Back at the ministry, Fyren has unofficially gained authority and Murdoc's place. Aidan finds out first hand.

Setting: The ministry compound/ Aidan's room
Who's in the room: Aidan, Fyren
Timeframe: After Denzel betrays the group and Murdoc

Aidan opened his eyes to the faint noises from outside. He heard a few voices, probably down in the Ministry's square, where a few soldiers were talking. It must have been the early afternoon, the sky outside clouded in a dreary manner. It made him think about...

"Murdoc?" he asked the empty room, pressing himself to sit up on the bed, glancing about the room. The covers were drawn towards him as he felt his chill beginning again. His ears flattened as the noise outside died down and everything appeared still. As though time had stopped.

"Anyone...?" Aidan let out in a soft voice as his stomach felt a sinking sensation. He should be used to this...Everyone leaves him alone, never caring how he felt. "I don't like being alone..." he muttered to himself as if he were trying to clear away the silence, leaning forward, and lifting the blankets over his head.

A long while had passed by until he heard footsteps outside the door. Aidan rose up quickly, taking the blanket from his head and clutching it in his hands, looking at the door pensively. Suddenly the lock clicked loudly, the door swinging open by a guard. The man looked at Aidan for a moment before stepping aside, allowing another to pass by him. Who he saw was a surprise to him.

"You must forgive my intrusion," Fyren said, waving a hand to the guard, who immediately closed the door behind him. Aidan blinked in confusion, gripping his blankets a little tighter saying nothing. "It seems there's been a change in plans. Well...Murdoc's plans more or less." the cat continued, walking up to Aidan's bedside.

"Plans?" Aidan inquired, shrinking back a bit as Fyren came closer.

"Oh yes! You recall our little discussion earlier? Well, whatever you said to him worked. He's taken horse and rode to Antonis' little gathering in hopes to find some sort of pact with him..." Fyren was just next to Aidan by now, looking down at the younger cat with a long smile. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

Aidan stared up at Fyren, finding something terribly wrong with the way the man spoke, but more importantly surprised by Murdoc's sudden decision. "He's...gone to Antonis?"

"That's right." Fyren grinned, putting a hand on Aidan's shoulder and pushed him to lie on the bed, leaning over him. "And I'll tell you a little secret," he whispered gently, as though there was a big surprise at the end. Aidan watched him with widened eyes, finding the way he acted so much different than yesterday.

"W-what?" Aidan asked.

"He's ruined himself," the hand on Aidan's shoulder slowly began to move up to his neck, "And the Ministry and it's power will be mine!" The hand gripped Aidan's neck, causing him to spring a hand up to push Fyren from him. His hand stopped suddenly in midair, finding himself unable to move it otherwise. Widened green eyes looked to it in terror before back to his attacker until a realization dawned on him.

"You." he barely made out, "You're the one who kidnapped me...!"

Fyren laughed loudly, releasing Aidan with a quick jerk, "Ah! You've finally realized!" he exclaimed humorously. Aidan was free to move again from Fyren's hold, lifting himself up as he coughed from the grip on his neck.

"Does that make you more frightened of me?"

"You...You tricked me!" Aidan shouted as he glared at Fyren.

"What difference does it make whether I did or not? You're practically useless!" Fyren gripped Aidan's chin tightly forcing eye contact. "Good for nothing except maybe a good lay in bed."

Aidan pulled his head away in defiance causing Fyren to laugh again. "How cute, you don't think it's true!"

Hiding his shut eyes, Aidan turned his head away as a familiar feeling of subjection arose, "It's not true!"

"Perhaps Antonis rid of you knowing Murdoc had spoiled you."

"That's not true!" Aidan shouted, leaping up from where he was on the bed to tackle Fyren. However, a sudden feeling of suffocation appeared as his throat clutched together, his face hitting the ground followed by the rest of his body.

"Tsk tsk. Such rash actions. Well, if you're only good for your body, then I'll keep you around. Who knows when I'll need to fulfill a questionable favor." Fyren said, bringing his arms to his back as he walk towards the door, leaving Aidan struggling on the ground for air.

Fyren summoned the guard who stood outside, instructing him to take Aidan to the dungeon along with Voltrick. He mentioned that he would personally check on them later. As Fyren left, Aidan's throat loosened, gasping for breath by the time two guards seized him by both arms and dragged him out of the room.

Voltrick sat low in his chair; both arms on top of the chair arms. He sat alone in his room, silent in thought as light shown dimly into his room by a small, barred window.

The room was a complete mess. Not just from clothing or personal items on the floor and furniture, but much of the furniture was broken, scratched, or torn due to many of Voltrick's anger fits. His bed was the worst of the room's messes. The blankets were everywhere and not to mention torn repeatedly.

Voltrick sat silently with a frustrated, but thoughtful gaze Thinking more upon recent events. Bringing Aidan here, Murdoc's habits, his forgiveness for Voltrick's actions regarding.. Fyren. He thought the most about Fyren. How Murdoc could have allied himself with someone such as him, what he said, what Murdoc said, and everything about Fyren that made his insides churn.

Footsteps were heard approaching his door. Voltrick stood as the door was unlocked and opened. A scowl reached his face as he saw the usual three guards walk inside. One to escort on each side, the third to walk behind with a crossbow aimed at his head if he should turn on them.

Murdoc must have changed his mind about allowing him to leave the dungeon. He disregarded any reasoning why. Whenever he did resulted in worse punishment.

The guards arranged themselves inside. Two of them standing to each side of the open door, the third remained in the hallway with the crossbow aimed at Voltrick. It was insulting, really. On Murdoc's behalf and the guards. After all the times he's been sent down to the dungeon, punishment or not, he would have assumed Murdoc would have trusted him by now. And for the guards, they should know that he hasn't retaliated in months.. and they probably couldn't stop him anyways.

A hard scowl turned toward the doorway as he walked towards it. The two guards followed and when entering the hallway, walked to each side of the large tiger. The third followed a short distance behind.

Once they finally reached the dungeon, Voltrick found his usual cell and waited for the first guard to unlock and open the gate. The second guard then attempted to place a hand on Voltrick's back to push him inside. But this only resulted in Voltrick instantly turning around and growling loudly; harshly grabbing onto the guard's collar.

"Get into the cell!" The armed guard yelled; moving closer and jerking the crossbow closer to Voltrick's face.

Voltrick first snarled towards the armed guard then turned his attention back to the guard in his grasp. A low growl was emitted before he pushed him back forcefully and slowly turned around to walk into the cell. Once inside, Voltrick took his usual position of standing with his back towards the wall and hands raised slightly too allow the guard who opened the gate to come inside and shackle Voltrick's wrists.

Voltrick focused his glare toward the second guard who tried to push him as the gate was closed. He continued watching that one guard even as they left. He remained standing for quite a while and finally sat upon the bench just below where the shackles were chained to the wall.

Some time passed before the dungeon doors opened again, this time a loud racket of jests were heard from the guards as they brought their prisoner inside.

"We finally get to see what Murdoc's toy looks like!"

"Kept the little kitty all to himself, didn't he?!"

The two guards laughed as one was now dragging Aidan along by the hair, the other behind him pushing him along when felt necessary. Aidan was seen with his head lowered, hands gripping the guards arm to leverage himself as he stumbled along.

"Doesn't look like for long." The one guard behind Aidan said, walking ahead to the cell next to Voltrick's, unlocking and swinging the door open. "Don't worry, that thing will keep you company!"

"That's right...!" Aidan's hair was pulled tightly by the guard, swinging the cat inside the cell. He fell, landing on his shoulder with a pained gasp.

A guard shut the door, locking Aidan inside, "Enjoy your stay, pet."

The guards walked away, laughing with one another as they left the dungeon, the doors creaking shut loudly as darkness was sealed in. Aidan shivered as he began to press himself onto all fours, and then would sit up with a frightened expression. His eyes looked around the murky dungeon until they set upon the silhouette of Voltrick. Frightened by this, Aidan crawled back into the furthest corner against the wall, leaning himself into it as he tucked his head behind his knees.

Voltrick stood from the bench he sat upon and looked to see who had made the commotion.

He couldn't tell who the guards dragged in, the room being dimly lit. He only knew that the guards were dragging someone weak. They mocked and laughed, it wasn't until one of them had said "...to see what Murdoc's toy looks like"

'Murdoc's toy?' Voltrick thought to himself as he tried to focus on who they dragged in. They weren't talking about Aidan,... were they? A loud growl finally emitted itself once he was mentioned as 'thing'.

Voltrick tugged on his shackles to pull himself closer to the gate; growling loudly toward the guards. But he refused to yell towards them. Not only would they turn more mockery towards him, but it would make him seem even more as a prisoner. Even though he was one.

Once the room darkened and silenced and the guards mockery and laughter were faded into the halls of the ministry, Voltrick turned towards, from what he assumed, Aidan. His scowl hardened as he reflected the situation. Aidan was thrown down here as if he was being punished or a prisoner of the ministry.

Murdoc, as disturbed as Voltrick was by it, would never throw him down here. Why would he order him to rescue Aidan, bring him back here, treat Aidan as....if...Voltrick turned his head forward toward the gate of his cell, refusing to think what exactly Murdoc does to Aidan... but then he thought about where Aidan is now. Thrown in the dungeon.

Something was wrong, this wasn't like Murdoc at all. It was also peculiar that Voltrick was down there as well. Murdoc did say he was allowed to leave his cell... but now he finds himself back here and now Aidan was thrown down here too.

At first, Voltrick didn't want to say anything to him. Voltrick was the one who dragged him back here. Even after his pleading. He didn't know if he should feel sorry for him, or pity. But Voltrick's concern for the situatin outweighed the uneasiness toward the one he may have sent to hell.

"Why are you down here?" Voltrick asked in a low, raspy voice. Not fully turning toward's Aidan as he spoke. Not entirely out of the awkward situation he was in, but he couldn't see him entirely anyway.

Aidan's body seemed to twitch all over by the rumble of Voltrick's voice, coming so suddenly after long moments of silence. He looked up from his knees to Voltrick...the beast...the one who dragged him back here...Aidan's hands clutched the side of his legs tightly as his eyes narrowed into a hard glare. How dare he ask me that!

"Because you took me here." he answered lowly, pressing himself against his corner further, as though he were afraid Voltrick could barge through the cell to him after his reply.

Voltrick's instantly tensed as he jerked his head directly towards Aidan; retailative anger quickly began building. "You don't think I regret that?" he aggressively said as he fully turned toward Aidan. "It was not my choice to make, I told you this." Voltrick's voice calmed a bit before speaking again, but keeping his serious tone to get the answer out of Aidan. "I'll ask you again, Why are you down here? Murdoc would never send you down here."

Aidan's ears flattened defensively as Voltrick took his tone to him.

"And how do you know that?" he snapped, his head fully turned towards Voltrick. "How do you know what Murdoc would or wouldn't do?!" The presumption that even Voltrick knew of what Murdoc's done to him disturbed Aidan greatly. Recalling the guards and what they said didn't help soothe the feeling either.

He slowly turned his head back forward, legs dragging out a bit as his hands held his head. "He's gone...and I...I miss him." Suddenly, Aidan laughed bitterly to himself as he stared vacantly to the floor. "How messed up is that!"

Voltrick tensed up further. How could Aidan question how much he knew about Murdoc?! Voltrick knew everything about him! ...or so he assumed. Voltrick was about to give another retailative response until Aidan spoke again.

Murdoc was gone? How can this be, he's gone? If Aidan was thrown down here, then it would mean that he's either gone permanently or killed. Either way was unbelievable. The only authority he's known in the ministry was Murdoc. Besides O'luca, but he hasn't even seen her yet.

Unless, someone betrayed him or took him out of the picture... Fyren.

A silent, infuriated look came over him as he looked away. Voltrick warned Murdoc; told him Fyren cant be trusted. And now, Voltrick was sure Fyren had his hand in this.

"Was it Fyren?" He asked with a growl. "And if it was, ...what did he do to Murdoc?'

Aidan was silent until, "Fyren...Yes..." he spoke faintly, "Murdoc. Murdoc went to Antonis because I...I wanted the Mistress dead."

His hands slipped away from his head letting them lay palm-up on the cold floor. He wondered what Murdoc would have said or done...let alone Antonis' own reactions. They would probably fight but in the long run.."I'll make you happy..." he muttered, finishing his thoughts out-loud. "I remember...he said that."

Once Aidan said it was Fyren, Voltrick's anger rose to the point where he pulled forward on his shackles to attempt to pull them out. But when he said Murdoc was with Antonis, his hands dropped to his sides and he turned with disbelief. His jaw even dropped.

"Murdoc.. Went to Antonis?" He quickly questioned. He would have repeated it to reassure himself that he actually questioned such an unbelievable comment, but then Aidan mentioned he told Murdoc he wanted the Mistress dead and stopped him dead in his tracks.

Voltrick soon frowned as Aidan finished and shook his head while keeping his narrowed gaze on Aidan. "I don't believe this. Why would Murdoc go to Antonis, of all people... and to what? To kill the mistress? To make you happy because you want her dead?" he shook his head more aggressively before quickly returning his gaze to Aidan. "None of this can be true. Murdoc would never go to Antonis and he would most definately not betray the mistress."

Aidan looked towards Voltrick with a silent gaze. "It's believable to me. Before, Antonis was considered the most loyal to her. Besides...Murdoc was in control of the Ministry until she comes back. Wouldn't you think he'd be a little upset to loose that power?"

His head turned back forward, looking to the ground. "If what Fyren said was true...that he went to Antonis and 'ruined' himself..." he paused, wrinkling a brow in thought, "...Then what does that entail for you and I?"

Voltrick went silent as he thought things over; turning toward the gate of his cell with a hardened gaze. Aidan may very well be right, Voltrick just didn't want to believe it. Murdoc has always been there to lead the ministry, but ever since Fyren came into the picture everything began going downhill. So, why would it be so unbelievable for Fyren do try to take over and betray Murdoc?

Voltrick remained silent as he listened to Aidan said about Murdoc and then hinting to what it may mean for the both of them. It was strange to hear him actually speak in the terms of both of them. Lately, he had been told the two of them had nothing to do with each other; complete opposites. But now he was speaking as if they had everything to do with each other.

If Murdoc was 'ruined'. Then it would only mean worse for them. This... only enraged him. It demeaned him in every sense and it would only mean Fyren was getting his way. And if Fyren was getting his way, that would only mean Voltrick would get tortured even more. And Aidan would suffer even more than he already has.... when he shouldn't have.

"It means we get of here..." Voltrick growled before quickly turning around and pulling on his shackles as hard as he could. Even pressing a foot onto the wall to give more force against the chains.

Aidan watched as Voltrick pulled on his shackles with the same silent look. He barely moved from where he was unlike Voltrick, even though he wasn't chained in.

Suddenly the dungeon doors creaked open, a blinding light showing through as a figure stepped inside. The doors closed again as the silhouette began to walk in gracefully.

"What's all the ruckus?" The voice said, clearly known to be Fyren as he stopped just before Voltrick's cell, having seen the captive tug at his chains. Aidan pressed himself back against the wall as before, a fearful look overcoming him to Fyren's voice, recalling the awful night of his kidnapping. The darkness of the dungeon would help to remind him.

Voltrick quickly looked over his shoulder as he kept his tugging position; trying to focus on who was entering through the bright light striking through the darkness of the dungeon.

When Fyren finally spoke, Voltrick's anger refueled and quickly turned around and pulled himself as close to the gate of his cell as possible; trying to reach Fyren.

"You've done all this, You bastard." He lowly, through a growl.