Klung. Klung klung. Klung. Klung-klung-klung. Calla kicked at the steel door with her bare foot. At least they'd left her the robes on her back. Not a bad cell, for a cell--the bucket in the corner of the room had a cover, and there were blankets on the stone slab that served as a bed. There was a knot half-heartedly tied in the bedclothes; the only window here was a thin slice of light at the top of the ceiling, and Calla, though bony, just wasn't flat as parchment. She kept up her kicking. It took a few minutes, but the peephole in the door eventually rasped open.
"What." The guardsman had his eyes downcast. When Calla twisted her head, the man flipped his gaze up toward the ceiling.
"This is wrongful imprisonment," Calla said.
"No such thing. Lord's orders."
"I'm not a necromancer or a necrourge!" She slammed her hands on the door. The man's eyes flickered, but he kept them upraised.
"No?"
"No," she said. "I'm an elemental mage. My... element. Just. Happens to be. Bone. You see my problem." The peephole slid shut. "Come on!" Calla kicked the door so hard she yelped. She broke into a staccato of kicks and knocks that slid into screams as she bashed herself raw on the rough metal.
"What--" The guard aimed his gaze downward, but Calla crouched just slightly to force eye contact. His eyes met hers. Calla's grin grew wild. She shrugged as if to put on a cloak, and then flexed her fingers. "What," the guard began to say again. Calla clenched her own jaw to cut off the man's words. She mimed reaching for something at a belt she wasn't wearing, and then put her hand to the door and twisted her wrist. A squeal of metal in metal answered the movement. She pulled the door, and the guard pushed.
His face imitated her smile, but those blue, blue eyes stared wide and terrified.
"I told you," they both said. She purred her words low and soft; his came out mushed and reluctant. Calla considered her captive. His fingers twitched in time with her own. "Off," they said together. Calla puppeteered the man into removing his boots. He handed over his knife, and scooped up the keys from the floor for her. Finally, they both turned to face the stone wall on either side of the door. Calla lunged forward, but she merely pressed her forehead to the dank stone wall for a moment. The guard slammed his head against it. He crumpled to the floor.
Calla knelt beside him. She flipped an eyelid up to study his pupil. No damage.
"I fucking told you," the bone mage said. She stood, and then strolled out of the open door.
"What." The guardsman had his eyes downcast. When Calla twisted her head, the man flipped his gaze up toward the ceiling.
"This is wrongful imprisonment," Calla said.
"No such thing. Lord's orders."
"I'm not a necromancer or a necrourge!" She slammed her hands on the door. The man's eyes flickered, but he kept them upraised.
"No?"
"No," she said. "I'm an elemental mage. My... element. Just. Happens to be. Bone. You see my problem." The peephole slid shut. "Come on!" Calla kicked the door so hard she yelped. She broke into a staccato of kicks and knocks that slid into screams as she bashed herself raw on the rough metal.
"What--" The guard aimed his gaze downward, but Calla crouched just slightly to force eye contact. His eyes met hers. Calla's grin grew wild. She shrugged as if to put on a cloak, and then flexed her fingers. "What," the guard began to say again. Calla clenched her own jaw to cut off the man's words. She mimed reaching for something at a belt she wasn't wearing, and then put her hand to the door and twisted her wrist. A squeal of metal in metal answered the movement. She pulled the door, and the guard pushed.
His face imitated her smile, but those blue, blue eyes stared wide and terrified.
"I told you," they both said. She purred her words low and soft; his came out mushed and reluctant. Calla considered her captive. His fingers twitched in time with her own. "Off," they said together. Calla puppeteered the man into removing his boots. He handed over his knife, and scooped up the keys from the floor for her. Finally, they both turned to face the stone wall on either side of the door. Calla lunged forward, but she merely pressed her forehead to the dank stone wall for a moment. The guard slammed his head against it. He crumpled to the floor.
Calla knelt beside him. She flipped an eyelid up to study his pupil. No damage.
"I fucking told you," the bone mage said. She stood, and then strolled out of the open door.
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