Soul of Magic
Chapter two
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Disclaimer: Still own the same things as the last chapter.
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She wasn't sure why she though of those days. The days when she was fitted with this hated collar, and when she learnt of desert hospitality. Rashid's people had given her the clothes that she had worn for the past year, and the cloak as well. Both cloak and desert dress were well worn and faded, if she still retained her powers she would have been able to apply spells that would make them new and shiny again. As it was, she could not and it pissed her off greatly. To make matters worse, news about her escape had spread rapidly and she never got her hair dye and contacts. Which of course meant that she had to keep the hood up on her cloak at all times, and really couldn't go anywhere anymore. Shadows where no long fun to play with.
Her thoughts where interrupted by Elani pawing at her leg with plaintive mewling.
"What is it El?" the creature mewled again and Rina bent over to scoop her up, "Are you hungry? Yeah...I am too," she smiled at Elani, "Let's swipe some old person's lunch ok?" the cat like creature meowed happily and threw her paws up in the air. Rina smiled softly at her, ever since she lost her powers she discovered that she could no longer tell what her pet said to her. It saddened her to no longer talk with Elani, but like everything else she had to accept it and move on. Her hand went gently to the gun she carried on her hip as she walked along a sparsely populated street. In the past year that she had traveled these border towns, streets like this had become her favorite haunts. And better yet, she was in luck. There was some girl sitting all alone at a tiny café table. Rina smiled predatorily, this would be the easiest meal she had ever stolen. She walked up and pressed the barrel of the gun against the girl's head.
"Ok look," she said cockling the gun, "I really don't feel like splattering your brains all over this nice sandwich. So if you'll just hand it over along with any money you might have I'll leave and you'll never see me again."
"You're pretty cocky...aimin' a gun at someone in broad daylight," Rina tilted her head slightly, that voice wasn't all that feminine....she shook her head, she needed to focus.
"Not cocky," she replied, "Starving. You don't know what it's like to live on the streets. Only staying in the shadows because your face is known to everyone. I haven't slept in an actual bed in a year. A goddamned year!! And let's not even discuss this lack of proper hygiene I have goin' on."
"Aww you're breakin' my heart...."
"Look chica, I am hungry. I am very....very hungry. In fact. I am so hungry that I'm about this close to shooting and eating you. So, may I please have that sandwich?" there was a click and the feeling of a gun being pressed into the small of her back, "Well this was unexpected...." she muttered.
"Just back up whoever you are and drop your weapon," whoever it was sounded young. And judging by where the gun was, was kind of short as well.
"Look kid," Rina replied as Elani hissed at this new person, "You have a gun to my back, shoot me and you may miss anything vital. But I got news for you. If I shoot this person here, I am definitely hitting something important. Like the brain. So if you don't want a perfectly good sandwich ruined by brain matter and blood and skull splinters I suggest you back up."
"Duo?"
"Better do it. It's only a sandwich. Ok lady, I'm going to slowly get up and hand you the sandwich while my buddy Hawk here backs up off of ya ok?" Rina smirked.
"About time you came around to the idea," the gun left her back and she heard the footfalls of a retreating person. She herself took a step or two back as the person in the seat stood up, plate of food in hand. With one hand still aiming the gun, she reached the other one forward slightly as the person turned around. Suddenly the hand fell back as Rina's mouth opened in shock. Not only was this long haired person not a girl, but he looked just like she did! The gun wavered slightly and the boy took that opportunity to strike. Rina and her attacker fell backwards onto the street, the action causing her hood to fall back as her head bounced on the pavement. For a moment she saw stars and in that time the boy had seated himself on Rina's stomach as the other boy held the snarling, fighting Elani by the scruff.
"Wow this is a good sandwich," the braided boy mocked her, eating the food as Rina fought to throw off his weight, "Best sandwich of my life."
"You ass," Rina snarled, "Bad enough you knocked me over!! You have to rub it in my face to?! And who the hell are you to look so much like me anyway?!" the boy looked down at her angry face and tilted his head.
"Hey....you look...just like I do when I have my hair down...and if my hair was as stringy and dirty as yours. Which it never is."
"Asshole!!!!"
"Ah but it's true. Hey Hawk, come see this chick," the one named Hawk peered at Rina's face.
"I'm not a damn sideshow!!!" she shouted writhing more violently under Duo, "Let me up!!!"
"You were going to kill me and eat me," Duo replied, mouth full of bread and meat.
"I'm hungry!!" she protested. She tried to reached for the food but it was held out of her reach, "See now this is just cruel and unusual punishment...." she muttered, crossing her arms and turning her head to the side. The half eaten sandwich was thrust into her field of vision. Rina glanced at it, then at the boy warily.
"No tricks," he promised, "You can really have it. See I do know what it means to be hungry and alone on the streets," he waited until she had taken it before getting off of her and trying to get a better look at her while she scarfed half of the half down and feeding the rest to the still restrained Elani, "Do I know you?"
"Nope, I'd remember someone like you," she said, yanking Elani out of Hawk's grasp and holding her a little protectively, "Maybe Oz cloned me in my sleep or something...." she began gazing at him as keenly as he gazed at her. He pulled back sharply.
"You're with OZ?" there was a click as the boy aimed his gun at her again.
"Captured, collared, and currently hunted by them actually," she replied.
"You could be lying," Hawk said.
"Look at how I'm dressed. I'm on the run from Oz for being a Sorceress ok?"
"A sorceress? Prove it," Rina sighed.
"I can't. Not with the collar. Any spell could kill me."
"Convenient excuse," another sigh came from the girl.
"If I can prove it...I want you two to promise me that you won't leave me out here alone. I want protection while I'm out cold. Deal?" she rose her brow at Duo, who nodded. Rina nodded back and handed Elani to him, "Hold her," then stepped back, outstretching her arms. The wind around them picked up as she began whistling the runes for wind, her cloak, Duo's braid, Hawk's bangs, all things belonging to the small group of three were tossed about by the wind, though nothing else was touched. Suddenly the collar around Rina's neck began sparking, then crackling. After a minute or two it got really annoyed and sent sparks up and down her body. Rina fell to he ground like a ton of bricks and passed out.