Chandra yawned and looked out the window. Dread filled her stomach. Physical storm clouds gathered around the mountains. If it rained they'd have to wait for the walls to dry to paint the school. That wasn't what kept her awake. She glanced at Lilianna's back. She sighed. The necromancer appeared to be asleep but Chandra wasn't positive. She shook her head, "Can't sleep. I'm gonna take a walk."
"Shut up redhead. I'm trying to sleep here."
Chandra smirked, "Alright." She left the door quietly. The teachers were easy for her to avoid. She walked out into the night. The air smelled strongly of rain and she looked out at the mountains again, "Great." Darkness comes with chains of hope and the phoenix shall cease to be. Chandra sat down on top of the wall that separated the school from the city. The city lights glowed brightly all around her. The school was two blocks from the rift that would occasionally open so the more combat experienced students could leap into action quickly. It had ripped open a few months ago but was closed up again. If no outside force opened it then closing it would require someone to sacrifice themselves to close it. She sighed, "That can't be it. There are creatures that deal in false hope but that's not the same thing. Orriyon would've differentiated between hope and false hope." I don't get it.
"Maybe time is the only answer you need."
"Kurai," Chandra growled angrily, "What do you want? Aren't you supposed to be looking after your summoner? Demon."
"My summoner is fine and has requested I leave him alone," Kurai stood on the wall next to her, "And the angel's are getting too...nosy."
"Nosy? Michael and David are nosy anyway," Chandra muttered.
"I've enjoyed watching them slowly lose their maturity over the millennia," Kurai smirked, "but I'm not here to talk about Michael and David." He knelt down in front of her.
Chandra glowered at him, "Then what are you here to talk about? Demon."
"I'm only here to help, Pyromancer."
"I wouldn't believe that in a life or death situation," Chandra snarled.
"Do you not have any faith in Jace's judgment? He did decide to summon me after all. I left it completely up to him."
"Then what are the terms of your contract?" Chandra asked icily.
"He get's to use my telepathy as his own until he can figure out how to do it for himself. I will destroy Xerxes when the opportunity presents itself. Unless someone else does so before hand. Also unless I break the rules of the contract I cannot be removed from the mortal realm by anyone but my summoner," Kurai smirked at Chandra's hiss of rage, "while any situation that would require him to fight unless he volunteers to do so will be dealt with by myself instead. If he volunteers I will assist him though that is not within the terms of the contract." He watched the redhead carefully, "Satisfied?"
Her eyes narrowed, "Sure." She got to her feet, "I don't see why you would be interested in me. Demon."
"It is not as much an interest as it is a desire to understand. There is something about you, Pyromancer, that prevents any form of mental stigma to take affect. No spell targeting your mind will remain in place for very long. Every single mental attack will flow right past you no matter how powerful. Even the most powerful of telepathic entities cannot overcome your willpower. It will leave you with a headache at best. Why is that?"
"Like I know," Chandra snapped. She glared at him, "You have your answer. Now screw off."
"I'd rather not," Kurai rose to his feet. He was taller than her by quite a bit but he knew better than to assume that would intimidate her in the slightest. He'd watched he from the Outer Edge of the largest realm. She was a force to be reckoned with and was intimidated by nothing. Even if it was taking on two elder dragons with exponentially more power than she could dream of possessing, "I'm surprised you're willing to put so much aside for the sake of the multiverse, Pyromancer. I thought floated on your whims. What did the multiverse do for you?"
"I live in it dummy," Chandra glared at him, "I'd rather-"
"But you could stay here. At least two of your allies would almost prefer if you did," Kurai pointed out.
"They can stay if they like. I don't fancy staying here," Chandra snarled, "God. Leave me alone from now on got it."
"Are you warning me that speaking with you might be hazardous to my health?" Kurai smirked.
"Well...since you obviously haven't broken the terms of your contract you can't be sent back unless Jace wants to. That means that I can harm you and torture you for however long I like without losing my plaything," Chandra sneered.
"That does sound unpleasant. But I wonder," Kurai met her gaze. Her orange eyes were bright with anger. He smirked, "Would you really?"
"Of course I would!"
"Knowing that I've managed to earn at least minimal amounts of Jace's trust and that I could be of help to you?" Kurai asked.
"You really think that'll stop me?" Chandra snarled.
"I wouldn't know," he shrugged innocently, "you haven't done it yet though."
Chandra gritted her teeth, "I have more important things to do than deal with your unwanted antagonizing,"
"So you won't?" Kurai asked.
"Dammit Kurai. Just go away," Chandra snarled. I was thinking before you decide to stick your nose where it doesn't belong.
"And maybe the answer you're looking for is time. Not everything is clear in the moment," Kurai shrugged. He jumped off the wall and landed lightly in the courtyard of the school campus.
Chandra growled, "I'm sure any of my friends can tell you that messing with me is a bad idea." She lit her hand on fire and sent the flames shooting along her body. The flames didn't burn her but did give her a frightening visage. She turned to Kurai and glared down at him. The demon's eyes widened but he didn't back away from her. He nodded slightly and turned. He walked away from her and back towards the boy's dorm building. She sat back down and stared at the clouds gathering over the mountains silently for some amount of time.
"Chandra? Are you alright?" Alice walked up to the seething redhead worriedly.
"I'm fine," Chandra sighed, "Someone just decided it would be a good idea to bug me."
"Oh," Alice climbed the wall and sat next to her, "Can I ask you something?"
"What is it?" Chandra asked.
"Why is the world so unfair to people that...look different?"
"You're asking me?" Chandra shrugged, "I don't know. Why?"
"Everyone in Elendeth has been telling me I look like Jace. It's just because of the ears and the tail. I have human eyes, unlike him. My hair's a lighter shade than his and his eyes are blue. Mine are-"
"Purple," Chandra nodded, "I know. I noticed that. Two things. One, I'm sure he gets the same thing from your peers from Ascension City. Two, is this just coming from you being uncomfortable with being compared to him?"
"We're nothing alike!" Alice insisted, "He's strong and fast and-"
"You're strong. You're fast. You both read books. You both have an ingrained distrust of others. And you both come to me with your problems. Well if he comes to me with his problems voluntarily then I'll be appalled, so never mind that one," Chandra shrugged, "Just because you're compared doesn't mean you are the same."
"I'm not stro-"
"You are," Chandra insisted, "in a different way. Not everyone has the same strengths. We've been over this."
"I know but I can't help but see myself as weak. I can't do anything. Everyone else they're special. All I have are cat ears and a tail," Alice stared at her hands.
"And?" Chandra looked at her, "They look cute to me."
"That's not the point," Alice glared at her.
Chandra smirked, "Ah, but it is."
"What?"
"You obviously can't see beyond the qualities others have that you lack," Chandra looked the girl over carefully, "What don't you like about...Jace?"
"Don't like?" Alice looked at her in surprise, "Well...nothing really."
"Even his insistence that you are not his friend and will never be his friend?" Chandra asked.
"That's to be expected-"
"I'm not asking you to think about this logically," Chandra said, "You're obviously feeling inadequate."
"It does hurt a little to hear him say it," Alice whispered.
"What else?" Chandra asked.
"He's always so cold with us. He hasn't spoken to any of us without us approaching him and beginning a conversation with him. Whatever conversation is started he ends quickly. It's like he doesn't want to interact with us."
"Ah, so obviously everyone has flaws. He's running from his past and you are a part of it," Chandra shrugged, "You're running from your past by reading all of your books. I haven't seen any one of you eat once. And yes that and the people you surround yourself with has allowed me to figure out who you share a past with."
"You're so good at reading people. How?"
"Well...I have no idea," Chandra shrugged. "Anyway, no changing the subject. Don't you think it'd be fair to try and look at yourself in a positive light? Instead of focusing on what you can't do try and come up with something you can do. And if someone can help you do it all the better. Just because you can do what someone else can doesn't make you any less. It means you can help all of your friends out. Kay?"
"Alice. There you are," Isabelle stood below them in the courtyard. Her hands were on her hips and her eyes were narrowed in anger that was sparked by worry, "Next time you disappear like that at least tell Cristi where you're going. You've had us worried sick."
Alice's ears flattened in shame, "Sorry."
"Jesus, don't take my anger seriously," Isabelle snapped, "I'm just worried about you. You don't have to look at me like that. C'mon. We've even had the boys helping us look. Jenny'll have to tell Erin that we've found you."
"Even the Elendeth kids helped out?" Alice asked in surprise.
Chandra rolled her eyes, "Jeez. You'd think the city wasn't known as the most accepting haven in the world. Of course we helped out. You Ascension City kids are part of our family for the year you know."
"Oh," Alice's cheeks flushed.
"My god," Isabelle rolled her eyes motioned for Alice to come down from the top of the wall, "you take everything way too seriously. You all do. I know getting in trouble isn't comfortable for you but learn to read when someone's actually mad at you. It'll help you a lot." She looked up at the redhead that was sitting on the wall, "You should probably take your own advice Chandra. Just because everyone comes to you doesn't mean you have no one to come to."
Chandra nodded, "Of course."
Isabelle's eyes narrowed, "You wouldn't say 'of course' if you seriously meant it."
"Fine. Fine," Chandra rolled her eyes in exasperation.
Isabelle didn't fully believe her but decided that she'd bug the pyromancer later. She nodded and led Alice back to the girls' dorms.
Chandra got to her feet and looked out at the storm that came ever closer. She narrowed her eyes, "I've got stuff to do." She dropped off the wall and darted into the city.