Before Jace even had time to release my hand I started to walk, effectively dragging him along with me.
"Ailis, slow down! Before you pull my arm out of its socket." Jace hissed and I stopped so suddenly he smacked into my back. In a tangle of limbs we ended up on the cold ground, both red faced and muttering apologizes.
"So are we in Ravnica?" I asked, taking the hand Jace offered me. Once he helped me to my feet Jace nodded. "Wow it's...huge!" I shouted and he cringed. "Heh sorry."
"That is the city, yes." Jace replied, waving his hand towards a huge tower that dwarfed every building and spire overlooking the city. "But I haven't shown you the best part. Follow me." He added, a tiny smile crossing his llips. Interested I followed just behind him and as we walked he gave me a quick history on the city; the ten guilds that had mastered two of the five colors of mana. Each making a play for control of the vast
Jace's description of each guild was a little more detailed than that but I kind of zoned out a little after a while, even if my guide was pretty attractive.
"Ailis, are you even listening to what I just said?" Jace's voice jogged me out of my thoughts and I turned my head to see his blue eyes staring at me.
"I was listening. Ask me anything." I quickly answered and he raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Go on."
"Alright. Name three of the guilds I just mentioned and who leads them." Jace challenged and I instantly swallowed, quickly flicking through what I remembered.
"Um...the dragon led Izzert. Their mana colors are blue and red, combining both elemental magic and technology. There's the Boros guild, their mana colors are red and white. They're also the military guild. Oh I need a third...um..." I trailed off when he chuckled, his eyebrow raised and with a smirk that curled his lips.
"A good try, Ailis but you need to pay close attention to each guild and give them the proper respect. Saying or doing the wrong thing could get you in a lot of trouble." Jace sighed when I frowned, arms crossed against my chest. "I'm not being mean if that's what you're thinking. I'm sorry to point this out but you do stand out and if you make a wrong move with any guild member it could wind up causing trouble for you." I opened my mouth to speak and he shook his head. "I'm not going to rescue you if you upset anyone in Ravnica."
"Even if you're the head of the Guildpact you won't help?" I asked and Jace raised both eyebrows this time, arms at his sides. "Fine I'll try not to cause trouble. At least Liliana's not here to tease me."
"Did someone mention my name?" Someone asked and I yelped, quickly hiding behind Jace. "That was almost worth the trip." Liliana laughed, stepping towards Jace as I growled, eyes narrowed at the necromancer.
"Did you come all this way to keep picking on me? Or are you a little lonely you don't have anyone to talk to besides your zombies?" I asked, stepping out from behind Jace with my eyes narrowed and she just smiled. Rolling my eyes I headed towards the large tower that Jace had pointed out, not caring what Liliana thought.
"That zombie friend of yours is really trying my patience." Liliana said to Jace, whose lips briefly curled into a smile.
"Ailis is just curious about Ravnica. Give her a break, Liliana. She hasn't had it easy so far and I'm trying to get her mind away from what happened to her." Jace told the necromancer. With a wave of her hand, Liliana followed Ailis and Jace sighed.
I wish Liliana would leave Ailis alone, Jace thought as he hurried after Liliana and Ailis the latter already out of eyesight. She's been put through enough and now Liliana shows up...
Jace was soon jogged out of his thoughts when the sounds of raised voices could be heard. They're coming from that alleyway, he thought running now once he heard Ailis's voice.
"Leave me alone. I haven't even been here five minutes and you're treating me like a criminal. Who do you think you are?" I protested, shaking my arm free from an older man. When he got a clearer look at my face his brown eyes grew wide and I quickly pulled the hood of my cloak over my face.
"I am a soldier of the Boros guild. What kind of creature are you?" He asked, removing a blade from around his waist and I took a step back. "Stay where you are." He ordered and I yelped as he grabbed my arm, tightening his grip when I tried to move.
"What are you doing? Release her." Jace snapped and the man spun around to find the mind mage with his eyes narrowed, pale eyes almost glowing.
"I am sorry but it's causing trouble. I'm under orders to report anything suspicious to Aurelia." He told us and I flinched when he gripped my arm tighter. "It's probably one of Rakdos's undead. They shouldn't let them roam the streets, unnatural creatures they are." He muttered and I whimpered.
"First of all Ailis is not an 'it'. Second, Ailis is in my care and I will not allow you to harm her. If you have a problem with that take it up with the Gatewatch." Jace ordered, eyes focused on the soldier who frowned. When he finally relaxed his grip I shook his arm free, flinching when he gave me one last cold stare. After he stomped off I sighed, looking towards the ground until I felt an arm on my shoulder and my jerked up to find Jace staring at me. "It's okay, Ailis." He said but I shook him off, my eyes brimming with tears.
"It's not okay! He treated me like I was a monster! Just leave me alone, Jace." I snapped, pulling my cloak tighter around myself. Tears leaking from my eyes I rushed towards the tower, not even looking back as Jace shouted at me.
"Ailis, come back!" Jace called out, watching with a sinking heart as his new friend disappeared into the darkness of the city streets. "Now what am I going to do?"
"Maybe you should read her mind." Liliana suggested, strolling towards Jace and the mind mage sighed. "It would be the quickest way to find her." She added and he raised an eyebrow as she strolled past. "Unless you want Ailis to end up as someone else's experiment."
Glancing up towards the sky like it could answer for him, Jace made his way towards the tower overlooking the city. I hope she stays out of trouble.
The look that soldier gave me...like I'm sort of freak. I shouldn't have come to Ravnica with Jace. He's wrong about me...I'm a monster.
Sniffing I lowered my face, cloak covering my face as I wandered the streets. Very quickly I found that it was impossible to both hide my face and not bump into anyone. The best alternitive I soon found was to quickly mutter an apology and hurry away, before anyone managed a closer look at my face.
Eventually I stopped to rest, leaning against a faded stone wall the white paint coating it cracked and peeling. It wasn't until I looked around that I found myself in a dark alley, a strong scent of cooking meat making my mouth water. "Wow that smells wonderful. Wonder what's cooking?" I muttered to myself, a tiny smile appearing on my lips before I heard footsteps that echoed along the stone ground. I quickly shifted back, hiding myself in the shadows made by the wall behind me.
Please just walk past me. I'm not even here..
"Is someone there?" A deep voice asked and I moved even further into the shadows, holding my cloak tightly around me. As I stared, shoulders shaking in fear, a young man in white armor stepped into view. Just behind him was a young woman with red hair so bright it reminded me of a flame.
"Gideon, there's no one here." His friend sighed and Gideon shrugged, turning back. My heart beating wildly I bit back a yelp as his friend raised her hand, a curling flame sparking into life. "Hey there is someone here." She said, stepping forward with the flame flaoting above her open palm. When her flame neared my face I let out a shriek and she blinked, getting a closer look at my face before her flame fizzled out.
"I told you so, Chandra. What is that?" Gideon asked, moving past his friend to get a good look. Without thinking I leapt back, the top half of my face hidden from view and he frowned. "Hey we're not trying to hurt you." He told me only to stare, eyes widening when I lifted my face.
"Is that a zombie?" Chandra asked and I growled. Using my strength I shoved her, almost knocking her to the ground as I sprinted past. I didn't get far before they raced after me, both fitter than I had even been. It didn't take more than a few seconds before they were right behind me, a hand grasping at the back of my cloak. I leapt out of range only to scream when the ground disappeared beneath me, my arms flailling to keep myself upright.
Gideon rushed forward, grabbing at the collar of my cloak to stop my fall. The tips of his fingers brushed my cloak then I was falling, a cry ripped from my mouth before I struck the path below with a dull thud.
"Oops?" Gideon muttered, looking down at the motionless body of Ailis. "Maybe we should go down there." He suggested but Chandra was already on her way there, leaping from spot to spot. By the time Gideon joined her, Chandra was already kneeling beside their mystery undead.
"Wonder if she's dead?" He asked as Chandra nudged the body lying in front of her, recoiling once she saw the blood pooling beneath her outstretched right arm.
"Not sure if that applies to the already dead." Chandra answered, straightening. "Hang on if she's already dead why is she bleeding?"
"Ailis isn't dead." Jace answered, pale blue eyes widening once he saw his friend on the cold ground. "Ailis?!" He called out, quickly kneeling beside her. A low moan gave the only indication she was still alive, in a sense.
"Ailis? Wait you know this...lady?" Gideon asked, looking towards Chandra with both eyebrows raised and she shrugged. "She ran away and we tried to catch her. I don't get why she ran away. We're not exactly terrifying."
With a sigh, Jace gently brushed a strand of hair from Ailis' forehead. "Ailis has had a rough time since we came to Ravnica. We had only just arrived when a guard tried to arrest her just because she's..a little different." He explained, reaching under Ailis only to freeze with one hand hovering over her body. "Gideon, do you think you could carry her?" He asked and Gideon quickly nodded, moving towards Ailis.
"No problem but where should we take her?" Gideon asked, effortlessy lifting Ailis' limp body into his muscular arms. "She sticks out."
"Bring her to my office. Right now that's all we can do for her." Jace replied, his face turned slightly so no one could see the mage briefly shut his eyes.