Cassandra groaned as she opened her eyes. A stark white ceiling with bright lights entered her vision. "Where am I?" She thought. "Ah, so sleeping beauty finally awakens and joins the world of the living." A voice said from her left. She turned and saw Astarte sitting on a chair, a book open in her hands and both Sora and Chikyuu on her lap. "Though I suppose after seeing your other side, you could be considered a sleeping ugly." Astarte said, but there was no bitterness behind the remark.
"What happened?" Cassandra asked as she sat up slowly.
"You came charging in on your familiar, interrupting my lesson in the process I may add, and claimed you were going to punish those who had committed wrong as is your nature." Astarte said, whilst closing the book and placing it on the floor. "If you're wondering why you didn't, I managed to get that human side of yours to respond to the fact my two handsome little princes were there with me." She added whilst hugging her children. The two boys giggled. "So, I take it that you want to be trained as well? Though you are in pretty good control already." She added. "Well, of your familiar at least."
Cassandra looked at her. "You would train me despite me wanting to send you back to Gehenna?" She asked.
"I assume that if I did not take you under my wing, in a non-literal sense of the term, then I would be exorcised for failing to comply with the Vatican's orders." Astarte explained. Cassandra watched her. "Besides, what's one more of you to train? You'd end up being dumped on me by the Vatican anyway." She added. She got to her feet and walked to the window. "Besides, they wouldn't appreciate it if I left your familiar running around the academy." She stated. The sound of an engine roaring echoed through the room. Cassandra slowly clambered out of her bed and went to the window. Her familiar drove around in circles outside her window.
"It hasn't moved since you were brought here." Astarte said. Cassandra glanced at her. "Now, as much as I would love to stay and chat I unfortunately have a meeting with the Vatican so I need to go. But I expect to see you with your familiar with the rest of the class tomorrow, understand?" She asked. Cassandra nodded. "Excellent, now. If you'll excuse me." The demonic princess turned on her heel and walked out of the door, her two sons running after her. As her footsteps faded, a nurse walked in.
"Ah, Martin-san. You'll be pleased to hear that you are to be discharged later today. Miss Faust said that she will cover your hospital bill so you do not need to worry about that either." She said. Cassandra nodded to show she understood before the nurse handed her a box and a prescription. "You'll need to take these painkillers once every four hours for the next two weeks. Take two at a time but no more. Should you run out then just come back and we'll provide you with some more." She explained before smiling and walking out of the room. Cassandra quickly opened the box and swallowed the tablets without any water before turning back to the window.
"Oh, you're alright now?" A male voice asked from the door. She turned to see a Caucasian boy with dirty blonde hair being held up by an older male with dark blue hair and a black demon tail trailing behind him. It was the older one who had spoken. "You seemed to be in a bad way when Astarte brought you here. Even though she was the one who put you in that way." He paused at that then shook his head. "Anyway, we were never properly introduced. I'm Okumura Rin and this here is Drake Ashton."
"Why is he missing a leg?" Cassandra asked, staring intently at the empty air existing beneath the ragged remnants of Drake's upper left thigh. Blood dripped in a steady beat from the already soaked rag.
"Well, he kinda got in Astarte's way when she was leaving the hospital and tripped her up. Usually she'd just batter you around the head a few times but she seemed to be annoyed over the fact she'd have to face the Vatican covered in dust so...chopped his leg off." Drake moaned in pain. "Alright, I'll take you to the doctor. See you around..."
"Cassandra Martin." Rin grinned and nodded before heading off with Drake, small spots of blood following in their wake. She watched momentarily before turning back to watch her familiar. But deep in her bones, she still felt her father's wrath burning into her very soul.
"What happened to you?" Mephisto asked as he spotted Astarte skidding to a halt down the corridor. She looked down and saw that she was still covered in dust and dirt.
"I fell over that damn Drake. But I taught him for tripping me up." She said with a grin. Chikyuu and Sora both giggled behind her whilst she tried to dust herself down. As she did, the doors opened to show an exorcist.
"They will see you now." He said before standing to one side and letting them enter. The two of them walked forward, Amaimon waiting with Chikyuu and Sora outside.
"Demoness Astarte, do you know why we have summoned you for this meeting?" One of the male members of the Grigori asked her once she had taken her place.
"I assume that it is to do with the group I am teaching under your orders, correct?" She asked in response. The Grigori watched her intently for a moment.
"You would assume correct. Tell us, how is the training going?" The other male member asked. The masks they wore may have hidden their faces, but their entire auras read as excited. She glanced momentarily at Mephisto before looking back at the Grigori.
"The training is going as planned. As I said when I was training Rin Okumura, these things take time. I can't just click my fingers and provide a fully trained group for you. Especially if you keep dropping more students onto the already full class. But, I should have at least a quarter of them trained to an acceptable standard within the next few months." She said. The Grigori nodded amongst each other before the female member spoke.
"We are pleased to hear you are making progress with them. But we called this meeting with you for another matter." She said. Astarte looked at Mephisto, her head tilted to one side. "We called you because it has come to our attention that you are more than capable of handling what we consider to be difficult cases, and that it was right for Sir Pheles to suggest that you train others in the first place." The male members nodded in agreement, leaving Astarte even more confused.
"Whilst I am notably relieved that this meeting does not appear to be about my exorcism, you will understand that I am confused as to why you have called this meeting if it is not to point out some sort of flaw." Astarte stated. The Grigori all glanced at one another.
"We arranged this meeting because it has come to our attention that other branches are having some trouble with half-breeds and their tamers. Therefore it has been decided that under the request of the heads of branches, you and your class will travel to other branches of the order and train them." The Grigori stated. Astarte glanced at Mephisto who looked back, obviously as suspicious as she was. There had to be a catch with this. There was always a catch whenever the Grigori gave an order to her. She raised an eyebrow.
"And?" She asked.
"Well, there is a slight complication to this due to you no longer being under the influence of a heart bind. Therefore, as a solution to this, you are to be accompanied by at least one fully-trained exorcist to the other branches." She rolled her eyes. There it was. The female Grigori member noticed. "However, I'm sure you will appreciate this. For your first mission, you will be accompanied with the following exorcists. Shura Kirigakure, Yukio Okumura and Sir Pheles." Shocked silence ruled over them. Then in unison, both Astarte and Mephisto responded.
"EH?!"The two of them said, their jaws dropping in shock. The female member grinned behind her hand. The two of them were looking from each other to the Grigori and back.
"You will be leaving for the new branch tomorrow. I suggest that you spend the rest of today informing your class and preparing for tomorrow." The Grigori said. "This meeting is dismissed."
"Matte! Will Amaimon be able to come with me? And what of my sons?" Astarte asked. The Grigori looked at one another.
"I guess Amaimon will have to go with you to ensure he stays out of trouble. As for your children, they will also go. We cannot afford to spare some exorcists to babysit them." The Grigori said. Astarte nodded to show she understood then both she and Mephisto turned to leave. As they stepped out, what they had been told sunk in.
"What happened?" Amaimon asked, as Sora and Chikyuu threw themselves at her waist.
"We're being sent to another branch to train others. They want me to train others for them." She said rather dazed and confused. He looked at her confused as to why she seemed to be so shocked by this.
"Why is this so confusing to you?" He asked her. She looked at him before grinning and pulling him into a kiss. Chikyuu made gagging noises, earning a small shove from his brother.
"I'm not. I am excited. Not only am I now free from the confines of being under observation in Japan, but you, my precious and enticing earth king get to come with me." She purred to him. He stared at her wide-eyed before grinning and wrapping his arms around her. "The boys get to come as well. And Aniue will." She added, her tail coiling around Mephisto and pulling him close to her as well.
"Hmm, so should we consider this a little vacation for us?" He asked her as he nuzzled at her neck. She chuckled and then crouched down on level with Sora and Chikyuu.
"What do you two think?" She asked them. The two of them cheered, making their opinions clear. She stood and summoned Kitsune. "Go and gather the students in the clearing. I want to tell them in person what's going on." She said. The fox demon bowed before disappearing and visiting each student.
Eventually, the whole class stood in the clearing, murmuring to each other whilst Drake propped himself up on a tree. "Alright you lot, quiet!" Astarte appeared before them and waited. "Now, I have an announcement for you all. First, Cassandra will be joining our class from now on. And if any of you try to make her reveal her demon form I will string you up from a tree by your toe-nails, understand?" They all nodded rapidly. "Next, I called this meeting with you all because as of tomorrow, I will travelling as per the requests of heads of other branches to train others like you lot. We will be leaving early in the morning and going through the Vatican headquarters, so behave! And I want you lot to be my examples of good training."
"What training?" Drake called out, regretting it instantly from the icy cold glare she gave him. Vines from the tree coiled downwards and started whipping him. She turned back to the class whilst Drake continued to be battered.
"I will send my familiars to collect you from your residences tomorrow morning. I want you all to meet me here at 6am, no excuses. My familiars will drag you out no matter what. Also, for those of you will fear for your safety, we will be escorted by fully trained exorcists each time and no doubt our...security will be joining us. So, until tomorrow I suggest you prepare for travelling and get some rest." She dismissed them before turning to Mephisto and Amaimon and grinning. "And for us, how about we have some little fun before we leave?" She purred.
As they left, Daniel Bond watched silently. "So, you're going to other branches? How interesting." He murmured.
"By the way Astarte, where are we going to?" Amaimon asked her.
"America."
Phew, another long chapter of mainly dialogue I know. But I congratulate you if you stuck with this until the end. In fact here, have a cookie. *holds out bag of cookies* Also, those who have submitted characters, I will include them in the next chapter. Also, as I promised when I started this, I am now opening submissions for a child of satan in the American Branch. I had originally planned this to be a first come first served basis but now I have decided that instead of doing that, I am going to base my decision on the description of the character. My decision will probably be based on the personality of the character mainly but I will also judge the backstory and appearance of the character.
Astarte: Why are you including a child of Satan?
Because I wanna see how you'd respond to them.
Astarte: Can I make a suggestion?
That depends
Astarte: Boys only.
...Do you promise not to sleep with them?
Astarte: With your latest story that's in the work I doubt I'm gonna want to be with anyone else aside from Aniue and Amaimon.
Anyway, I would highly prefer male characters but I will take female suggestions as well and gender will have no affect on my decision. Also, if anyone has any other characters they want to submit I will happily include them. But I warn you that the next chapter will be the last one with open submissions for a while. I want to work on the characters included and their training. Until next time, this is sayonara from the psychotic author