and the siren call of chaos

                                        

                                              
I was alone, restrained to the side of a hospital bed and with various IV drips leaking into my veins. A quick struggle revealed that my shoulder hurt, my hand was throbbing, my body was generally sore and the IV needles were in deep. With both my wrists bound in restraints I couldn’t pull them out and had to watch as something was fed into my body. Despite the appearance of it being a normal hospital, I knew I was still in Brenin’s control because it smelled wrong here. Human hospitals always smelled like disinfectant and worry, sometimes a brief tang of adrenaline; here smelled like old air and reptiles, though it was mostly covered by the smell of chlorine. Coiled inside my gut was the Wild Magic waking up now that I was looking for it, but it was still blunted by the lingering traces of the Phoenix Tears. Blunted or not though, I refused to just lay here and wait for whatever fate may come at me, so I forced the Magic to stir more, feeling it slowly inch down the veins in my arms until tendrils of water wrapped around the restraints and pulled them loose. The effort left me nauseated and panting but freed, just in time for Brenin to step in to the room with a satisfied clap of his hands.
                              
“You certainly are quite the entertainment around here my Callahan. Someday I’ll have to thank you for making my life so enjoyable again.” He sounded psychotically enthusiastic. “Doctors say that you’re ultimately fine and we’ve adjusted your dose of Phoenix Tears for the next time. Speaking of…” Brenin caught me as I started to shake uncontrollably again, but this time weaker than when I’d blacked out. The first tendril of Wild Magic stretched out, an almost painful sensation that I somehow knew to pull back inside and flush it through my system, burning hot enough to cleanse the remaining drug out. A delicious agony coursed through me and a second later it was over with, leaving me panting on the floor while Brenin held me gently and stroked my hair like a pet.
                              
“Get away from me.” I growled out and shoved him.
                              
“It’s good to see you being so feisty; you’re going to need that.” He wore a satisfied smile as he helped stand me upright again. “Now that you’ve gotten the first withdrawal out of the way, we can get on to more important things.” I didn’t like the sound of that at all. “I didn’t just bring you here to question you about the Wild Magic Callahan; I gained possession of you for a purpose. There is nothing else in any of the Realms that have done what you’ve done and I want that bent to my willpower. You’ve survived the Wild, and now you will train to survive anything I need you to face.”
                              
“You have to realize that anything I learn I will use against you.” There was no point in trying to play coy, Brenin hadn’t been stupid or incompetent thus far so I didn’t trust his generous attitude now.
                              
“Oh my pet, you don’t understand yet. You’ve only seen a little bit of the punishment and rewards available. Misbehave and I’ll inflict you with pain you’ve never even imagined, but if you’re a good girl I will reward you with the highest of pleasures.” He patted the leather case in his pocket. Just thinking about how the Phoenix Tears had felt made me want the sensation again, craved the sensations like a typical addict. A small tremble twitched through my hand and I clenched my fists to hide the physical reaction.
                              
“No thanks.” I lied. “Not interested in another dose.” But despite my words I had to fight to not step closer, and it was beyond my willpower to step away either.
                              
“Liar.” He taunted with a smile.
                              
“I will stab you in the face for everything you have done and will do to me. Never forget that. Even if I have to make a deal with Death, I will bring about your destruction.” I meant every word I said, so they felt powerful, almost prophetic.
                              
“I will have you completely remade long before you could ever get powerful enough to destroy me Callahan; though I might come to miss this charming repertoire of yours.” Brenin dismissed my threats with a casual shrug. “Obey me and the process will be swift. Fight me and I will find ways to punish you should pain fail to motivate.”  It gave me a small pause because right now my loved ones were out of reach, but this was the King of Hell; there was a chance he could in fact find a leverage point on me.