Isaac woke to a head pounding in time with the hooves of the horse that carried him. Everything hurt, his neck from the collar, his head from the blow he'd taken, his stomach from the awkward position. He groaned, trying to sit up, but with the limited use he had over his legs, it proved impossible on the moving animal. With a resigned grunt, he lay back down, trying only to keep his throbbing head as still as possible by cushioning it on his arms. Mages were seen as no more than animals, he knew, but knowing something and experiencing it for himself were two different things altogether. He didn't let himself think about how much worse his situation would get when they finally reached the city. "He's awake," a male voice called out. It was too loud, and Isaac winced.
Before he could respond, say something indignant for being spoken about like he wasn't there, Isaac found himself being lifted and helped to sit properly on the horse. Surprised, he turned around to look at the Mage Hunter, but the man's face was impassive. "Keep yourself upright if you can, cripple boy. Damn arms and legs getting in my way. You can't ride, I'll truss you like a pig and keep going." It was the spellcaster, the one who had paralyzed him earlier. Isaac felt a sudden wave of revulsion. How a Mage could betray their own kind like this was beyond him.
They had been traveling for hours already, going by the height of the sun, and the group had slowed to a walk sometime Isaac had been out. At this pace, they would likely reach Braedon by nightfall, though Isaac couldn't really be sure where they were. He had never been this far south before. Ironic. Isaac had always dreamed of moving to the city, but not like this. While he had known he had to be careful with his secret, he had never truly considered the possibility of what being caught would mean. Every step towards Braedon was a step towards being locked away, never again to see the sun.
His stomach was empty and made him feel sick, but worse than that was the thirst. Isaac tried to wet his lips, but his mouth was too dry for it to do any good. He tried to hold off, too scared to speak up, but as the sun beat down, he was forced to. "Water... please," he asked, voice scratchy.
His captors stopped their conversation, the one sharing the horse with Isaac glancing to the leader. "Marcus?"
The man in question shrugged carelessly. "It's coming out of your waterskin. The freaks can share a horse, they can share water as well."
With a shake of his head, the mage gave Isaac a pitiless look. "The trip is but a few hours more. You'll live."
Isaac shut up, hands forming fists in the horse's mane to keep himself upright. He couldn't grip the horse's sides with his legs, but he would not fall. He didn't need to be bound further than he already was, and he had no doubts the Mage Hunter would follow through on his threat. Eyes sliding shut, Isaac settled in for a long and uncomfortable ride. He wished he could heal himself, but even without the collar, he didn't know if he had the energy. All he could think of was the thirst. At least it distracted him from what lay ahead.
They could already see the city of Braedon rising in the distance when Isaac noticed a cloud of dust headed their way. Hope briefly lit in his chest before he realized no help would be coming. He was a wanted murderer and an unregistered spellcaster, no one was going to be willing to help him, much less able. His heart dropped even further when the riders were close enough he could make out the banner of the Mage Hunters on their horses. His bad situation had gotten even worse.
"Halt!" Marcus called, kicking his horse into action and riding out to meet the party approaching from the distance. Both of the other men followed suit, flanking their leader. "Riders, speak and identify yourselves, on order of the Mage Tower of Braedon."
From closer up, Isaac got a better look at the party pulling up short. Only two were Mage Hunters, and one of them hardly a man- Isaac's age, if not younger. With them was a frankly beautiful elven woman, and Isaac couldn't help but stare a little. He had never seen an elf before, though he had heard stories at the market. Some said they were all born of magic, that they could live on its power and wine alone. It was rare for them to leave their lands for the nations of men, and Isaac briefly wondered what she was doing in Lorr, and with such company. She didn't seem to be a prisoner, after all. Maybe a registered Mage, but her clothing was foreign, not the colors of a Mage Hunter.
His attention was drawn to the last of the group, a woman a bit older than he was. She looked strangely familiar. No, more than looked it. This was something deeper. The woman gave off an aura, though it was cleverly hidden, one that reminded him with startling clarity of... Ara.
As he thought the name, he felt the energy in the air surge. He didn't reach out for it as he usually would, afraid of the burn of the collar, but even without trying, Isaac could feel how their energies synced. This was Ara's sister, he was sure of it. What was she doing with the Mage Hunters? Unless-
But no. The woman wasn't working with the Mage Hunters, that much was clear from the burn around her neck. Isaac reached up to touch his collar without realizing what he was doing. Ara's sister - if that was who the woman actually was - had been a prisoner, had been burned by a Mage Bane collar. But she had been released. So what exactly was going on? Overwhelmed and confused and in pain, Isaac couldn't quite put it together, though the pieces were right in front of him. Everything was guesswork and uncertain, and he couldn't hold it all in his mind for long enough to work through it. All he knew was, something was off, even if he couldn't quite put a finger on what it was.
@MJK2431 @Maeriel @Scalerender
