Lecherous

The Best - Laid Plans of Mice and Men ( and Majicks)

Yesterday night,Zoe went missing. But he only found out this morning, realizing it when Hex Tech contacted him about her unexplained absence from work - after they'd called her and she hadn't answered.
He asked the Arcadian division for help ; Blonde Girl tracked down her cellphone via its signal ,and it was discovered lying facedown on the sidewalk,a big crack across its screen .
(Which explained why she'd failed to respond to any of his texts after that voice message.)
Merlin was controlling the airship,and Archie was standing behind Douxie as Nari .
The plan was simple: Hand over a faux Nari ,and receive Jim and Zoe in exchange. As soon as he had the opportunity, Archie would revert to cat -dragon form and fly off,and rejoin Douxie.
By then, thankfully, Merlin would be in New Jersey Trollmarket with the real Nari .
He definitely would've kicked out his father figure had he not decided to go back to his original dwelling anyway,but he wanted Nari to stay . She was his dear sister now.
However, they couldn't risk leaving her at home in case the Order followed them and thus located their missing third. Nor did Nari herself,wish to be an extra burden on the young wizard's shoulders any longer.
He literally couldn't afford to keep her with him ,and she knew it. Not to mention,they both knew she was suffering in the hyper - urbanized , overdeveloped , odorous,noisy, heartless concrete jungle that constituted New York.
At least the new Trollmarket was in the midst of the untamed green woodland of New Jersey, with many flourishing trees and lots of diverse forest critters; she'd soon shrug off her current depression .
They were soon allowed inside the Order's ominous castle, having announced their desire to barter .
"It's quiet, isn't it ?" Douxie commented .
"Good day,Skrael," Merlin greeted the devilish cryomancer , who had just appeared.

*****

(Earlier)

A hammer pounding at her skull; throat dry and raw and aching ; unrelenting hunger gnawing a hole through her insides.
Cold hard floor beneath, causing her to shudder and sit up.

" Why are you here?" she coughed hoarsely , vision swimming as her headache pulsed through her senses.
The beast stood a short distance away, eyes on Morgana.
Her body felt tired , lethargic.
Morgana said nothing , levitating some stuff closer with her emerald hand.
...Wait, emerald hand?!
How,when and why did that happen?
She didn't waste time thinking about it further- a bottle was offered, floating to her ,filled with water . Zoe grabbed it, unscrewed its cap and gratefully chugged most of its contents. Then there was a floating headache relief shot,and this was also drank.
Morgana compacted and laid aside her staff . Her prosthetic levitated a little tub of what appeared to be antibiotic cream, and a wet cloth . Her other hand was held out ,her demeanor disarmingly compassionate and helpful .The hedge witch scooted close. Morgana cleaned the stinging wounds on her head,palms and knee, then tenderly applied antibiotic cream, putting a Band - Aid on her knee with care .
She held out a jar of peanut butter. Zoe was unsure as to why this was funny,but she chuckled.
Confusion filled the Eldritch Queen's face . " Is this not suitable? "
" No,no,uh ... it's, it's fine . I just never thought I'd see you doing something as normal as holding a jar of sandwich spread."
Zoe took it / the spoon that came with it,and ravenously spooned dollops into her mouth .
" Why is it amusing,if I do something ' normal?'
It was a little difficult to respond inbetween sticky ,chewy mouthfuls ,but she managed to say:" You're you . Y'know, Baba Yaga, Madame Apocalypse . You don't do human. Er,I mean-"
Morgana wasn't offended , merely resigned. Regret, wistfulness and memories glazed her laurel - green eyes .
" That's how they've always spoken of me. That's what the Arthurian legends say . Evil witch. Harbinger of doom. Sower of the seeds of conflict between Man and Magic . She who brings war, chaos, devastation and death . Once ,I was simply Morgana le Fay, disregarded sister of King Arthur Pendragon, Merlin's insignificant apprentice. Those were... simpler times. I was not the Mother of Monsters,nor the legendary villainess who arose at Killahead.
I was me . "
She sighed , sad and yearning.
Lost ,she seemed ,and broken ,and far too old .
It occurred to Zoe ,that Morgana might be a captive too. Or worse,a pawn,an unwilling servant of the Arcane Order.
Were they a proper cult? Had they filled her head with propaganda, exploited her weaknesses, appealed to her life goals , and ultimately manipulated the shadowmancer into joining?
Once you were in a cult, there was no getting out . Even if you had second thoughts, became aware of your bad situation,wanted to repent and change and live a new life.
Zoe reached out and took her hand , gazing into her eyes with pity and understanding .
She hadn't intended any of this . She'd been preyed upon and used ,and now she was still in their grasp, unable to escape.
Voices sounded . Something was going on . Then Merlin 's voice cried out :"A fight here will end poorly for all of us. We seek a truce..."
Zoe's gaze caught an object not far from the troll - mutant.
Her wand !
Bellroc forgot about it,and Morgana hadn't noticed it .
And,if Merlin and Douxie were here,they planned on freeing her from the Order.
A wild impulse gripped her , triggered by newfound hope and energy . Rather than sit here, waiting to see if whatever negotiations they were attempting resulted in her freedom...why not seek it herself?
Why not run to them and get out of here now?
She was on her feet a moment later. A breath,and she'd grabbed her wand .
Morgana flew into the air,staff held ready, expression fierce .
" Sorry about this ."
Zoe fired a blast. Pink electrical magic zapped the fellow spellcaster, incapacitating her .
She lay in a heap, body spasming with electric shocks.
Zoe took off running, adrenaline rushing through her body.