though some part of you knows that is this succeeds you will be free you have to resist. You have to obey your mandate to serve and protect the owner of your being. No its not magic, but that doesn't mean magic cannot dispel it." The mage explains before taking a moment to pause and receive Sebastien's reaction.
Sebastien replies simply, "You're lying. You think perhaps you can get me to reveal my Mistress before I die. You're wrong." He shrugs at that, and sighs, closing his eyes and resuming his lotus. He seems ... at peace. A small smile crosses his face, and he says softly, "At least here I can do no harm."
"It is very intriguing the way you deny it in one sentence and fight yourself in another. You are very strong willed, or exceptionally thick headed." The mage remarks before bringing his hands up to begin a rather long incantation with ver involved chants and gestures. Almost ten seconds of it. The entirety of it Sebastien is experiencing the worst pain of his life.
Fish on land have flopped about less. Sebastien's calm is shattered by screaming and writhing on the ground. His face is ashen, the stubble looking much like the bruises that rise towards the skin like a developing picture. When it ends Sebastien slowly curls towards a fetal position, shivering despite the relative warmth of the jail, mumbling incoherently about his mission, and redemption.
The mage raises a brwo as the subject again elicits not change. His expression shows not pity or mercy over the agony thats been induced so far. "Are you sure he is enslaved?" He asks the officer and the officer nods. "Confirmed via clairvoyance last night." Then the mage shrugs dully, feed him. I will try again this afternoon. And he does, returning with the officer and lunch to torture Sebastien for another ten seconds. But this time, after it is done the bond is broken and the vampires control is gone.
Sebastien is persistent, if nothing else. In convincing the men he believes what he's saying, that there is no escape from his bonds. "Bella," he spits. "Bella. She's working with Donna. She's --," he catches himself then, and swallows hard. "I'm free!"
