Chapter 2

A telling analogy for life and death:
Compare the two of them to water and ice.
Water draws together to become ice
And ice disperses again to become water.
Whatever has died is sure to be born again;
Whatever is born comes around again to dying.
As ice and water do one another no harm.
So life and death, the two of them, are fine.

It was midnight and Azrael was not happy, she was currently being held in the claws of a giant thing, she hadn't bothered to see what it was, Agatha was next to her, as they had soared over the forest she had dropped a charmed emerald her brother made.

It would allow him to see wherever she was, after all she did have the other emerald, her brother had developed a keen interest in magic during their confinement, he would send her things, they had planned for this event.

Her belongings would be flown in by their ravens, bit by bit they would unnerve the staff and they would show them just how vulnerable they really were, and then they would destroy the school and kill the school master.

As well as anyone who stood in their way.

Azrael felt the things claws begin to release her, she felt the wind rushing around her as she plummeted to the ground, she tried to twist her body to see where she could land that was safe, or even if it was possible, but as she twisted she fell into a thick gooey concoction floundering for a bit a row of sharp teeth grabbed onto her sleeve.

As she was pulled up onto the ground, she coughed the concoction out and looked up, it had been a brown wolf, a brown wolf with blue eyes that had gold streaks through them.

Smiling Azrael looked directly into the wolf's eyes and took her contacts out, "Hello, Cochiti." Azrael smiled at her friend, the castle that she had lived in for a while, she and her brother were not the first inhabitants, and there was a self-portrait of the girl who had lived there 3 years before them, who had been taken away. "So then, I take it that this is what happens if you fail, please don't worry my brother and I will be destroying this school soon."

Smiling angelically Azrael stood, and Sophie was no more, raven black hair flowed around her waist, pale skin seemed to glow, eyes of green and gold narrowed in the darkness glowed like cat eyes, 'Yes,' Azrael thought, 'I am back to myself, Azrael, Azrael of death.'

As she walked into the foyer of the school she looked at the portraits on the wall, it portrayed horrid deaths, as if they were something to be proud of, didn't these hags and monsters know what victory was, didn't they realise how being subtle was their greatest weapon, or how beauty can lure people into a web of death, these people weren't villains they were jesters, they were counterfeits, this was a disgrace to the title of being evil.

'Well until Abaddon and I decide to storm this place it won't harm anyone if I showed them how to be slightly more evil than they are.' Making her mind up Azrael walked confidently up to the black doors that were gnarled and twisted around the edges, taking the handle she opened the door. "Took you long enough", a thing growled at her, narrowing her flashing eyes she replied, "Well it would have taken me less time if your esteemed school master could have had the creature drop me near the door, if you have an issue with my punctuality take it up with him." Twirling away she quietly took her place next to a green skinned plump girl ('at least I think it is').

An old hag shoved a pile of stinky black rags into her arms and told her where her room was, crinkling her nose at both the hag and the clothes she turned to go up the stairs and to her room, as she entered her room there was a group of girls already there, stinky, filthy girls. All of whom were wearing the rags with pride, turning to the vacant bed she set her clothes down, turning around to greet her new 'roommates', she saw that they were leaving, and with a single sneer at her no less.

Frowning and making a mental note to 'deal' with them she turned back to the rags, Azrael wouldn't call them anything but rags, using the trick her brother had taught her she pointed her finger at her clothes and focused on the words she spoke, "Quae iacet ad pannos mutare ante vos, et indui vestibus serum lactis formae erit, ut sit tibi.2" The rags began to change they began to shift, and slowly a uniform that was dark green and black appeared in its place.

Smirking Azrael put the uniform on and took a look at her timetable, seeing that she had uglification first crinkling her nose she swept to where the classroom was, with two minutes too spare, just as she got there the teacher opened the door and the students began to stream into the classroom taking her place next to one of her roommates (as were the seating arrangements), she straightened her back took out a pen she had stolen (nicked was such a childish word) and looked to the teacher.

"This is uglification class, we as villains are the opposites to the 'heroes' our looks reflect which side we are on. Look at the cauldron in front of you, this cauldron will give you that exta bit of ugly that we all need," turning to Azrael she spoke in a mocking tone, "Welcome Sophie to uglification class, why don't you go first, you look terribly like an ever my dear." The class roared with laughter about the fact that the village girl had been mocked already.

Smiling sweetly Azrael replied "Dear Professor, you are quite funny, those looks of yours make you look like a child's drawing instead of a villain, don't you know that if you want to deceive people you have to look sweet and innocent, looking around the class I can clearly see why so many of those evers never seem to be truly afraid of you, your name also leaves a bit to be desired bilious Manley, why it doesn't sound that terrifying at all. Oh and I believe that there has been a mistake on your class list, my name isn't Sophie I prefer to be called Azrael." And her smile never left her face as she spoke to her teacher in such a sickeningly sweet voice.

The professors face screwed up making her look even more funny, "I'll have you know little village girl that we villains are feared and respected unlike you and your sort, and what would a perfect little princess like you know about deceiving or terrifying people, you look like you'll need a few hours in the dungeons, hopefully that will teach you to shut up when I am talking." Prof. Manley stalked towards Azrael before adding more salt to the wound, "And your name is Sophie but from now on you will be runt."

Azrael's eyes flashed in anger, her pupils narrowed into slits and she slowly stood up and as the teacher grabbed her arm she backhanded the old thing as the person was no longer a person but an it, if this is how all people talked here they were just things, nothing at all. "How dare you call me 'runt', I have deceived an entire town and I have killed multiple people and if I hadn't been kidnapped and brought here the whole village would be dead or kneeling at my feet. I say this once more for your sake you creature. I am Azrael, I am Death, and I am the one who should always fear."

And with that Azrael swept past the teacher and out of the classroom.

2. The rags that lie in front of me change to what you should be, clothes of silk and fluid as milk, of my beauty it shall be, so shalt it be.

Azrael's uniform is on my profile