Alice woke up slowly, murmuring in protest at the light shining through her window. She looked around for Zarkash and smiled softly when she saw him in his cat form, curled up within the blankets next to her. She watched as he stretched but remained asleep, letting out a soft sigh. Biting here lip nervously, Alice reached out a hand slowly, knowing that he'd be very angry with her for touching him if he woke up. She set her hand on his side, chuckling when he let out another sigh, but remained asleep. His fur felt like any other cat's, and she was surprised that he didn't somehow feel different since he was a demon. Sitting up, she looked down and sighed at her wrinkled uniform. She wouldn't be able to go out into the halls and talk with others unless she changed her outfit. Looking over at Zarkash again, Alice blushed at the thought of dressing in front of him, even if he was a sleep. Instead she rooted through her drawers for her extra uniform and carefully opened the door, shutting it behind her without a sound to make her way to the bathrooms down the hall.
Zarkash stretched with a loud mrowl, looking around with drowsy eyes. Noticing Alice was gone he suddenly became alert, turning into his human form quickly and standing up from the bed.
"Hey- where are you, girl?" He looked around the small dorm room, but knew she wasn't there. What if something had happened to her? Had Morg come and taken her? The last thought made Zarkash blanch and open the door, looking around the girl's dormitory hall. His ears drooped in horror at the sight of all the young girls in towels and he quickly closed the door behind him, not really knowing what else to do. He looked around the room with his yellow and red eyes, wondering how he could go out and search, but avoid all the human girls infesting the hallway. With an anxious sigh he turned back into his cat form, nudging the door open slightly and crouched low to the ground as he waited for a girl to pass by him, hoping she wouldn't notice him. This particular girl looked different from the others- she had long black hair, bright green eyes and looked strangely slender. She looked down at him, making Zarkash freeze, his eyes wide. She kneeled down, smiling at him and reaching out a hand. Zarkash hunched his back, letting out a long hiss in warning at her and sighed in relief when he saw Alice walking back to the dorm room, in a new uniform. But she suddenly stopped when she saw him- why the hell had she stopped?!
"Come on, kitty. There's no need to be scared." The green-eyed girl said softly, putting a hand on his head. He screamed in anger, lashing out at the girl with claws and teeth. The girl suddenly stood up, biting her lip in pain when she looked down at her bleeding arm. She stared at the cat in shock as Alice approached, picking up Zarkash by the waist.
"Don't scratch people, you dumb cat- how many times to I have to tell you?" Alice said sternly to Zarkash, shaking him a little for emphasis.
~Dumb cat?!~ Zarkash growled, glaring at Alice.
~Shut up- you're supposed to stay in the room.~ Alice looked down at him, her purple eyes cold. Zarkash glared at her again, but stayed silent.
"I'm sorry about that, he's pretty hostile with people he doesn't know well." Alice said, looking at the girl's hand while still holding Zarkash in her other arm.
"O-okay. I just don't get it, though. Usually all animals love me. I've never been scratched." The girl said, tears at the corners of her eyes.
"Oh." Alice said, her insides clenching in horror when she realized this girl was an elf- she would know Zarkash wasn't really a cat…
~Be nice to her, Zarkash, or we'll get in huge trouble. She knows you're not a cat.~ Alice told Zarkash through their link, and looked at the girl's scratches. "They don't look bad. A band-aid should be good enough for them."
"Okay. What kind of cat is he?" The elf looked at Zarkash again, with confused eyes.
"The bad kind." Alice growled. "Really, don't mind him. He's horrible to everyone.- even me. I just don't understand him sometimes." Alice chuckled.
Zarkash looked up at her and squirmed out of her grip, running back into the dorm room. Alice watched after him and clenched her teeth in frustration. What an annoying creature.
"Alice Tartush- please report to the headmaster's office as soon as possible, thank you" Sounded over the school's intercom, making Alice look up in confusion. She had been here for nearly a month now with no problems. Had they already found out Zarkash was a demon?
"Oh my- you're Alice Tartush?" The elf blushed and bowed slightly, then ran down the hall away from her. Alice watched her run and looked down sadly before walking back into her room. Zarkash was leaning back on the couch, his chest bare and his shirt and doublet laying on the ground. He was looking down at his chest, which showed a very large blue and purple bruise in the shape of a paw.
"What are you doing?" Alice walked over, looking at the bruise in confusion. She hadn't seen that there before, how had it gotten there?
"This is turning out to be really annoying. Maybe I should have gone after all." Zarkash growled, poking at the bruise and wincing at the pain.
"You got that from me getting hurt- didn't you?" Alice whispered, remembering when the Demon had stepped on her chest. She had seen a similar bruise on her, but it hadn't been that big.
Zarkash looked up at her, his eyes bright and filled with anger. "What the hell's with you today? First you're shaking me around and now you're worried about me. Fuck, humans are so confusing." The demon growled, his fangs bared as he leaned back in the green and purple pillows in frustration.
Alice watched him for a minute, her eyes sad. "Alright. When I get back, I'll send you back to wherever you came from. Just stay here for now." Alice said softly. Zarkash sat up as she walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
Alice walked through the halls of the school, wondering what the headmaster wanted to talk to her about. Hopefully he didn't know that Zarkash was actually a demon, though since he was going back it didn't really matter now. She slowed her pace as she thought of Zarkash. Why did he want to get away from her so much? Was she really that horrible? She looked up as she bumped into someone, and saw Ricky's concerned face looking back down at her.
"Hey, what's wrong? You're walking about like a zombie." Ricky held her by the shoulders and guided her to the side of the hall so that they wouldn't get in people's way.
"I'm sending Zarkash back. He doesn't want to be around me." Alice said, looking down at the ground. She heard Ricky growl in frustration and he pulled her toward him.
"Don't worry about him- he's a complete ass. You're a good girl, and people love to be around you. You're just too shy sometimes." Ricky smiled, hating to see Alice so sad over some stupid demon.
"I-um… I got attacked last night by one of his enemies." She whispered.
"What?!" Ricky whispered, trying to keep the conversation private.
"A manticore came, and attacked us. He started running after me, and… I guess I fainted or something. Zarkash killed him."
"Well at least you're not hurt." Ricky said in relief, but looked her over anyway for any damage.
"He got hurt though. I felt awful. Why should he get hurt just because I don't know how to properly control my powers? Now the headmaster wants to see me for some reason, and I don't know what's going on anymore." Alice whispered. Ricky looked down at her, putting the palm of his hand against her cheek.
"You'll be fine. Maybe the headmaster decided what you should do." Ricky said, taking his hands off her arms. "Cheer up, you'll be okay. You don't need that stupid demon, and it sounds like he's being more trouble than he's worth."
"I suppose." Alice said, and looked down the hall. "I should go to the headmaster. I don't want him to wait too long for me."
"Alright, Alice. Just remember what I said." Ricky said, watching her walk down the hall again.
"My my, aren't you such the sweetie?" A girl smiled up to Ricky, who blushed. Ricky looked down at the girl, her brown hair spilling out of a witch's hat, her ruffled dress curving over her. She held a broom in one hand, and a book in the other.
"Shut up, Mio." Ricky looked away at the girl from his flying class.
"She's a nice girl. A little too quiet for my tastes, though. Who were you talking about that was more trouble than he's worth? Someone she likes?" Mio smirked wryly.
"I don't know." Ricky clenched his teeth in frustration. "If she does though, it's not good for her. I just want to make sure she's happy, and I know she wouldn't be with that bastard. He taunts her every time he opens his mouth."
"Sounds like a rivalry. Are you thinking of confronting said man?" Mio smiled.
"No. He would beat me with no effort." Ricky said sadly, his wings drooping behind him.
"Well then, we'll just have to fix that. Angels don't have just the ability to fly, you know. I think there's more to you than meets the eye."
Mio grabbed Ricky's wrist and tugged him out to the field.
"You called for me, sir?" Alice looked into the headmaster's office. He looked middle-aged, with ice-cold eyes watching her every move.
"Yes, I did. Please sit down." The man motioned to the chair on the other side of his desk. Alice say down nervously, putting her hands on her lap.
"I've come to understand you've been trying to summon lately? Any luck?" The man said, looking at her curiously.
"Um… not really." Alice said, looking away from him uneasily. Did he already know she had summoned Zarkash?
"Now now, child. You won't get in trouble for using your abilities here. That's what the purpose of this school is. I would just like to know where this creature is."
"Back in my room." Alice whispered. She looked up at him with wide eyes. "Please don't hurt him, I'm going to send him back when I'm finished here anyway."
"My dear girl- if you are so attached to this creature, why send him away?"
"Because he hates me." Alice said sadly. "He hates it here, and can't stand to be around me."
"Hmm, how unfortunate. Why is it this creature hates you so much?"
"I don't know. He keeps saying how weak I am, and how I'm going to get eaten soon if it weren't for him. He taunts me all the time about how I'm a stupid girl who doesn't know anything." Alice blinked away the tears burning at her eyes. "I'm so tired of it! I just wanted to summon something, and I get this horrible… thing."
"Demons are not kind creatures, Alice." The headmaster smiled at Alice's sudden fear at he knew. "Do not worry, I won't tell. Unlike others, I know that demons are two of a kind. What color are his eyes?"
"Red and yellow. Why?"
"That is what keeps him different from the others. The sign that a demon is undecided at who or what he is. What color was the demon's eyes that attacked you last night?"
Alice thought for a minute. "Yellow." She looked up in confusion. "But what does that mean?"
"That's what I brought you here for. I believe it is time for you to start with your classes, starting with demonology. That class is not normally taught to students of this generation, but I believe it should become available once again. What do you think?" The headmaster leaned forward.
"Y-yes sir." Alice whispered, surprised by the headmaster's idea.
"Good. Now, go back to your demon and do what you will. However, know that un-summoning him is just as dangerous as summoning. He may end up like your former tries." The headmaster frowned, and nodded dismissal to Alice.
Alice walked out of the room silently, closing the door behind her and looking down the long hall toward her room. She would hate herself if Zarkash ended up like that Cherub. What should she do?
She walked back to her dorm room, her head spinning with questions.