Margrett braced her stance and caught Celephai as she came at her, one hand shifting up to her neck and the other against her waist, straining against her, determined to not be knocked over.
You don't have to worry about that, dearest. Her hand tightened a little around Cel's neck, not enough to hurt seriously, but enough to be uncomfortable.
I just think we need to talk a little more fist, hmm?
She looked down at her arms, her own grip weakening a little.
You could probably snap my arm right now. I respect that. She looked back up and smirked.
I wonder what else you could do with those.
She tried to put a knee into Cel's gut and at the same push time her back and either knock her over and push her back into the tree she'd been in a few moments prior.
Cel saw the knee come toward her, but her hands didn't react in time to catch it before it struck her in the gut. She slipped backward, falling over on her back, but dragging Margrett down with her. She pulled the shade in close, speaking in hardly a whisper.
Cel's tentacles maintained their grip on Margrett's arms, using her own to roll the two of them over, effectively reversing their situation.
"I am hardly lacking in imagination, Margrett. As a possible assistant to your plans, I presumed you had some ideas as to my many and varied 'talents' regarding my extra appendages."
Cel ran a forefinger up and down the shade's belly, her face mildly amused. Margrett made a mistake taking this to a hand-to-hand situation and abandoning her hammer...
Margrett smirked, equal parts nervous and amused. She tried to move her arms, but only a little. She kind of liked it. Her shirt was halfway pulled up her belly now, from Cel's teasing.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about it. I kind of miss tentacles. She raised an eyebrow playfully.
Celephai began pinching small portions of Margrett's skin on her belly.
"Our agreement IS contractual. Whatsoever your endeavors are, I shall assist you in them until such a point is reached that either you no longer require my services, or I feel my services to you are merely superficial... Yes, you will have to pay for 'that,' but I may be persuaded toward an alternate form of payment."
She grinned mischievously. Humans always seemed to want to copulate. Perhaps that was how they had managed to infest a world so quickly.
Celephai hovered over Margrett, her tentacles refusing to permit freedom of motion to the shade's arms.
"I will be well-fed, at least. My desires, in the end, directly conflict with yours. I'm sure you will have adequate resources to imprison me by the time our contract comes to an end, should your efforts be successful. In the interim, the agreed payment was turtles, correct? Let us consider that the standard by which we conduct our business... but this conversation is entirely moot unless I have proved myself worthy of service. So, have I?"
Had she beaten Margrett in a fair fight? Not really, but she'd managed to put herself in a situation that could at least be described as a stalemate.
Cel's eyes unfocused, but her body remained sensitive to Margrett's movements. Yes, there was that situation yet to be resolved, but nonetheless...
"If your vision comes to pass, Wistvale will emerge as a paragon of law and order built upon the broken bodies of dissenters and heretics against your cause. Of course, the one whom will have helped you purge your enemies and hide your weaknesses will be none other than me. What choice will you have but to imprison me to prevent your imminent fall? To stop the undoing of all your have worked for, I will be forced to inform you of my betrayal, and my prompt imprisonment as my last act in service to you. Should this not come to pass, whom will stop me from unmaking not only your entire city, but your whole world as well?"
Celephai released Margrett's arms, standing up and offering a hand to help Margrett up.
Margrett took the hand, her brow furrowing as she realized the implications.
But I know you're going to try and betray me, eventually. It's in your nature, and I can't change it. You...still expect me to feel guilty about imprisoning you if it comes to it?
In truth, she did feel guilty. She didn't know if she could face Cel properly now. They both knew what was going to eventually happen...and that scared her.
Celephai hefted Margrett to her feet with ease, dusting off her new mistress's shoulders.
"I mentioned nothing about my expectations toward you regarding emotions, guilt or otherwise. You may feel however you may wish when that time comes. Personally, I should think that you would be glad to restrain with one so volatile and potentially dangerous as myself, seeing as you wish to create a utopia of order and law. For now, I advise you to concentrate on what must be done to help create your utopia as completely and as effectively as possible before the situation arises that I must be dealt with. Would you agree?"
Cel's smile displayed nothing less than pure malice.