Carmen POV
I was on my knees cleaning the floor of Professor Maelstrom's office with Shepherd watching me when I heard the door open. Taking a quick look around, I see the Professor enter and walk past me to sit at his desk. Thinking he's going to order me to leave, I stop, earning a baton blow on my back from my guard. Shepherd didn't have a remote control so if I stopped working without finishing, or didn't go fast enough, I was hit or whipped (when he managed to get one out of the punishment room).
"Why are you stopping Black Sheep ?"
"I thought you were going to ask me to leave. I apologise Professor."
"You will only leave after your work has been checked and with my approval. Shepherd you may leave, I'm here now."
"Yes, sir."
My guard exits and I continue my work in silence as the Professor appears to study an old relic. I was dipping the mop back into the cold water when I quickly spot a drawing on the artifact. I recognise it from one of my readings.
"A vegvisir..." I whisper and unwittingly catch the professor's interest.
"What did you say Black Sheep ?"
"The symbol is a vegvisir. An ancient Viking symbol meant to guide and protect. It can also be considered a kind of compass, Professor."
"How do you know that ?"
"From the book you kindly granted me a fortnight ago, Professor."
"Get up Black Sheep and come take a closer look at the relic. See if you can translate it for me."
I stand up and lean towards the relic. The Professor hands me a pencil and a piece of paper. Beginning to transcribe the information I remember, I see coordinates.
"May I, Professor ?" I ask while pointing to his computer.
"What for ?" He squints his eyes.
"Translate the coordinates present on the top of the artifact and find the equivalence, Professor."
"You know what will happen if you lie to me and try to use it for other things..."
"Yes, Professor." I say softly, frightened.
He puts the computer in front of me and I begin my research under his supervision. When he sees me stop writing, he takes the paper from my hands and starts reading.
"The coordinates would indicate a Viking fortress in Svalbard, Norway ?"
"Yes, Professor." I look down as I kneel and feel his hand ruffle my hair.
"You did a good job Black Sheep. Come on, I'll report the progress to the Faculty and you go back to your room. I'll excuse you from your work for today."
"Thank you, Professor."
He gets up and I follow him to the entrance of my room. He opens the door and lets me in before taking my empty water bowl and walking out with it, leaving the door open. Just as I was beginning to wonder if he had forgotten it, he returned with my bowl half-filled with water. I then kneel down on the mattress.
"Consider this a reward." He sets the bowl down and attaches the chain to my ankle.
"Thank you for your generosity, Professor."
He locks the door and I sit down before taking the bowl to drink, leaving no drop. A ray of summer sunshine falls on my face, warming me as I pick up my book on English culture and its history.
3rd Person POV
Faculty Room
Maelstrom walks lightly into the room. The other three members looked at him strangely, not expecting him to come back into their room so soon.
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FanfictionCarmen has to go and rescue Gray in the Himalayas, but all doesn't go according to plan, leading to her capture by VILE. But what are they looking for? Why haven't they killed her yet or turned her into bait? Why is it that when everything goes wron...
