Kaechia found Orriyon sitting in her room staring out the window. The blond looked sad about something. Kaechia cocked her head to the side, "Is something wrong, Orriyon?"
"No," Orriyon shook her head, "I knew you'd come talk to me. There's something I have to tell you." Orriyon flicked her wrist and the door shut behind Kaechia. She took a deep breath, "I know how you're going to die."
Kaechia stared at her, "What? I'm sorry. You know how I'm going to die?"
Orriyon nodded. Her eyes glowed white, "On a world with poison mana the ice mage falls in defense of family. Should she choose otherwise a fate worse than death befalls her companions."
"If I don't die than they will face a fate worse than death?" Kaechia asked. She was horrified. She didn't want any of them to be put through something that awful not even the supremely annoying lightning mage and the stuck up law mage.
"Yes," Orriyon lowered her gaze sadly. That's two gone. I know how I'll leave this loop. One final loop to end the uncountable wars and one final goodbye before the long sleep. She turned back to the window uneasily, "One final goodbye before the long sleep." One final goodbye before the long sleep. I feel like that has a deeper meaning. Once this loop comes to a close I will fade away. She smiled at Kaechia, "That's all."
"Actually I wanted to talk to you about something as well," Kaechia shook off the sinking feeling in her stomach. "Is something wrong with Gideon?"
Orriyon nodded, "Gideon is the knight shrouded in righteous shadows."
Kaechia cocked her head to the side, "I'm not sure I understand."
Orriyon laughed, "I'm not surprised. It's never really clear. I have very hazy images of a knight shrouded in righteous shadows. He's fighting with what looks like an inner demon that is a traumatic past incarnate. The demon uses a catlike façade. A false face in the form of a pure black cat with sparkling hateful blue eyes."
"Gideon sees his inner demon every time he looks at Jace," Kaechia realized.
Orriyon paused, "I think so but I'm not sure."
Kaechia nodded.
Chandra sighed. She was sitting in a large room where the walls and ceiling were windows. The evening sunlight filtered in through the windows, bathing the room in warm golden and pink light. I really don't know how to deal with Gideon. Without those handy headphones Echo gave me I don't know what's going on. I doubt Jace'll be of any help. Speaking of Jace. "There's still something I have to do," Chandra got to her feet and hurried to the library. He was always in the library around this time of day. She noticed the magical seal on the door and growled, "Jace. It's me. Let me in. I have to talk to you."
"Why?" Jace asked. He sounded like he was in a bad mood. His tone was dark and angry.
"I need to talk to you!" Chandra hissed.
"About what?"
Chandra bit her tongue, "Stuff and things."
"Not helpful."
"Let me in," Chandra snarled angrily.
"Fine," Jace removed the seal from the door.
Chandra stalked into the library and closed the doors behind her, "So. You're in a bad mood. What happened?"
"Gideon," Jace shrugged.
"Gideon?" Chandra asked. She cocked her head to the side.
"Yep," Jace shrugged.
"What'd he do?" Chandra asked.
"He's sent me and only me on errands for four days now," Jace shrugged, "and it's because he can't stand me."
"Well," Chandra walked up to him and didn't continue her sentence until she reached him. She held out her hand, "Give me your wrist."
"Which one?" Jace asked dully.
Chandra grabbed his left arm and ran her finger along the band on her wrist. It popped and felled onto the table, "You can do what you like now."
Jace stared at her in wide eyed shock. He glanced from her face to the silver binding artifact on the table and back again, "You're serious?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Chandra shrugged. She grabbed it and started to walk away. She paused in front of the library doors, "What you do and where you go is up to you know. Just be sure you can live with the choices you make."
Jace blinked in shock, like he still couldn't believe it.
Chandra left the library and closed the doors behind her.
"You're just going to let him go?" Gideon had obviously heard.
Chandra nodded, "There's no point in making him stay in a place he doesn't want to be in."
"Do you have any idea-"
"Gideon," Chandra put her hands on her hips, "I have very little patience for your unrealistic hatred. I've had about enough of your judgement. Jace's leaving. He's gone. You don't have to deal with him anymore." Now with Jace gone, because he will leave, I can figure out if Gideon's problem is with just Jace or just everybody and everything. She twirled the binding bracelet around her finger as she walked away.
"Cat Ears is leaving?" Ral asked.
God does everybody freaking eavesdrop around here? "Don't worry," Chandra smirked confidently, "He'll be back before long." She walked away, back to the room with windows. Lilianna was sitting at the single table in the room. Chandra looked at her, "What do you want Lich-face?"
"That's cold coming from a redheaded pyro freak," Lilianna snapped. She smirked, "Besides it's not what I want. It's more like me offering help you obviously need."
"Ha, no," Chandra shook her head quickly, "I don't need your help."
"Yes you do," Lilianna rose to her feet and walked towards her. The necromancer was taller than her by a few inches.
"If your so sure then do I need your help with?" Chandra snapped.
"Everything," Lilianna shrugged, "but that's beside the point." She smirked, "You really need help in dealing with Gideon."
"Hell no," Chandra shook her head.
"You don't even know what his problem is," Lilianna ran her hand along the pyromancer's chin, pulling away when Chandra attempted to bite her.
"I can figure it out on my own."
"Not before it destroys him," Lilianna stated simply, "I can get him to tell me his problems, because you don't have the heart to truly manipulate someone, and then tell thos problems to you. Then I can get him to leave the group, you can beat sense into him and then everything will work out. Or am I wrong?"
"You aren't wrong," Chandra hissed through gritted teeth. And I'll admit it's not a bad plan but I don't need your help. I definitely don't want your help.
Lilianna slid past her, "Great, thanks you little brat. I'll go talk to Gideon now."
"Wait!" Chandra shot down the stairs, into the main room after her. She hovered in the doorway as Lilianna began to speak with Gideon. Dammit. Looks like I've got her "help" whether I want it or not. She gritted her teeth and went back up the stairs, "Dammit. Dammit. Dammit." Alright Lili. You've got my trut for now but don't screw this up. She slid up to the roof to find Kaechia sitting staring at the sunset. Chandra cocked her head to the side, "Kaechia?"
"Yes?" Kaechia asked.
"Is something wrong?"
"Nothing," Kaechia shook her head. It's best not to tell them. I don't want Chandra losing her mind. She looked up at the sky, "How's Jace?"
"I let him go but he'll be back before long," Chandra said.
"You seem sure of it."
"Sure," Chandra nodded, "He has a fear of loss. I gave him the time to connect to us and now that those are there he'll come back when we need him. Then he'll stick around of his own free will."
"You manipulated him," Kaechia nodded. Chandra knew Kaechia had a problem with her more indirect methods of getting people to do what she wanted. Of course the ice mage had an even larger problem with Lilianna's methods. Chandra couldn't really deny that they worked she just wasn't going to go that far because just the thought of manipulating someone like that made her sick to her stomach. 'You don't have the heart to truly manipulate someone.' Hell yeah I don't. I have a conscience. I can't believe I'm letting her manipulate Gideon into trusting her. I'll have to cover her ass from his over bearing definitions of right and wrong. Dammit. Well I'll only do that if this works out. I'll keep an eye on her because I'm not sure I trust her yet.
