I saw 'King Arthur' today. It's pretty good. Not the best movie, but a good
one. Not nearly enough senseless violence and the like but oh well. We
played basketball at my school too. It's funny cause I suck so bad at it
(even though I played for 6 years, didn't realize I sucked or something I
guess). But everybody was cool with my failures as a basketballer! Eh, I'll
stick to the pool thank you very much!
But on to the more important question.... Who to kill, who to kill? Shall I take out Trevor? Or perhaps Ryan? What about Omi? Would I just introduce a new character only to kill her off a chapter later? I've been known to do it before! Ah sweet power of the author!
Reviews!
GRIFFIN YOU'RE BACK! Heavens it's nice to hear from you again! I know how school can get, I'm taking summer courses now and its done next week but man it's a pain. I'm glad you liked that whole bonding thing. I was kinda hesitant to put it in. It was running around my head but I was worried that people would be like wtf she's crazier than I thought! But I was listening to Story of the Year and LostProphets while writing it and I was like ok. I also read this great book by Amelia Atwater Rhodes called Shattered Mirror where I got the idea from. It's such a good book, you should read it!
Ok well that's enough! I'd better write neh? Good plan Tigereyes, good plan.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sasha remained in Omi's bed. She had fleeting moments of consciousness, but those were mostly full of pain. Though there were moments of awareness for Sasha, she was mostly plunged into sweet oblivion. Ryan watched over her, holding vigil even when he felt sleep pulling at his eyelids. Omi had tried several times to kick the poor boy out of her room and into his own for rest, but he would have none of it. Sensing his stubbornness, she gave up.
Ryan did eventually climb onto the other side of the large bed and lay watching her. Sleep eventually took him.
Sasha stirred slightly. Her body needed to move but she was unwilling to give up her blessed oblivion of sleep. So she rolled to a source of warmth on the other side of the bed. Finding it firm and yet soft at the same time, she unconsciously snuggled up against it. Sighing in her slumber, she remained still.
Omi came into her room and spotted the pair on her bed. At first, she went to object to his obviously forward actions on the unconscious girl, but thought better of it. Looking closer, she saw that Sasha's eyes were half- open and a small grin on her face and Ryan's eyes closed and his face slackened by sleep.
Omi smiled and rolled her eyes. Sasha saw her enter and her grin widened. Omi laughed lightly, stopping somewhat abruptly. She felt a cold knot build in her stomach, the kind she got when something terrible was about to happen. She hadn't received the gift of foresight like some of her sisters. She had only her intuition and it never failed her. Sasha's face told of a similar sentiment.
Expertly squirming out of Ryan's sleepy embrace, Sasha made her way to Omi.
"Something big's going to go down," Sasha whispered.
"I think it has to do with the family," Omi replied.
Sasha frowned.
"I feel that this is something that I'm going to need to take care of myself," Sasha said warily.
Ryan stirred on the bed, wiping the sleep from his eyes.
"What's the word ladies?" Ryan asked, his voice still husky from sleep.
"I think my cousin is looking for a reunion," Sasha muttered, "and that is something that I am willing to give."
Sasha smiled grimly and her warm wind swept her away.
Sasha stood alone in the center of a field, tall grasses brushing the knees of her black jeans. Her clothing wasn't what she'd ideally wear in the hot, humid summer evening, but it was what she was used to fighting in: a black tight-fitting running top and comfortable black denim jeans that were neither too loose nor too tight. Sasha disdained wearing loose clothing in a fight, too easy to get something caught. She stood statue still, looking at her booted feet. She had been her for minutes, but it felt like an eternity. She was about to move when she felt the sickening aura of her cousin.
Sasha could feel her flying fast, though her small wings would never allow the speed that she was flying at. Sasha even doubted their ability to hold her up. So obviously, Elyana was flying with magic rather than her wings. Sasha felt her draw closer and closer. She had to repeatedly think to herself 'Stay down, stay down,' fighting the urge to fly and attack. Sasha felt her closer and closer, closing the distance between them.
When Elyana was four feet from Sasha, her wings erupted from her back and Sasha was up in the air in a blink of an eye. She avoided her cousin by inches and spun up in the thermals to a comfortable position while Elyana caught up. Sasha floated, her wings adjusting to the shifting air currents. Elyana's wings didn't move; her magic suspended her.
"It's been awhile, dear cousin," Elyana hissed.
"Not long enough though," Sasha hissed in return.
Sounds of a battle floated up to them and Sasha's frown deepened.
"Brought some of your family?" Sasha growled.
"I see you say 'your', now that you've betrayed us and everything." Sasha's scowl deepened. "Oh I can sense your muddied blood alright. You sicken me. I thought our blood only brought forth strong and smart women. I guess I was wrong."
"Yes, it seems you were, though I would re-evaluate whom you are talking to," Sasha said in a dangerous register.
Sounds of battle drifted up to them. Sasha's eyes were cold but remained crimson.
"I see you brought reinforcements," Sasha grumbled.
"And as it sounds, so did you," Elyana retorted.
Sasha didn't respond. Elyana pursed her lips, and after a moment, charged Sasha. A ball of energy glowed dangerously in her hand as she flew at Sasha. Sasha sighed and floated there. She made no move to draw a weapon, nor a move to get out of the girl's way. She just smiled wickedly and waited.
Concern and confusion began to creep onto Elyana's face as she drew closer to her cousin. She shook of her emotions and flew faster. 'If she wants death, she shall have it,' Elyana thought wickedly to herself. Sasha began to laugh bitterly as Elyana hit an invisible wall but arm's length away from her. Rage lit Elyana's face as she tried to hit Sasha with her energy ball. Again she hit the wall. Sasha laughed all the louder at her cousin's misfortunes.
"You used to brag about your abilities to break through any barrier. What has happened? Has leadership weakened your field ability?" Sasha laughed again, but only shortly. Her laughter quickly dissolved into a serious frown and determined eyes. "Let's see how far you have fallen from your former glory." At that, Sasha's wings beat heavily, moving large amounts of air, propelling Sasha at Elyana. She drew her katana from thin air, poising it to slice her through. Sasha also began a barrage of blasts to Elyana's mind, strong enough to disable her magic that held her aloft. In a battle between the families, the battle raged both physically and magically. In their world, the strongest in both can only survive.
Though Elyana used her magic to hold her up in the air, her defenses were not as weak as Sasha had judged. Sasha added power to her mental blasts then unleashed them as she drew her sword in front of her from beside her thigh. In the last second before impact, Sasha moved her katana to between her legs and sliced upward. Elyana was not totally unprepared. She drew a scythe with shortened blade from behind her back and stopped Sasha's swing.
Sasha saw her wince at the blows she issued and gave an evil grin. Using her cousin as a springboard, Elyana pushed backward to widen the gap between them. Panic ebbed at her mind. Sasha had never displayed the amount of power she was now. Elyana never dreamed that Sasha could send such mental blasts as she did. Elyana found it difficult to muster more power for her mind's defenses, let alone the strength to rebuild her walls. Readjusting her grip on her scythe, Elyana decided that she needed to be on the offensive.
Energy cackled around Sasha while she floated in the air. It was Elyana's turn to start the volley and Sasha was more than happy to oblige. She was always stronger in her defenses than her offense, though her offensive was quite effective. Sasha embraced the anger that roared within her. Harboring her past hurts fueled her anger, which, in turn, fueled her power. She was more than happy to let her temper run her, she had been forgiving for too long. It was time for revenge.
Sasha noted the moment that Elyana made the decision to strike. Her eyebrows lowered in determination and she could feel the telltale flare of magic to get her flying. Sasha grinned and her katana disappeared. Elyana, confused by this maneuver, slowed her pace a fraction but carried on. Sasha let her approach her unarmed. But one thing about Sasha that needed to be remembered was that she was never unarmed. Never.
As Elyana's scythe fell with strength aided by magic, Sasha produced a long quarterstaff. It was deep mahogany with vines of ivy carved into it. Supported by two hands, Sasha stopped Elyana's scythe easily and looked her surprised cousin in the eyes. Panic had a firm hold in her mind now and Sasha saw it. Sensing Elyana draw power again to call her wind to take her away, Sasha glared. She spun her quarterstaff nimbly and before Elyana's scythe could fall, Sasha hit Elyana squarely in the side. Bones crunched sickly and Elyana spun violently out of control, coughing from the sudden expulsion of air.
Sasha looked below her, spying Elyana's scythe stuck firmly blade-first into the soil. She wove the proper spells and the thing set ablaze. Cracking her knuckles, she opened her wings to the warm summer thermals and floated over to Elyana's shaking form. She had assumed the fetal position, feebly trying to straighten out and steady her breathing.
"Some challenge you were, I thought the reason they chose you was because you were more powerful than I was. Well, it appears they misjudged you. But what shall I do with you?" Sasha's katana was out in a blink and was pressed lightly to Elyana's throat. A small bead of blood rose and began to trail down her neck slowly. "Kill you? Ah, but this is a most pathetic position and I don't feel much honor in killing you like this. And here I thought I was going to have to find a clever way out of battle."
Elyana stared defiantly back into Sasha's eyes, unafraid of her blade so close to her throat. Inwardly, Sasha's stomach turned. She was, at that moment, two things she hated the most: arrogant and about to kill a defenseless person. She sighed.
"There is no honor this way," Sasha's eyes traveled up to the scar she gave her the last time that she encountered her cousin. "But it appears that you do not learn from your mistakes. I know what I can do." Sasha kicked Elyana appropriately to make her spin slightly. Taking her katana across Elyana's flight feathers, she cut them clean off. Simultaneously, she shattered the magic that Elyana was using to suspend herself. Elyana fell instantly, plummeting toward the dry earth. Her weak scream echoed up to Sasha and she rolled her eyes. She had taught herself long ago how to position herself and slow her descent if she was in such a position where her wings were useless. When Elyana was but two feet from the ground, Sasha wove her magic in a net to catch her cousin. When her fall was stopped, Sasha dropped the net and let Elyana hit the ground.
Elyana looked up bewildered. She would have killed Sasha, had their positions been reversed. Her bewilderment lasted only momentarily before the wind came and took her away.
Sasha sighed, her katana disappearing again. She opened her wings fully and let the breeze do most of her flying. She made her way to where she had heard the sounds of battle before. She knew that anyone that Elyana had brought with her would have disappeared as she did. That was one thing that worked against her old family, they relied too heavily on one another for magic and support. None would make a stand without four or five behind them. She came to a small wooded area and could smell the blood from there. Folding her wings, she descended sharply. She closed her eyes and relished her peregrine-like speed. Flaring her wings at the last moment, she landed lightly.
She saw faces she didn't know, but felt the magic within them and could identify who was who. Surprisingly, the dead on the ground were none of her new family. The only ones that Elyana left behind were the dead. Sasha wandered around, looking for Ryan or Omi. She knew that Trevor was safe at the mansion. She had deposited him there (to his numerous angry protests) and left before he could follow. Xavier had understood her haste and had no doubt talked Trevor into letting Sasha do her thing.
In her quest for her friends, Sasha came across a familiar corpse. Her oldest brother stared up at her with lifeless eyes. She felt a pang of regret for the person he was when she was very small, but a cold detachment for the boy he had become as she grew. She did nothing to cover his corpse, she merely moved on. She saw her other brother not farther along. As before, she missed the kind boy who looked out for her before she had her wings. But as for the heartless and cruel boy he had become, she felt no sorrow.
She saw Ryan sitting against a tall sycamore. He nursed a bleeding arm and he had a small cut across his face that had already clotted. Sasha's pace quickened as she drew nearer to him. He smiled a crooked smile at her. It looked closer to a grimace than a smile. She slowed and knelt next to him.
"Ryan," she scolded halfheartedly, "I thought you could take care of yourself! Now I know that I can't let you out of my sight!" She smiled while cutting a strip from the hem of her shirt and began to wrap it around his arm.
"I can take care of myself! There were these two who worked almost as one! They looked just like one another, only one was much taller and seemed older than the other one did. I got them in the end though, only one of them got a few lucky shots in. Hence the arm and the face," he said in a rush, "but I hear chicks dig scars, so they're all right I suppose."
Sasha rolled her eyes.
"You seem fine, no use giving you any more attention," he scowled at her, and she ignored him. "You seen Omi?"
"She went back, something about Athens, I wasn't listening all the way," he said wiping his face on the end of his own shirt.
"You need a lift back or can you do it on your own?" Sasha asked offering a hand.
"I can do it on my own, thank you very much," he said in an offended tone and disappeared in his eye-twisting way. Sasha sighed and let the wind take her.
Sasha met Ryan outside Omi's room. Omi's door was closed and Sasha put her ear to the door. Omi's light snores filtered through the door and Sasha smiled.
"She's asleep. I'm going to go check on Trevor ok? I'll be back later," with that she disappeared on the wind once more. Ryan set off to his own room for some sleep.
Stopping once in the room that Ryan had designated as hers, she raided the drawers for a new shirt. Settling on a black halter-top, she wriggled out of her current shirt. It tingled with the residue of magic on it and it made her nose tickle. She fought the sneeze and looked in the full-length mirror on one of the walls. Her hair was a mess and her carefully applied make up smeared. She absently wondered what it was that guys saw in her. She was taller than most girls were and, in her opinion, obnoxiously long arms. She sighed and pulled on the shirt. She ran a brush through her hair, catching on the snarls and working them out. With a touch-up of her make up, she deemed herself presentable. She called her wind once more and disappeared.
She appeared at the door and pushed the doorbell. Chimes rung throughout the mansion and she heard someone approach the door. The latch clicked and an impassive Jessica looked beyond her. After a few seconds, her eyes focused on Sasha.
"Sasha!" she exclaimed. "Have you come home too?"
Sasha smiled weakly. "No, only for a visit."
"Oh," Jessica said somewhat dismayed, "come in, come in! I'm sure everyone will want to see you again!"
"Somehow I doubt that," she muttered below her breath.
"Pardon?" Jessica said as she closed the door behind Sasha.
"Oh, nothing, nothing at all."
"Whatever, you want to see the Professor now or do you wanna see some of the students first?"
"Professor probably," Sasha responded slowly.
"Ok, you need me to direct you or do you know the way?"
"I know the way," Sasha said.
Jessica colored. "Oh I knew that. Later." And she walked away.
Sasha shook her head at the oddity of that encounter and prayed that all wouldn't be like that.
She made her way deftly through the mansion. Though Jessica thought that she would lose her way, Sasha had made careful detail of all of the rooms in the mansion so she wouldn't get lost during her stay. She hadn't discarded the information yet.
Coming to the tall wooden doorway, Sasha peered in. The Professor was working on some paperwork when he looked up.
"Sasha," he said warmly. Sasha's fears of uncomfortable reunions dissipated momentarily as she walked into the room. "It is quite a pleasure to see you again."
"I'd say the same for you Professor," she said stepping into the room. "How's Trevor?"
"He's back to his usual self. He was a little cranky for a couple of hours, but he found his niche again. Could I say the same for you? Have you come back to stay with us?"
Sasha sighed. "I am afraid not. It was as much as I could do to get Trevor back to where he belongs. I need to stay with my people now. But, I'm always just a thought away if you should need me," she smiled, "Would you mind if I found Trevor? I have just a little more to do about his anger and he'll be free of it."
"Please, this place is always open. I believe Trevor is in the commons," the Professor said.
"Thank you," Sasha said standing. "I'll talk to you later Professor."
He smiled and she left.
Sasha navigated the hallways expertly. Some students hailed her with warm greetings; others skirted her or all together ignored her. It didn't phase her at all; she was used to being an outcast.
She paused in the doorway of the commons. John, Jessica, Amber and Trevor were playing cards around a coffee table. Sighing, she began to walk in. 'You've fought all sorts of people and won yet you're afraid of your old friends?' she asked herself. She stopped a few feet behind Trevor and cleared her throat uneasily. They all looked up at her from their game, not saying a word.
"Uh, hey guys," Sasha said when they said nothing.
They held their silence so she decided to speak again.
"Trevor, would you come with me? I just need to talk to you for a second-"
"He's not going ANYWHERE with you! Last time he did he didn't come back for three weeks!" John said standing.
"It's important," Sasha said keeping a tight hold on her temper.
"Then we have to go with you," Amber said quietly.
"Fine, if that's the only way I can finish, fine," Sasha growled. "Come on then."
Sasha left the room through a door in the corner of the room that led to a small garden. Lilies bloomed and clematis and ivy climbed up the wall, making it appear that they came out of a wall of green leaves.
Sasha ignored the other three and turned to Trevor.
"I have six left for you. They're clean; I just have to put them back. Then you're done with my family all together. I don't think I'll be back either, I want them to stay away from this place."
"But I don't want you to stay away," Trevor protested, "We can take care of ourselves. Just because you think that we'll get dragged into some ancient fight and lose," he paused, "That can't be a reason for you to stay away. And if it's because of them, you don't have to deal with them. Just come back to see me."
Sasha smiled. "Let's just get this done with," Sasha closed her eyes. "Just hold still."
Trevor closed his eyes and waited for the tingle of Sasha's mind in his. He felt her put the six animals back with the rest and felt her withdraw. He opened his eyes and he saw her smile at him.
"See you Trevor," she looked uneasily at John and the girls and nodded. A familiar warm breeze blew into the secluded garden and Sasha was gone.
Trevor glared at his friends. "LET IT GO! SHE'S SORRY FOR CHRIST'S SAKE! JUST LET IT GO!" He stormed out of the garden, leaving them to figure out what had happened between Trevor and Sasha.
hey it looks like a birdie!
Sasha sat curled up in her sheets and blankets in bed. She took another bite of her triple chocolate ice cream as she listened to her LostProphets CD that Ryan had brought her. She stared off into space, singing when she knew the words, but mostly just thought of how John and her old friends acted around her.
She heard a faint knock at the door and her sad thoughts departed. She smiled.
"Come in Ryan," she said taking another bite.
He peeked his head in the room. She rolled her eyes and motioned him in. He walked and sat on the edge of the bed.
"What are you still doing in bed? It's near noon. And how did you get that ice cream?" Ryan asked sticking a finger in it and taking out a taste.
"I can sit in bed as long as I want to, I know what time it is and how I get my food is my secret," she said with a grin.
"Whatever, you want to spar?"
"No," Sasha said putting the carton aside, "I've had enough fighting for a few days at least."
"Then what do you want to do?" he asked. "There's not much to do here other than that."
"I just want to sit here and listen to my music," she said simply.
She stretched, her arms pulling at their sockets. Her wings appeared behind her following the same suit as her arms, stretching as high as they could go. She yawned and squinted her eyes. Ryan lunged at her and began to tickle her sides. She curled up in a ball, laughing hysterically.
"Uncle!" she exclaimed between laughs, "Uncle!"
Ryan stopped tickling her and sat back on his knees.
"Ok, ok! I'll get up! Jeez!" she muttered, throwing off her comforter and sheets. She stepped out of bed and stretched her legs by standing on her toes. Ryan watched her stretch again and rolled his eyes. She walked over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans and a red short sleeved shirt that tied up her sides.
"You, out, now," she said gesturing to the door.
Ryan sighed and complied. When he had shut the door behind him, Sasha peeled off her pajamas and pulled on her jeans. As she began to pull on the shirt, she spied her forearm in the mirror. She tossed the shirt on the dresser and growled. Her arm was bleeding again with another message.
YOU FAILED.
She growled and pulled out some bandages she kept in the top drawer. She angrily wrapped her arm and pulled a dark gray tank top on over it in stead of her red shirt. She stormed out of the room barefoot, pulling back her long bangs and tying them with a rubber band. She stalked past Ryan who fell into step behind her when she ignored his questions.
She stalked angrily into the large room that she had appeared in with Trevor the first time. She stormed right up to the master who was standing smugly in the center of the room.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS ABOUT?!?" she demanded holding up her bandaged arm.
"I wanted your attention," he said simply and calmly.
"CALL MY FUCKING CELL IF YOU WANT TO TALK, DO NOT EVER ETCH ANYTHING IN MY ARM AGAIN!"
"You failed," he said, blatantly avoiding her ranting.
"I didn't see honor in killing her then, she was unarmed and defenseless. I don't care how you want things done and I don't care who you want me to kill, only if it's what I want to do, I'll do it in my own time and in my own way. I will not answer to you every time that you think I did something that bugs you. I don't give a damn quite frankly what you think," she said quite angrily. Though she had stopped yelling, Ryan took a step back from her, afraid that she would lash out and he would be the one to get the brunt of it.
"You returned the bear-sark," he said in that same agitating monotone.
"I did no such thing," she said simply, "there was no bear-sark in him so I replaced the boy back where he belongs. He is no longer a threat to anyone."
"He is a threat to US," he hissed. "He knows where we are!"
"He does not," she said taking his monotone voice, "every time he was moved to or from here, it was by my magic alone. Plus, I made a spell to keep you from them and them from us."
Ryan watched the master's anger well. There was something that she did to him to set off his temper. Perhaps it was because she knew how to get others angry once she was and then manipulate their rage into what she wanted. But that only worked when she herself had a hold on her own temper.
Sasha looked into his eyes coldly. "Is there anything else you would like to berate me on? Because if there is, I'd like to know so I can think of other things to do while you waste my time." He said nothing in response. "Good, then we are done here." And with that, Sasha swept out of the room with all the grace and dignity anyone could possibly have. Ryan looked at the master a moment longer and followed Sasha out silently.
When the door was closed and Sasha was halfway down the hall she stopped. Taking a deep breath, she began to yell at the top of her lungs. Ryan stood with his eyes wide as he watched her scream her vocal chords raw. When she was done, he walked up beside her.
"You ok?" he asked.
"He just makes me so angry," she said hoarsely. "I think I'm going to fly for a while. I'll be back later."
Ryan nodded and Sasha walked on. She came to a flight of stairs and followed them up to a dark and narrow corridor. There was absolutely no light but she trailed her right hand along the wall and led with her left in front of her. She came to a dead end and pushed slightly. It was a door that led to the roof.
It was a massive building from the expanse of the roof. Gravel crunched under her bare feet as she stepped out of the hallway. She walked nimbly on the warm gravel to the edge of the building. She looked over the ledge. It was several stories up and heavily wooded. Her wings opened behind her and she fell from the roof. She quickly found a thermal and rode it upward into the afternoon sky. With every beat of her massive wings, her anger slowly drifted away. She was only mildly upset by the time she felt someone behind her. They were using a great deal of magic and she turned agitated.
Elyana was barreling at her at breakneck speed. Sasha rolled her eyes and drew her katana. Elyana drew a long knife and sped up. Sasha growled.
"You didn't get enough yesterday?" Sasha yelled at Elyana.
"I will only have 'enough' when you are dead!" Elyana screamed in reply.
"So be it," Sasha muttered.
The sound of steel clashing filled the late afternoon sky as their blades danced in their hands. Sasha moved beautifully with her tawny wings beating in rhythm with their volleys. Elyana was slightly slower than Sasha was due to the high usage of magic in keeping herself aloft and sustaining her mental shields against the steady barrage of mental slams that Sasha was dishing out. In no time, Elyana would fall again to Sasha and this time, Sasha wouldn't be lenient.
Sasha began to feel small points of magic drift out from Elyana's seemingly massive cloud of it. To Sasha's surprise and horror, there were seven other people appear around her. Elyana floated back to complete the small ring around her. The anger welled in Sasha.
"You couldn't beat me yourself so you brought others? I'm flattered, really, that you think I will fall to eight people at the same time. Really, but I think you misjudged, it will take more than eight to bring me down," Sasha said mockingly.
An invisible signal passed between all eight of them and at once they all unleashed a heavy rain of mental slams at her mental barriers. She winced at every one of them but remained in the air. She drew a second katana from the air and floated waiting. Again, all eight flew at her simultaneously. Her katana flew in her hands, meeting all of their various types of weapons, from Elyana's knife to a heavy chain to throwing knives. But with all that was attacking her, she could only act defensively. Her mind was under too much abuse to form a counter attack and she was loosing energy fast. The first of the few attacks slipped through her whirling katana and she had a throwing knife in the back of her shoulder.
Sasha roared in rage, pulling the knife out by its hilt and throwing it back at the one whom threw it at her. The knife found purchase in his chest. He fell and crumpled on the ground many feet below.
DANCE BREAK! (dances around basement to black eyed peas's 'Hey Mama') That's what I get for listening to dancing music while I write.... Now where is my Story of the Year? DANCE BREAK OVER
Sasha spun again in the air, the katana in her left hand knocking a throwing knife off its path. Her other katana was keeping Elyana's knife away from her torso. Five throwing stars found purchase in her thigh before Sasha lopped the hand off of the girl that was throwing them. Elyana slashed Sasha in the back with her knife and Sasha spun, blinded by rage and pain, slicing across the girl's cheek.
Sensing someone behind her, Sasha thrust her katana behind her stabbing her attacker in the chest. He fell with a sickening thud to the ground.
Sasha's cuts stung with sweat dribbling into them. She was covered in blood of her own and others. Where she wasn't bloody, she was sweaty. Her agility and stamina were beginning to wear out on her and her magic was draining. Her mental walls had fallen long ago and her head screamed in pain. Her normally neat and precise strikes were becoming sloppy and desperate.
Her katana disappeared and a new weapon was produced from nowhere. It was an interesting weapon with a long haft like a spear but that blade came from the end was not the normal point for one. It widened sharply from the haft in a teardrop shaped blade. Sharpened at both ends with a point past the apex of the tear, it glistened wickedly. There was another blade similar to the top one on the opposite end of the haft and a long thin blade ran a quarter of the way from the top blade down the haft. Sasha swung the weapon, taking out three people slicing clean through them. Sasha went to take her cousin out in a similar fashion when she felt a hard, blunt object strike the back of her head and darkness began to creep in the edges of her vision. 'NO!' She thought desperately trying to hold onto consciousness. She lost her battle and went fell to the ground with her wings unconsciously open, slowing her impact with the ground to a thud.
Elyana laughed at her fallen cousin, starting her descent down to the earth. As she began to drift downward, an eerie roar erupted from behind her. She turned in confusion. Her confusion quickly turned to horror when she saw what had made the noise. Athens's crimson form was barreling at her, his wings doubling his size. Ryan rode at the base of his neck.
"SHIT" she hissed.
A second roar, deeper but just as eerie, screamed behind her. She spun in horror to see another dragon. This one was pitch black with green wings. He bared his saber-like teeth and roared again.
"THEY HAVE TWO!?!" she screamed. "Forget this!" and she was gone.
Ryan too was clearly confused by the other dragon, but Athens inclined his head knowingly as he began to descend to Sasha's still form. The other dragon followed Athens closely to Sasha, being wing to wing at some points. Before he was even fully on the ground, the other dragon quickly became Trevor and he was sprinting to Sasha's side.
Ryan looked shocked and confused while Athens had a knowing look in his dark eyes.
"SASHA!" Trevor exclaimed.
"I thought I told you to stay home," she whispered hoarsely at him.
"Since when do I listen to you?" he asked with a smile.
"They declared all out war on us just after you left. He sent me out to find you," Ryan said kneeling next to Sasha. He scanned over her bloody body. Most were shallow wounds that bled a lot but some were deeper. Her arm was clearly broken; it bent the wrong way all together at the elbow. There were twigs and leaves in her hair and she had a cut that bled down the side of her face. Both of her wings were most definitely broken, bending in gruesome and painful ways that made Ryan wince just looking at them. But there were two things that shocked him the most: the sheer amount of weapons she wore on her. He had never seen her with that many. Some he couldn't even identify or had ever seen before. There were also scars on her arms. She had intricate vines of ivy cut into her left arm starting at her shoulder and snaking down her arm to her wrist where it wrapped once and ended. Her right arm had a tiger seemingly prowling up her forearm stalking an eagle. Sasha saw him looking at it and tried to become invisible, a task that usually took no effort whatsoever. She couldn't summon the strength to do that so she tried her magic, also failing. She tried to sit up, instinctively using her right arm to push herself up off of the ground, but fell back in pain when she realized that it was broken.
She cursed avidly as she fell back to the ground. Athens looked over the two boys curiously. Trevor looked at Ryan suspiciously.
"Athens, you head back. I'm going to take Trevor back to where he belongs then I'll take Sasha home. Tell Omi to be ready," Ryan said ignoring Trevor's glares.
"I'm not going anywhere! Sasha needs my help, and I'm going to give it. Now you listen to me-"Trevor began but Ryan grabbed him by the shoulder and they both disappeared.
Sasha looked at Athens. He seemed sad, if a dragon had such an emotion. "What's the matter Athens?"
'Stay safe little one,' and he opened his wings.
Sasha waved good bye with her left hand, keeping her right protectively against her chest. She had tried to get up several times, all of them unsuccessful and painful, by the time that Ryan came back for her. He appeared as Sasha fell for the eleventh time.
"You're just going to hurt yourself, you know that right?" he asked her with a small smile on his face.
She scowled. "I just need to get up and then I'll be ready. She won't know what to do with all the pain I'm going to give her!" she said as she fell back again. "GOD DAMN IT!" she yelled. "Ohh... my head,
she whimpered shortly after.
"You won't be giving anyone anything in your condition. Come on, I'll take you to Omi," he said lifting her easily and cradling her in his arms.
"Not funny," she said as they disappeared.
Omi was ready when Ryan lay Sasha down on her bed. Sasha's loud threats had reduced to unintelligible mumbles. She whimpered once more when her broken wings lay on the bed.
Omi looked to Ryan.
"She's been doing this since we left," he said. Sasha's mumbling lulled for a moment to soft whimpers.
"Sasha," Omi said evenly and softly. Sasha stopped her mumbling and looked at Omi groggily. "Sasha, I need to start work on healing you. The longer we wait, the harder it will be. It may hurt, but you need to stick through it. Ok?"
Sasha nodded sullenly.
"Good," She said and set to work on healing Sasha's wounds.
(#KJBKL:BNJ#)({)(&)(U#)(%T GLKJ:WLK&)(N {$)( )P(W#U%TGIOOI:JO )(U D D(!&Y$(
Ok. That's it. I'm off to my friend's lake house! YAY! I spent yesterday at laser tag too and then DDR at my friend's house. So much fun. I know people make fun of that game but it seriously is addicting. Try it! Ok laters.
But on to the more important question.... Who to kill, who to kill? Shall I take out Trevor? Or perhaps Ryan? What about Omi? Would I just introduce a new character only to kill her off a chapter later? I've been known to do it before! Ah sweet power of the author!
Reviews!
GRIFFIN YOU'RE BACK! Heavens it's nice to hear from you again! I know how school can get, I'm taking summer courses now and its done next week but man it's a pain. I'm glad you liked that whole bonding thing. I was kinda hesitant to put it in. It was running around my head but I was worried that people would be like wtf she's crazier than I thought! But I was listening to Story of the Year and LostProphets while writing it and I was like ok. I also read this great book by Amelia Atwater Rhodes called Shattered Mirror where I got the idea from. It's such a good book, you should read it!
Ok well that's enough! I'd better write neh? Good plan Tigereyes, good plan.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sasha remained in Omi's bed. She had fleeting moments of consciousness, but those were mostly full of pain. Though there were moments of awareness for Sasha, she was mostly plunged into sweet oblivion. Ryan watched over her, holding vigil even when he felt sleep pulling at his eyelids. Omi had tried several times to kick the poor boy out of her room and into his own for rest, but he would have none of it. Sensing his stubbornness, she gave up.
Ryan did eventually climb onto the other side of the large bed and lay watching her. Sleep eventually took him.
Sasha stirred slightly. Her body needed to move but she was unwilling to give up her blessed oblivion of sleep. So she rolled to a source of warmth on the other side of the bed. Finding it firm and yet soft at the same time, she unconsciously snuggled up against it. Sighing in her slumber, she remained still.
Omi came into her room and spotted the pair on her bed. At first, she went to object to his obviously forward actions on the unconscious girl, but thought better of it. Looking closer, she saw that Sasha's eyes were half- open and a small grin on her face and Ryan's eyes closed and his face slackened by sleep.
Omi smiled and rolled her eyes. Sasha saw her enter and her grin widened. Omi laughed lightly, stopping somewhat abruptly. She felt a cold knot build in her stomach, the kind she got when something terrible was about to happen. She hadn't received the gift of foresight like some of her sisters. She had only her intuition and it never failed her. Sasha's face told of a similar sentiment.
Expertly squirming out of Ryan's sleepy embrace, Sasha made her way to Omi.
"Something big's going to go down," Sasha whispered.
"I think it has to do with the family," Omi replied.
Sasha frowned.
"I feel that this is something that I'm going to need to take care of myself," Sasha said warily.
Ryan stirred on the bed, wiping the sleep from his eyes.
"What's the word ladies?" Ryan asked, his voice still husky from sleep.
"I think my cousin is looking for a reunion," Sasha muttered, "and that is something that I am willing to give."
Sasha smiled grimly and her warm wind swept her away.
Sasha stood alone in the center of a field, tall grasses brushing the knees of her black jeans. Her clothing wasn't what she'd ideally wear in the hot, humid summer evening, but it was what she was used to fighting in: a black tight-fitting running top and comfortable black denim jeans that were neither too loose nor too tight. Sasha disdained wearing loose clothing in a fight, too easy to get something caught. She stood statue still, looking at her booted feet. She had been her for minutes, but it felt like an eternity. She was about to move when she felt the sickening aura of her cousin.
Sasha could feel her flying fast, though her small wings would never allow the speed that she was flying at. Sasha even doubted their ability to hold her up. So obviously, Elyana was flying with magic rather than her wings. Sasha felt her draw closer and closer. She had to repeatedly think to herself 'Stay down, stay down,' fighting the urge to fly and attack. Sasha felt her closer and closer, closing the distance between them.
When Elyana was four feet from Sasha, her wings erupted from her back and Sasha was up in the air in a blink of an eye. She avoided her cousin by inches and spun up in the thermals to a comfortable position while Elyana caught up. Sasha floated, her wings adjusting to the shifting air currents. Elyana's wings didn't move; her magic suspended her.
"It's been awhile, dear cousin," Elyana hissed.
"Not long enough though," Sasha hissed in return.
Sounds of a battle floated up to them and Sasha's frown deepened.
"Brought some of your family?" Sasha growled.
"I see you say 'your', now that you've betrayed us and everything." Sasha's scowl deepened. "Oh I can sense your muddied blood alright. You sicken me. I thought our blood only brought forth strong and smart women. I guess I was wrong."
"Yes, it seems you were, though I would re-evaluate whom you are talking to," Sasha said in a dangerous register.
Sounds of battle drifted up to them. Sasha's eyes were cold but remained crimson.
"I see you brought reinforcements," Sasha grumbled.
"And as it sounds, so did you," Elyana retorted.
Sasha didn't respond. Elyana pursed her lips, and after a moment, charged Sasha. A ball of energy glowed dangerously in her hand as she flew at Sasha. Sasha sighed and floated there. She made no move to draw a weapon, nor a move to get out of the girl's way. She just smiled wickedly and waited.
Concern and confusion began to creep onto Elyana's face as she drew closer to her cousin. She shook of her emotions and flew faster. 'If she wants death, she shall have it,' Elyana thought wickedly to herself. Sasha began to laugh bitterly as Elyana hit an invisible wall but arm's length away from her. Rage lit Elyana's face as she tried to hit Sasha with her energy ball. Again she hit the wall. Sasha laughed all the louder at her cousin's misfortunes.
"You used to brag about your abilities to break through any barrier. What has happened? Has leadership weakened your field ability?" Sasha laughed again, but only shortly. Her laughter quickly dissolved into a serious frown and determined eyes. "Let's see how far you have fallen from your former glory." At that, Sasha's wings beat heavily, moving large amounts of air, propelling Sasha at Elyana. She drew her katana from thin air, poising it to slice her through. Sasha also began a barrage of blasts to Elyana's mind, strong enough to disable her magic that held her aloft. In a battle between the families, the battle raged both physically and magically. In their world, the strongest in both can only survive.
Though Elyana used her magic to hold her up in the air, her defenses were not as weak as Sasha had judged. Sasha added power to her mental blasts then unleashed them as she drew her sword in front of her from beside her thigh. In the last second before impact, Sasha moved her katana to between her legs and sliced upward. Elyana was not totally unprepared. She drew a scythe with shortened blade from behind her back and stopped Sasha's swing.
Sasha saw her wince at the blows she issued and gave an evil grin. Using her cousin as a springboard, Elyana pushed backward to widen the gap between them. Panic ebbed at her mind. Sasha had never displayed the amount of power she was now. Elyana never dreamed that Sasha could send such mental blasts as she did. Elyana found it difficult to muster more power for her mind's defenses, let alone the strength to rebuild her walls. Readjusting her grip on her scythe, Elyana decided that she needed to be on the offensive.
Energy cackled around Sasha while she floated in the air. It was Elyana's turn to start the volley and Sasha was more than happy to oblige. She was always stronger in her defenses than her offense, though her offensive was quite effective. Sasha embraced the anger that roared within her. Harboring her past hurts fueled her anger, which, in turn, fueled her power. She was more than happy to let her temper run her, she had been forgiving for too long. It was time for revenge.
Sasha noted the moment that Elyana made the decision to strike. Her eyebrows lowered in determination and she could feel the telltale flare of magic to get her flying. Sasha grinned and her katana disappeared. Elyana, confused by this maneuver, slowed her pace a fraction but carried on. Sasha let her approach her unarmed. But one thing about Sasha that needed to be remembered was that she was never unarmed. Never.
As Elyana's scythe fell with strength aided by magic, Sasha produced a long quarterstaff. It was deep mahogany with vines of ivy carved into it. Supported by two hands, Sasha stopped Elyana's scythe easily and looked her surprised cousin in the eyes. Panic had a firm hold in her mind now and Sasha saw it. Sensing Elyana draw power again to call her wind to take her away, Sasha glared. She spun her quarterstaff nimbly and before Elyana's scythe could fall, Sasha hit Elyana squarely in the side. Bones crunched sickly and Elyana spun violently out of control, coughing from the sudden expulsion of air.
Sasha looked below her, spying Elyana's scythe stuck firmly blade-first into the soil. She wove the proper spells and the thing set ablaze. Cracking her knuckles, she opened her wings to the warm summer thermals and floated over to Elyana's shaking form. She had assumed the fetal position, feebly trying to straighten out and steady her breathing.
"Some challenge you were, I thought the reason they chose you was because you were more powerful than I was. Well, it appears they misjudged you. But what shall I do with you?" Sasha's katana was out in a blink and was pressed lightly to Elyana's throat. A small bead of blood rose and began to trail down her neck slowly. "Kill you? Ah, but this is a most pathetic position and I don't feel much honor in killing you like this. And here I thought I was going to have to find a clever way out of battle."
Elyana stared defiantly back into Sasha's eyes, unafraid of her blade so close to her throat. Inwardly, Sasha's stomach turned. She was, at that moment, two things she hated the most: arrogant and about to kill a defenseless person. She sighed.
"There is no honor this way," Sasha's eyes traveled up to the scar she gave her the last time that she encountered her cousin. "But it appears that you do not learn from your mistakes. I know what I can do." Sasha kicked Elyana appropriately to make her spin slightly. Taking her katana across Elyana's flight feathers, she cut them clean off. Simultaneously, she shattered the magic that Elyana was using to suspend herself. Elyana fell instantly, plummeting toward the dry earth. Her weak scream echoed up to Sasha and she rolled her eyes. She had taught herself long ago how to position herself and slow her descent if she was in such a position where her wings were useless. When Elyana was but two feet from the ground, Sasha wove her magic in a net to catch her cousin. When her fall was stopped, Sasha dropped the net and let Elyana hit the ground.
Elyana looked up bewildered. She would have killed Sasha, had their positions been reversed. Her bewilderment lasted only momentarily before the wind came and took her away.
Sasha sighed, her katana disappearing again. She opened her wings fully and let the breeze do most of her flying. She made her way to where she had heard the sounds of battle before. She knew that anyone that Elyana had brought with her would have disappeared as she did. That was one thing that worked against her old family, they relied too heavily on one another for magic and support. None would make a stand without four or five behind them. She came to a small wooded area and could smell the blood from there. Folding her wings, she descended sharply. She closed her eyes and relished her peregrine-like speed. Flaring her wings at the last moment, she landed lightly.
She saw faces she didn't know, but felt the magic within them and could identify who was who. Surprisingly, the dead on the ground were none of her new family. The only ones that Elyana left behind were the dead. Sasha wandered around, looking for Ryan or Omi. She knew that Trevor was safe at the mansion. She had deposited him there (to his numerous angry protests) and left before he could follow. Xavier had understood her haste and had no doubt talked Trevor into letting Sasha do her thing.
In her quest for her friends, Sasha came across a familiar corpse. Her oldest brother stared up at her with lifeless eyes. She felt a pang of regret for the person he was when she was very small, but a cold detachment for the boy he had become as she grew. She did nothing to cover his corpse, she merely moved on. She saw her other brother not farther along. As before, she missed the kind boy who looked out for her before she had her wings. But as for the heartless and cruel boy he had become, she felt no sorrow.
She saw Ryan sitting against a tall sycamore. He nursed a bleeding arm and he had a small cut across his face that had already clotted. Sasha's pace quickened as she drew nearer to him. He smiled a crooked smile at her. It looked closer to a grimace than a smile. She slowed and knelt next to him.
"Ryan," she scolded halfheartedly, "I thought you could take care of yourself! Now I know that I can't let you out of my sight!" She smiled while cutting a strip from the hem of her shirt and began to wrap it around his arm.
"I can take care of myself! There were these two who worked almost as one! They looked just like one another, only one was much taller and seemed older than the other one did. I got them in the end though, only one of them got a few lucky shots in. Hence the arm and the face," he said in a rush, "but I hear chicks dig scars, so they're all right I suppose."
Sasha rolled her eyes.
"You seem fine, no use giving you any more attention," he scowled at her, and she ignored him. "You seen Omi?"
"She went back, something about Athens, I wasn't listening all the way," he said wiping his face on the end of his own shirt.
"You need a lift back or can you do it on your own?" Sasha asked offering a hand.
"I can do it on my own, thank you very much," he said in an offended tone and disappeared in his eye-twisting way. Sasha sighed and let the wind take her.
Sasha met Ryan outside Omi's room. Omi's door was closed and Sasha put her ear to the door. Omi's light snores filtered through the door and Sasha smiled.
"She's asleep. I'm going to go check on Trevor ok? I'll be back later," with that she disappeared on the wind once more. Ryan set off to his own room for some sleep.
Stopping once in the room that Ryan had designated as hers, she raided the drawers for a new shirt. Settling on a black halter-top, she wriggled out of her current shirt. It tingled with the residue of magic on it and it made her nose tickle. She fought the sneeze and looked in the full-length mirror on one of the walls. Her hair was a mess and her carefully applied make up smeared. She absently wondered what it was that guys saw in her. She was taller than most girls were and, in her opinion, obnoxiously long arms. She sighed and pulled on the shirt. She ran a brush through her hair, catching on the snarls and working them out. With a touch-up of her make up, she deemed herself presentable. She called her wind once more and disappeared.
She appeared at the door and pushed the doorbell. Chimes rung throughout the mansion and she heard someone approach the door. The latch clicked and an impassive Jessica looked beyond her. After a few seconds, her eyes focused on Sasha.
"Sasha!" she exclaimed. "Have you come home too?"
Sasha smiled weakly. "No, only for a visit."
"Oh," Jessica said somewhat dismayed, "come in, come in! I'm sure everyone will want to see you again!"
"Somehow I doubt that," she muttered below her breath.
"Pardon?" Jessica said as she closed the door behind Sasha.
"Oh, nothing, nothing at all."
"Whatever, you want to see the Professor now or do you wanna see some of the students first?"
"Professor probably," Sasha responded slowly.
"Ok, you need me to direct you or do you know the way?"
"I know the way," Sasha said.
Jessica colored. "Oh I knew that. Later." And she walked away.
Sasha shook her head at the oddity of that encounter and prayed that all wouldn't be like that.
She made her way deftly through the mansion. Though Jessica thought that she would lose her way, Sasha had made careful detail of all of the rooms in the mansion so she wouldn't get lost during her stay. She hadn't discarded the information yet.
Coming to the tall wooden doorway, Sasha peered in. The Professor was working on some paperwork when he looked up.
"Sasha," he said warmly. Sasha's fears of uncomfortable reunions dissipated momentarily as she walked into the room. "It is quite a pleasure to see you again."
"I'd say the same for you Professor," she said stepping into the room. "How's Trevor?"
"He's back to his usual self. He was a little cranky for a couple of hours, but he found his niche again. Could I say the same for you? Have you come back to stay with us?"
Sasha sighed. "I am afraid not. It was as much as I could do to get Trevor back to where he belongs. I need to stay with my people now. But, I'm always just a thought away if you should need me," she smiled, "Would you mind if I found Trevor? I have just a little more to do about his anger and he'll be free of it."
"Please, this place is always open. I believe Trevor is in the commons," the Professor said.
"Thank you," Sasha said standing. "I'll talk to you later Professor."
He smiled and she left.
Sasha navigated the hallways expertly. Some students hailed her with warm greetings; others skirted her or all together ignored her. It didn't phase her at all; she was used to being an outcast.
She paused in the doorway of the commons. John, Jessica, Amber and Trevor were playing cards around a coffee table. Sighing, she began to walk in. 'You've fought all sorts of people and won yet you're afraid of your old friends?' she asked herself. She stopped a few feet behind Trevor and cleared her throat uneasily. They all looked up at her from their game, not saying a word.
"Uh, hey guys," Sasha said when they said nothing.
They held their silence so she decided to speak again.
"Trevor, would you come with me? I just need to talk to you for a second-"
"He's not going ANYWHERE with you! Last time he did he didn't come back for three weeks!" John said standing.
"It's important," Sasha said keeping a tight hold on her temper.
"Then we have to go with you," Amber said quietly.
"Fine, if that's the only way I can finish, fine," Sasha growled. "Come on then."
Sasha left the room through a door in the corner of the room that led to a small garden. Lilies bloomed and clematis and ivy climbed up the wall, making it appear that they came out of a wall of green leaves.
Sasha ignored the other three and turned to Trevor.
"I have six left for you. They're clean; I just have to put them back. Then you're done with my family all together. I don't think I'll be back either, I want them to stay away from this place."
"But I don't want you to stay away," Trevor protested, "We can take care of ourselves. Just because you think that we'll get dragged into some ancient fight and lose," he paused, "That can't be a reason for you to stay away. And if it's because of them, you don't have to deal with them. Just come back to see me."
Sasha smiled. "Let's just get this done with," Sasha closed her eyes. "Just hold still."
Trevor closed his eyes and waited for the tingle of Sasha's mind in his. He felt her put the six animals back with the rest and felt her withdraw. He opened his eyes and he saw her smile at him.
"See you Trevor," she looked uneasily at John and the girls and nodded. A familiar warm breeze blew into the secluded garden and Sasha was gone.
Trevor glared at his friends. "LET IT GO! SHE'S SORRY FOR CHRIST'S SAKE! JUST LET IT GO!" He stormed out of the garden, leaving them to figure out what had happened between Trevor and Sasha.
hey it looks like a birdie!
Sasha sat curled up in her sheets and blankets in bed. She took another bite of her triple chocolate ice cream as she listened to her LostProphets CD that Ryan had brought her. She stared off into space, singing when she knew the words, but mostly just thought of how John and her old friends acted around her.
She heard a faint knock at the door and her sad thoughts departed. She smiled.
"Come in Ryan," she said taking another bite.
He peeked his head in the room. She rolled her eyes and motioned him in. He walked and sat on the edge of the bed.
"What are you still doing in bed? It's near noon. And how did you get that ice cream?" Ryan asked sticking a finger in it and taking out a taste.
"I can sit in bed as long as I want to, I know what time it is and how I get my food is my secret," she said with a grin.
"Whatever, you want to spar?"
"No," Sasha said putting the carton aside, "I've had enough fighting for a few days at least."
"Then what do you want to do?" he asked. "There's not much to do here other than that."
"I just want to sit here and listen to my music," she said simply.
She stretched, her arms pulling at their sockets. Her wings appeared behind her following the same suit as her arms, stretching as high as they could go. She yawned and squinted her eyes. Ryan lunged at her and began to tickle her sides. She curled up in a ball, laughing hysterically.
"Uncle!" she exclaimed between laughs, "Uncle!"
Ryan stopped tickling her and sat back on his knees.
"Ok, ok! I'll get up! Jeez!" she muttered, throwing off her comforter and sheets. She stepped out of bed and stretched her legs by standing on her toes. Ryan watched her stretch again and rolled his eyes. She walked over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans and a red short sleeved shirt that tied up her sides.
"You, out, now," she said gesturing to the door.
Ryan sighed and complied. When he had shut the door behind him, Sasha peeled off her pajamas and pulled on her jeans. As she began to pull on the shirt, she spied her forearm in the mirror. She tossed the shirt on the dresser and growled. Her arm was bleeding again with another message.
YOU FAILED.
She growled and pulled out some bandages she kept in the top drawer. She angrily wrapped her arm and pulled a dark gray tank top on over it in stead of her red shirt. She stormed out of the room barefoot, pulling back her long bangs and tying them with a rubber band. She stalked past Ryan who fell into step behind her when she ignored his questions.
She stalked angrily into the large room that she had appeared in with Trevor the first time. She stormed right up to the master who was standing smugly in the center of the room.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS ABOUT?!?" she demanded holding up her bandaged arm.
"I wanted your attention," he said simply and calmly.
"CALL MY FUCKING CELL IF YOU WANT TO TALK, DO NOT EVER ETCH ANYTHING IN MY ARM AGAIN!"
"You failed," he said, blatantly avoiding her ranting.
"I didn't see honor in killing her then, she was unarmed and defenseless. I don't care how you want things done and I don't care who you want me to kill, only if it's what I want to do, I'll do it in my own time and in my own way. I will not answer to you every time that you think I did something that bugs you. I don't give a damn quite frankly what you think," she said quite angrily. Though she had stopped yelling, Ryan took a step back from her, afraid that she would lash out and he would be the one to get the brunt of it.
"You returned the bear-sark," he said in that same agitating monotone.
"I did no such thing," she said simply, "there was no bear-sark in him so I replaced the boy back where he belongs. He is no longer a threat to anyone."
"He is a threat to US," he hissed. "He knows where we are!"
"He does not," she said taking his monotone voice, "every time he was moved to or from here, it was by my magic alone. Plus, I made a spell to keep you from them and them from us."
Ryan watched the master's anger well. There was something that she did to him to set off his temper. Perhaps it was because she knew how to get others angry once she was and then manipulate their rage into what she wanted. But that only worked when she herself had a hold on her own temper.
Sasha looked into his eyes coldly. "Is there anything else you would like to berate me on? Because if there is, I'd like to know so I can think of other things to do while you waste my time." He said nothing in response. "Good, then we are done here." And with that, Sasha swept out of the room with all the grace and dignity anyone could possibly have. Ryan looked at the master a moment longer and followed Sasha out silently.
When the door was closed and Sasha was halfway down the hall she stopped. Taking a deep breath, she began to yell at the top of her lungs. Ryan stood with his eyes wide as he watched her scream her vocal chords raw. When she was done, he walked up beside her.
"You ok?" he asked.
"He just makes me so angry," she said hoarsely. "I think I'm going to fly for a while. I'll be back later."
Ryan nodded and Sasha walked on. She came to a flight of stairs and followed them up to a dark and narrow corridor. There was absolutely no light but she trailed her right hand along the wall and led with her left in front of her. She came to a dead end and pushed slightly. It was a door that led to the roof.
It was a massive building from the expanse of the roof. Gravel crunched under her bare feet as she stepped out of the hallway. She walked nimbly on the warm gravel to the edge of the building. She looked over the ledge. It was several stories up and heavily wooded. Her wings opened behind her and she fell from the roof. She quickly found a thermal and rode it upward into the afternoon sky. With every beat of her massive wings, her anger slowly drifted away. She was only mildly upset by the time she felt someone behind her. They were using a great deal of magic and she turned agitated.
Elyana was barreling at her at breakneck speed. Sasha rolled her eyes and drew her katana. Elyana drew a long knife and sped up. Sasha growled.
"You didn't get enough yesterday?" Sasha yelled at Elyana.
"I will only have 'enough' when you are dead!" Elyana screamed in reply.
"So be it," Sasha muttered.
The sound of steel clashing filled the late afternoon sky as their blades danced in their hands. Sasha moved beautifully with her tawny wings beating in rhythm with their volleys. Elyana was slightly slower than Sasha was due to the high usage of magic in keeping herself aloft and sustaining her mental shields against the steady barrage of mental slams that Sasha was dishing out. In no time, Elyana would fall again to Sasha and this time, Sasha wouldn't be lenient.
Sasha began to feel small points of magic drift out from Elyana's seemingly massive cloud of it. To Sasha's surprise and horror, there were seven other people appear around her. Elyana floated back to complete the small ring around her. The anger welled in Sasha.
"You couldn't beat me yourself so you brought others? I'm flattered, really, that you think I will fall to eight people at the same time. Really, but I think you misjudged, it will take more than eight to bring me down," Sasha said mockingly.
An invisible signal passed between all eight of them and at once they all unleashed a heavy rain of mental slams at her mental barriers. She winced at every one of them but remained in the air. She drew a second katana from the air and floated waiting. Again, all eight flew at her simultaneously. Her katana flew in her hands, meeting all of their various types of weapons, from Elyana's knife to a heavy chain to throwing knives. But with all that was attacking her, she could only act defensively. Her mind was under too much abuse to form a counter attack and she was loosing energy fast. The first of the few attacks slipped through her whirling katana and she had a throwing knife in the back of her shoulder.
Sasha roared in rage, pulling the knife out by its hilt and throwing it back at the one whom threw it at her. The knife found purchase in his chest. He fell and crumpled on the ground many feet below.
DANCE BREAK! (dances around basement to black eyed peas's 'Hey Mama') That's what I get for listening to dancing music while I write.... Now where is my Story of the Year? DANCE BREAK OVER
Sasha spun again in the air, the katana in her left hand knocking a throwing knife off its path. Her other katana was keeping Elyana's knife away from her torso. Five throwing stars found purchase in her thigh before Sasha lopped the hand off of the girl that was throwing them. Elyana slashed Sasha in the back with her knife and Sasha spun, blinded by rage and pain, slicing across the girl's cheek.
Sensing someone behind her, Sasha thrust her katana behind her stabbing her attacker in the chest. He fell with a sickening thud to the ground.
Sasha's cuts stung with sweat dribbling into them. She was covered in blood of her own and others. Where she wasn't bloody, she was sweaty. Her agility and stamina were beginning to wear out on her and her magic was draining. Her mental walls had fallen long ago and her head screamed in pain. Her normally neat and precise strikes were becoming sloppy and desperate.
Her katana disappeared and a new weapon was produced from nowhere. It was an interesting weapon with a long haft like a spear but that blade came from the end was not the normal point for one. It widened sharply from the haft in a teardrop shaped blade. Sharpened at both ends with a point past the apex of the tear, it glistened wickedly. There was another blade similar to the top one on the opposite end of the haft and a long thin blade ran a quarter of the way from the top blade down the haft. Sasha swung the weapon, taking out three people slicing clean through them. Sasha went to take her cousin out in a similar fashion when she felt a hard, blunt object strike the back of her head and darkness began to creep in the edges of her vision. 'NO!' She thought desperately trying to hold onto consciousness. She lost her battle and went fell to the ground with her wings unconsciously open, slowing her impact with the ground to a thud.
Elyana laughed at her fallen cousin, starting her descent down to the earth. As she began to drift downward, an eerie roar erupted from behind her. She turned in confusion. Her confusion quickly turned to horror when she saw what had made the noise. Athens's crimson form was barreling at her, his wings doubling his size. Ryan rode at the base of his neck.
"SHIT" she hissed.
A second roar, deeper but just as eerie, screamed behind her. She spun in horror to see another dragon. This one was pitch black with green wings. He bared his saber-like teeth and roared again.
"THEY HAVE TWO!?!" she screamed. "Forget this!" and she was gone.
Ryan too was clearly confused by the other dragon, but Athens inclined his head knowingly as he began to descend to Sasha's still form. The other dragon followed Athens closely to Sasha, being wing to wing at some points. Before he was even fully on the ground, the other dragon quickly became Trevor and he was sprinting to Sasha's side.
Ryan looked shocked and confused while Athens had a knowing look in his dark eyes.
"SASHA!" Trevor exclaimed.
"I thought I told you to stay home," she whispered hoarsely at him.
"Since when do I listen to you?" he asked with a smile.
"They declared all out war on us just after you left. He sent me out to find you," Ryan said kneeling next to Sasha. He scanned over her bloody body. Most were shallow wounds that bled a lot but some were deeper. Her arm was clearly broken; it bent the wrong way all together at the elbow. There were twigs and leaves in her hair and she had a cut that bled down the side of her face. Both of her wings were most definitely broken, bending in gruesome and painful ways that made Ryan wince just looking at them. But there were two things that shocked him the most: the sheer amount of weapons she wore on her. He had never seen her with that many. Some he couldn't even identify or had ever seen before. There were also scars on her arms. She had intricate vines of ivy cut into her left arm starting at her shoulder and snaking down her arm to her wrist where it wrapped once and ended. Her right arm had a tiger seemingly prowling up her forearm stalking an eagle. Sasha saw him looking at it and tried to become invisible, a task that usually took no effort whatsoever. She couldn't summon the strength to do that so she tried her magic, also failing. She tried to sit up, instinctively using her right arm to push herself up off of the ground, but fell back in pain when she realized that it was broken.
She cursed avidly as she fell back to the ground. Athens looked over the two boys curiously. Trevor looked at Ryan suspiciously.
"Athens, you head back. I'm going to take Trevor back to where he belongs then I'll take Sasha home. Tell Omi to be ready," Ryan said ignoring Trevor's glares.
"I'm not going anywhere! Sasha needs my help, and I'm going to give it. Now you listen to me-"Trevor began but Ryan grabbed him by the shoulder and they both disappeared.
Sasha looked at Athens. He seemed sad, if a dragon had such an emotion. "What's the matter Athens?"
'Stay safe little one,' and he opened his wings.
Sasha waved good bye with her left hand, keeping her right protectively against her chest. She had tried to get up several times, all of them unsuccessful and painful, by the time that Ryan came back for her. He appeared as Sasha fell for the eleventh time.
"You're just going to hurt yourself, you know that right?" he asked her with a small smile on his face.
She scowled. "I just need to get up and then I'll be ready. She won't know what to do with all the pain I'm going to give her!" she said as she fell back again. "GOD DAMN IT!" she yelled. "Ohh... my head,
she whimpered shortly after.
"You won't be giving anyone anything in your condition. Come on, I'll take you to Omi," he said lifting her easily and cradling her in his arms.
"Not funny," she said as they disappeared.
Omi was ready when Ryan lay Sasha down on her bed. Sasha's loud threats had reduced to unintelligible mumbles. She whimpered once more when her broken wings lay on the bed.
Omi looked to Ryan.
"She's been doing this since we left," he said. Sasha's mumbling lulled for a moment to soft whimpers.
"Sasha," Omi said evenly and softly. Sasha stopped her mumbling and looked at Omi groggily. "Sasha, I need to start work on healing you. The longer we wait, the harder it will be. It may hurt, but you need to stick through it. Ok?"
Sasha nodded sullenly.
"Good," She said and set to work on healing Sasha's wounds.
(#KJBKL:BNJ#)({)(&)(U#)(%T GLKJ:WLK&)(N {$)( )P(W#U%TGIOOI:JO )(U D D(!&Y$(
Ok. That's it. I'm off to my friend's lake house! YAY! I spent yesterday at laser tag too and then DDR at my friend's house. So much fun. I know people make fun of that game but it seriously is addicting. Try it! Ok laters.
