"Echo. Do you have a moment?" Chandra asked through the door.
"Maybe. Why?"
"I want you to look at something for me and I wanted to talk to you about something," Chandra said.
"Alright. Come in."
"Why do you sound so pissy anyway?" Chandra asked as she opened the door.
"Someone never returned my communicators because something came up. That friend of yours hasn't returned them either," Echo snapped.
"You're still mad about that?" Chandra asked in shock.
"So what if I am?" Echo shrugged, "What do you need?"
"I want you to see if this has been archived as occurring yet," Chandra gave the blue haired woman the piece of paper with Orriyon's prophecy on it.
"Let's see. 'Darkness comes with chains of hope and the phoenix shall cease to be'?" Echo shook her head, "Never heard this one before."
"I asked you-"
"I know. I know," Echo shot the redhead a glare, "I'm not the only one that's pissy you know."
Chandra rolled her eyes, "Whatever."
"What's up with you anyway?"
"A storm's coming and it's agitating me."
"Afraid to get wet?"
"I don't mean a literally storm," Chandra snapped.
"Then you're referring to the sourceless pressure that's been hanging over the city for a while now," Echo nodded.
"Yes," Chandra nodded.
"Well...I'm sure whatever it is you can handle it. You can't be predicted. Even by Orriyon."
"I didn't tell you that was from Orriyon," Chandra muttered.
"She's the only person I've ever met that rights prophecies in baby blue ink," Echo said evenly.
"The pressure hasn't resolved itself yet and that worries me," Chandra admitted.
"Of course it does. Honestly Phoenix. I'm sure you can handle whatever comes your way. You're an immovable force," Echo shrugged.
"And if I'm not?"
"Are you doubting yourself now?" Echo looked at her in shock.
Chandra shrugged, "Maybe. Suddenly everyone thinks I'm there leader. They haven't said anything but I can tell and I'm not a leader. I can-"
"What?" Echo stared at her. She smacked either side of the redhead's face.
Chandra squeaked and glared at her angrily, "What was that for? I didn't do anything to you! You-"
"There's Phoenix," Echo sighed, "I was worried for a moment." Echo shook her head and continued more seriously, "Really? How many people have you yelled at for saying they can't. When have you ever doubted whether or not you could reach your goals?"
"Well," Chandra looked away from her, "I don't want anyone to die. I've made too many connections to be able to protect them all."
"Seriously? And who said you'd be the only one protecting them?" Echo slid her hand under Chandra's chin and turned her face so she was looking at her, "You're remembering Dove aren't you?"
Chandra paused for a moment before lowering her gaze and nodding.
"Her death was not your fault. Just as anyone else's death was not your fault."
"Echo. I've never been able to be there for anyone when they needed me most. I was never there. They all died because I wasn't fast enough," Chandra snarled.
Echo resisted the urge to widen her eyes. The redhead was crying. She wasn't look at her but Echo could hear it in the way her voice quavered. She could see it in the way the redhead clenched her teeth. Echo smiled, "You and you're stubbornness Look. The past doesn't matter. With a younger age and mind it's sure to come up but it's already done. There is nothing you can do about what happened in the past. What you can do is take care of yourself, hone your skills and learn new abilities, and do everything you can to protect the people that are here now. How are you supposed to protect them if you're distancing yourself from them."
Chandra wiped her eyes with the back of her head, "You're right. I'm dumb. Sorry."
"You're not dumb and you better be sorry. No you're prophecy is not in the archives as having been fulfilled. You've gotta be prepared for whatever might be coming then," Echo shrugged. She smirked, "And I don't see what sitting around feeling sorry for yourself is doing to prepare you for whatever Orriyon's hinting at."
Chandra nodded, "Right." She got to her feet, "Oh yeah. And the other thing, because a pep talk was not what I came here for, have you managed to pick up any espers?"
Echo shook her head, "No. Not yet. The systems are still scanning however so I'll let you know."
Chandra nodded, "Alright." She left.
Echo looked at the screen. She knew she had just lied to the redhead but if she found out she'd raise hell. That wasn't what anyone needed right now. The scan had picked up one esper. Chandra herself was the original.
Chandra walked the two blocks to the house where Elspeth and the others lived. Kaechia was sitting outside playing with a couple of kids. Chandra stopped in front of her and smiled, "I didn't know you had kids."
"Your teasing is not appreciated," Kaechia smiled up at her, "Aren't you supposed to be in school right now?"
"I've come to give something to Elspeth," Chandra shrugged.
"Ah. Is it important?" Kaechia asked.
Chandra nodded. She smirked, "Have fun with the kids." She walked into the house. The living room was empty. She took a deep breath. "ANYBODY HOME?!" That should get their attention. Damn. I didn't know I was that loud. She watched as Gideon came downstairs holding what looked to be a TV. He set it down on a shelf, "Chandra. What-" His voice became hard, "You're supposed to be in school."
"I need to talk to Elspeth," Chandra lifted up the piece of paper with Orriyon's prophecy, "and I'm working so school can wait."
Gideon sighed, "Elspeth! She needs to talk to you."
"Alright," Elspeth responded.
"What are you guys doing anyway?"
"Reorganizing," Kallist sighed, "Gideon decided he didn't like the way the house was set up before now so we're redecorating."
Chandra snickered, "Glad I have a dorm."
"You'd be at school right now whether you had a dorm or not," Gideon said. His voice was hard as stone though it wasn't without warmth.
Chandra remained unfazed and stuck her tongue out at him. Elspeth approached her through the kitchen. Nissa seemed to have attached herself to the knight because it wasn't long before she followed.
Chandra held out the piece of paper, "You should know who it's from." Her gaze remained fixed on Elspeth.
Elspeth pressed her lips together, "Alright. If you're working then get back to it. If you're done then get to school. And if you see Jace or Ral tell them to come here. After school but one of them at least isn't there."
"Great," Chandra nodded. She left the house. She wished Kaechia goodbye before returning to the school. Finding Ral was easy. He was in his second class. Chandra hovered awkwardly in the doorway. Mr. Spencer was reading out loud to his class. She cleared her throat, "Hey. Uh...sorry. Can I see Ral for a minute?"
Ral cocked his head to the side.
"Of course," the teacher nodded.
She was suddenly really glad she was a part of student council. It would've been a lot harder to convince that teacher of all the teachers to let her talk to Ral otherwise. She lead Ral a little way away from the classroom, "After school Elspeth wants to see you."
"But-"
"It's going to rain. The paint will have to wait," Chandra fell silent for a moment, "Hear that? That is the sound of the first drops of rain falling. The paint will have to wait."
Ral nodded, "Why does Elspeth want to see me?"
"You can guess because I have no idea," Chandra shrugged.
"Beautiful. I don't want to guess. I'm gonna be worried all day because of you," Ral whined.
"Shut up and go back to class," Chandra pushed him, somewhat gently, towards his classroom. She turned and walked down the halls.
"Chandra," the most friendly security guard shook his head at her, "you do realize you're supposed to be in class?"
"I'm actually running an errand for the Black Lotus Hotel," Chandra smiled sweetly, "Sorry."
"You run errands for the hotel?" the guard, Mr. Jake, raised an eyebrow. He shook his head in amusement, "How am I not surprised? I'll let it pass since you are working but you'll be in class tomorrow."
Chandra nodded.
Finding Jace proved to be a lot harder than she had anticipated. He was avoiding her. He knew she was looking for him and was avoiding her like the plague. She growled in frustration as she barely missed him for the thousandth time. "So he was just here and left a couple minutes ago?"
The Starbucks employee nodded, "Yeah."
"Dammit. Dammit Dammit," Chandra continued to curse as she left the building. She looked around, being sure to take in every little detail around her. She growled and returned to Elspeth, "Is Jace here? Echo wants me to find him and he's not at school."
"He's not here that we know," Nissa said.
"Of course not." Of course they don't know if he was here. "Mind if I scour the place for anything out of the ordinary?" Chandra asked.
Nissa shrugged, "Sure. Gideon's gone to get some decorations and Elspeth took Kaechia and is getting us lunch."
"Alright," Chandra shrugged. She started with the area around the couch that Jace had slept on before starting school. Slowly but sure she scoured the entire house and made a list of everything of Jace's or that Jace would see as important that was missing. His skateboard and a box of crackers. Damn. He's planning on being out for a little bit then. And he's completely prepared to move faster than I can. Her eyes narrowed, "Alright." She left the house after meticulously putting everything back where it had been before she trashed it. Dealing with one of Gideon's conniption fits was not on her agenda for the day. What the hell is he doing anyway? And why would he be so insistent on-never mind. That question has a simple answer. He's being an idiot and doesn't want me finding out about it. Therefore if I just can't find him in general the problem's suitably avoided. Her eyes narrowed and she smirked, "You're playing hide and seek with an assassin, Buddy. You won't be able to hide forever."
Chandra made her way back to the hotel, "Echo!"
"Huh?"
"I'm tracking down an elusive target and need technological assistance if you please," Chandra smirked.
"How elusive?" Echo asked as she went digging through her somewhat organized pile of all her spare technological creations.
"Jace elusive," Chandra said as though that was the only necessary explanation.
It was the only one Echo needed. She gave the pyromancer everything she could need plus everything she might maybe need in one of many possible situations.
"Thanks a million," Chandra knew how to work every device Echo gave her, having used them on multiple occasions. Maybe not these exact ones together but she's used at least all of them in some combination of technological equipment. She skipped down the stairs while she finished setting up the goggles that would allow her to see mana signatures as well as any other magical energy within a certain radius. She grabbed a cloak and pulled it over her shoulders. She pulled the hood up over her head and slid into the alleys behind the hotel. I knew I hated hoods for a reason. This is awful.
Getting into Jace's room was easy. Ral had left the door unlocked in his last visit to the room. She pulled her hood off her head and shook her head in amusement. Two curtains divided the room in half. Jace's half was pretty much overrun with stuffed animals, no doubt from Ral, while Ral's half was littered with games, and pieces of technology, broken, working, or handcrafted.
"Chandra?" Kaious sounded wary.
"It's me," Chandra nodded at the dragon.
"You're here because Jace aren't you?"
Chandra shrugged, "Yeah." She noticed the box with that she had given to him on his birthday. Ral naturally had given him a stuffed animal in the middle of the night while Jace was sleeping and Lilianna had heeded Jace's wishes and left him alone. She walked over to it and noticed that the sapphire necklace was not there. Instead there was a necklace with an alexandrite inside. She pulled the goggles over her eyes and studied it. The enchantment wasn't very powerful but it was defensive in nature. It was however obviously from Lilianna. The enchantment on the pendant drew from the magical energy of the people around the wearer in a certain radius to maintain it's presence within the gemstone. The wearer was unaffected by the enchantment's draining effect. Chandra looked at Kaious and motioned to the necklace.
"It was from Lilianna and came with a Black Lotus money card," Kaious explained, "It didn't take long for Jace to identify the nature of the enchantment and he decided not to wear the necklace since the effects were activated automatically once the necklace was worn."
Chandra nodded. She closed the box, pulled the goggles onto her forehead and set the box back exactly where it had been. He has a money card huh? "What about the sapphire necklace?"
"Last I knew he didn't wear it but it was in his jacket pocket," Kaious shrugged.
"And he's wearing that jacket?" Chandra assumed.
Kaious nodded, "The jacket is the only thing he took with him from here."
Chandra nodded, "Thanks Kaious."
"Can you talk to him. I'm worried," Kaious asked.
Chandra nodded, "Sure." 'I thought you lived your life by your standards. I thought you weren't tied down by any responsibilities or anyone else's demands or impressions of you' She closed the door and hissed through gritted teeth, "These are my standards. Demon." She pulled the hood over her face and darted down the stairs and out of the building.