Rivalry:
'I embrace my rival, but only to strangle him.' - Jean Racine
"James Heart is a criminal."
"So were you, once upon a time."
"Not like her. I never lied the way she does."
Willow cast her dust-colored gaze upon her hybrid friend. Aglaia Chalupnik would never be an easy soul to decipher, not as a student and certainly not as a personal guard to spymaster Praxis. Her luminescent green dragon gaze bore unforgivingly through the window, looking directly at the pirate the two were discussing. Not much had changed about James. She still had the scar, and she still had the smart-alec tongue that made her so positively famous.
James looked in their direction, and though Willow knew that the pirate could only see her reflection, she smiled in that twisted way of hers. She knew they were watching.
"I'm assuming she's growing impatient?" A new voice joined the conversation, one light and rasping, dripping softly with venom. Praxis Starbane approached them from behind, her arms folded as she cast her scrutinizing gaze on James. In truth, James didn't look at all impatient, but both Willow and Aglaia were deathly aware that Praxis could see beyond the exterior. If Praxis said James was growing impatient, it was probably true.
"Indeed." Aglaia growled lowly, her eyes still on her enemy, her pale, clawed hands digging into her partially scaled arms. Praxis nodded curtly.
"Let us go in, then." Together the odd trio of women proceeded into the steel interrogation room, with the spymaster in the lead and Aglaia close behind her. Willow and Aglaia both instinctively took up positions by the door.
Don't see why Ambrose thinks Praxis needs guards with her. Praxis Starbane, before she was the Spiral-wide spymaster, was a very skilled and deadly necromanstress, and to Willow it seemed she only grew stronger with each passing year. Aglaia cast willow a warning glare as if she head read the younger girls thoughts, and grudgingly Willow turned to watch the interrogation.
There was silence for a long while, as if both women - who were renowned for their intelligence - were examining each other. It was Praxis who spoke first.
"Do you know who I am?" It was a simple question, in her calmest tone of voice. James smiled that lopsided grin of hers.
"Sure I do. Any good criminal knows the great Praxis Starbane, transcendent Necromancer and spymaster of the Spiral's elite governments. Thirty-one years old, a master of intimidation and tracking, a lover of justice, and the heartthrob of all the boys who lay eyes on you." James winked, clicking her tongue and adopting a rather smug and teasing look. Willow heard Aglaia growl slightly, as if she were growing annoyed. Praxis, however, looked on as expressionless as ever, her golden hair bouncing lightly on her shoulders as she leaned forward slightly.
"And I know you, captain James Heart, or rather Isabelle Pearlgem. A former noble, you left the luxury life for a life of adventure, taking on your present name. Now, you're a renowned adventurer and criminal, and you stole articles from the archived sections of the Wizard City library."
Jame's shrugged her broad shoulders. "I see you live up to your name. But I didn't steal those damned articles."
"Who, then? And mind your tongue, pirate."
"Someone else, not a pirate, but a student of, uh, what's that school again? The prestigious one? Ah, yes, Ravenwood. That's it. Yeah, it was a student from there, a girl by the name of Rebecca Ripple. A powerful one, that girl. Don't know why, but she did."
"You lie!" Aglaia took a dangerous step forward, baring her fangs and claws. James turned her attention towards the Draconian hybrid, looking her up and down, from her dragon-like feet to the long plume of ebony hair upon her head.
"I don't lie, Ebony," she stated slowly, her blue eye glistening with emotions her blind one failed to reflect. "I make a story of the truth."
Suddenly, Aglaia sprung at the pirate, the two of them landing on the floor in an ungracious know of scales and scarred skin. James was laughing the entire time, even as Aglaia raked her long, sharp claws down the scarred side of the pirate's face. As Willow shot forward intending to end the fight before the consequences grew fatal, Praxis stood and held an arm out, blocking the smaller guard. The spymaster walked slowly up to the fighting duo before she suddenly flung out a hand quick as a bird. She grabbed Aglaia by her hair and dragged her to her feet with a surprising strength, causing the latter to yelp unexpectedly. She threw the hybrid towards the door before grabbing James by the back of her collared shirt and forcefully sitting her back down, not at all acknowledging her bleeding wound. Praxis glared icily at the pirate before turning back to Aglaia - who was still fuming - and shoving her out of the room.
Praxis's golden eyes glared daggers at her most experienced guard. "You will not participate in these matters." Without another word, Praxis turned back around, shutting the door behind her. Willow awkwardly stayed out with Aglaia, glancing at her with a small frown. Aglaia's eyes were wide with shock, her initial anger gone.
"Lee," Willow spoke slowly. "How did James know your...alias?"
Aglaia didn't meet Willow's gaze. She looked down, as if embarrassed, or perhaps in shame.
"It's all in the past, Will." Slowly, with her head down, Aglaia walked away, with Willow staring after her in confusion. When the hybrid was out of sight, Willow went back into the interrogation room, to see if it was indeed Rebecca Ripple who stole those articles, or if Aglaia was right, and she was simply lying.
Yeah, short, I know, but I guess it's a decent lil' snippet of some longer story I might do throughout this 100 themes thing. xD this, in case you can't tell, takes place loooong after the events in "Complicated", though I can't exactly say it's a sequel. xD Hope you enjoyed!
Review Replies:
Amma: Thank ya! :D I thought it'd be a bit different from the norm. :3 And I actually had her as a Theurgist at first, but changed it to fit her character. xD
Sandstorm: I was thinking about that, and I might actually expand it later on. Who knows? xD And I'll be sure to keep an eye out for those mistakes and fix em up...maybe. xD
Blood: I guess during for chapter 3, but for the entire story it's all jumbled up concerning time. :P
Next theme: Unbreakable
