Don't blow anything up. Don't blow anything up. Don't blow anything up.
The Sorceress chanted in her mind as her dark hair billowed behind her quick paced walk. The time for logical explanations were over as an explosion of emotions tidal waved through her disgruntled core. The pitch black hallways were only slightly illuminated by the moonlit glow from under the several rooms she passed, providing her with the minimum amount of vision to make out her surroundings. Behind her, her feathery extensions were furled into her body tightly to avoid any unnecessary noise as snores of varying volume carried through the air, drowning out any other sounds she made. The only other thing she could hear was the thundering of her heart and the chaos within her mind. Her slender legs swiftly carried her back to the room she and her friend resided in before she fluidly shut the door behind herself. As soon as she did so, her legs gave out on her, the energy pouring into her thoughts as she crumpled to the floor in a tight ball; her soft wings curled around her in a meaningless protective barrier. She stubbornly held back the tears that filled her large eyes, angrily wiping the blood off of her chin in the process. How could she have been so stupid? Why didn't she notice sooner? What did he want from her?
I need to get out of here.
No you don't.
A brief moment of confusion flashed passed her as her eyebrows furrowed together at the event. Was she talking to herself?
I need to go home.
You have the upper hand… The voice reverberated quietly.
I can't be near him.
Why?
I just…I…
Can destroy this place.
But I'm…
War.
An unfamiliar icy sensation seep through her veins, sending shivers down her spine- it echoed with a controlled fury and violence that was only describable as craze. A sudden surge of power pulsed through her small frame, her eyes quickly flashing a blood red. The unusual aura that engulfed her body was so immense, the ends of her hair fluttered around her from the change in atmospheric pressures. It felt like fire and ice were burning and freezing her innards at the same time, making her body go numb. She felt almost liberated, her mind filling with euphoria from the alteration to her body. A quiet but sudden giggle erupted from her well-shaped lips as she brought her hand up to her forehead and through the raven hair that messily covered her face- she grinned at her newfound plan that was just born in her brain. Yes, it was a situation that she could bring to life but it would take time and patience to execute…would she have those virtues? At this point, she had no choice. Yasu sighed shakily, reigning in her rage before mustering herself up onto her feet- she had to get into bed and "sleep" before Kenko returned. Even though every fiber of her being screamed to escape right then and there, her fury would not allow her to. Not only would she find out exactly what the Assassin was up to but she would ruin this place and its inhabitants before leaving to allow for rage and despair to trample Plant Hwyaden before she left for home- her real home. She would spread war.
The following morning was more of a difficult task than she'd expected. Behaving normally around Kenko was a feat more demanding than moving mountains. The bright sun and clear skies completely contrasted with her mood as birds peacefully chirped on nearby tree branches. She sat still on the uncomfortable wooden chair, staring at the cup of steaming coffee sitting before her. She rested her fisted hands on her lap, stealing a quick glance at her "friend." He was the perfect liar, giving nothing away as he stared out the window, lazily leaning backwards onto the chair, pushing his short wings into the wood- it made her clench her teeth, the anger howling within her mind. He was so cool and collected! Did he truly feel nothing for the immense betrayal? Biting back her knee-jerk reaction, she sipped her hot drink, barely registering the scald to her tongue.
"Anything you want to do today?" He asked nonchalantly.
Act calm.
"Not really." She brushed his question off.
"I'll be by the train if you need me, then." He pushed himself off of the chair before dusting his pants off.
The shed by the train was a place he was at for long hours at a time. Initially, Yasu thought nothing of it as it required a large amount of engineering background- something Kenko was necessary for- but now it was a suspicious area. His long legs easily carried him out the door, his slender fingers running through his tousled hair. He stopped at the doorway of the dining hall to stare at the Sorceress thoughtfully.
"Are you okay?" His voice was laced with concern- it made her blood boil even more.
"Yeah, I think I'm just tired from yesterday." She pulled the corners of her lips upwards into a false smile.
"Tch. I figured it was too soon. Take it easy today, we'll figure something out later." He waved before disappearing down the hallway.
Yasu glanced around the deserted common area- it was only really crowded during the hours of breakfast, lunch or dinner which were all times she avoided; she came to greatly dislike most of the Adventurers residing in this building. Many sturdy wooden tables were randomly placed around the open area with accompanying odd numbered chairs. Telltale scuff marks on the floors and table tops were reminiscent the many uses the furniture had endured. An old bar hugged the furthest wall with many scrapes and splinters decorating its surface. Many cobwebs hung around the already dreary guild hall, giving it an almost haunted appearance despite its regular use. Lazily pulling down her hand, a light purple menu bar flickered before her, appearing in the shape of a transparent square. She gently tapped at the call button, only to have the connection immediately go silent before dying- it had become something of a habit that she did whenever she had time, not that it ever worked but she continued to try. Who knew? Perhaps she would get lucky. Sighing in exasperation, Yasu took one last sip of her drink, before tossing her coffee into the trash as she noted the time at about 1p.m. A sly grin slid across her face before she too walked down the corridor towards the back of the building. Though she didn't know the directions of any specific place all too well, she did know few- the small garden in the center was almost always empty and quickly became an area she fashioned often. In her short time there, she noticed a familiar fox spend time there every day at the same time on the dot; she thought little of it until yesterday. She impatiently walked towards her destination, carefully mapping out her plan of action. As she had expected the dark haired Guild Master was present on the bench in the center- her eyes were glazed over as she stared off into the distance as she usually did. Whether she was in deep thought or not was questionable. The garden was a large square without a roof, allowing the bright sky blue skies to beam down the dark area. Flowers in a breath-taking variety of colors were neatly planted in the four corners of the area with a small, white bench in the center upon which the Fox sat. Bright green grass filled the area without the colorful blooms, completing the beautiful, idyllic area in a stark contrast. The Sorceress clicked her tongue scornfully at the peaceful scene below her before gracefully spreading her soft, white wings and jumping off of the balcony. Her feathery extensions slowed her fall to a near float onto the small grassy area.
"Yasu-san, good afternoon!" Her sultry voice carried through the air.
The Sorceress stood up right to look at her prey- Nureha sat comfortably on the bench with falsely friendly eyes. Her pouty lips and large, deep eyes would make any man swoon to her desires. Yasu bit her tongue, inwardly cursing at the manipulating gold digger that sat before her.
"You looked beautiful descending like that- like an angel." She tone almost sounded air-headed.
"Did I?" The Sorceress feinted thought.
"What brings you here today?" Her pleasant tone dripped with honey.
Yasu took several steps towards the flowers in the garden, crouching down to admire them.
"I usually come here when Kenko isn't with me. What about you?" The Sorceress' gaze trailed over the delicate petal between her fingers.
"I come here every day. It's beautiful here, don't you think?" She smiled, motioning around her.
"It is," Yasu paused casually, not bothering to stand, "I bumped into someone peculiar today- she was quite rude."
"Who might that be? We can't have our guild members being rude to our guests." The playfulness in her voice didn't go unnoticed.
"Indicus? Am I pronouncing that correctly?" The Sorceress brought her fingers up to her chin.
She could feel the sudden turn in the mood of the atmosphere upon the mention of the Elf's name.
Bingo.
"What did she say?" Nureha's gazed hardened ever so slightly.
The Sorceress grinned inwardly at the stiffness in her voice, "She not only insulted me as well as many others who were there. She had quite a sharp tongue and wit. She seemed quite angry, perhaps something upset her."
"I…I see." She faltered.
"Would you mind speaking with her? I don't want her being so rude to Kenko." Yasu stood to face her conversant, latching her arms behind her back with a gentle smile.
A pregnant pause came between the two; the Sorceress had to dig her nails into her wrist to keep from grinning at horror filled eyes in front of her.
"Oh, o-of course! What else did she say to you?" The charming bravado the Foxtail usually hid behind was crumbling.
Yasu smiled kindly, strolling over leisurely to take a seat next to Nureha. This was going to be fun.
The tears in the Foxtails eyes were noticeable as Yasu turned to leave. Even the sheer mention of the Elf Adventurer's name was enough to bring the Foxtail to her knees. The Sorceress pretended not to notice her despair as she unhurriedly made her way back up the arch with a single flap of her wings, humming a gentle tune to herself. The task was much easier than she'd expected- Nureha was very pliable and easy to manipulate. It didn't seem like she had any close friends to discuss the issue with so Yasu wasn't concerned too much with what she did. The elation from watching her defenses slowly fall apart at the seams was so intoxicating, so beautiful, she wanted more- she craved it. Her wings shuddered ever so slightly at the situation. Her next target would most likely be more difficult than the Foxtail. The Sorceress pursed her lips in contemplation as the darkness of the hallway swallowed her slim frame. The Elf was usually in the library but perhaps going straight to her was a little too coincidental. Should she wait until later? Her green orbs closed momentarily as she lost herself in her own world. The pair she targeted was opposite sides of the same coin- each had no one to turn to. Approaching them at nearly the same times would not pose a threat. Snapping her now bloody red eyes open, Yasu took a quick pace towards her next stop, a manic smirk spreading across her lips. She would tear this guild apart along with anyone who opposed her. The library was on the furthest side of the building on the polar opposite side of the garden- the irony didn't escape her. The Sorceress ran her fingers through her silken hair, coming up with numerous scenarios on how to approach the situation. Her eyes trailed over the dreary, lifeless walls while she contemplated her situation- this was a person she had never really spoken to and only caught several glimpses of from behind Kenko's back. The blue haired maid elf seemed difficult to read and quite unapproachable from her past experiences. How could the Sorceress manipulate her into believing her story? She bit her thumb in deliberation on the matter as her feet took her all too quickly to the library.
Oh well. I guess I'll just wing it.
The old wooden door creaked as the gentlest touch easily pushed it open. The library was quite large and equally as dreary as its corridors with dimly lit candles that flickered in several areas serving as the only light source. The book cases hugged the walls, allowing for a large open room. Dusty books of many shapes and sizes were piled high on many desks that were sloppily placed about the large space. The dense atmosphere of cobwebs and dust immediately made her want to leave, blanketing her with a sense of claustrophobia. Clutching her wits, Yasu forced herself forward, her emerald gaze scouring the area for any signs of life. In the midst of chaos within the books, a head of periwinkle hair was barely visible. The Sorceress casually strolled passed her, feinting interest in some of the books several shelves away. The Elf failed to acknowledge the ex-Game Master's presence as she nonchalantly turned the page of the old, tattered book she was looking through. A history book on the table where the other Sorceress sat caught Yasu's attention before she made a beeline towards it. Without thinking, she reached out and grabbed the book out of the pile that Indicus had made. Angry blue eyes flared upwards at the unwelcome intruder as the winged Adventurer's gaze traveled down to meet hers.
Reigning in her annoyance towards her guest, the Elf spoke first, "Excuse you. That's a book I haven't read yet."
Yasu held up the book to examine the cover- it was beaten up and worn and barely legible. The picture beneath the words was long since ripped off and soiled with dirt and grime. An amused look graced the ex-GM's eyes as she hid mischievous smile.
"But this book is about me, isn't it?" Yasu pointed out, "So isn't it mine?"
Her simple logic flabbergasted the Elf, her mouth slightly open with a lack of sensible retort. A short silence ensued before Indicus snapped her mouth shut and huffed out.
"Fine."
Her eyes fell back down upon the papers she read, vigorously absorbing the information on it. Her dedication and concentration was truly something to marvel at. Yasu rested her arms and head on a tall stack of books to unbashful stare down at the Elf.
"Is there anything else you'd like to rob from me, GM?" Her irritated tone bled out with each syllable.
"No." Yasu answered simply.
She stretched her wings lazily, their movement path momentarily lighting up the area in faint sparkles.
"You know, people don't like you much." Green eyes glanced upwards at the seemingly unending ceiling.
"And how does that concern me?"
"Nureha and them don't speak too kindly about you…so I came to see for myself." Yasu grinned.
"Oh ho? That worthless fox talks to me behind my back?" The lower level Sorceress sneered, placing her book down, "What does she say?"
The manic smirk spread behind the winged being's mask as the next hour was filled with lies and slander towards the Elf. Each passing false fact was increasing her victim's anger to a rolling boil- it was evident that new torture ideas were being born from this conversation. Yasu had made herself comfortable on a stack of books, peering down at the Elf as she spoke animatedly, casually keeping tabs on her prey's mood and demeanor- she needed Indicus to take her frustrations out on the fabricated lying, brave, gold digging Nureha.
"But of course, you didn't hear any of this from me." Yasu finished, nonchalantly stretching her arms above her head.
"I didn't know how much I'd been missing out on...thanks." Her hesitancy made this meeting all the worthwhile.
"No problem. It's always nice to have an inside person." Green eyes winked at the Elf, "I should go. I'll see you around~"
Yasu gracefully jumped off of her resting place before wandering out of the dank area. It was only a matter of time before the problem between the two exacerbated and when it did...she would be there. Her thin fingers squeezed the book in her hand, discreetly carrying it beside herself. The book was a great steal for her, perhaps it could give her a better insight about the history of her role here. An unstoppable grin spread across her smooth lips at the realization of her deeds- all of the pieces have been set in motion and she would be there to fan the flames. She had to fight back a cackle, reminding herself that she was in public.
"What are you doing here?" A familiar voice asked from behind her.
The blood in her veins ran cold in a mix of fear and shock as she stiffly turned to face the source of the sound: Kenko.
HI GUYS.
I'm so sorry for the SLOOOWWWW updates. I graduated school recently and I'm studying for my board exams so things have been a little hectic. Updates will continue to be slow and erratic until I pass my exams! Thanks for understanding 3
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