Chapter 6: Bridge

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"So.  You failed."

The Keeper shivered at those words, uttered with disdain.  He knelt in front of Restuz, arms crossed over his chest where the largest burns were at.  "Yes, Master," he whispered, keeping his gaze down.

Restuz tapped his fingers on the table next to him, silently glaring down at the Keeper.  "You were supposed to frighten her.   Capture her when she was still disoriented and bring her here."

"Yes, Master," the Keeper whispered again, clutching his arms.

"Instead, you allowed her to transform.  And then you ran."

The Keeper simply nodded, shivering again.

Restuz frowned down at him, his golden eyes glowing slightly under this hood.  True, he hadn't really expected a novice Keeper to actually capture this Centuris.  His master seemed to want to drag this game out, and turning a frightened young girl into some kind of fighter did add to the thrill of the chase.  Yet his Keeper shouldn't have gone down so easy!  "Return to your room,"  he said briskly, turning back to his table.  He made a mental note to deal with the Keeper's failure later.  Much later.  After all, anticipation of the event can sometimes lead to more terror for his victim, as well as enjoyment for him.

He leaned on the table, tenting his fingers in front of his face as he considered his options.  He could, of course, simply go and take care of her himself, but that would be to easy.  'So,' he thought to himself,  'the Master wishes to play with this girl.  Perhaps I will bring in someone else for her to play with.'  A cruel smile flitted across his face as an idea struck him.  He had just the servant in mind.  Now would be the perfect time to test her abilities. He stood up abruptly, turning and heading down the hall to his chambers. There was no time like the present to start, and he found himself looking forward to the chase.