26 comments/ 28640 views/ 167 favorites Arwain Chronicles Ch. 01 By: IceheartPhoenix The Arwain Chronicles: A new Master A big thank you to both Shadowflamez and Amour_propre for the part they played in the editing of this story, you guys rock, especially you Amour. This is my first submission here on literotica and I am curious as to the kind of reception it will receive, so please if you read this, rate it and leave me your comments, let me know what your take on it is. I am a firm believer in the notion "there is always room for improvement" so all constructive criticism is highly welcome and appreciated, let me know what I am doing wrong so I can get better at this. Also if you think I have done a good job drop a compliment or two. Disclaimer All characters depicted within the story are eighteen years of age or above. Anyway on to the story... Prologue It swirled slowly as it had always done, the four of them -or three depending on how you looked at it- had argued over it for centuries. They couldn't decide whether it was shimmering mist or simply light that appeared foggy. This shimmering substance made up the whole land shape of their holding, shimmering mist, foggy light and more shimmering mist as they like to describe it. They were all, at the moment suspended in mid air, (if this place even had air that is) which is pretty much all they have ever been, whenever they were brought back to this place. There wasn't a single solid object on this side. All four (or three) of them were silent. Silence was something they had learnt to exist with, after all one does run out of things to say to one another after two and a half millennia of being in the same depressing unchanging place. The fact that this wasn't the first time they had been brought to this place didn't make matters any better. They were all glad in their own way, that the place had only been designed to hold them, as they waited, not to drive them crazy, as all four (or three) knew perfectly well they would have lost their minds long before present time! From time to time they did talk, but mostly they just stayed silent. A gasp was heard bringing to an end the current five century long bout of silence. "I felt it," it was the voice of the one with long straight jet black hair that turned a vibrant flame yellowish-orange at the last two inches matching the exact colour of her eyes which also seemed to be ablaze with a fire that spoke of wisdom, strength wit and at close study, warm humor. A disinterested sigh slipped forth from one whose tail swayed lazily from side to side as she rolled her eyes at these words, "Here we go again," she murmured the tone of her voice reflecting the disinterest apparent in her expression. "I felt it too," one of the other remaining two spoke up. Her smile clearly showing that she dared to be hopeful. The last one said nothing her expression barely showing any recognition to what the others were going on about. The last one was the exact mirror image of the third so much so that, except for one quirk in their natures it was absolutely impossible to distinguish between the two of them. The truth of the situation was that all four of them had felt it! The significance of this, was not lost to any of them, normally it was the flame haired one who could sense them, the fact that all four could feel his presence this clearly meant he was powerful, really powerful! Yet the fact that they could sense his presence did not necessarily mean that he would find them and free them. In the last two thousand five hundred years other four just as powerful as whoever it was they were sensing had come along and all four had either gone away or met their end before they had ever had the chance to free them. Though they all knew it would only be temporary freedom, and that they would once again end up here after a time, as they always did, they all so badly wanted this illusion of freedom, even if just for a decade or so. The disappointment of this hope being once again dashed as it had been a few times in the past was what the one whose tail still moved languidly and the one who feigned unawareness felt they wouldn't be able to take, especially since this was the longest they had ever been tuck in this place at a time. Being the only one who had the ability to sense them all even the not so powerful ones, the flame haired one had learnt over the millennia she had spent in this side to deal with the disappointment of not being freed whenever one of them came along. The one who had a hopeful smile on her face only did, because her nature compelled her to do so. A deep sense of both dread and hope however engulfed all four of them, because despite their different dispositions they all so badly wanted for this to be the time they were finally brought back to the world of mortals for whatever span of time they would be allowed. Despite the fact that they had all been just been silent for the past five hundred years, the silence that followed the small exchange bore heavily down upon them and in spite of them trying to hide it they all were studying the shimmering mist around them. It had all the tell-tale signs, it was shining brighter, moving a bit faster in more distinct patterns rather than the slow random movements it exhibited most of the time. It was undeniable, he was close! "What do you think it will be this time?" the one feigning unawareness finally spoke up as the silence at last became too uncomfortable. "Death, or will he simply never know we exist and go on with his life leaving us to rot here for another two thousand five hundred years?" She asked her voice deceptively indifferent. None answered; they all knew this was a defence mechanism she was preparing herself for the worst so that if indeed it did come to pass, it wouldn't hurt as much. "No, this time, he'll find us," the flame haired one spoke up her voice firm with conviction. "Don't make promises you can't keep" the one who had feigned unawareness spoke silently her voice now a bit less indifferent. "I never do," the flame haired one replied closing her eyes. A look of concentration crept onto her face. The other three were silent for a moment at her words; a glance was shared between them as it dawned on them what she meant and what she planned to do. "What do you think you are doing," her voice was fierce as her tail stopped mid motion. "Keeping my promise," the flame haired girl spoke calmly not breaking her concentration. "Stop it! Right now," she demanded, "You know what happens when you influence events," she hissed, the fact that the flame haired girl was ignoring her only serving to agitate the tailed one further. A small smile crept onto the face of the flame haired girl, "Is that actual concern I hear in your voice?" she teased never breaking her concentration. "The backlash is going to weaken you, making you a liability, so yes, I am concerned, for myself," she said her voice cold, yet none of the others actually believed a word of it. A sudden gasp from the flame haired girl caught everyone else's attention. Her eyes were now wide open though from the bright orange yellow glow that emerged from them, they all knew she was seeing some place else totally different from where they were. "Impossible!" came the shocked whisper from the girl... ***************************** "ROZZANE LANE, ARKWOOD AVENUE," came the strangled cry of the little old Asian man as he sat bolt upright in his bed. Despite the fact that his whole body had been in horrific pain, his mind had been quick and sharp enough to sift through it all and listen to the words that he'd spoken or more precisely, had been spoken to him. He remained seated up stiffly as the last vestiges of the pain slowly ebbed away. Finally with a sigh he arose out of bed, muttering to himself as had become his habit of late. With a flick of his hand, he set off the spell that he had done so many times that it came so naturally and easily to him as blinking did. He knew that to most it would seem odd to start packing in the middle of the night, and if he had his way, he too wouldn't have started packing right away yet he knew that if he didn't start moving the revelation would once again come to him this time however even more painful than the first time. The pain of receiving messages from the universe always became worse with subsequent revelations. Coming out from the back of the store which had also served as his home for much longer than he wished to remember, he surveyed the many seemingly innocent and worthless boxes and books that carried more of the secrets of the universe than he cared to actually know of. When he'd started this work he had found it so frustrating to be the keeper of secrets and yet not be allowed to know them. More than once he had succumbed to the gnawing curiosity and desire to know, and had tried to find out what at least one or two of these secrets were... the punishment had been severe. However with the passage of time he had lost all interest in what it actually was that he guarded. "One of you may be leaving soon," he spoke softly as he watched them jump off the shelves and fly into the packing boxes that he had conjured from thin air. With another tired sigh he turned away from the items that were packing themselves, and walked over to the counter. Reaching beneath it he pulled out a crystal orb the size of a basket ball and placed it on the counter top. Focusing his mind on the emerald fog that slowly swirled within it, he spoke in a voice much stronger and clearer than one would expect of someone his age. "Rozzane lane, Arkwood Avenue," though he knew that the address could mean any of a number of places around the world the orb would know where exactly he needed to go. He watched the swirling fog clear up and an image of his destination form on the orb. He studied it keenly burning every detail into his mind. Once he was sure he had every detail right he stepped away from the orb letting the image fade back into emerald fog. How the orb always managed to send him to the right place he had never come to know but for the past thirty five thousand years it had never once been wrong. Once everything was packed in their designated boxes, he stood stock still focusing all his magic on the image in his mind. For a few seconds nothing happened then all of a sudden he vanished into thin air together with everything else except for the store itself. ***************************** A satisfied smile crossed his features as he stood in the shadows across the street from where store was, or more accurately had previously been. For the past forty years he had watched the old man under the orders of his master and for the past forty years he had found out nothing worth his master's attention. Now at last he had something to report back. "A new one has come into being!" he muttered to himself excitedly. Finally he would once again have a chance to prove himself to his master, a chance at redemption. The smile on his face widened at this thought. Maybe he'll even let me be the one to kill him. He thought to himself as he turned away from the store, he too vanishing into thin air... Chapter One... Dan was every bit the average nerd. He was not popular by any means, had all his assignments done on time, scored straight A's in all his subjects, could easily comprehend complex mathematical and scientific concepts yet could not make heads or tails of how to approach, let alone talk to a girl, which was one major contribution to his current state of being a virgin. Dan however, was a bit different from most other nerds, not in any exceptional way though, he only happened to be a smarter than your average nerd, a lot smarter! With an IQ of 187 Dan was indeed quite proficient in taking on whatever his high school curriculum had to dish out. Dan hadn't taken any official pen and paper IQ test, but the numerous online IQ tests and a few tests that he had devised himself had averaged at this figure. This however did not make him any less hard working. To go with his extra ordinary IQ Dan had a scientific mind to go with it. Dan never believed in anything he couldn't empirically prove. He was more comfortable thinking about facts and figures than he was fantasizing of the wild and unimaginable things most others his own age let their minds dwell on. Dan was well aware that he would most likely finish high school a virgin with absolutely no prospect of scoring any action in the period that was to follow up to going off to university, his empirical mind had also calculated the chances of him being laid in campus and even those seemed to be in the negatives. Did all this bother him? The answer to that was yes, very much. He had however made peace with the facts and chosen to invest himself in ensuring he had a successful future, nerd or not, he was sure to get laid when he was filthy rich. Dan was a loner not due to his inability to make friends but his choice not to. Being the smartest one in the room was not always a good thing, he absolutely hated playing down his intelligence to placate idiots around him with pea sized brains and Jupiter sized egos, which eliminated the jocks. He absolutely hated having to keep on repeating or explaining himself, which eliminated the average crowd that neither belonged to the smart nerds or the troll jocks and for the life of him he couldn't think of anything he hated more than the short sighted goals most nerds around him seemed to constantly engage their minds with, like how they were going to lose their virginities even though it was sorely clear that they had a better chance of growing wings than being laid anywhere within the next decade. So he spent whatever time he had to himself on his own. Dan would not have minded being a nobody as far as popularity went so much, except that his bigger brother Jim was one of the most popular guys in school, a star football player and also known for the number of chicks he'd slept. It was a joke among those they went to school with, that whatever chick in the school that Jim hadn't fucked yet was probably a virgin. It wasn't that Dan was jealous of him in any way, form or manner, it was simply that Jim had made it his life's purpose to pick on Dan and make all of his high school life a nightmare that Dan couldn't wait to get over and done with. As he had many times before, Dan once again found himself high in the air, being held up there by the numerous well muscled arms of the members of the football team his brother at the head of the procession as they carried him through the hallways while the other students pointed and laughed. Dan did not bother trying to fight them off, no need to fan the flames. He only hoped the no one had thrown anything too messy in the dumpster outside school, which was where he knew he would end up. You'd think after doing this about a million times already they'd either get tired of it or become a bit more creative, but no, as they had repeatedly proven diminutive minds were fascinated by only rudimentary and trivial practices. The hands disappeared from beneath him and gravity took course. Dan grimaced as he landed in what he deduced to be banana peelings stale Yogurt and the cafeteria's refuse from the previous day. The cackles and raucous laughter from those outside the dumpster echoed within it. Knowing that they wouldn't leave him alone till he came out of the dumpster and they had had a chance to see what their cave-man-pass-time had achieved, Dan slowly picked himself up from the garbage, swinging a messy leg over the rim of the dumpster and pulled himself out his shoe had soaked in something slimy causing him to slip and fall over, landing most humiliatingly on his butt. The laughter went up once again renewed by this. It was only now that Dan noticed that Heather, captain of the cheer leading squad had joined the football players in enjoying his humiliation as they took pictures and videos that would most likely end up on the schools social website where all the members of East End high would be sure to view them and further his torment. The site was student made, so none of the teachers would actually see them. "No afternoon classes, get home as quickly, clean self, clean clothes, review unfinished assignments..." Dan's mind had already separated itself from present events and was mapping out how to best deal with the rest of the day. Sooner or later they would all lose interest and walk away, they didn't have enough brain cells to maintain concentration past a given period of time. Dan had to fight off the smile that threatened to creep onto his expression at this thought. Surely enough, they did start to move away one by one after three minutes or so... A new record. This time Dan did allow himself a smile as he turned and walked away after the last of them, his brother, had left. Trying his level best not to spread the mess to areas that had not been touched by the grime, Dan slowly made his way away from the school. In the state that he was in, Dan was, understandably, attracting glances from those he passed on the way home. Some amused, some surprised, some concerned, others disapproving, the one thing they all had in common is that they all wrinkled their noses when he got close. Dan came to a sudden halt, confusion marring his features. Why was he in town? From the school, there were two routes that led home for Dan. One, the shorter of the two, passed through the woods and appeared right at their back yard, the other, which was much longer, went through town. This was the route he currently found himself on. His left hand, being the only clean one rose to scratch the back of his head. "Could have sworn I went left" he muttered to himself his head shifting back and forth between where he'd come from and where he was headed to if he chose to keep with the path he was on. Then it slipped into view, the wooden sign board with chipping paint looked very much like the items it advertised; DESTINY'S ANTIQUE SHOP... your fate at a fair price!!! Dan was conflicted, between rolling his eyes, sniggering or falling to the ground in a hysterical fit of derisive laughter which would best convey his thoughts on shops like this. To Dan destiny was what people used as an excuse whenever they couldn't fully comprehend or explain events in their lives. He had no time for such nonsen--. It was only when the bell above his head chimed, announcing his entrance that Dan realised that he was now standing in the store. His confusion deepened "what the..." the words escaped his mouth as his mind failed to wrap itself around how he was moving from point to point today without his actual knowledge of it! "Be with you in a second" a strong voice called out from the back. Dan could not for the life of him understand why he wasn't turning around and walking out of the store. He didn't believe in such fantasies as fate, magic and all that other stuff to do with such, he believed in what he could touch, see, test and prove. So why was he now browsing through the shelves as if searching for something in particular? It struck Dan as odd that an antique shop should only have boxes and books. The boxes were like the miniature versions of treasure chests you see on pirate movies. "Can I help you?" Dan jumped in surprise as he turned to find the smiling old Asian man quietly regarding him. His ears told him that the strong voice was coming from the one before him yet looking at the frail old man before him, Dan could not understand how this could be. "No you can't, because I don't believe in destiny, magic, fate or any of that mumbo jumbo," this was what he'd meant to say, however on opening his mouth, "I'm looking for something, not sure what yet but I'll know it when I see it," is what came out. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 01 The old man's smile widened as a knowing look crossed his expression almost as if he knew exactly what Dan had just been thinking. "Take as much time as you need," he said kindly before turning and walking back to the counter. It was only when Dan started moving once again that he realised that he was still covered in dirt and grime, the shop owner however had acted as if oblivious to this fact. Stealing another glance at the him, as he watched him from the counter, Dan had the feeling that the man held more mystery to him than what met the eye. Dan continued to move through the shelves that seemed to possess an endless supply of small treasure chests. His logical mind had now settled on a concussion as the explanation for all the odd behaviours of the day, he must have hit his head harder than he thought when they threw him in the dumpster. How else could the fact that he couldn't remember taking the town-route to his home, or even crossing the road to enter an antique shop, which, to begin with, he never had much regard for, be explained. And why was he moving through the shelves as if he knew exactly what he was looking for. Dan came to a stop as his eyes finally locked on it, there was no shred of doubt in Dan's mind that this was what he had come for. His eyes slowly scanned the ornate markings and carvings on its surface. Dan could not think of any form of art that he had ever seen more beautiful than what now lay before his eyes. His hand slowly rose towards it, immediately his skin made contact with the wooden box, he felt as though there was a bond between him and whatever was inside. The longer he held it, the tighter his grip on the box became and the more real the bond with whatever was inside became to him. Pulling it from the shelf Dan studied the carved images on the wooden surface, a large bird which seemed to be in flight trailed by flames, two tigers which lay side by side on a grass patch, though from his knowledge of tigers, Dan knew that no two tigers looked alike, their markings were as distinct as human fingerprints, yet the two that were carved on this box were the exact mirror image of the other, only a master craftsman could have carved the same exact form to this level of detail. On the other side was a form that Dan could only describe as the form of a demon; large bat-like wings that were at the moment closed and tucked behind her back, a tail rose out from the tip end of her spine just above her ass, which despite being made of wood still caused a stirring in Dan's pants, her breasts seemed to float on her chest defying gravity and in spite being made of wood Dan could very easily tell they were a D cup. The expression carved on its face was a slyly smug smile, as if it knew exactly what effect she was having on him. "I seriously need to get laid," Dan said shaking his head in an effort to get himself back to reality as he realised he was lusting after wood. Dan turned and walked back to the counter. "Aah the three guardians, a fine choice, one of the strongest in my possession, or so I've been told," the old man intoned. Dan couldn't help but wonder at how he seemed to have a deep and robust voice that spoke of youth when he was so obviously not. "Uum... Guardians?" Dan inquired unsure what the man was going on about. The old man nodded towards the carved figures on the box, "them," he said in an explanatory tone. Dan looked down at the box in his hands "Uuh... They are four," he said refraining himself from further inquiring what the old man meant by Guardians not sure he wanted to hear whatever fictitious tale the man had made up in his mind just so he can make a sell. The old man smiled warmly once again that knowing look gleaming in his eye, "Aah, well, that all depends on how you look at it," the old man said his smile widening. Dan spared the box another glance, he couldn't see how anyone could see three instead of four forms carved on it. "Uuh, riight," Dan finally spoke looking up from the box. Placing it on the counter Dan tried to reach into his back pocket with the only clean hand he had, the result was him having to twist to the side to make it even halfway possible. Doing this caused something else to slip into his field of view. Dan's hand stopped mid-reach as his eyes fixed on a very old-looking leather bound book. It was one among many other books on display just like the little treasure chest had been among many others. Yet something about this book seemed to be much bolder and demanding much more attention that the rest around it. Dan moved away from the counter to it. Just as with the box he'd left at the counter the book felt as if it was where it should be as he held it. "I don't think that is your thing" the old Asian man's voice came from right behind him causing him to jump once again, how the hell did he move so fast? Dan's grip unconsciously tightened around the book as he regarded the old man, trying to understand why he would be trying to stop him from buying more items from his shop. "A bit too advanced for you," he said "I doubt you'll even be able to read it." When he was sure the old man wouldn't grab for it, Dan opened the first page, "The grand book of wizards past, wizard present and wizards to come. The bloodli..." a harsh noise came from the old man's throat cutting Dan off. Dan looked up in surprise barely conscious of the fact that he'd closed the book and was now holding it tightly behind his back. "I am the keeper of secrets, it is not for me to know what they are!" The man's voice was cross as if Dan had just made a big mistake on purpose. Dan simply stared. "So you can read that?" there was a note of both surprise and awe as the man's voice came back to normal. Dan now found himself questioning the man's state of mind. "Uuh...It's plain English." Dan said unsure why the man would have thought him unable to read the book. The old man regarded him for a few long seconds as if trying to gauge something about him. Dan watched as a smile slowly crept across the old man's face. "You really don't know what's in your hand, do you?" the old man said as if this fact a lot. "An old leather bound book," Dan said though he was sure it had been a rhetorical question. The man once again paused for a second looking at him, "And what is it you've just left at the counter?" the man asked as though curious what his answer to this would be. Dan glanced at the small chest on the counter suddenly hating that he was so far from it. "An old wooden box with finely crafted images on it," he replied. Dan seemed to have replied exactly as the old man had expected as his smile turned to light chuckles as he turned and walked back to the counter. Dan followed close behind wishing to reunite himself with the small treasure chest as soon as possible. "You're in for quite the adventure," the old man said smiling at him as Dan reclaimed the box from the counter. Dan almost asked what he meant by saying that, but thought better of it. "Tell you what, if you promise to take care of both the book and the box and return them both to me once you are done with them, you can have them both for free," he said. Dan paused looking at the man suspiciously for a second, "And what if I am not done with them by next week, month or year, or maybe even in the next decade for that matter?" he questioned not sure he would ever want to be parted from the objects in his hands. "Even if you need a whole century with them, just promise to bring them back to me afterwards," the old man said his smile never faltering. "Uum... Not to sound blunt or anything but, you'll be dead in a century's time." Dan said his mind working overtime trying to find the catch in this whole deal. The man once again chuckled a smile crossing his lips, "I don't die that easy," he said enigmatically. Failing to find a way in which this could have been a trap Dan finally conceded, "Ok then, you'll have them back soon as I am done with them, whenever that is," he said adding the last bit for good measure, just so he made sure the old man understood that they wouldn't be acquainting the shelves of his shop any time soon. "So where's the key?" Dan asked. "Key?" the old man repeated for the first time a frown forming on his face. "To the chest," Dan explained. "Oh," the old man said as comprehension dawned on his face. "You already have it," he said the smile once again on his lips. "And what is that supposed to mean?" Dan asked the frown now coming onto his face. "I guess you'll just have to find out, won't you?" the old man replied. So this was the catch Dan thought. Well, he wasn't giving them back anyway, as per their agreement, they were his till he was done with them, turning on his heel, Dan quickly made his way out of the shop. ***************************** Dan walked back up to his room with his clean clothes in the hamper. He'd jumped into the shower soon as he'd reached home after which he'd carried the soiled clothes to the washing machine in the basement. Dan plopped back onto his bed after putting away the clothes in his closet. He laid back on the bed naked as was his habit whenever he was on his own in his room. It was now three in the afternoon his mom wouldn't be home for at least another three hours and Jim a lot later than that. Dan's father had died of cancer when Dan was only two years old he had no actual recollection of how the man looked except for the pictures his mom had of him before the cancer got him. Dan wasn't worried about anyone walking in on him as he was coz Jim never came into his room and his mother had learnt to always knock before coming into his room which still, she rarely ever did. Three items were off his list, Dan's head turned to the top of his bedside drawer, on top of which his books always were, ready to tackle the last item on the list. The small treasure chest sat on top of his books, the small leather bound book beside it where he'd left them. All thoughts of completing any unfinished assignments were lost. Dan turned to pick it up before lying back on his bed to once again examine it. A frown formed on his features as Dan looked at the box. The four forms that had been carved onto it, were no longer there. Dan didn't remember hitting the box against anything so they couldn't have broken off, yet they were no longer there all that was left was a jumbled mess of rough wooden ridges and indentations. A small smile, in spite of all his confusion, formed on his lips as, on closer study of the box, it finally dawned on him what had happened. The image had somehow rearranged itself into the jumbled mess that Dan was right now seeing, and judging by the empty slot at the bottom right corner it was up to him to solve it. Dan loved puzzles, his fingers started flying across the surface of the box. His smile widened as it became apparent that the pieces of the puzzle could only move in two directions alone. Some could move up and down but not sideways others could only move sideways but not up and down, some could only move up and to one side, either left or right but not to the other side or down, while others only moved down and to one side as well, but not to the opposite side or up. And with no markings to distinguish which was which the puzzle was all the more complex, the only thing Dan loved more than a puzzle, was a really complex puzzle. Dan barely noticed the next hour that passed as he kept on trying different approaches at solving the puzzle. He paused to study the progress he'd made so far, trying to figure out how to best proceed from where he'd reached. After about fifteen seconds or so, Dan heard a click from inside the box, suddenly all the pieces started moving rapidly reverting back to the original jumbled way they had been when he'd picked it up from the bedside drawer. The box must have a time limit switch, Dan thought, his teeth gritted at having to begin all over again. In spite of this, Dan could feel his excitement rising at the challenge the box was posing, it was rare that problems challenged him on an intellectual level he loved the challenge. With this new parameter added to his approach in solving the puzzle before him, Dan's Thumbs started flying across the surface of the box moving the puzzle pieces up, down left and right, never once pausing for more than five seconds to review what he'd done and plan what he would do next. A smile crossed Dan's expression which had been screwed up in concentration, he could see the rest of the way now. Dan had barely noticed the two hours that had gone by while he'd been trying to put back together the four forms that had been on the miniature treasure chest's surface, three of the forms were now already complete, the flaming bird and the identical tigers. Dan's smile turned into a grin as he pushed the last piece that was the tip end of the demon's tail into its rightful position. Dan had barely admired his work for a second when suddenly the box began producing a rattling noise as if thousands of gears were turning within it. The lid of the chest, turning on its hinges, lifted only a millimeter away from the rest of the chest a beam of bright light, that Dan could only equate to how bright a star must be up close, escaped from the minute gap that had been formed but luckily did not fall in Dan's eyes. However whether it had or hadn't fallen on his eyes would have been lost on Dan as immediately he felt something indescribably immense awaken within him. Dan had barely noticed that he was now floating two meters above his bed, his whole body spread eagle mid air, light of the same intensity as the one coming from the chest he had just managed to open, bursting forth from all the orifices on his head, eyes, ears, nose and mouth and also rising out from the lines on his palms. Dan's mind was clogged with whatever it was that was slowly awakening within his body. He could feel what he could only describe as power slowly diffusing outwards from his core to his very extremities. Dan could feel his every fiber being infused with this power. Suddenly the lid of the box burst open and the whole room filled enough light to form a second sun. This light however did not traverse past Dan's windows or any gaps that would have allowed this, as if it were trapped within the room. At this point Dan was barely conscious as whatever it was that was happening within him started overwhelming him. Though he was not sure, Dan could almost have sworn he saw four small figures emerge out of the box slowly becoming larger till they were life sized forms. Everything went black... ***************************** The flame haired girl now stood at the edge of the bed looking down at the passed out form of their newest master. The others all stood around the bed, they too regarding him closely. She could understand why they all had expressions on their faces that was a mixture of shock, awe and fear, which both the one with the tail and the one who had feigned unawareness back on the other side, tried and failed miserably to hide. Back on the other side only she had been able to sense the true immensity of their new master's power, they had all however had a taste of it, as he brought them out of the place they had been in for the past two and a half millennia. "D... D... Did you feel it?" the only one who'd held out hope with her was the first to break the silence as she sputtered out the words, her voice clearly showing that she was still in shock. "Yes I did, we all did," the flame haired girl replied quietly. Nothing more was said as they once again paused for a second to look at him as he lay back unconscious on the bed. In the fifty millennia since they were bound together to serve those to whom they were destined to be released from the other side by, this boy was by far the most powerful they had encountered. Whatever the future held for them, one thing was for sure, the time they would spend in his servitude would go down in the books of magical history. "Well, on the bright side," the one with the tail spoke up for the first time, drawing the attention of the rest. "we are out!" she declared a smile crossing her face as she walked towards the flame haired girl. "When the backlash finally hits you, and you become a liability, I promise to make your end quick," she said with a smile. "You're welcome," the flame haired girl replied she too with a smile, knowing that this was as close to a heartfelt thank you as she would ever get from the one with the tail . Smiles had also formed on the faces of the other two as it dawned on them that finally after so long they were once again free. The one, who'd hoped that what they had felt meant their freedom was close, walked up to the one with Flame coloured hair. "Thank you," she said pulling the flame haired girl in to a tight hug, "and don't worry, when the backlash does hit you, I won't let her touch you," she said with a smile. A scoff was heard from the other end of the room where the one with the tail had moved to. "Try and stop me," she spoke the smug confidence clear in her voice. "Thank you," the voice of the other one, identical to the one who had just hugged the girl with the flame coloured hair, was heard. Though most of the time her voice was either cold or emotionless, the girl with flame coloured hair could hear the note of gratitude in it. She nodded her acknowledgement to her, but before she could say welcome, a groan from the boy on the bed brought all their attention back to him. "He's waking up," the girl with the flame coloured hair said.... Arwain Chronicles Ch. 02 WOW! The response and feedback I got for the first chapter of the this story absolutely blew me away, way above what I expected! Thanks to all those who voted and commented on it and a special thanks to all those who favourited the story. A big thank you to all those who pointed out the errors in chapter one to me. Here is the second chapter, hopefully, I have done better in this one and it holds up to all your expectations. As always, your comments, votes and feedback on the story are very much appreciated. If I am doing something wrong, please let me know so I can keep getting better at this. And also if you think I have done a good job, as always, drop a compliment or two in the comments section. DISCLAIMER ALL CHARECTERS DEPICTED WITHIN THE STORY ARE EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. Anyway, on to the story... ***** CHAPTER TWO. THE ARWAIN CHRONNICLES: A LOST BLOODLINE... A groan of pain escaped Dan's lips as he slowly drifted back towards consciousness. "He's waking up." The voice sounded distant as if he was hearing it from the other end of a very long tunnel. His face contorted as the pain in his head worsened. It felt like somebody had knocked him over the head with a sledge hammer. Blinking a few times, he forced his eyes open, teeth gritted as he tried to ignore the pain. Immediately the image his eyes were receiving came into focus, Dan jumped backwards from his lying position, pressing his back hard against the head board as if trying to push through it, all thoughts of the pain long forgotten. His heart beat madly within the cage of his ribs he looked on at the new occupants his room. On either side of his bed, were two very large snow white tigers silently surveying him. Only a very small part of Dan's mind paused to wonder how two full grown tigers had managed to get into his room... a very, very small part. Dan couldn't help but feel as if he was seeing the same thing, in two places at the same time, as he noticed that the two tigers looked exactly the same. This fact however was made irrelevant by the fear that had coiled itself tightly around him. "Relax, they won't bite," a voice reached him from the corner of his room. Dan felt chills run throughout his body at the sound of that voice. He could feel his dick getting harder simply from hearing it. It was soft yet commanding, sweet and dripping with a seductive undertone to it. His head turned to the side from which the voice had originated. His cock immediately sprang to full hardness at the sight of her. She definitely wasn't human, that much was clear at first glance. Her long tail swayed leisurely through the air, the sharp tip end of it moving behind her head. She had long, blood red, curly hair that reached the half of the way down her back, her gleaming yellow eyes seemed to be part reptilian, part feline as they fixed him a conspiratal gaze that though relaxed in appearance Dan was sure were quite keen in assessing just as he was doing her. At the sight of her succulent pink lips, a picture of them wrapped around the head of his cock as she looked up at him with that defiant gleam in eyes, flashed through his mind. Dan gritted his teeth forcing his mind to come back to the present barely aware that his dick had visibly jerked at the thought that he'd just had and was now leaking precum on to his sheets. The sight of her breasts which were exposed to his view unhindered by any clothing made him involuntarily groan, this time he was acutely aware of the way his dick jerked hard as if giving a nod of approval. His gaze travelled further south, and though the subject of his scrutiny was seated, the way her hips flared out from her narrow waist was very much evident. His hands unconsciously gripped the pillow behind him hard, as his mind tried to visualize how that big ass would feel in his hands Dan had always had a weakness for big asses, not the excessively big ones that sagged and had excess fat that made them look droopy, the kind he loved were the tight well defined ones that looked like he could bounce a quarter off, very much like the one he was looking at now. The fact that both her fingers and toes were tipped with two inch long razor sharp claws did not escape Dan's notice, this however did nothing to down play the absolute sexual aura that surrounded her. She sat relaxed in the chair in the corner of the room, an air of arrogant confidence about her as she regarded him with a smirk, which, given the way she was eyeing his erection, was most probably because, she had so easily made him the hardest he'd ever been without having to move a muscle. "Hallo master," another voice came to him from the side of his bed. Turning to it, Dan came face to face with what was probably the largest bird he'd ever seen perched on his bedside drawer, calmly observing him. How he had missed it, was beyond him. It had brilliantly coloured orange yellow feathers that very much reminded Dan of the colour of flames. Its eyes were of the same exact colour as her feathers. Dan couldn't shake the feeling that the bird bore a lot more knowledge that he would ever garner in a life time as its eyes reminded him of the look in gurus and sages, not that he'd ever met one but if he were ever asked to imagine of one they would have the same exact eyes. "Well, at least he didn't pass out like the one before him," Dan's head jerked in surprise to look at the tiger on his left. Had it just talked? No, no way, tigers didn't talk. "Or the one before that, who pissed himself," This time there was no doubt in Dan's mind as his head jerked to the one on the right. Dan had clearly heard the words yet the tiger's mouth had made no visible movements. "Still, they all react the same to me," came the smug voice of the one who was at the corner as she rose from her seat and moved over to the edge of the bed, her hips swayed from the simple walk in ways that would the most skilled of belly dancers green with jealousy. The fact that the one who'd just been in the corner replied to what the tiger had said, made Dan feel a bit less insane... only just a bit. Dan watched as she slowly crept onto the bed. Her eyes fixing him a gaze that very much made him understand what it felt like to be prey unnder the gaze of a predator. Every cell in his body wanted to throw her down on the bed and fuck her harder than she had ever been before. I mean she was practically offering herself to him. "W... Wait, Stop!" Dan managed to stutter through gritted teeth as he fought back the urges that were now battling to take over. Dan watched the look of surprise cross her features; Dan somehow felt this very same surprise in the other three creatures that stood in his room. She stood back from him a small smile crossing her features as she surveyed him with an expression, very much like the expression Dan usually had when faced with a challenge he knew he could easily tackle. Though she made no further attempt at him, Dan knew he'd just become a target for her. "Well, there goes your perfect record," the teasing voice of the bird on his bedside drawer was heard. "How the fuck am I hearing animals talking?" the question left Dan's lips his frustration at the situation evident in his voice. Dan's logical mind hated situations that he couldn't understand, very much like the present one. "Because genius, that's how this goes. You summon us from the other side, we present our other forms to you first for your approval, you either take us on as guardians or send us back." Though it was an accurate description of him, Dan heard the sarcasm that dripped off the word genius as the one with the tail said it. "S... summon... forms, approval... What other side?" the confusion had not left Dan's voice, as the information only served to confuse him further. "He doesn't know anything, does he?" the voice was from the tiger to his left. Everyone in the room turned to the bird perched on the side of Dan's bed so he too did likewise. The bird regarded him for a while, though he didn't know how he knew it, Dan knew it was deciding what course of action was best to proceed with, now that it was apparent that Dan did not have a clue what was going on. "I should have known this would happen," Dan heard the bird say mentally, and without warning the bird took to flight. Despite its enormous size, it somehow managed to move through the air without knocking over anything in the room. It is only as Dan watched the bird move through the air, that something clicked with his mind. There was a trail of bright yellow and orange flames behind it as it moved; the realizations came to him like a hammer repeatedly being hit on a nail. The figures on the box, the little old Asian man called them guardians too, the figures in the puzzle he'd solved by remaking their jumbled forms, the box opening, blinding light, four forms... Dan's logical mind was torn between arguing that, four fully grown creatures could not have come from the small box, and believing what seemed to be the illogical yet actual sequence of events. Dan's mind was about to stamp its ethereal foot down in accepting no other argument other than the first, but then the bird that was in mid flight descended and in the distance between the ceiling to Dan's room and the floor, it had morphed into one of the most beautiful chicks Dan had ever seen. By Dan's estimation, she stood at the same height as he did. She had long straight jet black hair that reached the small of her back, the last two inches of which was a vibrant yellowish orange colour just as her feathers had been only a moment ago. Her eyes were this very same colour of flames that, though Dan knew was not normal, still looked more beautiful than any other colour would have on her. She had the perfect hour glass figure that rivaled that of the one with the tail one, but unlike that of the one with the tail, whose body oozed of seductive sexuality, the body of the one who'd transformed right before his eyes oozed with grace, class and sophistication, even as she stood naked in front of him unabashed by this fact. She, by all looks of it, was the same age as he was. Her soft featured face smiling at him a smile that made Dan feel both like melting inside and for some reason like puffing out his chest with pride. Right above her left breast she had a tattoo of a bird in flight with flames trailing behind it. "You will have to forgive me master, for transforming to human form without your say so," she said in a voice that Dan could have died happy just listening to. "But the situation necessitates it." The statement shook Dan out of the fantasies his carnal mind had been cooking up, as he surveyed her with unbridled desire. Dan's mind was at a loss as it ran out of arguments, struggling to accept the fact that science was no longer able to explain everything. He'd been about to rest his case on the simple argument that living beings, vertebrates for that matter, such as the ones he was seeing before him could not change size or shape and therefore could not have come from the box. But then the girl standing before her had soundly disproved the argument. "Why do you keep calling me master?" Was the only thing Dan managed to let out. "The answer to that is a very long tale," she informed him. "The telling of which, will require a good amount of time, may I please sit down?" she asked eyeing the side of the bed yet not making any move towards it as if waiting for his say so. Dan felt odd at being treated as if he ruled them. So he simply nodded 'yes'. The one with the flame hair smiled gratefully at him before bending over to smooth out where it was that she planned to sit down upon. However in doing so, she also brought the glorious orbs that were her breasts closer to Dan's face. Dan bit down on his lip hard fighting back the urge to moan at their sight as his hands itched with the urge to grab them. Once again she rose to inspect what she'd done, bringing her full feminine form back into Dan's view, Dan's already steel hard dick gave another hard jerk as it continued to leak precum onto his sheets. She smiled, pleased with what she had done as she looked down at the bed, seemingly unaware of the torture her body was putting him through. When she once again looked up at him' after taking a seat on the side of the bed, her expression had gone from smiling to contemplative, "About fifty millennia ago," she began, her voice immediately catching all of his attention, mercifully pulling it away from her tempting feminine form. "Humans were on the brink of extinction" Dan's scientific mind immediately kicked in ready to refute this claim that was inconsistent with every account of history he had ever read, however the part of him that was still trying to reconcile that he had just witnessed a bird transform to human subdued it. "Back then the planet wasn't overrun by humans as it is now. Magic wasn't something done for amusement at the birthday parties of children. No, magic was then, as science is now. Magical creatures if all kinds filled the earth, large and small, harmless and lethal, weak and powerful, good and evil" "The weak however, did not survive long in that world. Justice in those times only favoured those who had enough power to get around it. 'If you could do it, and had enough power and resources to deal with whatever consequences came after, then damned be whoever got hurt in the process.' This was the code that everybody lived by back then. It was a vile and toxic society that, no doubt, was headed to only one end, self-destruction." "This code of life did not favour the humans, who were at that time, the weakest beings that walked the planet. They were at the very bottom of the power chain," at this point, she paused a smile slowly crossing her lips as if she was enjoying a particularly good memory. "Or so we had so wrongly thought." she added her smile widening. "At the time, the world was not divided into countries as it currently is. Back then, there were only territories, nine in total. Each ruled by one of the nine lords and ladies of the time, these nine were the most powerful beings to walk the earth. There first territory was the arctic of lord Karzen, the second the Antarctic of lady Kastya. The third was Australia belonging to lord Gervon. Africa was divided into two territories the north ruled by lord Azerell and from the equator south ruled by his brother lord Rowen. Europe and Asia jointedly were divided into three territories, the most westerly side ruled by lady Cienna, the middle rule by lord Brenithan, and the most easterly part belonging to lady Aisha. The last territory covered the whole of north and south America, all of which was under lady Eldrid." "Being the weakest, humans were naturally treated with little more regard than one would show filth. They were nothing more than slaves to be used and disposed of at the pleasure of their masters. As such, humans sought out the strongest and most powerful masters so as to protect themselves from the less powerful ones. Which, though smart in theory, proved to be a blade that cut at both ends. Yes they were untouched by the weaker beings, however the more powerful the master they found the more harshly and cruelly they were treated. Humanity as we know it, would have ceased to exist, had it not been for a small group of humans led by a man called Arwain." "How they managed to do it remains a mystery I will forever contemplate." she said thoughtfully. "Ten in total, was the whole mass of the group. Ten humans sworn to silence and secrecy. They slowly and carefully right under the noses of their masters collected epic amounts magical knowledge and powers. Back then it wasn't even known to anyone that humans could even hold let alone control magic, these ten were the first to prove that they could. The ten loathed the state that the world had come to under the influence of the magical being, so they swore to change it." The what, where, when and how of whatever they did before they made their first open attack is a hole in history that will forever remain unfilled. As I said, they operated in complete silence and secrecy, never letting on that anything was going on. However in that time, they became strong enough to rival with the lords and ladies themselves, I do however, honestly doubt they would have succeeded had they been led by any other except Arwain. As he proved many times in the period that was to follow Arwain was a shrewd and cunning man with a mind for strategy in combat." "When they made their first attack they had two advantages playing to their favour. The first was surprise" the smile that had faded as she continued to relate the story slowly reformed on her lips. "And the second was that their enemy had so badly underestimated them! Two advantages, which they used to the maximum. The whole world," the slight smile turned into a slight chuckle, as she added, "myself included admittedly, stood in absolute shock at what the humans were capable of." "We all watched unbelieving, as in fourteen days Arwain and his group swept through Aisha's territory through to lord Brenithan's and finally ending in lady Cienna's territory. The destruction the ten left in their wake was of immense proportions. The bodies of magical creatures were piled in pyres by the hundreds of thousands. The absolute raw power that they displayed, left in one fortnight; three territories conquered two ladies and a lord dead and a barrier that spanned the whole of the two continents erected. This barrier was erected by siphoning of the power of all the magical creatures that they had killed. The barrier killed any magical being that tried to get through it on contact, then drained all their magical energy, which it in turn only served to make it stronger. Humans were however, unharmed by it and could pass through it unscathed." There was a stretch of silence in the room. Dan could tell the events were once again playing in their minds, as they all seemed to stare empty into the space. "In one move, they had managed, to create a strong point that was unreachable even to the other lords and ladies, to create a safe haven for all the humans that managed to reach it and make it crystal clear that humans were by no means to be under estimated. The fallout from this was also just as chaotic, magical beings from around the world, turned on the humans who had not crossed the barrier, from both fear that they could and surely eventually would, do same as had been done in the three territories and retribution for those of their own that had been lost in battle. However, after that first move made by Arwain and his group, the humans were no longer a complacent lot that feared any confrontation with the magical creatures. Suddenly they all had a new force that drove them, a force stronger than any magical power or being that walked the earth... Hope." she said after a small contemplative pause. "Hope that even if they themselves never lived to see it, that one day their sons and daughters would live in a world where they never had to live in constant fear of the magical beings." There was another bout of silence before the girl finally stopped staring blankly in the air and turned to look him straight in the eye. "The actual account of events of how the war progressed from then on would take me whole days to divulge," she said. Dan had no doubt that she actually had the whole version of events hidden and locked away in her mind. "The shorter version is this, from there, Arwain made no other move for another two years, a period through which, the barrier still managed to hold strong, and also allowed the magical creatures on the outside of it to once again gain a false sense of confidence and lower their guard." Arwain Chronicles Ch. 02 "However unknown to them, Arwain and his group had now trained a whole army of humans on magic, and war with those who knew how to use it, which was us, the magical creatures. The army was also taught on how to obtain and use magical powers themselves. After two years had passed, the barrier went down, it was later found out that it hadn't actualliy gone down on its own but that the army had drained all of the power from it into themselves. And thus, the final battle for either the fall of or the rise of humanity to absolute freedom followed." "The battle lasted for one and a half years. Africa was the first to be claimed by the humans, as they subdued and killed both lord Azerell and lord Rowen alongside every other magical being in their path. Soon after, the Antarctic fell, followed by both the arctic and Australia, which fell at the same time. It was at this time that the one true weapon that the humans had over the magical beings proved to be the one thing that assured their victory. The humans unlike most of the magical beings were not afraid to die! They had seen a life worse than death at the hands of the magical beings. Death was a price each and every last one of them was willing to pay to see that they were free of the magical beings. They never stood down, turned back or retreated even when it was plain to see they were marching to their own deaths, they all lived by the same law 'for every one of us, take two of them'." "This gave the lords and ladies very little time to prepare for, or regroup after battle. All these first five territories were subdued within the first six months of the battle. The territory under lady Eldrid however proved to be the hardest to subdu. The battle for it stretched for another year, both sides having suffered heavy losses. No doubt the humans would have continued and eventually broken through its defenses and brought it down had it gone on much longer. Lady Eldrid however called for an end to the war by way of a truce" "So a truce was made, the humans would stop the war against the magical beings only if they agreed to forfeit all their powers. This was the only condition under which the humans would let the magical beings live. Lady Eldrid however managed to talk them out of it, in the promise that the magical beings would help the humans rebuild their towns societies and whole lives." "Arwain, now known as supreme lord Arwain, relented at this point. However, what he did next, though in essence was what the agreement was about, was in no way what lady Eldrid had in mind when they made the truce. He made these magical boxes in which he entrapped all the magical beings that were left. Each box had a total of three beings in it. The magical beings within a given box were bound to whomever it was that released them to do their bidding and see to their every whim. Many of the magical creatures that had agreed to the truce considered this a betrayal. They used whatever chance they got, whenever they were released, to kill as many humans as possible." "Seeing this, lord Arwain modified the spells on the boxes and made it so that the creatures inside had to, on release inform their masters that they were completely under their control, the magical beings were also made unable to harm their own masters in any direct way. Also, the magical creatures had to first present themselves in their magical form so that whoever had freed them had the chance to see and gauge whether they could take them on as guardians. If they doubted their ability to control them or feared for their own safety, then they has the power to send them back into the box simply by rejecting them." "And that is why you thought you are talking to animals, what you saw, and still see," she said referring to the other three. " Is our true forms. She is a succubus," she said pointing at the one with the tail. "She is a weretiger, the version that existed before the great purge" she continued pointing at the tiger to Dan's right. "And I am a phoenix..." "Phoenix?" Dan interjected, confusion evident in his voice. "I thought..." "That we were simply birds that lived for a really long time, ate worms, build nests and died by burning and by fire and were reborn from the ashes?" she finished exactly as he'd been about to say. Dan turned red, now that she said it, it sounded really stupid. "Well... yeah.." Dan muttered. From the smile on her face, Dan could tell it was a question she'd answered several times and that thankfully, she wasn't offended by his ignorance. "It just so happens that, only the last part of that misconception is true. Every ten thousand years, I burn and am reborn from my ashes. the rest of it is all crap" she said smilling. "And lastly that is why we call you, master," she finished off at last. Dan remained silent for long minutes as he surveyed the four before him. He hadn't at any point gotten the impression that they were lying and yet many parts of their story didn't hold up. "And so when was the last time you were released from the box?" he chose to ask, before putting them to task on how they would explain all the gaping holes in their story. "Two thousand five hundred and twenty years ago, we stayed with our previous master for twenty years before he was killed and we returned to the box." the phoenix girl said. Dan regarded them for a while before at last saying, "Then I'd have to say that, I don't believe a word you've just said." The two weretigers and the succubus, seemed totally taken aback by this pronunciation, and looked at him both offended and angry. The phoenix girl however, showed no outward reaction as her eyes simply surveyed him with renewed interest as if the reason to his disbelief was written somewhere on his face. The shadow of a smile tipped the side of her lips. "And why, if I may ask, is that?" she finally questioned her voice calm betraying nothing but simple curiosity. "First off, all the things that you have just described are things that would fill history books, and believe me I have read through every damn history book in this town. Which I should mention is by no means a small number. And a lot more history on the net, and yet no part of all that you have just said features anywhere in them. Secondly by your account almost, if not, all of humanity had magical powers after the battle, where did they all go?" "Also, if all of this happened about fifty thousand years ago, as you say, why do you all look like my age mates? And still, did you know that the English language was born about a thousand years after you went back into the box, yet you speak it so fluently as if you've known it all your life? Next is if you really went back into the box when you say you did, then how can you so confidently compare modern day science with the magic that existed back then? " Dan rapid fired all the questions at the phoenix girl. Dan watched as the smile fully took form on her lips. She surveyed him with new found respect. "Very astute observations," she finally said approval ringing in her voice. Nothing about her body language suggesting that she had been caught in a lie. "Well, it just so coincidentally happens that you have asked them in the exact order I plan to answer them, however I fear not all answers will be short." she said. "After lord Arwain had managed to secure the boxes to ensure that no one would ever be hurt by the beings inside," she started up once again. "They had finally done it, they were free of the magical beings that had for so long tormented and terrorized them. Lord Arwain appointed the other nine that had helped him in his first attack the new lords over the nine territories and he the only one above them." The next few decades after this were peaceful, however, as time went on the allure of power and desire for more strength and control slowly started to fill the hearts of men. The lust for power ate away at the hearts of men. And so, as with the magical creatures before, the world slowly started reverting to the original system it had existed on. The system that only favoured the strong, only this time, it was the humans that were creating their own pain misery and suffering." "Lord Arwain refrained from interfering in the hopes that the other nine that had fought beside him, and that now ruled over the nine territories, would rise to restore peace and actual justice to the world. However, the nine that had fought beside him, weren't immune to the corruption that too much power could bring. They too had lost themselves in the desire for more power and the pursuit for ultimate dominance." "It is at last when the other nine started attacking him in an attempt to get his power that lord Arwain was forced to admit a fact that he had for so long tried to ignore and act blind to. That, perhaps he'd been wrong in entrusting all that power to the human race, that maybe, they just weren't ready yet for it." "As I have already told you before, Arwain was indeed a cunning man. It was he that had started the group of ten by showing them how to acquire and use magical energy. However, what he had never told any of them, was that the spell he'd created for this purpose, he had slightly modified. It was this modification that enabled lord Arwain to carry out what I came to call, the great purge." "Lord Arwain, being the smart man that he was, had not overlooked the possibility that, at some point in the war even those that were close to him may actually betray him. So he tweaked the spell such that, it made him the anchor to any magical powers that was acquired through the use of it." "In essence it created a bond between him and all those that had used it to acquire magical powers and abilities, which at the time was the whole of the human race! This bond meant that at any point he had the power to draw on all the power acquired by them that had used it. Though he had never actually had to use it during the war, there was no way of avoiding it now." "Lord Arwain was well aware of the uproar that would come from taking away the magical abilities from the humans, and that they would find other ways to reacquire it. Ways that wouldn't allow him to strip them of it, if they once again lost themselves to it. So he decided that if he was going to do this, he was going to do it once and for all!" "After preparing himself for three months, lord Arwain was ready to begin the spell. This spell however, wasn't just any other spell, lord Arwain was going to cast a spell on the whole of mankind, Not only to strip away their magical abilities, but with it, all memories that it had ever existed! The spell required a great deal of both strength and endurance. Lord Arwain however, was one man known to have a will of steel once he had set his mind on something" "So for seven days and seven nights nonstop, he re-wove the very fabric of history. He gradually stripped the whole world of magic, all which he withdrew into himself. Knowledge of its existence, how to acquire it, how to practice it, all faded from the memory of humans. He led them all to believe that the battles they all remembered and the power they had for so long had, was only stuff of fairy tales and children stories. All magical creatures that had been released at the time were sent back to the other side and all traces of magic faded completely from the world." "This power that lord Arwain had drawn from the world was too much for his own body to handle, he knew he wouldn't last long, it would soon overwhelm him and like water spilling from opened flood gates, spill back onto humanity. He had to find a safe and pure vessel in which to put away all this magic." "It just so happened that his wife was at the time nine months pregnant, and just about ready to give birth to their child. What vessel could there be safer and purer than a newborn child. So he cast another spell, this one directed the magic within him, he locked away all the magic in himself tightly, like wrapping the sun tightly in ones fist. The magic was safely out of anyone's reach, even his own." "When his wife did eventually give birth, he passed the magic on to his son. The magic was however useless to the boy, as his father had seen to it that, by locking it away, his son would never be aware of it let alone be able to use it and that the magic would never overwhelm him." "Being by no means a stupid man, lord Arwain knew that, just like the stars, the earth and even you and I, magic was just as much a part of the universe as anything else in it. He knew that eventually, magic would once again rise to try and corrupt the world. So he made it so that the magic that was in his child would be passed on through his bloodline till such a time came. When there was both, dire need for it, and the right person who had a pure heart that would not be corrupted by the power. Only then, would it would once again be released." "After the locking away of the magic in his son, lord Arwain left himself with only enough magic to cast two more spells, with it he wiped any memory of who he was from his wife and made her believe that she was in love with a farmer, he also put the same spell on the farmer, and left them believing that they were man and wife, and that his child was actually theirs." "Without magic to sustain him, lord Arwain withered and before the passing of a week, the last human link to the version of history I have just narrated to you died. So to answer both your first and second question, there is no record of the events I have just divulged to you, simply because it was erased from the memory of everyone present at the time." "And as to where all the magic disappeared to, the answer is, it"s not gone, it still is in one of lord Arwain's descendants. It is probably still residing within an individual, who has no Idea that they have the kind of power that could subdue the whole of humanity and what is now the hidden magical world if they so chose it," the phoenix girl spoke staring at him contemplatively. "But then the magical beings that Arwain locked away in the boxes, they still remember it all. You can't honestly tell me that none of them have ever told anyone of what happened ever since?" Dan stated. "Some of them don't, seeing as it's not such a good memory for them. Others however, do, and I suspect, probably have more than once, but let me ask you a question," she said regarding him with a smile "how many people do you plan to tell the story I've just told you?" she asked. It dawned on Dan that he would probably never repeat the story to any other person for as long as he lived. He smiled "Touché" he said simply. "The answer to your next question is quite simple and much shorter. When lord Arwain made the other side, he somehow made a pocket outside of time. While we still can sense the passing of time and tell how much of it has gone by while we are in there, we ourselves don't exist within it." "So while fifty thousand years have passed since lord Arwain locked us in the box, we have only existed within time for less than half a millennium. We are magical creatures, not humans. We age very differently from your kind. The passage of time has barely any effect on her," she said once again referring to the succubus. "One life time for a phoenix lasts something close to two hundred and fifty thousand years, so five hundred years are really just a moment to me." "And lastly she," the phoenix girl said this time pointing to the tiger on Dan's left. "Is the kind of were that existed before the purge," "What do you mean by saying the kind that existed before the purge?" Dan interjected. "She, unlike the weres that came after and still exist in present day, is able to acquire and use magic; casting spells, creating charms and the like," the phoenix girl explained. "She probably still has about fifteen thousand more years to her life. By all intents and purposes, she would have still been a cub, if she was still among her people." she said then paused as if waiting for another question from him. "Now the last two questions," she started up once again, when it became apparent that no more questions were forthcoming, "Are simply the ingenious works of lord Arwain. He put a spell on the magical beings, that whenever they were released from the other side. Their minds would automatically connect to that of their master to be, if that is, they were to be accepted. So that through his or her mind they might be able to understand and interpret the world as they found it and be able to serve their masters to the best of their ability..." "Wait, what?" Dan interjected his voice betraying his uncertainty. "To put it in terms that you would more easily understand, think of us as you would a Network. Your mind is like the server and ours are like other computers in the network, except that our files outdated and therefore need to be , and through the spell, are updated using the files in the server, which are the most up to date," the phoenix girl said smiling at him seemingly pleased at the analogy she'd managed to come up with. Dan was silent for a while for a while as he battled with conflicting emotions, "so you all can read my mind?" He finally asked both his expression and voice clearly showing that he wasn't comfortable with the idea of total strangers going through his mind. "Not really," the phoenix girl answered. "As I've just told you, your mind only serves to update our minds, like for example, though I understand what the internet is through your mind, I do not actually know for sure, what you did on the net. Though I would be lying if I said I can't..." her eyes dropped down to Dan's cock that had somehow managed to stay rock hard all this time. "Hazard a guess..." she said a sly smile crossing her lips. Dan could feel himself turning red at the suggestive note in her voice. "Besides," the succubus spoke up for the first time since the phoenix girl had started talking "there isn't much interesting in there to actually wanna see," she said. "Hey, I thought you said you couldn't read my mind," Dan asked alarmed, knowing perfectly well that she was talking about the fact that he was still a virgin. The succubus let out a scoff rolling her eyes. "I am a succubus, I can practically smell it off you," she said causing another rise of colour in Dan's face. "Now allow me to ask you a question," the phoenix girl started keen interest lighting in her eyes. "You have learnt that if you accept it, you are our master, and that we are practically ready to serve your every whim and desire. She is a succubus, so by nature, her very presence, is enough to cause most men to go crazy and try and fuck her brains out." she said. "I, on the other hand, have tried to subtly seduce you," it suddenly dawned on Dan that she was talking about the time she had been smoothing out the bed as she prepared to sit down. "Yet for some reason, despite all... uuh... evidence to the contrary," she said dropping another teasing glance to his dick. "You seem to be resisting us, how? And more impotantly why?" Despite the coy smile that was playing on her lips Dan could tell she was genuinely curious. "Honestly," she went on " I'd feel insulted, if not for the fact that your..." she dropped another glance to his dick which stood unashamedly hard "pheromones, are soo, thick, in the air" the way she said the word thick, sent chills through his spine that ended up making his dick give another jerk. "I... I... I'm human, I don't produce pheromones," Dan managed to stutter. "Correction, you're human, you can't smell your pheromones, we on the other hand, can" the phoenix girl said with a smile. Dan could tell that she was thoroughly enjoying putting him through all this torture. "Dan, Jim, dinner's ready," hearing her mother's voice saying something so normal, after all the things he had just spent the last few hours learning, almost felt bizarre to him. "That's my mother," Dan said rising from the bed. The call from his mother did however, provide him with an excuse to get away from them. He wanted to think all he had just learnt through with a clear head, he wouldn't be able to do that round them, all the blood in his body would be in his other less logical head. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 02 "stay here, I'll be back," he said quickly pulling his clothes on and making his way out of the room before his lust for them won out against rational thought. 'What the fuck," Dan heard Jim's voice from behind him as he locked his door, Jim's room was on the opposite side of the hall to his. "Since when do you lock your door?" The question would have seemed odd to many, but in this particular case it was actually a relevant question. Dan usually never locked the door to his room with a key. Seeing as he never had anything in his room that would interest Jim, and nothing that he hid from his mother, the most he ever did was to pull it closed. "What the fuck are you hiding in there?" Jim said trying to push Dan out of the way. For the first time in his life however, Dan turned to confront his bigger brother. Dan pushed back against him, and though he hadn't expected this effort to achieve much, Dan found himself holding his brother against the door to his own room by the collar. Fixing him with a deathly glare. Dan spoke, "Do you really wanna try your chances against me without the whole football team here to back you up?" Despite the fact that he didn't show it, even Dan himself was surprised by the low menacing tone that his voice had taken. For the first time in his life Dan saw a shadow of fear cross his brother's expression. A supremely satisfied feeling filled him, knowing that he was the one that had caused it. "Pffft" Jim let out a dismissive breath. "I'm not interested in your stupid experiments, dork," he said trying to mask all indications of fear in his voice, Dan however clearly heard the slight tremor in it. A smirk crossed his own face as he let his brother go and watched him walk away. "Yeah, that's what I thought," he said audibly. Dan was barely aware of the fact that he was spearing his food absent mindedly as million and one thoughts raced through his mind. It felt like he had reached a fork in the road, a fork that went in totally opposite directions. On one hand, he could take them up as guardians and throw his whole world in to chaos, as magic became the new science that he had to learn. However, though they hadn't said it, Dan couldn't shake the feeling that, if he was to throw himself into the world of magic he'd have to come face to face with a whole myriad of magical challenges. Man was a creature of habit, Dan wasn't naive, and so he very much doubted that others who already had magic had stopped the unending quest for more power. If he was to take this path, then he was signing up one battle after another against all those that would try to get his power. But on the other hand, Dan couldn't explain why but, the thought of turning his back on it all and choosing to continue with the normal existence he'd always known, felt like turning his back on what he without a doubt believed to be his true destiny for what seemed like bleak and felt like an empty future to look forward to. "Is it girls?" Dan snapped out of the thoughts that were crowding his mind and looked up at his mother, as she too regarded him awaiting his reply. A snigger was heard, as Jim broke into a fit of laughter, "Good one mum, as if Dan has any idea what the word means," he said between laughs. "Dan is capable of getting any girl he wants, and any girl would be lucky to be with him," his mother said sharply at his older who only laughed all the more. "Ignore him Dan," his mother said turning to him. "What's bothering you?" she asked. Dan smiled at how ironically appropriate, her question was, "Actually, it just so happens that it is about girls, well, sort of," he said. It did not escape Dan's notice that even his mother seemed surprised at his words. "It is?" The words escaped her lips, even before she had could think them through. "Yes, it actually is," Dan replied dryly. "Sorry," his mother muttered turning pink at her reaction. "I don't know what to do," Dan said deciding to ignore his mother's little mishap. "I can either decide to be with them and throw my whole life into confusion or I can turn them all down, and send them back to a miserable existence," even as he said it, Dan could tell that his mother was at a loss at his words. "Them?" was the only word that came from his mother after a bit of silence. Dan clearly heard the note of disapproval in her voice. "I didn't raise you to be a cheat Daniel," her voice had taken the low tone it always did when either he or Jim had done something she did not approve of. "They are all aware of each other," Dan quickly added, "they don't seem to be bothered by me being with the others," his mother regarded him skeptically. "You are actually that desperate?" Jim finally spoke up. "Making up stories about girls wanting you to mum, just so you can feel better about yourself?" The derisive spite in his voice was quite clear. Dan sighed. "Forget it," he said rising from the table as it became obvious that he wouldn't be getting the kind of help he needed from them. "Dan wait," his mother called to him. "Forget it mom, I'll figure it out on my own," he said quickly ascending the stairs to his room. Dan closed the door behind him as he moved into his room, the two were-tigers now lay side by side on the floor, the phoenix girl was still seated where he'd left her, the succubus however was now lying relaxed in his bed her tail slowly moving through the air. Despite the fact that he'd only just met them, Dan felt oddly comfortable being around them. It was almost as if he was right where he belonged. "Forgive me for this master," the phoenix girl began immediately, as he moved to settle beside the succubus on the bed. "But you have to decide right now, if you do not take us on as guardians for more than three hours then you have by default rejected us. We will be sent back to the other side," she said. Despite the fact that they all tried to maintain a calm exterior, Dan could feel the thick tension in the room as they all awaited his reply. "If I take you on as my guardians, then I accept a life of constantly fighting for the simple right to exist, don't I?" Dan said looking her straight in the eye. "You are already a wizard," she said nodding towards the leather bound book on his bedside drawer causing him to turn and look at it, "you are already living that life master," she told him. Despite the fact that Dan knew she wanted him to take her on as a guardian, he knew that she was genuinely telling him the truth. "But I only got that book this afternoon," Dan made the argument though he knew it was a weak one. "Can you read it?" the phoenix girl asked. "Yes, so?" Dan replied not sure why it was of such importance to everyone whether he could read the damn book or not. "Then you are a wizard, how long you have had it is meaningless. Magic resides within you and so long as it does there will be those who either seek to kill you for it or kill you, simply because you have it," she answered. Dan was silent for a while as he thought through it all, with this new information the better choice of the two became much clearer. Dan finally looked up smiling at them, "Well," he started. "If you are going to be my guardians, then I should at least know your names," he said. The tension in the room evaporated as the phoenix girl smiled at him. Dan watched the two tigers rise to their feet as they morphed back into their human forms. Dan was momentarily stunned at their beauty. Standing at only a few inches shorter than him, they both had thick golden blonde hair, light caramel brown eyes a soft featured face that seemed to be well proportioned in all aspects. Dan had to use all his will to keep from looking lower than their necks. "Actually, that is the last part of your accepting us as your guardians, you are the one to name us," the girl with a smile on her face who'd just transformed from her tiger form. "Oh... Uuh," Dan let out momentarily at a loss. "Better be quick about it," the succubus spoke up. "We've got about five minutes before we go poof" she said making a gesture of vanishing into thin air with her hands. Dan turned to the phoenix girl first. "You, remind me of fire," he said. "I think, 'Ember' suits you best," he said, taking the fact that she smiled as a sign that she liked it. Dan turned to the twins, for some reason Dan couldn't explain the first names that came to mind were, "Kirra and Karra," he said, the one to Dan's left showed no outward reaction but the one on the right's eyes glistened with tears. "They're that bad?" Dan asked his mind racing as he tried to find other names. "No, they are our birth names," she said. "They are perfect," she added smiling. Dan smiled back at her before turning to the succubus. "Athena," he said at last after a pause. "Why? Did you always want to fuck a myth?" the succubus neutrally replied not showing any aversion or particular liking to the name. "No because she was goddess of strength, wisdom and war," Dan said smiling at the fact that the succubus was trying to suppress the smile that was coming onto her face. " And you remind me of all three," he went on. "Plus she was queen of all of Olympus," he at last added, as he watched her smirk when it finally proved absolutely impossible to keep from smiling. "You're the master," she said trying to sound neutrally disinterested despite the fact that Dan could plainly see she loved the name. Dan's eyes widened as he felt what he could only describe as another presence invading his mind, his teeth grit hard as pain seared through his head. "Master... Master, wake up," with another groan. Dan opened his eyes to find both Ember and Kirra looking down at him, Dan wasn't sure how he could tell that it was Kirra now looking down at him and not Karra, but there was no doubt in his mind about who she was. "Please, all of you, call me Dan, master sounds really odd in this day and age," Dan said rising from the floor where he'd fallen to. "What the hell was that?" Dan asked climbing on to the bed once again. "Sorry master, I should have warned you, the bonding can be a bit rough," Ember said looking at him apologetically. "Bonding?" Dan asked turning to her. > "what the!?" Dan exclaimed his eyes widening as he clearly heard the words from Ember, despite the fact that her lips remained closed. > Dan heard Kirra's voice in his head. " But I heard you talking mentally just a minute ago?," Dan posed. "True, but that's only because we are here, had we not been in your presence, you wouldn't have," said Karra "How far can the link reach?" Dan asked. "Well that depends," Ember replied once again talking with her mouth. "On what?" Dan pushed. "How powerful a wizard you are?" Ember answered. The mention of wizard reminded Dan of the leather bound book. Turning to it, Dan picked it up from the drawer. Laying it on the bed, Dan opened the first page of it. Even before they expressed it, Dan felt the confusion of the others through, what he assumed, was the bond created between them, as they all looked down at it. "That's odd," Athena spoke. "what?" Dan asked looking down at the writings on the book. "All I see is a sketch of me, in my full fledged demon form," she said turning to look at the other three apart from Dan. "All I see are flames, around a bird" Ember said confusion marring her voice too. "All we both see is a weretiger in full morph," Kirra said the same confusion in her voice too. Dan's face contorted in confusion, as he looked down at the words clearly written on the page."What are you talking about?" he asked looking up at them. "All wizard books are written in what is called wizard script, which is almost like a code. Only those whom the writer intended to, will be able to read it. Which in most cases is either their descendants or their pupils if there was another wizard they were teaching at the time," Ember explained. "Normally, the link we have to your mind should have allowed us be able to read it, your mind being the translator for ours" Ember went on, explaining their confusion. "Whoever wrote this book was powerful enough to mask it even from the link that joins us," Karra added her voice neutral. "What does it say?" Athena asked. "The grand book of wizards past, wizard present, and wizards to come, the..." Dan paused, as blood drained from his face his eyes fixed on the page. Dan had been reciting the first part from memory as he'd already read it at the antique shop, his eyes were actually reading onwards from the point where he'd stopped at back at the shop. "The what?" Kirra asked the curiosity evident in her voice. Dan's head slowly rose to the rest of them, as he repeated what he'd just read, "The bloodline of lord Arwain rises once again..." ********************** Hopefully this explains to ReiDeBastos (if you finally decided to finish the first chapter, that is) and all others who were wondering about it, why I had to be so vague in the first chapter. (the only things I was vague about in the beginning of the first chapter, to the best of my knowledge, were their names and the kind of creatures they were). However if there is anything anyone still doesn't understand let me know. This chapter was mainly meant to build up plot, and give a bit of history on Dan's guardians. The real adventure begins in chapter three. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 03 A hundred and seventy four emails in the form of feedback... Wow, just wow!! However, I do find it a bit hard to reply to your emails when there is no return address. Half of you guys are trying to suggest to me how the story should progress and while I do appreciate all your input, I am afraid that I have pretty much thought out and already have a rough idea of how the whole story will progress. So please take no offense if some of your suggestions do not appear in the story. Some of your suggestions are however pretty good and are giving me ideas for other stories so please keep them coming. On a more sadder note, I will not be able to put up the next chapter of this story till somewhere in mid-august. Real life demands some of my attention as well, but hopefully by then I will have written a few chapters and have them ready to make up for lost time. I had to find out the hard way in the previous chapter that using the more than and less than signs to enclose text actually omits them in the final product displayed. Therefore, apart from my explicitly stating that the conversation is occurring mentally, in this chapter I have used single quotation marks instead of double to distinguish between mental and verbal conversation, so wherever you see single quotation marks the words are being passed on mentally. As always, thanks to all those who voted and commented on chapter two of the story and a special thanks to all those who favourited the story. Your comments, votes and feedback on the story are very much appreciated. If I am doing something wrong, please let me know so I can keep getting better at this. And also if you think I have done a good job, as always, drop a compliment or two in the comments section. DISCLAIMER ALL CHARECTERS DEPICTED WITHIN THE STORY ARE EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. Anyway, on to the story... ***** CHAPTER THREE. THE ARWAIN CHRONNICLES: THE LIST... The figure moved with deathly silence through the total darkness. The darkness hampered neither his speed nor his awareness of his surroundings. He understood darkness, it was his home, his friend. He was close, he could feel the dark aura that clouded any place his master dwelt. The castle came into view. The magnificence of it and the absolute aura of power and dominance it gave off still, after two hundred years of service to his master, managed to take his breath away. He watched as a human walked past the front of it without sparing it a second glance. He had to fight back down the spike of rage that suddenly welled up within him. How could the insignificant worm, walk by in total disregard of the absolute superiority that was before him. The thought of torturing and bringing him to a slow painful end fleeted through his mind. His jaws clenched as he forced himself to remain focused on the task at hand. There would be time to spill blood soon, very soon. With eyes filled with total and absolute hatred, he watched the human walk away till he was out of sight. The original and rightful order of things would soon be back in place, a malicious smile crept across his face at the thought. Despite the fact that he was loath to it, he stepped into the light at the entrance of the castle. Unlike him, his master and others in his following neither understood nor appreciated the darkness like he did. He felt the spell take hold of him and in so doing totally immobilize him. Even after two hundred years, the spell that guarded the entrance to his master's lair still made his stomach turn; something about the magic that had made this spell just didn't sit well with him. In spite of being unable to move a single muscle however, he was calm. The spell wouldn't harm him, he was after all, his master's loyal servant. And surely enough the spell let go of him after a while, pushing them open, he moved through the doors into the castle. The two faceless creatures stood silently guarding the doors just in case anyone got past the spell at the door. Despite the fact that they had no eyes, nose or ears to speak of, he knew that they were as much aware of his presence as he was of theirs. They never slept day and night for the last two hundred years they had stood at the door ever guarding it against any fool that would dare try and force his way into the castle. None except for his master knew what sustained them. From reputation he knew that to defeat one of them would require one who was both exceedingly powerful and skilled in magic, to defeat two of them would require a miracle! How his master had gotten the two of them into his servitude was a mystery all in his following would never solve. His master would, at this time, be in his private office at the very top of the tallest tower in the castle. He moved deftly through the hallways of the castle towards him. His master was extremely cautious of outside attack to the point of paranoia. But given the kind of world they existed in however, it was a most wise level of caution. The whole of the castle was full of magical traps of all kind in each and every last hallway. Each of which was excruciatingly painful to any of his master's followers if they fell into one, to them that didn't belong to his master's following it meant death. To those that lived in the castle, it had become second to nature moving without falling into one of them. It was only when his master added a new one that any of them got caught by them. He however had a sixth sense for them, being able to move though total darkness made this, a walk in the park, not that he ever did. His excitement was rising as he got closer and closer to his master. "Back from the dead?" He stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of the voice. He had to summon all his will power to school his features and keep the absolute loathing he felt for its owner, from showing on his face. "Viera," he spat venomously. He could keep his face from revealing any emotion, but keeping the pure hate he felt for her from his voice was a feat he was yet to achieve. "Master ordered you to watch the old man, why are you here?" She asked a smile playing on her lips. "Correct me if I am wrong Viera, but I don't answer to you," he replied his voice dripping with abhorrence. "Tell me, was it exciting?" She went on, ignoring his words. "Did you jerk off watching the old man shower?" She posed her voice syrupy sweet. The mask broke, all the hate he felt for her rose to the surface, her smile widened. He momentarily considered casting a spell on her to cause her enough pain to make death seem like a respite to her. The thought however vanished quick as it had come as he knew perfectly well that the seven thousand year old vampire would take off his head even before he'd let out the first syllable of the spell. He'd seen her do it to others much more powerful than him. "As much as I would love to engage you in this very interesting conversation," he didn't bother to try and hide the sarcasm that laced his voice. "Still the loyal puppy," all pretense of being cordial had faded from her voice. "Running to master with every little insignificant thing that crosses your mind," she had now walked up to him and now stood regarding him, her faces barely two inches from his. "Still trying to be his favourite, when I so obviously occupy that position." He wouldn't have been able to stop the snigger that escaped his lips if he had tried. "Master has no favourites," he spat. "You are deluded if you believe any different," "I would be very careful how you talk to me if I were you," her voice had gone low as her eyes narrowed dangerously. He summoned all his magic keeping it close to the surface just in case he would need it. "Bites to hear the truth, doesn't it?" he knew he should probably stop before things escalated further, but the chance to hit at her for all the shit she had put him through was too good to pass up. His fingers clenched and unclenched at the ready as he watched the crimson red colour bleed into the whites of her eyes. The distinction between her iris and her pupil vanished as both merged into one black circle. He didn't have to look to know that her nails had elongated narrowing into form razor sharp claws. "Funny you should put it in that exact manner," she whispered her fangs clearly showing. A smile had crossed her face. It was the very same smile she usually had when she was about to kill. Both his palms were glowing as he readied himself to counter any attack she made. "Thorin, Viera," at the sound of the harsh admonishing voice both of them sank down on one knee heads bowed low. "Master," they both answered in unison. The tall slim figure slowly made his way towards them, an aura of powerful magic filling the whole hallway and pressing down upon them as he moved closer. Though neither of them dared to look him in the eye, they could feel his glare trying to bore holes through the back of their down turned heads. He regarded them silently for a while letting them squirm in his presence before he finally turned to him. "Thorin, if you have come to me without news to justify why you are not watching the keeper of secrets as I instructed you, it shall be your last act," he breathed his voice barely above a whisper yet heard clearly by the both of them. "He's moved," Thorin immediately spoke up his eyes never leaving the floor. There was a moment of silence. Thorin knew from the fact that he wasn't at the moment writhing in pain on the floor meant that the news was indeed of consequence to his master. Even Viera had gone still at his words; she too knew what this meant. "A new one has come into being," his master said contemplatively more to himself than anyone else. "How long ago was this?" he asked. "Two hours have passed since master," Thorin instantly replied. "Good," was the only word that escaped his master's lips before he swept past them his steps hurried towards a destination only known to him. ********five hours later******** The two of them stood eyes closed in the dark room that was faintly illuminated by both a source-less light from the spell they'd cast and the single candle that stood in the middle of a map of the globe laid on the table. Both of their hearts were racing. Neither of them could yet fully believe what they had just seen, yet there was no denying it. It was now five hours since their master had told them that a new one had come into being and ordered them to find him. For the first two hours or so they'd hit a brick wall as the new wizard that had come into being was simply nowhere to be found. They'd used all the magic-tracking skills that they had but it was all useless. It was as if he didn't exist at all. Then, they found him. Both of them had had to pull both their minds and magic back as quickly as one would draw their hand away from a hot object that had just burned them. One more second and their minds would have been completely destroyed. 'He's powerful,' no sound had been made even as she clearly heard the words from her brother. Being dumb, her brother only talked to her mentally. 'Calling him powerful is like calling the sun a candle,' she replied unable to keep a slight tremor even from her mental voice. The image of it once again reformed in her mind. When they tracked others who had magic, they appeared as small flames on the map before them. Though they usually had their eyes closed, the spell recreates the map clearly in their minds' eye. For the first two hours they'd only seen small flames scattered all over the map but none that hadn't been there before, no new wizard. Just as they'd been about to stop, it happened. The only thing she could equate it to was the birth of a star. At one moment they'd been seeing nothing more than small flames then the next they were in the middle of an inferno as a new wizard came on to the map. 'Did you see how far his vibrations went?' the awe at what they'd just witnessed clearly palpable in her voice. For the past three hours they'd been tentatively letting out their magic trying to see if they could find the source of the magic. But it was like trying to stare directly at the sun, if they allowed that amount of magic in, it would overwhelm them and in so doing totally destroy their minds. A flame they could have easily pin-pointed the exact location. But finding this new wizard was like trying the center of an inferno! They could only skirt around the edge of it, but jumping into it in an attempt to find the source, its centre was suicide. 'Only one of us can go in,' her eyes popped open at her brother's words, abandoning the futile effort of trying to find a way to the center of the inferno. 'What are you talking about?' she replied mentally. 'Are you not seeing what I am seeing?' she asked her mental voice clearly showing she thought him crazy. Her brother's calm blue eyes silently regarded her in the same way they always did when he saw or understood something that she didn't. 'We've been going about this all wrong. Individually, we've got about as much chance of finding him as we do of freeing ourselves. So as I said, only one of us, meaning you, goes in. I will be focusing all my magic towards strengthening your shields,' he explained. 'It's our best shot.' She went silent for a while as she considered the idea. Being dumb, her brother had never been very proficient in casting spells and other areas of magic that required verbal expressions to work. This disability however, had only given him more time and drive to study learn practice and refine on his more cerebral skills in magic. He could do things with his mind that she knew perfectly well she would never be able to do. She on the other hand was not the kind of witch you wanted to cross, as her brother had refined on his mental skills she had mastered the verbal aspects of magic. Both of them were born from a powerful magical bloodline so alone they were dangerous, but together, they were near invincible. Her confidence in her brother's abilities was the only reason she was even considering the idea. Had it been anyone else proposing this, she wouldn't have spared it a second thought. 'Are you sure you can do this,' she posed mentally trying to reaffirm her confidence. 'Just don't stay too long,' his brother calmly replied in her mind. 'I can only buy you a bit of time so be as quick as you can,' he said calmly. Once again she found herself being jealous of her brother's ability to remain calm even in the face of possibly lethal danger. She was yet to see him panic for whatever reason, and not that they were short of reasons for panicking. It was his ability to remain calm that had helped her through a lot of situations that would have turned out much worse had she been on her own. 'Okay then, lets do it' she at last agreed. She raised both her open palms to her brother who also raised his to place them on top of hers. Closing her eyes at the same time as her brother she lowered the shields that protected her mind. She could feel it as her brother moved past her lowered shields and into her mind. When her brother erected the shields once again around the both of them, they were a hundred times stronger than anything she could ever make on her own. Wasting no time, she immediately started muttering the spell under her breath. Soon they both had moved back into what they had come to call the magic-force plane. On this plane all those that had magic stood like small flames on a map of the whole world. Wherever they were, if they had magic, she and her brother would eventually find them. Finding the new occupant on the map was no problem at all as the whole of the U.S. was covered in an inferno of the power he was radiating. All other flames within the area his power covered were obscured by the mere intensity of his power. They both moved to the edge of the flames. Taking a long breath and she let it out in a long slow sigh as she too tried to add to the strength of the shields protecting the both of them. 'Here we go,' she passed on mentally to her brother before diving head-long into the flames. Even with both she and her brother doing their best to hold up the shields, she could feel the intense amount of power that was now enveloping the both of them pushing hard against the shields from all sides. Moving in further into the flames, she tried to move as fast as she possibly could towards the center of it. The closer she got to the centre of it however, the harder it was to move as the magic pushed against the shields harder than ever. She came to the edge of the town from which all the power was radiating from. 'Pull out!' the urgent message from her brother reached her as she tried to move further towards the centre of all the power. 'A few more seconds,' she pleaded pushing as hard as she could forward. Even she could feel the strain the raw power around them was exerting onto the shields. 'I can't hold it any longer,' for the first time ever, she heard panic in her brother's voice. 'Two more seconds,' she returned as she moved towards the block from which the raging raw power was blazing from. Just as she was about to pinpoint which house on the block the power was originating from two things happened at the same exact moment. Their shields crumbled under the force of the magic pushing down on them, and two blazing eyes appeared before her. She'd been found. The two of them were immediately thrown to the opposite ends of the room, as before either of them could react they were ejected from the magical-force plane. With the appearance of the two flaming eyes, the inferno had suddenly vanished, and not a moment too soon. Half a second longer exposed to that kind of power was all it would have taken to turn them into nothing more than vegetables. Both of them rose to their feet from the floor, where they'd been thrown off to. Though he said nothing, she could see the strain she'd just put him through as he leant against the wall behind him for support. Her teeth gritted as she berated herself for letting her curiosity get the better of her. It hadn't all been for nothing though, gears were already turning in her head as a plan formed in her mind. Her eyes moved to the map, at least what had remained of it. It had burst into flame as they were thrown back against the walls. The table upon which it had been laid was now charred and covered in ash and candle wax. Despite the fact that she knew he was strained way beyond his limit, she felt her brother's shields immediately erected around her own reinforcing them as their master moved into the room. On her own she would have never been able to keep the fiend out. Her mind would have been as warped as that of the others in his following. "Have you found him?" he asked in the same low harsh yet clearly audible whisper that he always used. His eyes moved to where the table was. She remained calm knowing that even as he looked directly at the burnt table all he saw was the map with the candle sitting in the dead center of it. In the few seconds between her realising that they were no longer alone in the room and her master's words she'd cast an illusion spell to make it seem as if nothing had changed. "No," she replied her voice both calm and cold. "Whoever the old man went after is either yet to awaken as a wizard, or simply doesn't exist. We've been scouring the map for the past five and a half hours. He's nowhere to be found." she lied, nothing about her changing in a any way that would betray that she was. Had it not been for her brother, he would have been able to see it plainly in her mind that she was lying. Her brother however being the strongest in cerebral magic within the castle kept her mind safe from invasion by their master. Their master's two cold grey eyes surveyed her for a while, she returned the gaze with equal intensity defiance blazing in her eyes. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 03 She was perfectly aware that he was trying to break past her brother's shields into her mind to verify what she'd just told him. Though she didn't show it, she, for the first time ever worried about her brother's ability to keep her mind safe, after the strain she'd just put him through trying to keep them from being totally consumed by the power from the new wizard. At last, their master turned away as her brother's shields proved too strong for him to break through even in his current state. "The only reason either of you two draw breath is because I allow it," his voice was now a sharp hiss. "And I only allow it because your skills have so far proven useful. Outlive your usefulness and your death is assured," he spat at them. "You have two more hours," he said turning and leaving the room. 'You lied, why?' Her brother posed mentally, pushing himself off the wall his calm exterior falling back in place. How does he do that? She once again for the millionth time asked herself. She let go of the illusion spell that covered the table and looked down at the burn marks that now covered it. 'Because, whoever he is, he's the key to our freedom,' she answered eyes fixed on the table. ***************************** Dan's eyes slowly blinked open, his hands moving on auto-pilot to turn off his bedside alarm. His eyes slowly scanned his empty room. "Need to read a lot less fiction novels," he muttered to himself. "What a weird..." the word dream faded from his lips as his eyes landed on the old leather bound book on his bedside drawer. It couldn't be possible... The stubbornly rational part of him that chose to believe nothing but what could be proven once again rose to question whether all he thought had happened last night had really happened. Closing his eyes, he mentally called out, 'Ember.' His eyes opened just in time to see a ball of flames materialize from thin air. It grew increasingly larger taking a more defined feminine form till it finally turned into the very same girl he remembered from the previous night. She was still in the long flowing flame coloured robes she'd vanished in. "Yes Dan," she answered regarding him with a smile. Dan who'd risen to a sitting position fell back onto the bed. "Fuck," the word escaped his lips as the immensity of all he'd found out the previous night came down on him. "No, it wasn't a dream," Ember put in words what was going through his mind. "How did you..." "You should really be careful what you project down our bond," she answered his incomplete question. "Where are the others? Where did you all go to last night," he asked as the memory of their departure replayed in his mind. There had been a moment of stunned silence after he'd read out loud the words that had been written on the first page of the leather bound book as they all stared at him. It was as if somebody had hit a switch or something as suddenly all four of them shot up to their feet, Athena Kirra and Karra moved towards the window of his room, the twins once again taking their tiger forms once again. 'Kirra, Karra, a ten block radius, Athena, the air, I will check the tracking plane,' Ember's commanding voice was heard down the bond that linked the five of them. Pulling it open Athena was first to jump out the window head first, Dan thought he heard the flapping of wings. The twins now in their tiger forms jumped out after her Kirra first followed by Karra. Dan's head turned just in time to catch a glimpse of Ember finding her in long flowing flame coloured robes a second before she bursts into flames and vanished into thin air. A look of both annoyance and disgust crossed Ember's expression at the question. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," Dan immediately backtracked. "Quite to the contrary, it is I who owes you an apology master," Dan had noticed that she'd gone back to calling him master, but his mind was too busy trying to figure out why she thought she owed him an apology to say anything about it. "The others are still outside guarding you home. I'm sorry master, we should have created wards to mask your magic from others who would try and use it to find you the moment it became clear to us that you didn't know anything about magic and so had most probably not done it yourself," she explained moving towards the window and pulling it open. This time it was Karra who jumped though it first before being followed by Kirra. It was only now as they jumped back into his room that Dan noticed the fact that, in the split second that they were moving through the open window they morphed to their human forms before once again while still in mid-air before once again shifting back into their tiger forms once they were past it and landing on their front paws. As he now looked on at the tigers before him Dan knew they must have done the same the night before as there was no way either of the two tigers would have fit through the window. Athena was the last to re-enter the room, diving through it as she'd done the previous night, Dan watched wide eyed as what looked like... bat wings of the same wing span of about twice her own height, unwrapped themselves from around her body where they'd been tightly wrapped her body as she flew into the room and bring her to a stop in mid-air before she softly landed on the floor of his bedroom. "The sky's clear," she reported. Dan heard nothing his mind frozen as he watched the wings retract into her back. "So was the ground, except for one warlock, but he was totally fried by the time we got to him, so he doesn't really count," Karra reported her voice revealing little emotion. "A wizard and a witch working together, almost tracked you all the way to your house master," Dan could feel it through the bond he had with her that Ember was blaming herself for all that they were reporting. "What are you all talking about?" He finally asked as Ember went silent. "All humans with magic can be tracked if one is powerful and mentally disciplined enough to do it, luckily only a precious few can do this," Kirra answered as Ember moved to stand by the window her eyes scouring the outside of the house. "What are you talking about?" Dan asked not liking the idea of people he didn't know, knowing exactly where he lived. "Your magical powers are like a signal, for those with the ability, all they have to do is track it to the source, normally, most wizards and witches mask their power signatures, so finding it is almost completely impossible, except for the exceptionally skilled in tracking" Kirra went on. "We should have masked your power the moment we found out you hadn't," Ember spoke from the window. "You were exposed to anyone with the ability to track," she said. "Any number of people around the world could have found you by the time we erected the wards to mask your power signature." "I don't know whether that number is that big," Karra spoke up. "Judging by the state we found the warlock in, not a great many will be able to come close to him on the magic-force plane," she stated looking at Dan. "He was already half-dead by the time we got to him." "You practically killed him without even raising a finger," Kirra informed him a smile tipping the side of her lips. "I did what... how?" Dan queried despite the fact that he'd heard her clearly. "You killed him," Athena repeated her voice without any emotion to indicate she actually cared about what he'd done. "But... but, how I wasn't trying to kill anyone," Dan said defensively the distress in his voice clear to everyone in the room. "You didn't have to," Ember spoke up from the window. "There are many planes in the magical world, each with its own peculiar features about it. I only know of two, but it's said there are more, many more. One of these planes is what most choose to call the magic-force plane. In this plane, all magic is simply energy." "As you've been told, only a disciplined powerful few can access it and use it to find other wizards. To track a wizard on this plane however, one has to project their minds and a part of their consciousness into the plane, a very dangerous thing to do. The risk in this is that if you encounter one with a lot more magical than yourself, it has the ability to totally scramble your mind should it prove too much for your brain to handle." "If you run into a more power than you can handle, best case scenario is you manage to exit the plane immediately with a migraine that will most probably put you down for about a week or so. With the kind of power you hold, to ninety nine percent of the magical population, tracking you would be like connecting a light bulb directly into a transformer." "I went into the magical plane last night just in time to stop two others who had somehow managed to track you all the way to this particular block. I did manage however to eject them before they found where exactly you were. So while your power will protect you from a large section of the magical population, you aren't invincible. The few out there who can track you are the ones you really need to be worried about," Embers eyes had not left the window as she said this. "Why does it seem like I am the only one here concerned by the fact that if all what you are saying is true, I killed someone," Dan queried a sick feeling settling at the pit of his stomach. All four sets of eyes turned to him, yet in all of them Dan saw a complete lack of any distress over what he'd done. "What else would you have done, invited him over for coffee?" Athena's voice dripped with apathy. "You said it yourself Dan," Ember spoke up, once again reverting back to referring to him as Dan as she turned away from the window. "The life you now live is one where you will always have to fight for the simple right to live, how did you think the fights would end?" Despite the bluntness in her words, Dan could feel her concern for him. "Hate to break it to you Dan, but this won't the last time you have to kill," Karra spoke up her voice, though not apathetic as Athena's, only holding as much emotion as one talking of the day's weather. "No, no, no, I am not killing anybody," Dan said out loud though his more logical mind knew he wouldn't have a choice in the matter. "Too late," Athena interjected. "I signed up to be a wizard, not a killer," Dan said stubbornly, choosing to ignore Athena's words. "And so what will you do when others with not as good intentions as you come along. What will you do when others who won't stop at anything till they have drained every last bit of power from you come along?" Kirra asked her voice unlike Athena's and Karra's showing that she understood the conflict within him. "For some of the people that will hunt you, there is no turning back, they either hunt till they kill you or they die trying, for them only one of you can come out alive." she went on. "If you do not kill Dan, You will be killed." "A fate the world won't survive," Ember spoke up. Four confused expressions turned to her at her words. "Two conditions had to be fulfilled for the magic in lord Arwain's bloodline to be once again released," she explained looking him in the eye. "One, a pure heart that would not be corrupted by the power and two," she said then paused letting it dawn on them what she meant. "A dire need for it," Dan whispered as it dawned on him what Ember meant. "Exactly," said Ember. "I fear that if the magic lord Arwain locked away has been unlocked, then a great evil, powerful enough to require as much power as was left to you through the bloodline, has risen and is moving for the same goal as every other corrupted by magic in history did, ultimate dominance." "You can either kill a few and save many or you can die and most probably the whole of humanity will follow after you. You are quite literally the fork in the path, either to the salvation of the world or the destruction of it." Dan stood staring at Ember his mouth opening and closing but no words managing to come through. Suddenly, it felt like a thousand tons of lead had been placed on his shoulders. "We need to begin immediately," Karra said. "Begin what?" Dan posed not sure if he really wanted to hear anything more. "The list," Kirra said smiling. "What list?" Dan pushed. "The four things wizards of your power, or at least near your level of power, do," Ember corrected. "One, find or create a fort whichever you prefer, two secure the fort, three create a harem, and lastly create a following," she listed them. "Wait, wait, what do you mean create a fort, and what would I need a harem for, and what the hell is a following," Dan asked unable to make sense of the list. Dan looked at the four surprised faces that were now regarding him. "What?" he asked not seeing what had them looking at him as they were. A smile tipped the side of Ember's lips as she replied, "In fifty thousand years you are the first man to ask what they would need a harem for." "Did your mom ever tell you about the birds and the bees?" Athena asked a teasing note in her voice a smile crossing her face as Dan's went pink. "I know what a harem is for," he managed to choke out his colour rising. "I just don't see why I would need one, if what Ember says is true, sex is not really anywhere on my list of priorities," he quickly explained. "Actually, if you are going to make it out of this alive you are going to require sex, and going by your power level, whole truck loads of it." Kirra said a smile crossing her face. "Why is that?" Dan asked unable to see the link between his survival and sex. "Magic is very dynamic energy," Karra spoke up. "It can't stay dormant for too long otherwise it starts harming the very vessel within which it resides, so unless that energy keeps being expended, you start having headaches which will progress into migraines at the peak of which, you start having power leaks followed by power slips and finally full blown power bleeds," Karra explained. "Sex is simply the easiest way to burn out the excess energy, unless of course you'd rather spend hours on end casting spells for which you have no need." "What do you mean by power leaks slips and bleeds" Dan asked already not liking the sound of it. "In the power leaks stage, your small amounts of your powers are released without your wishing for it or you knowing that it has. Depending on the kind of magic you practice, this affects things around you differently, for some it simply makes the flowers around blossom faster, for others it kills all small living creatures around them." "When you move into the power slips stage, the amount of power you release without intending to increases significantly, in this stage you can tell coz things will be flying across the room, blowing up and such, the last and final stage before the magic totally shreds you is the power bleeds." "In more powerful wizards their very mood can affect the weather, if they are persistently sad then it may rain for days on end without ceasing. A number of floods have been caused by this. Their rage can cause thunder storms or even earthquakes of epic seismic proportions." "If the amount of power you possess is anything to go by, you'll probably be exhibiting the symptoms of full blown power bleeds while still in the power leaks stage." Kirra explained. "And," Athena began, the seductive undertone once again seeping into her voice. "While we intend to do... everything, in our power," Dan could feel his dick stirring as Athena walked up to him. "To keep this from happening," she said eyeing him with that predatory gaze her hands lightly against his chest as her tail tip moved from the base of his spine to the top. "Unfortunately" she said stepping away from him a sly smile on her face fully knowing the torment she was putting him through. "There are times when we won't be with you, so while we are gone away on whatever mission you will have sent us on, you will still need an outlet for your..." her eyes dropped to the tent in his pants. "Surplus energy." "And what of the other things you mentioned?" Dan asked using all of his will to tear his gaze away from Athena's body which happened to be in the same state of nudity as it had been the previous night, and look to Ember. "What did you mean by find or create and secure a fort?" he asked. "You are a hunted man, you need to stay in a place that is secured by more than a door," Ember answered. "With the kind of power you possess, your vibrations are probably at a global scale, you..." "Vibrations?" Dan interjected confused at what she meant by the term in relation to him. It was finally dawning on Dan how it felt to be slow as he found himself having to stop the others every few sentences to get them to explain what they were talking about. Ember smiled, "There is a difference between not knowing and being slow in understanding." Dan's face contorted in confusion at her words. "As I said earlier, you need to check what you send down our bond," she answered his unspoken question. "All questions you've so far asked us were sent through the bond to us before you even verbalized them." she informed him. Dan remained silent not sure that after learning he'd just become a killer there was anything more that could distress him any further. "Don't worry, like all other skills, this too can be learned," Ember said with a smile. Dan's head turned to lookup at Ember just in time to catch her hand movement as she passed it through the air before her. She'd muttered words in a language he was not familiar with. Dan watched as a two inch deep stone basin of water appeared floating before them full of water. "Magic is a force, very much like gravity," Ember began. "The larger an object is the stronger it's gravitational pull, in the very same way, the more powerful one is in terms of magical power, the more of magic he pulls towards himself." "Look very closely and tell me what you see," Ember said extending her hand out over the water. With her index finger she touched the surface of the water in the basin at the middle of it then withdrew her hand. "What did you see," Ember asked. Dan was momentarily at a loss, he'd expected her to do something magical. "Well apart from the ripples moving out from where you touched, not much else," he said sheepishly. "Look closer," Ember urged and repeated what she'd just done. "I don't know what you expect me to see but all I see are the ripples moving outwards from where you touched," Dan repeated his first answer. "Look more closely at the ripples," Ember further clarified as she touched the surface of the water a third time. Dan's eyes turned back to the ripples moving in the water. "They come back to the centre after hitting the edge of the basin," he said suddenly understanding what she meant. A smile crossed her face as she dispelled of the basin of water with a wave of her hand causing it to vanish into thin air. "Magic works very much in the same way," she said. "How strong they are and how far they move from the center is determined by how strong the magic force of the individual, the stronger they are the stronger the ripples are and the further they move from them." "Unlike ones power signature however, which can be tracked and be pinpointed to its exact location, vibrations, as they are so widely known, are more subtle. The ones being pulled by the ripples are not even aware that they are, they simply through one means or the other for whatever reason find themselves moving towards the center," Ember explained. Dan now reconsidering that there was nothing more distressing that he could hear that morning. "For the weaker ones, they may not be able to be felt from across the room, the stronger ones however may be able to cause ripples through out a whole county, state or even country, there has so far only been one case in history of one who could be felt across a whole continent." Ember went on. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 03 "If those being affected by the ripples don't know it, then how can it be known the size of the area they affect," Dan asked his logical mind once again rising to question Ember. "Because the closer to the center they get the more aware they become that they are being pulled to that given place if the pull is really strong. Vibrations are not an unknown phenomenon in the magical world. Once others in the magical world find themselves moving collectively towards a certain point, they put two and two together," Ember answered. "Your vibrations have a global span. Which, considering the fact that you hold the sum total of all the magical power that there had been in the world at the time of the purge, is not surprising. While the supernatural community starts moving from places like Europe, Africa and Asia they might not know why they are, but believe me going by the vibrations I can feel coming off you, by the time they land in the U.S. They will know," Ember said. "Which brings me back to why you need a fort, not all those who will surely eventually be on their way here will want to be best buddies. In fact in the magical community, one who is exceedingly stronger than the norm is more often than not viewed as a threat by majority rather than a friend. Of course, there will be those who will seek to ally themselves with you seeing it as more wise not to have you as an enemy, but you need to be prepared to have to combat a good number of those that will be coming this way." "When that happens then you will need somewhere secured to stay that only those loyal to you and those powerful to break through your protective barriers can get to. Also, while you and we can defend ourselves from almost all the attacks, I highly doubt your mother and brother can," Ember explained. Dan felt a block of ice settling at the pit of his stomach. It hadn't occurred to him that his family would also become a target of those coming for him. While he didn't have the best of relations with his brother, the thought of him coming to harm coz of him filled him with dread. The thought of his mother being hurt by anyone, was simply unimaginable to him. He could feel rage filling him at the very thought. He was barely aware of the fact that his hands were clenching and unclenching trembling as thoughts of what he would do to anyone who threatened his family rushed through his mind. "A following," Ember who could feel his master's rage rising, went on trying to keep him from letting his mind stay on the thought too long. "Is when other less powerful wizards, magical creatures or any other members of the magical community, ally themselves with a stronger powerful one whom they serve and in return whoever they serve offers them protection from, at least that is what it ideally is supposed to be, but like many other things this too has changed with time," Ember said. "What has changed about it?" Dan asked. "Originally, one joined a following out of their own free will. The last time we were out, this had changed, the stronger members of the magical community can force the lesser ones into their following, and it is no longer the leader of the following who protects their own but they use those in their following to protect themselves," Ember explained. "I doubt much has changed since," she added. "If that's what followings are currently all about, why would anyone want to join my following?" he posed. "Well, it's either that or they have you as an enemy," Athena spoke up in a voice that made Dan glad he wasn't his own enemy. "Not everybody who chooses not to join my following is necessarily my enemy," Dan said pushing down the tendril of fear. "You may not see it yet, but battle lines have already been drawn, and while it is not out in the open yet, it will boil down to two sides, those who stand with you, and those who are against you," Karra spoke up. Dan went silent as it all became too much, how did things get this fucked up so quickly. "I should start getting ready for school, I am already late as it is." he at last said with a sigh. "School?!" Athena spoke up her voice clearly showing she thought he'd just said something absurd. "What part of, you've got a bull's eye drawn on to your back, do you not get," despite the fact that her voice was harsh, Dan could feel through their bond that she was actually concerned for his safety. "Graduation is only two months away, I can't quit now," he replied. "I have dealt with too much shit, to just quit when I am almost through," he added. Athena looked ready to put up another argument but Ember cut her short by saying, "He's going." The finality in her tone left no room for argument on the matter. Seeing that there was nothing more about to be brought up, Dan quickly got ready for school. "Take this," Ember spoke up holding out her hand as Dan walked out of the bathroom towel wrapped around his waist. Dan looked down at the golden chain with a miniature golden bird attached to it. "Uuh... Thanks," he replied not sure why Ember felt the sudden need to give him a present. "It's not a present," Ember spoke up. Dan didn't bother asking how she knew that was what he'd been thinking. "Wear it at all times, we have wards around the house so while you are here you are undetectable, but if you walk out of the house without this, your power signature on the magic force plane goes nuclear and you become tractable once again," she said opening her palm as Dan picked it up. Pulling it on Dan thanked her as he moved to quickly get dressed, all the time acutely aware of the lust filled looks the other four were giving him. Dan had to use all the tricks in the book to keep his body from reacting to the lust that was quickly thickening within the room. 'Dead spiders, old hairy grannies, dead cats and dogs,' he kept mentally repeating the mantra using all his will to keep his eyes from straying one of the other four not sure he would be able to stop himself from taking them right them there and then. "See you later," he said quickly making his way out of the room. ***************************** Soon as Dan walked out of the room Athena turned to glare at Ember. "What do you think you are doing? He's not safe at school and you know it, why let him go?" she asked the fury in her voice barely veiled. Ember smiled unperturbed by the demon's wrath. "He's still a boy. His whole life has been thrown off balance into total confusion, what he previously believed to be true no longer holds, and what he didn't acknowledge he now has to comprehend, school is the one stable thing he still has in his life, take that away and he'll be totally unanchored," she said moving to sit before the computer in their master's room. "Let him be, when the time is right he will see the sense in no longer going." "If for whatever reason we get sent back to the other side because of this, I will rip your heart out," Athena's voice was icy. The smile on Ember's face however didn't falter, as she turned to her. "Hopefully, it won't come to that," she answered simply before turning back to the computer and typing the url for Wikipedia into the browser. Athena turned away with an angry huff, all four in the room knew perfectly well that Athena was indeed much more powerful than your average demon, but even if her powers were quadrupled they wouldn't come anywhere near those of Ember's."Well, what are you waiting for" Athena said turning to the other two in the room. "Come on, we've got work to do," she said as she conjured clothes from thin air, her connection with Dan giving her an idea of what kind of dressing was fashionable. Kirra and Karra did the same before following her out the room. ***************************** Dan sat alone at the table he'd always sat at during lunch period since he began high school. Occasionally, others had sat with him at the beginning, but after it became clear that Dan was a target for Jim, the table was avoided by others like the plague lest they too become a target. Dan had absolutely no problem with this, it was a lot less people he'd have to pretend to be listening to or like. Dan's left hand was feeding him on auto-pilot, all of Dan's concentration was on the leather bound book he was holding in his right hand. After reading the first few pages it had become clear that the book was both lord Arwain's spell book and diary. One he'd kept from the moment he'd accidentally discovered that he could use magic. Turns out that lord Arwain had been one of lady Eldrid's top most human servants, and while, from what Dan could gather from the book, lady Eldrid had been the only one among the lords and ladies to treat the humans with any kind of decent regard, he didn't trust that after they had taken out the other lords and ladies she wouldn't move against the from fear of she too being attacked. The book must have been spelled to hold a lot more content on a page than a normal book would, each page Dan had read had the same amount of information as ten pages of a normal book of the same size would. He was now going through the very first spells lord Arwain had tried. Dan heard, but paid no mind to the wave of murmurs that broke out in the cafeteria. He never concerned himself with whatever irrelevant gossips or rumors that others occupied their minds with. Whatever the murmurs were about, he would treat no different. 'Dan,' his head shot up so fast at hearing Athena's voice in his head, that he was momentarily dizzy. 'I need you to trust me and do everything as I tell you,' her voice sounded in his head. 'Can you do that for me.' Looking around himself to see if he could see the succubus anywhere around he mentally returned, 'Uuh, sure.' 'First off, stop looking so clueless and turn to the window facing the school parking lot,' it was quickly becoming clear to Dan that it was simply Athena's nature to be brash and show very little if any emotion or regard if any, for anything. Not that he should have expected any different from a demon now that he thought of it. Admittedly, part of him liked it about her. It was as Dan now looked out the window towards the parking lot that he understood what the murmurs had been all about. Pulling up into the parking lot was a sleek grey Lamborghini Veneno. In spite of himself even Dan's mouth fell open. Dan could almost feel Athena's eyes roll as she said, 'No you dummy, pick your jaw off the floor and smirk.' It was only then that Dan remembered he was supposed to be doing as Athena dictated. Quickly closing his mouth, Dan did as instructed and morphed his expression into a smug smirk. 'Now look back to your book,' Athena's voice instructed. Dan turned back to the book all his concentration was however long gone. Fighting the very strong temptation to look back out the window, Dan kept his eyes firmly fixed on the page he was on. For the next one minute Athena said nothing. The murmurs grew to about three times what it had initially been as Dan heard the doors to the cafeteria opened. 'No, don't look up,' Dan heard Athena mentally say sharply stopping him from doing what he'd just been about to do. Dan somehow, he wasn't sure how, but he could it as the lust in the room sky rocketed, no doubt it was Athena's fault as she walked in. "Do you realize that you are the only one in here who hasn't even spared me a single glance." Dan almost looked up to confirm who he was talking at the sound of the slightly offended girlish voice that was so unlike the strong defiant voice Athena usually spoke with, the same one resounding in his head. Playing by the script Athena was passing to him mentally, Dan disinterestedly flipped the page of the book in his hand and with a voice that reflected an equal amount of disinterest he answered, "Do you realize that only one person in this cafeteria gives a fuck?" Dan had to summon all his self-control to keep his expression neutral as he finally looked up at Athena when she finally granted it to him. She stood before him in a tight purple tank top, her firm D-cup, gravity-defying rack pushing hard against it as if fighting to be free of it. She had an equally tight white mini-skirt of mid-thigh length. Dan was glad she was facing forward, all of his self control wouldn't have been enough to stop him from staring at her ass in the skirt like an idiot even if he had tried. Her hair was now in a tight ponytail behind her head. It was only now that it occurred to Dan that he'd not seen Athena in her human form up until this moment. Despite not showing it as Athena directed him, he was stunned by her beauty. Standing on either side of Athena were the twins both dressed in matching green tops and black denim jeans. Dan let his eyes roam over their exquisitely feminine forms. Though not as large as Athena's their breasts were a healthy C-cup bordering on being D's. Their hips flared out from their slim waists in a way that made Dan want to groan with lust. All three girls standing before him had the perfect hourglass figure that most girls spent their whole lives trying to gain before they finally gave up without attaining it. "Miss us?" Athena asked now in a sultrily seductive voice, if it was even possible the lust in the room rose even higher at the tone of her voice. To anyone else in the cafeteria, it would look like, seeing she had not gotten the kind of reaction she'd wanted from Dan, Athena was shifting tactics and trying to seduce it out of him. "Uuh... I was with you all night last night," even Dan was surprised at his own acting abilities as his voice dripped of cocky male pride as he repeated what Athena passed to him as an answer to her question. At this point a snigger Dan that recognized as Jim's resounded in the now grave silent cafeteria. "Nice try loser," Jim spoke up walking over to the table Dan was seated at. "But I happen to know you spent the whole of last night at home in your room." he said aloud for all in the cafeteria to hear. Dan was momentarily at a loss on how to answer Jim knowing that there was no way he could actually lie about this to him. But he needn't have bothered as Athena turned and offered Jim a dismissive glance very much like the ones Dan had been receiving from the popular girls since his first year in high school. "So he's the one who was trying to get into your room last night," she said in a tone that made even Dan feel for his brother's ego. Dan watched as Jim's face turned crimson, a shocked expression marring its features as he turned to look unbelievingly at him, his mouth soundlessly opening and closing. No doubt his mind was putting two and two together and forming the exact picture Athena wanted in his brain. Dan was no longer acting as a supremely smug expression crossed his face as he answered, "Yeah, he's the one." His voice sounded like he was trying to hold back a derisive laugh which he reduced to a snort. "Anyway," Athena started up once again turning to him, her voice clearly dismissing the fact that Jim even existed. "We and couple of the other girls are getting together for a party, you should come," her voice had once again taken on a seductive undertone while still exhibiting a bit of insecurity as if she really wanted him to come but was afraid he might turn her down. "Sure, if I got nothing better to do," Dan answered as directed. "When?" he asked his voice reverting back to the disinterested tone it had held at the beginning of the conversation. "Actually, it's just about to begin, the other girls should be arriving at my house any time now," Dan had to give Athena credit for her acting skills too as her voice displayed relief at his answer without being too obvious about it. Dan wordlessly closed the leather bound book placing it before him and held out his hand to Athena as per the script he was mentally receiving. "What?" Athena finally asked after a pause feigned confusion in her voice. "The keys," Dan replied prompting her to be quick about it with his hand. "What!" Athena replied clutching the keys to the Lamborghini possessively. "But I just got the car today," she replied her voice whiny in girlish sort of way. "Fine then," Dan answered simply turning back to the book before him and pulling it open. "You can text me how the party went later" he said his voice dismissive. There was a short pause in which Athena pulled off a look of being conflicted. "Give him the damn keys," Kirra's voice was heard for the first time, she too sounding like she didn't want Dan not to go to the party. "Fine," Athena's voice was heard as she grudgingly handed the keys over to Dan. Dan put the book back in his back pack, and without asking gave the back pack over to Karra to carry it for him. "Let's go then," he said getting up from the table. For the first time since Athena walked into the cafeteria, Dan turned to survey the others in the cafeteria. In the eyes of all the other guys in the cafeteria was pure and unbridled lust as even those who were seated with their girlfriends had their gazes fixed on the three girls before him. Even the girls had their gazes fixed on them, their stares full of jealousy and in spite of themselves also laced thickly with lust too. "Sluts." Dan had started walking out of the cafeteria with the girls walking ahead of him, when Heather's not so quiet voice was heard. Dan's heart rate changed as Athena paused mid-stride. When she turned towards Heather, the insecure persona was gone. The gaze she fixed Heather could have melted steel. Athena walked over to the table where Heather sat, Heather shrank back as Athena placed her hands on the table. "You got something to say Sasquatch?" She asked in a menacingly low voice as she leaned forward towards Heather. Dan watched confused as Heather's eyes went wide her face turning completely pink as she suddenly became very uncomfortable. "No," she finally muttered in a small voice shrinking even further under Athena's glare. Dan's heart beat even faster as she noticed the look in the eyes of the girl seated next to Heather. Unlike Heather and the other girls seated at the table, her expression showed absolutely no fear instead in her eyes Dan could only see a single minded focus as she fixed Athena and the twins a glare that screamed murder. It was Claire, Heather's best friend. Dan watched a smile slowly crossed Athena's expression as she turned to face her. "See you soon," she said, to Dan's further confusion. Athena turned to him and said loudly, "I see what you meant when you said that none of them are worth the bother." Knowing perfectly well that it was neither the place nor the time to ask what that had been all about, Dan turned and walked out of the cafeteria the girls following behind him. It was as Dan got closer that he realised that there wasn't just one but actually two Lamborghinis in the parking lot, one was parked behind the other which explained why he'd not seen it from the cafeteria. As Dan got behind the wheel he turned to Athena who'd gotten into the passenger side of the car while the twins got into the other car. "Okay, which banks did you rob to get these cars?" he asked. "I didn't have to," Athena replied the air of smug confidence back. "Men find me to be... Pretty convincing," she added a sly smile crossing her face. Dan for a moment felt sorry for the poor sap that had been victim to the succubus's powers of seduction, but that was forgotten soon as he turned the key in the ignition and felt the engine come to life. He probably had enough money to buy others, Dan justified to himself as the car shot out of the parking lot. "So what was that all about back there," Dan asked once they were on open road driving very fast towards nowhere in particular. "Well, we couldn't wait for a thousand years for you to finally get up the courage to approach a girl," Athena replied dryly. "So I decided to tweak the odds a bit in your favour, Harems don't make themselves you know." she added. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 03 Dan simply smiled turning back to the road ahead, not in the least offended by the demon seated beside him. "And exactly how do you hope to achieve that, when you've just announced to the whole school that I apparently said that I thought that none of them was worth the bother?" he asked. "You have a lot to learn about women," Athena said simply. "Take it from a succubus, the only thing worse for a woman than to be seen as simply a sexual object for a man's desire, is not to be seen as one." "I don't follow," Dan said confused at her words. "While many women hate the fact that most men see them only as sexual objects, believe me, it is nothing compared to how much they would hate it if that desire was not there. My saying that you thought none of them were worth the bother, makes it so that you are no longer the one going after them but them that come after you," Athena explained. Despite the fact that he could follow her line of logic, Dan highly doubted that any chick would be coming after him. Barring, of course, the ones in the magical community that would be coming after him to kill him, he thought with a wry smile. "Why did Heather react as she did when you called her a Sasquatch," still not seeing why the insult had had such a profound effect on her. "I have the innate ability to see a person's insecurities. Heather, as you call her, has way more body hair than she is comfortable with," Athena answered simply. "Heather?" Dan asked not believing that "perfect heather" could have any insecurities. "So what are my insecurities," Dan asked out of curiosity. Athena let out a scoff and laughed before wordlessly turning back to the road ahead. "I'll do you a favour and save you the shame," she answered. ***************************** 'I thought the last of the hunters were killed when we were last out from the other side.' Athena heard Karra's mental voice in her head. A chilling smile slowly crossed her expression as she mentally returned, 'Seems they weren't, we'll just have to rectify that little problem.' ***************************** "Turn here," Dan heard Athena's after a few minutes of silence passed between them. Turning the steering wheel in the indicated direction, Dan asked, "Where are we headed?" "To your fort," Athena answered not revealing any further information. Dan drove following Athena's directions. A confused expression etched itself onto Dan's face as he finally came to a stop before a dilapidated house at Athena's instruction. It stood on the edge of town nearer to the woods. Its walls were cracked parts of the roof missing and the rest looking ready to collapse at any moment. The other Lamborghini pulled up beside them as both Dan and Athena got out of theirs. "Uuh.. Not to sound ungrateful or anything," Dan started as the twins got out of the car and came to stand on one side of Dan as Athena stood on his other side. "But I really don't see this house keeping the kind of enemies you guys were talking about out," he said. There was a moment of silence as the other three stood looking at the house before Athena finally said, a smile crossing her face as she walked forward towards the house, "Oh I think this will do just fine." Seeing the twins walk after Athena Dan did so as well. The shock Dan had felt at seeing the Lamborghini pull up into the parking lot was now a pale shadow of what he currently felt. Soon as he crossed its threshold into the unkempt looking front lawn of the house his jaw dropped open as his eyes looked up at the castle that stood in a compound that was probably the size of twenty or so soccer fields surrounded by a stone wall about fifty metres high. They were now standing before an iron gate which was about the same height as the wall. Dan's head leaned backwards as his eyes traced the height of the castle till to its peak which was at about the same height as the hundredth floor of a multiple story building would be. Dan turned to look at the smiling faces of his guardians, "H...How," he managed to stammer still not believing it. "There were two options to pick from with the first item on the list, either find a fort," Karra replied then paused and turned to face the castle. "Or create one," she finished off. "At the moment only an illusion spell is guarding it," Kirra said. "But you are the one who should put up the security spells." Dan once again turned too look up at the enormous castle and the compound around. "This is over half the size of the town. I get the illusion spell would keep others from seeing it, but how can all this," Dan said spreading with his hands to indicate the castle and the compound around it. "How can all this be here in the space of just one house, and not a very large one at that?" he asked as his mind continued to try and wrap itself around what he was seeing. "This is magic Dan, not physics," Athena answered without bothering to turn to him as her eyes remained fixed on the castle. "An infinite number of worlds can exist between one inch and the next, you just need to know what spells to play with,`" she said. Dan thought he heard a haunted note in her voice, as if something about what she'd just said reminded her of a memory she would much rather have forgotten. "What is it?" Dan asked. "What?" Athena returned turning to him a plain mask that revealed no emotion having settled on her face. Dan already knew that short of ordering her to tell him what to tell him what it was that bothered her, she wouldn't tell him of her own free will. Dan smiled at her before turning away and saying, "Forget it." For some reason despite the fact that they had made it clear that they were completely under his control to do as he asked of them no matter what that was, in the short span of time he'd known them the connection he felt with the ran deeper than a simple master-slave bond. For the first time in his life, Dan understood what it felt like to have friends. Asking her to reveal what she so clearly didn't want to just didn't sit right with him. "So why can't you guys put any security spells on it? I am a fast learner, but it may be a while before I am proficient enough to set up strong enough spells, from what little I have read of lord Arwain's spell book, magic is set up on a whole world of different principles from the science I know." he said changing the subject. "Actually, we can set up some spells to protect it but we are not as strong as you. The strongest in a following is always the one to set the spells that protect the fort," Karra explained. "We may set up the spells but the number of those out there stronger than us is a lot larger than those stronger than you." "Then set them up to protect it temporarily until I am adequately able to put up stronger spells," he said. ***************************** Her jaws clenched soon as she got the feeling. Once again she found herself wishing it was wrong despite the fact that she knew perfectly well it never was, never had been. A murmur had erupted in the cafeteria as everyone turned to look out the window that faced the parking lot. Her hands reached for her back pack pulling it onto her lap below the table they were now seated at. The overwhelming hate and urge to kill surged up inside of her soon as she saw them step out of the cars. Muttering a spell beneath her breath she switched her sight to the other one that revealed the true form of what she saw no matter what disguise it was hidden behind. Her jaws clenched tighter, even without an actual combat encounter with them, she could already tell they were all pretty strong. A succubus and two weretigers, it wouldn't be easy, but then again, it never was. Being well practiced in the art of pretense, she didn't even to spare it any conscious thought to feign shock as the rest around her. On the inside however, she was frowning. If they were coming to wreck havoc in the school they wouldn't have made their entrance so obvious, and two weretigers would most definitely not have paired themselves with a demon. Weres were a proud race, they would quicker walk to their own deaths rather than work with other races much less a demon. Their being there at the same time without trying to tear each other to pieces could only mean one thing, there was either a wizard or witch in school. But that was impossible she would have sensed them long ago! She could feel the lust in the room her own included rising as the three walked into the cafeteria, no doubt the succubus was responsible for this. It was however different with her, while her body was indeed turned on mentally she wasn't in the least bit affected. Unlike the rest in the cafeteria, she had been trained from since before she'd even comprehended what conscious thought was, in the art of mental discipline and keeping it from being infiltrated by outside elements. She couldn't stop her body from reacting to the succubus' power but mentally, she was no more affected by the succubus than she would be by a piece of rock. Her father being the leader of all hunters in the state, had made sure she turned out every bit like the son he'd always wanted but never had. He'd not been above brutality in making sure she'd learnt absolutely everything it entailed to be a hunter. Her face frowned slightly as she watched the trio walk over to the one person she would have least suspected to be their leader, Daniel. Dan, as he was better known as, had been a secret crush of her's back when she'd been in their first year of high school but with passing time it became increasingly clear that he preferred the company of his books to that of those around him. She'd had a few classes in common with him over the course of the four years, but she highly doubted that beyond knowing she was best friend to Heather the most popular chick in school, he'd ever spared her existence a second thought. However, given the kind of life she lived, this was probably a good thing, more so now that he'd just become another name on the list of those she'd have to kill. She looked on at the act they were putting up for the whole school. She almost laughed at how the ridiculous the whole thing was, a succubus acting like it was anything short of a deadly predator. She did however have to give them credit, they were putting up a good act, but not good enough to fool her. A plan was already forming in her head on how to go about taking them out. And despite the fact that she was loathed the thought, the plan would have to involve Jim. "Sluts." She almost kicked Heather as she watched the succubus come to a stop mid-stride. The facade of being an innocent insecure teen had totally vanished from its features when it turned to face Heather. Though there was no movement on the part of her body visible above the table, her hands reached into her backpack and circled a firm grip around the handles of the two blades inside. The closer the succubus got the harder it was to push down the pure and venomous hate she felt towards her and the other four who now stood watching it. Had she been any less disciplined, she would have given in to the urge and tried to kill them and there. "You've got something to say sasquatch?" Being the only person Heather had ever told about her body hair issue, she understood why her best friend was turning red and suddenly very uncomfortable. Serves her right for calling the succubus' attention to them, she thought harshly. The succubus turned and locked gazes with her, "See you soon." There was absolutely no fear in its voice, no caution, only undaunted confidence. Though she maintained the look of absolute hatred on the outside, She was smiling on the inside. The only way one of them would ever come this close to her without showing any signs of fear or caution is if they absolutely didn't know who she was or had been trapped on the other side for more than two thousand years. From its words it obviously wasn't the first case. The smile fully formed on her face as she watched them walk away, one of the very first lessons she'd ever learnt coming back to her, an enemy who underestimates you is an enemy you have an advantage over. Soon as they were out of sight Heather rose to her feet and walked out of the cafeteria, no doubt she'd be spending the next thirty minutes to one hour in front of a bathroom mirror. Normally, she would have gone after her to try and reassure her but right now she had other things on her mind, like the death of a succubus, two weretigers and a wizard. "Jim," her voice taking on a slightly seductive undertone as she talked to the biggest ass in school, in her opinion, made her want to puke. "What?" She had to fight from letting a smile come onto her face at his foul mood. Probably still picking up the pieces of his ego from the ground. Of the things she'd resigned herself to never understanding, Jim was one. He was an egocentric, self absorbed prick who thought he was the universe's gift to mankind. What other girls saw in him was simply beyond her. The only thing she hated more than the fact that the absolute ass actually believed that any chick he hadn't fucked yet was still a virgin was that in her case it was actually true, she was still a virgin. Once, he'd hit on her at a party back in their freshman year, he'd been passable at the very least in the looks department but barely five lines into the conversations he turns and asks her whether she wants to ditch the party and find a private place they could get to know each other better in, his tone of voice leaving no doubt what getting to know each other better would entail. "I was wondering if we could hang out after school, you know, like, at your place or something," she watched his foul expression go from that to slightly confused to slightly pleased to its more usual form, smug smirk. He was probably thinking he'd finally manage to get in her pants after four years of failed attempts, it took a good measure of her restraint to keep from rolling her eyes. All he was, was a means to an end. ***************************** Dan walked through the front door of to the house he'd for the past eighteen years considered home, this was probably going to change real soon. Athena changed back into her demon form soon as they were past the door the twins however remained as they were. "So what have you been up to all day?" Dan asked as he pushed the door to his room open to find Athena seated at his computer. "Trying to read through the whole internet," they all heard Athena not so quietly mutter. "It would do you good too to try and gain more knowledge yourself" Ember said turning to the rest of them. "Why, when I can simply ask you all I need to know?" Athena returned as she laid herself beside on Dan's bed. From the way Ember sighed choosing not to pursue the subject, Dan could tell this wasn't the first time they were holding this conversation. Instead Ember turned to him "Phoenixes are the keepers of all knowledge, we spend our lifetimes gathering knowledge in history, science, art, magic and every imaginable field which is then passed on to the next in our line, I've simply been catching up," She explained. Dan suddenly understood the feeling he'd gotten the first time he'd looked into her eyes. "So you've been gathering all knowledge since lord Arwain's period?" Dan asked unable to help the bit of awe present in his voice. "Actually, about a hundred and fifty thousand years before that, is a more accurate figure," Ember corrected. "Though I can't really say I've collected as much knowledge as I should have in the past fifty thousand years," Dan could tell it made her sad not to have been able to collect all the information she would have otherwise had, if she hadn't been on the other side. "A few months from now would have been my peak burn," she said to no one in particular clearly lost in thought. "Peak burn?" Dan asked, "Yes, as I said before, A lifetime for a phoenix is two hundred and fifty thousand years. However, we don't burn twenty five times as burning every ten thousand years would suggest. We only burn twenty times, the last burning is called the peak burn. With every successive burning a phoenix grows stronger until they attain the full measure of their powers. The final burning is the worst of all and hardest to get past," "Worst?" Dan once again found himself interjecting. "Of the few things we phoenixes dread, burnings are among the most feared," Dan's face contorted in confusion at her words, "But I thought..." "That burning was a painless affair, that I would simply just disintegrate into the ashes from which I would be reborn," Ember once again finished off his exact words as he would have said them. Dan went red. "I sincerely wish it were that easy," she said smiling. "The actual burning is a much more complex and painful process. Every ten thousand years for three continuous days I slowly burn to death from the inside out, a slow and excruciatingly painful process, most phoenixes don't live through their fifth burning. As of fifty thousand years ago, I'd lived through my fifteenth," though there was no pride in her voice, the slight smile she had across her face made it clear that she was well aware it was an achievement. "I do not much appreciate lord Arwain trapping us on the other side however I do have to say, I do not miss the burnings through which I would have had to go otherwise," she went on to say. Dan jerked, his back straightening as if he'd just been electrocuted except that to him it felt more like he'd bumped into something solid yet insubstantial. Dan turned studying the rest around him, ember looked a bit confused, both Kirra and Karra had perked up as if it was something they both knew was eventually coming. A smile was creeping onto Athena's face that for some reason, inspired more fear than joy. "We have a house guest," she said rising from the bed her eyes gleaming with anticipation as her wings spread out behind her. ***************************** "Don't worry, only my dorkaloid brother will be home right now," Jim spoke up closing the front door to the house. Claire could feel a headache coming on. How was it possible for one person to be able to talk so continually about himself without ceasing? "Let's go up to your room," she quickly suggested before he started talking again, all this would be a lot easier with him out of the way. "Eager huh?" Jim asked a smirk on his face. I'd rather scratch my own eyes out, Claire thought to herself. She had changed her clothes, she wasn't in the cheerleading outfit she'd been in earlier, she was now wearing a pair of tight but flexible pants and a similar top, both were black. Her backpack was hanging off her left shoulder with everything she would need. She'd felt the wards set up around the house, soon as she'd stepped through them, the element of surprise was already gone... Good thing she didn't need it. Jim was barely past the door to his room before she cast the sleep spell to knock him out. His sleeping form hit the floor with a thud. Quickly pulling her backpack open, she pulled out the twin broadswords and strapped them onto her torso so that they formed an X across her back. She pulled out the small blades and fitted them into various points in her gear, pulling out the four knives, she fit two into the sheaths built into her boots and the other two into the sheaths of her belt. Rising to her feet, she spread her magic out slightly just enough to ensure that there were four people in the room. All four of them were still in what she was assuming was Dan's room. The fact that none of them had made any move against her despite the fact they knew she was there, had her a bit worried about what they were planning but there was no time for second guessing herself. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 03 Turning to the door to the room opposite room to the one she was in, she walked forward. A quick spell knocked the door off its hinges throwing it into the room. Pulling the blades from her belt, she stepped into the room... ***************************** Funny enough, only one person has so far asked me how Ember, Athena, Kirra and Karra can be three guardians! To whoever that was, you will find out in the next chapter... Well, see you guys in August. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 04 Wow, is it just me or was that the longest July ever!! I have missed hearing from you guys immensely. As promised here is chapter four (before mid-august...) however before I get into the story I'd like to point out a two things. First up is that, I'd like to thank all of those among you who've been encouraging and complementing me on the story even while I was away... thank you, you guys rock. Lastly, I'd like to ask all my readers to please leave me their thoughts on the story, it doesn't matter whether you encounter the story a day, week, month, year or even a decade after it was posted. I am still very keen and interested to hear what your thoughts are on it, so please drop a line or two at the end. (it really sucks when a story has ten thousand plus views and only twenty bothered to leave a comment... :-( A big thank you to Amour_propre for her help in editing this chapter. Much love to you dear. DISCLAIMER ALL CHARECTERS DEPICTED WITHIN THE STORY ARE EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. I've always wanted to add "MUCH, MUCH OLDER" to the disclaimer, but I didn't want my readers to think it was about old people, but if you have followed the series so far then you get the meaning... :-) Anyway, on to the story... ***** THE ARWAIN CHRONICLES: A BROKEN MIND... She sat silently at the bar lost in thought. She was by all indications of appearance, no older than eighteen years. The index finger to her right hand moved idly round the rim of the glass with her drink. Once again she found herself drowning in the feeling of an empty existence. Trapped in the feeling that she wasn't really living just simply existing, the irony of this feeling wasn't lost on her, considering she had been dead for the past six thousand years. Her head turned upwards as her eyes focused on her reflection in one of the bottles behind the bar. She studied the young girl looking back at her. Long thick curly locks of golden blonde hair that fell gracefully down her shoulders and over her ample bust, like curtains that were pulled back only to reveal the bottomless chasm that was her cleavage. A pair of startlingly Deep Ocean blue eyes that were forever keen of all that was around her. A nose that was only a bit longer than she liked but had received more compliments than she actually believed. A pair of naturally pouty rose pink lips that she could at choice, transform into one of the most breathtaking of smiles most had ever seen, she'd however had very little reason to smile for the past two thousand years. Everything about her, she once again noted for what was probably the thousandth time, hid the monster that lurked beneath the beautifully calm surface, but was never too far from it. Her mind once again began crawling back down the dark murky hole that was the memory of her past and all the events in her life that had brought her to the present she now found herself in. Her teeth gritted hard in self-disgust, no matter how many times she'd promised herself she wouldn't come back to this part of her mind, she always found herself back here. Her mother had died from a complicated child birth as she brought forth her younger sister. Her father didn't last long after that as he tried to drown his sorrows with every alcoholic drink he could find, less than a month later he poisoned himself as the pain of existence finally became too unbearable. The death of her father left both she and her younger sister in the care of their swine of an uncle, who couldn't have cared any less for them if his life had depended on it. To this day, she still wondered whether they would have been better off living in the streets. Being the only one who actually cared for the life of her younger sister, she'd been forced to find a mother who was nursing at the time and beg her to feed her sister too. She would then work herself to the bone to pay her for this service, short of which, her sister would starve to death. All the while their tyrant of an uncle expected all chores in the house done without fail. To him, they should have been kissing the very ground he walked upon for letting them share a roof with him. She couldn't, neither had she ever bothered to try to count how many sleepless nights she had spent trying to keep both she and her sister from starving to death, to her each and every last one of them had been worth it if only she got to look down at the smiling face of her younger sister as she laughed at the faces she made at her. Life had been pretty much the same for years to come, that is, until she turned fourteen and hit puberty, then, a miserable life turned to hell. She'd been a late bloomer, not that she had even noticed or cared about this. Despite what men (most especially her uncle,) believed about women at the time, she did have a sharp mind, it did not take her long to notice that the way men looked at her had changed, it made her skin crawl. Despite the fact that she'd had no one to explain to her what was going on, (the subject was taboo to be spoken openly at the time) it didn't take her long to figure out what was happening to her. She'd have to have been dumber than a rock not to figure it out after cleaning the town's brothels more times than she could count. She had refrained from accepting any jobs from the men no matter how well they had promised to pay her, however restricting herself to accepting jobs from the women had proved to be an option that in someways was just as bad. Despite the fact that she was a bit gaunt from the kind of life she led, her transformation into womanhood had made her the object of envy from all women regardless of age. Her body had filled out perfectly as it grew all the right curves in all the right places. Her breasts started pushing hard against her small blouses which resulted in an unintended display of her ample cleavage, despite the fact that her waist maintained its slim form, her hips flared out in a most dramatic way as all of the few calories she managed to get into herself seemed to settle in her ass. Being naturally tall and graceful, she achieved a level of femininity that the women around her knew they would never match. She had tried to save a bit of money from what she earned to buy larger clothes to cover herself up better with, however, this proved to be an effort in futility as far as reducing the amount of attention she attracted to herself. Her face wasn't left far behind as that too turned into something that made men bump into others and walk into walls, as their gazes remained the hopeless captives of her beauty. All her feminine beauty however worked against her as she found herself now doing twice the amount of work she usually did for half the amount of pay she usually received. The jealousy that was ubiquitous among all the women around her pushed them to make her life as hard and as miserable as they possibly could. For her sister however, she was willing to endure this and much more, to give her the kind of life that would only ever be a fairy tale to her. The bit of her newly gained femininity that she most loathed, however, was the looks it drew from her own uncle. The very gleam in his eyes betrayed the thoughts that were running through his mind. For the next three years, she silently endured his lecherous stares that he didn't even have the decency to try and hide. About three months after her seventeenth birthday he made his first open pass at her. She had however in no uncertain terms turned him down and made it clear she would never allow anything of the kind ever to happen between them; this didn't stop him from making more attempts in future. However with successive failures he became more forceful and violent, the beatings didn't take long after that, every small mistake she made earned her a beating that far exceeded the transgression. Some nights she couldn't sleep no matter how tired she was from all the painful wounds, bruises and welts that had been inflicted upon her. At these times she would sit beside the sleeping form of her sister stroking her hair and single mindedly focusing on nothing else but her, drawing strength from the fact that all the pain she was in meant that her sister wouldn't have to endure the same. She could still remember the day she saw her. Only a week from her eighteenth birthday, she had been coming back from cleaning the brothels again, when she saw her. She had never in any way been vain about her beauty, but this was the only woman she'd ever seen whose beauty she was envious of. It wasn't her beauty alone that had her enamoured, it was also the pure power and confidence with which the woman carried herself. Unlike the women around her who walked heads bowed shoulders drooped lest they attract the wrath of men around, the woman walked shoulders straight and head held high with absolutely no regard or fear of what men around her would think. Despite the fact that she had never concerned herself with the business of others, when she saw the man walking beside the woman, she hadn't been able to stop herself from doing what she set out to do afterwards. It was Sir Rothwade, a man who was well known for forcing himself on all the women that were unlucky enough to come into contact with him, but had too much money for anyone to do anything to him. The thought that someone as strong and as beautiful as her being defiled by anyone was simply unacceptable to her. She followed the two of them around for a while waiting for the right moment. The lady parted ways with Sir Rothwade after hours of walking around from shop to shop with him; this was the moment she'd been waiting for. She hurried up after her, but soon as the lady made one corner ahead of her, she vanished. She had felt both like an idiot and a failure as she ran around the streets trying to find her. With a miserable defeated sigh, she finally gave up the futile hour long search for her and turned down a lone alley deciding to head back home. She'd barely made it half way through the alley when she felt two strong hands grab hold of her and quicker than she could even react pin her against one of the walls in the alley. "You've been following me, why?" a dangerously low voice questioned her. It was only after her eyes regained focus that she realized it was the woman she'd been following. She couldn't have kept the smile that crossed her face at the sight of her, if she had tried. "I wanted to warn you," she said breathlessly. "Sir Rothwade is not a good man, you are not safe with him, he will hurt you. You need to get as far away from him as you can, as fast as you can," the deadly expression on the woman's face as she regarded her slowly leeched down to one of suspicion before it fully turned into a smile. "What's your name?" she finally asked after a moment of silence. "Ailin" she'd answered. "You don't know me Ailin, why would you be concerned for my safety?" the lady asked. At this point she'd gone pink as she realized that she couldn't give her a truthful answer lest the woman's smiling expression turn into one of disgust. "I, I... Uuh... Well... I," she'd stammered trying to find the right answer to her question. She'd watched confused, as a smile slowly crossed the woman's expression "You are infatuated by me," she said. She was taken aback by the woman's straight-forwardness even as she turned a deeper shade of pink at the truth of her words. Curiously, she saw no disgust on the woman'sface, only an amused smile that made her look all the more beautiful. It was only when the woman let her go that she realized that her feet hadn't been touching the ground while she'd been in the woman's grip. "Don't be ashamed Ailin, your attraction to me is nothing to be afraid or ashamed of," the woman said straightening out where Ailin's blouse had folded up from the woman's grip. She'd been unable to say anything in reply to this amazing woman, so she smiled nervously at her. "And don't worry about Sir Rothwade, I haven't lived this long by not knowing how to take care of myself," the woman had said enigmatically, when it became clear that Ailin wasn't about to say anything. Despite the fact that she'd hated to do it, she'd turned away from the lady ready to go home, what she had set out to do was done; she had no more business with the woman. After taking a few steps she turned back "What's your..." the word 'name' faded from her lips as she found herself on her own in the alley, once again the woman had vanished. It was at this moment when she was once again alone, that she realized how much time she'd spent in her pursuit of the woman, the sun was already setting in the west. Cold and unrelenting fear coiled a hard grip around her heart at the thought of what kind of wrath she would face once her uncle came home to find that none of the chores had been done. She moved as fast as her feet could carry her, hoping against all hope that her uncle had not yet come home and that she could get a few things done before he finally did. Part of her however, wasn't at all surprised when she walked into the house to find her uncle seated in the living room of the house his expression livid his eyes fixed on the door probably waiting for her. Life had for as long as she could remember, repeatedly proven to her that it was against her, this was just another of its many demonstrations. "Would you care to explain why the house looks like a pig sty, why no food has been prepared and most of all where you have been the whole fucking day?" the rage in his voice was clear as his voice rose with each question. Ailin had looked around at the house; it wasn't at all dirty or messy in any way. He was just creating reasons and excuses; she knew what was coming next. Her face had solidified into the plain emotionless mask that it always morphed into when she knew he was about to strike her, she might have been weak yes, but she would sooner die than give him the pleasure of seeing her cower before him. "At the brothels..." she started up. "I knew it, you whore," he bellowed, spit flying through his lips. She fell to the ground, one hand reaching out to break her fall as the other held the cheek that was quickly turning red and swelling, where her uncle's fist had just connected with her. "I was cleaning," She shouted at him despite the fact that she knew she would have easier gotten a boulder to dance than him to listen to a word she said once he got in this state. "Lies!" he shouted. All she could do was curl herself into a ball in an attempt to make herself as small as she possibly could trying to separate her conscious mind from the onslaught of blows that were landing on her body. Hate and loathing of the purest nature once again filled her as bursts of pain registered in her brain from different points on her body. She hated the man standing above her now, she most of all hated her own weakness, she hated that she was now shouting and writhing in pain begging him to stop, that she couldn't stand up to him or stop him from putting her through this. Her mind retreated to the dark place it always did as she finally went silent and let the brute above her go on till he tired out. In her mind, she pictured all the ways she could kill the man above her, if she had the power. As she lay on the ground shaking, her mind only vaguely registered the crash that resounded in the living room. It was a few more minutes before her mind registered that she was no longer being assaulted. Teeth gritted hard as she tried to ignore the pain as she'd slowly picked herself off the floor. "Stand there and do not move." She heard a familiar voice say. She slowly turned towards the source of the voice just in time to find her uncle being held against the wall by... a woman. In any different frame of mind, she was sure she would have reacted very differently. But at that moment, even as she looked into the crimson red eyes that at the moment were holding her uncle's gaze helplessly captive, she felt nothing. It was only as the woman turned to her that she noticed that at the center of her eyes were black circles where her irises and pupils should have been. In the state she was in, fear was something beyond the scope of her mind's ability to comprehend. She watched as the woman turned to her, the red fading from her eyes as the black circle at the center once again differentiating into a hazel iris with the pupil at the center. It was only now that she recognized it was the woman she'd followed earlier on. "Are you okay?" the woman had heard her ask. "H... how did you get here?" she'd feebly countered not answering the first question directed at her. "I heard you scream," the woman had answered her eyes slowly assessing her. "And you just came to help me? Why?" later on looking back at the incident, she'd realized the question had been a rude one. But then she'd never been helped by anyone in her whole life, she had come to learn that in life, only you cared about yourself, everyone else just simply couldn't be bothered. Could she really have been blamed for being suspicious? "You saw me with sir Rothwade and simply decided to follow a total stranger around to warn them of her company, why?" the lady had returned calmly regarding her. "What have you done to him?" she'd shifted the topic without preamble. The woman turned to look at her uncle for a moment before turning back to Ailin. She could already tell from her expression that a decision had been made in her mind. "I am controlling him," She answered simply. "How?" she asked no doubt in her mind that the woman before her was telling the truth as she looked on at her uncle who'd not moved an inch since he'd been commanded not to. His both panicked and confused expression showing that he was still trying to wrap his mind around why he could not move. "Are you really sure you want to know that?" the woman before her asked eyeing her critically. "Yes," there was no hesitation whatsoever in her voice, her unwavering gaze fixed on the woman before her. The woman held her gaze for a moment longer as if trying to find a reason not to answer her. She after a moment let out a sigh, she'd found none. "I am a vampire," she answered studying her closely. She might not have known much at the time but she wasn't totally ignorant about mythical beasts. She only knew a small bit about vampires. She too studied the vampire before her for a while, an equal intensity in her gaze as that of the vampire. After a while, she'd made up her mind and spoke up, "Make me into one." She noted the slight surprise on the vampire's face as a smile slowly crossed her face. "No," she answered. It had not been the answer she'd expected. "Why not?" the vehemence and strength in her voice was one that had never previously been there. For the first time in her life, she'd actually wanted something for herself and not even this vampire would stop her from getting it. "Simple," the vampire before her answered simply, the smile still on her face. "You don't know what you are asking for, to ask to be like me is to ask to be a killer. For you to live, others around you must die, especially in the first years, ooh, those are the roughest," she'd said her voice betraying that she was remembering her own first years as a vampire. The vampire fixed her an intense gaze, "Are you a killer Ailin? Can you take a life without caring for those who will be hurt and affected by the loss of the life you've taken to sustain yours? Can you take hundreds upon hundreds of lives without being torn to shreds by the guilt?" the vampire asked. From the look on the vampire's face, she knew she'd expected her to have balked at the prospect of having to live out her words. Her gaze slowly shifted to her uncle who still stood unmoving like a statue."Can he move?" she chose to ask instead. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 04 The vampire's gaze shifted to her uncle before turning back to her a new curiosity sparked in her eyes. "Not unless I allow it," She'd answered. In retrospect, this was the first time the monster that had lay dormant in her for so long, reared its ugly head and barred out its fangs and claws for all to see. The memory was clear in her head, of how she had slowly turned and moved towards the kitchen. Her pace had not arisen from the intense pain her whole body was in, but the unwavering resolve that had formed within her. With the same pace, she'd walked back into the living room a knife in her firm grip. Despite the fact that he could not move, she could see the fear in her uncle's eyes, he'd known exactly what was coming. His eyes were practically begging for mercy... begging HER, for mercy, she'd felt none. Moving to stand before him, she paused, first letting all the hate she felt for him rise to the surface making sure that he would see the absolute distaste, loathing and pure abhorrence and hatred she felt for him in her eyes. Her left hand rose to the back of his head gripping hard at the locks of hair there. She wanted to be the last thing he ever saw in his last moments of life. Her right hand had slowly risen firmly gripping the knife and slowly with no rush in the motion brought the tip of the knife to his navel. She'd watched her uncle's eyes grow wide as he felt the tip of the knife slowly push forward. In all her life, she'd never heard so beautiful music, as his screams of agony. She'd been tempted to close her eyes in pleasure and luxuriate in the glorious sound, it was only the fact that she did not want to miss his last moments that she kept her eyes open. She did however give in to the pleasure of it all and let a cold pitiless smile creep onto her expression as she looked at him. Once the knife was buried to the hilt, she'd pulled it out then pushed it back in again at a different point, and repeated this again, then again, and again and again... He was probably dead by the thirtieth stab but this was lost on her as she held his blank gaze and continued to gut him. It was only at the one hundred and twelfth stab, when she felt the hand of the vampire on her shoulder urging her to stop, that she did. Letting go of her, now late, uncle's head, she'd let his gutted corpse fall to the floor, all his intestines were spread out on the floor, and splashed on the front of her dress. She turned to the vampire, her face an emotionless mask; she felt absolutely nothing for what she had just done. "Does that answer you?" she asked in a cold voice. The smile on the vampire's face tilted morphing into a smirk. "That was easy," she'd said. "This man," she pointed at the corpse. "You hated, you could easily do what you've just done because you felt nothing but pure hatred for him. But what of when the time comes when you have to take the life of someone who's done absolutely nothing to you? One with whom you have absolutely no quarrel?" she once again posed. With absolutely no fear, she'd walked up to the vampire locking gazes with her, "Either you do this, or you don't, stop searching for excuses not to," she'd spoken in a low voice that still held no doubts about what she wanted. She watched the smirk on the vampire's face slowly turned back into a smile. "Fine then, I'll do it," she relented. A smile crossed her own face at the answer as she regarded the vampire. Anticipation had already began building up within her. "What now?" she asked ready as ever. "Now," the vampire began her smile widening. "I kill you," she answered. The vampire's form became a blur as she moved with superhuman speed. She'd felt it as the vampire's fangs sank into the side of her neck. Despite the pain her body had been in from the beating she'd just received, she'd felt a sweet and indescribable molten pleasure spark and spread throughout her whole body, its center in her loins. She'd felt it slowly and unrelentingly spread out throughout her every fiber, pushing her to a new heights that she had never before ever experienced before finally, pushing her over the precipice. Her body had trembled and shaken in spasms as she shook with the very first orgasm she'd ever had in her life, at the hands of the vampire. She felt it as her body slowly weakened from the large amount of blood she was losing, in her mind it felt as if she was floating as reality slowly faded away from her. At the last moment before she completely lost consciousness, the indescribable pleasure turned into the worst kind of pain she'd ever felt, her uncle's beatings included in this comparison, as she felt a new fluid flow into her body at the point where she'd been bitten at. Before she'd had the chance to scream out her agony however, she'd mercifully passed out. She wasn't sure for how long she'd been out, but her eyes had slowly drifted opened as she woke up to find herself lying on the floor. The first thing she'd noted was the burning, all consuming thirst she felt. It felt as if her throat was full of sand as she felt more parched than she'd ever felt in her whole life. "It's the bloodlust, thirst for human blood," she'd heard the vampire's voice. She turned towards the vampire. She noted that the living room had been cleaned, no trace of her uncle's corpse was to be found anywhere in the room. Even her own clothes were gone, she discovered, as she looked down to find herself in a different dress, more expensive than anything she could ever afford, no doubt the work of the vampire before her. She looked up at her wanting to say something about all this, her throat however, very vehemently protested as the effort made it feel as if sand paper was being rubbed hard against her vocal cords. "I cleaned it up," the vampire spoke up answering her unspoken question as she noted where her gaze had just been. "One of the first lessons you should learn as a vampire," she spoke in an explanatory tone. "While you may be an almost indestructible killing machine, it is simply idiotic to leave a trail of corpses leading to your doorstep. There are those who... Wouldn't approve," the vampire had said enigmatically. Who, she'd wanted to ask but her throat had been quick to remind her that talking wasn't on the list of things she could currently do. "Don't worry about that right now," the vampire had spoken up answering her unspoken question almost as if she could read her mind. The vampire moved forward and picked her up off the floor and set her up on the seat her uncle had been in when she'd come home. "From now, you have three days to drink human blood, failure to which you will die, and this time, it will be permanent," the vampire explained. "If you want my advice, do it on the third day, take the first two days to enjoy sun, you won't be seeing that in a very long time after that," the vampire said then turned to leave. "Wait," she'd forced herself to say, but the words had come out more as a croak than actual words. The vampire had paused at the doorway turning to look back at her. "Wh... What's your name?" it took all her effort to ask. The vampire regarded her for a while a smile on her face. "Viera," she'd answered before her form once again became a blur as she zipped off at a superhuman speed, leaving her in the empty house that was grave silent except for the beating heart of her younger sister who was at the time probably still hiding under her bed where she always did when their uncle got violent. Ailin had always instructed her never to come out till she herself, had come to her, to tell her that it was safe to come out. She would be there waiting for her to come and tell her it was okay to come out. With legs that felt like those of a newborn and a throat that felt like it had never seen water in its whole existence, she'd pushed herself off the chair and walked towards her younger sister's room... "Hallo beautiful," she jerked up hard, her mind being pulled back to the present at the sound of the male voice. Her teeth gritted hard in self-disgust, she had been so lost in her memories, that she'd lost all awareness of her surroundings. A very careless, stupid and dangerous thing to do, it was a mistake only younglings were supposed to make, not six thousand year old vampires she internally berated herself. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she could hear the smug pleasure in the man's voice as he relished the fact that he had gotten her off guard. By the scent coming off him, she knew he was a vampire too. In spite of the fact that nothing about her outwardly showed it, her rage flared. "What?" she asked, her voice icy as she turned away from her reflection in the bottle, to the twenty five year old looking vampire,she could tell he was much older than his appearance portrayed him to be, but not older than her. In the vampire world, age counted for a lot, and in that respect, she had him soundly beat. "I simply seek the company of one as beautiful as you, can I join you?" he asked with what he must have thought to be a winning smile. "No," she answered, flatly turning him down, before turning back to her drink. Her eyes looked down at the crimson liquid within the glass. At six thousand years the bloodlust had greatly diminished, this single glass of blood was enough to carry her through another six months without another taste. She downed it in three gulps and asked for another. She smiled at the convenience of it, Vampire bars were a luxury that hadn't existed back when she'd become one, in fact until about fifty years ago they simply weren't there. "Forgive me, but I simply wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I just let you go without insisting," he said taking the empty chair beside her. His voice had changed, subtly becoming more challenging in its tone. She could see right through what he was trying to do. To seduce a female vampire, especially one older than the male trying to seduce her, he would need to prove he was no push over and that he was worth her time. She smiled at the irony, despite the enmity between the two races, over the years of her existence she had come to find that vampires and weres had a lot in common, this however didn't stop them from trying to tear each other to pieces, every chance they got. Had it been under any other circumstances, the male beside her would have been doing pretty good, except that in this particular situation, she wasn't playing hard to get in an attempt to test him, she really didn't want his company. "How old are you?" she watched as the smile on his face straightened a bit. Asking for one's age in the vampire world was a big red flag. The question was usually asked by one who already knew they were older than the other, it was a not so subtle way of reminding the other that if things went sour the result would be them ending up a mess on the floor. "Four and a half millennia," he replied. She admired the daring of the vampire before her, most didn't answer the question, taking it as a cue to end the conversation and leave. He either believed her not to be much older than him or he was simply just really cocky... cocky and stupid. "I am more than a millennium older than you," She said tired of the charade, a threatening tone coming now onto her voice. "Now, if you wish to return to wherever it is you came from with your head and limbs still attached to you, I strongly suggest you start walking," she spoke up her voice dangerously low. To human eyes the scenario would have looked hilariously ridiculous; an eighteen year old girl threatening a twenty five year old hulk of a man that was close to twice her size. However, every vampire in the bar watching them, which was every last vampire in the bar, knew that unless the male vampire before her had a death-wish he would be most wise to walk away from this one while he still had the legs to do so. The two of them eyed each other, for a while and for a moment she thought he might actually be stupid enough to test her. But at the last moment, the male rose from the seat he'd occupied and walked away. She turned back to the bar reaching for the refilled glass set before her. Her hand paused half way towards it as she felt it. After six thousand years of existence, she could, unlike most, recognize vibrations immediately. Her face contorted in confusion, there were many powerful magicians in the area around. The bar being full of vampires created the magic attract magic phenomenon, so she wasn't really surprised by the presence of so many different vibrations around her, she generally chose to ignore them. So why was it then that this one new vibration called out to her so much? Despite all her efforts to ignore it and remain seated, she simply couldn't. She turned and looked out through the front bar window as she felt it come back to her, a feeling she had lacked for the past two thousand years... a sense of purpose. Leaving the sum total of what both the drink she had taken and the one she'd left untouched on the bar was worth and a good tip on top, she got up and walked out of the bar. Standing at the door, her head turned left and right as she tried to gauge from which direction the vibrations were coming from. Soon as she had it, she zipped off her form becoming a blur as she moved at a superhuman speed through the streets of London towards the source of the vibration. ***************************** Despite the hate that filled his eyes as he watched Ailin's blurred form vanish through the streets of London through the front window of the bar, a smile played on his lips. The bitch hadn't recognized him, he thought relishing the extreme satisfaction he felt from knowing that the first and most important phase of his plan had succeeded. He'd even gone as far as giving her his age, a very daring move on his part, maybe even stupid some would say, but she still hadn't recognized him. "See you soon Ailin," he whispered coldly. ***************************** She stood still, blades still in hand. Her whole body had gone rigid the second she'd crossed the threshold of the, now doorless, room. She knew it already as her eyes scanned the occupants of the room, she'd just walked herself to her own death. Her eyes moved from one to the next of the four occupants in the room. The wizard, looking as confused as ever, sat on the bed between the two weretigers that lay on either side of him in full-fledged animal forms. Despite the fact that they were laid back calmly on the bed, she wasn't fooled, she knew perfectly well that the two weretigers were ready to reduce her to ribbons at a moment's notice, if the wizard gave the order or if she proved to be a threat to him.She already knew that she couldn't be the latter, she had met her match, she would die. Her eyes turned to the last occupant in the room, the succu... Where was the succubus?! Her eyes locked gazes with the other pair that so much reminded her of fire. In them she saw slight confusion, but largely present in them was simple curiosity, a keen desire to understand something she didn't. Being under her gaze made her understand what it felt like to be a specimen under a scientist's scrutinizing gaze. The wizard couldn't have been that strong, even now she couldn't feel his power from across the room. The one with flaming eyes however, was a whole different story. She was possibly stronger than every other beast and wizard she had ever fought and killed before put together,and that, was no small number. Her mind kept running through every beast she knew and had ever read about from the beastiaries or encountered in her life, her mind kept only coming up with only one answer as to what she could possibly be. But that was impossible, all of the phoenixes were killed by lord Arwain before the end of the war, except for one. The only way the one standing before her could be a phoenix was if she was... The colour drained from her face as the realization hit her like a sledge hammer just who she was looking at. There was now no doubt about it now, she was looking at her own death. She now understood why the fact that the potions she had taken and the spells she had put on her clothes, to throw off and ward against spells had proved useless. "Claire?!" the confusion on the wizard's expression perfectly clear in his voice. So he does know my name, she found herself thinking. ***************************** Dan had jerked back in shock in a not so manly way, when the door flew off its hinges and crashed hard into the opposite wall. He'd known that something was happening when he'd gotten the feeling that had caused the others around him to perk up. Kirra had mentally asked him to move to the center of the bed while she and Karra morphed into their tiger forms and moved to position themselves on either side of him, Ember had simply turned to face the door. He felt like he'd just stepped out of reality and into a fiction movie as Claire walk into his room, two broad swords on her back, two knives in her firm grip and a number of blades at different points in her outfit, he couldn't shake the feeling that there were more hidden out of sight. "Claire?!" He called out after a moment of silence unable to keep the confusion from his voice as his mind finally caught up with how bizarre the scene before him was. It was only after she'd remained still surveying them for a while without moving a single muscle that he realized that she must have been under the hold of a spell. "So nice of you to join us," All occupants of the room except Claire turned to Athena who'd appeared at the doorless entrance to the room. She'd left through the window when they'd become aware of the intruder. It was only now that he realized she'd been moving to circle around the intruder and come from behind her. They all watched as Athena moved to a corner of the room and retrieved the chair from there and walked back to Claire placing it behind her and pushed her stiff form onto it, she then crouched before her so that they were at eye level with each other. "You my friend, are about to become my teaching aid in teaching, killing your enemy 101," Athena said the chilling smile still pasted on her face, then turned to face them. "Ember, could you please allow her head motion and speech when I indicate it," she asked. Ember nodded once. "Now," she began seemingly unable to keep the smile off her face. "What you see before you Dan, is what we call a hunter. Hunters are a group of self righteous pricks, that believe all magic is evil, and believe it their job to rid the world of it..." "Wait," Dan interjected confused. "But she just used magic to break in the door. I mean, how else did she manage to throw the door across the room like that?" he posed. "A very good question," Athena replied turning to Ember. She nodded once at her signaling that she let go off of the spell she'd cast to the extent she'd just indicated to her. Claire's head suddenly was no longer stiffly forward as she turned to fix Athena a gaze that spoke of pure unbridled hate. "The last time I was out of the box, about two thousand five hundred years or so ago," Athena spoke in a falsely cheery voice. "You guys loathed magic and everything about it, what has changed," she asked. Claire remained silent fixing Athena a defiant glare. "I was hoping you'd say that," Athena said her smile widening. "Ember could you please sound-proof the room, we wouldn't wanna bother the neighbours with all the fun we'll be having." "Already have," Ember replied calmly. Athena brought up her right hand so that it was in front of Claire's face. Dan watched as she ran the clawed tip of her index finger down Claire's forehead and brought it to a stop at the bridge of her nose right between her eyes. "Now, which eye will we be losing first, any preferences?" Athena posed. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 04 Despite the fact that Claire maintained her silence, Dan could clearly see the fear that was now infusing her every fibre. "Wait, stop," Dan called out pushing himself off the bed over Karra and onto the floor. "What do you want to do?" Dan asked unable to keep the apprehension from his voice, despite the fact that he could very clearly see what Athena was about to do. "I am about to relieve her of one eye, don't worry, she'll still have the other," Athena answered the pleasure in her voice very evident. "Well, until I relieve her of that one too," she added with a wicked smile almost as an afterthought as she turned back to Claire whose breathing had noticeably increased in speed even as it became shallow. "Wait," Dan called out once again stopping Athena. "You can't," he said. "And exactly why can't I?" Athena asked her expression plainly showing that she was confused at his words. Having no logical answer to offer her, Dan crouched before Claire instead, bringing himself to eye-level with her. "Look Claire, I am not really sure what is going on here, but please answer the question," he implored her, not sure why he didn't want to see her hurt despite the fact that, he was sure she hadn't carried all the blades into his room simply because she thought they looked cool and shiny. Claire's expression remained a hard mask only her eyes and breathing betraying the absolute terror she was feeling. "What are you doing," Athena's cold and harsh voice resounded from behind him. "You don't need to beg her to do anything, she will spill all her guts eventually, one way or another," she bit out clearly displeased by Dan's attempt to keep her from getting the information out of Claire the more brutal way. "Come on Claire," Dan urged. "Do you really want to lose your eyes and other body parts over a few words?" he asked hoping she would be logical about this. Dan watched as some of the hardness left her expression her eyes reluctantly turning to him. "Our fore-fathers, the very first hunters," Claire spoke up her eyes fixed solely on him. "Were almost completely wiped out by your kind. They were thought by most to already have been, about two thousand five hundred years or so ago. But luckily a few of them had survived. Back then they would have sooner slit their own throats rather than use any form of magic, but then, without magic they were so badly disadvantaged, they came to see this almost too late. When almost every last one of them was killed, it became starkly clear that if they hoped to succeed in wiping out the disease that is magic from the world they would have to fight fire with fire. However so few of them had remained so they had to lay low. For the next five hundred years, they laid low slowly baiting their time as they increased their numbers while also learning magic. They passed on the code of hunters from one generation to the next so that it was never at any point forgotten that magic was only a means they would require to meet their ends, not something they themselves practiced as a way of life. Over the period of their dormancy they grew increasingly stronger and more skilled in fighting against those who had magic, when they once again resurrected five hundred years later, they were a force to be reckoned with. We are the ones who've kept the world from reverting back to the darkness and vileness that had filled it back when magic was a free force in the world," She answered then went silent. Dan could see that she hated that she'd done so. "There you go," he said turning back to Athena. "There is your answer," he said. From the look of pure distaste on Athena's face, Dan could tell she hated his inability to allow Claire's torture. "And so now hunters practice magic?" the pure curiosity in Ember's voice was in complete contrast with the tense air that was in the room as she sought whatever knowledge she could garner from the hunter. Claire remained silent. "Here is how this is going to work," Athena spoke up walking around Dan to Claire. "Every question you fail to answer is an organ that goes missing, whether your eye, your finger or your spleen, I really couldn't give a fuck which." All amusement had left Athena's voice as she spoke in an icy tone. Despite the fact that he knew and hated the fact that Athena wouldn't approve Dan turned around to face her. "No, we are not maiming or killing her," he spoke up no doubt in his mind about that decision. When Athena turned to him, he could see the pure fury in her eyes as she regarded him. For a few minutes they stood there silently regarding each other, neither backing down from their stand. Finally, Dan, with a lot of trepidation watched a smile slowly form on Athena's lips. "Fine then," she said walking around him to the bed. "Let go of the spell Ember," she said as she lay back on the bed. "What?!" Ember's voice was heard the shock in it clear at the request. "You heard our master," Athena said in a deceptively sweet voice her eyes never once parting from Dan's gaze. "He doesn't want the little princess touched in any way, so let her go," she repeated her request. "You are angry right now Athena..." Ember began to say but was cut short as Athena turned her sharp gaze to her. "I may be angry," she spoke through gritted teeth, her jaws tightly clenched. "But he is naive," she accused pointing a taloned finger at Dan. "And like it or not, we both know that will be his death," she said in a low voice despite the clearly evident fact that she was barely containing her anger. Dan watched as Ember went silent, the conflict in her mind clear on her face. He already didn't like what she was about to say as Ember finally turned to him with a sigh. "She is right," Ember said turning to him. "I am going to let go of the spell that is holding her in three, two..." It happened so fast that he'd barely had any time to react in any way. He stood petrified, not by any spell, but by shock as he felt the tip of the dagger in Claire's grip at the side of his neck at the exact point where his jugular was. In the exact same instant as when Ember had uttered the word, one, Claire's form, now released from the spell holding her, had moved faster than lightning as she rose to her feet drawing a dagger from, only she knew where, and bringing it down in a hard swing towards the side of his neck. They both now stood stock still regarding each other, his shock filled eyes gazing unbelievingly at her hate filled ones. Dan knew perfectly well that the only reason he wasn't drawing his last breaths was that Ember had somehow been quicker than Claire's attack, in restoring the spell that held her captive. Dan could feel the tip of the knife grazing the skin on the side of his neck as he took a step back away from Claire. "Wh... Why?" Dan questioned the petrified form of Claire. "Because," Dan heard the sound of Ember's voice from behind him. "She is a hunter, her whole life has been dedicated to hunting down and killing those of our kind, to her, whether you show mercy or not, you are the enemy and her number one objective right now is killing you. And believe me, it is something she is very well capable of, she has been trained from birth on how to. She probably learned how to carve out a heart, before she even knew how to ride a bike," Ember explained in a calm voice. "And I was damn good at it too," came the Claire's defiant voice as once again Ember allowed her head movement and speech. "To her," Ember went on as if Claire hadn't spoken. "There is no turning back, she's been trained to accept even death as a price she might have to pay for her cause. For her there can only be one outcome to this, one of you two lives and one dies, there is no middleground." Ember explained then turned to him. "So now, what will you do Dan?" She posed. "Let her go and she will do everything in her power to ensure you are dead, keep her here as a captive then probably the tracking spell that has been put on her will lead other hunters to your doorstep," Ember went silent not verbalizing the last and seemingly only option. Dan's jaws clenched hard as he turned to look hard at Claire who returned the gaze with equal intensity and an equal amount of hatred. Despite what all his guardians, even Kirra, and Karra who had remained silent through it all, seemed to be expecting of him, of one thing he was sure, he wasn't a killer. At least not yet, he wasn't past that point, there was no illusion in his mind that the time wouldn't come when he would have to kill, but everything within him knew it without a shadow of a doubt, now was not that time. "You don't have to do it yourself you know," Dan turned to find Karra standing beside him her expression neutral as she regarded Claire in her frozen stance. "Say the word and I'll take this off your hands," despite the fact that her face showed barely any emotion Dan had the feeling that she knew the turmoil going on within him. "Thank you," Dan said. "But no thank you, giving the order is no different from taking a blade and slitting her throat myself, either way I am responsible for her death." Dan replied his gaze never leaving Claire who seemed to be trying to bore holes in skull with her gaze. Dan's resolve hardened just as his expression did. If there was one thing all his IQ had ever made clear to him throughout his life, it was that there was never just one way of solving a problem. He was the one they were all looking to, it was time he started acting like the leader they all expected him to be. "Ember, you masked my powers to keep others from being able to track me, can you mask, or even better yet kill the tracking spell on her?" he asked turning to the phoenix. "I could, but that would set off all kinds of alarms with the hunters. Hunters did always keep close tabs on all their members, I can't be totally sure but, I do believe that the only way the tracking spell on her can go off is by her death," she replied. "If I were to kill it, then other hunters would swarm this place trying to figure out what it was that killed her," Ember explained. "But," Dan began turning a confused expression to Athena, "If I had actually killed her, the same thing would have happened," he said. "It would," Athena answered coldly but volunteered no further information holding his gaze defiantly. "If you had killed her," Ember began already seeing the tense situation that was brewing in the room. "It would have meant that you have finally fully accepted made peace with your new life as a wizard. We'd have killed her here, then wiped away every single trace of it then moved to the fort I am sure Athena has created by now, even if the hunters came to try and find out what happened they would have found nothing, hunters don't hurt humans they believe themselves their protectors so your family would have been safe once they ascertained they knew nothing." "So this was a test?" Dan asked feeling his rage rise sharply. "You wanted me to take a life simply as a test to see whether I was ready to embrace becoming a wizard?" he spoke through gritted teeth, barely noticing the fact that he was shaking. Athena rose from the bed, and walked up to him so that they were standing with their faces barely an inch from each other her gleaming yellow eyes returning the glare his own blue eyes were sending with equal intensity. "Yes, it was a test, one I might add you failed at miserably. You've seen it for yourself that she is ready to kill you even if you show her mercy and yet you still debate on what to do. Initially, I thought that you were simply just afraid to take a life but now I see it for what it is, weakness!" she hissed the word as if it had a sour taste on her tongue. "You are weak Dan, even with all the power you possess you are still w..." the word never fully left Athena's lips as her whole form froze up, her eyes going wide. Dan barely noticed the fact that his eyes were glowing as he regarded his guardian or the fact that things around the room were rising off the floor. All that consumed his mind at the moment was the pure and utter liquid rage that was burning like a wild fire within him. Despite the chain Ember gave him still being around his neck absolute raw power was coming off him in waves. "You want me to take a life, A LIFE, simply as a test?" though he'd let out the statement in a whisper they filled the whole room as if he'd shouted them. That single thought was what had stayed with him as he now regarded his guardian who was on the floor. Athena's cry of pure agony barely registered in Dan's mind as the rage clouded all his faculties. He barely noticed that she was writhing in pain, or the fact that her skin was peeling off as that of one caught in the middle of an inferno or the acrid scent that was coming off her flesh, or that she was begging for mercy. All the rage allowed him to see was that she was getting what she deserved for her actions. "MASTER, PLEASE STOP!" It was Kirra's shout that finally got through all the rage to Dan. Dan's eyes widened as he snapped out of it and all the rage suddenly vanished. His head turned to find Ember, Kirra, and Karra with their eyes fixed on the floor. Kirra seemed to almost be in tears, Karra's whole form betrayed the fear that Dan could feel coming off her in torrents through their bond and with Ember, there was only an emotionless mask as she fixed her eyes on the floor, through their bond Dan could feel nothing it was as if she'd locked the bond off to keep any of her emotions from showing. He finally turned his gaze to Athena, Dan's heart clenched hard in both shock and horror at what he'd done, self-disgust filled him as he looked down at the blackened form of Athena as she lay shaking on the ground from the residual pain. "Athena," he called out weakly as he knelt on the floor reaching for her. Dan's heart clenched even harder in more pain than he ever thought he could possibly feel, as he watched Athena drag herself across the floor away from him despite her wounds and the excruciating pain he knew she was in. The frantic urgency in her motions showing just how bad he'd hurt her, there was a wild look of pure fear in her eyes. Dan looked on horror struck as even as Athena's back touched the wall, her limbs kept moving trying to push her further away from him. Despite the fact that he could already see her flesh and skin slowly healing themselves, Dan knew that he'd caused her a wound that would never fully heal. "Athena, I am so sorry," Dan said weakly at her. But the words seemed to barely register as the succubus kept pushing herself into the wall. "Kirra, take this to the edge of town, then crush it," he heard Ember's voice from behind him. "Karra, take both Dan and Claire to the fort, I will be with you shortly," Dan felt Ember's hand on his shoulder. "Let me take care of this," he heard her soft voice. "Go with Karra, please," she asked. Dan slowly rose from the floor, turning to follow Ember's request. For the first time since his outburst Dan looked on at the expressionon Claire's face. She too had felt it. She had a look of absolute and unbelieving horror at what she had just seen and felt as it dawned on her just how powerful the one guiltily looking at her was. Dan silently walked out of the room Karra walking behind him with Claire in tow, as Karra maintained a clawed grip around her throat lest she tried anything. Dan got into one of the Lamborghinis and pulled out of the drive-way and floored the gas pedal. How could he have done that to Athena? His jaw clenched hard, his knuckles turning white on the steering wheel as his grip tightened around it. The look of both fear and pain that Athena had on her face, haunted him as the run downhouse appeared ahead all too soon. Dan drove straight for it soon as the front of the car crossed onto the front lawn of the house, the illusion broke and the gate to the castle appeared. Dan's foot didn't rise off the pedal as the car moved right through the solid gate. Athena, Kirra, and Karra had spelled the castle and the compound so that they recognized him as the sole owner, the gate even if still closed would not deny him entry. The car came to a screeching stop right before the castle entrance. Dan got out just as Karra pulled up in the other Lamborghini. Dan wordlessly walked into the castle and sank down onto one of the sofa's, in one of the castle's living rooms. Karra walked in after him and pushed Claire into one of the seats and sat herself silently in the empty chair across from her. "W...Who are you?" all pretense of bravery and defiance had long left Claire's voice as she regarded him a new. "I am the person who almost killed one I consider a friend, because I couldn't kill one who tried to kill me," Dan answered the self loathing in his voice clear. All three of them remained silent, for how long, Dan didn't know but the next sounds he heard was that of Ember as he walked into the castle with Kirra and Athena beside her. Athena was now fully healed and in a fully black outfit. Her expression was an emotionless mask as she silently moved to stand in one of the corners of the room. Dan rose from where he sat turning to her "Athena, I don't know what came over me, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you in any way, I swear." he once again apologized. Athena, however, did not reply. "If you are not going to kill her, then there is only one other thing you can do," Ember's voice was heard. Seeing that the succubus wouldn't answer him Dan reluctantly turned away from Athena. "How," he asked looking at Ember who was regarding him with a neutral expression. "When I put the petrifying spell on her, I could feel another kind of magic already in operation within her, foreign magic, not her own,"Ember made known. "I think she is a blue blade," she informed the rest of them. "A blue blade?" Dan repeated not sure what that meant. "Being a hunter as she has told you is a way of life, one that one learns from birth and lives throughout till death. Well for some, killing didn't come to them as easily or as readily as the rest, for some of those born to the hunter clans, being a hunter was simply not in their blood," Ember explained. "Of course, blue blades were killed in the olden times but I think the hunter's have found a better way of making them see things their way." Dan watched as Ember moved to stand before Claire. Unlike with the rest who'd crouched before her to get to eye level with Claire, with Ember, Claire's stiff form rose off the chair she was in, as if being lifted by invisible hands, into the air till they found themselves looking into each other's eyes. For a moment nothing happened as they looked into each other's eyes, however, Dan could see the struggle in Claire's eyes. It was only after a while that Dan understood that Ember was trying to get into her mind. Whatever mental blocks Claire had on seemed to be struggling to hold up as the struggle on her face seemed to intensify. Ember's calm exterior however, did not change as she continued her mental assault on her. Dan knew that Ember had gotten in as soon as Claire's eyes went wide and her body limp. "What do you see," Dan couldn't help but ask. Ember was silent for a while, as she went scouring through Claire's mental contents. "I can't help her," Ember said at last, turning away from Claire breaking eye contact. "What, what do you mean? What did you see?" Dan asked. "I was right, she is a blue blade, however the spells put on her are ones that torture and figuratively speaking cut up her mind if she fights against being a hunter, most with the spell would have stopped fighting long ago from the excruciating pain the spell causes," at this point Ember turned to look at Claire. "She is still fighting, and losing," she informed the rest of them. "Her mind is so badly broken up by the spell, I am not sure I can help her," Ember reported. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 04 "So when she tried to kill me, was that..." Dan posed hoping that he'd been right in choosing not to take Claire's life. "The spell, yes." Ember answered. "It works almost like a compulsion, she is a slave to the will of the one who cast it. Whoever that was, it seems they had a really strong desire to see her become a hunter. The spell has created a pseudo-personality within her, a false version of her that dehumanizes everything with magic, and sees it only as an enemy. Take you for example, soon after she realized you had magic, she stopped seeing you as Dan, in her mind you are now, simply a wizard and nothing more," Ember explained. "The spell must have been cast on her when she was still pretty young, had she stopped fighting the spell long ago, then maybe I would have been able to break in and set her free, but now, her mind is so broken up by the spell from all the time she has spent resisting it that I fear even if I break the spell, her mind may not be able to independently reform itself on its own, in a twisted way, the spell is the only thing that is holding her mind intact," Ember explained. "Wait, so just because she never stopped fighting against a compulsion that was put on her while she was still a child we can't help her but had she given in and accepted to become a killer we would have been able to help her?" Dan asked his voice clearly showing that the thought didn't sit well with him. "As unfair as that sounds," Ember answered. "That is exactly the situation we find ourselves in. I don't have the amount of power piecing back together and restoring the already destroyed parts of her mind would require. She's too far gone, even for my abilities," Ember explained. Dan stared at Ember for a long moment before he finally turned to lookat Claire. "But not for mine," he said knowing perfectly well how stubbornly naive he sounded. "True," Dan turned in surprise at Ember's words, he'd expected her to laugh off his words, but she wasn't, instead she was fixing him a critically contemplative gaze. "But do you have even the faintest idea how to go about invading her mind?" Ember went on, "Do you have even have a clue what amount is the limit you need to watch out for lest you completely burn-out her mind, and turn her into a vegetable?" Ember questioned him. "You can teach me," Dan said now grabbing at straws. "And what, you will learn in a few minutes what others take all the years lives trying to learn and even then some still don't fully master?" There was no ridicule in Ember's voice, she was simply directing a genuine question at him. "Look Ember," Dan said turning a pleading look to her. "I do get that at some point or the other, I will have to take a life whether to kill an enemy or out of mercy," he said glancing at Claire. "But this is not it, not yet, I am not at that point. I can't kill her, whether by doing it myself or asking one of you to do it so please," Dan implored the pleading note in his voice showing just how much he meant what he was saying. "Don't ask me to do it," he asked. Ember regarded him for a while, the debate going through her mind showing on her face. For a moment Dan thought she would tell him it was impossible but then, Ember sighed just as she had when Athena had said Dan's nativity would be his death. "You do realize that if we do this, there is a high chance of you totally frying her mind and killing her," she warned. "I have to take the chance," Dan replied showing that even he didn't fully believe in his ability to do this. "Then come here, you will require eye contact for this," Ember instructed taking a step away from Claire to allow Dan to take the position she'd been in. Moving to stand where Ember had just been standing, Dan took a deep breath to calm himself, then turned an intense gaze to Claire. "Now try to get into her head, push your consciousness into hers," Ember explained. Dan stared hard at Claire who returned it in a glare. His jaw clenched in concentration as he tried to follow Ember's directions. Frustratedly, Dan turned away from Claire to Ember after a while. "I am getting nowhere," he reported. "That's because all you are picturing in your mind when you are trying to get in her mind, is her brain. That is not her mind, the two are very different things," Ember explained patiently. "The brain is simply nothing more than an organ of flesh and blood, made up of cells, that controls your physical body, you have absolutely zero chance of hacking into that," Ember explained. "The mind is a whole different entity in itself. The mind is her consciousness, it is her being, when you call out to Claire, it is her mind, not her brain, that responds. Her mind is Claire. The mind is more of a force than an object, it is more of energy than it is an organ," Ember said trying to get Dan to conceptualize what had taken her years to understand. Dan turned back to look at Claire, not immediately trying to make a second attempt at getting into her mind as he tried to understand and conceptualize what Ember had just explained to him. Taking another deep breath, Dan readied himself to make a second try. However, this time, in spite of Ember's instructions Dan let his eyes drift closed a look of concentration crossing his features. "What are you..." Dan held up his hand cutting Ember off mid-question. He was operating on pure instinct as he emptied his mind and let it go blank. Dan wasn't sure what sense it was, but as he cleared his mind, he found a new sense that he wasn't previously aware of. Taking a hold of it, Dan spread it out in the area immediately around him, he wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for but he somehow knew that he was on the right track. For a while, there was nothing, then suddenly they were all there, Ember, Athena, Karra, Kirra, and Claire. Dan could feel all five of them but it wasn't exactly them per se. It was like he was seeing projections of them, they were no longer in the living room within the castle but in a totally different place. They were five forms in vast emptiness, beyond five feet from each of them was total and utter darkness. Dan turned to the projection of Ember, he could see the shock on her features. "Did I get it right?" Dan asked apprehensively. "Th... This is... This," Ember stammered, looking around in shock, seemingly unable to fully the words. Dan's face contorted in confusionas he looked on at Ember. Except for sight, owing to his closed eyes, Dan was as aware of his surroundings in the real world just as he was on this plane. Looking at Ember on the plane they now found themselves in, Dan could see her lips moving and could hear everything she was saying and yet in the real world his ears picked no sound. "How come I can't hear you?" Dan posed his mind trying to wrap itself around the phenomenon. "Because I am not talking," Ember answered finally turning to look at Dan a new respect for him in her eyes. "At least not physically" she clarified. "What are you talking about, I can see you talking," Dan questioned further his confusion still present. "No you are not," Ember answered. "What you are seeing right now, is a projection of my mind, so while in the real world I am talking to you mentally on this plane you actually see my mind doing the talking. Do you realize how many, or better yet, just how few people have ever seen this plane Dan," Ember posed. "Exactly which plane is this anyway," Dan posed looking around at the rest. Kirra and Karra stood looking around curiously, it was clear even they didn't know exactly where they were. Athena seemed to have momentarily forgotten her rage and was looking around in shock at where they were. "This is the only other plane I know of, just like many other things in the magical world it comes under different names for different people, but the one I find most appropriate to describe it is, the cerebral plane. As I explained earlier what you see are projections of our minds. Normally one is only able to access one mind at a time and affect that one mind before moving on to the next, on this plane you have the power to access and control any number of minds at the same time depending on how powerful you are," Ember explained. "Normally we shouldn't have been aware of what was happening on this plane, but taking into consideration that Claire seems to be none the wiser as to what is going on, I believe the explanation lies in the bond we share," Ember pointed out. At Ember's words Dan turned to look in Claire's direction, she was standing glaring unseeingly ahead just as she had been in the real world when Dan had tried to get into her mind, he had the feeling she was still glaring at him in the real world just as the version of her he was right now seeing, was. "She doesn't look broken up to me," Dan pointed out looking confusedly at Claire's whole form. "That's because what you see is the pseudo-personality, the version of her that was born out of the compulsion she is under, this isn't the real her but a reflection of what the one who put the compulsion on her wanted her to be like," Ember answered. Dan looked at the form of Claire that stood before her for a while before he walked over to her, once again being led by pure instinct. "Dan don't...", but the warning didn't fully come out of Ember's lips before Dan did exactly as Ember had been trying to warn him against doing. Dan's hand had reached out taken hold of Claire's shoulder. However soon as he did, Dan felt himself pulled forward into Claire's form. It was as if he was sinking into her, a feeling he could only most closely relate to being in free fall. Dan came to a sudden stop, finding himself in a white room. "D... Dan," Dan turned around to find the source of the weak voice. Dan's jaws clenched as it finally dawned on him what Ember had meant by saying Claire's mind was really broken up. Claire was standing between, or more accurately hanging in between two poles. From the two poles were razor sharp strands of what looked like barbed but was not exactly barbed wire, they wrapped themselves around her body in such a way that if she moved too much they cut into her skin. Dan's eyes roamed over the bloody form of Claire, in some parts of her body the wire had totally cut and disappeared into her body,other parts of her like both her right leg from the knee downwards and her left arm from the shoulders onto her fingertips, had gone completely black. Dan's eyes rose to study her face, there was a wire running from her left ear, passing just below her left eye across her nose to her right cheek and disappearing into the flesh of the right-side of her neck, the wire was slowly cutting into her. Their gazes finally met and even without her saying it, Dan could see the fatigue in them, it was the fatigue of fighting an endless battle. The white of her left eye had gone completely red from internal bleeding giving her gaze a mismatched quality. "I'd welcome you with a cup of tea but, I'm a bit tied up at the moment," Dan heard Claire's mind say then laugh weakly at her own attempt at humor. Dan didn't see anything worth laughing about as he regarded the pitiable condition Claire's mind was in. "Dan, Dan, where are you? Can you hear me?" Dan's head rose as the sound the filled the room but seemingly only he could hear. It was Ember's voice, his ears informed him that she was talking to him verbally from the living room in the castle. "Yes, I can hear you, I'm with Claire's mind right now," Dan replied verbally. "Parts of her have gone black Ember, what's happening to her?" he posed the worry in his voice evident. "Those parts are dead Dan, her mind's dying," Ember replied. "The spell has too tight of a strangle hold on her, she's fought it for just too long," she explained. "Come on Dan," he heard Claire once again her voice weak. "I'm the one trapped in this crap," Claire said, her body suddenly jerking hard as she pulled hard at the other hand that hadn't yet gone black. The resulting effect was the wires holding up the arm disappeared into her flesh along with some others in other areas of her body. "Stop looking like someone just died," she finished off smiling weakly. "If you don't stop fighting the spell, somebody will," Dan replied his mind racing at a thousand miles per second trying to figure out how toget her free of the spell. Claire's mind produced a weak mirthless laugh. "That kind of is the idea," she said weakly. Dan's face contorted in confusion at her words. "What are you talking about?" he posed. "I have been fighting this spell for the past fifteen years of my life, ever since I was three, I am tired," she replied in a voice that very clearly portrayed the truth of her words. "However," she said suddenly a new strength and fire that hadn't been there only a moment ago blazing in her eyes. "I'll be damned before that monster sees me bend to his will," she let out the vehemence in her words relaying that whoever the monster she was referring to was, she felt absolute and incomparable hate for him. "Who are you talking about?" Dan asked. "My father," she answered simply, catching Dan by surprise. "Your father did this to you?" he asked the shock and incredulity in his voice barely hidden. "How could anyone do this to their own daughter?" he asked unbelievingly. "You'd need to know who my father is to understand," Claire replied." I am the lucky first and only child of Arthur Ravencloft, the leader of all hunters in this state and fast rising towards being the head of the council of all hunters in the U.S." she explained. "You can't even begin to imagine the kind of horror, shame and disappointment he felt when he found out his daughter was a blue blade," she said with a weak smile as if it was a memory she enjoyed reliving. "He did everything within his power to make me into the kind of hunter he wished me to become, and believe me when I say, for my father, that is no short list. Nothing he did worked, to me killing was simply killing. My father tried to explain that we were the balance that kept magic from taking over and wiping out humanity, but I would ask him how he could justify our having magic at while at the same time claiming that this very same thing was the evil they were trying to eradicate? No, he would say, we don't use it for our own purposes, we use it against those who have magic, to kill them and ensure magic stays in check. But in return I would ask, isn't that the whole purpose of the hunters?" "He cast the spell on me when I was three, as the earlier it is cast, the stronger of a hold it has on the victim. However my father only fully activated it when I was ten, after seven years of failed attempts at making me into his own image. Being the important person he was and still is in the world of hunters, he couldn't afford to have a blue blade as a child, the spell makes me in the eyes of everyone else in the hunter world, a model child." The disgust in her voice was palpable as it shone in her eyes too. "I've lost count of how many wizards, witches, and magical creatures that have died by my hand. Some of whom by all indications of it were good. As you can see, I've been fighting the spell for a while, unfortunately for me, my father is really strong as far as magic goes, the compulsion has so far proven unbreakable, so death is the only option left for me. And that, I will gladly accept over the alternative." she said once again pulling hard at her hand, Dan could already see the finger tips of it turning black. "No Claire, you are not dying, not today." Dan found himself saying as he moved closer to her. "I'll figure out a way to get you out of here," he said with truthful conviction. In Dan's mind it was already decided, he would do everything in his power to see Claire free. Whatever that took. "I appreciate the sentiment Dan, but, I've already had a fifteen year head start, and look what I have achieved," Claire replied in a resigned voice. "Yeah well, not to brag or anything but, neither you nor your father possess the kind of power I possess," Dan replied. "Ember," Dan called out verbally. "Yes Dan," he heard her reply. "If I pass on some of my energy to her will that be enough to break her loose?" he asked. "No Dan, feeding her your energy will only serve to restore her own energy, but it won't be enough to break the spell holding her. However, Dan I must warn you, parts of her mind are dead, the kind of energy that will drain from you as it tries to regenerate itself is epic, you might not fully recover from that kind of drain for days even weeks." Ember relayed. Dan turned to look at Claire, "And what about the spell itself, can't I directly attack that?" he posed trying to find a better approach. "Not without killing her," Ember replied. "I told you Dan, she's too far gone. The spell is now the only thing that is holding her mind together," she explained. Dan paused his mind looking over every variable trying to fit them together in a way that would both restore Claire's mind to full form and free her, not just restore her and leave her captive to the spell as she had been for so long. Dan highly doubted he'd be able to break the spell after the energy drain restoring her mind would cost him, breaking the spell directly was also not an option, if he did that then he might as well have killed her back in his room. So what was he missing. Dan didn't believe in unsolvable problems, every problem had a solution if you just approached it from the right angle. This problem was no different, he just had to find the bit that was missing, figure out what he was not seeing, that was the key to the whole puzzle. "Ember, can't I do both things at the same time? Try to break the spell as I feed her my energy?" he posed though part of him already had a feeling as to what the answer would be. "Both spells require a huge amount of energy, energy that even you can't produce all at once without harming yourself, and should either of the two processes suffer a deficiency in the amount of energy directed to them, the results could be disastrous. If you mess with the spell but don't fully break it, it will bounce back even more vigorously than it is already acting and if that happens not even you will be able to save her, in fact, there is a very substantial risk that if the spell does that while you're still within her mind and drained of energy, you will end up its captive too," Ember warned. "And if you are to fully break the spell while her mind is still not fully restored, there is still a very real chance of her dying." She finished off. Dan's teeth gritted hard as he paced the room he was now in, on the cerebral plane. "Come on Daniel, think," he murmured, his mind once again going through all of the variables trying to gain picture of the full scope of the situation. He was missing something, something that he was sure, was right under his nose. He had the same feeling now, that he had whenever he knew, that he knew something but just couldn't remember what it was. Dan came to a sudden halt his eyes growing wide as it suddenly clicked into place what he hadn't been seeing. He almost kicked himself, now that he saw the solution, it was pretty obvious that it left him wondering how he could not have seen it immediately. "Ember, are her eyes open," Dan asked verbally, his excitement palpable in his voice. "Uuh, yeah," Dan heard her reply, her confusion at the question evident in her voice. "She's glaring at all of us," Ember further elaborated. "Good," Dan said with a smile. "Get in here," he instructed. "What?" Ember asked still not following Dan's line of logic. "I need you to get into her mind as you did earlier on," Dan said smiling. This had been the piece of the puzzle that he'd been missing. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 04 "Okay then," Ember replied. "Give me some time, unlike you, I have to force my way in, her pseudo-personality is bound to try and deny me access," she added. "Be as quick as you can, please," Dan directed as he turned to Claire's mind which had paused and was now eyeing him with wary curiosity as if it was afraid to hope that it would be finally free lest it be disappointed. "You ready to be free of this damn spell?" Dan asked with a smile. "Don't make promises you can't keep Dan," it replied weakly. "I never do," Dan replied just as Ember appeared at his side. "You said that, had she stopped fighting the spell long ago, you might have been able to save her?" Dan began immediately. "Yes, the damage done to her mind would not have been as much as it presently is, all I would have needed to do was break the spell, her mind would have restored itself to fullness. But she's too far gone for that now," Ember answered. "True," Dan replied. "But if I were to give her mind the energy it would require to restore itself..." "Then I could break the spells without her dying!" Ember finished Dan's statement as it finally dawned on her what line of logic he'd been following. "Exactly," Dan replied smiling at the fact that Ember had not raised any objections to the idea that he may have missed. "I believe it will work," Ember said with a smile as she regarded Dan. "It has to," Dan said turning to Claire, who now had a new spark in her eyes, it was hope. Dan's eyes drifted closed on the cerebral plane too. Tapping into the well of energy he could feel with within himself, Dan drew on it all, opening his eyes on the cerebral plane, he raised his hand towards Claire, and released it. A white beam of light shot forth from his open palm and met Claire right in her sternum right in between her breasts. Immediately the link between him and Claire was formed, he felt what Ember had been talking about, instead of it being him who was pushing his power out into Claire, he could feel large amounts of his power being drawn out of him, as Claire's mind drew on what it needed to restore itself. Steeling his will, he gritted his teeth in determination not to break the link. Beside him, he could hear Ember casting the counter-spell that would break the spell holding Claire. ***************************** "Dan... Dan," he groaned as he heard Ember's voice from a far. "Dan, wake up," her voice urged. Dan slowly blinked open his eyes, to find Ember worried looking down at him. "Have I ever told you how beautiful your eyes are?" he posed dreamily looking up at her flame coloured eyes. A smile crossed Ember's face as she asked him, "Are you okay?" "Yeah sure, I mean my head feels like it's been run over by a monster truck, but I'm fine, why wouldn't I..." Dan shot up into a sitting position as it finally came back to him what they had been doing, "Claire, is she..." "I'm okay Dan," Dan's head turned towards the source of the voice. Claire was seated in the chair she'd been pushed into by Karra, the difference was immediately notable, unlike the other version of her that had been looking at them with utter disdain and loathing, on Claire's face was a smile. "Actually, I am more than okay, you gave me a lot more juice than I required," she said. "Did I..." "No you didn't burn my mind, if you had, I wouldn't be sitting here as I am right now," Claire answered him, alleviating the worry that had laced Dan's voice. "My mind channeled all that extra energy into the shields that protect it, now only a select few, and by that I mean you, or someone at close to your power level if that person even exists, can get into my mind," she explained. Dan finally let a smile cross his face, now that he knew they'd gotten it right and hadn't fried her brain. "So how do you feel?" he asked. "I have been locked away in my own head for the past eight years, only a spectator of my life through the eyes of the other false me, unable to fully feel or experience anything. Honestly, I am not even sure what to feel right now. As of this moment, there is only one thing I am sure of," Claire said. Dan already had an idea what that was, taking from the shadow that had momentarily crossed over her features before it reverted into a smile."Killing your father won't give you back all the years you've lost Claire," he said. A humorless laugh issued forth from Claire as she turned to him and said, "My father has held me captive in a spell that left me in the kind of pain you can't even begin to imagine. I have absolutely no intention of killing him, that is simply just too merciful. Believe me, he has long years ahead of him, years he will wish he were dead," the ice in Claire's voice left no doubt that she meant every word. Dan went silent, from the look he'd seen on Claire's face, he knew he'd have better luck trying to milk a rock than trying to change her mind. "So won't your father know that the spell's been broken?" Dan inquired. "No he won't," Claire answered. "The spell was linked to his will not his mind, it made me what he wanted me to be, not what he thought I should be. Linking the spell to his mind would have meant devoting a lot more time to controlling me than he could afford, linking it to his will was simply much more convenient. The spell never has been broken before so he really had no cause to worry about me ever being free of it. So as long as I continue acting as if I am still his puppet, he will be none the wiser," she explained. "You've given me something I never thought I would regain, so I really hate to say this but, I have inadvertently taken something more from you," Claire said her voice apologetic. Dan's face contorted in confusion. "What are you talking about?" he posed. "You'll have to find another fort," Claire replied. "The tracking spell on me will lead every hunter who cares to look, here," she explained. "Not to worry," Ember's voice was heard at this point. "I took care of your tracking spell when we left the house. I masked your tracking spell and created a duplicate which is what Kirra destroyed at the edge of town, as far as all other hunters are concerned you disappeared at the edge of town. How you explain that is up to you, so long as it does not lead back here," Ember relayed. Despite the fact that there was no overt threat in Ember's voice, Dan couldn't help but notice that Claire seemed to know that it wouldn't be the wisest thing to do to go against her words. "There are situations in which the spell can go offline, figuratively speaking. Explaining why it went off for a while won't be a problem, so long as it comes back on at the same place it went off at," Claire said. "Speaking of which, I need to get there quickly, while the other hunters won't check immediately, if I stay offline for too long, they will come looking, which makes things a lot more complicated than they need to be." she said. Dan turned to Ember. "On it," She replied before he even had to request it of her. Ember walked forward and placed her hand on Claire's shoulder, both of them burst into flames and vanished into thin air. ***************************** Claire eyed the orange sky, from the edge of the forest on the outskirts of town, as the last rays of the sun slowly faded from it. A sigh escaped her lips. "You never really appreciate the simple pleasures of life until they are taken away from you," She said with a soft smile on her face not turning to look at the phoenix standing beside her. "Believe me when I say, I know what you mean," Ember replied, her eyes also fixed on the fading rays of the sun. "I never thought I'd see the day when I could look at a magical being without experiencing the overwhelming urge to kill them," Claire said smiling. Her words were met with a short span of silence before Ember finally spoke up, "You know who I am." It was a statement, not a question. "I do," Claire replied calmly. "Then I assume you have a fraction of an idea of what I can do," Ember went on, her voice still calm and level. "I do," Claire repeated calmly. "I assume this is about me keeping it from Dan?" she went on to inquire. Ember sighed after a bit of silence. "There is a lot that my master doesn't yet know about all of us," she said. "A lot that he still doesn't yet know about the world he now finds himself in. Some things, he will find out when the time is right and he is sufficiently prepared for it. Others..." "Are simply not his business to know," Claire finished off just as Ember was about to say. "Exactly," the phoenix replied. "Threats are not really my style, but I do believe you should know," Ember said turning to her. "Whatever devastation you have planned for your father, will seem like a joke compared to what I do to you if you ever tell Dan who I am," she warned. Claire turned and calmly regarded her. "I have lived as a killer right under the noses of people who would swear on their lives that they knew me," she said. "I know how to keep a secret, and besides," she added once again turning back to the western sky. "That is your secret to tell, not mine," she said. "If you want some unsolicited advice though," Claire went on. "I wouldn't keep him in the dark too long. I haven't gotten the chance to know Dan that well over the past four years of our shared time in high school, but even I can tell that he is a lot smarter than most. One way or the other he will piece the clues together, clues that even you and I might not see, and he will figure it all out; who you are, and whatever other secrets you and his other guardians are keeping from him," she said. "The question you and the others need to ask yourselves is, would you rather he find out, on your terms or that he find out on his own?" Claire posed, taking a step away from the phoenix. Ember stood watching as the hunter walked away. "Neither," she muttered with a sigh before bursting into flames and vanishing into thin air... ***************************** I know I promised to explain how Ember Athena Kirra and Karra can be three guardians in this chapter but if you are an author then you know, and if you are not, then ask any author and they will tell you that stories doont always go as you initially expected them to... I am however curious to see how this chapter will be received. I hope to post the next chapter in a week or so. I wrote a whole story, least you could do is leave a comment... Arwain Chronicles Ch. 05 Thirty three favourites, fifty four comments and five hundred and eighty six emails in the form of feedback!! (I archived each and every last one...) I can't tell you guys how much these figures mean to me!! As you already know there is no real payment for writing this story, what keeps me writing is the feedback I get from you guys. So I'd like to appreciate each and every last one of you who took the time to either send me their feedback, comment or even just favourite the previous chapter, it means a lot to me. I would also like to apologize to you guys for not posting this chapter a week after the previous one as I'd promised. Apparently, (contrary to what I initially believed...) the universe doesn't run on my schedule and had other ideas about how that week would go. I take my promises very seriously and I hope you guys are not too pissed over my not making good on that promise. From here on I will strive not to make any more promises. Now about the story, I have gotten all kinds of questions and emails from you guys, only problem is some of the questions were repeating what others had already asked, (after answering a question close to thirty times it does get kinda boring.) so I plan on putting up all the answers as a comment to this chapter, so to all those who emailed me their questions and anyone else who had questions of their own, be on the lookout for that comment. Much appreciation and love to Amour_Propre for her help in editing this story, you're just too precious. DISCLAIMER ALL CHARECTERS DEPICTED WITHIN THE STORY ARE EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. ***** Now, on to the good stuff... The Arwain Chronicles: Birth of a following ; New Students... Elly, as everyone called her, walked into the alpha's house; the new place they would call home, at least that is, till they moved again. Her jaws gritted hard as Greg's male scent hit her sensitive nose. Of all the werewolves in the pack he could have been son of, why did he have to be the son of her father's second in command. Immediately, without any real conscious thought to it, she shifted her movements to those of stealth. If she could help it, she would avoid having to meet the arrogant male. She turned down the hall that led to her room, her hand reached out for the handle of the door to her room. "Are we playing hide and seek?" her hand clenched into a tight fist an inch away from the door knob. Schooling her features to hide her annoyance, she turned to face him. "No Greg, I'm going to my room, we've just covered hundreds of miles in one run, moving here. I need some rest," she said turning back to her door. They had moved away from their previous territory after being there for the previous fifty years. Not that they had been pushed out of the territory by any other pack, but people started asking all the wrong kind of questions when after fifty years you till looked eighteen years. Being the strongest pack in the U.S, other packs would have to have a crazy alpha or a collective death wish to go against them. They did however, have to keep changing residence every fifty years to keep from being found out by the humans, this was the fifth change in residence she'd made since birth. Using any of the human means of transport would have raised unnecessary suspicion and directed unwanted attention to them. People would wonder why suddenly close to nine hundred people were moving to a town in the middle of nowhere, and that was the kind of attention the pack didn't need. The move had been made on foot, or on paws, whichever way you chose to look at it, a two day non-stop run across a fifteen hundred mile stretch from their previous home. "Don't tell me that that short run has little princess Elly all wiped out," Greg's smug voice was heard. Elly's jaws clenched tighter if that was even possible. In that one sentence he'd managed to do both things she hated most about him. She hated the way Greg took every chance he could get to brag, trying to remind everyone who cared to pay him two seconds worth of attention, that he was the strongest male among the younger members of the pack and most likely the next prospective alpha. The only thing she hated about him more than this, was the way he always found ways to insinuate or act like she was weaker than him. Being daughter to the alpha, she was the strongest female in the whole pack second only to her own mother. She was every bit as strong as he was, something that she knew he really hated to acknowledge or admit to anyone. "My name is Elliana," she replied her voice icy. "Whatever you say princess," Greg replied his voice teasing. "Is there any actual point to this conversation or are you simply short of females to pester?" she asked her glare meeting him straight in the eye. "I thought you knew it by now princess, I am never short of females, or in other areas for that matter," he spoke his voice smug. Elly turned and reached for the door knob once again. "Your father wants to see us all," she heard Greg's voice just as she was about to push open the door to her room. "Let Vicky know, won't you?" A growl escaped Elly's lips as she turned around and walked up to Greg, her irises had taken on the crimson red color of her wolf's eyes as it rose close to the surface, the color of an alpha wolf. "Call him that again, see if I don't rip out your throat right now," she dared him. Her claws were already drawn as she stood toe to toe with him, waiting to see if he was actually stupid enough to repeat his words. Greg wisely remained silent, even he knew when she wasn't joking. His eyes had also taken the red hue of his wolf, readying himself just in case she decided to attack anyway. She smiled internally, he might have been an arrogant prick, but even he knew better than to underestimate her. "It's okay Elly," she heard her older brother's voice from behind her as he exited his room. "Greg can't help acting like a bitch every now and then," he added walking up to them. Though it was very rare, it was possible that an omega be born out of an alpha mating, or an alpha be born out of two omegas mating. Her brother was the result of the former, an omega. The fact had been met with a lot of shock from the whole pack, taking into consideration that Raymond was the strongest alpha in the whole country, no one had seen this coming. Both their parents however had accepted the both of them just as they were and loved them regardless. Neither of them was given any special regard or treatment, both were trained just as hard as the other, punished just as hard as the other for mistakes made, and given the same kind of appreciation for their achievements as the other, something that she knew that, though he would never openly admit, her brother really appreciated. The growl now came from Greg as he turned a glare to her brother. "I'd like to hear you say that without little sister here to protect you," he growled. "Give us a minute Elly, Greg here needs a little lesson in the truths of life," her brother said without missing a beat. Once again, Elly found herself admiring her brother, despite being an omega as far as physical strength and abilities went, he had the brain and heart of an alpha. He respected everyone in the pack but feared none of them, she was yet to see him intimidated by anyone or anything. What she loved most about him however, was the way he always stood up to Greg. While all other younger males in the pack even those who closely matched his strength cowered away from confrontations with him, her brother took every opportunity Greg presented to show him that he would have better luck trying to intimidate a tree into moving. "Gregory, Victor, you can compare balls later, do not keep my mate waiting," her mother's firm voice was heard. "Yes Luna," was Greg's immediate reply as he took a step back from Victor. A smile crossed Victor's face as he turned to their alpha female of the pack. "Sure thing mother," he said. Elly was walking beside her brother as they walked through the doors to the large hall that would now be the pack's meeting hall. Moving to the front of the hall they both sat on either side of the two seats their parents would soon be seated in, facing the whole pack. Elly was seated on the left side, the side on which her mother would be seated, while Victor sat on the right next to where their father would soon be seated. At the very beginning she'd been uncomfortable about sitting at the very front of the whole pack in meetings, but now, more than two hundred years later she'd grown pretty used to it. Her eyes lazily roamed over the crowd seated before her. Seated in the front row on the side of the hall occupied by the younger members of the pack, as usual was Greg, surrounded by many of the young pack females. A smug expression on his face as he too regarded her, she had to fight the urge to roll her eyes as she moved on. Seated on the other end of the row was Carol, a beta, and her best friend. Elly knew perfectly well that Carol was attracted to Greg just as all the other young females in the pack seemed to be. The only reason she wasn't seated close him as she could get, as the other females were trying to do, was her loyalty to their friendship. Elly smiled at her appreciating the simple show of loyalty. Her eyes moved on to the other young pack males, majority of whose eyes were lustily fixed on her. Though some of them were actually really good looking, none of them really interested her in any way. They were all weaker than her, none of them had a chance in hell of dominating her. She'd at times complained to Carol about the unfairness of it all. The males that she actually liked, were too weak to dominate her, and the one pompous asshole that she couldn't stand, just so happened to be the only male to possess any kind of actual chance at dominating her. Not that Greg was not good looking, in another life she might have actually fancied him, but it was simply his attitude that totally put her off. Her gaze turned away from the drooling young males to the side of the hall where the more mature members of the pack were seated. Like father, like son, the words came to mind as her eyes found Greg's father, Rick, seated in the front row, looking supremely proud of his son. Unlike his son, however, he was seated next to his mate, Lorraine. Apart from the fact that the man seemed to forever be proud of his son, which Elly partly realized she couldn't fault him for, but chose to anyway, she actually liked the man. He was a simple man who was fiercely loyal to both the pack and her father, the alpha, and generally a fun person to be around. Of all pack members, Elly couldn't think of a better man her father could have chosen as a second in command. Apart from being the strongest beta in the pack, he was a lot smarter than most thought him to be at first glance. The packs betas were now strategically seated near all the entry and exit points to the hall ready to move into either defensive or offensive action at a moment's notice, Rick had trained them well. The rest of the pack members sat at the center of the hall behind the defensive lines that the betas had formed, the youngest of them, sitting at the very middle. All the murmuring in the hall died instantly. Elly turned her gaze to the entrance of the hall. Even for werewolves, her father was a huge man, standing at a height of close to six feet ten inches, he towered over everyone he'd ever met. But it wasn't his height alone that made him an intimidating figure. He was a large three hundred and forty pound killing machine made of pure muscle. Despite his size however, he still moved with the liquid grace of a deadly predator, one in whose sights none would ever want to be found as prey. Walking beside him was her mother, Alexandra or Lexy as only Elly's father called her. Despite being a lot shorter than her mate, she was one of the tallest females in the whole pack. Despite her ever stern expression when she was before other pack members, she was a gentle soul, until you crossed her, that is. Something their father always joked about finding out the hard way when he was still pursuing her trying to get her to be his mate. All eyes were now fixed on the floor, the back of the necks of all those in the hall exposed as a sign of submission as the two of them walked silently to the front of the hall. Only Elly and her brother looked directly at their parents as they walked to their seats, an allowance granted to no one else in the pack. Elly couldn't suppress the smile that crossed her face as her father allowed her mother to take a seat before he did, Despite being alpha of the strongest pack in the country, her father always found small ways to show his mate how much he loved her, he never behaved like he was above acting like a gentleman. There was silence in the hall as the seconds went by no one daring to do or say anything before the alpha allowed it. This was the normal beginning procedure of all meetings, a way for an alpha to hammer down and reassert his dominance over their pack, though his father hardly needed to do this, no one was even close to being crazy enough to challenge him for dominance. "Rise," came the deep bass baritone of her father's voice. All eyes in the hall turned to him as he once again rose from his seat to address them. "While I do realize that you are all tired from the move, and in sore need of rest and reacquainting yourselves with your mates," a short laugh broke out in the hall at his words. "There are a few important things I'd like to point out before we all settle in, the first and most important of which pertains to security." The hall went dead silent. "We are now in the same state as Arthur Ravencloft," though no one made a sound, eyes widened throughout the hall, the name wasn't a new one to anyone. "Yes, the same hunter that is responsible for wiping out whole packs on his own, and while many of you may have reservations about making a home in his turf, you all have nothing to worry as long as you stick to what I direct you to do. I will say this only once, and only once, if any one of you strays from my instructions and places the pack in danger in any way, then believe me when I say, the hunters will be the least of your worries," he warned. "As usual, we will be slowly and gradually integrating ourselves into the local population as we have always done. You can get your new fake documents and IDs from Rick, he will be directing you as to which businesses you'll be starting or which places you will be working in, and for the younger ones, which schools and what grades you will be joining. This time however caution has to go several notches up, no use of any of your werewolf powers anywhere outside the pack compound, whether it is, strength speed senses, or whatever other thing that makes you any different from the humans, all of those things are strictly forbidden unless your life is in mortal danger." "Secondly, no pack member is to leave the compound unaccompanied, have a friend or a beta take you wherever it is you wish to go. Keep on he look out for hunters and report back to the pack betas, to Rick, or directly to me if you see any, but do not, and I repeat do not confront any of them directly unless they attack you first. Lastly, I am not yet sure whether it is a human or creature with magic, that resides in this area, but I am picking up the vibrations of very powerful magic, we all know what this means, there is a lot more magic headed this way, so it is paramount that we be careful who we trust and who we associate with outside the pack.' 'No one, get me clearly, no one, is to go looking for the origin of these vibrations. And should any of you accidentally find it, I am the first person you make aware of this. We are the Raymond pack, our reputation has not been earned by any single one of us being a coward, but we are not going to go looking for trouble where none has been presented to us," there was a short pause in which her father's eyes surveyed the crowd before him. "Is all that I have said clear to all of you?" he asked. "Yes Alpha," the whole hall replied in unison. A tired sigh was heard by everyone in the hall as her father slumped back into his seat. "Then get lost," he said. A laugh broke out in the hall as the pack members rose and started leaving the hall. "Classic finish dad," Victor said still laughing as he too rose from his seat. Elly walked out of the hall with Victor just as she walked in, only this time Carol was with them. "What do you think it is, human or creature?" Carol asked. She had a natural curiosity that had more than once gotten her and Elly along with her, in trouble in the past. Victor paused causing both she and Carol to do the same, and look down at the lights from the town below them. Though the pack compound was on a hill overlooking the town below, it was still well hidden. None of them had to be down at the town looking up, to know that not even one of the many lights from the compound was visible from the town, this they all knew was the result of the strategic mind of Greg's father. "I don't know but I can't shake the feeling that our time here, won't be forgotten any time soon," he said a half smile on his face. "Whether in a good or bad way, I can't yet tell," he finished. Elly looked down at the town, wondering what kind of life this place would present. No one could yet explain why, but whenever her brother had 'feelings he couldn't shake' they had the, sometimes annoying, tendency to be accurate. "Whatever it is," all three of them jumped at the sound of her father's voice. At his size, it was still something the whole pack was amazed by, that Elly's father was the most advanced as far as stealth skills went. None of them had even heard him walking up to them. "I expect that you three will be keeping by what I have just instructed. You've had a knack for getting into trouble in the past and breaking some of my rules and I have been lenient because you two are my children and you are my daughter's best friend. But that same principle won't hold this time around. This time the danger the pack faces from any screw up is bigger than ever before, so you can be sure you will meet the full measure of my wrath if any of you try me. Is that clear to all of you?" This time even Elly and Victor were looking at the ground as they all answered, "Yes Alpha." "Caroline I know you have a natural born curiosity for digging into mysteries and finding out what you don't know. I hope you won't be indulging that curiosity this time," he went on. "Wouldn't even dream of it Alpha," she answered eyes fixed on the ground. "Good," her father said walking away. All of them kept their gazes fixed on the ground till her father was a good distance away before they finally raised them. Carol turned to the two of them eyes wide with incredulity as she asked, "he was being lenient?!" ***************************** The sole of her right rubber shoe touched town on the tarmac bringing the motion of the skate board under her other foot to a stop. She looked on at the lights from the town ahead of her. A sigh escaped her lips, another town, another beginning, another attempt at fitting in, another impending failure, inevitable disappointment, the thought string went through her mind. As far as being a misfit went, in her own opinion, and that of some in her past, she was the epitome of all misfits. She was a Goth tom boy, who just loved skate boarding, playing video games, could not for the life of her, understand what thrill other girls got from spending hour after hour going from shop to shop in the name of shopping. She was a computer wizard and a hacking genius recognized in the on-line hacking community, under her alias, Ghost girl, and the icing on the cake was that, she was a necromancer, and to make matters worse, an extremely powerful one at that. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 05 She looked down at the tattoos on her arms, almost all of her body was now covered in them, and soon all of it would. She was covered in various symbols, runes and some she had googled and found to be hieroglyphs. These weren't the works of any tattoo artist. The first one, the one on the back of her left hand, had first appeared on its own back when she was ten, about eight years ago. This marked the beginning of her life as both a misfit and necromancer. It was in the same year that her twin sister, Amy, died. Her healthy social life had taken a downward spiral from that point onwards. It just didn't sit well with people when you said that you had a tattoo that had somehow magically appeared on its own and that only you could see, or that you could still see your dead sister whom everybody knew was already dead. At first people had written it off as a way of her grieving her lost sister and seeking attention from those around her, but when three years later she still stuck true to her story, that had now transformed as the tattoos 'apparently according to her' now covered the whole of both her arms, sympathy quickly turned to ridicule and disapproval. At fourteen years of age, she completely stopped talking about her tattoos and the fact that she could see a whole host of people, that others claimed to already be dead. She did this in the hope of once again getting back to her normal social life but by then, the damage had already been done, she was now, 'that girl,' or 'the tattoo chick.' The fact that her parents were millionaires had only served to exacerbate the situation, as now people took every opportunity they could get to call her spoilt and melodramatic. Even those close to her seemed to be somehow conveniently ignoring the fact that her own parents didn't believe her, and that above all others they were the most disapproving of her. Once all her efforts proved fruitless, naturally she turned to the next best thing down from humans, computers. It was then that she discovered her talents in the area. The first time the tattoos had "talked" to her in a manner of speaking, she'd been at age fifteen. They were to go on a history field trip to the museum. She was standing at the entrance to the bus ready to go, when she suddenly couldn't get in. Not wanting to draw any kind of attention to herself, she'd tried to force herself to get into the bus, but the next step she took wasn't into the bus as she had intended, instead she found herself quickly moving away from the bus. "What is it Chloe," Mrs. Elizabeth's snappish tone was heard directing all the attention of the other students to her, it was as if they'd all been waiting for a reason to present itself, just to get an excuse to have a go at her. Mrs. Elizabeth was one of her least favorite teachers and she, one of Mrs. Elizabeth's least favorite students. She took keen pleasure in always pointing out to the rest of the class how inadequate attention back home could affect a student, using her as an example. Despite the fact that she'd not planned on saying anything - as in most cases, when she did, things only got worse- she found herself emphatically saying, "Don't go on this trip, something bad will happen." Sniggers, eye rolls, and out right mocking laughter had been heard throughout the bus and the small group of students that were yet to climb onto it. Mrs. Heather, who'd rolled her eyes, spoke up, "And I am guessing that, it's your tattoos that told you this." More laughter had broken out as Mrs. Elizabeth didn't even try to spare any effort to keep from smiling maliciously at her. Although the statement had been sarcastic, and had at the time really stung, she'd come to really appreciate it in times to come, she doubted she would have made the connection on her own for many more years to come. "Either you get on this bus right now, or you have a whole month's worth of detention waiting for you when I get back!" ... She never did. She'd spent the whole day in the library, when she got home she'd been surprised to find her parents seated in the living room of their mansion looking worried as they sat in front of the TV. Both of them had jumped up and ran to her and pulled her into a tight hug. "You had us worried sick, why weren't you answering your phone?" her mother had worriedly questioned. "I was at the library mom" she'd answered, her face contorted in confusion. "I had it turned off," she added remembering that she was yet to turn it back on. "Why, what's wrong?" she'd inquired. "Haven't you heard?" her father had asked, the relief on his face evident in spite of himself. It was then that she'd turned her head to the TV. 'BREAKING NEWS' the words had been written in bold near the bottom left corner of the screen as below it the shorter version of the story the anchor, who filled the rest of the screen, was reporting on. 'Truck crashes into bus' 'Bus crash kills three students and a teacher on the spot' 'Two students die on the way to hospital and one on arrival' 'Three in critical condition' She'd slumped into the nearest couch absolutely numb, there was no shred of doubt in her mind that had she been on that bus she would have been dead by now. She looked down at the tattoos on her arms half unbelievingly half gratefully. "Thank you," she'd murmured, before once again looking up at the screen. If she hadn't been enough of a freak already, she was one now. When she'd gone back to school the next day, she hadn't been prepared for the hateful accusing looks she received from the other students as she moved through the halls. Amid hateful stares she walked to her locker, she frowned as she looked at it, someone had sprayed onto it the word 'Murderer'. Choosing to ignore this she pulled it open to find a toy school bus dipped in and still dripping of red paint, with the tip of her pen she pushed it and let it fall to the floor. She'd gritted her teeth hard as she realized the rest of the inside of her locker and everything within it, was also covered in red paint. "You have some nerve showing your face around here," she'd turned away from the locker, to find Alicia, one of those that had been on the trip, her boy friend Mike, had been one of those who'd died on the spot. She now stood before her in an arm cast that ran all the way from her right shoulder and a neck brace. "You jinxed the trip," Alicia accused "I hope you are happy with the results," she spat venomously. "B... Bu... But I tried to warn you guys not to go," she'd stammered unbelievingly. "Oh, so now it's the fault of those who died that they did, is it? Is that what you..." the next string of words that left Alicia's lips had been lost on her as she stood unmoving both stunned and hurt at the unfairness of it all. It was in no way her fault that a truck had run into the school bus at an intersection, or that they had chosen not to heed her warning, neither was it her fault that she had gotten the premonition, it still wasn't her fault that she could see the dead, just as much as it wasn't her fault that she had tattoos on her body that no one else could see apart from herself. They had all ostracized and victimized her for things she had, absolutely no part in and absolutely no way of preventing from happening since she was ten, when all she'd ever been guilty of was telling the truth. A cold, harsh, high pitched laugh filled the hallway, which went dead silent, as everyone in it looked at her, at a loss at her reaction. She was done playing the good girl that let everyone walk over her, she in that moment, finally accepted the fact that she would never really become part of them, ever again. She took a step forward to the still stunned Alicia and with a voice colder than liquid nitrogen, she spoke, "If you meet an idiot on a path and tell that idiot that, there's a very deep hole ahead, and if you keep following this path, you will fall into it and die. And that idiot keeps following that path and surely as you warned they fall into the hole and die, then yes," she spat rancidly. "In my book, it's the idiot's fault that they are dead. So yes, that is exactly what I am saying," She was expelled later that same day. She'd refused to join any other school and had opted for home tutoring. Over the period that was to follow, she'd learned to trust in the directions her tattoos gave her. Also in that period the clarity of messages she received from them greatly increased, moving from a feeling she just had, to somehow, knowing exactly what she was supposed to do, or in some cases and situations, what she was not supposed to do. Sometimes this involved a very elaborate set of steps and things she was to do in very precise ways and in exact measures. She'd learnt the elaborate art of necromancy from the ever increasing number of tattoos on her body. From the spells, to the hand movements, to the symbols and runes, to the potions she'd require in self defense, offence, summoning spirits, linking spirits to herself, to the spells she would require to help spirits move on to the next plane. At age sixteen, she became orphaned. She'd once again gotten the warning of impending death from her tattoos, she'd begged her parents not to get into the car and go for another of their many joint business trips. She'd clung onto her father's leg while on her knees begging them not to go, when that didn't work she'd turned to her mother and tried to convince her to make the trip the next day. As a last and final resort, she'd run into the house and gotten her father's shotgun and ran back out and pointed it at her own chest and told them that if they got into the car she would pull the trigger. She sometimes laughed at the memory of what had happened next. Her own mother had actually walked up to her and slapped her, hard. "Stop acting like a child and put the gun back where you found it," were the last words her mother had ever said to her before turning and walking back to the car, getting in, and both she and her father driving off to their own deaths. She'd shed no tears when the police pulled up to her house and informed her that her parents had been involved in a grizzly accident, and that they were both dead, neither had she cried when she'd been at the mortuary identifying their bodies or at least what was left of them. People had wondered at her plain, emotionless face at their funeral, even the priest had seemed unnerved by it. Her eulogy for the both of them had comprised of only one sentence; 'They should have listened'. She'd inherited everything, the millions they both had in their accounts, the properties and assets worth millions that they both owned and the multimillion dollar worth companies and co-operations in which they were C.E.Os. She'd liquidated everything and now had the sum of close to nine hundred and seventy million dollars sitting in a bank under her name that she had barely ever used. After selling the house she'd grown up in and known as home for the whole of her life, the last thing on her list, she'd laughed at the thought that she was probably the only homeless millionaire in the world. After that she'd been drifting around since. She'd joined and gotten expelled from four different high schools, as she tried to complete her high school education. Not that she was worried about her future, she was all set, but her parents had always taught her never to underestimate what the right kind of knowledge could achieve when put to good use. That, and the fact that her tattoos had also directed to join the various high schools she'd been in. She had the impression that they were and therefore she, by extension, searching for something or someone but had no idea who or what it was. She studied the tattoos closely, they never really changed in any physical way, but somehow whenever they had a message for her, she could get it simply from looking them over again. She looked up from her arms, back to the town, she was at the right place. "Eight years after your death and you are still stalking your sister," she said out aloud to the empty air. "Not that I don't enjoy your really creepy presence, but, you really need to get a life, no offence," she added with an easy smile. Feeding energy to the ghostly ten year old form of her dead twin sister, she turned to it just as it became visible owing to her energy. "Being dead doesn't mean I can't look out for my younger sister," the ghost replied. "I came out only two and a half minutes after you, that doesn't count as me being younger than you," she replied through gritted teeth with a smile still on her face. The two of them had argued over this very same topic from ever since they gained the ability to talk. It was her twin sister's, sisterly way of picking on her and annoying her. In spite of herself, she took bait every time. "Whatever floats your boat little sis," the ghost replied. "But I have two and a half more minutes of wisdom than you will ever have," she added smiling at the sharp gaze her sister was directing at her. "I am neither younger nor smaller than you," she shot at the ghost of her elder sister though part of her was wondering why she still even ever bothered. "For the life of me, I can't figure why I haven't sent you to the next plane already," she added turning away from the ghost of her sister and pushing herself forward on the skate board with the leg that had been on the tarmac. "Now where in the world would you be without my two and a half minutes of wisdom," she heard the fading form of her sister ask causing a smile to cross her face. ***************************** Dan sat back in the driver's seat of the Lamborghini in the parking lot of the school. "This is the same freakin' school you've been attending for the past four years, same students, same classes and same old teachers, get a grip damn it," he murmured to himself a bit annoyed at his own nervousness. A lot had happened in the week since he'd freed Claire from the spell her own father had put on her to control her. His mind went back through it all as he waited. Ember had reappeared from taking Claire back (to where she should have been, if no suspicion was to be directed at where she'd actually been) to meet the silence that had engulfed them four who'd remained behind. Dan hated the fear he could sense coming off the other three, did they really think he would ever knowingly hurt any of them? But then, he'd done it, he'd hurt Athena, who though could have gone about what she'd been trying to do in a whole list of better ways, was still in her own way just trying to help him. Ember had walked over to and taken a seat in the chair opposite to him and turned to calmly regard him. She would never understand how much he, in that moment, appreciated to have one of them look at him without fear or resentful hate in their eyes. "She's gone back to the hunters, hopefully our trust won't blow back in our faces," she'd reported. "I highly doubt she will be, in any way, inclined to help the hunters, much less by betraying us," Dan had replied no shred of doubt in his mind that Claire wouldn't betray them. Ember had regarded him for a while as if deciding if he was in the right frame of mind to hear the next words. "You do realize that the longer you procrastinate, what you know you have to do, the more danger you put your family in, don't you?" Dan's jaws had clenched hard. Despite the fact that he'd known this conversation was coming sooner or later, he'd been hoping it would come much later, but after he'd seen Jim snoring on the floor as he left the house, he'd known that there no way of avoiding it any longer. He'd remained silent and let Ember go on. "This time you were lucky that it was a hunter that had come after you and that she didn't consider Jim a liability," she'd said. "To others who will come after you in future, either through Jim or your mother, the same may not hold true. Soon as their usefulness is outlived, then they become liabilities, their lives will be forfeited." Dan's fingers had clenched into tight fists at her words as the truth in them made his rage flare once again. "Let them try," he'd found himself saying, the palpable ire in his voice, visibly making the other three in the room apart from Ember, uncomfortable. "Believe me when I say, they will," Ember had calmly replied. "And I can assure you right now that you won't always be around to protect them," she'd added. "Eventually, one of those attempts will succeed," she'd finished off. Dan had gone silent for long moments his mind looking for a counter-argument but not finding any. "So what do we do?" he'd finally asked her, despite the fact that he knew perfectly well what she was about to say. "Cut all ties, permanently." she'd said with absolute finality in her voice. "Erase any and all links you have with them and make sure that no other person can link you to them. We'll have to completely wipe the memory of who you are, from your brother, mother and everyone else in this town," she'd explained, her voice maintaining its calm quality. "You will have to become the total stranger who just recently moved into town." He'd already known that it would come to this or something close, but hearing her say the words was like hearing the sound of a judge's gavel. "Can I at least say goodbye," he'd asked after a stretch of silence. "You are free to do whatever it is you want Dan. But if you want my advice, it will be a lot easier not to," she'd replied. "They won't remember your goodbye, you only want to because you want closure. It would be best if you drew your closure from knowing that they were safe. The longer you delay this, the more risk you expose them to," Ember had advised. Dan had finally let out a sigh after gazing blankly at the air before him for a long while. "Then do it," he relented. Although the thought of never ever being able to seeing his mother, and surprisingly enough, even his brother, was not in any way a welcome thought, Dan knew he would never be able to forgive himself if either one of them got hurt or worse, because of him. "There is one other thing I've been meaning to ask," he'd finally spoken up just before Ember once again vanished. All the four of them, even Athena, had turned their attention to him waiting to hear whatever it was he needed from them. "I need you guys to train me," he'd said. His request had been met with silence. It was obvious, even to him, that of all the things they'd expected him to ask of them, this hadn't been one of them. "It occurred to me today, when Claire walked into my room, that, had you guys not been there, I would have been totally defenseless against her. I may be powerful and all, but without any real skill in magic, then I am just a toddler with a really big sword in his hand," he'd gone further to say. "If I really am going to be any kind of use to humanity, then I need you guys to help me," he'd said. Ember had been the first one to recover from the shock of his request. Dan had watched as a smile slowly crossed her features, she seemed to actually be genuinely proud of him. "We will begin tomorrow," had been her simple answer as she once again burst into flames and vanished. After she was gone Dan had almost gotten up, ready to go home when he suddenly realized that he was home, at least he was in what would be his home for the foreseeable future. The realization had hit him like a ton of bricks and suddenly he'd dreadfully missed his family. Steeling himself, he'd gotten up and turned to walk out of the room, he'd felt the urge to ask the other three to join him so he wouldn't feel so alone but had decided against it, their fear would only serve to agitate him further. "Good night," he'd said quietly before walking out of the room. He'd headed straight for the master bedroom, Athena had shown to him in the tour of the place they'd given him, pulling the covers over himself, he'd closed his eyes hoping to lose himself to the oblivion of sleep as quick as he could. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 05 When the first rays of the Saturday morning sun hit his face, it had contorted in both reaction to the light and confusion. Dan felt other warm bodies in the bed with him on either side of him. He blinked several times trying to adjust to the light. Dan was sleeping on his side sandwiched between the new occupants that he could feel were present in the bed with him. When they'd finally adjusted, Dan's eyes first found red hair that he knew only belonged to one person or more accurately, one demon, Athena. At some point in the night he must have circled his hands around her as he'd been holding her close to him his hands around her mid-riff. From the long jet black hair falling over his shoulder and the side of his neck the last two inches of which reminded him of flames, he'd known the warm breath he felt at the nape of his neck belonged to Ember. He could see Kirra's sleeping form on the side he was facing just in front of Athena and from the sound of two mismatched breathing rhythms behind him he knew Karra must have been sleeping behind Ember. It was only as Athena shifted in her sleep that Dan became acutely aware of the fact that his dick was hard and was right now caught in between her butt cheeks. Dan had had to bite his tongue to keep from groaning out loud as Athena unknowingly pushed her ass harder into his already aching cock. It was only then that he'd noticed that Athena and Kirra were naked, he could feel Ember's naked form against form against his body, and part of him told him that if he turned he would find Karra in the same state of dress as her twin. The words 'caught between a rock and a hard place' had come to mind, except that he'd been the one who was rock hard, caught between two very soft buns. Athena shifted again, her unconscious mind could probably feel something hard pressing against her and was trying to reposition her body in an attempt to find a comfortable position. This however, only worsened situation for him, as his cock sunk in between her luscious thighs, his sensitive head sending jolt of pleasure throughout his whole body as it rubbed against her thighs. Even without trying, the sex demon was bringing him unimaginable pleasure. He could feel the heat of her sex as his head came to a rest at its entrance. Dan, against every impulse and desire within him remained totally still, he'd already wronged Athena once, he wasn't going to do it again by taking advantage of her while she was sleeping. For the next ten minutes or so, his will and resolve had been put to the test as Athena every now and then made minute adjustments in her sleeping position that caused her thighs to rub against each other with his cock caught in between, it had been sweet torture. "You can't honestly be that clueless," Athena's had suddenly spoken causing Dan to momentarily feel like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar... Her cookie jar. "Oh come on Athena," Ember's voice had been heard. "You could have at least let him suffer a bit longer," Dan hadn't had to turn to her to know that there was a smile on her face. "Yeah," Kirra spoke up her voice her eyes opening as a smile crossed her expression. "It was fun feeling him trying to maintain control over his lust and keep from taking you," she'd said a sly gleam glowing in her eyes. "Wait, so you were awake this whole time?" Dan had asked once his mind had fully processed their words. "I'm a demon Dan, I don't sleep," she'd answered simply. "I may occasionally require rest but not sleep," she'd answered turning in the bed to face him. Dan couldn't have stopped himself from groaning out loud even if he had tried as Athena's hand reached beneath the covers and take hold of his still rigid pole and replaced it between her warm thighs and left it there as she looked up at him smiling. Mustering all of his self control, Dan had forced himself to maintain his composure even and Athena's simple ministrations brought him more pleasure than all the sessions he'd had with his right hand put together. "S... So does this mean I am forgiven?" he'd asked hoping they could put what had happened behind them. "No," Athena had answered. "As I said Dan, I'm a demon, it is not in my nature to forgive," she'd informed him. "Your great grand pa however, put a spell on me that prevents me from being able to actually do anything to you. I am bound to you, to serve your every whim and desire, how I feel towards you is irrelevant to the spell, so brooding over what you did, is a waste of both time and energy," she'd said emotionlessly. Dan had remained silent for a while as her words went through his mind. "It's not, not to me," he'd finally said after a stretch of silence. "I care how you all feel towards me," he'd added quietly. "Having you guys afraid of me or hating me, hurts me way more than it should after less than only one week of knowing you guys," he'd admitted. "Do you know how many of our masters have punished Athena in one way or the other, since we were trapped in the box by lord Arwain?" He'd heard Ember ask from behind him as her arms circled his torso. Dan had remained silent. "Every single last one of them," Ember had gone on. "She's a demon, they are rebellious creatures by nature. They have little to no regard at all for rules or those that get hurt so long as at the end of the day they get what they want, so naturally, she has gotten on the wrong side of all our previous masters. But demons are creatures born out of a realm of unimaginable pain and suffering, and before they can cross over to this realm, they must first overcome and master that pain, when they finally do very few things can intimidate or actually hurt them. One of our previous masters, a man called Eldor Brenon, had actually tied her to a pyre and set it alight," a small mirthless chuckle had escaped Ember's lips as the memory went through her mind. "She laughed through it all, till all the wood was ashes around her. None of our former masters has ever managed to get even a wince out of her. So for you to have her begging for mercy at your feet without even raising a finger..." Ember had gone silent as the magnitude of what he'd done began to dawn on Dan. "Of all of us, not even I can withstand the kind of pain she can. I don't know exactly what it is you were doing but, you weren't simply burning her as it seemed to appear. What you were doing surpasses all kinds of torture known to this realm of existence. The fear you could feel coming from us, is what had overflowed after we'd clamped down hard on the full measure of our fear, you have enough power to break any one of us at any time you so please Dan. We fear you, not because we cannot or haven't been feeling through our bond with you that, you have and still are beating yourself up over what happened and what you did, we are afraid of what will happen the next time you lose yourself to the rage that apparently is a part of you." Silence had engulfed the room following Ember's words. Dan hadn't had to check his bond to them to know that the other four were dreading the thought and even more, the possibility that the next time it happened, they might be the target of his wrath. "I hurt you that much," it had been more of a statement than a question. His self disgust had fast risen to newer heights that he'd never before fathomed he could ever feel towards himself. "It was the first time in the seventy thousand years of my existence on this realm, that I'd wished I was back in the realm I was born in," Athena had replied. At that point it had clicked in Dan's mind why Athena had sounded haunted by something when she'd talked of there being an infinite number of worlds between in inch and the next, she'd been remembering the realm of her birth. The thought ate at his insides like acid as he realized that his actions had replaced her home realm in being the thing that haunted her the most. "I give my word to all of you, I will never again let my rage harm any of you," he'd sworn meaning every word. "Until you have full control over you rage, then you can't truthfully make us that promise, no matter how much you mean it in your mind," Ember had quietly replied. "Wow," Athena had spoken up in a bored voice after a stretch of silence. "You guys know how to efficiently kill a mood," she'd said rising from the bed. The rest of them had followed suit but only Dan had remained behind getting dressed. "So the others and I had a talk yesterday," Ember had spoken up during breakfast in the dining hall of the castle. They'd been seated on one end of the long table that looked capable of comfortably holding about fifty diners. Dan had come down to find the table was already set and breakfast served. He looked up to Ember from the head of the table waiting for her to elaborate further. "About your training," she'd said. "We will be dividing it into three parts, both Kirra and Karra will be helping you exercise and get into shape before they move on to teach you some of the skills they excel in that you may need in future, Athena will be training you in hand to hand combat and fighting with various weapons, which, I should add, she happens to be very proficient in and finally I, will be taking you through magic, spell cas6ting, the making of potions and all other facets pertaining to magic. But first, for us to be able to train you to the best of our ability, we need something from you," Ember had said. "What?" Dan had asked looking up at her. "The permission to do whatever it takes to help you become the most powerful wizard that ever lived." Dan's hand had paused in the air midway to his open mouth. His eyes moved from Ember, who was seated closest to him on the right side of the table from where he sat, to Kirra who was seated next to Ember, on to Karra who was seated opposite her twin sister, and lastly on to Athena who was seated closest to him on the left side of the table, opposite to Ember, in all their eyes he could see anticipation and a gleam of sly pleasure, the gleam being brightest in Athena's eyes,. They all sat awaiting his reply. Dan was in no way an idiot, he'd known that by allowing them to do what it was they were requesting he would be putting himself through torture of a new kind. "You have it," he'd finally answered knowing perfectly well that they could all quite clearly hear the accelerated beat of his heart. Despite the fact that everything within him was screaming that this was a very bad idea, Dan knew that babying himself wasn't a much better way to go, not if he hoped to make it out of this whole thing alive. Dan watched as the gleam that had been in their eyes slowly leak down to their lips as they all gave smiles that had him swallowing hard. "Well then, that settles that," Ember had said smiling. "Kirra and Karra will be training with you first followed by Athena then lastly me, this will be the routine for now, however the times in the day and the order of training sessions is subject to impromptu change without prior notice as we see fit," Dan had already been regretting his decision as he listened to Ember's instructions. At least the session he least dreaded was the one beginning, he'd thought trying to remain positive. Two hours later, Dan had been lying on the ground, his lungs burning, every muscle in his body aching as he panted like a dog. 'Two minutes are up,' he heard Karra's voice in his head, just as the growl of the two tigers behind him filled the air, quickly getting up from the ground, Dan shot off as fast as he could, not wanting to get caught as he'd been the last sixteen times. The claw marks all over his body giving him a pretty good idea of what would happen if the two weretigers behind him caught up to him once again... Dan had almost been crawling on his knees by the time he got to Athena's training session. Every muscle in his body was screaming murder at whoever had thought that working out with two weretigers would be a good idea. Using every bit of will power he had, he'd forced himself to stand up straight and look forward at Athena. A brow rose high on his face as he noticed Ember taking a seat beside the area he assumed they would be training in. "I'll be here only to aid in instructing you. While Athena is good at demonstrating, she isn't the best of instructors," Ember had said noticing his gaze. "Plus, she's here to stop me, just in case I go overboard?" Athena had added giving Dan a predatory gaze. "Uum... Overboard?" Dan had found himself weakly repeating. Athena's smile only widened. "First off, before we begin," Athena had raised her both her hands her palms open. Dan watched as she conjured from thin air, a lighter in her right hand and in her left hand, a scalpel. "There are two kinds of fighters in the world," she'd begun. "Scalpels, and flames," she'd said opening the lighter to reveal the flame. "Vampires tend to fight as scalpels, while weres are most of the time are more inclined to fight like flames. The scalpel is a cold but very precise surgical tool." Athena began her explanation holding up the scalpel to him. "Likewise vampires tend to be cold hearted and ruthless when they fight. They excel in the ability to totally separate themselves from their emotions when in battle," she related. A white cloth with a black spot in the middle appeared before her and in less than two seconds, using the scalpel Athena reduced it to ribbons leaving only the middle part with the black spot. "On the other end of the spectrum, we have the weres, who, while they suffer the complete inability to separate themselves from their emotions as they fight, can be just as efficient and ruthless in a fight," as the other cloth, or more accurately the ribbons it had been reduced to, vanished a new whole piece of cloth appeared in its place. Dan watched as Athena watched as Athena brought the flame from the lighter to one of the lower end corners of the piece of cloth. "The difference between the two of them is how they respond to and treat their emotions when in battle. While the vampires tend to be efficient in their method, their total lack of emotions makes them only a fraction of how efficient and deadly they would be when in battle if they had emotions. And while you wouldn't wanna be the unlucky soul that sparks the rage of a were, their total inability to control their emotions makes the way they fight more like a fire," Athena said as all three of them watched the cloth burn to ashes in mid air. "While it will consume everything in its path, it is incapable of any kind of any precision in how it tackles its enemy." Dan watched as the flames consumed the spot at the center of the cloth. "To be a good fighter you need to be able to merge the two," Athena stated. They watched as a third piece of cloth appeared, Athena set one of the lower corners of the cloth alight with one hand while the other hand cut out the black spot at the center in one swift movement. "Have the deadly precision of a scalpel and the cold ruthlessness of a flame," she'd instructed. "Don't you mean the scorching ruthlessness of a flame," Dan had found himself asking. "No, I mean the cold ruthlessness of a flame," Athena replied. "A flame has no preference or discriminate, it is not tied down by emotion, It will burn a child just the same as it will burn wood, it has no regard for why, it does as it was designed to do no questions asked," A chill went through Dan at her words. From the look in her eyes, he'd known that none of what she'd just said had any emotional significance to her neither did it affect her in any way. "If you are going to be a fighter of any kind, then you need to master your emotions. Use them to your advantage make them into as much a weapon as any blade, claw or fang out there. If you let them drive you and you will be blinded by them, separate yourself completely from them and you lose a weapon, one that at one point, may be the difference between whether you live through a fight or not" Athena had said. Dan had turned to look to Ember, "I thought you said she isn't very good at instructing," Whether Ember had immediately answered or had waited till he got up from the ground Dan didn't know but soon as he'd finished asking the question Athena's knuckles had connected with the side of his face literarily throwing him off his feet, he'd flown three feet backwards before landing hard on the ground. "Lesson one, your enemy won't send you a memo," he'd vaguely heard Athena's voice as he dazedly rose to his feet once again. "What she means to say is, always be on your guard Dan, this is the magic world, not all threats are visible or even in the same geographical location as you are," he heard Ember's voice. "Never assume safety," Ember had explained... By the time Dan was through with Athena's lesson, he was convinced that he had more bruises and wounds on him, than all he'd ever gotten prior to that point put together. Ember had been right, Athena's way of explaining a concept to him, was by actually doing it on him. Despite what Athena had said and what he'd found himself so many times wishing for throughout the session, Ember had not at any point intervened or stopped Athena. Hers had only been a vocal role throughout the whole session. Dan looked up at the forms of both Ember and Athena from the ground, as they both stood over him looking down at him. A Cheshire cat's smile on Athena's face, "Not bad for a first lesson," she'd said. "What are you talking about? All you did was use me as your punching bag," Dan had replied from the ground, feeling pain from more parts of his body than he'd actually known he had. "And a fine punching bag you made," Athena had replied her smile widening. "I hadn't expected you to make it all the way to the end of the session still conscious," she'd went on to say. Dan had smiled at the genuine note of respect he'd heard in Athena's voice. His elation at the compliment however had been short-lived as he heard her next words. "I guess I'll have to try harder next time," Athena had said the predatory gleam back in her eyes as she smiled at him. "You may rest for the next hour, after which you are to meet me back here for the your last training session for the day," he'd heard Ember say. Letting out a tired sigh, Dan had tiredly replied, "Don't mind if I do." Before letting his head fall to the ground and closing his eyes. Ember had woken him up from that same spot an hour later, for his next training session. Dan had felt like he was more tired after resting than he'd been before. Despite his fatigue however, Dan had been looking forward to the magic lesson. "Unlike the others," Ember had began, "We won't be doing anything too advanced or strenuous." Dan had felt a bit disappointed, he'd hoped he could learn some powerful spells from her. A smile had crossed Ember's face. "Believe me, when we do finally get to the complex stuff, you'll wish we'd stuck to the basics," she'd said a knowing look in her eyes. "The first thing I want to teach you is, sensing magic," she'd said. "As I said earlier, not all threats in the magic world are visible, others in the magical world are masters of illusion and disguise. Being able to sense it when magic is near you, is an essential skill that you will require," Ember had instructed. "So how do I sense it?" Dan had asked seeing the sense in her words. "Look inside of you," she'd replied. "You have magic within you, first, explore how that feels to you." Dan's eyes had drifted closed as he directed all his senses inwards. "Energy," was all he could say as that was the closest thing he could relate it to. "It feels like raw power, or at least what I imagine raw power would feel like, I guess," he'd said not sure that he was doing a good job of explaining what he was feeling. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 05 "Magic feels different to every individual," Ember had said, Dan knew she could feel his uncertainty through the bond they shared and was reassuring him. "To me it feels like heat. Except not that of fire, a different kind of heat, hard to explain," the uncertainty in Ember's voice as she tried to relate to him what magic felt like to her, reassured Dan a bit. "A clear description of how magic feels to you however, is not important, what is of consequence is that you would be able to know how magic would feel like to you, if you were to encounter it," Ember had gone on to say as Dan opened his eyes. "Now the real test begins," as she'd said the words, Ember's form had faded till it was no longer visible. 'In my hand is a blade,' Dan had heard Ember's voice in his head. 'Your task is simple, sense where I am before I strike and evade,' he'd heard her instruct him. "Now how am I supposed to do that?" Dan had questioned the air. 'Simple,' Ember's voice had resounded in his head. 'The same way your nose can pick scents from sources you can't see, the same way you ears can hear things you can't see. Your mind is panicking right now because you can't see me, but the sense for magic doesn't need your eyes Dan. Simply calm yourself and try to find that raw power you felt within you, around you.' Ember had explained in his head. 'At the end of every minute from now, I will strike, do your best not to end up with too many cuts,' Ember had informed him. Dan had taken a deep breath trying to calm himself and let his own eyes drift closed. It had been seventy four cuts later, when he finally successfully evaded being cut by Ember's blade, then another fifteen cuts before he did it again. Dan had been aware that he was smiling like an idiot as he evaded all Ember's strikes. It had taken a total of one hundred and two cuts on his body but he'd finally gotten the concept. It had been the first session that he'd actually enjoyed that day. The intervals between strikes had reduced till it was only five seconds. Ember's ability to teleport had made it quite a challenge as in the span of only five second Ember managed to soundlessly disappear and reappear from totally unexpected directions. Dan had actually appreciated the challenge and done his best to match it, the only time Ember managed to get another cut on him was when she'd vanished and reappeared in the same exact spot. Five hours later Ember had a smile on her face as she became visible once again. "Wow, is our master actually smiling after a training session?" she'd asked teasingly causing Dan to smile even wider. "Now that you have an Idea of what to do," Ember had gone on. "The task that you need to next tackle is this, every five minutes I want you to spread out your senses and sense for magic around you," She'd instructed him. "The reason for this," she'd replied to the puzzled expression that had crossed his face. "Is that, this skill needs to be something that is almost an unconscious habit to you. Once again I warn, never assume safety. At all times you need to be aware of the magic around you Dan, so every five minutes and less once you can manage the five minute intervals." Dan had nodded his agreement already spreading out the new sense for magic. "That will be all for today then," Ember had then said smiling at him. It was the first training session that Dan was disappointed to hear was over. Dan turned towards the passenger seat of the Lamborghini just as Ember materialized from thin air. "It's done," she reported. Dan had spent the previous week within the castle being trained as Ember wiped the memory of his existence from everyone in the town. Apparently the process was not as easy as Dan had first thought it to be. Ember had explained that simply erasing the memory of his existence would leave holes in the memories of people, and that any foe who came looking for him, with the ability to delve into people's minds would find and be able to trace the pattern of people with the memory blanks to the center which was his former home, where his family still lived. Apparently the more experiences others had had with him the bigger the blanks in their memories there would be, the blanks would grow increasingly larger the closer to the home he'd known for his whole life, one got. Those that lived closest to him were the ones with the most experiences with him, meaning that if one was keen on the size of the blank left, they would end up at his house as his own family was the one with the most amount of experiences shared with him. Ember had been modifying the memory of anyone who'd so much as even just glanced at him in passing and switching him out for someone else in their minds. Ember appeared in the passenger seat of the car. "It's done" she reported. Dan turned his gaze back to the school before him. "They are now expecting the arrival of a new student, Daniel O'Brien," Ember informed him. "It had to be done," Ember said when Dan silently regarded the school without a word in response. "I know," Dan quietly replied with a sigh. "But all of my existence has been scraped from every person I have ever known, if I were to die right now, it would be as if I had never existed, no one would mourn me or even miss me," he said suddenly acutely aware of how alone he felt. "I would do both," Ember said. With his gaze fixed to the school in front of him, Dan missed the look of absolute shock that crossed Ember's face as she regarded him unbelievingly. "Thank you," Dan said smiling at the school before him. "Wait," Dan spoke up as something else occurred to him. "You may have wiped the memory of my existence from this town," He said turning to her. "But there is still a paper trail and digital records that show that I existed. My birth certificate and such," he said. A smile crossed Ember's expression as she replied, "All hard copy records of your existence are already taken care of, and soon as I have refined my hacking skills enough, the digital records will be gone too," she replied. A brow rose high on Dan's face. "Refine your hacking skills?" He reiterated. Her smile widened. "I am a phoenix Dan, do you realize how much information is being kept from me by the government and the big co-operations?" she asked simply. "You sound like a supernatural conspiracy theorist," Dan replied laughing. From the way she'd said it, Dan knew that she wouldn't stop until she had all the information she wanted. "I've got to get this over and done with sooner or later, might as well get it over with," Dan said looking back at the school with a smile. "See you in the evening," Ember said with a smile before vanishing from the passenger seat no doubt headed back to the castle. Taking a deep sigh to calm himself, Dan without any real conscious thought to it spread out his sense scouring for magic in the area immediately around him as he got out of the Lamborghini. He could only pick up one other person within the school with magic apart him, No doubt Claire was the one. Dan's eyes widened as he pushed the door of the car closed, he'd been about to stop sensing for magic around him when they appeared. It was like a radar that was clear except for one blip, suddenly being filled by close to twenty other blips. "Coming through," Dan heard a feminine voice warn out aloud. Turning towards the source, Dan barely managed to jump aside in time, as a girl on a skate board zipped past him. Dan watched her as she maneuvered herself off the skate board, kicking it up into the air, grabbing hold of it with her tattoo covered hand and running up the stairs into the school building without breaking momentum. She was one of the blips he was sensing, something about her magic caused chills to run down his spine. Over the week he'd spent at home, Ember had taught him how to distinguish different kinds of magic. He could now tell whether it was Ember or Athena or one of the twins simply by sensing their magic as they got close to him. However, the fact that they were the only ones with magic around him, had limited the kinds of magic he could distinguish between, as of the moment he could only tell that of a weretiger a phoenix and a succubus apart. Whoever the girl was she had a new kind of magic that he was yet to identify. It was only as Dan watched her disappear through the doors to the school building, that he realized that another of the blips had gotten really close to him. Turning quickly Dan found himself face to face with an blonde girl with blue eyes that matched the color of the ocean, she was quite attractive. She was eyeing him in a curious way, as if he was something that both she wanted to know more about yet was wary of. Dan was sure she couldn't sense his magic as he was still wearing the chain Ember had given him to mask his powers while he was out and about. Yet something about the way the girl was eyeing him, left him with no doubt at all the she knew he had magic. Despite the fact that he couldn't yet identify what kind of magic hers was, there was a predatory quality to it. Instinct or whatever it was, Dan didn't know, but something told him the girl before him was not to be underestimated in any way. After about thirty seconds of silently regarding him, she wordlessly walked around him and walked up to the school building and entered it. The blonde walked into the school building just as four other cars pulled into the parking lot with the bulk of the blips he'd sensed as he was scouring for magic. Dan watched as all sixteen doors to the four cars opened and out of them climbed out a whole group of teenagers that seemed to range from fourteen years of age to eighteen. Something about their magic reminded him of the twins. Out of the car that had led the rest as they'd pulled into the parking lot, came two guys and two chicks all of whom seemed to be eighteen years of age. "One more second in there with him and I swear I would have ripped out his throat, damn the consequences," he heard the taller of the two chicks say. "Calm down Elly," he heard the other chick say. "He wasn't all that bad," the other chick added. The first chick, Elly, as the other chick had called her, turned a murderous glare to the chick at her side. "You're my friend Carol, but I will snap your neck if you ever say that to me again," From the smile on Carol's face Dan could tell she was used to her threats. "Can I help you?" while listening to the two chicks, Dan had not noticed the guy who now stood towering above him, everything about him from his posture to the gleam in his eyes looking dangerously territorial. Dan didn't know how, but he knew that, he didn't like the fact that he'd been paying as much attention as he'd been to the two chicks who'd now turn to regard him. "Are you really that insecure Greg?" Elly asked, the annoyance in her voice barely veiled. Surprisingly enough, Dan felt no fear, after one week of being the victim of Athena's and the twins' training sessions, this guy didn't even come close to causing him any fear. Plus even with the few spells he'd learnt from Ember he felt confident he could take him on if he attacked him. "No," he replied calmly and with one last glance at the two chicks who were now eyeing him curiously he turned and walked up to and into the school building. Elly's POV Elly looked at the guy who'd just walked away from the expensive looking car (she'd never been interested cars or the models they came in,) She couldn't help the smile on her face. Greg was an imposing figure and when he so chose to, he could be a threatening figure, but the guy who'd just walked away hadn't showed any kind of fear even as Greg tried to make it clear that she was out of bounds to him. Humans, especially the males, usually tried to hide their fear, but their sensitive noses could usually pick the acrid scent that filled the air when they were afraid, the air was clear, even Greg seemed surprised. "Impressive Greg, very impressive. I don't think I could have done better myself," Victor's amused voice was heard. The shock passed and Greg turned a murderous glare to victor. "The only reason you even have the balls to say that is because your baby sister is here," he spat. "Call me a baby one more time Greg," Elly growled dangerously. Despite the glare she was sending him however, Elly couldn't keep the smile off her face. The fact that he'd been unable to intimidate a human was a weapon she planned to use against him for a good long while. Dan's POV "Wow, how exciting, we have a number of new students today class," Mrs. Aniston's ever enthusiastic and excited voice was heard, it had had this same tone since his first year in high school. Dan had come to the conclusion that she hoped that by being excited and enthusiastic at all times she hoped to infect her students with the same feelings about geometry... It was yet to work. It felt odd to be standing among the group of six other students at the front of the class, when he knew everybody who was seated. "We'll start the introductions from the right. Please, tell us your full names, and a bit about yourself" Mrs. Aniston instructed. "Aliya Bridget Courtney, from London," came the brief reply of the blonde girl standing at the far right end of the line they'd formed. There was a light English accent to her voice. Dan wasn't sure why but he got the distinct impression that the blonde and the others who'd arrived to school by cars just after she'd entered the school building did not like each other. Even now as she and the four who'd come out of the first car stood at the front, their whole body language was screaming that they had guard up, it was as if they were both expecting the other to attack them at any time. "Wow, that's far, how did you end up in our little old town?" Mrs. Aniston questioned. "Personal reasons," Alia replied her gaze turning to him. "Okay," Mrs. Aniston replied. "How about you," She directed turning Dan's attention to the girl with the jet black hair, whose arms were covered in tattoos. "Chloe, just Chloe," her very voice made it clear that she wasn't the social kind. Dan's eyes roamed over her arms closely studying the tattoos on her. "You wanna picture?" Dan looked up to find her looking straight at him along with the rest of the class and those in front. "Not really," he answered calmly looking away from her. "Moving on," Mrs. Aniston said trying to keep things flowing. "Elliana Raymond," Dan heard the tall chick from the parking lot say. "But if I like you, you can call me Elly," She added. "Caroline Pierson," the blonde chick who'd been chatting with Elliana introduced. "Carol in short. I'm her best friend," she added referring to the chick beside her. They must have been real close for her to introduce herself with Elliana, Dan noted. "Gregory Roderick," The guy who'd been glaring at him in the parking lot spoke up. "Call me Greg," even in the simple introduction, the guy's voice was cocky and full of pride. For some reason, even though Dan never really concerned himself with others, he found himself not liking him, not in the least. "Victor, Victor Raymond," the slimmer but equally tall guy standing next him standing said. "She's my baby sister," he said smiling as he nodded towards Elly, ignoring the murderous look she was sending him. "Your families moved together, huh?" Mrs. Questioned looking at the three of them, Elly, Carol and victor. "Something like that," Elly replied turning away from her brother. Dan could see a faint smile she was trying to suppress. "How nice," Mrs. Aniston spoke up beaming. "And what about you?" Mrs. Aniston said finally turning to him along with everyone else in the room. "Daniel J... Uuh, just Daniel," Dan had almost introduced himself by his real names, but managed to stop himself in time. "Well then," Mrs. Aniston went on when it became clear that he wouldn't be saying anything more. "You are all very welcome to East End High school, I am Mrs. Aniston, but you can call me Mrs. Aniston," She said laughing at her own humor. "I'll be taking you guys through the interesting world of geometry," Dan couldn't help but notice that none of the others at the front of the class were actually interested in what she was saying. "Please take your seats," she requested. Dan walked over to one of the empty seats at the back and pulled it out from the desk. He'd always sat at the back of whatever class he was in. "Don't mind if I do," Dan looked up at the source of the voice. It was the Greg. He had his hand on the back of the seat he'd just pulled out and was already moving to sit down. Dan's teeth gritted hard in irritation, though he couldn't understand why the guy would feel the need to, he knew perfectly well that he was doing this as a way getting back at him for what had happened in the parking lot. Just as Greg was about to settle down on the chair, Dan pulled it out of his grip and out from under him causing him to quite embarrassingly fall to the floor. Dan only spared a moment to wonder at the ease with which he'd done what he'd just done. He'd felt the firm grip that Greg had on the chair, but for some reason, when he'd pulled it out from beneath him, it was like he'd pulled at a chair that no one was holding. However soon as the moment was over Dan turned around and noisily, among the stares of all the other students especially that of the new students, dragged the chair on the floor as he walked to the desk at the other corner other the back nearest to the window. Kicking the seat the was at the desk to the floor and away from the desk, he pulled the one he'd taken out from under Greg, behind him and sat down on it. Dan vaguely wondered at his own behavior. Why would something so trivial as a seat cause him so much irritation as the kind he was feeling at the moment. Secondly, Dan knew himself pretty well, and he was one person who hated unnecessary attention and would avoid it if he could help it. So why did he just drag the chair across the room so noisily? And why kick the chair that had been behind the desk he was now seated at? Why all the theatrics? It was as if he was trying to make a spectacle of what he'd just done. What had Dan confused the most however, was the fact that his behavior at a base level within him made perfect sense. He didn't know why or how but to part of him, all what he'd just done was what anyone should and would have done in the same situation. Elly's POV. If she could wipe the smile off her face, she didn't know; she wasn't trying. Greg must have thought that this time, he'd sufficiently made it clear the human that he was alpha and loosened his grip on the chair. She looked at him as he rose from the floor and turned to look both disbelievingly and angrily at the human. Her gaze turned to the human, he wasn't even bothering to stare back at him, it was as if his mind had already dismissed Greg as being a possible threat. Elly felt a bit sorry for the human. She along with Carol and Victor had long ago figured out that the easiest way to get Greg into trouble was by hitting at his ego. No matter what restriction or rule had been put up by her father, Greg would break them, if only to ensure that he'd assuaged his ego. This, Elly knew, would be no different, Greg was going to hit back at the human, Daniel, as he'd introduced himself, and he wasn't going to hit back as a human. Using either his strength or his speed, Elly was sure that Greg would find a way to make the human pay for this humiliation. "Daniel," Mrs. Aniston's stern voice was heard. Daniel didn't seem the least bit concerned at the disapproving gaze he was receiving from the teacher. "That behavior is not acceptable in this school, apologize to Gregory right now!" the teacher demanded. Elly turned to Daniel, curious to see what he would do. "Uum," he began. "Sorry you fell on your ass Greg. Here, why don't you take this seat," he said indicating the seat he'd just kicked to the floor. "No one seems to be interested in it," he said before turning a bored gaze back to Mrs. Aniston. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 05 "Congratulations Daniel, you might very well be the first student to earn a detention on their first day in this school," Mrs. Anistone her voice still as disapproving as ever. Dan's POV. Dan put his books back in his locker, it was now lunch period. He'd not encountered Greg or any of the other new students in any of his other classes, only along the hallways as they passed each other, headed to different classes. Elly and Carol seemed to share every class as he never encountered one without the other, not that he really cared in any way. Whenever they saw him they started chatting in whispers and giggling, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that he was the topic of their discussion. What Dan wondered at, was the fact that he could almost swear he could feel lust coming from the both of them every time they encountered one another. Pushing the door to the cafeteria open, Dan walked over to serving counter and picked a tray. He could feel the various kinds of magic scattered all across the whole cafeteria. Most of it was that of the ones who'd come by car, but he could also feel that of the other two girls who'd arrived on their own, Aliya and Chloe as they'd introduced themselves and Claire's. With his tray full of all he wanted, he turned ready to move to his usual table. Dan paused as he found Claire's smiling face looking back at him. After a whole day of looking at the faces he'd known for the past four years and seeing no recognition in them, Dan had not realized how much he'd hated the feeling of being a stranger to people he knew till now. A smile crossed his face as he walked over to the table. "Thought you'd moved away," Claire said as he sat down. "Why would you think that?" Dan asked smiling at her. "Well, I don't know, but if I were the a wizard who'd just let a hunter go free back to the people who spend their whole lives trying to kill people like me, my next move would be me skipping town," Claire said. Dan wasn't sure if it was just him imagining it, but he thought there was a hurt note in her voice. "Well, that would be my first move too," Dan replied smiling at her. "Except that I had no doubt that the one I let go wouldn't betray me," he added. "Is that so," Claire asked, the sarcasm in her voice quite clear. "If you trust me so much, then how do you explain the fact that I have, without success, tried to find your fort, for the whole of the past one week?" she asked. Dan's face contorted in confusion as he regarded Claire. "I didn't realize you were looking for me," he said. "You couldn't find it because of the protective spells Athena and the twins put on it," he explained. "The fort is linked to me, only I can find it. Ember, Athena, and the twins can only find it because their minds are linked to mine. Of course that will have to change once I have a following and a harem, whenever that happens," Dan added the last bit more for his own benefit than hers. "But, before such a time comes, Athena figured it would be the best way, to keep the fort's location secret," he said. "Why were you looking for it?" Dan asked the question that had been nagging him. "I don't mean to sound like a broken record," she said. "But you set me free from a spell that had me its captive for most of my life. I have not really lived any part of my life since I was three, and now," Claire said silently. "Now, I am a stranger to everything in my life, my interests, my hobbies, my friends," Claire turned to look at the table where Heather now sat sending her a sharp look of dislike. "None of what the other version of me was into is even the least bit interesting to me," She said. "It feels like I have not existed for the past fifteen years of my life, and you are the only one who can understand why," she said. "Would it sound odd to you if I said I know exactly how you feel," Dan replied understanding perfectly well what she was feeling. "Not really," Claire replied. "I kind of put together what was going on when I went to ask about you at your home and your own mother didn't have clue as to who you are," She explained. Her words hit him harder than he thought hearing them would. His jaws clenched tightly as he remained silent for close to a whole minute, unable to say anything. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," Claire backtracked feeling like kicking herself for being so callous. "No, it's okay," Dan replied though no part of him felt like it was. "It had to be done, they are safe now," he went on more for his own benefit than hers. "Plus, I would much rather live with the thought of them not knowing me than anything ever happening to them because of me," he added truthfully. Dan's face contorted in confusion as something occurred to him. "How come you can remember me, I thought Ember modified the memory of everyone in the town," he posed. "For one as smart as you, you sure are forgetful," Claire said with a smile. "You are the reason I still remember you," She answered. "The extra power you fed into my mind, as I already told you once before, all of that juice went into the shields. Apparently not even Ember is, or even comes close to being as powerful as you are," Claire replied with a smile. Dan stared at her for a while before asking, "Exactly how powerful is Ember?" He wasn't sure if it was just him, but he thought he saw some color drain from her face. "S... Shouldn't I be the one to ask you that?" She replied laughing nervously. "Why do you ask anyway?" she posed. Dan smiled at her, "No reason in particular, just curious. Oh, and I was meaning to ask, you still do know how to distinguish magic and know which is which, right," he posed changing the subject. Claire looked around at the cafeteria, "I thought you'd might have missed it," she said. "Why would you think that?" Dan posed. "Well, for one, there is the absence of your guardians," she replied. "I don't call them for every little thing that happens," Dan said. "Yeah well, I don't exactly consider a necromancer, a vampire and Close to twenty werewolves joining the school in the same exact day, a 'little thing'," Claire stated. Dan eyes scoured through the cafeteria moving from one to the next of the ones he could sense had magic. "She's the vampire," Dan was stating it more than he was asking, indicating the blonde chick who was from time to time casting a glance in his direction. Her magic still had the predatory quality he'd sensed in the morning. "And she's the necromancer," Dan said as his eyes found the chick whose arms were covered in tattoos. Dan had a feeling that the tattoos went further than just her arms, he couldn't help but wonder at how far they went. Something about the tattoos called to him. His eyes roamed over her arms taking in the intricate detail with of the markings on her arms. "Uuh... Romeo, you might wanna keep your eyes in your skull, staring might be cute in the movies, but it's just creepy in real life," Dan heard Claire say. Looking up, Dan found Chloe looking straight at him. She didn't seem to be in any way appreciative of his staring. "So I'm guessing all the rest are the werewolves," Dan said looking around the cafeteria at the others in the cafeteria that he could sense, had magic. Dan's face contorted in confusion as he found most f them to be looking at them suspiciously. "Why are they all looking at us like that?" Dan asked as his eyes moved from one set of eyes to the next. "You mean apart from the fact that you are currently seated with a hunter?" Claire asked rhetorically. "Oh," Dan said feeling a little dumb for not making the connection. His eyes found the table where Elly, Carol and Victor were seated at with a chick Dan knew was called Venessa, Elly seemed to be looking at him both disappointedly and suspiciously Carol matched her best friend's gaze. Victor who was chatting up Venessa kept glancing at his sister then to him. There was something protective about the way he was doing this, not that Elly had struck Dan as the kind of chick that needed protecting. "Wait a minute," Dan said suddenly, looking back at Claire as something occurred to him. "Aren't both weres and vampires supposed to have super senses or something?" he posed remembering something Ember had mentioned. "Yeah, they do," Claire replied. "So all that we've said..." "They would have heard if I hadn't warded the table to keep anything said while seated here from being heard from anyone else apart from those seated at this table, soon as I sat down," Claire replied smiling. "I may not have wanted it, but I've been a hunter for the past fifteen years Dan," She said. "While some parts I didn't like, some parts are essential to surviving in the magical world," she said. Ailin's POV 'I've finally lost it,' that was the thought that had gone through her head as she found herself standing at the beach looking at the Atlantic, her senses telling her that the vibrations she'd been tracking were coming from across it. For the next couple of days she'd tried to ignore the vibrations but after three days of unsuccessfully trying to take her mind off the vibrations, she'd finally given in and booked a one way ticket to New York. She had to find out what it was about this new vibrations, that even a hunt and feeding straight from a human couldn't take her mind off it. Skipping all protocol, she'd immediately started seeking out the source of the vibrations soon as the plane touched down in New York. Not that she could follow protocol any way, being who she was, that was an option that was not available to her. An obscuring spell, she'd recognized it after two days of moving around without getting an exact location of where the vibrations were originating from. She booked herself, into a motel where she could lie low and wait, after six millennia of hunting and tracking down prey, patience was an art she'd mastered. She'd woken up eyes wide this morning as her senses picked up an exact reading of where the vibrations were coming from instead of a diffused one as the obscuring spell had been giving her. She'd moved out immediately, without knowing when it would next be obscured, she didn't want to miss the window that had presented itself to her. Her first thought was, she must have been wrong, no one as young as the boy she was looking at ever got the amount of power she estimated he had going by vibrations he could feel coming off him. After two thousand years of living, she started to, classify people into either one of three categories, those she could just ignore, those she needed to keep a close eye on and those she needed to kill before they became a problem. He didn't strike her as any of the latter two, and yet for some reason she couldn't bring herself to turn around and head back to London now that she'd known the source of the vibrations she'd been looking for. She knew better than to try and infiltrate his mind, at her age, delving into the minds of humans and hunter's alike, was not something she even spared effort to anymore, If she put her mind to it she could break into the minds of a good number of magical creatures, but the boy she was now looking at, that was a whole other matter. Even at her age, she knew his power would crush her mind like an insignificant bug. From the way he was returning the intense gaze, she knew, she was as much the subject of his scrutiny as he was hers. Something about his gaze communicated higher than average intelligence. She came to the same conclusion as her instincts had told her the moment she saw him, he wasn't one to underestimate. From his back pack and the fact that they had been then standing in the parking lot of a high school, it had not taken much to know he went to school at East End High As the words boldly read on the stone sign in front of the school building. She already knew she wouldn't be going back to London anytime soon. She was by no means stupid, power like the kind he possessed would be felt everywhere, even in London. It would be much wiser to stay close to him and see where he fitted, friend or foe. Thinking on her feet, she'd silently walked around the boy and into the school building. Joining the school would be the easiest way to keep close to him without being too obvious about it. Getting into and modifying the all the appropriate minds proved all too easy, in no time she was Aliya the student from London they'd been expecting. The boy too must have been new to town as she found absolutely nothing about him in all the minds she'd infiltrated. She looked through the records of the new students expected and found his picture in one of the files. Daniel O'Brien, age eighteen, in senior year with less than six weeks to graduation. On the bright side, at least she wouldn't be staying long in the school, she joined at that very same level. She now sat confused at a table in the cafeteria of the school looking on at the boy. There had been a number of unexpected things that happened, like about twenty weres joining the school and the fact that she'd found herself seated in the same class as a hunter for three periods consecutively before breaking for lunch. Neither of the two actually presented a threat to her, from what she could see, both the weres and the hunter were just children. If either made the mortal mistake of trying to attack her, they wouldn't live to tell tales. The necromancer was another that she had not foreseen, but she seemed to barely be aware of the other supernatural entities around her. She seemed more preoccupied with finding some kind of meaning and direction in her life than with the six thousand year old vampire that she'd so far shared two periods with. The boy must have been in town for more than a week for all this magic to have been pulled to the town. What had her confused at the moment, was that the boy was seated quite comfortably with the hunter. Either one of two things could possibly explain this; one was that he himself was a hunter, in which case he would move to category three of her classification of people. Part of her however highly doubted this, having existed from since before the hunters ever existed she could spot one out of a crowd as easy as pointing out a giant among dwarfs would be, if those kinds of creatures actually existed anymore. The only other possibility she could think of to explain why the two of them looked like two old friends reuniting after a long period apart was that, she was a blue blade. But then those had ceased to exist soon as the hunters had embraced magic, any hunter who didn't kill out of their own desire to see the end of all magic would simply be put under the spell that would have them doing as all the rest of their kind. So how then was it that the two of them were now seated together as they were. If she could hear what they were saying it would have been a lot easier to make sense of it all but the hunter had seen to it that the option was not available to her. With a sigh she rose from her seat 'Why did it always have to be the hard way?' she thought to herself as she moved towards them. Elly's POV "A hunter, a freakin' hunter," Elly spoke up her voice a lot more girlishly whiny than she liked. "Why can't at least just one of the guys I like be a decent strong guy who is not a pompous asshole or a bloody hunter? Is that too much to ask?" she went on posing the question to Carol who was also disappointedly looking in Daniel's direction. "He was perfect, the one guy I could hit on without you looking at me like you wanted to rip my throat out," She said with a wry smile at her best friend. "He's a hunter, end of story," Victor's firm voice was heard as she turned away from the human chick to them. Both Elly and Carol could hear the protective note in it. "Oh will you shut up and let us bitch about the death of our fantasies," Elly replied once again looking glumly in Daniel's direction. "May be he's just her friend and doesn't know that she's a hunter," she said weakly though she knew this wasn't the case. "Could be," Victor spoke up in reply. "Except that he's a new student and look at the two of them, they look like they've known each other heir whole lives. Which I bet is the case, and just what do you think they do think they do in their free time together?" Victor posed. "You are enjoying this aren't you?" Elly spoke up turning to her brother with narrowed eyes, though she knew full well that he wasn't. He was simply doing what he'd always done, look out for her even though she was much stronger than he was. "No," both Elly and Carol looked at him curiously and the truthful note in his voice. "After this morning in the parking lot and in the first lesson, I actually kind of liked the guy," he said with a slight smile looking in Greg's direction. Greg was at the moment seated in one of the tables near the table Daniel was seated at surrounded by the other pack females that had joined the school with them. The females however, might have as well not been there for all the recognition he was giving them. He had an intense glare fixed on Daniel, Elly had seen that glare before, it was usually followed by him doing something stupid. "Uuh guys, why is she..." Carol spoke up causing both Elly and Victor to turn and look in the direction she was looking in. All three of them watched as the vampire rose from her seat and began walking in the direction of Daniel's table. Without sparing a second thought to it, Elly found herself rising from the table with her tray in hand. "Oh no she doesn't," she muttered walking in the direction of Daniel's table in spite of the protests coming from both Carol and Victor. Chloe's POV For the first time since she'd realized that the tattoos could communicate with her, she wasn't following what they were asking her to do. Ever since she'd left the first class she'd been in, they'd been asking her to go to all the wrong classes. She'd tried to ignore them but they kept repeating the same instructions, for her to go to a class that wasn't the one she was supposed to be in. With every changing period the class they wanted her to go to changed, giving her the impression that it wasn't an actual class that the tattoos were interested in but a person that they wanted to find. At fourth period, she'd finally given in and gone to stand a distance off from the chemistry class just to see who walked into it, may be that would give her an idea of who it was the tattoos were interested in. However apart from the new guy, Daniel as he'd introduced himself, no one else stood out to her in any particular way. But as she sat alone in one of the tables across the cafeteria from him, she had no doubt that he was the one the tattoos were interested in. They kept pushing her to get up from the table she was seated at and move to the table he was seated at, which would have been no big deal except that he was seated with a hunter. Despite the fact that she'd done her best to act ignorant of the supernatural elements around her, she was by no means unaware of the fact that there were now close to twenty werewolves in school and a really old and powerful vampire in school. Her tattoos couldn't give her a specific figure as far as her age went but they knew that she was a few millennia old, the exact kind of trouble she didn't need. Over the years, she'd come to live by the principle of ignoring trouble until such a time as when the trouble sought her out. A principle that had helped her avoid a lot of sticky situations that would have otherwise proven to be a lot more problematic than they had to be. If she followed what her tattoos were now asking her to do, she had the feeling that she would be essentially going against that very principle. Yet she was still conflicted. Never, since she'd began listening to her tattoos, and letting them guide her, had they ever led her wrong. Even when they'd taken her to the other four schools, she'd learnt new things and gained a whole range of new abilities in those places that have made a much stronger necromancer than she would have otherwise been. She highly doubted that the tattoos were misleading her, even now. Her jaws clenched as she watched the vampire followed by three of the werewolves rise from their seats and move towards his table. She'd been right, getting up and moving to the table Dan was right now seated at was actually seeking out the kind of trouble she'd much rather avoid. "For both our sakes, I hope you are right," she found herself muttering to the tattoos as she too grudgingly rose from her table and moved towards him. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 06 Wow, FOUR POINT NINE TWO!! Thanks for the pressure guys. Well, here we are, chapter six. And as always I simply just can't get to the point :) So here are the few things that I had to say before we get to the good stuff. One of you emailed me about the number of characters cautioning me not to make them too many. To whoever that was and whoever else who might be wondering, sadly that won't be possible. There is still a good number of characters to be introduced to the story... sorry. Next up is about the feedback I receive from you guys. I'm not sure whether the concept of anonymous is lost on some of you, but it really annoys me to find questions about the story filling up in my inbox and over half of them have been sent by "Anonymous". If you can't send it with an email address I can reply to, then don't send it at all. The same goes for criticisms about the story that have not been fully expounded on in the email. If you email me to say "I didn't like this" or to critic something in my work but don't explain why, then naturally, I will wanna get back to you to know what it is I'm doing wrong so I don't make the same error again and also as a way to get better at writing. So you can imagine my annoyance and frustration when these criticisms are not expounded on and are sent by "Anonymous" (makes me feel like punching "Anonymous" in the face!!). Lastly, my editor is human (so am I) and therefore not perfect (debatable where I'm concerned :D ). So will you guys stop having a go at her (and me) at every little mistake you found!! Lots of thanks and appreciation to Amoure_Propre for her help in editing the story. DISCLAIMER ALL CHARACTERS DEPICTED WITHIN THE STORY ARE EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. Anyway, on to the story... CHAPTER SIX. THE ARWAIN CHRONICLES: THE BIRTH OF A FOLLOWING; FIRST RECRUITS... Dan's POV "Can I join you," Dan didn't have to look around to know who it was, the light English accent in the voice betrayed its owner's identity. Turning to look up at the vampire, he smiled, "Sure, have a seat." Dan turned back to find Claire looking at him incredulously for a moment before the expression vanished from her features. Despite the fact that by all looks of it, Claire seemed relaxed, Dan knew she was on guard just in case the vampire tried anything. Dan regarded Elly, Carol and Victor as the three appeared shortly after Aliya, as the vampire had introduced herself, Elly who seemed to be pissed off by something, leading the rest. Elly wordlessly sat down beside Claire fixing both he and the vampire seated beside him, a hard stare. Dan couldn't shake the feeling that he was part of the reason she was in such a foul mood. Dan's head turned away from her as Chloe, the other new student walked up to the table and quietly sat down beside Aliya. They were now seven in total seated at the table; on one side were Claire, Elly, Carol and Victor, the last two of whom were eyeing him, Claire and Aliya suspiciously. On the other side was he, Aliya and Chloe. Dan, for some reason, could not keep off the smile that came to his face as he regarded the new occupants of the table. "If we are going to share a table, we should at least get to know each other," he spoke up. "I'm Daniel, just call me Dan," he said though he knew that they'd all heard him introduce himself in their first lesson. There was a moment of silence as they all regarded him, before Claire finally shrugged and said "I'm Claire, Claire Ravencloft." Dan watched as four shocked expressions turned to Claire. The three werewolves and the necromancer turned to look at her anew, both their unease and guard going a few notches higher."Yes, daughter of the one and only," Claire verbalized the thought that Dan knew was going through the minds of the four. From the easy smile on her face Dan could tell that, in spite of herself, Claire liked the fact that the others at the table knew that she wasn't one to trifle with. The reaction of the other four seated on table was not lost on Ailin as she turned to regard them then looked back at the hunter. Whoever she was, taking from the reactions of the others seated at the table, she wasn't one to take lightly. Being from London, she wasn't yet acquainted with her, or her parents, her words making it abundantly clear that her family name was well known. "Aliya," she spoke up, calmly introducing herself. "Elliana," Came the cold voice of the werewolf seated next to Claire. The fact that she'd not introduced herself as Elly, told Dan that she didn't particularly like them at that moment. "Carol," her best friend followed her suit briefly introducing herself. From the way she seated herself close to Elly, Dan could tell she was ready to move to the defense of her best friend in case of anything. "Victor Raymond," came the calm voice of Elly's older brother. For some reason, Dan found himself liking the guy. Something about him spoke of intelligence courage and loyalty to those closest to him. "Chloe," the necromancer briefly introduced herself too. "Nice tats, by the way," Dan complimented. Dan's eyes widened as he, without actual conscious thought to it, leaned backwards on the bench, with his knees hooked under the table to support his weight and keep him from falling fully to the floor as he hang in the air parallel to it. Chloe's tray flew over him and crashed noisily onto the floor creating a mess as it spilled its contents onto the floor. "I think what you mean to say is 'nice tits' and no, most girls as you can see, won't count that as a compliment," Claire spoke up as Dan rose back to an upright sitting position confusion marring his features. Dan confusedly turned to look at Chloe who was sending him a death glare. "Uuh, I think I know the difference between tits and tattoos," he spoke up. Dan turned from one to the next of the five confused gazes and one disbelieving gaze turned to him. "What?" he posed not getting why they were all looking at him like they were. "What are you talking about Dan? What tattoos?" Claire questioned him. "Her tattoos," Dan spoke up pointing at Chloe, a bit of annoyance creeping into his voice at the fact that she'd just thrown a whole tray of food at him simply for complimenting her tattoos. "Did you hit your head somewhere Dan?" Claire posed the confusion still present in her voice. "No, why the fuck would you ask that?" Dan threw back a bit more harshly than he'd intended. "Uuh... She's got no tattoos on her," Claire replied calmly despite the harshness of his voice. Dan turned to regard her, she wasn't trying to pull one over him, her expression was genuinely worried. Dan turned to the others seated at the table, they all still had the look of confusion on their faces. He at last turned to look at the tattoos he could see on Chloe's arms from the back of her fingers moving all the way up all till they disappeared under the sleeves of her top. "Are you telling me that none of you can see her tattoos?" he posed. She'd found herself unable to control her rage at his words. He must have been in her first high school or have heard about her from those she'd been with in her first high school, and was now making fun of her as all the rest in her past had done. No part of Chloe's mind had considered it even remotely a possibility that he might actually be able to see the tattoos. Her heart was now pounding hard within her as she listened to him question the others as to whether they really couldn't see her tattoos. Slowly raising the back of her hand to him, her heart beating harder the higher it rose. "What's drawn here," She posed into the silence that had followed Dan's question. His head turned to her, his eyes studying the back her hand. "the Egyptian hieroglyph for Anubis, god of the dead, protector of the underworld," he replied. Dan along with everyone else seated at the table watched as the colour drained from Chloe's face as she stared unbelievingly at him, her mouth voicelessly opening and closing but no words coming out. "I... I... Uum, I've got to go," Chloe spoke up nervously at last quickly rising from the table and making her way from the cafeteria. Dan turned to watch her leave the cafeteria before turning to look at the rest who'd remained seated. They were all looking at him, a new kind of confusion in their eyes. None of them spoke, Dan wasn't sure whether it was lack of something appropriate to say or fear of him. "Uh oh," Carol's voice was heard. Looking up at her, Dan found her gaze fixed at a point behind him. Turning to find the cause for her expression, Dan's gaze found Greg just as he rose from his seat and started moving towards them. Dan's jaws clenched, he wasn't in the mood to get into any confrontation with anyone at the moment. Judging by the glare Greg had pinned on him, one would not be avoidable. Greg came to a stop beside the table, right next to where he was at the moment seated, everything about his body language screaming that he was looking for a fight. "You and I have got some unfinished business," he half said half growled in a dangerously low voice. "Look," Dan began trying to sound as diplomatic as possible. "You and I got off to a wrong start. Sorry for how I acted in the morning," Dan said genuinely, part of him still hoping he could avoid a confrontation with Greg. "Hopefully, we can put all of that behind us," he said extending an open hand to Greg. Greg's eyes moved to his open hand then back to regard him. Dan's jaws clenched even harder his lips forming a tight line as they pressed hard against each other. All thoughts of handling this peacefully quickly leaving him as he regarded his open palm where Greg's spit had just landed. Claire's POV Claire could feel the beat of her own heart rise as he regarded Dan from across the table. She'd found herself to a level impressed by the way Dan chose to handle the situation despite the fact that the werewolf had come clearly looking for a fight. For a moment, she'd thought the werewolf would take his hand but then he'd spat on it instead. With fear coiling a tight grip around her heart, watched as fury etched itself onto Dan's face. His jaws were tightly clenched his lips in a tight straight line as he regarded his open palm. She watched as a smile that did not reach his eyes slowly formed on his face as he turned to look up at the werewolf. "Lick it up," He spoke through gritted teeth, in a dangerous voice that was barely above a whisper yet clearly heard by all seated at the table. Claire could not, despite all her efforts to, dampen down the fear she felt. Of all those seated at the table, she was the only one who'd seen first-hand what Dan's rage could be like. Elly's POV Elly sat frozen watching the scene before her unfold. It was already abundantly clear how this was all going to end, yet she found herself conflicted. If Dan had been human as they'd initially thought him to be, then this would have all been so much easier, she could simply step in and stop Greg from doing any kind actual harm to Dan. But now that it turned out that Dan was a hunter, she would still have to intervene, but only this time, much as she loathed the thought, it would be in Greg's defense. Greg was pack, and pack always came first, if they fought, she Victor and Carol would all have to move to Greg's defense. Her teeth gritted hard as she watched Greg lean in closer to Dan. "I have a better idea," Greg replied in a low voice, before swinging hard at him with his right arm. Six pairs of eyes widened in shock as they looked on at the cold emotionless mask Dan's face had transformed into. Elly's eyes disbelievingly moved to where Dan's hand had stopped Greg's hand mid-swing and was now holding it. No hunter had the strength to physically block the punch of an omega, let alone an alpha. Greg's hand however was now held unmoving in Dan's vice grip. "Last chance," it was only now as Dan spoke in a dangerously low voice that Elly realized that the other hand he had held out to Greg as an offer of peace had not moved an inch. Greg's left hand swung hard at Dan, only it wasn't curled up into a fist as his right had been, he had his palms open, his claws drawn. Elly knew he was counting on the speed with which he made this attack to keep the other humans from noticing his not so human attributes and also to catch Dan unawares. However the force of impact with which Dan's closed fist made contact with Greg's sternum, before his swing could meet Dan's face, made everyone on the table wince as an audible crack was heard. Faster than Elly had ever seen any human or hunter for that matter, move, Dan took hold of Greg's clawed arm twisting it, as the hand Greg had spat on,covered the side of Greg's face and slammed his head hard into the table. Dan's POV Dan was doing everything in his power to keep from totally losing it, he didn't want a repeat of what had happened to Athena. How was it that the werewolf couldn't see that he had a snowball's chance in hell of beating him? He was sure his jaws would break simply from how hard they were clenched as he used every ounce of will and control he had, to keep from breaking the hand he now held twisted behind Greg's back. He was sure he'd broken his sternum from the punch he'd connected with Greg's chest. He wasn't sure how long it took werewolves to heal bones and at the moment, he didn't really care. Taking his time so that it sank down deep in Greg's mind who was who between the two of them, Dan smeared the spit all over Greg's face, before running his hand through his hair to make sure it was completely dry. Gripping the locks of hair at the back of his head Dan jerked Greg's head back hard and spoke, "You don't have to be my enemy Greg, soon enough I'll have enough of those. But give me the reason Greg, and I assure I won't hesitate to break you," he warned before letting him go and sitting back down, perfectly aware of the stares from the others seated at the table. Greg rose back to full height and regarded him with a glare of pure unbridled hate and rage fixed on him. He didn't bother to look back at him, partly owing from the fact that Dan didn't feel the least bit threatened by him, and partly from the fact that Dan wasn't sure he would be able to control the urge to break every bone in Greg's body if he made eye contact with him again. For his own sake, Dan was genuinely hoping that Greg didn't do anything stupid. Dan didn't trust himself to look up even as Greg walked away, lest he be unable to resist the urge to go after him and make him truly submit. "Close your eyes," Dan looked up at Claire's urgent whisper. "What?" Dan asked not sure he'd heard her right. "Close your eyes," Claire repeated with more urgency. "Why?" Dan queried in confusion, still not seeing the sense in her request. "Just trust me and keep your eyes closed," Claire spoke through gritted teeth, rising from her seat and taking him by the hand and pulling him up and along after her. Dan felt dumb walking around with his eyes closed following after Claire as she led him by hand to who knows where. Dan heard a door swing open and instinctively held out his hand to keep it from swinging back into his face. They finally came to a stop within whatever room they'd just entered. "Stay there, let me first make sure we are alone," he heard Claire say to him causing an eyebrow to rise high on his face. "Not happening buddy," Claire answered the question written all over his expression. In spite of himself Dan couldn't help the slight disappointment he felt. A smile however crossed his face a second after; he could have sworn he heard her say 'at least not today,' under her breath as she moved away from him. "Well can I at least open my eyes now?" Dan asked. "Sure," Claire replied. Dan opened his eyes to find Claire opening the doors to the stalls in one of the bathrooms. "What are we doing in the girls bathrooms?" he asked. Despite the fact that Dan had had his eyes closed, after four years of going to the school, he knew how all the boys bathrooms looked like, the one they were in definitely wasn't one of them. "You need to call Ember," Claire said turning to him after checking the last stall. "Why?" Dan asked still not getting why Claire seemed to be alarmed. "Because of that," Claire said pointing at Dan's reflection in the mirror. Turning to the mirror, Dan took a startled step backwards from his own reflection, immediately seeing what she was going on about. Instead of their normal blue colour, Dan's reflection was looking back at him with crimson red eyes. Elly's POV Silence had engulfed the table after Dan left the table being dragged away by the hunter, Claire. They'd all disbelievingly watched as the blue leeched away from Dan's eyes and was replaced by Crimson red as he delivered the warning to Greg. He was an alpha. She was still in shock at the sight of the deep crimson hue Dan's eyes had taken. If the popular belief that the deeper the hue a were's eyes took the stronger they were, then Dan was almost as strong as her own father, if not stronger. In spite of herself, the first words out of Elly's lips were, "He's not a hunter." A smile slowly crept across her face as she regarded the doors through which he'd disappeared through with the hunter, letting the realization sink in. "Yeah but then, what is he?" Victor voiced the question that had been in all their minds. None of them had been able to sense his animal form. "May be he can hide it," Carol suggested, though her own voice betrayed that she didn't actually believe what she'd just said. "Did you see how deep the colour of his eyes was?" Elly went on, the words of her brother and best friend only barely registering in her mind. From the silence that had followed her question, Elly knew that they too had seen them and that they too knew what they meant. "A were that strong, his animal should have had a strong presence," Victor went on apprehensively looking at the cafeteria doors. "And how easily he blocked Greg's attack," Elly went on unable to stop herself. "Will you stop gushing for one minute and think," Victor shot at her sister. Her brother's curt words had the desired sobering effect bringing a bit of composure back to her. "One way or the other," she said turning to them. "The answers to those questions won't be answered from this table," she said rising from the table with a smile and moving towards the entrance of the cafeteria. Dan's POV 'Ember,' Dan called out through the bond that linked him to his guardians. 'Could you come to the school,' he asked. 'Is something wrong,' Dan could hear the note of immediate concern even in her mental voice. 'Uuh... I'm not sure,' Dan replied still eyeing himself in the mirror. 'Send me the image of where you are,' Dan heard Ember's voice in his head. 'What?' he returned confusedly through their bond. 'Memorize the place you are in right now and send the image to me, so that I can come directly to where you are,' Ember elaborated. 'Oh, okay,' Dan returned as he looked around at the bathroom burning every detail of it into his mind. When he was finally satisfied that he had a clear picture of it he closed his eyes and willed for Ember to see the same image as was in his mind's eye. "You can open your eyes now," Dan heard Ember's voice right before him. He did. Dan's face contorted in confusion as he watched the side of Ember's lips tilted upwards in a half smile at the sight of him, instead of the confusion or apprehension he'd expected to see. "I was wondering what you'd turn out to be, though I already had a pretty good guess of what it would be," she said. "What are you talking about? What's going on?" Dan questioned. "What's happening to you is really rare, but it does on occasion happen." Ember informed him. "When the bond between a witch or wizard and his or her guardians runs much deeper than a simple master-servant bond to the master, then the bond becomes strong enough to link the wizard or witch to some of the abilities of their guardians" Ember explained. "In simpler terms," she went on. "Kirra, Karra, Athena and I mean a lot more to you than simply being your servants therefore the link between us is much stronger than the normal master-guardian bond, and that is why, you possess some of our abilities," she elaborated. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 06 "Wait, so his red eyes are..." Claire spoke up. "As a result of the bond he has to Both Kirra and Karra," Ember finished her statement. "Wait, so I'm a weretiger?" Dan questioned confused. "Not exactly," Ember replied. "The bond you have with us links you to our powers, it doesn't make you us. So while yes you will have the strength the speed and agility of a weretiger, you are not a weretiger," she went on to say. "Out of pure and simple curiosity,"Ember continued a smile on her face. "Did you honestly think it was your incredible athletic ability that enabled you to outrun both Kirra and Karra after only a week of training?" she asked a teasing note in her voice. Dan went pink. "So that's why I thought I could sense lust from both Elly and Carol earlier on," Dan said happy for a reason to change the subject, as the thought occurred to him. "My bond with Athena must be responsible for that," he went on. "So what did he get from you?" Claire asked curiously. "Yeah, what did I get from you?" Dan repeated the question the same burning curiosity in him. "Take a wild guess," Ember said. "Hint," Ember added after a while of silence from Dan. "You've been training for the whole of the past week," she added. Dan went remained for a while longer as he contemplated what Ember might be pointing at with the clue. Dan's eyes widened as it finally hit him."I have no wounds on me," he finally declared. "I must have gotten over a thousand different kind of injuries over the past week, they are all gone," he said looking up at the phoenix. From the way Ember's smile widened Dan Knew he was right. "Phoenixes don't fall sick or suffer injuries unless attacked by really powerful magic," she explained. "What do you think has been keeping you conscious through all of Athena's training sessions?" she finished off. "You are quite literarily incapable of losing consciousness,"Ember informed him. "You say that as if it's a good thing," Dan said all of Athena's training sessions coming back to mind as Ember chuckled at his words. "If he is only linked to your powers and doesn't change physically, then why are his eyes red? Isn't that the eye colour of an alpha were?" Claire posed. "The answer to that is in both the question and a saying you humans have," Ember replied enigmatically. "The link, as you've just said taps purely into our abilities. Our abilities are only as strong as the amount of magic we possess, so then picture this, our abilities paired with the kind of power Dan possesses, the result is an exponential increase in the strength of his abilities," Ember elaborated. "The eyes are the windows of the soul. In one's eyes, if you're keen enough, their true nature is revealed," Ember's gaze turned to Dan. "He may not see or believe it yet, but Dan is a lot stronger and cunning than even he realizes at the moment, he embodies the very nature of what alphas are among weres. These two things put together are the reason for the change in the colour of his eyes. His link to Kirra and Karra tied together to his own powers and his own true nature," Ember finished her answer, regarding Dan. "Wow, you sure know how to inflate a guy's ego," he said a slight chuckle. Ember smiled at him. "It is not in my nature to flatter," she said to him. "So why then are they not turning back to their normal colour," Claire asked. "Simple," Ember replied. "He's still angry," she said. At her words, Dan realized all the rage that he'd felt from the altercation he'd just had with Greg was still present and burning hard within him. Clenching his teeth hard, Dan took a deep breath forcing himself to calm down, hating the fact that Ember was right. He'd made a promise to them that he would never let his rage get the better of him, yet here he was, even with no cause for it, hanging on to the rage of a scuffle that had already passed. Taking deep breaths, Dan watched as the crimson red colour seeped away from the reflection of his own eyes. Dan looked back to Ember. "Sorry," he said. "Rome was not built in a day," she replied smiling. "Even the best of us take years to truly master mental discipline," she added. "Well, I guess I'd better go get ready for the next lesson," Dan said walking over to the door. "Dan," He heard Ember call out to him. "Yes," he replied looking back to her as he pulled the door open. "Be careful," She said with a light smile that for some reason Dan couldn't explain, left him with the impression that she knew and meant more by making that statement than he understood from it at that moment. Ailin's POV The wolf was right, none of the thousand and one questions that were now buzzing through her mind would be answered by sitting at the table. A were! How was it possible that she'd missed it? Rising from where she was seated she walked out of the cafeteria after Victor and Carol who'd just left in pursuit of Elly. She frowned at the realization that she'd referred to them by their names and not simply as weres or wolves. "Less than a day here and already I'm getting soft." She groused feeling annoyed with herself. "A bloody were!!" she muttered disbelievingly to herself once again as she moved through the hallways following the vibrations she could feel coming off him. Part of her still couldn't believe it. While it was possible for some weres to hide their animal forms from being detected by others, it was a rare ability that occurred once maybe at most twice in a span of five hundred years. No part of her actually believed the thought that he was one of those exceptional weres. Yet without sensing any particular animal she'd seen the change in his eye colour. "Worse still, a fucking alpha," she went on muttering and cursing under her breath. She turned into the last hall that would lead her to him, her form froze mid-stride as she felt it. A new presence, though the vibrations coming off it were not anything near as strong or as powerful as the ones coming off the boy, they were still more powerful than anything she'd ever felt before. Her eyes fixed on the door to the girls bathroom behind which, she could feel the vibrations coming from. Even the wolves, had stopped a distance away from the doors, they too could feel it. Unlike the boy, whose magic had somehow been masked from being felt by anyone, this new occupant in the bathroom did not bother to hide their powers. Almost as if they were daring anyone stupid enough to try and attack them, to make the fatal mistake and see whether they would live to tell the tale. Ailin was now growing increasingly uncomfortable, she was used to being the one who posed a threat to the lives of others around her,and now in less than a day, there were now two who could end her without sparing any effort to it. The instinct to survive was now trying to override the desire to know more about the boy, with the overwhelming desire to put as much distance between herself and the boy as was possible. Elly's POV She stood frozen eyes fixed on the door to the girls' bathrooms, the magic coming from within very palpable. In her two hundred and fifty years of existence, she'd never felt anything even half as strong as what she was now feeling. Whatever person or creature that was behind the door, knew that only few could pose any real threat to it. The fact that it had not bothered to hide its magic, a very clear indication that it wasn't averse to obliging whatever poor soul that was actually foolish enough to confront it. Was Dan in trouble? Her senses couldn't pick up anything from within the bathroom, which came as no surprise to her, a creature as strong as the one she was sensing would never leave themselves vulnerable to eavesdropping, unless they were setting a trap. "We need to go," she heard Victor's voice from beside her, it was his no nonsense voice. The tone his voice usually took when he meant whatever he was saying regardless of the strength of the one he was addressing. "Now," he added taking firm hold of her upper arm and pulling her away from the door. "Wait," she said pulling back against him. "For what?" Victor growled. A ready answer for that question, she did not have, but her instincts were telling her to stick around. That there was still more that was to be found out that she still didn't know of. More than in one way or the other, she wasn't sure how, would be important in a way. "Just trust me," she said pulling her arm free from her brother's grip. "In any other case I would have, you of all people know that best," Victor said, the strain in his voice telling her that he was trying to be as diplomatic as he could. It was true, Victor had always been willing to follow her hunches and always trusted her instincts, sometimes even against his better judgment. More than once her instincts had been right in the end, but they'd also been a good number of times that they'd led them to trouble, something he'd never held against her. She knew perfectly well that he was always there for her cause he was always looking out for her, the fact that she was stronger than him had never stopped Victor from playing his role as big brother and protect his little sister. Something that made her love him all the more. In a way, she always felt much safer with him around than when she was alone. "But dad was very clear about this,"he continued firmly. Elly turned to look at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?"she posed. "I'm talking about staying away and not trying to confront the source of the powerful vibrations he'd been feeling," he replied. The memory of the prohibition her father had made came back to her."How do you know this is the source he was feeling?" she posed stubbornly. From the way his jaw set, Elly knew Victor was running low on patience. "Whether it is or isn't changes nothing," he shot back. "We need to go," he replied. The fact that he'd not risen to her challenge and tried to argue whether it indeed was or wasn't the source of the vibrations their father had been feeling and instead made it plain clear that they should go, told her that no matter what she said, she wouldn't get him to budge on this. With a sigh and one last look at the door, she turned ready to walk away. She could have stayed if she chose to; both of them knew this perfectly well. But she hated arguing with Victor, especially when his protective instincts took over and his first priority became her well-being, the exact state he was in right now. Elly came to a sudden stop as Victor suddenly moved to stand before her, his back to her. Despite the fact that Victor had wasted no time and had been quick to stand protectively between her and it, she too had seen the demon. Her deep red hair, her tall feminine form, and her half feline, half reptilian yellow eyes, the only feature about her that wasn't human at the moment. Taking a step out from behind Victor she moved to stand before both Carol and Victor, if it chose to attack she had the best chance of holding her off as her brother and best friend escaped. Something she knew perfectly well, neither of them would do. Like she would in their positions, both would sooner die than let her face the danger alone. Demons were nothing new to her, she had fought and killed a few of them in the past. The one now walking down the hall in their direction with a murderous look in its eyes however, was one that even she knew would require all of her skills and an obscene amount of luck to take on, and even it may not be enough. From the arousal she could scent in the air from the vampire, both her brother and Carol and the arousal that was now fast rising within her, it was obvious that the demon was a succubus. Her muscles tensed, ready to react at a moment's notice to anything as the succubus got closer to them and the vampire on the other side of the hall. All the four sets of eyes tracked her movements as she moved determinedly towards them. There was barely any registration of their existence in its eyes, let alone the fact that they may actually be of any kind of danger to it. Elly's claws were already drawn and her wolf close to the surface. She was equally relieved and confused when the succubus walked past them without even sparing them a second glance. Her manner and the very way she walked past them showing that neither of the three wolves nor the vampire were any kind of threat to her and therefore not worth her notice. All eyes followed her as she moved towards the door. Elly had expected her to barge in, but at the door, the demon paused and turned her back to the door. It was almost as if... As if he was guarding it. For the first time since she'd stepped into the hallway, the succubus turned its gaze to survey them. Elly wasn't sure but it seemed like the sight of them only served to infuriate her further and fan the flames of her rage, something about them had her barely in control of the rage. Elly was about to turn around and get both Victor and carol out and away from the hallway when she heard the door to the bathrooms being pulled open. Dan's POV "I will," Dan replied to Ember as he turned to the door to leave. The meaning of Ember's word vaguely dawned on Dan as he felt the blow connect with the side of his face and throw him through the air back to the center of the bathrooms. Dan's eyes blinked open and closed several times trying to get rid of the double vision he was now experiencing as he looked up at the ceiling to the bathrooms. He vaguely heard the door to the bathrooms close as he pulled himself to a sitting position with shaky hands. Dan looked up to find Athena's murderous gaze fixed on him, the look in them causing a slight tendrils of fear to brush against his heart, even with the knowledge that she would never truly hurt him . . . Kill him, she would never kill him, he corrected himself after a moment's thought. "Nice to see you too Athena," he said pulling himself to his feet with the aid of the sink nearest to him. "Any particular reason for the warm greeting," he posed still leaning on the sink not trusting himself to be able to maintain balance just yet. "There is a necromancer, a vampire that is at the very least about five millennia old if not more and enough werewolves in the school to form a pack of their own, and it never occurred to you to let us know?!" Athena spoke through gritted teeth. Dan could feel her fury through their bond and along with it something else that he couldn't quite put his finger on yet. She was masking the accompanying emotion from him. Slight traces of it however were seeping through the blocks she had up, enough for him to feel its presence but not enough to identify it. "I didn't think it warranted my having my guardians by my side when none of them have so far made any overt threat to me even when we shared a table," he said diplomatically trying to assuage her anger. "Simply because one doesn't try to rip out your heart the first chance they get doesn't mean they are not planning on it," Athena shot back icily. "In case it's escaped your notice, I haven't exactly been lounging at the beach for the past one week, if any of them ever make the stupid mistake to try and execute that plan, it will be the last mistake they ever make," Dan countered just as icily. It did vaguely occur to Dan what the words that had just left his lips would mean if they were translated into action. A scoff escaped Athena's lips as she rolled her eyes. "The stupid pride of alphas, all of you are all the same. Believing that you are the strongest and most deadly ones in the room even without the slightest comprehension of what else is in the room with you," she ground out."So after only one week of training, you're ready to face off with a vampire that has lived over a hundred of your lifetimes? You are now ready to single handedly take down the close to twenty weres I can sense in the school right now, aren't you? The necromancer who's probably had years of experience in necromancy is no threat to the guy who learnt of magic existed only two weeks ago, is she?" she posed. "You're ready to face off with whatever it is that comes your way, after only one fucking week of training," Dan doubted Athena realized how much she'd raised her voice. "For your information Mr. Invincible, the vampire can take off your head before you even have a clue what is going on. The necromancer has the ability to cause your flesh to rot in a matter of seconds even while you are still alive, what would you do to counter that, huh? If you are so fucking ready to take on whatever, tell me how you would counter such an attack?" "And in case you had your head stuck too far up your ass in our very first training session to hear me when I said it, I already told you, werewolves are a ruthless bunch, especially female alphas, cause they, unlike the males, don't suffer stupid disease that is male pride, they actually think their attacks through and because of this, have the capacity to take down even alphas stronger than them, they would have torn you bit by bit, limb from limb. But what would a pack of twenty wolves be compared to the mighty Dan Arwain?" Athena was now breathing hard regarding him with eyes that had no less fury than when she'd stepped into the bathrooms, if anything her rage seemed to have gone up a few notches. Dan was silent for a long while. "I'm sorry," he finally said. During her tirade, the guard she'd had on her emotions had wavered and the feeling she'd been hiding flowed through the bond to him. It was fear, not of anything or anyone that might pose any threat to her, but fear at the thought of what could have happened to him. All possible scenarios of what could have happened to him were playing in her head even then, and all the prospects were causing her to feel like tearing to bits anything that could pose any form of threat to him. Her tirade had also made it acutely clear to Dan just how stupid and naive he was being, to believe himself ready to face whatever threat the new magical elements in the school could pose. She was right, it was more of pride talking than actual brains. "What do you mean Dan Arwain?" Claire's voice was heard. Dan had all but forgotten of her presence within the bathroom. Turning to her, Dan could see it in her eyes that her brain was already providing her with the logical and most probable answer to the question. However, the doubt etched on her expression told him that she was having a hard time believing what her brain was coming up with. "Not important,"came Athena's scathing reply before Dan could say anything. "Dan, what does she mean Dan Arwain?" Claire pushed now turning fully to him. "I said, Not Important," Athena menacingly said taking a threatening step towards her. To her credit, despite the fact that Dan could see it in her eyes, that she'd registered danger, Clare stood her ground returning the succubus' glare with equal intensity. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't remember directing the question to you," Claire returned. How Claire moved from the center of the room to being pinned by Athena against one of the bathroom walls, happened too fast for Dan's eyes to register. Athena was now standing in her demon form her eyes blazing with rage, as she held Claire in a strangle hold with her right arm off the floor of the bathroom. "You sorely overestimate how hard it would be for me to end you, right here, right now," even her voice had lost some of its human quality. Claire's legs, instead of dangling uselessly beneath her, drew all the way up into a squat position. And with her back braced against the wall, or more accurately pinned against the wall by Athena, she kicked out hard with both legs. Though not far back, Athena was pushed back enough to break the hold she had on Claire, who fell to the floor. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 06 Bringing her legs up once again such that her knees were touching her forehead, Claire kicked up hard, uncoiling like a spring trap and landing on her feet. From where she drew them, Dan had no idea, but Claire now stood with two silver blades in her firm grip gleaming under the bathroom light. Her body was tensed yet at the same time seeming relaxed, she was ready to react to any attack the demon made. "Stop it, both of you," Dan said in a voice that made it clear that he meant it. "Claire, Athena's right, it's better if you don't get involved in this, so back off! And Athena, back off and lose the demon form," he further instructed. Both Athena and Claire stood glaring menacingly at each other for a few more seconds before Athena took a step back and took on her human form once again. Dan watched as Claire re-sheathed the two blades behind her back. "Look, I'm already late for the next class," Dan said. "When I walk out of here, Athena, you are forbidden from harming Claire in any way. And Claire, stay the fuck away from my guardian,"Dan instructed before walking out the door. Claire's POV Claire watched as the succubus turned a deathly glare to the phoenix, the very fact that Claire existed already dismissed. "You could sense all the magic in the school and you were still going to let him stay unguarded," she ground out through gritted teeth. "Dan is a lot stronger and capable than you give him credit for," Ember replied calmly. "He's quite capable of looking out for himself. Besides, what are we all training him for if we plan to track all of his movements to see if there's any kind of danger in his immediate surroundings," She posed in an even voice. "When he is ready, then I'll have no problem letting him be on his own, but while he still isn't he needs to be guarded," Athena threw back. Ember smiled, "I don't think I have ever seen you this concerned for the safety any of our previous masters." "In case you've already forgotten, we've have just spent the past two and a half millennia on the other side in a box. Forgive me if I am not ready to go back after only one fucking week," Athena said icily. Ember's smile widened, from the look in her eyes, Claire could quite clearly see that she didn't believe this was the only reason Athena was behaving as she was. "You are Dan's guardian, not his babysitter, even if you stood by his side every second of every day you can't keep him protected and safe from all dangers," Ember said to the demon before bursting into flames and vanishing into thin air. With one last glare at her, Athena too left the bathroom leaving Claire alone. Was it possible? Her mind immediately began soon as the door swung shut. Her heart rate rose at the enormity of what the implications would be, if what she was suspecting Athena had meant by referring to Dan by the name Arwain, was indeed true. It certainly would explain the colossal amount of magic she'd felt from Dan when he'd lost control. After minutes of motionlessly standing in the same spot, she finally moved exiting the bathrooms. The three weres and the vampire were still in the hallway looking on at her, no doubt they too were confused at the whole bizarre situation. If only they knew, she thought to herself as she turned and walked away to her next class. Dan's POV "Take a seat Daniel," Mrs. Aniston's voice was calm yet authoritative. Dan moved over to a seat at the very back, even alone, he still never sat at the front. "Now be silent and in one hour, we can both end the day," Mrs. Aniston instructed turning to a book she held in her hand. Dan reached into his back pack and pulled out the leather bound book. Pulling it open to the last page he'd stopped at, he started reading once again... "DANIEL!" Dan jerked back into reality at the loud voice from Mrs. Aniston reached him. The tone of her voice was that of one who'd been trying to catch the attention of one who'd spaced out. "Must be a pretty interesting book if you haven't heard me calling you for the past one minute," Mrs. Aniston spoke up glancing at the book. Dan looked back down at the page where lord Arwain describes the casting of the spell that created the barrier. "More than you could ever know," he replied smiling. "Well you can read it at home, as I plan to do mine," Mrs. Aniston instructed. Dan looked at her in confusion. "My, it is quite interesting," Mrs. Aniston answered his expression nodding to the clock on the wall. Dan's brows rose in surprise as he looked at the clock, an hour had gone by without him even noticing. Rising up from where he was seated and moving for the door Dan stepped out into the empty school hallways. Having already put away his books before coming for detention Dan moved straight for the exit to the school building. As he stepped out of the school building, Dan reacted reflexively, even before his conscious mind was aware of what was happening. Ducking low, he missed the punch that had been meant for his left temple. With a quick turn and back step, he turned towards his attacker while at the same time, creating distance between them just in case they made another attack. His attacker however was much faster than he'd anticipated and kept with him sending another barrage of attacks before he managed to get a good look at them. Dan had to admit, whoever they were they were indeed good, and had they met just over a week ago, Dan would have left with more than a few injuries. But he'd spent the past week sparring with Athena, and compared to the succubus, whoever was attacking him was a joke. Dan took three steps back alternately leaning backwards to the right, left then right again as he evaded the blows sent his way by his attacker. Leaning backwards he missed the round house kick as he in the same motion, kicked out hard at the leg that that had remained on the ground as his attacker made the kick. A feminine shriek of pain was heard as his foot connected with his attacker leg at the knee joint kicking it sideways. His attacker fell to the ground holding her leg which was now bent at an odd angle. Despite the fact that her jet black hair had fallen across her face covering it from view, from the tattoos that covered her arms, Dan already knew who it was. "Chloe," Dan called out the confusion in his voice evident. Her hair parted like curtains revealing her face as she looked up at him. Her jaws clenched hard as she tried to keep from screaming in pain. "What?" she questioned curtly. "Why are you attacking me?" Dan asked, both cautiously and with a bit of concern moving towards her. "I live by the principle kill my enemies, before they kill me," she replied through gritted teeth, her grip tightening around her bent leg. Dan's face screwed up in further confusion as she looked at the girl on the ground. "And why would you think I'm your enemy," he questioned. "Apart from you, I've only ever met one other who could see my tattoos," she said watching him warily as he came closer. "He tried to kill me, and came damn close to succeeding at it too," she said as Dan finally knelt beside her. Both of them had their guard up, and both knew the other did too as well. "Let go off your leg," Dan instructed. "why?" She asked, suspicion evident in her voice. "I can heal it," he informed her. "And why would you do that?" she asked not letting go. "Cause I broke it," Dan replied simply. "Plus I'm fresh out of ideas on how to show you that killing you is the least of my priorities," he added, trying to recall all what Ember had taught him on healing as he pulled her hands away from her leg. "I don't get it," Dan spoke up. "What?" Chloe questioned as she resisted his attempts to pull her hands away from her leg, a bit of the pain she was feeling seeping into her voice. "You've got magic, you're a necromancer. I've been told you can cast a spell that causes my flesh to rot in a matter of seconds even while am still alive," Dan said. "The spell of corruption, what about it?" she asked. "You could have used that and killed me without much trouble. So why attack with hand to hand combat, why not just cast a spell and kill me," he posed. "And leave a nice amount of resonance behind for the council to hunt me by you mean?" she replied the sarcasm in her voice barely veiled. "What council?" Dan asked as he studied the level of damage he'd done.The scoff that met his question told him that she didn't believe it a genuine question. Deciding not to push the issue, Dan remained silent as he focused both his attention and magic on the hurt area. Dan heard a gratified sound escape Chloe's lips as he rectified the damage he'd done. "There, how's that?" Dan asked as he pulled his hands away from her healed leg. "I don't know," Chloe replied as she pulled back her leg bending it at the knee. "Let's find out," she then added. Dan was met completely off guard by the kick that met him squarely in the chest sending him backwards onto the floor. Dan barely had time to draw back in the air that had been knocked out of him let alone react and ready himself for any attack that may follow, before Chloe was on top of him. "I will only ask this once, who are you?" Chloe posed in an icy voice. Dan drew in a large amount of air when his chest muscles finally relaxed enough to allow it. His eyes were drawn to the figure that appeared behind Chloe, a smile crossed his face. "I would let me go and get off me real slow if I were you," Dan said in reply. "And why would I do that?" she posed drawing her hand back and curling her fingers threateningly into a tight fist. "Cause if you don't, I'll gut you like a pig," came Claire's equally threatening voice. Her blades were very conspicuously gleaming in the evening sun. Chloe froze as she realized that they were no longer alone. "Okay,"she said in a voice that had forced calmness. "I'm getting up," she said slowly rising off Dan. At full height, Chloe turned faster than Dan would have thought her capable of at a glance, and lunged at Claire. Claire however, seemed to have anticipated this attack and with a quick step to the left to avoid the attack, she turned and knocked Chloe out cold with one punch. Taking a hold of the hand Claire had held out to him, Dan pulled himself to his feet with her help. "Thanks," he said dusting himself off. "Don't mention it," Claire replied. Both of them turned at the sound of claps coming from behind them. "An exemplary display of all what you have learnt the past week," Athena's voice permeated the air. "Wait, you were here all this time?" Dan posed looking at her. "Yes," Athena replied simply. "Thanks for the help," Dan said sarcastically. "Any time," the demon replied pushing herself off the wall she'd been leaning on and walking over to them. "So can I kill her?" she asked looking down at Chloe who was now lying at her feet. "No," Dan immediately replied. The look of annoyance that crossed Athena's expression lasting only a second before it reverted to the indifferent one it had before, did not escape Dan's notice. "Take her back to the fort," he instructed. "Not that I am trying to tell you how to do things, you obviously already have a pretty good idea as far as that goes," Athena spoke, her voice thickly coated with sarcasm as she said this. "But the fort was meant to be a place where only you and those loyal to you can get to, not for taking everyone who tried to kill you to," Athena said not bothering to hide the pointed look she sent towards Claire. "I know," Dan replied with a sigh. "But there are some answers I would like to get from her," Dan explained himself despite the fact that he knew he didn't have to. A dangerous gleam lit in Athena's eyes as a smile slowly formed across her face. "Can I help?" she asked. "Will you helping involve any form of torture?" Dan bluntly questioned. Athena's smile straightened as she looked at him as if he'd just asked a really stupid question. "How else do you plan to get the information from her?" she posed in return. In spite of himself, Dan smiled at the demon, her nature would never change. "Just take her back I'll figure it all out when I get there," Dan said finally. Both Dan and Claire watched as Athena bent down and took hold of Chloe's left ankle and rose back up pulling up the leg along with her.Dan's eyes widened as Athena's wings opened up to full span, his head quickly turned to look around to see whether there were any people in the vicinity who could see her. "Relax," he heard Claire's voice as with one flap, Athena took to the air carrying the unconscious girl behind her by the ankle. "We're cloaked," Claire stated. "What?" Dan questioned confused, he didn't remember either he or Chloe casting any cloaking spell. "Athena had a cloaking spell on the two of you soon as Chloe threw the first punch," Claire explained as they both turned towards the parking lot. "She's been around since the lunch period, after the incident at the bathrooms. Which, now that I mention it, I've been meaning to ask you about. What kind of guardian can attack their master, isn't that against the spell that binds them to you or something?" Claire posed "The kind that's been granted the permission to do whatever it takes to make me into the most powerful wizard that ever lived," Dan answered. "Can I ride with you?" Claire asked as they reached his car. "Sure," Dan replied pulling the door on the driver's side of the car open. "And exactly how does that translate to her punching your living daylights out?" Claire further questioned once they were seated in the car. "One of her lessons," Dan explained as he pulled out of the parking lot. "I am supposed to be able to react to threats and danger at a moment's notice without any prior warning," he said. "In spite of the fact that we all know that the punch had nothing at all to do with training, it still qualifies as such," he said smiling at the logic he knew the succubus was using. "She cares about you, you know," Claire said after a moment of silence. "Despite her being rough, brash and cold on most subjects, even with the little contact I've had with her, I can tell that she cares for you deeply," Claire went on. Dan smiled at the truth of her words. "I know," he replied as they pulled onto the freeway. "Just don't ever let her catch you saying that, she might rip out your tongue for it," both of them laughed despite the fact that they both knew it was entirely possible. "But technically speaking," Claire spoke up after a while of silence."Aren't you already the most powerful wizard that has ever exited?"Claire posed. Dan remained silent knowing exactly what she was getting at. "I am not an idiot Dan, it doesn't take rocket science to figure out who you are after all that I have heard and know about you," there was a note of annoyance in Claire voice at his silence. "So where am I dropping you off?" Dan questioned after a while, momentarily casting a glance at her before turning his gaze back to the road, still not answering her question. There was a long stretch of silence and even though his eyes remained fixed on the road ahead, he could feel her eyes fixed on her. He could almost hear the gears turning in her head as she regarded him. With a sigh she finally spoke up, "Your fort." There was a note in her voice that made him curiously cast another glance to her, she however had her eyes fixed on the road ahead. "Please Dan," she added her voice indicating she already knew he would be objected to the idea, her eyes however still remaining fixed on the road ahead. Dan opened his mouth to object but after a few seconds of nothing coming out, he closed it and turned back to the road. With a destination now in mind, Dan floored the gas pedal of the car turning the steering wheel in the appropriate direction. With the car moving at almost full speed, the dilapidated house came into view in less than three minutes after. Soon as the front bumper of the car crossed onto the threshold of the overgrown front lawn, the house vanished and the castle gates appeared before them. Dan hit the brakes bringing the car to a stop, while he knew the gate would admit him without requiring him to actually open it, he wasn't sure it would do the same for Claire. "Open," he muttered under his breath willing for the castle to open its gates and allow him entry. After a second or so, the large gates, in spite of their size, soundlessly drew themselves open. "What part of not bringing people who want to kill you to your fort, did you not get?" were Athena's first words soon as Dan walked into the castle with Claire in tow. "I thought you said people who've tried to kill me," Dan said his eyes moving over to Chloe who was now seated stiffly on a wooden chair under Ember's scrutinizing eye. Having seen Claire in the very same position, Dan already knew that the necromancer was magically bound, hence the stiffness in her posture. "The difference being?" Athena's voice cut through. "Hallo Dan, how was your day," Kirra spoke up smiling up at him from one of the sofas. Dan smiled back at her before replying, "Nothing out of the usual, About twenty or so werewolves have now joined the school, along with a five thousand year old vampire, at the very least on the age estimate at that, and along with her," Dan said nodding to over to Chloe. "I got attacked three times today, once by a werewolf with ego issues, once by a mad succubus, if you could actually believe that and on the last instance by her." he said once again indicating Chloe. "All in all, same old same old," Dan finished smiling at Kirra who was now chuckling at his words. "Hi Dan," Ember called out momentarily looking up from Chloe to him with a light smile upon her face. "Hi," Dan replied walking over to her. "Can I safely assume that you can see her tattoos too?" Dan questioned a bit of fear that she was studying something else to do with the necromancer suddenly rising within him. "Yes," Ember replied placating his fears. "Though only thanks to the bond I have with you, I must admit," she added her eyes moving back to the tattoos. "So shall we?" Ember questioned. Dan looked at her at a loss. "I was under the impression that you wanted to question her,"Ember clarified. "Oh," Dan said turning to Chloe who was now looking at him nervously. Dan could quite clearly see that from the way she was eyeing his guardians and Claire, she knew she was way out of her league. "Relax, we won't hurt you," he said genuinely trying to calm her. "Speak for yourself," Athena quipped from where she stood across the room. "Who are you?" Dan posed. "I already told you, my name is Chloe, just Chloe," in spite of the slight tremor in her voice, Dan could hear the note of defiance in her voice. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face, smiling at the fact that she wasn't cowering before him even when she was clearly outmatched. "Okay then Chloe," Dan said, speaking in a calm voice that he hoped would put her at ease. "Why can't others see your tattoos?" he posed. "Believe me, I would have saved myself a lot more crap than I've had to endure if I had that answer," she returned in a bored voice, disinterestedly looking away from him. In spite of the tone of her voice, Dan could tell she was being truthful. "Actually," Ember spoke up from behind Dan. "It just so happens that I have the answer to that first question," Dan did not miss the both surprised and intensely curious look that Chloe sent Ember's way at her words. All eyes in the room turned to Ember. "She's the queen of death,"Ember said to the further confusion of everyone. "Oh, is that what I am? Why didn't I think of that," Chloe said sarcastically trying to sound disinterested despite the fact that Dan could see it in her eyes that she was dying to get more information from Ember. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 06 "Explain," Dan said drawing Chloe's gaze back to Ember. "Necromancers in the early days were an organized society of wizards and witches, very much unlike today. They lived in communities away from the rest of the magical community, deeming it easier to live among others who had the same abilities as their own and wouldn't find the fact that they could see the ghosts or raise up a the dead in the form of zombies to be unnatural and creepy as some would put it." "Their communities served to provide an environment in which they could live freely. Necromancers in those times were no more feared than any other member of the magical community, they were simply another part of it. The communities were all headed by a high priestess or queen of death as they called her. The most powerful out of all the necromancers, it was said she had more powers in necromancy than all the other necromancers put together." "She was identifiable by tattoos that appeared on her body at the age of ten, and slowly start to spread to the rest of her body," Dan could hear Chloe's breathing rate quicken and her heart hammering in her chest, which he assumed he was only capable of, as a result of his link to Kirra and Karra. "The tattoos however, were only visible to other necromancers," at that point Dan turned a confused expression to Ember. "But I'm not a necromancer, how then can I see them?" he posed. "Actually," Karra spoke up for the first time. "You are," she said to his further confusion. "What are you talking about?" he questioned his own mind trying to figure the answer to the question. "The great purge," Karra said simply as if that explained everything. Dan's expression made it clear that she had only succeeded in confusing him further. "When lord Arwain drew all of the magic into himself," Kirra went on further elaborating the answer. "He drew all kinds of magic into himself. You possess every imaginable kind of magic that existed at the time, warlock, elemental wizard, sorcery, name it, if it existed then, then you have it, even necromancy," she explained. "What has lord Arwain's fairy tale to do with anything?" Chloe posed confused at the turn of the conversation. "Not important," Athena spoke up from the other end of the room. "Even if I were to tell you, you wouldn't remember," Ember added. Dan could read in between the lines and understood that Ember intended to modify Chloe's memory after they were done. Much as he hated the thought, he understood the necessity of it. "Humor me then," Chloe replied her voice betraying that she too knew what they meant to do. "All you need to know is that it isn't a fairy tale," Ember replied. "The society held strong for good amount of time, and for a long while, necromancers were the most well-structured and peaceful of societies in the magical community. But as with every other human society, greed for more power and desire for dominance and control found its way into their community as well slowly infecting it like a disease." "Instead of being their leader, the queen of death, the most powerful among them, became the prime target of attack by all other necromancers, who sought to gain more power by stealing hers. Their society fell and necromancers broke away living with only their own families or totally on their own. Necromancy, is a form of magic that requires constant contact with the dead, without the support their society offered to help deal with the toll this had on the one practicing, most necromancers went off the deep end, and soon enough, necromancers came to be both feared and hated by the rest of the magical community." Ember relayed. "I've never had anyone since I was ten to support me, how come I haven't lost my mind," Dan didn't miss the note of pain in her voice. "I can't speak as to the accuracy of the claims," Ember spoke up in reply. "But I have heard it said, that the tattoos spoke to the queen of death," Ember said uncertainly, the curiosity glinting in her eyes very clear for all in the room to see, as she regarded Chloe. Dan watched Chloe's expression closely as she turned to look down at the tattoos. It was as if she was seeing them for the first time as something she hadn't yet up to that point, figured out, dawned on her. Chloe's POV The realization hit her like a sledge hammer. Though she had never taken for granted their presence or down-played the need for her tattoos, up until the chick with the flame coloured eyes said it, she hadn't realized how close she'd become to the mysterious runes, patterns and hieroglyphics on her skin. The thought of how much worse things could have been if they hadn't come along caused a tight icy grip of fear to close down hard around her heart. Even when she'd been on her own, she had never felt alone with them on her always giving her direction and watching out for her, they'd in a way come to fill the void left by the loss of her family. "I wouldn't exactly say speak," She finally said looking back up at the rest of them. "I'm not exactly sure how, but I can know exactly what to do and what they need from me simply by looking at them," she explained. "That, I believe," the chick with flame coloured eyes spoke up smiling at her in a way that in spite of herself and the situation that she now found herself in, made her want to smile back at her. "Is what has kept you sane throughout the period you've been alone," she explained. "So then, the one who wanted to kill her after seeing her tattoos must have been a necromancer too," Dan said. "Yes," The flame haired chick replied. "As I said, only other necromancers can see the tattoos," she added. "So when you attacked me..." Dan said turning to her. "As I said, the last guy who saw my tattoos came damn near close to killing me," Chloe spoke up explaining why she attacked him. "But then you still attacked him after he didn't attack you once you were down, and even healed your leg," the succubus spoke up. "Trust issues," Chloe said neutrally trying to sound as unintimidated as possible. Dan's POV "When I asked you why you simply hadn't used necromancy against me you said something about a council tracking you what did you mean?" Dan posed. Dan felt uncomfortable at her incredulous gaze, as a bit of colour seeped onto his face. "Wait, you mean to tell me that that had been an actual serious question?" even her voice relayed the shock her expression was clearly showing. "Hey, I just discovered this whole magic world about two weeks ago, forgive me if I am not up to date on all its facets," Dan found himself saying a bit more defensively than he'd meant to. "Hey," Chloe spoke up the side of her lips tilting upwards in a smirk as she regarded him. Dan could see that she liked the fact that she was making him uncomfortable. "I'm not judging," she said in a voice that hinted at just the opposite. "It's called the council of Arwain,"she went on to say her voice becoming a bit more serious. "The council that runs the entire magic world, a bunch of powerful wizards witches and magical creatures, using a fairy tale as an excuse to impose their own notions and rules on the rest of the magical community," Chloe said, the loathing in her voice quite clear for all of them to hear. "Wait, what do you mean the council of Arwain?" Dan posed his expression relaying his confusion. "Like I said, just a bunch of powerful beings that want the rest of us to believe that they are in control as it is what some non-existent warlord that is supposed to have saved the whole of humanity from both the magical creatures that at one point enslaved us and from humanity itself, wanted," Chloe went further to say. "And other members of the magical community just accept this?" Dan asked now his turn to be incredulous. "I mean does no one question how they can make the assertion that they are there as a result of lord Arwain's will?" he questioned. "One, they have these very old texts that they claim were written by lord Arwain himself that guide law making and the running of the magic world. And two, if you want to walk up to the most powerful beings and start questioning their authority, then go right ahead and be my guest," Chloe replied. "Why do you hate them so much?" Claire spoke up for the first time since they arrived. "You got something personal against them?" she went further to inquire. "You mean apart from the fact that there is a standing, council issued, kill order for all necromancers?" Chloe replied the sarcasm in her voice barely veiled. "A what? Why?" Dan found himself asking angrily not getting what rationale there could be behind such an order to justify it. "Remind me to ask next time I run into them," Chloe answered sarcastically. "So you are on the run?" Dan asked. "I never run from a fight," from the gaze she was steadily throwing his way, Dan knew that statement was also meant for him. "A couple of the council agents have come after me over the years, none of them was successful in leaving with their lives," she added her gaze never leaving him. "I mean no offense by saying this, but right now you don't even exist on the list of things I plan to deal with in the near foreseeable future," Dan said calmly. "I am not your enemy Chloe. Like I told one other person today, soon enough I will have enough enemies," Dan said."I really don't need you added onto that list," he went on. "Then don't wipe my memory," Chloe cut in. Dan regarded her silently before he finally answered, "That I can't do. As much as I wish I could implicitly trust you, I can't. You did just try to kill me, whether to protect yourself or not, I can't be sure that if threatened you wouldn't do anything against me to protect yourself." Dan explained with an apologetic note to his voice. "She's a hunter, she kills our kind simply because they exist and yet you seem to trust her fine," Chloe said turning to regard Claire. "What's different or special about her?" "Yes Dan," Athena's voice was heard drawing attention to the succubus."What's so different about her?" Her voice barely veiled the fact that she didn't like Claire's presence. "The difference," Claire spoke up before Dan could say anything. "Is that," she turned to regard Dan, looking him straight in the eye. "I want to join your following," she said. For a moment, there was total and utter silence as everyone regarded Claire with shock. "You are joking right?" the threat in Athena's voice was heard by everyone in the room. "I've never been more serious about anything in my life," she replied her eyes never leaving Dan's. "How do we know that this is not a trick," Kirra posed. "How do we know that you haven't already told the other hunters about Dan and knowing that there is no way a direct confrontation with him would turn out in your favour, you are trying to find a way to remain close to Dan so you can stay close to him, spying as you plot against him?"She went on to ask. "Two reasons," Claire spoke up. "First is that everyone in this room,with the exception of her," Claire said indicating Chloe. "Knows that I am a blue blade and is aware of the fact that right now I'm plotting against my father and the other hunters," Claire said. "Everybody knows blue blades stopped existing when the hunters started using magic," Chloe interjected. "What's the second?" Ember posed silently regarding Claire. Dan didn't miss the look of uncertainty that crossed Claire's expression as her gaze wavered moving to the window that faced the front of the compound towards the gate then back to him, her fingers clenching and unclenching nervously. "The second," she began her voice further making her nervousness clear to the rest. "Is I want you to create a bond with me too," she said. The silence that followed Claire's words lasted even longer than when she'd stated her desire to join her Dan's following. Dan regarded her silently for a while before he finally spoke up. "No," he said calmly. All eyes in the room turned to him, surprise present in all of them except for Chloe's which relayed confusion. Claire's mouth opened to reply but no words came out, Dan could see the pain in her eyes at his rejection. "Why?" the word finally escaped her lips in barely more than a pained whisper. "Because," Dan began in reply. "You know who I am Claire, if you were to join up with me you would not only be making yourself part of just any wizard's following, you are signing up to stand against the most powerful members of the magical community, cause one among them is my enemy, and I highly doubt that they will be alone. If what I've been told by Karra is true, then battle lines have already been drawn, and right now the only people standing on my side of that line are four."Dan said hoping that she could understand. "I can't ask you, neither do I want you to fight for me with such odds." Dan thought he saw a bit of the pain recede from Claire's eyes. "All that you've just said changes nothing," Claire answered quietly. "I don't get it Claire," Dan said seeing that she wouldn't be swayed easily. "I broke the spell that bound you to a life you did not want, why would you want to once again be in the clutches of another?" he posed. Claire finally could no longer his gaze so she turned resolutely to the window. "I am alone," she said quietly. "While I have never truly had my own free will when I was under the control of the bond, I have also never felt as alone as I do now. The spell compelled me to in a way, love my father and while I was everything he wanted me to be, he too loved me. But now all that has changed, I am free of the spell and though he is still none the wiser and still loves me, I feel nothing but hate for him. Everything else in my life is like feels like something out of a strange dream. I have absolutely no real connection to anything, friends, interests, hobbies, even other hunters that I at least got along with are right now strangers to me. It's only now that I realize that while the bond to my father enslaved me it also made for me a life, a life that now without it, I can barely identify with let alone live. Don't get me wrong, I would sooner die a thousand deaths, rather than be bound to my father again, but then I think part of me has gotten used to being bound to someone that being independent without being bound to someone has disorients me," a frustrated sound escaped Claire's lips, the same emotion etched onto her face as she turned to Dan. "Does any of what I'm saying even make sense?" she asked. Dan silently regarded her. Part of him understood how it felt to have something your whole life and then have it taken away as if it had never been. He sorely missed his mother and though he would never openly admit it to anyone even at gun-point, now that he was removed from his life, he in a way did miss his older brother too. Good or bad, he'd still been his brother. The bond that forced Claire to do what her father wanted wasn't something good, but from what she just said, Dan could see that it had also played a vital role in creating her life and integrating into that life. Good or bad, that bond had come to be an important part of her, then he'd taken it away. But then another part of him wondered if she actually knew what she was signing up for. With a sigh Dan spoke up,"You do realize there is a very big chance that if you join my following, you will die before all this is over?" he questioned. "One way or the other, I'm not going to live forever," Claire countered quick and neutrally. "And that you'll be doing my bidding?" Dan went on. "I'm fully aware of how a following works Dan," Claire returned neutrally. "And if I create this bond with you, it won't be like the one your father created. I won't control your actions using my will, but I will be able to access your thoughts and emotions," He stated. "And that's what makes me different," Claire replied. "There will be no question about my loyalty to you as you can at any time look into my mind and see if I am up to anything that you don't approve of," she said. "Joining my following means that your quest for vengeance against your father will have to come secondary," Dan said at last more quietly knowing that this would be the hardest thing for her to accept. Claire's mouth opened in reply but no words came out as the word fully registered in her mind. "Why?" she posed instead. "Joining my following means that I have to protect you, I can't do that if I'm preoccupied with facing another enemy that I am yet to even put a face to. You join my following, you become my responsibility, and I won't have you getting hurt because I'm too busy to protect you," he said. A smile tipped the side of Claire's lips, "I'm confused, are you trying to convince me to join or not to join your following," she asked with a small smile. After a short span of silence she once again spoke up. "I can't promise you that I won't pursue my vengeance against my father, all I can promise is that it won't get in the way of anything you ask or require of me. And you don't have to worry about my safety, I may have lost the bond to my father, but I am still every bit, the very same hunter I have always been. I don't die that easy," she went on to say. "You also do realize that when others join Dan's following you will not be their most favourite member even if you fight for him? Others will not hesitate to try and kill you the first chance they get,"Ember spoke up for the first time. "It won't come to that," Dan found himself interjecting. "I'm not looking to be the most popular in his following, just a part of it," Claire spoke up, before turning her gaze in Athena's direction. "Besides, I have absolutely no reservations about returning the favour to whoever might try to kill me," Dan wasn't sure which had him more worried; the icy tone in Claire's voice or the chilling smile that was now slowly crossing Athena's face as she fixed the hunter a predatory gaze noting the unhidden threat. "If you are to join my following I can't have you and other members who might..." "Will," Ember corrected. "Will join it later on, killing each other," Dan said firmly not missing a beat in spite of the correction. "I would be happy, if I never had to kill a magical being for the rest of my life, believe me," Claire replied turning back to Dan. "But if they attack first, are you really going to ask me not to defend myself," she asked. "Anyone in my following answers to me, and should any of them touch you then they will wish they had never been born," Dan answered in a dangerous tone, his voice making it clear that he meant every word. Claire silently regarded him for a while before a smile slowly crossed her face. "The alpha role suits you," she said finally. Even without any of them saying it, Dan knew his eyes had once again changed colour. Part of him liked it that they had, at least they would all now know that he wasn't bluffing, he did however take a deep breath forcing himself to calm down. "W... What are you?" Chloe's voice was heard. Dan closed his eyes, gritting his teeth hard against each other. He had totally forgotten about the presence of the necromancer. "Look," he said turning to her. "I don't know you well enough to trust you, I'm sorry but I can't let you go without wiping your memory," Dan said with finality before turning to Ember and nodding once at her before turning back to Claire. "Even if you wipe my memory, I will still find you," Dan heard Chloe shout to him from behind causing him to stop and turn back to her as all eyes in the room turned to the necromancer. "And believe it when I say, I will know what you did to me," she said more silently in a menacing tone of voice. "How?" Dan posed fixing her a both suspicious and equally dangerous gaze. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 06 "I did not come to this town by sheer coincidence," Claire informed them. "For the past two years since my parents died, my tattoos have been taking me from place to place in search of something or someone. Before today I had no idea what or who it was," she explained. Dan could feel the intensity of her gaze increase as she spoke her next words. "I do now," she stated firmly. "Even if you wipe my memory, they will still lead me to you. May be not immediately but eventually I will put two and two together and know what you did to me, and when that happens..." she held his gaze letting the words hang in the air. "Did you even pause to question the wisdom of threatening a wizard in the presence of his guardians," Ember broke the silence. Despite the calm tone of her voice, Dan clearly heard counter-threat in her words. Turning to her, Dan couldn't help the stroke of fear that traced its way across his heart. Whatever threat there had not been in her voice was clearly reflected in Ember's gaze, as her eyes now seemed to burn brighter directing a deathly glare to the necromancer. Looking at the expression that had etched itself onto Ember's face, it occurred to Dan that he would rather face a thousand angry Athenas rather than the angry phoenix that now stood regarding Chloe whose face had gone white as a sheet of paper. Even without her saying it, Dan knew Ember had already passed judgment and closed the case on what to do with Chloe. Dan's nose wrinkled as an odor suddenly permeated the air around them. Though Dan had never before gotten the smell anywhere else in his whole life, his brain immediately identified it as fear, cold and raw fear in its purest form. It was coming off Chloe in waves. "N... N, no wait," Chloe started up quickly, the panic in her voice clearly heard by all in the room, as she realized the mistake she'd just made in threatening Dan and tried to backtrack. "I never wanted to hurt anyone, I only attacked Dan cause I feared he'd attack me first. Please, I didn't mean any of what I've just said," she pleaded her voice fading to a squeak. It was a weak defense and they all, including Chloe, knew it, and judging by the unwavering glare that was still fixed on Chloe, it had done nothing to sway Ember's verdict. "I'll join your following," Chloe suddenly said in an attempt to undo what s he'd just done. She was speaking rapidly her gaze flicking between Ember and him, not daring to last longer than a second on the former. "You can bind me to yourself as she was saying," she went on indicating Claire. "That way you will know it if I am planning anything against you, and better yet you won't have to wipe my memory, everybody's happy," she said smiling weakly at him. "She just said it herself," Chloe went on with the plea for her life, indicating Ember but not daring to look at her, "You won't find a stronger necromancer out there, I could be a real asset to you," she stated. "Plus I..." "Enough," it was as if someone had pressed a mute button on Chloe as she immediately went silent at Ember's command. Dan had half expected Ember to cast a spell that would burn Chloe to a crisp. He wasn't completely comfortable when Ember's gaze turned to him despite the knowledge that she would never really harm him. "Well?" she posed the one word as a question. Dan was momentarily at a loss as to how to appropriately reply to it. "Right now everything within me wants to end her," Ember informed him. "But she is right," Dan heard the grudging note in Ember's voice. "We won't find another as strong as she is in necromancy to join your following if we kill her," she stated. "So the decision now rests with you, do you want her as part of your following?" Ember asked. "And if I should say no..." "She dies," Ember answered Dan's implied question without hesitation, a clear finality in her voice. Dan turned back to Chloe's pleading eyes. Her mouth opened to say something but after a glance at Ember, she seemed to think better of it and went back to pleading with her eyes. Once again Dan found himself in two situations he'd tried to avoid in the past, recruiting someone to fight for him without them actually knowing what they or more accurately, he, was up against. It was after all, his fight not that of those in his following or even his guardians. And also, he once again found himself with the life and fate of another resting with him, something he was fast coming to realize would occur more frequently than he'd initially thought or liked. There was absolutely no shred of doubt in Dan that if he chose not to take Chloe as a member of his following, she would be dead within seconds of that decision. The thought of stopping Ember from harming Chloe had crossed his mind but he also realized that he couldn't keep on defending those that had attacked him. At one point or the other, that mercy might prove to be his undoing, he'd simply have to come to terms with the reality that his enemies were to be killed, not pardoned. But then,was Chloe really her enemy. Dan's now overly sensitive nose was picking up a slow but gradual increase in the smell of fear emanating from Chloe the longer he remained direct without a reply. "You do realize you will be in my following for life?" he finally posed. Elly's POV 'Just give me some time to figure him out before you say anything to dad,' Elly mentally pleaded with her brother through their family bond as they both moved among the trees at top speed in their wolf forms. 'Did you not hear what father said?' Victor returned mentally. 'We are not to go anywhere near the source of the powerful vibrations he was picking up,' he stated. 'But Dan isn't the source of those vibrations,' Elly returned though she already knew what her brother's reply to that assertion would be. 'But he is in some way connected to the source of it,' Victor replied exactly as she'd expected. 'And that's a grey area,' Elly replied. 'Dad said nothing about anyone who might be in some way connected to the source of the vibrations,' Elly sent back mentally as they made the last turn in the route they'd been given as the route they would using for their training and exercise and started moving back towards the pack compound. 'You know perfectly well that Dad won't see it as such,' Victor replied. 'You are asking me to go against dad's commands, I should have told him the minute we got back from the school,' Victor relayed, the fact that he didn't like what Elly was asking of him clear in his voice. Elly knew what she was asking of him was unfair but she couldn't help it. She hadn't seen Dan for the rest of the day after he left the bathroom the hunter had dragged him into. She had however been unable to get him out of her thoughts, something about him appealed to the human side of her and still called to her in a very primal way that no other male had ever done. The very thought of it sent chills throughout her whole body. She wanted to know more about him and get a better understanding of what it was she was feeling. All this however, didn't change the fact that she was asking her brother to go against the alpha's orders and disobey their father. Elly more than anyone else knew how much their father's approval meant to her brother. He did a good job of hiding it from others in the pack but he was her brother, she knew him inside out just as he knew her. The fact that their father had never treated him any less than he would had he been born an alpha meant a lot to Victor and he absolutely hated to do anything to displease their father. Victor crossed the last checkpoint before Elly, omega or not, he'd always been faster than her. Both of them morphed back into their human forms. Even though they were both stark naked neither was bothered by the nudity of the other. Modesty among weres was mostly a bother that would make shifting between one form and another more of a process than it had to be, especially where a quick reaction was required. "Can you do it for me, please Victor" Elly pleaded in spite of herself. Victor locked gazes with her for a while. "Why are you so interested in him anyway?" He finally posed. Elly suddenly wished they were back in their wolf forms as colour filled her face. "You can't tell me you're not even the least bit curious about him," she redirected. From the way he was regarding her Elly knew he'd seen right through her reply. After a while he silently turned and walked away towards the house. Elly understood perfectly well that his silence meant that he was still deciding. Without verbally committing himself to anything, Victor could just as easily go to their father and tell him about Dan as he could choose to remain silent about him. With a sigh, she followed him onto the house. Elly sat at the dinner table full of both dread and hope. Hope because so far, Victor had said nothing to their father about. Dread because past experience had taught her that just because he hadn't told their father anything the first chance he got, didn't mean he wouldn't. "So how was school," except for a slight cough, Elly showed no other overt reaction to her father's question. Not because the question hadn't sparked any fear in her at what Victors answer to the question would be, but she knew perfectly if she let her body react in any way, to that question, it would not escape her parents' notice. It was part of what made her father one of the strongest alphas in the country, he was always keen to even the slightest of details, her mother as well. A slight change in her heartbeat, her scent, or even her expression would be all that was required to give her away. This was also a major part of the reason why both she and Victor could be such excellent liars when they so chose to, Victor more so than she. Though she made every effort not to be obvious about it, Elly glanced up at her brother. When her eyes found his, her heart sank her gaze turning back to her plate, from the expression on his face it was obvious what he'd decided to at last do. "No," Victor's voice which was in some ways very much like their father's was heard. Elly almost gave them away by turning her gaze back to him too quickly but managed to control herself just in time. If at that moment she could, she would have pulled Victor into tight hug for not telling their father about Dan. "Are you sure about that?" Both Victor and Elly looked up at their father, he only ever questioned them twice over anything when he knew they were lying or not telling him everything they should have. Elly turned her gaze to Victor who, to his credit, was leveling a calm gave back at their father. Elly knew he wouldn't neither did she expect her brother to further keep up the lie even for her. "Yes," Victor replied calmly. Elly had to consciously keep herself from swallowing loudly as her father and brother kept their gazes locked on each other. To anyone else other than her mother and herself they would have seemed to be simply regarding each other. But she was perfectly aware they were her father was testing Victor's resolve to stick with the answer he'd just given though by now it was perfectly clear to everyone in the room that he knew differently. Elly watched as her father's lips formed a flat line as it became apparent that Victor wouldn't back down or change his answer. "What is the first pack law?" He questioned. "Pack comes first and should be everyone's priority," Victor replied easily. "And all threats to the pack..." their father went on. "Should be dealt with immediately and should the one who's discovered the threat not be able to deal with it they are to inform one in the pack who can, meaning either Rick or you," Victor completed the statement without missing a beat. Her brother's words were followed by another short span of silence as the two males went on regarding each other. A smile tipped the side of their father's lips as he turned back to his plate. "Tell me about Daniel, or Dan, as he likes to be called," he posed looking back up at them as he brought a piece of meat skewered on his fork to his mouth. The sigh that had been about to discreetly escape Elly's lips got stuck in her throat at the question as she looked to her father. How could he possibly know?It was in these moments that Elly envied the level of control Victor possessed, while she was using all of her conscious control to keep her own body from betraying them in any way, Victor barely seemed to be sparing any thought to it."What about him?" Victor asked back. "Greg reports to me that you shared a table with Dan moments before he attacked Greg, and that you did nothing to prevent this," he said in a deceptively indifferent voice. At the mention of Greg's name, Elly lost the battle for control of her emotions. "He's the one that attacked Dan first," She replied heatedly knowing the response had given them away but suddenly not caring. "Did he now?" Their father went on calmly despite her outburst. "Surely Dan, the hunter and the vampire at the table must have done something to provoke the attack," he posed the question. Elly was about to say something back but the glare from Victor caused the words to fade at her lips. She grudgingly turned back down to her plate both furious at Greg and disgusted at herself. Victor had been doing a good job of keeping them out of trouble before she opened her big mouth. "Dan did do something to provoke it," Victor spoke up once he was sure she wouldn't be saying anything else. Seeing as she had already screwed up there was no more need to try and control her reactions, Elly's head shot up to look across the table at Victor. "What?" Their father inquired. "I may have it all wrong," Victor began the paused the shadow of a smile crossing his lips. "But it looks like Dan likes Elly," he said catching all at the table by surprise. The smile fully formed on his lips as he turned to her. "He's been fawning over Elly for the better part of the day," he reported. "Is that true?" Their mother spoke up for the first time directing the question at Elly. Despite her own shock at Victor's words, Elly luckily had enough presence of mind to reply. "Yes, he has. Quite a bother really," she said trying to sound disinterested. "For one who was such a bother, you sure seemed quick to defend him," Their mother spoke up smiling at her daughter conspiratorily at her daughter causing a blush to come on to her face. "I wasn't defending him," Elly muttered unconvincingly back at her. "So was he cute?" Their mother further questioned. "Mom!" Elly called out in a voice that was more girlish than she liked. "Lexy!" Their father called out a moment after Elly had, eyeing her in a territorial manner. "What?" She answered in a voice that feigned innocence despite her devilish smile."My daughter has finally found a guy she likes after two whole centuries and I'm not supposed to be excited," she said when it proved impossible to maintain a face that matched the innocence she'd feigned in her voice. "Who says I like him?" Elly found herself saying a bit too defensively. "Do you even know how long I stayed single before someone who even remotely interested me came along?" She posed. "Remotely, is not exactly how I remember it?" Their father spoke up looking at their mother with a predatory gaze that brought on a smile on her face. "My mother had all but given up on me finding a mate," their mother went on ignoring her mate's words. "Just as I had with Elly seeing as she seemed to possess zero interest in Greg," she said. "I don't think Elly is ready to have a mate yet," their father cut in. "Hmmm... Now where have I heard that before?" Their mother spoke up feigning being deep in thought. "Oh, that's right, they were my father's words when you were trying to make me your mate, didn't stop you though, did they?" she posed smiling at him. In spite of himself, their father sent their mother a wolfish grin. "He was being over-protective and unreasonable," He sent back to their mother. "And you are being totally reasonable and not in the least bit over-protective when you say your two hundred and fifty four year old daughter isn't ready to mate?" She posed sarcastically. "Of course not, you were two hundred and sixty at the time," their father stubbornly replied. Their mother rolled her eyes turning away from her mate muttering "like that makes a whole world of difference," beneath her breath. "I wanna meet him," she said causing Elly to choke on the food she'd been swallowing. "Invite him over for dinner," she added. "Whoa! Mom, I just met him today, I barely know the guy," Elly said after a short coughing slash choking fit. "Well there you have it, this would be a great way to get to know him better," their mother said. "For who? Me or you?" Elly posed. "There is no reason why both can't happen at the same time," their mother replied. "I think your mother is right, invite him over for dinner," their father spoke up. "I'd also like to get to know him better," he said with a bit more emphasis on the 'better' than Elly liked. "I think I'll turn in for the night if that's okay with you guys," Victor spoke up pushing his seat away from the table and getting up. "Me too," Elly said she too rising from the table and quickly moving out of the room after her brother. "I still expect you to invite him over for dinner," their mother shouted after though she barely needed to. "I'll think about it," Elly replied in a non-committal voice as she finally caught up to her brother. "Thank you," she said smiling gratefully at him. "If you're going to ask me to lie for you, the least you could do is shut up and let me do it," her brother replied smiling at her in spite of his words. Elly cringed as she remembered her outburst. "Sorry," she said."You know you've always been better at controlling yourself than me," Elly went on. "Don't beat yourself up too much, your outburst is what gave me the idea of how to pull their attention away from Dan," Victor said then stopped in his tracks and turned to her with a serious expression. "You do realize that this is the only time I'll do this, next time I'm telling," he informed her. "I wouldn't expect different" she said smiling at him before they both parted to their own rooms. ****************************** "Did you believe them?" Lexy asked her mate after her daughter left the room. Raymond turned to regard the door through which his two children had just left. "I think Victor is getting a bit too good at lying" he said turning back to her. "And where does he get that from I wonder?" Lexy asked rhetorically, smiling at the wolf seated across the table from her. "At the very least, Elly does seem to be genuinely interested in this Daniel," He said. "May be I should pay the school a visit," he added thoughtfully. "You'll do no such thing!" Lexy shot back. "Let my daughter be," she added. "I'm worried about her, that's all," Raymond said his hands raised in mock surrender. "You weren't worried any of the times Victor dated any of the many girls he's so far dated," she pointed out. "That was different," Raymond said. "Exactly how was it any different," Lexy asked her eyes narrowing at her mate. Raymond smiled at her already seeing that he wouldn't win this one. "I'll just ask Rick to put a beta on their tail," he said conceding defeat. Lexy smiled at her mate "Tell him to put three, two on them and one on this Dan..." ****************************** Funny, chapter one of this story is the chapter with the lowest rating. And yet chapter five (the chapter with the highest rating) is the only chapter to come even close to matching the number of favourites chapter one got... My sincerest apologies to everyone, but chapter seven won't be out for a good while... :( Arwain Chronicles Ch. 07 Here it finally is!!! So let's get what I have to say out of the way before we begin, shall we? Some of you commented and even emailed me to say that i was "stubbornly making this a teen novel" if may quote one of the comments in the previous chapter. Most of you saying that a two hundred and fifty four year old would not behave as Elly is. And I must admit, that is partly true but the logic I am using in the story is this; the average number of years for any one person to live in the world now taking into consideration that adolescence and teenagehood lasts for something close to eight or nine years, that comes to almost a seventh of one's life. In my story world, weres live for on average three millennia. So, it just didn't make sense to me that their "adolescence and teenagehood" (even if they are way past that by human standards) would only be about a decade. Another thing you guys have been asking me about is where in the U.S. is this story taking place. If you had checked out my biography, you would know that I am from Kenya. The furthest I have ever been from Kenya is Tanzania, the country directly south of mine. I really didn't feel comfortable with my next-to-none knowledge of the U.S. to put this story in any specific place. As far as that question goes, I would highly recommend that you use your imagination. Now, on to something I am much less happy about. Some ass hole has taken this story and reposted it as their own work in another website (yes, I mean you shubh11ag.). I always thought I wouldn't mind if this ever happened cause on average, about ten stories run through my mind everyday.... but then I saw my work with someone else's name on it!!! Please, with all due respect, take it down! This work is proprietary, no one has the right to copy and paste it on any other website, or even to reproduce it in any other form. DISCLAIMER ALL CHARECTERS DEPICTED IN ANY SEXUAL SITUATION WITHIN THE STORY ARE EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. (I know you noticed the change...) Anyway, on to the story... CHAPTER SEVEN. THE ARWAIN CHRONNICLES: FOUR PREDICTIONS... The car slowly pulled to a stop in the dark parking lot. The mist in her breath told her that it was cold, she however felt nothing. She sat unmoving, her gloved hands remaining on the steering wheel for a while even after the car had stopped. At last she turned to the girl seated in the passenger seat staring out blankly through the wind screen. There was a stark contrast between the eyes that had always burned bright with life and a strong will to keep on living and surviving, ever gleaming with sly intentions and the empty shells that she was now looking at. It made a shiver creep down the length of her spine, her heart contracting painfully at seeing the other girl this way. When had the girl become this important to her? When had she slipped past the defenses and walls she'd put up to guard against this exact thing? When the fuck had the girls seated unmoving in the passenger seat become her fucking weakness? Another sigh escaped through her gritted teeth. It was a question she'd asked herself more times than she cared to remember over the past two weeks since it happened. She was yet to find an answer to it. "I've got an errand to run, I need you to stay here. Don't worry, I won't be gone for too long," it was only after the words had left her lips that she realized how stupid the request was. Her mouth opened to say something else to make up for the stupid request, but nothing came to mind. Closing her mouth, she turned and stepped out of the car. Her eyes more out of habit than any real suspicion that she had been, scanned the parking lot and the area around to see if she'd been followed or if she was attracting any unnecessary and therefore unwanted attention. She wasn't. Moving round to the back of the car she pulled the trunk open and effortlessly picked up the duffel bag inside of it. With the duffel bag in one hand she slammed the trunk shut with the other. A few words murmured beneath her breath later, she'd cloaked the car, such that anyone of lesser power than she possessed would not be able to see it even if they were looking directly at it. With quick strides she left the parking lot and started down the street towards her target. Her face was a solid expressionless mask that betrayed nothing of what she felt. It was only her eyes that would give anyone who would have cared to and had the balls to look into them long enough, a clue as to the cold and ruthless personality that had been bred and ingrained into her. She ignored the lust filled gazes she attracted from the guys she passed and the jealous ones from the chicks. Her all black leather outfit that hugged her body like second skin was designed to give her the free movement essential in combat, not for any aesthetic purposes. She turned and walked into the dark alley just before the end of the street she was on. Once she was at the centre of the alley, she closed her eyes and spread out her senses looking for it. The doorways between realms left such a slight magical signature that for ninety nine point nine nine percent of the magical population, they were practically undetectable. Unless one knew exactly where they were, it would be next to impossible to find them. Lucky for her, she fell in that last zero point zero one percent. Her eyes opened their gaze fixed directly on the dumpster that was almost full of garbage. She walked to it and with one strong kick sent it flying to the other end of the alley. She studied the brick wall behind it, or more accurately, she studied the runes cleverly disguised as cracks on the wall. Half of them were useless and using them would get her nowhere. A large percentage of the other half would cause the doorway to malfunction, using them could for instance cause only one half of the user to pass through leaving both bleeding halves of them on opposite sides of the door before closing or leave them trapped in the 'in-between' that both existed and didn't between realms. She'd done this enough times before that figuring out the right ones to use took her less than thirty seconds. After ten more seconds of studying them to figure out the sequence in which they were to be spoken then memorizing them, she took a step back from the wall. She uttered the words audibly and clearly making sure to get each runes right, even the slightest mispronunciation could have dire consequences. Nothing happened for a few seconds after the incantation was complete, she waited patiently. A slim line of light barely a single strand of hair's breadth wide appeared on the wall, the door way was open. With a glance to both ends of the alley to ensure she didn't have company, she took a step forward. To any onlooker it would have looked as if she'd stepped into and merged with the wall, however, soon as her body touched the wall she pulled through the doorway to the other side. She was in an alley identical in every way to the one in the realm she'd just come from. Everything about this realm was identical to the one she'd left except for the people that occupied it and the fact that this realm was a little more evil than the realm she'd just left. The difference between realms didn't become obvious until you were about three or more realms away from the initial realm you were in. Without wasting a second she turned and once again started moving resolutely towards her destination. Her jaws clenched as a bell chime from above her head announced her entrance into the bar, she would have much rather entered unnoticed. Her eyes scanned the room sizing up the other patrons, none of them posed any major threat to her. She walked forward to the bar and took a seat. "Welcome, what will be your poison," the bartender, a guy in his mid twenties, spoke with a plastic smile on his face as he dried a glass with a white cloth. "Information," she replied. His hands paused in their motion as he regarded her with a more critical gaze than he'd accorded her the first time around, she held his gaze. "That particular kind of poison doesn't come cheap," he spoke up a menacing tone coming onto his voice. She knew it was meant to intimidate her and give him an edge, a very poor attempt. "I'm sure we can come to an understanding," she returned just as menacingly and twice as coldly. "What do you want to know?" he posed. "Aurelius, where can I find him?" she asked. She wasn't unaware the glances the mention of the name had drawn to her. The bartender's eyes widened noticeably his hard exterior fading as he became visibly nervous. "You are at the wrong place, I don't have that info," he said. For one to excel in her line of work, spotting a liar was an essential skill, one that she had mastered. She silently regarded him for a while before she finally spoke, "Lucky for you, all my anger is right now reserved for someone else, otherwise this would have gotten really messy, really fast," she said speaking in a way that left everyone else in the room unsure of whether she was speaking to the bartender or herself. "Give me the information I need and I promise He won't find out that it was you who gave me the info from me," she offered. "Look bitch," the bartender replied a bit if the menacing tone coming back to her voice. "I told you I don't have that info, now piss off," he barked. Her lips formed a tight straight line, ice flowing into the gaze she was sending him. Tense moments passed before she finally turned to the duffel bag she'd set down on the counter and pulled the zipper open. The bartender did not bother to try and hide the motion of his hands reaching for something beneath the counter, he however did not draw them back to reveal what it was, his eyes remaining fixed on her, waiting to see what it is she would draw from the duffel bag. She did not miss both the surprise and greed that flowed into his gaze as she pulled out a gold brick from the bag and laid it in top of the counter. She was perfectly aware that the bartender was not the only one that was eyeing the gold brick on the countertop greedily, part of her was wishing one of them would make the mistake. In her other hand, a dark purple, almost black cloud that seemed lighter at the center than at the fringes, almost as if there was a light source whose light did not quite reach the edges of the cloud, appeared for a second before it vanished leaving behind in her firm grip a gleaming steel blade. Her eyes moved away from the bartender who was eyeing the blade warily to the blade in her hand, she considered it as if deciding on something. The tip of her right index finger moved lightly over the sharp edge of the blade. Her eyes looked down detachedly at the crimson bead of blood that formed where the blade had grazed her skin. Her eyes at last left the her finger which was already healing and moved to the various drinks on display behind the bartender, her eyes locked on one of the bottles and a decision seemed be made in her eyes. The blade disappeared in another dark purple cloud just as the bottle her eyes had locked on flew from where it stood on display into her palm. She regarded the bottle which she was now holding by the narrow neck, for a second before bringing it down hard on one of the corners of the counter breaking off the lower end of it. The contents of as well as shards of glass that had previously formed the lower part of the now broken bottle spilled onto the floor. Leaving in her firm grip, the narrow neck of the bottle as well as the upper broad part of the bottle that now ended in sharp jagged edges. She laid it down a foot away from the gold brick. "As of now, you have a choice, and three seconds to make it," she spoke up in a dangerous tone of voice. "You can tell me where to find Aurelius and take the gold brick for your troubles or, you can choose to remain silent and I'll see to it that you do so, permanently," she informed him. "After three seconds, I make that decision for you," She added in a voice that left no questions as to what her decision would be. "I have a better offer," the bartender spoke up his voice full of forced bravado as he drew his hands back from underneath the counter to reveal a loaded shotgun which he aimed directly at her face. "I can blow your head off right here right now and keep all of your gold or you can just get up from that seat right now, leave the duffel bag where it is, and walk away. Then maybe, just maybe I let you walk away with your whole head on your neck," he offered. "You can keep the gold brick for your troubles," he added chuckling breathily at his own humor. Nothing about the girl betrayed the registration of any danger or even the slightest recognition of the fact that the barrel of the shotgun was now pointed directly at her face right in between her eyes. Her eyes locked his in an icy glare as she regarded him calculatingly. A slight breath escaped her lips as they finally parted and she spoke, "One." The sound of the shotgun going off resounded within the bar quickly followed by the sound of breaking glass as some of the pellets from the gun flew through the front window of the bar. "Two." The bartender's eyes, as well as that of others within the bar, went wide with shock as the girls voice came from the other end of the bar. In the split second between her uttering the last syllable in the word one, and the bartender pulling the trigger of the shot gun, she'd teleported, vanishing in a dark purple cloud, from the end of the bar she'd been seated at to the other. The colour drained from the bartender's face as she now sat with the broken bottle in her right hand, her left index finger slowly running over the sharp edges of it. Whatever bravado, the bartender had managed to muster quickly leeched away under the deathly glare she was sending him. It was now perfectly clear to all that he only had one more second to live if he didn't do as she wanted. "Thr..." "Alright, alright, alright, I'll tell you," the bartender practically shouted dropping the shotgun to the floor and raising his hands. "I'll tell you," he once again repeated taking a step back in fear as the girl vanished and reappeared in the seat she'd initially been in. "Write it down," she ordered conjuring a slip of paper between the index finger and mid finger of her of her left hand, her right still holding onto the broken glass bottle just in case she'd still need to use it. Picking it from her, the bartender, conjured his own pen and quickly scribbled something down on the paper then handed it back to her. She picked the piece of paper from him and studied what he'd written down before looking back up at him, "If I follow this and find that it's been a waste of my time..." "It's legit," the bartender quickly reassured before she could finish the threat. She once again studied the piece of paper for a second before it vanished into a purple cloud. Rising from the seat, she picked up the gold brick from the counter top, "Aren't you gonna..." whatever other words that would have left his lips faded at the look she shot him. Putting the gold brick back in the duffel bag she turned round to regard the rest of those the bar. She stood unmoving for a second waiting to see if any of them had grown tired of living. Except for shifting and shuffling uncomfortably in their seats when her gaze swept over them, none of them moved. Shame, she thought to herself half disappointedly as she turned and walked out of the bar through the broken front window. It took her less than half an hour to find the address the bartender had scribbled onto the sheet of paper. She walked into the alley that had been indicated in the paper, the hulkish figure standing guard at the small green door with chipping paint on it told her that she was at the right place. She walked up to him, "Tell your boss, I wanna see him," she said once she was standing before him. He stood at a full head taller than her, regarding her calmly. "And Why would my boss be interested in meeting you?" he posed calmly. She smiled part of her already liking him. Unlike the stereotypical guards that acted tough and tried to intimidate everyone they came into contact with, the one standing before her was confident in his ability to deal whatever came his way and didn't feel the need to posture for anyone. And also taking from the subtle adjustments in his stance, he understood combat and was most likely deadly in it. "I've got a little something for him," she said holding the duffel bag out to him. The guard looked down at the duffel bag but made no motion to take it from her. "Open it," he said looking back up at her. The side of her lips tipped upwards in a half smile her respect for him going up a notch. He was smart, choosing to keep his hands free and all of his attention focused on her, just in case she tried anything. He obviously knew how to do his job and was indeed good at it. She reached down for the zipper of the bag and pulled it open. Nothing about his expression changed even in the slightest even as he regarded the Twenty one gold bricks within the bag. "Do you think your boss will want to meet me now?" she posed. The guard's hand reached up to his right ear and pressed on a button on the small device there before speaking into it in a foreign language that she wasn't familiar with. Immediately her guard went several notches up in spite of the fact that nothing about her overtly showed it. In her world, what you did not know was a danger. The guard could have been telling her boss that there was someone to see him just as easily as he could have been calling for reinforcements. His eyes scanned her once again in studious manner before his expression finally broke and a small smile crept onto his lips. "If I wanted to take you out, believe me, I wouldn't need reinforcements," he said. There was no pride in his voice, he took the tone of one who was simply stating a fact. "So you'd think," she neutrally offered back still smiling at him. The guards head tilted slightly to the side his eyes leaving hers as he listened to whatever he was being told from the other end of the line. His eyes once again rose to meet hers once again, she readied herself for anything. "He'll meet you," he said stepping to the side and pulling the door open to allow her passage. She moved past the guard and into the long hallway which was lined on either side with guards at an interval of ten feet from one pair to the next. She calmly walked past them not even bothering to spare any of them a glance. She stepped into the open elevator at the end of the hallway. There were no buttons outside or within the elevator, it was controlled remotely by a computer most likely in the same room as the one with the monitors to which the four cameras which were now trained on her, sent their feed to. "Still as paranoid as always," she murmured to herself. By her estimate, the elevator sank the equivalent of Twenty floors below ground before it finally opened. The chorus of "haa" was the first thing that hit her as she walked out into an open area filled with lines young teens of various ages all in white robes all in battle stance with one hand thrust out their fingers curled into tight fists. At the command of a voice from a man standing in the middle of the trainees there was another loud chorus of "haa," from the trainees as they threw another hard punch with the hand that had still been drawn back at the unseen enemy before them. Her eyes scanned the crowd as she moved towards the office at the back of the training area. The youngest of the trainees seemed to be of at least ten years of age, while the oldest seemed to be eighteen, same age as her. She had to keep her lips straight and her expression from turning into a smirk, by the time she was ten, she'd been trained hard enough to the point that she could have very easily killed any of the eighteen year olds in this group. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 07 "Twenty two," the tall wiry man with sandy blonde hair that fell to his shoulders called out her identifying tag looking up from the papers he'd been going through as she stepped through the door into the office. She'd never had a name in her life, she'd only been given a tag, a number that would distinguish her from the others she'd been in training with. 'You are nothing, no one, not a girl, not a person, not even a living thing, just a number...' Her jaws clenched tightly as she forced the words her former masters had so constantly repeated to her and others she trained with, out of her head. "Long time no see," The man went on in a level tone. There were four guards in total in the office, two on either side of the door and two standing just behind the man. "You've been hiding from me Aurelius," she said in return. "I hide from everybody," the man replied neutrally. Her gaze moved to the guards standing behind him. "I noticed," she returned dryly. "I've been told you come bearing gifts," Aurelius said casting a glance to the duffel bag she still had in a firm grip. "I want a tracker," She said without preamble. "The very best one you have," she added. "The very best one I have, won't come cheap," he said. "The price, as I'm sure you've already been informed, isn't an issue," she returned. "How long do you want to borrow her for?" Aurelius questioned. "Indefinitely," She said without hesitation. His eyes narrowed at her. "You know my merchandise is not for sale, only for leasing," he said. "Is that so?" she posed rising from the seat. "Then I'm at the wrong place," she turned and started moving for the door. "But," Aurelius called out just as her hand reached for the handle to the door. "For the right price, I would be willing to part with one of my trackers," he proposed trying to make it sound as if he wasn't really sure he would. "I don't want one of your trackers Aurelius, I want your best tracker, anything less than that, I am not interested," she stated not bothering to turn to look back at him. "So, do you want to talk business or do I keep walking?" she asked. "Sit," the single word came from him in reply after a while. She turned and walked back to the seat. "You never were one for foreplay," Aurelius spoke up a half smile tipping the side of his lips. "Neither were you," she returned. "I'll give you fifteen gold bricks," she immediately went on, wasting no time. "Twenty," he immediately returned. A scoff escaped her lips, "In open market we both know that none of your trainees would fetch more than twelve bricks," she returned. "And I'm being real generous with that estimation," she added. "And in case you are suffering from a case of sudden amnesia, you know perfectly well that I don't usually sell my trackers. So Twenty and not a brick less," Aurelius returned. "Seventeen, and not a brick more," she returned leveling an equally hard but calm gaze as the one she was receiving from him. They held each other's gaze for a good while before he finally relented and motioned for the guard to his right to come closer and whispered something into his ear. Just as with the guard outside, her guard rose without her overtly showing it. The guard nodded in acknowledgement and walked out of the office through another door to the side. "Might I ask what it is you need a tracker for?" Aurelius posed. "No," she answered simply. Curiosity burned within his eyes as he regarded her, he did however remain silent in spite of it. His gaze turned back to the papers before him. Silence engulfed the room with nothing further said as they awaited the return of the guard that had just left. Three minutes passed before the guard came back through the door he'd left through with a girl in tow. By her estimation, the girl couldn't have been anything more than fourteen, her cherry red hair was cut short standing at only two and a half inches to three at most . The girl's hazel eyes immediately moved to her according her the same critical scrutiny as she was offering her. She immediately saw it in the girl's eyes, it wasn't the hard but blank gaze that was always in those trainees that had been fully broken and only awaited orders from their master's. No, in the girl's eyes was the hard defiant gleam of one who refused to bend to anyone else's will apart from her own, the same gleam she saw in her own eyes every time she looked in the mirror. That strength of will might prove to be an asset just as much as it could be a liability in future. She carried on with her survey of the girl, her features were still boyish though the constant training the girl must be put through in the place they were in might be partly to blame for that. The girl stood in a black leather outfit identical to the one she herself had on. "This is two," Aurelius introduced the girl. "Where is one?" She immediately asked turning away from the girl and back to Aurelius. "I'm One," Aurelius returned with a good measure of arrogance in his tone. "Or at least I was until, like you, I killed my masters and took my freedom," He informed her. Her eyes moved back to the girl, "She's a bit too young for my liking," she stated. "I've lost three good eighteen year olds and a nineteen year old to her and they were fighting her four to one to top it all off, so I wouldn't underestimate her till I've seen she can do if I were you," Aurelius said his eyes also on the girl. "I could have killed ten of your eighteen year olds and a lot more than just one of your nineteen year olds when I was ten," she returned indifferently. She didn't miss the way his eyes narrowed at her, "If I hadn't already seen you fight before, I would have considered that an insult," he spoke in an icy voice that warned her to tread lightly. She couldn't have cared less. "Two," Aurelius called turning back to the girl. "Yes master," the girl replied though not as emphatically as broken in trainees did. "This is Twenty two," Aurelius introduced. "From now on she is your new master," Aurelius informed her. "Yes Aurelius," The girl replied. Aurelius's eyes widened, his head immediately swinging to the girl as his eyes once again narrowed, "Did you just refer to me by my name?" he questioned in a menacing voice. There was absolutely no change in the girl's expression or tone as she replied. "You are no longer my master." Aurelius rose from his seat moving for the girl. she too rose from her seat and stood in his path. "She's right. She's mine now," she said in a voice that had the guards drawing closer to them and reaching for their weapons. She held gazes with him for a while before he once again relented and moved back to his seat jaws clenched. She turned and walked up to the girl, and with the tip of her index finger under the girl's chin, she turned the girls face up till their gazes were locked. "If you ever say something like that to me, I'll cut out your tongue out. Is that clear?" She warned. "Crystal master," The girl replied neutrally. "Call me Twenty two," she said as she turned and walked back to Aurelius's. Picking the duffel bag up, she pulled the zipper open and poured out all the contents onto the table before putting four bricks back into the bag and zipping it closed and throwing it to the girl. She turned and started for the door. "Twenty two," Aurelius called to her. She turned back to him. "How did you know where to find me?" he asked. "A bird in a bar with a broken front window, that tried to blow my head off with a shotgun, told me," She replied before she turned and walked out of the office with the girl following behind her. "You are tense," the girl observed. "What are you afraid of?" she went on to ask as they entered the elevator. Her head turned to the girl as the doors to the elevators closed and it started its ascent to the ground, her surprise at the girls question evident. "First off, you only speak when spoken to and not before, is that clear?" "Yes Twenty two," the girl replied. "And I'm not afraid of anything," she went on to say. "My abilities are not only limited to tracking you know," the girl said in return. "I'm not interested whatever else it is that you can do, now be quiet until you are spoken to," She said. "Yes Twenty two," from the way the girl said it, she knew it was more of an act of defiance than it was acknowledgement of the order given. With the exception of the elevator they were silent all the way back to the alley through which she'd entered this realm. "Uum... Are we lost?" the girl asked after a minute passed with her scrutinizing the wall she'd come through in the alley. "What part of do not speak unless spoken to do you not understand?" she questioned her curtly her eyes never leaving the alley wall. "Uum, the part where you've had us standing in the middle of an lone alley, doing nothing except staring at a wall for the past two minutes," she replied. "If you make me have to shut you up, you won't be talking for a very long time," Twenty two warned through gritted teeth despite her calm exterior. "I'm just saying, if there was a secret passage anywhere on this wall, I would know, I'm a tracker it's what I do," two went on. It was already becoming quite clear to Twenty two that the girl was no push over that could be cowed into obedience. It was slowly beginning to grate on her nerves, both her defiance and the fact that it reminded her so much of herself back when she still had masters. Ignoring the girl, she spoke out the inscriptions on this side of the door loudly and clearly. "What's that supposed to achi..." the question was lost on the girls lips as she too saw the vertical line of light form on the wall. "Take my hand," She ordered holding her hand out to the girl. She did. "Now hold your breath and close your eyes," she did not wait to see whether the girl followed her instruction, taking a step forward she moved through the door back to the side she'd come from. A loud heaving noise followed by the sound of puke hitting the concrete broke the silence of the alley they walked into. "I told you to close your eyes and hold your breath," Twenty two berated taking a step back from the girl. The girls head rose to her and she looked like she was about to say something but another violent heave caused her to turn her back once again and spill more of her stomach's contents on to the ground. "I did both," the girl finally replied her tone reproachful. She was breathing hard through her open mouth. "What the hell was that?" she questioned between breaths. "A door across two realms, you've just left the realm you come from and are now in the realm I come from," Twenty two answered briefly. The girl's eyes widened as she turned and studied her surroundings anew. Her eyes at last settled on the fading vertical line of light. "Keep moving," Twenty two called to her already moving out of the alley, once she saw that the girl had stopped puking and regained a good measure of her composure. In spite of the fact that nothing seemed to have changed and the car looked just as undisturbed as she'd left it, Twenty two felt the sudden need to get to it faster just to see if the one she left inside was okay. She hated feeling as she did right then, emotions were an anchor that served only one purpose, pulling you down. She knew this perfectly well and to her credit, she had tried to shut away and ignore the feelings that had slowly been building up within her. She'd actually fooled herself into believing that she'd succeeded, then this happened. They'd taken a job, one of the easier ones actually, an assassination. They were to find and kill some necromancer that had been giving the council trouble for some time. A day into the job they'd checked into a motel. Being the only one of the two of them that could enter the magic force plane, as she called it, she'd left the girl that was now seated unmoving in the passenger seat of the car alone in the room they'd checked into to track their target as she went off for a run. The scream of pure agony that she'd heard just as she was about to take the first corner of her trail still haunted her. She'd turned around and run faster than she'd ever done in her life, a fear like she'd never known slowly diffusing through her every fibre. Without bothering with the lock she'd kicked in the door and moved into the room to find the girl writhing on the floor. Her eyes had already gone blank, as if they were only open but her mind not registering anything she was seeing. The girl had once told her what happens when one encounters magic more powerful than their minds can handle in the magic force plane, there was no doubt in her mind that this was what had happened to the other girl. She'd tried every sort of healing magic she knew but all for naught. The only thing she'd managed to do was alleviate her pain, but the other girl had been left a living zombie. She knew her own name, and understood simple commands such as come, sit, follow but anything else was completely lost on her. She did everything with a level of lethargy that had eventually become too painful for her to watch anymore, so she'd begun tracking Aurelius. She'd been so caught up in her thoughts and memories that the Two's palm landing on her midriff stopping her in her motion and keeping her from moving any closer to the car, caught her by surprise. Her jaws clenched in annoyance, losing one's focus and awareness of their surroundings was an extremely stupid and in most cases fatal mistake that she should have known better than to make. "There's someone in the passenger seat of the car," Two warned, her eyes fixed suspiciously on the car. A brow rose on her face in surprise as she looked down at the girl. "You can see the car?" she posed. A sound came from under the girl's breath, in what Twenty two highly suspected was a scoff as the girl rolled her eyes. "The cloaking spell is cute, but it's not enough to hide the car from me," she reported. "And apparently, not her either," she said nodding towards the other girl. She pushed the girl's hand out of her way and continued towards the car. "That's because I left her there," she said walking to the passenger side of the car. "Two," she called out pulling the door to the passenger side o the car open. "I want you to meet Twenty one," she introduced as the young girl, still cautiously, came up to the side of the car to look in at Twenty one whose head turned to Twenty two at the mention of her name. "What's wrong with her?" Two questioned her expression morphing to one of confusion once she was sure there was no imminent danger from the girl. "Her mind's been burnt," Twenty two answered shortly. The confusion visibly deepened on Two's face as she looked up at Twenty two. "Burnt?" she repeated the word as a question. "The details of that I can give you on the road," Twenty two said. "Right now, I want you to take in the magic that did this to her and track it to the source." she instructed. "You do realize that I don't have to be stationary for me to get a clear reading on the source of the magic, don't you?" Two questioned looking up at her. "I can still do it while we're moving," she further added. "Then what waiting for?" Twenty two posed slamming the door to the passenger side of the car shut. "Get in," she instructed as she herself moving round to the driver's side of the car and got in. She buckled herself in just as the door to the backseats slammed shut. "Get me a direction to drive in while I start the car," Twenty two instructed looking back at the girl through the rear-view mirror, as she pulled out the keys. Her eyes moved to the girl's reflection in the rear-view mirror once the engine was running. Two's eyes were closed a look of concentration on her face. The tip of both the middle and index fingers of her left hand on Twenty one's temple as she tried to locate the direction of the magic that had burnt her mind. A look of both shocked disbelief and cold fear crossed Two's face as her eyes opened wide with shock, her hand pulling away from Twenty one as if she'd just been stung. "What? What's wrong?"Twenty two asked turning fully in her seat to face the girl. Twenty two wasn't sure that Two was aware of the look of terror on her face or even just how heavily she'd just swallowed. "East, drive eastwards," Two finally gave the direction her eyes still fixed on Twenty one. Twenty two's eyes surveyed the girl for a while before she turned around and pulled out of the parking lot and set off in the given direction. "What did you see," She asked. Silence followed Twenty two's question causing her to once again cast a glance back at the girl through the rear-view mirror before bringing her eyes back to the road. "What did you see," She repeated the question with a bit more hardness in the tone of her voice. "That we are on a suicide mission," Two replied in a tone that quite clearly expressed the fear she was trying to quell. "What are you talking about?" Twenty two posed confusion creeping onto her expression. "How can you know that?" she further asked. There was a length of silence as the younger girl seemed to be trying to recollect herself as she at last pulled her gaze away from Twenty one. "My powers," the girl finally answered looking at her. "As I said before, I'm not simply just a tracker. I've never known how or why, but when I sense magic, it tells me a bit about the one from whom it came. What I get from different kinds of magic changes constantly with each sample I come across. Sometimes I can tell the strengths and weaknesses of a wizard or witch simply by use of a sample of their magic, I can tell whether they had a good or malicious intent when they cast the spell that left the traces of their magic behind. I can know if they are alone or others are with them, and so on," Two explained. "It is how I ended up as number two," she added almost as an afterthought. "And what did you see?" Twenty two posed. "This wasn't an attack on either you or Twenty one, whoever did this doesn't even know they did it," Two reported. "Why do I get the feeling that that's the good news," Twenty two murmured through gritted teeth. "He's also... Yes it's a he," Two answered the question written all over her face when she turned back to glance at her again. "He's also surrounded by allies, very powerful allies, any one of which can take us out without any problem," "Well, we'll just have to take him when they are not looking," Twenty two said calmly. She'd had assignments before where the target was protected by very powerful individuals, this would be no different. "There's more," Two spoke up in a barely audible whisper. Twenty two's hands gripped the steering wheel even tighter. "What more?" she posed already knowing that she wouldn't like what she was about to hear. "He's powerful, really powerful," Two reported. "If I had to make a comparison between him and us, We'd be like candles compared to the sun," she said the look in her eyes which Twenty two could see through the rear-view mirror telling her that she truly did believe what she had just said and wasn't exaggerating. Twenty two's eyes turned to and stayed on the girl in the front passenger seat for a while before she turned back to the road the resolve in her hardening as her foot pressed harder on the gas pedal. "Someone as powerful as that should light up like a beacon and be as easy to track," she said. Two was silent for a while before she finally spoke up and said, "She must mean a lot to you," "She's my partner," Twenty two immediately replied hoping that Two hadn't heard the evasive tone in the answer. She could feel Two's eyes fixed on the side of her face almost as if she trying to bore into her skull. She kept her eyes fixed on the road not wanting to look back at her. "Must be quite a partner if you're willing to get us killed for her," Two murmured finally looking away from her. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 07 "We won't be killed," Twenty two shot back at her, firm conviction in her voice. "How can you be so sure?" Two questioned in a voice that betrayed that she didn't really believe that they weren't headed to their own deaths. "Because we'll be the ones doing the killing," she said her jaw clenching with determination. ***************************** Ailin's POV It was fast becoming clear to her that the hunter's had a much stronger hold here in the states than they did in Europe. She now found herself seated in a dingy bar that was hidden among other rundown buildings with equally shady-looking businesses, on the outskirts of town. She took a sip of the crimson liquid in her glass, and a grimace crossed her face as she looked down at the glass, even the blood on this end of the world didn't taste as good as the one she was used to in London. She downed the rest of the liquid in one gulp and pushed the glass away from her, as her mind once again tried to figure out what was wrong with her. It was now a week since she'd met Dan and felt the other strong magical presence in the school and also encountered the succubus. Her survival instinct had finally won out against the urge to know more about Dan, she taken off heading back to the airport. And that's where she'd stayed for the next six days booking and missing flights. The tips of her index and mid fingers on both hands rubbed against her temples trying to ease the tension there, she'd spent so much time trying to figure why she found herself unable to go back to, and stay in London that for the first time in six thousand years she truly believed she had a headache. Every time the flight to London she'd booked was ready to leave and calling for the passengers that had booked it, she'd found herself remaining seated unmoving in the waiting area unable to board the flight. Out of sheer force of will and self discipline she'd forced herself to board the very last flight she'd booked. She'd only succeeded in getting herself past the door at the last minute. She'd been seated in her seat for less than a minute before it became abundantly clear to her that she wouldn't be able to go back to London. She'd gotten up ready to alight the plane but a flight attendant instructed her to sit back down and buckle up they were about to take off. She'd tried to explain to the attendant that she wasn't supposed to be on the flight and that they should let her off. The attendant's smile, cordial tone of voice and smiling expression quickly faded the longer she insisted till at last she ordered her to sit back down and buckle up in a waspish tone. It had felt like ice cold water being poured on her. In six thousand years, no one had ever talked to her like that and lived to tell of it. She'd momentarily considered killing everyone on board and saving the attendant just so she could see the terror in her eyes as she ripped into her neck and drain her of the rich liquid flowing in her veins. In the end however, she'd moved back to her seat forcing the monster within her back down and buckled herself in. Part of her had actually been glad that when her own resolve had failed, events had still kept her on the flight that her survival instincts had been urging to get on. The feeling however did not last. As soon as the plane touched down in London she'd boarded another flight back to New York! She sat going over all what she'd so far learnt about Dan as she tried to sort through the thousands of thought strings that were running through her mind. After about a minute or so, she realized that she only had a lot of questions and very few answers. Questions like, who was Dan? And how the hell did such a young boy manage to get as powerful as he was? Who did the other strong magic she'd felt in the bathroom with Dan belong to? Was it a wizard, or another magical being? She'd already come to the conclusion that the succubus was one of Dan's guardians which is why Dan had later walked out of the bathroom alive and whole. Succubuses, just like all other demons, were not known to be the forgiving kind. If it had she had indeed come to kill Dan then nothing short of its own death would have swayed it from that objective. But then if she was one of Dan's guardians, how did she manage to attack her own master? And was the other magical presence she'd felt another of Dan's guardians? And there was also the Hunter. Who was she? And why the hell wasn't she killing the magical elements around her? And even more importantly, why weren't the magical elements around her killing her? The most probable answer that she'd come up with for the last question was that, she was under Dan's protection. But then why? What could Dan possibly gain from protecting a hunter? What was she offering him in return? She let her head drop to the counter, a groan of annoyance escaping her as her brow furrowed with frustration. She didn't have majority of the answers and the few answers that she did have, only gave rise to new questions. The familiar scent caused her back to stiffen up as she sat up straight in her seat. The pin drop silence that filled the bar at the new scent was in absolute stark contrast to the alarm bells that were going off in her head. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind that it was here for her. Her head turned towards the entrance to the bar to regard the succubus as she appeared at the door. The very way that her eyes swept over the occupants in the bar told anyone wise enough to see it, that she wasn't one to mess with. When the succubus's eyes finally landed on her, she felt her fear go up a few notches higher in spite of the fact that she'd already known that she was the one the succubus was after. The very way she moved forward, unperturbed by her nakedness, as she approached the bar spoke of a deadly predator that was fully aware that none of those around her came even close to being as deadly as she was. The succubus's skin was now covered in obsidian scales that overlapped and very faintly gleamed under the light from the overhead bulbs. She hadn't bothered to retract her wings back into herself, they were folded up behind her, the spike on the upper edge of it drawing nervous glances from the other vampires around her. Ailin was suddenly acutely aware of the fact that her dying before the end of the night, was now a very real possibility. "Move," The vampire beside her didn't need telling twice, with superhuman speed he vacated the seat and came to settle at the other end of the bar at the succubus's word. "You do not belong here," the bartender and most likely the owner of the bar, said. He was a three thousand year old vampire, the oldest one in the bar save for Ailin. His eyes remained fixed warily on the succubus. "And who exactly proposes to remove me?" The succubus questioned a chilling smile on her face, the ice in her gaze in absolute contrast with the playful tone of her voice. None of those in the room could have removed her even if they ganged up. She knew this perfectly well and so did they. "What can I get you?" the bartender asked resignedly. "That's more like it," She said the ice never leaving her gaze. "Two glasses of your freshest blood, on the rocks," she ordered. "One for me and the other for her," she added. Ailin was aware of the suspicious gazes the succubus's order was drawing to her, she ignored them. "Thank you," she offered. The succubus ignored her, watching the bartender as he prepared the two drinks. Most probably to ensure he didn't put anything potentially dangerous in them. "This can go either one of three ways," the succubus finally said when the bartender slid the drinks across the counter to them. "You could tell me the truth and be alive when you leave here and leave the country," The succubus gave the first option taking a sip of the blood in the glass offered to her. "You could lie to me and make me have to get the truth out of you the hard way," Ailin didn't miss the way the succubus's smile widened at her last three words. "Or you could tell me the truth and choose to stick around afterwards, in which case, your fate... Well, let's just say that it's in your best interest to leave once this conversation is over," she said turning to look her straight in the eyes. "Understood," Ailin said calmly holding the succubus's gaze. "Good," the succubus said putting her glass back down on the counter. "Let's walk then," she said. Being a six thousand year old vampire, she could be exceedingly fast when she so chose to, but even she didn't see how the succubus managed to leave her seat, grab hold of the back of her neck, open her wings and take off from the bar through the roof. All she was aware of was that one moment she'd been seated in the bar the next she was fifty feet high in the air and still climbing, looking back down at the bartender who was cursing at them through the hole in the bar's roof. The succubus unceremoniously dropped her onto the roof of the town's tallest building as she landed a second after. "You could have simply asked me to come with you," Ailin said a bit irritably as she rose to her feet turning her head from side to side trying to work out the soreness that had been brought on by the Succubus's vice grip. "Now where is the fun in that?" The succubus posed smiling at her in a very predatory manner. "How old are you?" The succubus posed the smile immediately vanishing from her expression. "I turned sixty centuries old at the beginning of this year," Ailin replied without hesitation already seeing that the succubus wasn't one for niceties. "What brings you to town?" the succubus went on. "Dan," She answered simply not missing the way the succubus's jaw clenched. "What do you want with him," the next question was posed without delay. "At The moment I am only curious," she replied. "Curious about what?" The succubus posed. "Curious about how a boy as young as him, managed to become more powerful than anything I've ever encountered in all my six millennia of existence," She answered. "How do you know how powerful he is?" the question followed. "His vibrations," she replied. The succubus's eyes narrowed at her. "He might have found a way to mask his magic, but I can sense a person's vibrations, it's one of the abilities I gained as I got older. It's a rare ability but it does exist," she quickly followed her answer up with the explanation. "Who do you work for," the succubus carried on with the interrogation. "I don't work for anyone, never have, never will," Ailin replied, finding herself feeling both affronted and irritated by the suggestion that she was subservient to anyone else except herself. Whether the succubus noticed her irritation, she couldn't tell. "Then who are you working with?" the succubus went on clearly unperturbed by her change in demeanor. "I work alone, always..." the word have was about to leave her lips when a memory crossed her mind. For a moment a haunted look crossed her eyes before she buried it within herself and looked back up at the succubus with ice in her gaze, hating her for dredging up things she had put so much effort and time into burying and forcing herself to forget. "Always will," she finished off her statement. "And what have you so far learnt about him?" the succubus questioned indifferently. "As of now, I have only succeeded in creating a lot more questions than I have the answers to," She replied her tone also becoming indifferent seeing that the succubus didn't really care what she felt, so long as she got the information she required from her. There was silence on the roof top for a while as the succubus silently regarded her. Ailin had no doubt in her mind that the succubus was going through all the information she'd provided. Part of her, the part that had helped her survive this long, dreaded to think what would happen if the succubus wasn't satisfied with it or didn't like any of the answers she'd given. The other part of her stubbornly refused to be intimidated, which she was perfectly aware was largely cause of her pride. "Leave town, leave the country, and forget that Dan exists. All that you know or think you know, you don't!" the succubus finally spoke up with cold clear finality in her tone. "If I ever see you again," the succubus spoke up turning away from her ready to take off. "Then I'll take it upon myself to make sure I never have to ever again," she warned her wings opening up to their full span behind her. "I don't get it," Ailin found herself calling out to the succubus, in spite of her better judgment. The succubus silently turned her head back to her awaiting her query. "You are more powerful than I am. You could have just as easily taken my head off and forgotten that I ever existed, you demons are not known for being the sentimental types. So why let me go with only a warning? Why not do what all demons would do in this situation?" If the part of her that had helped her survive this long had a foot, it would have driven it so far up her ass, she would have coughed up the shoe. What was she trying to do? Her brain screamed at her as she regarded the succubus that had now turned back to her a chilling smile slowly crossing its face. "Are you asking me to," She posed looking at her in a predatory manner. "No, No I am not," she was quick to reply. "I only want to know why you haven't?" even in her own mind that didn't sound quite right or do anything to reassure her that she hadn't just passed her own death sentence. After regarding her for a while, the succubus silently turned her gaze away from her staring blankly into the air. It took a few seconds for her to figure out that the succubus was also contemplating the possible answer to her question and also trying to understand why she hadn't just killed her. "Dan wouldn't want me to kill you for simple curiosity," the succubus finally answered. Ailin wondered at the confusion that crossed the succubus's expression, it was as if it was trying to figure out why what Dan would want or not want actually mattered to her. "I wouldn't count on that to save you if I were to ever meet you again," the succubus suddenly spoke both up ice and ire in her voice, as if she was suddenly irritated with herself. She turned away from her and with one flap of her wings, disappeared into the night sky.... Ailin watched as the flight she'd just booked flew away leaving her standing at the airport. A sigh escaped her lips as she murmured, "I've got a death wish," to herself before zipping off at superhuman speeds headed back to the town she'd been warned by the succubus never to set foot in earlier that night... ***************************** Ember's POV She looked down at him as he turned round with the sword in his slashing through one of the ten zombies that were now attacking him. The strike should have torn the zombie in two but soon as the cut was made, it started sealing up even before the sworn had come out the other side. But his attention had already turned away from it as he turned around and beheaded the zombie that had just run up on him from behind. This however did very little in fending off the attack as the headless body carried on with the attack unimpeded. A burst of energy from him threw the zombies that were becoming too many for him to fight off at once a whole two meters away. The fact that she was now standing on the rooftop of the highest tower on the castle made no to her sharp eyesight. Being who she was and how powerful she was, not many things in the world scared her. However what she was planning to do now had her heart beating faster and harder than it should. She'd finally decided to heed the hunter's unsolicited advice, if Dan was ever going to find out who she was, he would find out on her terms. She forced her mind not to dwell how he would react or what would happen if he didn't react well to the revelation or on any of the other ifs and hows in her floating around in her mind. Her head did not turn at the sound of flapping wings, neither did it when the demon landed beside her. "Where have you been?" she posed her voice betraying that she was distracted by what was happening below. "Talking to a six thousand year old vampire," Athena replied simply her eyes quickly finding what held the phoenix's attention. Ember cast a glance at the demon before turning her gaze back downwards. "I neither see nor smell any blood on you," she stated simply. "Did you wash up?" she went on to bluntly pose. "No," Athena finally replied after a stretch of silence. "I told her to leave town and the country," she added. Ember did not miss the irritation in her voice even as the demon relayed what she had done. "The Athena I know wouldn't have just sent her packing," Ember said a slight smile of amusement crossing her lips. "The Athena I know would have killed her, and every other vampire within five miles of this place," she added. "In fact, if I do remember right, which I do, you have done it before, more than once," Ember finished. "I'm not the only one who's changing," Athena replied in a calculating voice. "For fifty thousand years, I have watched you protect our masters with the apathy only you phoenixes can master, from even more serious things a simple threat by a little girl. And never once have I ever seen your rage sparked as when Chloe threatened our dear old Dan," Athena said a smile also creeping onto her face at the silence that met her words. "And also," she went on. "If I didn't know any better, I would say you've been avoiding Dan over the past few days." she stated. "I would tread very lightly if I were you," All amusement had left Ember's tone as she said this. "It's funny," Athena kept on. "I never pegged phoenixes as the kind to hide from the truth," she said. The glare that Ember sent her way, told Athena that she was pushing her limits and any further would bring about very unpleasant results. "Why did you pick this castle?" Ember finally posed. "Dan needed a fort," Athena answered simply knowing perfectly well that this wasn't what she was asking. "Yes, but why this castle in particular?" Ember pressed. "Nostalgia," Athena said watching as Dan dodged the sword strike of one of the zombies while simultaneously blocking the strike of another. "Plus, in all my time on this realm, I don't remember a fort that was better protected than this one. Lady Eldrid sure did know how to protect what was hers," Athena said. "That, she sure did," Ember replied quietly turning her gaze back down to Dan. "Which is why to date, I still don't understand how it is that she lost the war," Athena said turning to look at Ember. "She didn't lose the war," Ember said calmly her gaze never shifting from Dan. "She simply chose a truce instead," she added. "And exactly how is that any different?" Athena asked in a flat tone. Ember smiled quietly knowing that absolutely nothing she said would make the succubus see a truce as being any different from a defeat. "Either way is it really all that bad?" Ember posed turning once again to Athena. "Hmm, I don't know, let me think," Athena began sarcastically. "Fifty thousand years of being a slave to humans or, if we had won, fifty thousand years of ruling the humans... If they actually lasted that long," Athena said adding the last bit almost as an after-thought. "You're right," she suddenly said. "I simply can't choose which one I'd prefer," she finished her voice saturated with sarcasm. "Had we not been slaves to the humans for the past fifty thousand years, I would have had to suffer through and endure five more burns," Ember said then paused a chill running through her at the thought, dread of the prospect clearly visible on her face. "And you," she went on after a moment. " You would still have been in..." Arwain Chronicles Ch. 07 "Don't you dare speak his name to me," Athena suddenly cut in, a sharp hiss escaping her, both her voice and gaze turned to ice as she regarded the Phoenix beside her dangerously. "You would have still been in his service," Ember finished off after a short pause at the succubus's outburst. "And Kirra and Karra would have gone on hating each other to their graves," Ember said looking down at the two weretigers that were now lying lazily beside each other just outside the area Dan was training in. "And you've seen firsthand just how powerful the two can be together" she added. For a while nothing was said as they both silently stood on the edge of the tallest tower on the fort and watched as Dan fought off the Zombies that didn't seem to be fazed by any of the attacks he was making. Both their jaws unconsciously clenched, but neither moved as one of the zombies managed to land a hit on Dan and open a particularly deep gash on the side of his right arm. "Exactly how long has he been at this now," Athena questioned a bit of anger slipping into her voice as she regarded the zombies that still kept on attacking. A very slight glow of light escaped the wound that had just been made on Dan's arm before the wound started healing up. Except for a growl of rage when it was made and the fury etched onto his face doubling, nothing about Dan would have betrayed that he'd noticed the injury. "Three days, nonstop," Ember answered. "He's been pushing himself, trying to unlock and gain access to more of the magic within him," Ember explained then went silent for a while. "He's learnt a lot faster than any of us ever anticipated he would," she then said. "Can't say I'm surprised," Athena said. "He's a lot smarter that any of the idiots we've previously had to serve under," Ember clearly heard the grudging note of respect in Athena's voice, causing the side of her lips to tilt in a half smile. "I didn't expect him to be casting some of the spells he's now casting for another two months or so," Ember said watching as the sword in Dan's hand suddenly lit aflame. "And what about his other bodily processes?" Athena suddenly questioned. "Doesn't he need food or sleep? Or a bathroom break for that matter?" she added to the inquiry. "You can go on forever Without a wink of sleep. And though I'd very much prefer not to, I can go for more than a thousand years without a morsel of food, the magic that heals me whenever I suffer minor injuries counteracts any effects lack of food would have on me. He's been drawing on the powers the link he has to all of us, provide him," Ember explained. "He can go without sleep because of his link to you, he's able to go without food because of his link to me, and a lot of the strength speed and agility he's displaying is owed to the link he has to Kirra and Karra. He's drawing the healing both from all of us and his own magic. And as far as bathroom breaks go, well, if nothing goes in, nothing will come out," She finished her explanation. "Right now, he is operating purely on magic," Ember stated. "Yeah well, magic or not, he won't become a great wizard by pushing himself to the breaking point," Athena said falling forward in a head first dive for the ground. Ember watched the succubus's descent for a few seconds before she too let her own clothes disappear then jumped off from where she stood and dived after her. Chloe's POV She stood silently at the edge of the training field, watching as Dan used the now flaming sword to destroy her creations. Dan had long since lost his shirt on the first day of his now three day long training marathon, and though all the torture in the world would make her admit it, she did like what she was seeing. Chloe was perfectly aware of the light smile on her face as she looked on at her new master, something that had been occurring a lot more frequently over the past days. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd been able to genuinely smile without it being forced or faked. In spite of the fact that she didn't much care for the circumstances under which she'd come to join his following, she now thanked whatever force that had let events play out as they had to get her here. Her head turned upwards as something came into her view. It was Athena, she was fast dropping towards the ground her wings tightly wrapped around her body. Chloe watched as her wings suddenly opened at the last thirty feet allowing her to glide elegantly across the field and land just beside her. It was only as she stopped watching Athena that Chloe saw the streak of flames that were trailing behind the large flaming bird that was Ember's phoenix form. The bird circled the field before also dropping in a dive towards the edge on which they stood. Chloe had expected Ember to land as a phoenix then resume her human form but only about three seconds from landing the bird burst into flames and vanished only for Ember to appear beside her less than a second later. Chloe didn't turn away even as Ember stood beside her without a stitch of clothing on her. She had fast come to realize that none of Dan's guardians actually cared for modesty or felt bothered by their nudity. She watched as the long flowing also flame coloured robes formed from thin air and covered her. For some reason the robes themselves and even the way she wore them, made her in a way look like a ruler or queen of some kind, or at least that's the impression they gave her. "Well you've been a rare sight," Chloe said smiling at the phoenix. Seeing Ember smile back at her created such a stark contrast between the warm inviting person she was now compared to the one that had been threatening to end her life, that Chloe momentarily wondered at how the two could be one and the same. "I've had a number of things on my mind," Ember replied calmly. "I needed some time alone to think them through and gain perspective on everything," She explained. "Wow, something that has kept a phoenix thinking for four days straight," Chloe said with mock shock in her voice. "Do I even want to know?" She posed "Even if you did," Ember spoke up still smiling at her before turning her gaze back to Dan. "It is not your concern," she finished. Chloe turned her gaze back to Dan too, not the least bit offended by this reply. She understood perfectly well that by saying this that whatever the she had been thinking about Ember truly didn't consider it to be anything that would concern her. "Stop the zombies," Athena suddenly spoke up causing Chloe to turn her gaze to the succubus who had her gaze fixed singly on their master. "Dan asked me to create them for him to train with," she replied her expression clearly relaying her confusion at the demon's request. "Well he's trained enough," Athena stated firmly. "Stop them," she once again ordered. "I don't think he would wan..." but whatever else it is that Chloe was about to say faded at the ice cold glare that Athena turned and directed towards her. Dan's POV The rage within him burned hard as he ducked low to miss the sword strike that would have taken off his head, while in the same motion turning three sixty degrees and bringing the flaming sword in a wide arch. The zombie that had just swung at his head fell to the ground in two pieces separated at the waist. The rage, the pain or the fear, Dan wasn't sure which he felt the most but all three kept him pushing himself harder and harder. Without sparring a second thought to the zombie he'd just split in two, he turned to the other three running up to him. He ran forward to meet them, raising his sword high ready to strike. Dan swung at empty air as the zombies all fell to the ground just before they met, once again nothing more than dead bodies. He turned a glare to Chloe who now stood at the edge of the field he was now training in. "What are you doing? Why did you stop them?" He questioned unable to control the curt tone of his voice. "Because I would have snapped her neck like a twig if she hadn't," it was only as Athena spoke up that Dan realized that Chloe was no longer standing by herself. "You've trained enough you need to stop and have a rest," Athena spoke in a voice that told Dan that she was set on this... Well too bad. "No," He plainly refused then turned back to Chloe. "Reanimate them," he ordered. "Do so and I'll rip off your all limbs one by one before I rip your throat open," Athena spoke in a dead serious tone. It was clear that she was talking to Chloe in spite of the fact that her gaze never left Dan's. Dan's head tilted slightly to the side as he regarded the succubus, the rage in him bubbling really close to the surface and taking everything within him to keep it from spilling over. "Fine then," He said. The sword in his tight grip which had gone off when the zombies fell back to the ground, burst out producing even larger flames. "You'll just have to take their place then," He said running forward towards her. Chloe's POV What happened next after Dan telling Athena that she would take the place of the zombies, took place so fast that her mind only fully registered it after it was over and done with. Chloe had over the past one week come to learn that Athena could indeed be fast, but the speed with which the succubus moved in the following motion easily quadrupled anything she'd ever displayed. The demon zipped forward and met Dan mid-sprint. The one blow that she delivered sent Dan flying all the way to the other end of the training field about Twenty meters away, the sword that had been in Dan's grip actually doing three spins in the air before the tip finally pierced the ground. Chloe watched with wide eyes as this time, Athena tilted her head to the side regarding their master as he writhed on the ground trying to draw in the air that had just been spectacularly knocked out of him. "You may be really powerful and a fast learner Dan," Athena spoke up loudly enough to allow Dan to hear from across the field as she picked up the sword by its handle. "But you have a hell of a long way to go before you can challenge me," She said in a matter of fact voice. There was no pride or gloating in the succubus's voice, it was a tone that relayed that she was stating simple fact. Dan's POV Dan's ears registered Athena's voice and his mind processed it only as far as to realize the succubus was probably telling him something but whatever it is she actually said Dan had no clue. He currently lay on the ground trying to force his chest muscles which were locked up as a result of the impact of the punch that had just met him squarely in his sternum, to loosen up enough to allow him an intake of air. He was barely aware of the fact that he was writhing on the ground until his muscles loosened a bit and allowed him a slight shallow gasp. Nothing more was said till he was breathing, or more accurately, gasping on the ground. He wasn't aware he had double vision till he saw two Athenas standing over him holding out their hands to him. Dan grasped at the air the first time he reached for the succubus's hand. "You need to take it easy Dan," Athena spoke in a much less cold and firm than she had used the first time she'd told him the same. "While you may need to train hard, there is such a thing as training too much" she informed him. "I'm... I," Dan gasped trying to get the words out. "I'm not yet ready," he said. "I need to be ready," he went on. "Well what you're doing right now isn't the way to do it," Athena said. She let go off him but from the way she was eyeing him, Dan knew she was watching to make sure he didn't fall back to the ground. He wasn't entirely sure he wouldn't do so. "Well if you've got a better idea of how to allow me access all of the power within me, then I'm all ears," he said focusing his gaze on the succubus once he stopped seeing double. "A good amount of training, and about ten times the amount of mental discipline you're showing right now," Ember who'd walked up to them along with Chloe Kirra and Karra without his noticing, said. Dan didn't miss the slight measure of worry etched onto the phoenix's features. "And even then it might still take you more than a few decades before you master the full measure of the power you possess within you," Ember added. "Well then, I'd better get started," Dan said reaching for the sword in Athena's grip. "Where is this sudden obsession with training coming from?" Athena asked pulling her hand away to keep the sword out of his reach. "If I am not ready then I can't protect you guys," Dan finally shouted the blocks he'd put on his emotions to keep them tightly locked away at last slipping and all his fear, pain and anger flowing to them. Dan watched as the worry in the five faces now regarding him rose several notches higher. "What is wrong Dan?" Kirra posed taking a step forward towards him. 'What's wrong Dan?' The same question echoed in his head only this time it was Claire's voice she was hearing. Dan's eyes drifted closed his teeth gritting hard against each other. Why the fuck did he have to off load his worries onto them? "The book," He finally said after a while of silence, relaying this both audibly and through his bond to Claire. "Lord Arwain's book, it's spelled," he said. "What did it do?" Karra immediately posed. "Nothing to harm me in any way," Dan replied immediately to keep them from growing any more worried than they already were. "Then what's wrong?" both Chloe and Claire asked almost at the same exact time, though Claire posed the question in his mind. "I feel what he felt," Dan said to their confusion. "Lord Arwain, I believe he spelled the book to make anyone who was able to read it able to feel exactly as he felt when he was writing the events, as a way of preparing them," he immediately went on both verbally and mentally after seeing the confusion that had etched the features of his guardians and Chloe at his first statement. "He watched as soldier after soldier who believed in his cause walked to their deaths at his order. With each and every battle more and more of those who fought with him died in the war. In the final battle with Lady Eldrid, men, women and even children died by the thousands. Lord Arwain felt each and every last one of those deaths, and now," Dan paused turning his gaze away from them, the haunted look in his eyes clear to all of them. "And now, you feel each and every last one of those deaths," Ember said quietly, her lips forming a straight line as she regarded him. "That's why you've been pushing yourself so hard," she said a measure of understanding crossing onto her features. Dan wasn't completely sure but he could have almost sworn he saw guilt in Ember's expression as she turned away from him. "I know that all of this ending with all of us still alive is a really long shot, may be even a pipe dream," Dan went on. "But I will die a thousand deaths before I let any one of you die because I was too weak to protect you," he said a sudden fierceness etching itself to his expression, his voice firm with conviction. "And the only way I can do that," he said once again turning to Athena. "Is if I keep training," he said making another attempt at the sword. "And which one of us is it," Athena spoke up once again pulling the sword out of his reach. "That gave you the impression that we needed protection?" she asked her voice once again cold and callous. "She is right Dan," Kirra spoke up. "I don't know if you've missed it, but none of your guardians or the ones in your following so far are weaklings," she said. "So long as I have Karra with me, you have no reason to worry. Athena is one of the strongest demons you will ever encounter in your lifetime believe me. And Ember, well, Ember is just Ember, believe me when I say that that means a lot. You have quite a smart and skilled hunter and the most powerful necromancer in current existence, as those currently in your following. Each and every last one of us can adequately defend ourselves," She explained. "And even if you do succeed in protecting all of us," Karra spoke up. "None of us has immortal as part of their descriptions, eventually at one point or the other we will all die," she said. Dan regarded them silently for a while before a weak smile that only barely reached his eyes, finally crossed his face. "I'm guessing there is nothing I can do or say to convince any of you to hand me back that sword, is there?" he at last posed. From the mix of smiles and smirks he got in return to the comment, he knew it was an accurate assumption. "Now come on," Chloe spoke up taking him by the hand and pulling him in the direction of the castle. "I know exactly what you need to relax," She added smiling at him, Dan didn't resist. Thirty minutes and a long hot shower later, Dan found himself lying face down on the bed he shared with his guardians, with Chloe's oiled hands running over his back. Dan couldn't have stopped the groan of pleasure that left him if he had tried; Chloe simply had a magical touch that had all the kinks and tight knots in his back muscles simply... dissolving for lack of a better word to describe it, under her fingers and palms. Dan found himself slowly drifting away from present reality as his mind drifted back and went over the events of the past week. The relief on Chloe's face when he'd finally chosen to take her on as part of his following had been so profound that Dan had felt a bit guilty for scaring her as much as they had. Though he'd already committed everything he'd ever read in the book to memory, Dan had still referred to Lord Arwain's book just to make sure he got the process right. He'd actually forgotten how rough a bonding could be, and with the bond he now had with Ember, he didn't have the luxury of being unconscious through the roughest parts of it. It felt like his mind was being torn to bits and re-integrated with the new personalities from both Claire and Chloe. Chloe and Clare had passed out for the following half an hour or so. Dan had begun worrying that he'd done something wrong when Claire who'd been then laid on one of the sofas let out a groan of pain. 'Claire, are you okay?' Dan had questioned through his mind as he moved over to her, both trying to see if she was okay and whether the bond worked. 'Next time you want to split my head open, a little heads up would have been nice,' Claire's voice filled his head in a pained reply. In spite of himself, Dan had found himself smiling at her 'I'll try to remember that,' he'd said in reply. 'Wow,' Claire had said in his head as she opened her eyes to look up at him. 'Hearing your voice in my head feels really odd' she'd informed him. 'Don't worry,' Dan had said in reply. 'You'll eventually get used to it,' he'd reassured her. A groan from the other side of the room where Chloe had been seated got Dan's attention. 'How do you feel?' Dan had asked mentally as he turned to her. Chloe's eyes had widened not having expected to hear him in his head. "It's the bond," Dan had said choosing to speak to her verbally at least until she got used to it. "You can hear my thoughts?" Chloe had posed verbally, her face cringed in pain. "Only those you project to me, outside of that I'd have to force my way into your mind," Dan had explained in a calm voice. "So what now," Chloe had questioned him. Dan had looked to Ember meaningfully, and she let the spell that was holding Chloe go. "Now," Dan had said once Chloe was once again able to move freely. "I guess this is welcome to the team," he'd finished. Dan hadn't missed the cold glare that Chloe had sent his way, her jaw clenching probably with the same emotion. He might have spared her life but Dan hadn't harbored any delusions that the necromancer had actually wanted to be part of his following. "The castle has more rooms than I care to count," Dan had gone on to say, "You can pick anyone of them as your own," he'd informed her. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 07 "Which one do you stay in?" Chloe had asked. The question had gotten Dan by surprise. "The master bedroom," He'd replied. "And which is the room furthest from that?" the necromancer had then coldly asked. "The dungeons," Athena had replied to this question with equal ice in her tone. Chloe had been wise enough not to engage Athena, she'd turned away from them as she rose from her seat and walked off to explore the castle. "Well, that went well," Dan had said having nothing better to say but still hating the silence that had followed the necromancer's exit. "I need to get going," Claire had then said. "Let me walk you out," Dan had offered helping her to her feet and walking out into the castle grounds with her. "How do you feel?" he'd asked once they were outside. "I already told you Dan, I'm fine," she'd replied in a reassuring tone, a smile on her face as she regarded him. "No, I mean now that you have another bond?" Dan had clarified the inquiry. At the question Claire had stopped in her tracks her gaze moving away from him to stare blankly at the air. "Did it help?" Dan had tentatively asked unable to read anything other than surprise and mild confusion from Claire. Dan had begun to worry but the smile that crossed Claire's face after a moment of consideration assuaged his fear. "Before the bonding," Claire had then spoken up. "It felt like something was missing, like I was incomplete somehow. Now," the smile upon her face widened as she once again focused her gaze on him. "Now, I couldn't be more complete," she'd said. Dan had not been expecting the hug that had followed her saying this but had welcomed it anyway. "Thank you, she'd murmured to him. "Glad I could help," was all Dan could think to say. For the next two days Chloe was a rare sight even though she remained in the castle. Dan had chosen to stay home and do a bit more practice in both combat and magic. Athena had been right, even though he was powerful, if he was pitted against any of the remaining magical elements in school, he'd not have fared as well as his ego wanted to believe he would. For some reason, Dan had not tried to ask which, Ember had also been missing for majority of the time except in their training lessons and at night when they slept together. He had however had in a way appreciated her absence. Dan wasn't she would approve of his starting to try out some of the spells in lord Arwain's book. To his pleasant surprise however he'd been able to master many of the spells that had been illustrated with some good amount of practice. He was now proficient in all the basic to average level spells. The more advanced spells however still eluded him. On the third night after training with Kirra and Karra he'd walked into the living room to find both Ember and Chloe seated on separate chairs each having laptops on their laps. For the first time Dan saw what seemed to be frustration on Ember's face as she typed furiously into her computer. Chloe was typing equally as fast but had a smirk on her face as she did it, which was another first for Dan. For the first time Dan saw a look of contentment on her face, as if she was in a place she felt she belonged, a place that was familiar to her. "Don't you fucking dare," Dan wasn't sure Ember had heard herself as she murmured this into her laptop. Dan watched as Chloe's smirk turned into a grin as she held her index finger over the 'enter' key. "Aand..." she pressed down on the key. "Goodbye," Both Dan's and Chloe's eyes had widened at the shriek of frustration that left Ember as she threw the laptop across the room to the wall opposite to her. "Fucking bitch!" she said looking murderously at the bits the laptop had been reduced to. "Something wrong?" he'd gone on to ask a bit concerned, it was the first time he'd ever heard Ember curse. From the slight measure of surprise on Ember's face, Dan immediately knew that the phoenix hadn't been aware of his presence in the room. "I'm sorry Dan, I didn't see you come in," Ember had said apologetically. "Something the matter?" Dan had rephrased his initial inquiry. A measure of fury had crossed the phoenix's eyes as she turned back to the bits of laptop on the floor. "Nothing that important, just a bit of frustration," Ember had answered a bit of a wry smile tipping the side of her lips. "Care to share as we have dinner," Dan asked now out of curiosity his stomach growling as the slight worry he'd felt abating at the knowledge that there was no impending danger or cause for concern. "Sure," Ember had agreed and started moving towards the dining room. "Join us," Dan had said looking to Chloe who'd already turned back to her laptop. She'd looked up to him, the same ice that had been in her gaze for the past two days still present. "Is that an order," She'd asked in a calm level voice. Dan knew perfectly well her tone wasn't outrightly cold for fear of Ember who'd paused by the door and turned back to them. Dan's jaws had clenched at that question, it was the same question she'd asked anytime he'd asked her to do anything with the rest of them. A sigh had escaped him as he replied, "No, it's not an order," "Then no," Chloe had replied simply, just as she had every other time he'd told her that it wasn't an order. Her head turned back to the laptop already dismissing his presence in the room. "You know what, fuck it," he'd snapped feeling pissed off by her attitude. I mean, sure she'd been forced to join his following but it wasn't his fault that she'd chosen to attack him. And he could have just as easily let Ember kill her, but he hadn't! "Get in the dining room and have dinner with us, and yes that is an order!" he'd declared angrily. He'd registered the shock and slight fear in Chloe's expression as she looked up at him wide eyed at his outburst. However, right at that moment he couldn't have given a flying fuck what she felt. He'd turned to find Ember regarding him with an arched eyebrow the ghost of a smile on her lips. She'd stepped aside and let him pass then wordlessly followed him to the table. Chloe had silently walked into the room shortly after, quickly followed by the twins. Athena had been last to walk into the room. The succubus had paused at the door when her eyes landed on Chloe. It took a while for it to register in Dan's head that Chloe was now occupying the seat the succubus usually occupied. It had never seemed significant to him in any way but right at that moment Dan realized that his guardians always sat in the same order. Ember to his right, Athena to his left then Kirra and Karra in the seats that followed with Kirra on the right and Karra on the left. Judging by the way Athena had been eyeing Chloe, Dan had deduced that that order meant something to his guardians. Chloe must have realized that something was wrong because she turned to regard the succubus who was still eyeing her predatorily. "You probably should move to another seat," Kirra had been first to break the silence directing the words to Chloe. From the look in Chloe's eyes, it had been apparent to Dan that she'd wanted to say something back or decline to move but after a glance at the demon that seemed to be getting more incensed by the second, she seemed to think better of it. Athena had wordlessly occupied her seat once the necromancer had vacated it and moved to sit a seat down from Karra. "Anybody wanna explain what that was all about?" Dan had posed neutrally. "Old habits," Ember had replied with a slight smile. "Meaning?" Dan had further questioned. "Back before the purge, there used to be houses, magical houses. A union of powerful magical beings who allied together for whatever purposes that suited their interests at the time, whether protection, to obtain a certain magical item or creature, or even simply power itself," Ember had explained. "The seating order in any given house represented the power hierarchy, the most powerful sat at the head of the table," Dan hadn't missed the slight tilt in Ember's lips as she said this, her eyes fixed on him. "The second most powerful sat in the first seat on the right down from the head of the table, then followed by the third most powerful in the first seat on the left side, and so on and so forth. The right side was always considered more powerful than the left for some reason, I don't know why," Ember had explained adding the last bit before he could ask about it. "What house did you belong to?" Dan had turned to ask Athena. His question was followed by a short bout of silence as Athena unseeingly regarded the plate before her. "The house of Eldrid," She'd finally answered looking up at him. Dan was sure the shock he got from the answer had been etched into every feature on his face. "You served Lady Eldrid," Dan had asked unable to keep the shock from his voice. "No," Athena had replied simply to Dan's confusion. "I thought you said you were in the house of Eldrid," He'd posed his confusion apparent to all seated at the table. "Houses, unlike followings, were more of a partnership than a servant master relationship." Ember had explained. "It was a group of people who came together to achieve certain goals with the help of others simply because they couldn't achieve these goals on their own. One could have belonged to two or more houses so long as the interests of those houses didn't conflict. And while the leader of any given house held the most sway in matters pertaining to the particular house, they didn't command the one's in the house. In fact, any decision made had to have the support of majority of the members of the given house," she clarified. "So while she might have belonged to the house of Eldrid, she didn't serve Lady Eldrid," she added. "And what about you?" Dan had questioned. "Did you belong to any house?" "I was also of the house Eldrid," Ember had replied simply. "Just as were Kirra and Karra," she'd added. "You all knew each other before the purge?" Dan posed once again finding himself shocked. "Not in any close way," Kirra had answered. "The war brought a lot of houses together when it became apparent that the humans were winning," She'd explained. "In fact, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that about ninety five percent of the creatures that lived through the purge were at one point or the other, part of lady Eldrid's house," Kirra had gone one to say. "Is there any reason in particular for which you asked me to the table, or did you just want me here so you could ignore me as you talked amongst yourselves?" Dan was sure that the surprise that had been on his face was evident for all seated at the table to see. He hadn't been trying to ignore her but given how she'd been acting towards them and the fact that he'd had to force her to join them, he truly hadn't believed that Chloe would be inclined to wanna talk to them. "I'm sorry," Dan had been quick to say once he recovered. "I just didn't think you'd wanna talk to us," he'd added. "I don't," Chloe had replied simply. "But I don't appreciate being treated like a ghost either," She'd added. "Then let's get to know each other better, tell me about yourself," From the way she regarded him uneasily, Dan could clearly see that she wasn't one to open up to people. "Look Chloe," he'd said in the most non-threatening voice he could possibly master. "I am not sure what you've been through before we met or what you had to do to survive, but eventually at one point or the other, you will have to trust somebody. Otherwise the other option to that is a very miserably lonely life," He'd said. A haunted look had crossed Chloe's eyes at his last words. There had been a few seconds of silence following his words and Dan had almost sighed disappointedly believing she would she would say nothing further when she finally spoke up in an almost inaudible whisper. "What do you want to know?" Dan had smiled at her, "Anything you're willing to share," "There isn't much to tell really," she'd begun. "I had the perfect life up until a few weeks after I..."at this point she'd paused her eyes gazing blankly at the table before her. A few weeks after we turned ten. My twin sister and I" she'd corrected herself turning her gaze back to him. "She died," she'd informed him. "And that's when everything went to shit. The first of my tattoos appeared soon after. Everyone around me kept saying that my sister was dead but I could see her plain as day. She still talked to me played with me and made the same unintelligent jokes she always did," Chloe had said smiling wryly at her last words. "My parents and others around me back then thought I just couldn't handle my sister's death and had made up an imaginary version of her. At first they just let me be but soon enough when I didn't stop seeing this imaginary version of my sister, their understanding turned to disapproval. Soon enough I was the melodramatic attention seeking spoilt brat, both at school and at home," Chloe had gone silent for a while after saying this. Dan didn't push her to say anything more, he'd meant it when he'd said he was okay with what she was willing to share with them. "I could bore you with the details of every bad thing that happened to me after," She'd started up once again, the hard exterior she'd had all through since he'd first seen her in Mrs. Aniston's class slipping back into place. "But really, who cares?" She'd asked shrugging her shoulders indifferently. "We do," Dan had replied. "You're one of us now Chloe," he'd offered. "You don't have to face anything alone anymore," he'd said. "Thank you," Chloe had said silently after a while of silence. "My turn," Chloe had then said a bit more confidently. "Ask away," he'd replied. "When the hunter..." "Claire," Dan had cut in. "Yeah, Claire. When she wanted to join your following, you said to her that 'you know who I am,'" she'd said quoting him. "What did you mean?" she posed. Dan had silently regarded her for a while before he finally spoke. "The answer to that question is a very long story, the telling of which might even take days," he'd at last said smiling at his own version of the answer Ember had given him when he'd asked why they were calling him master. Dan had then gone on to tell her of everything since he crawled out of the dumpster till present day, merging within it the version of history Ember had given him. "So Arwain is actually a real legitimate person?" Chloe had finally asked after his narration. "Much as I want to be skeptical and believe that the fate of the world doesn't right now rest on my shoulders, all the power within me right now tells of a different story," Dan replied. "Yeah well, no offence but your great grandfather was an asshole," Chloe said. "Actually, I've been reading the book he left for me, and I highly doubt that the person who wrote it would write a law that sanctioned the killing of Necromancers, or any other faction of the magic world," He said. "You mean the guy who wiped away magic in its entirety from the world?" Chloe had asked with an arched eyebrow the sarcasm in her voice barely veiled. "He only did that because man was not ready for that kind of power, and those with it were proving to be a danger to both themselves and those weaker than them," Dan had found himself defending his ancestor. "And exactly what do you think is the council's excuse for hunting all necromancers down?" She'd posed in return. "They say we are a danger not only ourselves but to both the humans and the magical community," she answered her own question. Dan had sighed seeing is clearly for her expression that her mind was set. "Well any way, while you're within this compound, you don't have to worry about the council," he'd at last chosen to say. "The spells that guard this fort keep any magic within it from being detectable by anyone on the outside. So you don't have to worry about the council," He'd said. Dan had said nothing further till it was abundantly clear that Chloe wasn't going to say anything more. "So what unforgivable crime did the laptop commit?" He'd then asked turning to Ember who'd also been regarding the necromancer. "It wasn't the laptop itself," the phoenix had answered turning to him. "As I told you in the school's parking lot, I've been learning the fine art of hacking, and I have gotten quite good at it too," she'd said with a proud smile. "All the great hackers usually show off their skills and try to out-do each other, I only engaged one of them as a way of seeing how far I've come and what it is I still needed to learn," she went on. "And I'm guessing that didn't go so well," Dan had said smiling at her. "Actually," Ember replied a smile tipping the edges of her lips. "I took his ass to school and showed him how it's done," Ember had declared with a good measure of unhidden pride. Dan's brows had arched at her words, hearing Ember swear and use curse words was something he'd need some time to get used to. "Beating my first opponent got the attention of another hacker, he came at me and got much of the same that the first one got. At some point, I guess it just got to me," Ember said. Dan thought he'd heard a measure of surprise in Ember's voice as she admitted this. "Well anyway," She went on after a short pause. "The shorter, version of events is, the more hackers I beat the more attention I got, some of them were pretty smart actually and quite a challenge to beat, but in the end I managed to best them all," she said. "All except?" Dan had posed already seeing where she was headed. "All except some bitch calling herself ghost girl," She said both annoyance and frustration clearly present in her voice. Chloe had gone into a coughing fit just after Ember's words spraying the food she'd been chewing to the empty chair across the table from her. "Sorry," she apologized between coughs. "Went down the wrong pipe," She said as a way of explanation. "But give me a day or two," Ember had said turning back to Dan. "She won't know what hit her," the phoenix had said smiling in a conspiratorial manner. A scoff had then been heard from Chloe. "Not likely," she'd said smiling for the first time at the phoenix. "And you would know this how?" Ember had posed narrowing her eyes at the necromancer. "Ghost girl has quite the reputation, I doubt you'd be able to beat her when you only learned of hacking a couple of weeks ago, is all I'm saying," Chloe had replied shrugging. "I'm a phoenix, you'd be surprised what I can do with a day or two," Ember had then replied a look of determination crossing her features....... "How does that feel?" Chloe's question took Dan out of his reverie. Another groan of pleasure escaped him as he suddenly became aware of how relaxed he felt and how much tension had left him. "As of this moment your new official duty in the following is giving me back rubs," Dan said smiling into the pillow. "Oh, well in that case, I quit," Chloe said chuckling. "You can tell Ember to wipe my memory now," she said getting off him. "How am I supposed to save the world with a bad back," Dan whined turning onto his side so he could face her. "Sorry grandpa, you'll just have to figure that one out on your own," Chloe returned smiling at him. "You've just doomed the whole of the human race young lady," Dan said doing his best impression of an old man's voice. Dan found himself smiling as he listened to Chloe laugh. "Well in that case roll over," Chloe instructed. Dan started turning back down to face the pillow. "No you big oaf, lie on your back," she corrected him. Dan did as she instructed and let his eyes drift closed as he felt Chloe straddling him at right about the same position she'd at when she was massaging his back. It was amazing how far she'd come over the past few days. The talk they'd had at the table had created a crack in the walls that she put up to keep everyone else out. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 08 I know you guys have been waiting on this one for way too long, so I won't say much. First off, sorry for taking this long to put this chapter up. Secondly, I strongly (VERY STRONGLY) advice all my readers and those who enjoy this series to be reading and keeping up with my biography here on lit from time to time. If half of the people who don't do this had, they would have known that I've been emailling this chapter to my readers since Christmas. There is also more information on there that you guys should probably be aware of. Lastly, I'd like to thank Shumeaz Madden for her help in the editing of this chapter, Your help is really appreciated. (There I said it :) ) DISCLAIMER ALL CHARACTERS DEPICTED IN ANY SEXUAL SITUATION WITHIN THE STORY ARE EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. ***** CHAPTER 8 THE ARWAIN CHRONICLES: TAKEN... Victor's POV He turned the steering wheel of the car, causing it to leave the highway and move into the forest trail. From there, he'd also have to deviate to another more hidden road that would lead them to the pack compound after about fifteen different turns. "Hey!" Carol's voice broke the silence. The four of them had driven in since the school parking lot. "Keep your hands to yourself," Victor cast a glance at the rear view mirror to Carol, who was now looking at Greg reproachfully. "I mean it Greg," the beta went on at Greg's persistence. "Keep your hands to yourself or else..." "Or else what," Greg replied, a cocky smile on his face. The half-heartedness in Carol's tone was clear to be heard by all in the car. While she rebuffed Greg's attention out of her loyalty to his sister, everyone in the car knew perfectly well that Carol was in truth attracted to Greg. The scent of her arousal that was slowly starting to fill the car didn't serve to aid her plight either. "Or else I'll rip your throat out right now," Elly spoke up sending a murderous glare to Greg through the rear view mirror. Victor turned to survey his sister who was now seated in the front passenger seat. The more the week had progressed, the more on edge she'd become, ready to snap at anything the even breathed in a way she didn't like. Victor knew perfectly well her bad mood had a lot had to do with the fact that Dan had gone missing from school for the past week. He'd seen from the very first day right in the parking lot that the guy had gotten Elly's attention, but he hadn't anticipated it to have been to the levels that the following days had proven it to be. When Dan had not shown up the next day, Elly had been disappointed but had done a good job of hiding it. Had he not been her brother he probably would have missed it. The disappointment had been much harder for his sister to hide the following day. On the third day with Dan still absent Elly's mood took a dive and became possibly fouler than Victor had ever seen it, and that was saying something. Unlucky for the pair of them, it was also on this day that Elly picked up on the fact that Jodie and Luke were following them. Victor dreaded to think what would have happened to the pair of them if he hadn't been there to talk sense into his sister. He'd expected as much from his father. While he hadn't chosen to pursue it at the time, Victor had known perfectly well that it wasn't that their father had bought their story. He'd only been distracted by his fatherly protective instincts at learning that there was a guy after his daughter. Putting two and two together had been quite easy for Victor and he was sure Elly too would have realized it much sooner had she not been so preoccupied with Dan's absence. He'd picked up on the fact that they were being followed and watched on the very first day, him by Luke and Elly by Jodie. "What is it to you?" Greg posed in his ever cocky tone of voice, looking into Elly's eyes through the rear-view mirror. "Are you jealous?" he further asked. A snigger escaped his sister. "Keep dreaming," she shot at him. "She wants me, and you all know it," Greg said, his eyes moving to Carol who judging by the scent that was getting even more saturated within the car, was getting even more and more turned on by Greg's cocky attitude. "Who said you're the one I want? In case you've yet to notice it Greg, you're not the only guy in this car," Carol spoke up. A small smile graced Victor's face at the blatant lie as he turned the car and left the forest trail and started into the more hidden roads that would lead to the pack compound. A snigger followed by Greg's mocking laughter filled the car. "Do you actually expect me to believe that Vicky here has you as wet as you are?" he asked derisively. Elly fully turned in her seat to face Greg, Victor didn't have to look at her to know that her eyes had turned crimson in colour. "Stop the car Victor," she said in a voice that bore a deadly calm. "No," Victor replied calmly, keeping his eyes on the road. "Whether you stop the car or not I will attack in the next three seconds Victor, your choice," Elly informed. A patient sigh escaped Victor. The one thing he didn't miss about being an alpha was the Jupiter sized egos that all alphas seemed to possess. Even the slightest insult or attack on their egos and they completely lost it. Greg had been calling him Vicky since they were teens. At first yes, it had bothered him but eventually over the years he'd gotten used to it. You'd have thought that by now, more than two centuries later he'd have come up with something more creative but no, Vicky was still pretty much the best Greg could do. "No, I won't stop and you won't attack him either," Victor said firmly though calmly. "Why do you let him get away with calling you that?" Elly asked angrily. "I could put an end to it, right here right now," she said in the tone her voice usually took when she was ready for a fight. "In case you've missed it Sis," Victor said, momentarily turning to his sister with a smile. "It's now two centuries since he started calling me that," he informed her. "You'd think he'd have come up with something better than that by now," Victor murmured the last part though he knew perfectly well that they could all hear him. In spite of her foul mood, Elly actually laughed at this. "But don't worry Greg," Victor said looking up at him through the rear-view mirror. "No pressure," He said in a feigned comforting tone. "So grumpy," Carol started up, using the name she'd labelled Elly with for remaining in a foul mood for so long. "Can we hang out later or will you still be in your fun mood?" she posed, the sarcasm clear in her voice as she said 'fun mood'. "I told you to stop calling me that," Elly eyed her friend murderously through the rear-view mirror. "Calling you what," Carol shot back immediately, feigning innocence. One who'd not known Carol as long as they had would have sworn that she genuinely had no clue what Elly was talking about owing to her tone. "That," Elly replied. "That what?" Carol pushed. "Grumpy," Elly said through gritted teeth. "Are you?" Carol immediately posed. "Am I what?" Elly asked. "Grumpy?" Carol asked. "I..." Victor only barely managed to choke back his laughter as Elly paused mid answer once again shooting Carol a murderous look. She realized the bind Carol had just so cleverly put her in. She couldn't say no she wasn't grumpy when it was so obvious that she indeed was. Admitting that she was grumpy would also mean conceding that the nickname was well deserved. "I'll be busy later," Elly said at last with a huff before looking away from her friend. "Doing what, having a stare contest with your bedroom wall?" Carol asked, her slight disappointment evident to all of them. "Right now, that sounds a lot more interesting than spending the evening being called grumpy," Elly replied. Victor honked the car's horn alerting the betas at the compound gate to open up. A few seconds later the gates to the compound swung open. "Suit yourself then," Carol said resignedly sitting back in her seat. "We'll hang out Carol, just not today. My mood will most likely get in the way of whatever fun we would have otherwise had," Elly spoke up a bit guiltily, turning in her seat to look at her friend. Though a disappointed one, Carol afforded her friend a smile. "It's okay. But I don't give a damn what kind of mood you're in, tomorrow you and I are going to have some girl time," Carol said firmly. Elly smiled back at her friend. "Deal," she said just as Victor pulled up at their house and they got out of the car. Elly's POV Her eyes drifted closed, her jaws clenching tightly at the sound of the knock on her bedroom door. Carol had been right, she wasn't doing anything of consequence. But then again, over the past week she'd lost interest in doing a lot of things. Meeting and interacting with other people being among the top items on that list. Lately she just wanted to be alone. "If that's you Greg then believe me I will not hesitate to rip your throat out. If it's you Carol I will only hesitate for about a second or two before I also rip out your throat, to anyone else proceed with utmost caution," Elly called out letting her eyes open once again as she turned to face the door. The knob turned and the door opened only a fraction before Victor slipped his head in. "Do older brothers get special regard?" he asked, smiling at her. In spite of herself, she found herself smiling back at him. "Maybe," she answered as Victor walked into the room. "How are you?" Victor asked. "I'm Fine Vic," she automatically replied. "Are you really?" her brother asked looking at her in very much the same way he always did when he knew she wasn't telling the truth. A sigh escaped her as her gaze turned to look out the window, "I don't know," she at last answered after a moment of silence. "He really got to you, didn't he?" Victor more of said it than asked. "That's just it Vic," Elly said, all her frustration suddenly leaking into her voice. "Apart from names we've barely shared two words in conversation with the guy." She said turning to her brother once again. "Why the hell am I falling apart over his absence," she asked the plea in her eyes for some kind of explanation clear to be seen by her brother. For a long while nothing was said as Victor regarded her. A sigh at last escaped him before he spoke up. "You're forgetting something Elly," he said. "And what would that be?" Elly posed a bit puzzled by the reply. "You're not fully human," Victor answered simply. "And what does that have to do with anything?" Elly asked not getting how her being a werewolf was relevant in any way. "You are of dual nature sis," Victor went on. "In as much as there is Elliana the human within you there is also Elliana the werewolf," he explained as he came to sit on the side of her bed. "And while for the human part of you there is a long and complicated process for this kind of things for the other part it's pretty much straight forward. When your wolf sees something it likes or wants it doesn't need reasons why it likes or wants it, it just does" Victor said shrugging with a smile at her. "Which is what I highly suspect is the cause of all your problems," he offered. Elly paused with a measure of shock showing in her features, she hadn't at any point paused to consider what her wolf felt about all this. It hadn't even occurred to her that her wolf might have any kind of interest in Dan. But now that she looked inward at the animal she could see it clearly. "It's her," she murmured looking up at her brother her surprise also present in her voice. "My wolf wants Dan," she added more explanatorily. "There you are," Victor said his smile widening. "It's just like when dad first met mom," he added. Elly smiled as the story their parents had told them a good number of times once again replayed in her head. Their parents first saw each other in one of the alpha council meetings that alphas countrywide had to attend once every year. His father had been there to represent his pack and her mother only came after being forced by her father to join him in attending the meeting that year. They'd barely spent a few moments in each other's presence in that meeting. In fact the only time they were even less than three feet of each other during that time was when their mother's father had introduced them. After that they'd both gone their separate ways and after the meeting back to their packs. But for some reason, both of them found themselves unable to get the other out of their minds. The longer they were apart the harder it became for the both of them to do anything meaningful. After a fortnight their father crossed the country in a single run just to see their mother. Back then there were no such things as cars let alone planes. Elly had always thought it to be a really romantic story. Never had she thought that they actually meant it literarily when they said they couldn't focus on or get anything done in the time after seeing each other for the first time. "Do you really believe that it's that serious?" Elly asked as it suddenly dawned on her what it would mean if the same thing was going on here. "I don't know," Victor answered. "You should probably talk to either Dad or Mom about it," he advised. A bit of annoyance crept into Elly's expression. "They are having us followed over the first guy I liked. I don't even wanna try and imagine what they would do if they found out that he could very well potentially be my mate," Elly said. Elly had been furious when she found out that they were being followed and watched. Had victor not been there to stop her, Jodie would have left with a lot more than a few claw marks and a hell of a scare. It was only the fact that victor had been there to inform her that it was their father who'd most likely given Jodie the order to do so that had calmed her enough to let the poor beta go. "Well I highly suggest you talk to someone about it, clamming up isn't doing you a whole lot of good," Victor offered rising to his feet. "And get ready, we run in ten minutes," he said starting out the door. A groan escaped Elly "Can't you just go without me?" she whined though she knew perfectly well he couldn't. "I would but right now there is a rule that says no one leaves the compound on their own. The only other person who can keep up with me apart from you is a retarded douche bag," Victor said with a smile as he closed the door behind him... "So how was school today?" Their father asked as they all sat at the dinner table. "I don't know, why don't you ask Jodie?" Elly answered. Her answer was followed by a span of silence as her father levelled a hard stare at her. Elly held his gaze for only a few seconds before she finally let her eyes drop to the plate before her. "Sorry," she grudgingly offered. A sigh escaped their father. "I owe neither of you any explanations as to how I run my pack or whom I delegate to do what but Jodie and Luke are only there to keep me informed of whatever it is I might need to know since it seems neither of you are inclined to do the same," he said. Elly said nothing, on some level she knew that their father was only doing as he was because he cared for them. This however didn't change the fact that she hated the fact that she was being followed around. "Tell Jodie and Luke to stop following us around and I'll tell you everything you need to know," she finally said. "Can you give me your word on that?" his father asked calmly. Elly once again remained silent, from very early on, both their parents had taught them never to take their word lightly. If you can't keep it, then don't give it! This is what they'd been taught since childhood. But now with Dan involved in the equation, Elly wasn't sure she would be able to live up to that expectation. "No," she truthfully answered at last. "But there is nothing to report anyway, for some reason Dan's not been in school since the first day," she reported. "But then I guess you knew that already," she added when she noted no surprise on the faces of her parents. "How are you holding up?" their mother spoke up. From the way she posed the question, Elly knew she was asking how she was dealing with his absence. "I'm okay mom, why do you ask?" she said in reply. "You haven't seemed like yourself of late," her mother replied. "Are you sure you're okay? Is there anything I can do?" Elly's jaws clenched guiltily as she heard the genuine concern in her mother's voice. All this while she'd only been concerned with herself and how she felt, she'd not once paused to think of others around her. She'd become a lousy friend to Carol and now she was making her mother worried. She smiled at her mom best as she could. "Don't worry mom, I'm okay. Just some girl stuff" she said. "I'm here for you, you know that right?" her mother offered. This time Elly smiled genuinely at her "I know..." ****************************** The car slowly pulled to a stop before the dilapidated house. "There is nothing here," Twenty two said turning to look questioningly at the girl. "Are you sure we are at the right place?" she asked. "It's here," Two immediately replied with conviction in her voice. "I am one hundred percent positive," she added her head turning from side to side as she tried to locate the source of the magic she could sense within the vicinity. "Are you sure there isn't a cloaking spell or obscuring spell that's throwing you off?" Twenty two questioned. "I'm a tracker, you know perfectly well that those spells don't work on me," Two said not bothering to look at Twenty two as she kept on searching. "If the one we are looking for is even half as powerful as you say he is, then it might be a possibility," Twenty two said, her head also turning to see if she could find anything to aid them. "No, it's not," Two replied as she opened the left back door and got out onto the road walking straight for the crooked looking house. "Where are you going? Get back in the car," Twenty two called out to her in a sharp hiss. If the girl was right and this was the place where the one they were tracking was, then there was no way of knowing whether he had guards or sentries around the place. If they were spotted then they would lose the element of surprise. Not to mention they would be easy targets. Her jaws clenched tightly as she too opened the door to the driver's side of the car and went after the girl who'd ignored her and kept on moving towards the rundown house. "I thought I told to get back in the..." "It's here," The girl said cutting her off mid-sentence. She was now standing on the pavement looking on at the house ahead. "Here where?" Twenty two questioned through gritted teeth, her patience fast fading. Two remained silent, her eyes fixed on the lawn before her. There was strong magic somewhere within the vicinity before her, of that she had no doubt. Pin pointing it, however, was proving to be a bit harder than she'd anticipated. Something that she'd never encountered before. Her eyes remained fixed unseeingly on the lawn before her as she spread out her senses trying to find any magical traps that might have been set to catch any trespassers. There were none. She took a step forward. Two's head rose in confusion as she looked around then back at the pavement from which she'd just stepped from. She took a step backwards to the pavement. Her face contorted further as she looked forward at the dilapidated house. Once again she took a cautious step forward and looked forward at the dilapidated house. She turned to look at the pavement, her confusion deepening as she moved to step onto it once again. "What is it?" Twenty two questioned, regarding her critically. "You're right," Two said grudgingly with a sigh. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 08 "Right about what?" Twenty two asked. "There must be an obscuring spell hiding him," Two said, her eyes not leaving the lawn before her. "Why? What did you pick up?" Twenty two posed. Two sighed, her eyes finally leaving the lawn and turned back to Twenty two. "While I am standing on the pavement, my senses tell me the source of the magic I'm tracking is ahead of me," she explained. "But soon as I step forward onto the lawn, my senses say that the source is behind me," Two finished, her voice clearly relaying both her confusion and her annoyance at being bested by the one they were tracking. Twenty two regarded Two for a second before turning to regard the house herself. Her eyes drifted closed as she too spread out her senses seeking out what she suspected to be the reason the younger girl couldn't find the source of the magic they were tracking. Her lips formed a tight straight line pressing hard against each other as she found it. "There's no obscuring spell," she said opening her eyes to regard the house once again. "If he was here I would have found him," Two said her voice firm with conviction. "He's here," Twenty two declared. "Just not in this realm," she added before Two could say anything to the contrary. Two turned back towards the house now regarding the air before her as if she expected to see the other realm. "Then how come I can sense them?" She posed in confusion. "I can only track the magic within the same world as I am. I couldn't sense the magical signatures within this world when we were on the other side of that alley and soon as we crossed over to this side I stopped picking up the magical signatures from the other side," Two explained. "If he was in another world I wouldn't have been able to sense their magic," she said. "Except they are not in another world," Twenty two said regarding the air before her. Unlike Two, she could pick up the magical signature of the door to the other realm. She was analysing its magic and trying to decipher and sort through the hundreds of protective spells that had been put on it. "I thought you just said they are in another realm?" Two stated. "They are," Twenty two answered. "Just not in another world," she finished. "What do you mean?" Two questioned turning back to her. "There are two kinds of realms," Twenty two replied. "Whole worlds and pocket realms," she stated. "Pocket realms?" Two repeated arching a brow at her. "A world within a world," Twenty two said explanatorily. "Like a pocket in a coat. Whole worlds are like the coat itself, they are where the majority of beings, whether magical or otherwise exist. Pocket realms are more hidden and a lot smaller in size, some being as small as a closet, the largest I've so far seen was the size of a town. The one we are looking for is in one such realm," Twenty two said. "So it wasn't a spell that was throwing me off?" Two asked, the pleasure in her voice that she'd been right all along barely hidden. "I just said that," Twenty two said with stiff patience. Two suddenly turned to her, the smile she'd had on suddenly fading. "Wait, please tell me we are not crossing over again," she said looking warily at her. Twenty two's jaw clenched as she reached the last of the protective spells put on the doorway to the other realm. "Even without the fact that it would be idiotic to try and attack him on his own turf, we wouldn't be able to get in if we wanted to," Twenty two said turning away from the doorway and starting back for the car. "Not that I am complaining," Two said falling into step beside her. "But why wouldn't we be able to?" She asked. "There are over a hundred layers of protective spells guarding the doorway, and whoever set half of them is one sadistic son of a bitch," Twenty two answered. "And even if we somehow got past the spells, the door has a live key," she added. "Meaning?" Two posed. "It's bound to someone, most likely the one we are looking for. You'd need to have him with you physically or be linked to him to be able to open the doorway," Twenty two explained as she got back into the car and pushed the key into the ignition. "So what do we do now?" Two asked as she settled the backseat of the car. "Now, we keep a look out and wait," Twenty two said starting the car and driving off. Chloe's POV Chloe rose to a sitting position on her bed, stifling the yawn that was coming on as she stretched herself. She was now in her night gear which comprised of black panties and a matching tank top. Pushing the covers to the side, she moved over the other side and stepped into her slip-ons. Then, with Dan on the forefront of her mind, she ditched the tank for a black push up bra, though her generous cleavage hardly needed the added support. She thought of putting something else on to cover herself a bit more but at the thought of Dan a conspiratorial grin etched itself onto her face as she walked out of the room as she was. She didn't have to walk far to get to his room, she'd moved her room much closer to his the day before. Her bedroom was now next to the master bedroom, his bedroom. As silently as she possibly could, she pushed the doors to the master bedroom open and walked in. Chloe couldn't help the slight pang of jealousy that hit her as she looked on at the five forms lying on the bed before her. Dan lay on his back with his arms circling both Ember and Athena who slept closest to him with their heads on his wide chest slowly rising and falling with Dan's steady breathing. Chloe bit down on her lip as she remembered what his chest had felt like beneath her fingers. The twin weretigers slept on either side of Ember and Athena. Initially, Chloe had found it almost impossible to differentiate between one and the other, but after a few days with them the difference between them became more apparent. Kirra was the one who always had a smile on her face and always had something nice or kind to say. Karra on the other hand, was cold and detached, choosing to keep silent most of the time. Kirra now slept on the right side, the side Ember was on, spooning into the phoenix in a tight cuddle. Even now as she slept, her lips were curved upwards in the light smile that seemed to be ever present on her face. Karra slept on the left with Athena, and while she seemed to have placed herself as close to Dan as she could possibly get, she wasn't cuddling into Athena as her twin was Ember. Though Dan had more than once before told her that she was now one of them, she couldn't help but feel like she was intruding on something private. Even though they were only sleeping, there was something very intimate about the scene before her that she couldn't help but feel left out of. Moving as softly as she could to the foot of the bed, she murmured the spell beneath her breath and smiled as she watched it take effect. His face contorted involuntarily as he felt the touch of the ghost fingers on his face, he turned his head to the side and sunk back into the oblivion of sleep. Another light touch produced much of the same reaction. The third, she made a bit more ticklish causing him to wrinkle his nose and flex his cheek muscles as he tried to get rid of the sensations which made his lips move from side to side. A chuckle involuntarily escaped her, how the hell could even this very innocent motion make him look so damn cute? Dan's POV Dan's eyes fluttered open at the sound of what he recognized as Chloe's laughter. "Morning," he said a bit groggily as he smiled up at her. "Wood morning to you too," Chloe replied a sly grin crossing her face as her eyes teasingly dropped to the very prominent tent his morning erection was making on the bed covers. "Dreaming of anyone in particular?" Chloe posed teasingly. "Wouldn't you like to know," Dan returned equally as teasingly. "All I can say is my dreams don't do any justice to the real thing," he added, allowing his eyes to roam unashamedly over Chloe's exquisite feminine form. "Pervert," Chloe said with a smile as she rolled her eyes at him. Dan didn't miss the light pink that was slowly creeping onto Chloe's cheeks. "So what's up?" Dan posed regarding her with a smile. "Well, apart from that tent you've pitched there," Chloe began teasingly. "We are going to school, the final exams start today," Dan's eyes closed as he grimaced. "I'd totally forgotten about that," he confessed. "Yeah well I've been through five different schools, this being the sixth and not to mention home schooling, just trying to get through high school, I sure as hell aren't missing the end of it," Chloe informed him. "Believe it when I say that in my own way, I know exactly what you mean," Dan said in reply. "Well get moving then," Chloe said with a smile as she turned and started out of the room. "Staring at my ass isn't part of getting ready," she said over her shoulder without looking back at him. "Says who?" Dan called out to her as he kept on mutinously staring at her ass till it was out of sight. "You know, I could just go to the school get into a few minds and get you straight A's in all your subjects," Ember spoke up in a serenely calm voice once Chloe was gone. Dan smiled down at her as she raised her head and let her chin rest on his chest as she looked on at him. "You could," he said. "But it just wouldn't feel right to me," he finished. "Thank you though," he offered smiling down at her. Dan's brows drew nearer to each other as he regarded Ember with closer scrutiny. "Your eyes," he said his smile slowly widening. "What about them?" Ember questioned arching an eyebrow at him at the unexpected comment. "They are... I don't know... brighter I guess," Dan offered finding himself mystified by her two amber coloured irises. "Thank you," Ember said a smile crossing her face. Chloe's POV Once again, the nagging feeling she'd been ignoring for the whole of the past week clawed at the back of her mind, even harder than before. A sigh escaped her as she finally relented, pulling on her black tank top she fed energy to the ghost of her sister. It was almost comical the way her ten year old looking sister materialized from thin air before her with hands on her waist and eyes narrowed at her. "You've been ignoring me," Her sister accused. "Really, what gave you that impression," Chloe said feigning innocence as she turned away from her sister. Even with the way her sister was regarding her Chloe could read mischief in her eyes and knew perfectly well that she was in for a world of teasing. "Oh I don't know, maybe the fact that I've been calling to you the whole of the past week," Her sister answered her. "Well I had to," Chloe said turning to her sister. "With all that's been going on you weren't exactly at the fore front of my mind. Plus I'm only just getting to know Dan and the others, I couldn't exactly go like, hi I'm Chloe and this is the ghost of my twin sister who died eight years ago," Chloe said. "Your new boyfriend sleeps with a pair of were tigers, a demon and a phoenix. How hard would a ghost be to understand?" Her sister's ghost asked, rolling her eyes as she floated over to the bed. "He's... not... my...boyfriend," Chloe said trying to sound as nonchalant as possible as she hopped around trying to pull on the tight black denim jeans that she'd chosen as part of her outfit for the day. "Oh really?" Her sister posed tilting her head at her, a wicked grin crossing her expression. "So you are not the one I saw quite literally drooling over him as you 'massaged' him?" Her sister asked gesturing quotes in the air as she said the word massage. It took all of Chloe's willpower and self-control to keep from going completely red before the ghost that looked every bit the same as she did when she was ten years old. "Are you trying to get yourself pushed to the next plane?" Chloe threatened though they both knew that she wouldn't. "Chloe and Dan, sitting on a tree, K.I.S..." "Seriously?" Chloe cut off her sister's loud singing in a sharp hiss. "Have you not grown a day since you died?" she shot at her sister. "Well, now that you mention it, I do look kind of young for my age, don't I?" Her sister's ghost said, smiling as she floated up from the bed moving closer to her. Her head turning from side to side as if she was wary of unwanted ears overhearing what she wanted to say. "Wanna know my secret?" She posed in a stage whisper leaning closer to her. "You're going to tell me even if I say no, aren't you?" Chloe offered in reply. "Death," Her sister's ghost declared her eyes widening dramatically her arms sweeping before her in a rainbow arch. "Works practically like the fountain of youth!" she added smiling her sister. "I can see it did nothing to improve your jokes," Chloe said dryly in a flat tone. "You can't improve perfect sis," Her sister's ghost said. "My jokes are classics" she added. Chloe looked up at the ceiling shaking her head. "Why do I even bother?" She posed to the air. "I keep asking myself the same question," Her sister said smiling. Chloe walked over to the vanity drawer and pulled out her hair brush which she started running through her hair. "You really like him, don't you?" Chloe's hands paused in their motion, it was one of those rare moments when her sister was serious about anything. She turned her gaze towards the reflection of her sister in the mirror as she hovered behind her just above her left shoulder. "I don't know Lily," Chloe admitted with a sigh calling her sister by her real name. "I mean, I've only known him for less than two weeks, how can I be completely sure that I can trust him? Shouldn't it take longer for someone to like a person this way?" this was one of the even more rare moments where Chloe was willing to look at her twin sister as the older one between them. Lily's ghost smiled at her in the comforting way that only she could somehow manage. "You've been on your own so long that you've forgotten how to trust and rely on others," Lily's ghost said. "Yes and the sky is blue, any more obvious things you want to point out?" Chloe said dryly. "I'll always be smarter than you, but let's not digress," Lily said smiling at her sister. "All that I'm saying is that, you don't have to figure it all out in one day. Just take it one step at a time, figure out each thing individually as it comes," Lily went on. "One thing that I've come to learn is that with time, everything eventually does become clearer," she added. "Any more wise words sensei?" Chloe posed teasingly as she smiled at her sister genuinely appreciating the advice she'd given. "Water running down the mountain side, cleanses it of all impurities," her sister answered in a sagely voice. "Now what's that supposed to mean?" Chloe posed arching an eyebrow at her sister. "Haven't got a clue," Lily answered simply, her voice resuming its normal tone. "I read it in a fortune cookie once," she added explanatorily. Chloe's hands dropped from her hair as she regarded the ghost behind her with a clearly unimpressed expression. "Really?" she posed dryly. The smile that crossed Lily's face told her that her sister was done being serious. "Don't worry sis," Lily's ghost said. "If this guy hurts you, I know kung fu, karate, ju jitsu, and about twenty three other dangerous words we can throw at him," she offered... ****************************** Dan stepped out of the shower which was conjoined to his room and walked into his room. Though he'd now been with his guardians for a couple of weeks, the smoky lust filled gazes that they sent him had him fighting with every bit of will power he had to keep from giving in to his own lust. The twins were eyeing him from the bed with a predatory gleam in their eyes. Athena who lay in their middle, was biting down on her lower lip in a way that made Dan want to groan, as she eyed him. The look in her eye leaving very little to the imagination as to what was going on in her mind. Ember, who was standing by the window looking out over the front compound, was the only one who was in a way being subtle in the way she was eyeing him, a small smile on her face. Dan had over the past few days come to appreciate the mornings, they were the only times his guardians were truly the same as they had been before he'd told them. His jaws clenched once again as he remembered the silence that had followed his revelation that one of them would be his killer. His guardians had looked to him, in all their eyes the disbelief clear to be seen by all seated at the table. When it became apparent that he wasn't trying to pull one over them, they'd turned to one another as if it was the first time ever that they were seeing each, in all their eyes both suspicion of each other and dread of being the guilty party in equal measure. "Who," Athena had been the first to finally break the silence. Her tone had still been as icy as when she'd learnt that one of the members of Dan's following would betray him only this time, the fear of being the one he was talking about was also present within it. "Let me guess," Karra had begun before he could say anything in reply. "It doesn't say who," she more of said than asked. A half smile had tipped the side of Dan's lips as he turned to her. "No, it doesn't," he'd confirmed. "Look guys," Dan had gone on to say. "This changes nothing..." "How can it not," Ember had finally spoke up cutting him off as she turning to regard him. Dan could still remember the rage and fear that had been in her eyes in equal measure. "You're now sharing a meal with your killer to be," Dan's jaws had clenched his jaws at the fear he could hear in Ember's voice. Dan could tell that the possibility that she might be the one to kill him was tearing at her just as much as the rage at the thought of one of the other guardians would be the one to kill him. "Tell me Dan, how can the fact that one of us will kill you not change everything?" she'd posed. Dan had already begun regretting ever saying anything about the predictions. Like he had with so many facts that he didn't like or agree with before this, Dan had perfected the art of accepting and making peace with the facts. If it was one of his own guardians that would finally kill him and there was nothing he could to change this then it defied logic to keep obsessing over it. His guardians however, clearly didn't share the same sentiment. "You are all still my guardians and to me that is all that matters to me," he'd said. "And maybe that is exactly what gets you killed," Athena had said in reply. A controlled sigh had left Dan as he regarded his guardians who had been then looking at him waiting for him to give them some kind of reassurance or help them figure out what to do next. It was however quite painfully clear that nothing he said would comfort them. "I want you all to ignore what I just said," he'd finally said, his jaw set as he regarded them. "I want no more mention of the predictions past what has already been said," he'd added firmly. "We are all to continue as we had been before I ever said anything, and that is an order." he'd said seeing this as the only way to stop his guardians from compounding their worries with 'what ifs.' "How can you..." "That is an order," Dan had repeated firmly cutting off Ember who'd been looking at him incredulously. Dan had clearly seen in their eyes that they all objected to this though none of them said anything. Ember had silently risen from the table and excused herself before bursting into flames and vanishing from the dining hall. Athena and the twins had left shortly afterwards. "Well, that went well," Dan had finally said more to himself than anyone else as his eyes turned to Chloe and Claire who'd gone silent since he made the last of the predictions known to them. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 08 While they couldn't say anything about what he'd told them as a result of his order, his guardians had not dismissed it altogether. The next day's training sessions gave him a clear idea of just how much it had affected his guardians, It also became painfully clear to him just how easy his guardians had been taking it on him, the twins had taken his regular exercise several notches higher, they were relentless bordering on being down right sadistic, pushing him to his limits and beyond. Athena's training sessions had become similar to him going to her for a regular beating every day. And Ember... well, if Athena was a sadistic drill sergeant then Ember was a ruthless cold hearted dictator. Dan had seen right through it all from the beginning, they were all training him on how to beat them if it turned out that they were the one to kill him. Dan saw the dread in their eyes every time either Kirra or Karra chased him down and caught up with him or out-maneuvered him in stealth, agility or evading pursuit. He could feel Athena's rage every time she knocked him down and noticed how Ember's lips formed a tight straight line every time she won the magic duels she'd been subjecting him to. Their worry was slowly rising the clearer it became to both him and them, just how easy it would be for any one of them to kill him. And though training had become his own personal form of hell, Dan pushed himself every bit as hard as they were; knowing perfectly well that until he was able to beat them they wouldn't be okay. It wasn't all bad for him however, when they no longer held themselves back for his sake Dan came to see the true beauty and art in both combat and magic and all that it entailed, from them. Kirra and Karra had the ability to move together in such a coordinated way that Dan at times could have sworn that they were operating from the same mind. Athena could move and fight with such grace and fluid precision that it was like watching an exotic dancer... except this dancer was kicking his ass six ways to Sunday. What Kirra had meant by saying that 'Ember is just Ember' had fully come to dawn on Dan as he trained with her in the days to follow. The phoenix was nothing short of a force of nature, the complexity of some of the spells she cast with such ease made Dan's head ache. She'd stopped teaching him the basics seeing as he'd mastered about all there was to know on the basics and average level magic. What Ember had said about him wishing they had stuck to the basics once they'd gotten to the more complex and advance magic, had proven itself to be true. It was fast becoming clear to Dan that having a lot of magical energy within him wasn't all that was required to make him a great wizard, not even close. Ember possessed an Iron clad will and mental discipline of a kind that Dan doubted he would ever achieve in spite of the fact that Ember had repeatedly told him that he could surpass her with enough focus and training. The current spell that Dan was learning was one that sapped all of the caster's strength even before the whole incantation was uttered. If done correctly it could induce a powerful illusion to whoever it was meant for, the breaking of which would require either an exceedingly strong mind or the initial caster themselves to lift. Only with true focus and mental discipline could one cast the whole spell and while Dan kept passing out from lack of strength after muttering the first seven words of it, Ember could speak the whole verse and cast the full spell without so much as a flinch... Once again Dan found his brows drawing together as he regarded the phoenix. "Something's different about you," he said scrutinizing her more closely. His comment caused the other guardians to turn their gazes to Ember, and she herself to turn her gaze to him. "My eyes," she offered an eyebrow arched and her lips tilted in a half puzzled half genuinely curious smile. "No," Dan said moving closer to the phoenix. Something had changed about her, of that he was absolutely sure. What it was however, was what Dan just simply couldn't put his finger on. "I don't see any difference," Kirra spoke up in a puzzled tone. Dan stepped to Ember's side to scrutinize her further. Despite her obvious curiosity and slight amusement at his inquiry, Ember remained still allowing Dan to analyse her side profile. Dan's hand rose to it as he finally spotted it. Dan picked a lock of Ember's hair and brought it into her field of view so she could see it too. "The flame colour in your hair," he said. "It's now about three inches from the ends" he pointed out. "It wasn't like that last night, was it?" Dan felt it immediately. It was like several doors being slammed shut at the same time, except that it wasn't doors, all of his guardians, even Athena, suddenly put up tight locks around their emotions. Dan looked around at his guardians confused at being suddenly locked out from their emotions, all their eyes were riveted on the lock of hair in Dan's hand. "What?" he asked. "What's wrong?" he pushed, concern quickly filling his voice. Ember's lips widened in a smile, for some reason the more they did so, the less Dan saw that same smile in her eyes. "Nothing," she offered calmly. "Nothing's wrong," She added turning to look up at him with that same smile. "Then why have you all locked me out from your emotions?" Dan questioned not believing the reassurance. "Something's wrong, tell me what it is," Dan said, turning fully to Ember. "It's nothing you can do anything about Dan," Ember said cupping his face in her hands. "Telling you will only cause you unnecessary worry," she went on. "So please, don't ask me to," Ember requested. "Not knowing will only drive me mad with worry," Dan said in reply his voice already thickly laced with that worry. Ember regarded him for a while before she at last sighed. "Tell you what, you go to school and get through your exams for today. I'll tell you everything when you come back," Ember said. "Please Dan, do it for me," she added when Dan opened his mouth to protest. Dan didn't want to wait till after school to find out what it was that was wrong with her, but the plea in Ember's voice caused his jaws to clench hard as he found himself unable to force her to tell him. "Okay," he said the tone of his voice betraying that it was everything but okay. "But you're telling me first thing the moment I get back from school," Dan said firmly. "I promise," Ember said this time with a genuine smile... a genuinely sad smile. Drying all the wetness from the shower he'd just had with magic and summoning his clothes, Dan cast one last long look at Ember before he turned and walked out of the room... ****************************** Athena rose from the bed and walked over to where the phoenix had remained standing stock still even after Dan had left the room. Her eyes fell to her hair once again. "It's started hasn't it?" she more said it than asked. Ember who'd been staring blankly into the air before her, turned to look down at her hair. Raising her hand to it, she held out a lock before her eyes. "Not it," she said with a sigh that shook a bit. "They," she clarified. "All five of them." It was taking all of Ember's resolve will power and self-control to keep the pure absolute liquid terror that they all knew was now slowly diffusing through her every fibre from showing. Athena's eyes widened as she regarded her. "Is that even possible?" by then, both Kirra and Karra had come to stand on either side of Athena looking at Ember, concern evident in their gaze. Ember remained silent her eyes turning back to her hair. Though the rest of them couldn't see it, with her sharp eyesight she could see the gradual progression of the flame colour in her hair towards its roots. "I don't think I'll make it back from this one," Ember said more to herself than anyone else in particular. "You know," Athena spoke up her voice becoming hard but not cold. "I could end it right now. Spare you a long and agonizing death," she offered. "I'll make it quick," she added more softly. Ember looked up at the demon and smiled. "You'll never stop wanting to kill me, will you?" she said with a slight chuckle. And for the first time in the sixty seven thousand years that she'd known the demon, Ember saw a genuine smile cross her face. Not an I-will-kill-you smile or one that spoke of hidden ill intention but a truly genuine smile, the kind one would see on a close friend. "Probably not," Athena answered. Ember clearly heard the sadness that the demon was probably doing all she could to try and hide. "Well I'm sorry, but I can't let you kill me. If I do, Dan will kill you when he gets back from school," she said. "And with what lies ahead of him, he can't afford to lose two of his guardians," she went on. "And besides," she added her lips tipping upwards in a small wry smile. "I made a promise to him, and I always keep my promises." "How long do you have?" Karra spoke up for the first time. "Tonight," Ember answered. "Tomorrow if I am being optimistic... ****************************** "What's wrong?" Chloe asked from the passenger seat of the car as Dan drove out past the castle gates and turned the car into the road to start the drive to school. "I don't know," Dan answered with a sigh. "What do you mean you don't know?" Chloe asked the concern in her voice clear to Dan. "Something is wrong with Ember and she refuses to tell me what it is until after school," he explained his lips pressing hard together in a tight, straight line. "Can't you just order her to tell you?" Chloe posed with slight confusion. "I could," Dan conceded. "But I won't," Dan added. Dan could feel Chloe's eyes on him as she regarded him critically as he drove. "You really care about her, don't you?" she more of stated than asked. "I care about all of them more than I would have ever thought possible had I never met them," Dan silently answered. The silence that followed his answer caused Dan to cast a glance at Chloe. She was seated staring blankly through the windscreen of the car, something about her betraying an internal turmoil, as if she wasn't sure about something. "I care about you too Chloe," he said truthfully. "You know that right?" he asked turning once again to regard the necromancer who'd turned to regard him in turn. A small smile crossed her face. "I know," she answered. "It's just that I've been on my own for so long that I keep getting scared that my mind is playing some kind of fucked up trick on me and that I'll eventually wake up and this would have all been just a dream," she confessed, a bit of the fear showing in her voice. "Then I'll just have to keep telling it to you until you believe it," Dan said smiling reassuringly at her. "While it might not have been that much of a happy welcome to the following and you may not have had that much of a choice in the matter, I am glad you're here Chloe," Dan said genuinely. Chloe's smile widened. "So am I," she confessed. Dan did not miss the uncertainty that crossed Chloe's face once she'd said this. "Uh Dan," she called out that same uncertainty in her voice. "There's someone I'd like you to meet," she said. Dan's brows rose in curiosity "Okaay,.. Who?" he asked. "First off, promise me you're not going to panic," Chloe requested. "Why would I panic?" Dan posed his brows drawing together in slight confusion. "Cause she's a ghost," Chloe answered, the uncertainty in her voice going up a few notches. Dan's brows rose more out of surprise than anything else, "Oh, uh... okay then, I promise I won't panic," Dan said. Chloe eyed him for a while as if she wasn't sure she was doing the right thing. "I promise Chloe, I won't panic," he repeated firmly in a more sure tone. A sigh was heard from Chloe's side. "Okay," she murmured before going silent. Dan cast a glance to her to find her with her eyes closed and a look of concentration on her face. Dan was a bit surprised but forced himself to remain calm as something, or more accurately someone, started to materialize from thin air between them. By his estimation the girl was no more than ten years old and except for the fact that she was a bit translucent, she looked nothing like the shiny silver or blue wraiths that ghosts were depicted as on TV or the many books he'd read. In fact, except for her being a bit translucent there was nothing that would have differentiated the ghost from a real ten year old girl... except for the fact that that her torso was now sticking out from the gear box. "Dan," Chloe spoke up. "This is..." "Lily, the friendly ghost," the ghost cut off Chloe. "I've always wanted to say that," the ghost, Lily as she'd introduced herself, went on in a not so silent whisper as she leaned towards Chloe. An exasperated sigh escaped Chloe at the ghost's words. "Please forgive my sister, she has the tendency to make retarded jokes," Chloe said through gritted teeth. Dan's brows rose. "Your sister," he repeated. "The one who..." "Died," Lily once again cut in. "Why yes, the very same one," she went on to say a little too exuberantly. "Or do you have other sisters I don't know about?" she turned and asked Chloe with mock suspicion. Dan heard Chloe sigh before she not so silently muttered, "I wish." "Hi, I'm Dan," Dan found himself awkwardly introducing himself when the ghost turned back to him. In spite of himself, Dan could already tell that he would like the ghost. "I know," Lily answered simply. "I've been haunting the castle where you've been holding my little sister, for the past one week" she added. "Your twin sister you mean," Chloe interjected. "Sorry," the ghost said to her sister then turned back to Dan. "My little twin sister," she corrected. Dan found himself laughing not having to look at Chloe to know that she was probably staring daggers at her sister's ghost. "I have to say," lily started up once again. "As far as first boyfriends go, my sister has outdone herself," "LILY!!" Chloe called out, her eyes widening and cheeks reddening. "The most powerful wizard in existence," Lily went on unperturbed. "Lives in a castle, drives a nice car and not too hard on the eyes either," "Okay, goodbye," Chloe said firmly moments before her sister vanished from sight. Dan found himself chuckling as he regarded Chloe who was looking everywhere else but at him. "I'm really sorry about that," she said. "My twin," Chloe went on putting emphasis on the last word that told Dan that she wasn't addressing him alone. "Can be a retarded pain in the ass sometimes," Dan chuckled. "Well I must say, I kind of like her," he said in reply. "You do?" Chloe asked the surprise in both her voice and expression quite evident. "I do," Dan conceded with a smile. "So you don't think I'm totally weird for keeping my dead twin sister's ghost with me for the past eight years?" Chloe asked a bit of uncertainty creeping into her voice. "Not at all," Dan replied. "I don't see anything wrong at all with holding on to the ones we care about. I think most of us would do the same thing if we had the power to," he went on to say. A small smile crossed Chloe's expression as she regarded him. "Thank you," she said softly. "What for?" Dan asked. "For not calling me a complete weirdo," Chloe answered with a smile. "Now what kind of first boyfriend would I be if I did that?" Dan asked teasingly, causing the pink that had started to fade from Chloe's lips to creep back on. "Shut up," she said turning away from him unable to keep the smile from her face. *************************************** "I can't sense even the slightest bit of magic from him," Twenty two said as she sat in the driver's seat of the car which was now parked beside the road just before the entrance to the school's parking lot. "He's the one," Two said with absolute conviction for what must have been the tenth time in the drive from the dilapidated house, as they followed the car. In spite of the fact that she too couldn't sense any magic coming from the guy, her tracking senses were unwavering on the fact that he was the source of the magic she was tracking. Twenty two cast an unsure glance to the girl in the backseat then turned back to the guy as he got out of the car. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the other occupant of his car. Picking a pair of binoculars from the dashboard she brought them to her eyes to make sure she was seeing right. "Well, if you're wrong, this trip will not have been a total waste," she said. Elly's POV "Hey grumpus," Carol called out from the back seat of the car as they pulled into the school's parking lot. "Before you say anything Carol, I should let you know that you are one more joke away from getting your head ripped off." Elly interjected before her friend could say anything more. "All I was going to say is, isn't that Dan's car?" Carol said raising her hands in mock surrender. Elly's head turned so fast that any faster, and she was sure it would have broken. She immediately recognized it, the black Lamborghini Veneno (she'd looked up the car type on the net) parked in the same spot as it had been the first time she'd seen it. Her mouth sudden felt drier than usual as something else occurred to her, what was she going to say to him? The most they'd ever exchanged was their names. I mean, did he even remember that she existed? "What's wrong Elly? I thought you'd be happy to see him?" Carol's question brought a bit of composure back to Elly. "And why would I care whether Dan is in school or not?" She posed trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. "Come on Elly," Carol answered in a tone that told Elly she wasn't buying her ruse. "I've known you since we were both in cribs. Do you really think I would miss it when you got your first crush on a guy?" Carol posed with an arched eyebrow. "Especially considering the hell you gave me for my first crush," Carol added, a conspiratorial smile crossing her expression. Elly smiled remembering the first time it had become clear to her that Carol had a crush on Greg and how much she teased her about it. "I guess not," she conceded regarding Chloe in the rear-view mirror with a slight smile. "I don't even know why you are bothering with a weakling like him," Greg spoke up, his dislike for her liking of Dan very apparent in his voice. "You mean the weakling that took you down without breaking a sweat?" Elly posed sarcasm dripping off her voice as she jumped to Dan's defence. "Pure luck," Greg answered through clenched jaws. Elly did not bother to try and bite back the scoff that escaped her at Greg words. "Must have been really strong luck to keep you down while he smeared all that spit on your face," she said in reply, looking at Greg through the rear-view mirror. The growl that started to emanate from Greg's as his eyes turned crimson did not concern Elly even in the least. She only became slightly concerned when she saw a smile slowly start to cross Greg's expression, his gaze turning from the rear-view mirror and looking past her causing Elly to turn in the direction of his gaze. "Seems like your crush has other interests in mind," he said. Elly had been so preoccupied with trying to figure out what she would say to Dan that she'd failed to notice that Dan had still been in the car when she was looking at it. In spite of how acutely aware she was of the irrationality of the feeling, Elly couldn't help the acid like jealousy that ate away at her insides as she looked on at the other new girl, Chloe, as she'd introduced herself, exiting from the car together with Dan, the both of them laughing about something unknown to her. Elly was barely aware of the fact that her eyes had turned crimson as she growled possessively, her eyes fixed on the Dan... Arwain Chronicles Ch. 08 Dan's POV "So I guess I'll see you later then," Dan said smiling at Chloe as they reached his locker. "See you later," Chloe said in reply returning the smile as she turned to walk away. Dan couldn't have stopped himself if he'd tried to, his hand swung forward and spanked Chloe's ass then grabbed it for good measure as she took her first step. Chloe turned to him her eyes wide at his daring, a smile she was trying to fight off tugging at the sides of her lips. "I need that ass to sit for the coming paper," she mock scolded. "Can I have it after," Dan posed without hesitation a roguish smile on his face. Chloe's eyes widened the smile she'd been fighting off, finally winning the battle. "Maybe," she offered teasingly in reply as she turned and started walking away from him, an added sway to her hips for his benefit. Dan smiled as he turned back towards his locker once Chloe's ass was out of sight. A startled gasp escaped him, reflexively taking a step backwards as he turned to find Elly leaning against the locker next to his. "You trying to scare me to death?" He posed regarding her. "What's your animal?" Elly posed ignoring her question. "My animal?" Dan repeated his confusion apparent in both his voice and expression. Elly simply regarded him as if he was supposed to know what she meant. "Uuh, what do you mean?" Dan inquired when it became apparent that Elly wasn't going to say anything further. A sigh escaped Elly as she let her eyes drift closed. Dan's eyes widened in surprise as she once again opened her eyes to reveal her now crimson eyes. His head turned from side to side confirming what the werewolf had probably made sure of, there was no one else in the hallway with them except for Carol who was trying and failing miserably to look like she was not eavesdropping on them. "I'm a werewolf, an alpha werewolf," Dan didn't miss the slight pride in her voice as she informed him of her alpha status. "What's your animal?" She once again posed. A brow arched on Dan's face, " Uuh, I'm not a were," he answered. The way her jaw clenched Dan could tell that something about what he'd just said pissed her off. "I'm not blind Dan, we all saw you at the table when you faced off with Greg," she said. "Oh," Dan said, his brows rising high as it finally dawned on him what she was going on about. "Uuh, that's kind of complicated," he answered as it also dawned on him how hard it would be to explain it to her. "How can what your animal is be complicated?" Elly posed. Dan regarded the werewolf for a few seconds while debating within himself whether he could trust her or not. He had no reason not to, but still he had no reason to trust her. A sigh escaped him at last, she'd been forthcoming about her being a werewolf. The least he could do was return the favour. "I'm not a were," he repeated. "I'm just magically bound to a pair of them," he added further as explanation. From the way she was regarding him Dan could tell that Elly was trying to decipher whether he was lying to her or not. "So what you are saying is that you're..." "Human? Yes, one hundred percent," Dan confirmed. The confusion that slowly settled into Elly's features was clear to see. "Why did you want to know?" Dan found himself asking her. "What are they?" Elly questioned once again ignoring his question. "What are what?" Dan posed once again not getting what she was talking about. "The weres you are bound to, what kind of weres are they?" Elly clarified. "Weretigers," Dan answered as he locked his locker and turned fully to her. "Is there any particular reason you wanted to know all this?" He posed. Elly's POV She was confused. Dan wasn't lying, that much she was sure of. Her gut and the fact that his heartbeat had remained steady throughout their conversation, agreed on this fact. But then if he wasn't a were then why did her wolf still want him, even with this knowledge. She could feel it within her, on alert and curious about... how it would feel to touch Dan's bare skin. Elly's gaze turned to the side staring at nothing in particular, her brows drawing nearer to each other as she analysed her wolf's desires. As if we haven't already managed to come off as complete weirdos, she reprimanded it. Her words however did nothing to quell the wolf's desire. "No reason," she finally answered turning away from him. "Just curious," she added. A sigh escaped her as she paused a step away from him and turned back to him. "Hold out your hand," she said. "Please," she added when he seemed to hesitate, his brows rising high on his face. After a short awkward pause Dan finally held out his hand to her. She reached out and touched it, running the tips of her fingers from his wrist to the tips of his fingers. Elly had not prepared for how much the simple touch would affect her. Her wolf surged to the surface and before she could control herself her hand grabbed Dan's outstretched one at the wrist, her other hand circling his neck and pinning him hard against his locker. Dan's POV Dan reacted on instinct before his mind had even processed what had happened. Replicating her move he turned his hand in her grip and grabbed hold of her hand as his other hand also grabbed her by the neck turning the both of them and slamming her hard into the locker next to his. His now crimson eyes directing a burning gaze into her similarly crimson eyes. It finally all made sense to him, or more accurately the more primal side of him. She liked him. Dan was not sure how the more primal side of him had come to this conclusion given her questions, but her pinning him to his locker put it all in perspective. She, or at least her wolf judging by the look in her eyes, was testing him, trying to see how strong he was. A smile tilted the side of his lips, "satisfied?" He posed. He could feel the lust that flowed from her even as she pushed him off her. "You're going to have to do a lot better than that to impress me," she said in spite of the fact that they could both very clearly pick up the scent of her arousal in the air. Dan took a step back fighting the part of him that wanted to pin her back on the locker and make her submit. "I would, but I'm afraid I'd break you," Dan said instead, smiling as the words had the desired effect. Elly's eyes narrowed at his challenging her strength. "You wanna put your money where your mouth is?" Elly posed, her head tilting to the side regarding him in a way that told Dan she fully intended to prove him wrong. "I would love to," he offered "But I'm getting late for my first paper," he added turning away from her and walking off... Claire's POV Pushing the door open, Claire walked into the girls' bathroom to find Chloe at the sinks before the mirror with an eye pencil in hand. It was now lunch period. "Hi," she said smiling as she joined her before the mirror. "Hi," Chloe returned with a smile back at her. "Getting ready to tease Dan?" Claire posed smiling teasingly at her. The other girl blushed lightly as she bit down lightly at her lower lip. "Nothing wrong with a bit of fun," she said in reply. "And making things a bit... Hard, for him while I'm at it," she added with a sly smile as they both laughed at the double entendre. "You really like him don't you?" Claire asked, looking at Chloe's reflection in the mirror. "That's the second time I've been asked that today," Chloe said, her expression turning thoughtful. "All I can say at this point is that it's too early for me to truly tell," she answered. "What I can tell however," she went on after a while. "Is that you, miss hunter Claire," she said pointing at her with the pencil in her hand. "Like Dan," she declared. "What? You're crazy," Claire returned not so convincingly. The fact that she was now the one who was turning pink making her denial all the more obvious. "I don't blame you," Chloe said turning back to the mirror to appraise herself. "I mean Dan is cute... Until he takes his shirt off, then he becomes sexy as sin," she added, causing them both to laugh. "So you've got no problem sharing him?" Claire questioned in an unspoken admission that she too liked him. "Ember, Athena and the twins probably give him extra workouts in the bedroom," Chloe stated plainly. "At this point sharing him is a given," she said with a half-smile. "Besides, I like you," Chloe admitted. Claire smiled at the necromancer. "Thank you," she said. "I like you too," she offered. "Ready to make Dan squirm?" She posed, smiling conspiratorially at Chloe. Dan's POV Dan watched as both Chloe and Claire walked over to the table, trying his best and failing miserably at not ogling their curvaceous bodies. "You can roll your tongue off the floor now," Claire teased as they settled into the table sitting opposite to him. Dan smiled at her, "how were your papers?" He asked. "Apparently, Mrs Aniston is a sadist," Chloe complained, causing Dan to laugh. Though nothing that she'd tested had been too hard for Dan, he too had noted the fact that the paper was a bit complex. "The rest were a breeze," Chloe added with a shrug. "None of mine were all that hard but I wouldn't exactly call me them a breeze." "Uuh, why is she looking at you like that?" Chloe suddenly asked. Dan's head turned in the direction of Chloe's gaze to find Elly watching him from the same table she'd been seated at the first day before she'd moved to join them. Dan smiled as he regarded her, the challenge he'd made as to whether she could handle and match up to him, judging by the look in her eyes, was still at the fore of her mind. Winking at her, Dan turned back to the two he was seated with. "I kinda might have challenged her," he admitted causing Claire's brows to rise. "You do realise that she's an alpha, right?" Claire posed. "She told me," Dan answered simply. "Told you?" Chloe repeated. "Yep, right after you left," he explained. "Word of advice," Claire said. "You may be powerful Dan but never underestimate a female alpha. I know a good number of very skilled hunters who made the same mistake, and none of them are around to tell the tale," Claire informed them, causing Dan to turn another glance at Elly. The side of his lips tilted in a half smile. "Something tells me that she's not inclined to hurt me," Dan said, smiling in a way that had both Chloe and Claire arching their brows at him after a shared glance. "Are you implying what I think you're implying?" Claire posed, smile tugging at the side of her lips. "Depends. What do you think I'm implying?" Dan posed with a cocky smile. "Wow! How do you plan on keeping up?" Chloe asked. "Keeping up?" Dan repeated inquiringly. "Ember, Athena, the twins and now miss alpha werewolf over there. You sure you won't break that thing down there," Chloe teased. Dan could feel his cheeks turning pink as he understood what Chloe meant. "Uuh," he began awkwardly. "I wouldn't worry about it breaking from overuse," he said the colour on his face deepening. "Come on Dan, guardians were made to serve their master's every desire. You really expect us to believe that all you've ever done with them is sleep?" Claire asked, tilting her head at him in a way that made it clear that she didn't believe him. After a while of awkward silence with Dan looking at them like a deer caught in headlights, he simply shrugged and turned back down to his tray. "You're serious, aren't you?" Chloe at last asked. Dan looked up at them nodding once. "They did tell you that they would do anything you asked of them, didn't they?" Claire asked now with more surprise than anything else, as she finally started to believe him. "They did," Dan answered simply. "That's it, isn't it?" Chloe spoke up, regarding him critically as the understanding dawned on her. "You haven't slept with any of them because they would have to do it if you asked them to," Chloe more said than asked. Dan sighed. "I know it's kind of dumb but... I wanted the first time I was with someone to be because they wanted to be with me too, not because they were magically bound to do so," he said, seeing no point in denying the fact that he was still a virgin. In spite of the slight surprise on their faces a smile was on both girls' expressions. "That you do not want to take advantage of the bond your guardians have to you to make them sleep with you?" Claire posed. "Dumb isn't exactly the word I'd use to describe it," she went on to say. "She's right Dan, that's real decent of you, not many would do the same in your place," Chloe agreed. "Than..." Dan's words were cut short by the doors of the cafeteria flying open, and as someone came sailing through them before landing hard on the floor and sliding a few feet on the tiled cafeteria floor. It wasn't until he picked himself up off the floor that Dan recognised Jim. "Is that all you got," he shouted. To most in the cafeteria Jim didn't sound scared at all, but even without the acrid odour of fear coming off him, Dan clearly recognized what the others couldn't. Jim had adopted the voice he usually used to hide that he was afraid of something. His head turned to the doors once again as they swung open. Dan was barely aware of how hard his jaws clenched when Greg walked in through the doors with a cocky smile on his face as he regarded Jim. "Trust me, I'm just getting warmed up," he said, a malevolent gleam in his eyes as he drew his hand back ready to make another punch. Dan rose from his table with every intention of tearing Greg to bits and leaving him as nothing more than a mess on the floor. It wasn't until Claire pushed him back by his chest, that he became aware of the fact that the hunter had risen from her seat and was now positioned between him and the fight that was going on behind her. 'What the hell do you think you're doing?' Came Claire's sharp mental question. 'That's my human brother behind you getting beaten up by an alpha werewolf,' even in his mental voice, Dan's pure liquid rage was clearly discernible, as he directed a death glare at the hunter for stopping him. Claire however stood her ground. 'Wrong, that is not your brother Dan,' Claire shot back at him mentally, her voice as hard as steel. 'You're new in town and just moved out here recently, you know no one except the few friends you've made since you got here,' Claire repeated his cover story. 'If I was your enemy Dan I would be very interested to know why one who is supposed to be a stranger reacts so strongly to someone he shouldn't know being beaten up,' Claire said her voice only becoming harder with each mental word. 'You need to learn to think like your enemies would Dan, expose any weakness and believe me they will prey on it like blood thirsty sharks. If you intervene in this fight then chances are you will only be saving Jim now and putting him in even bigger danger,' "Out of my way," Dan ground out through gritted teeth. 'What was the point of wiping your memory from your family if you were going to just hand them over to your enemies on a silver platter?' Claire asked mentally, still standing her ground. Dan's jaws clenched even harder as the logic of Claire's argument warred with the ire that was burning hot within him. The sound of breaking bone as Greg's punch connected with the said of Jim's ribs in Dan's now overly sensitive ears felt and sounded like a log being broken. All rationality left Dan in that second, in the next one he'd pushed Claire to the side and by the third, he was on top Greg pummelling him into the floor. His knuckles repeatedly connecting with the werewolf's face. 'Mr O'Brien! "Mrs Aniston's sharp voice barely registered in his mind as he continued to rain a barrage of blows down of the now bloody face below him. Dan's body suddenly tensed, his muscles clenching hard as he felt the pin pricks from the taser gun belonging to schools guard lodged themselves into his left shoulder... Elly's POV "What happened?" The rage in Rick's voice was in no way veiled. Elly opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out, even she wasn't sure what had just happened. One of the other pack members in school must have called the compound to tell them what had happened. Her parents, Rick and Loraine had arrived in school less than ten minutes later. Loraine was now seated on the bed beside her unconscious son, saying nothing, her hand slowly stroking his hair. Like her own mother, Elly knew that the second in command's mate was most dangerous when she went silent. Her own mother was standing beside her with one hand on Loraine's shoulder, she too saying nothing. "Repeat to me exactly what happened," her father's seemed to be the only one with any measure of control of the rage she could see burning in his eyes. The question hadn't been directed at her but to her brother. Victor was now standing beside the head of the bed looking down at Greg, the same confusion Elly felt evident in his eyes. "We were having lunch in the cafeteria when suddenly the doors flew open and some guy I've seen on the football team..." "His name's Jim," Elly cut in remembering how the guy had been trying to flirt with her earlier in the day. "Yeah, Jim," Victor said. "He comes flying through the doors, Greg steps in through the doors after him," Victor went on. "Greg attacked a human?" Their father asked his voice betraying nothing. They all knew that though it wouldn't be addressed immediately Greg would have to answer for this. "Yes," Victor answered. "When he walked through the doors, Dan seemed to lose it," Elly's head turned to Victor, she had been too preoccupied with what Greg was doing and how she could stop him to notice anything else that might have happened. It was a skill that they'd been taught by their father, which was that no matter how much a situation escalated, to never forget to keep a calm head and consider everything. Don't ever be caught blind by anything. A skill that Victor seemed to have mastered. "He rose from his seat ready to attack Greg," Victor went on. "Ironically it was the hunter that got in his way first. I'm not yet sure how, but the two of them seemed to be communicating somehow. Whatever she was saying seemed to be getting through to Dan but then Greg broke two of Jim's ribs, judging by the sound of it," Victor said. "And now he's here," victor said, his head turning away from Greg for the first time and looking to his father. "Who's this Jim to Dan?" Their father went on to ask. "Far as I know, nothing," Victor answered. "I've never seen them exchange so much as a word," he answered. "But the way he reacted..." Victor began, turning to consider Greg once again, his tone betraying that he wasn't sure about something. "What about it?" Their father asked. Victor was quiet for a while as if considering his words. "It's how I would react if someone attacked Elly..." Dan's POV "So," the principal, a slim black man who was balding prematurely, began as Dan sat opposite to him staring unseeingly at the plaque that read Principal Reagan McAlister. "O'Brien, joins the school less than two weeks ago, misses more than a week of school, and now beats a fellow student's face into a bloody mess," he said the last sentence raising his head from the file he'd been reading from. "Tell me Mr O'Brien, do you think that because you're new to the school you merit special treatment? Or that because you've got less than two weeks more to go you don't have to adhere to school rules?" He asked in a voice that was deceptively calm. Dan remained silent having nothing more to say. Instead he focused all his energies into keeping his guardians from sensing the rage that was still very present within him. "You have nothing to say in your defence?" The principal posed. Silence met his words. A tired sigh escaped the principal, a sigh that told Dan that he'd dealt with many like him before. "You're expelled Mr O'Brien," he declared without preamble as he threw his file to the bin beside his desk and turned back to the other papers on his desk. "Empty your locker and leave the school in the next twenty minutes," he instructed. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 08 Dan was about to rise from the chair and exit the office when the door flew open and his mother walked in with the principal's secretary on her tail. "Mrs Jonathan, you cannot..." "If I were you I would seriously not want to be within arm's reach of me right now," her mother turned a deathly glare to the secretary, the words leaving her through gritted teeth. "It's okay Maggie," the principal said to his secretary. "We were done here anyway, please sit down Mrs Jonathan," "No, I will not sit down until you explain to me why my son is on a hospital bed with two broken ribs?" Dan's mom a whisker short of screamed at the principal. Seeing his mom as distressed as she was only making it harder for Dan to rein in his rage. Everything within him wanted to reach out and comfort her but he couldn't. The fact that she'd barely noticed his presence in the room did hurt, but given the circumstances, he understood why. "I am meant to understand that he was involved in a fight," the principal replied. "What kind of school is this..." his mother went on as Dan rose to exit the office. If he stayed in the office much longer, his rage would once again win out over rationality. Dan walked out of the principal's office past the secretary's desk and into the hallway to find both Chloe and Claire waiting for him. "What happened?" Chloe was first to speak. Dan's brows slowly rose on his face as it finally dawned on him what had just happened. "I've been expelled," he said with a sigh. Before anything more could be said Dan's head turned to them as he heard their footsteps. It was Elly and her brother Victor on either side of four other adults that he didn't recognize. Dan however needed no telling to know that they were all werewolves or to know which one of them was the alpha. The eyes of two of them, a man and woman who Dan deduced to be Greg's parents, were now molten amber their gazes fixed singly on him. "In ten words or less," the alpha spoke up as they came to a stop before him. "Give me a good reason why we should not tear you limb from limb right now," he asked a slight growl coming onto his voice. Even without him turning Dan heard both Chloe and Claire move to his side readying themselves for however this conversation might end. Dan's eyes remained fixed on the alpha, his jaws clenching harder as the sound of his now hysterical mother reached the hallway. Dan took a step forward so that he was now standing toe to toe with the alpha looking him straight in the eye as his hands rose to the back of his neck. "Dan don't," Claire spoke up her voice hard, her eyes never leaving the werewolves. "In ten words or less," Dan spoke up ignoring Claire and detaching Ember's chain from around his neck. "You're welcome to try," he half said half growled his eyes turning crimson as the immensity of his power engulfed the hallway and whole school. Even with all the rage he was feeling, it took all of the mental discipline that Dan had learnt from Ember to keep his magic from spreading much further than that. All eyes in the hallway except Claire's and the Alpha's, widened as the true measure of Dan's powers became known to them. There was deathly silence within the hallway as Dan waited for the werewolves to make a mistake. "This is not over," the alpha finally spoke up after long tense seconds. Taking a step back. "Let's go," he ordered before turning and starting off. The others followed without question. Dan turned back to Chloe and Claire as he pulled the chain back on. "I can't even find words to describe how stupid what you just did was," Claire spoke up, looking at him with a disapproving gaze. "I wouldn't care even if you did," Dan answered simply and truthfully before turning to Chloe. "Here," he said handing the keys to the car to her. "What about..." "I'll be walking home, if I drive I'll get there before all this rage has faded a good bit," he said. "I don't want my guardians seeing me like this," he added explanatorily. "Need company?," Claire asked with concern seeing that it was pointless to try and make Dan see just how big of an error he'd just made at the moment. "I'll be okay," Dan offered in reply. "I just need some time," he added before he turned and started off... ******************************** "Help! Someone please, help me!" Dan turned in a sprint towards the alley in which the screams were coming from. He'd decided to take a detour through town just to make his walk longer when the anger within him refused to abate as quickly as he'd hoped it would. "What's wrong with her?" Dan asked as he reached the fourteen year old girl (by his estimate) who was holding another older girl in her hands as she shook convulsively with froth coming out from her mouth. "She's epileptic, she gets these seizures that come without warning," the girl explained, frantic urgency in her voice. "This one's bad, they usually pass within two or three minutes but she's been like this for the past ten minutes. I've done every kind of first aid I know," the girl said sounding close to tears. "Move aside," Dan said dropping down to his knees. "We need to get her to hospital," Dan putting his hands beneath the convulsing girl ready to lift her off the ground. Dan heard and felt it as cold metal snapped shut around his neck. His head whipped around in shock to the girl who was now on her feet. He'd turned just in time to see the lead pipe swing forward a second before it made contact with the side of his head and everything went black... ************************************ Ember's head rose up suddenly as she looked to the rest. The others had also frozen in their motions as they too felt it. Something had broken their bond to Dan... Arwain Chronicles Ch. 09 Hi guys, so as promised, here is January's chapter. My big mouth has taken leave so the only thing I have to say is... Enjoy. Thank you to Akhilesh for his help in the editing of this chapter, hope to work with you in future. DISCLAIMER ALL CHARACTERS DEPICTED IN ANY SEXUAL SITUATION WITHIN THE STORY ARE EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. Anyway on to the good stuff... ***** CHAPTER NINE THE ARWAIN CHRONICLES: A BEAST... "We found him," she reported in a level tone as she redirected the cold hard gaze she was receiving from him, back at their master. "Where?" Came their master's harsh whisper like voice. "He's somewhere in the U.S." she answered. "We can't tell where exactly, he's protected by very powerful cloaking and obstruction spells," she added explanatorily. "Not good enough," Their master's voice became even harsher, if that was even possible. "Should I motivate them to do better master?" Viera, who'd been standing beside their master, spoke up. Her tone of voice paired by the predatory manner in which she was eyeing both she and her brother, who was standing beside her, making her very uneasy. Her brother was using his abilities to protect her from any attempt their master might make on her mind. "He would have been much easier to track if we were actually in the same continent as he is," she spoke up in a hard tone. "The fact that we even have a clue as to where he is, is a lot more than most would offer you," she shot at him. "How dare you!" The vampire spoke up the inky blackness leaking into her eyes clearly showing that her feral side was close and fast rising to the surface. "You will show resp..." "Viera!" Their master called snappishly. "Leave us," he ordered. The vampire paused turning back to their master but not daring to look him in the eyes, the pain in her eyes clear for them all to see "Master..." "Leave us!" Their master repeated cutting her short, no less harshly than the first time around. The vampire looked like a whipped dog as she turned around and left the room without another word. Though she'd never had that much great love for the vampires, but she at times did feel sorry for her when she saw what the vampire had been reduced to at the hands of their ruthless master. The fierce vampire that had once inspired both fear and respect in equal measure was no more. At their cruel master's mind warping and manipulation the vampire had been reduced to a servant, a slave that only lived to please her master. Her free will had been taken away and in its place put an unendingly gnawing desire to please their master and do his bidding. With every passing day she saw less and less of the vampire they'd met the very first time they encountered her. Once again she found herself thanking the universe for her brother. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind that had it not been for him, she would have been in the same state as the vampire if not been dead already. "You have already taken up a lot more time on this one simple task, than I would have granted anyone else. And you dare stand before me to tell me you've failed?" Their master asked through gritted teeth, his voice becoming dangerously low. "If you have other people who can do this better than we can, then I highly recommend you to get them on this right away," she returned icily. They were the best at tracking magic through the magic force plane, both they and their master knew this. Their master glared ice daggers at them for a while before he snarled, "We leave within an hour, be ready." then turning away from them, faced the window that looked out over the castle grounds in an unspoken dismissal... ****** Though he stood looking out the window, he was barely aware of the castle grounds before him and the vague reflection of his own face in the clear glass of the window pane. His hair which was only about two inches long, had long since turned completely grey over two centuries before. Other than that there was no other indication of his true age. His cold iron grey eyes only ever relayed either one of two emotions, anger or none at all. His face was angular with high cheek bones, a long nose and a strong jaw. All elements of his face seemed to merge in a way that made him look forbidding even at first glance. His looks however were the last thing on his mind. He'd come so far, from a street rat, society's reject, to the strongest mage in Europe possibly even the whole world. His was the strongest following in the whole world, that was undisputed. All he needed as the last crowning jewel to his following was Lord Arwain's heir. The heir to all the power that Arwain usurped from the world. If he got to him early enough he could get into his mind and enslave him just as he'd done all others in his following save for those damned twins, something he sought to rectify real soon and permanently. If he didn't get to him in time then he would have to consider an alliance, his jaws clenched, a sour taste filling his mouth at the thought of it. If he couldn't be enslaved and refused to agree to an alliance with him then things would become much more complicated. For his plans to succeed he'd need the heir's power, it was the center piece of his whole plan without which everything else would fall apart. Killing the heir was not be an option, at least not for now, he thought a cold smile crossing his face. His jaws clenched tightly, his hand reaching forward for the wall beside the window for support as pain of a kind that would break even the hardest of men tore through his head. Taking deep controlled breaths, he forced himself to stand back up straight and open his eyes. This time he wasn't looking out at the compound, his eyes were focused on his reflection. The eyes that looked back at him were a deep dark red, not the red of alpha weres, but a more malevolent and sinister red that spoke of pure and unadulterated evil. It was a glimpse of the creatures he'd allowed himself to merge with to gain the kind of power he possessed. "A promise," the first of the familiar malevolent whispers began in his head. "Yes, a promise was made," The second whisper-like voice picked up also full of vicious malice. "A promise made to us," a third voice went on with the same tone. "A promise that is yet to be kept," The fourth and final voice finished with twice the malice of all other three voices put together. "We're close, closer than ever before, I can feel it," his voice also a hard whisper without a trace of emotion to it. For the first time in over two centuries there was confidence in his voice as he said this, this time he was sure. "The same words," the first voice began. "Yes, the same words said," The second voice continued. "The same words said to us many times before," the third voice picked up. "The same words that are yet to be delivered on," The fourth voice finished off. The corrosive malevolence the voices bore only seemed to increase as they spoke from first to last. "This time it's different," he said firmly in reply. "We are closer than ever before, the two worlds will merge as promised and together we shall rule over both worlds," he continued just as firmly. "Where?" The first voice questioned him. "Yes, where is he then?" The second voice asked. "Where is he that was promised to us?" The third voice followed up. "Where is he with whose power you will merge the two worlds?" The last of the voiced finished off. Though he could have easily deciphered what they wanted to know from the first voice's question, he remained silent till the last one had finished. He'd long since learnt that interrupting them would lead to a kind of punishment which he would sooner embrace death than have to endure ever again. "We already have an idea of where he is, we leave within the hour to find him," he answered. "A reminder," The first voice spoke up coldly, causing fear to coil icy tendrils around his heart. "Yes, a reminder he needs," the second voice picked up the malevolence in it clearly palpable. "A reminder of what happens," the third voice continued the malicious anticipation for what they were about to do barely hidden in it. "A reminder of what will happen if you disappoint us," the fourth voice once again finished off. Though the thought of what was about to happen sparked liquid fear within him, he said nothing training all his features to betray nothing of what he felt. If there was anything the creatures abhorred even more that failure, it was weakness. Betraying any would only cause his punishment to be compounded on itself. "That is not necessary, we will..." Whatever words that were to follow next were lost as a guttural scream tore through him. He fell to his knees, his eyes closed tightly, his hands gripping his head as if he was trying to keep it from exploding into a thousand pieces. The only reason his scream was not heard throughout the whole castle were the several silencing and sound proofing spells he'd put around his office... ********* 'You're worried.' Her brother's mental voice filled her head causing her to stop staring at the clouds and turn her head away from the plane window to him. 'Of course I am,' she returned calmly through their mental bond. 'We are lying to one of the most powerful mages of the dark arts in the whole of Europe may be even the whole world. I'd be an idiot to take it lightly,' she added mentally. Her brother's head turned to regard the seat where their master was seated way at the front. 'You're right,' he said mentally equally as calmly, though she could already see quite clearly in spite of his expressionless face, that gears were turning in his head. 'It would be foolish not to take the matter seriously," he concurred. "But that is not what you're worried about,' he added turning back to her. She regarded him for a while before a smile finally crossed her face as she shook her head. 'I can't hide anything from you Chris, can I?' She more of mentally said it than asked calling him by his real name. 'Wait, you're not poking around in my head, are you?' She then went on to ask narrowing her eyes at him. Her brother remained silent regarding her in the same way he always did when she'd said or asked something he didn't believe merited an answer from him. Her eyes rose to the luggage compartments above her as she made a show of shaking her head. 'I'm joking you idiot,' she informed him with a smile. 'I trust you completely,' she added truthfully. 'You know that right?' She posed. A slight smile from him was all the acknowledgement she was going to get, it was all she needed. 'What is he like?' She asked rhetorically. 'Have you thought about that?' This time she directed the question at her brother. 'I mean, we are on a plane travelling across the Atlantic to put ourselves at the mercy of another powerful wizard, whom for all we know could be just as evil if not more than the one we are currently serving under,' she said some of the worry she'd been tightly holding in leaking into her mental voice. 'How can we be so sure that we're not jumping from the frying pan and into the fire?' 'We can't Katelyn,' her brother answered simply, referring to her by her real name. His gaze once again moved to their master. 'But whether he is just as evil or even worse, is irrelevant to us. We stick to the plan, and if all goes well, we'll be free in a few weeks' time,' he went on to say. 'And if not?' She posed regarding her calm brother. 'Then most likely we die excruciatingly slow and painful death at his,' he said nodding to their current master. 'Or the hands of the other wizard, either way it all ends soon,' he said looking at her with a small smile... ******** "Why? Why would he do such a thing?" She asked once again as she paced her bedroom. "Why attack Greg unprovoked?" "That's like the thirtieth time you've asked that, and the answer remains the same, we don't know," Carol answered her best friend. "And what business did Greg have attacking the human to begin with?" Elly once again asked some of the anger and frustration she was feeling at the whole situation leaking into her voice. "You mentioned that Jim had been flirting with you earlier in the day," Victor spoke up. "We all know Greg doesn't like competition," he added explanatorily. Elly had already made the connection long before Victor said it. "He's a human how could the idiot possibly believe I would be interested in the guy," Elly posed. "Why do you even care anymore?" Carol posed." He's officially made himself an enemy of the pack when he went after Greg and then refused to apologize for it. He even took it a step further and challenged your dad," she said. "Right now we should be thinking of how to get back at him and send a clear message to everyone else who might consider it, that this is not a pack you wanna mess with," Elly could quite clearly hear the ire in Carol's voice. "Is it the pack or Greg being attacked that has you in such a mood?" She posed quietly directing a critical gaze at her. "Both," Carol immediately answered. A sigh escaped her after a while when Elly kept the gaze fixed on her. "Okay then, Greg more that the pack. Are you happy now?" She said. "No," Elly answered truthfully turning away from her. "I'm not Carol. I don't want Dan to be an enemy of the pack," she added. "I just wish I knew why he did what he did so we can clear everything up," Elly went on. "How do you know he didn't do it out of some sadistic compulsion? Because he enjoys seeing others suffer?" Carol posed. "He didn't and he doesn't," Elly answered, her voice firm with conviction. "And how exactly would you know this?" Carol further questioned. Elly remained silent not looking at her friend. "I know it sucks that the first guy you crush on doesn't turn out to be what you excepted him to be, but you have to accept the truth for what it is and move on," Carol said a little more softly to her friend. "Besides, there'll be a lot more guys for you to crush on before you find your mate" she added with a slight smile. "No there won't," Elly said quietly as she stopped pacing and stared unseeingly into the air. "Because I already did find him," there was silence in the room as her words slowly sunk in the minds of the other two occupants of the room. When she'd last spoken to her brother Victor, she'd only been speculating as to the possibility of it. But after what happened in the hall and how strongly she'd reacted to Dan's touch, there was no more doubt in her about it. Carol's eyes widened as what Elly was saying, finally dawned on her. "Wait, you..." A knock on her door cut Carol short, Elly walked over and opened it. "Elliana," it was Jacob, or Jake, as he preferred to be called. He was the beta that served directly under their father's second in command, Rick. "The alpha wants you in his office," he informed her. She glanced back at both Carol and Victor both of whom still seemed to be trying to wrap their heads around what she'd just told them, before turning and walking out of the room after Jake. "You called for me," Elly said as she entered her father's office. Other than she, both her parents, Rick and Loraine were the only others in the room. "Yes," her father answered. "Close the door behind you," he instructed. She did so. "I want you to tell us everything you may know about Dan," her father went straight to the point of his calling her. It was the moment she'd been dreading ever since they left school, the moment she'd have to tell them. "Let me remind you that your first obligation is to the pack," her mother spoke up when she noted her hesitation to answer. A sigh escaped Elly. "There's not much to tell," she spoke up feeling guilty that part of her was actually glad that this statement was true. She knew it already, she could feel it, her wolf had shifted loyalties, her first obligation was no longer to the pack but to Dan. If it came down to the pack versus Dan, she already knew which side she would be on. How to tell that to her parents and family knowing what would follow, was what she was trying to find a way for. "I mean, you already know that this was his first day back since his first day in school," she went on. Rick sighed. "Look," he began in a voice that made Elly's heart contract painfully with guilt. The rage was gone from it, all that remained was a father's worry for his son. "I know that you and my son haven't exactly been the closest of friends and that you don't see eye to eye most of the time," he continued in a tone that compounded Elly's guilt. "But I would like to believe that if nothing else, there has been mutual respect between you and I," he said. "Please Elly, anything you know," he pressed. "His strengths his weaknesses, what kind of were he is, what are his..." "He's not a were," Elly offered the only thing she knew in spite of her wolf's protests. Confusion etched itself on the faces of the other occupants in the room. "We all saw his eyes turn..." "He's not a were," Elly once again repeated cutting her father short. "He's somehow magically bound to a pair of them, but he is a wizard not a were," she explained. "What kind of weres is he bound to?" Rick asked. "Weretigers, a pair of them," she answered. There was silence in the room as the four adults processed this new piece of information. "What do you plan to do to him?" She finally asked breaking the silence that had covered the room. "He attacked one of our own, what would you have us do?" Loraine, for the first time spoke up in a voice that was deceptively calm. "You all felt the power that filled the hall," Elly said. "In what world does the pack win against that kind of power, even if we all attacked as one?" She posed. There was another span of silence in the room as they all remembered the immense amount of power that had filled the hall when Dan took off the chain he usually wore around his neck. All the power they'd ever experienced or encountered in their lives paled in comparison to what they'd felt in that hall, even if it was all put together. "You still haven't answered my question," Loraine was the first to break the silence. "What would you have us do?" From the undertone in her voice paired with the way she was eyeing her, Elly clearly got the unspoken accusation Loraine was making. It was no secret that the second in command's mate was her mother's closest confidant. Elly could already connect the dots and knew that her mother must have told Loraine about her liking for Dan. "My daughter is not the subject of scrutiny here," her mother spoke up in a voice that clearly warned all to tread lightly, her eyes fixed on Loraine. "No mom," Elly spoke up. "Her son has been attacked," she said returning Loraine's gaze with equal intensity as she was receiving it. "She has every right to ask what her pack would do for her," she said. "I will go talk to him first thing in the morning," she declared. It took a few seconds for what she actually meant to sink in. "Absolutely not!" "Not happening!" "It's too dangerous," Her parents together with Rick spoke up almost simultaneously, all three of them looking at her incredulously, Loraine was the only one of the adults who'd remained silent. "If any one of you has a better idea, now is the time to speak up," Elly said. "I have a good number of alphas that owe me favours, big favours. A well planned attack and a large enough group to make it and we will have him," her father said firmly. "Of course, brute force," Elly murmured though she knew perfectly well that they could all hear her. "Dan totally won't see that coming," she said with no small measure of sarcasm dripping off her voice. "Greg told you that Dan was seated with a hunter the first day in school, didn't he?" Elly posed now looking directly to her father. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 09 Her father nodded once his confusion at the turn of the conversation evident. "Well what he didn't have a clue to was that hunter was none other than Arthur Ravencloft's daughter," she informed them and went on, completely ignoring the shock that registered on the faces of the adults. "What he also didn't know is that Dan has an alliance with a succubus, and a damn powerful one at that, probably powerful enough to take us all on by herself. Whether human or magical creature I also don't know but Dan has another alliance with a being that has power of a kind that I highly doubt any one of us has ever encountered before, alone I reckon he she or it whichever it is, could take on all the packs on the continent may be even globally, and single handedly wipe them all out. Taking from the colour of his eyes and how easily Dan took Greg both times that they faced off, I think it's safe to assume that the two weretigers that Dan is bound to are not weaklings. No alpha in their right mind would pit their packs against the kind of power Dan has on his side let alone the power he himself possesses, no matter what kind of favours they owe you," Elly explained in one long tirade. There was silence in the room as her father and all the other adults took in all that she had just said. "Why am I only finding out about this now?" Her father finally broke the silence. "Your first priority and loyalty is to this pack, you should have brought all this information to me the moment you got it," he said in a hard voice his ire palpable. His question was followed by silence as Elly steeled herself and gathered all the resolve she could muster before she finally spoke. "Because it no longer is!" she informed them. "What do you mean?" Her mother broke the silence that followed her pronunciation. It was common knowledge that the fastest was to make a wolf go rogue was to try and keep it from its mate. Her wolf had chosen Dan, there was no way that she could unchoose him. If she tried to deny Dan to her wolf, then it would retaliate by doing everything it could to try and seize control from her. Although she'd hidden details of Dan from them, Elly would never knowingly lie to her parents and the whole pack about her being loyal with them and on their side turn around and betray them at the last minute. "I mean that my loyalty is no longer with the pack," she said. "My loyalty now lies with Dan... My mate," Elly added to their further shock. "Are you sure," all the accusatory undertone had left Loraine's voice. Even she understood the weight of what she was saying. Her beta instincts had risen to the surface once again as she sought to protect her pack members even from harm that they themselves may unwittingly put themselves in. Elly remembered her reaction to Dan's touch. "Yes," she answered firmly. "But he's not even a were," her mother spoke up. "You just said that," she added. "I know," Elly answered. "Neither I nor my wolf seem to be bothered by the fact," she informed them. "Besides, though rare, it wouldn't be the first time that a were has mated with a non-were," she added. "How do you know that he isn't a sadistic son of a bitch who enjoys torturing and seeing the pain of others just for the fun of it," Loraine asked regarding her critically. "He's not," once again Elly found herself answering the question firmly without even the slightest shred of proof for her answer. "Is that reason or emotions talking?" Her mother asked. "Both," she answered without hesitation. "A wizard as powerful as he is will have a harem, a large one at that, are you willing and ready to share your mate?" Her father questioned. A sigh left Elly her jaws clenching as she once again considered this. "Do you honestly believe that there is any angle from which I haven't looked at this," she finally said. "Like I said, Dan is human not a were, he wouldn't know or understand the significance of a mate. If I were to ask him to choose between me and all the other females I could scent off him, then I will most likely end up getting rejected by my mate, and I..." Elly paused finding both the human and werewolf part of her, unable to fathom a world where Dan rejected them. The fear etched onto her features making it clear to the adults just how much that turn out would hurt her. "If I have to share him to be with him, then so be it," she finally said firmly looking up at them. "But I can't lose him," she said her head unconsciously turning from side to side in a negation gesture. Elly sighed at last when after a long while nothing was said. "I'll leave tomorrow," she said. "So soon," there was a pleading note of sadness in her mother's voice. As if she'd just realized that she was about to lose her daughter somehow. Elly smiled at her fighting the urge to walk over to her and pull her into a tight hug and tell her that she wasn't going to leave. She couldn't, when she knew perfectly well that she had to. "It's pack law mom," she said instead. "I can't be part of the pack if I am not loyal to the pack," she recited the law. "In fact, by pack law I should be leaving right away, but I don't have anywhere to spend the night," she went on. "So I'll be spending the night here and leaving tomorrow, only of that is okay with you of course," she directed the question to her father. The formality in her tone making it clear that she was addressing him as alpha and not as her father. Her father gave a single nod, the way both his jaw and fist were clenched so tightly telling Elly that he was fighting the fatherly instinct within him that wanted to keep his daughter from leaving. "Stay as long as you need," he offered his voice suddenly gruff. Elly nodded once before turning and leaving the office... ******** Elly had just folded another of her tank tops and put it away in her suitcase when the knock sounded at her door. "Come in," she called out over her shoulder as she tried to decide what else she needed to take with her and what she could afford to leave behind. "Who would have guessed huh?" Carol said as she walked in the room with a suitcase in tow. "Who'd have thought that we'd leave the pack at some point? I always saw us as two old ladies still giving orders to our children and grandchildren in the Raymond pack, your son being alpha of course," Carol went on. "We?" Elly repeated inquiringly. "What do you mean 'WE', Carol?" She posed, though she could already make a guess at it. "Come on," Carol said tilting her head at her friend. "You didn't think I was just going to let you leave the pack and go out there all on your own, did you? What kind of friend do you take me for?" Carol spoke up feigning offence but the smile on her face giving it away. Elly's mouth opened and closed repeatedly with no words coming out. Carol would never fully understand how much the simple gesture meant to her. "Oh Carol, you're the greatest, I just don't know what I would do without you, you're also secretly my icon," Carol spoke up with a smile when she noted her friend's loss of words. In spite of herself, Elly found herself laughing. "Please," Elly spoke up some measure of composure returning to her. "You're my best friend Carol," she said genuinely. "Which is why I can't ask you to let the pack and your family because of me," Elly said. "I've already said my goodbyes to dad and mom, so you can save yourself the breath. Like it or not, you're stuck with me," Carol said. "How did you know that I was leaving anyway?" Elly posed as the thought occurred to her. "I doubt that my parents or Greg's have told anyone yet," she added narrowing her eyes at her best friend. "Well..." Carol began biting her lower lip in the same way she always did when she'd done something wrong. "I mighta, kinda, could have, may be, possibly... overheard the conversation in your dad's office," she said. "You eavesdropped on us?" Elly posed her eyes widening as she regarded her friend incredulously. "Eavesdropping is such an ugly word," Carol said turning away from her and walking over to the bed and picking up one of Elly's jogging shorts, folding it then throwing it into her suitcase. "Besides, my best friend tells me that her mate is the same guy that has just become the packs enemy, and knowing our pack for how it deals with enemies, what did you expect?" She posed with a shrug turning back to her. Elly sighed knowing perfectly well that Carol had indeed done it cause she did truly care for her. "You could have gotten into a lot of trouble," she finally said. "But I didn't," Carol replied dismissively in very much the same way that she always did when she almost got caught for something she'd done wrong but managed not to. "Now this may be the very last sleep-over that we do while in the Raymond pack," Carol went on with a smile as she put away the last of Elly's clothes. "I'll sleep on the right," she declared letting herself fall onto the bed. "Wait, don't you wanna spend the last night as part of the pack with your family?" Elly posed regarding her friend. "So you can sneak out in the night without me!" Carol said without raising her head from the pillow. "Not happening buddy," she added. Elly sighed resignedly, that is exactly what she would have done and they both knew this perfectly well. "And just in case you still get it into your head to try anything Victor's outside that door, so don't even think about it," Carol said. "What?" Elly exclaimed in surprise. Walking over to the door, Elly pulled it open to find Victor standing on the other side of it. He turned around and smiled at her. "What do you think you're doing?" Elly questioned. "Making sure that you don't try to make a quick getaway and leave without us," he answered simply. "Not you too Vic," Elly said unable to help the guilt that marred her voice. "You guys, this pack is all you've ever known, family is here for the both of you. I can't ask you to leave on my account," she said. Victor shrugged. "I always planned on leaving anyway," he said causing both Elly and Carol to turn shocked gazes to him. "What do you mean?" Elly asked, the shock evident in her voice too. "Come on Elly," Victor said with a half-smile. "Do you honestly believe I would have stuck around with Greg as the alpha?" He queried. "So I leave a bit earlier than I initially planned, big deal," he said shrugging once again. Elly's brows rose, she'd never actually thought about it, but now that Victor mentioned it, she highly doubted that she too would have stayed with the pack once Greg became alpha. "But Greg won't be in any position to become alpha for close to another five centuries," she said coming back to the topic at hand. "Look Elly, like Carol said, you might as well said save your breath, cause you're stuck with us," he said folding his arms before his wide chest. From the expression on his face Elly knew perfectly well that he wouldn't budge from the decision. A sigh escaped Elly as she finally gave in. "You don't have to stand guard, I won't try anything," she said resignedly returning the half smile she was getting from him. "Do I have your word on that?" Victor posed regarding her critically. With her lips pressing together tightly to form a straight line, she nodded once... ***A*****FEW*****HOURS*****BEFORE*** Chloe's POV Her hand froze mid-sentence as she felt it. 'Dan...,' Chloe called out in her head. 'Hey Dan... HEY DAN!' Only silence answered her as the part at the back of her mind where she could always feel Dan's presence at ever since she become bound to him, now felt empty. Chloe immediately rose from her desk not caring even in the least that there was an exam going on. She shot out of the room dropping her paper at the teacher's table as she moved. "And that students, is what happens when you don't prepare," she vaguely heard Mr. Johnson's bored voice say as she exited the room. Chloe couldn't have cared any less for the exam, even though she knew all the answers to all the questions she'd seen on the paper. Right then she was trying with everything she had, to quell the bad feeling that was quickly welling up within her. Chloe made the first turn to an adjoining hallway just in time to see it as Dan's guardians appeared in a burst of flames in the deserted hallway. "Where's Dan?" Ember questioned soon as she caught sight of her. "I thought he was with you guys," Chloe answered with confusion as the feeling she'd been trying to push down started to rise once again. "Why would he be with us when school isn't over yet?" Athena posed her brows drawing together. "He got into a fight with a werewolf and left school early," Chloe answered. "Why was Dan fighting a werewolf?" Ember immediately questioned. "I wouldn't exactly call it a fight, more of a beat down. Dan beat the werewolf within an inch of his life," Chloe said. "The werewolf, his name's Greg, he'd attacked some guy that Claire tells me is called Jim, Dan's older brother," Chloe answered. Chloe took in a startled breath her body reflexively flinching as Athena suddenly turned and punched a hole into the locker nearest to her. "Jim is no longer his brother," Athena remarked curtly though from the look in her eyes, Chloe could tell that the words weren't directed at her. "That's what Claire tried to tell him," Chloe answered. "Didn't seem to faze Dan though," she added. "He was called to the principal's office after. When he came out he didn't wanna tell us much of what had gone on in there, all he said is that he'd been expelled, before we could press him any further, alpha Raymond appeared," "Who's alpha Raymond?" Athena asked dangerously. "He's the strongest werewolf alpha in the country, his pack is also the strongest," Chloe answered. "And how is it exactly that you know him?" Karra questioned. "He's the representative for the were faction on the council of Arwain," Chloe's distaste evident in her voice as she mentioned the council. At this point, Claire came around the corner from the other end of the hall they were in sprinting. "I can't feel Dan through my bond to him," she spoke up soon as she saw them, the fear and worry evident in her voice. "Did something happen to him?" She questioned the guardians. "That's what we'd like to know," Karra answered in a tone that made it clear that if anyone was responsible for Dan's disappearance, they wouldn't be alive to tell tales of it once she caught up to them. "We can't feel him through our bond either," Kirra informed the hunter, worry also present in her voice. "What happened after?" Ember pressed her eyes never having left Chloe. "Well, Raymond threatened to let a pair of his betas tear Dan limb from limb," the look that crossed all four of the guardians caused fear of a kind she'd never known before to grip Chloe even with the knowledge that the fury she could see in all four sets of eyes were not directed at her. "And?" Ember posed in a voice that held bore deceptive calm. "Well, Dan took off the chain he usually has around his neck," Chloe said remembering the pure and raw power that had filled the hall making every other magical signature within it seem virtually nonexistent as the true measure of Dan's power was revealed. "He did what?" Athena asked looking like she was about to explode. "He took off his chain and dared Raymond to try," Chloe answered. "How come we couldn't feel it from the fort?" Karra questioned. "Dan's got enough power to be felt from across the country, we would have felt it from the fort," she further stated. "He's learning," Ember said in a murmur more to herself than anyone else in particular. "Learning what exactly," Athena questioned her. "Mental discipline," the phoenix stated. "It's the only way he could have prevented his magical signature from being felt by the whole country," she added explanatorily. "What happened after that?" She asked turning back to Chloe. "Raymond left without fighting but promised to be back," Chloe informed them. "And Dan decided to go to the fort after that," she finished. "How long ago was this?" Kirra asked. "About thirty minutes ago," Claire answered the question. Ember's brows furrowed, "The fort is a less than ten minute drive from here, he would have been there already." Chloe's jaws clenched tightly her eyes closing tightly in self-disgust. "Except he didn't drive," she said pulling Dan's keys out from her pocket now hating herself for ever accepting them from him. "Why do you have Dan's keys?" Athena posed in a voice that caused her heart to beat faster. "He gave them to me," she immediately answered. "He was really angry and he didn't want you guys seeing him like that. He said if he drove to the fort he'd get there before the anger had gone down so he would walk instead," she said. "So after fighting a werewolf and being threatened by the strongest alpha in the country you just let him walk out of here on his own," Athena posed through gritted teeth taking a threatening step forward towards the necromancer. The jade colour her eyes usually took when in human form turned into a more inhuman slightly yellowish green. "In case you forgot," Claire spoke up stepping in between Athena and the necromancer who'd frozen with fear under the demon's glare. "Dan is our master, he says and we do. I asked to accompany him and he said he'd rather go on his own. While neither of us were happy about it, there was nothing we could do," she shot back at the demon. "We're wasting time," Ember said curtly. "Kirra, Karra can you pick up his trail?" she went on framing the words more as an order than a real question. The twins turned in opposite direction, Kirra facing the direction Chloe had come from and Karra the other. "What happened to your hair?" Claire posed her brows furrowing as she finally noticed it. The flame colour in Ember's hair had gone up higher and was now two inches from its roots rather than the tips as it usually was. "Not important," Ember said dismissively with a tone of finality in her voice that left no room for any debate on the issue, as she turned from one of the twins to the other. Both of the twins took in deep breaths of air and went silent for about a second before Kirra spoke up. "I've got it," she announced then took off in a sprint. Karra had also turned around and started after Kirra catching up to her less than a second later. Both of them jumped high in the air at the same time morphing fully into two snow white tigers and landed without missing a step or losing speed. If anything, they only seemed to gain more speed in this form. Both Ember and Athena weren't far behind the two weres. Ember was now a streak of flames moving after the twins as she glided in her phoenix form just at their tails. In spite of the fact that she was flapping her wings instead of gliding like the phoenix, Athena easily kept up with the other guardians. The only reason she was behind the other three was that the tips of her wings were only a few millimeters shy of scraping the lockers on both sides of the empty hallways. "Come on," Claire called out, she too breaking into a sprint as she ran after Dan's guardians. "We won't be able to keep up with them on foot," Claire said when Chloe caught up to her a few seconds later. "Give me Dan's keys," she directed. "No time for that," Chloe replied a second before she reached out and firmly gripped Claire's shoulder. Less than a second later both of them burst into a pitch black cloud that wove its way through the air and moving after the guardians at almost twenty times the speed they'd initially moving at when they were sprinting... Claire's POV Cold... That was the only word that she could use to describe it as she felt herself lose her physical form. It wasn't the physical thermal cold that one felt on their skin, but an even deeper cold that could be felt all the way into the soul. Claire could see and hear everything around her clearly though in passing but in a deep and integral way, she felt detached from it all. The only thing that at the moment seemed real was the necromancer's tight grip which she could still feel on her shoulder even in this form. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 09 From the way Dan's guardians were weaving through both people and traffic without anyone reacting to their presence once they were out of the school building, Claire knew that they must have cloaked themselves. Just as Chloe must have somehow cloaked the both of them, as no one seemed to be noticing the dark cloud that was weaving through the throngs of people. At some points, the cloud broke in to two or more arms which later rejoined into one large cloud stream once they were past whatever obstacle it is that they were trying to get around. Once they'd gotten outside the school building, the twins had quickly accelerated to full speed and soon enough they were running past cars as they moved towards the town following Dan's trail. With the speed they were moving at, the town quickly came into view. In spite of the larger density of people they encountered once they reached the town, neither the twins nor the guardians moved any slower than they had been on the way there. Instead Ember and Athena rose above them, while the twins wove and maneuvered through them expertly in ways that Claire highly doubted she would have been able to match had she not been in this ethereal form. The twins suddenly turned from the street they'd been on into an alley way. Both Athena and Ember also deftly made the turn without missing a beat. Chloe however had to slow the both of them down some before they could make the turn. They moved into the alley to find that Ember and the others had stopped at the center of it. Claire forced herself to take in deep breaths calling on all the discipline she'd learnt through countless hours of training as she tried to stave off the wave of nausea that threatened to overwhelm her. "What the hell was that?" She asked in a hoarse whisper once Chloe let go off her shoulder. "Something I discovered two years ago, when I was sixteen, I call it shadow motion," Chloe answered. "I know, I know, not too many points there for creativity," she added shrugging with a sheepish expression. "Sorry, I know it can be real uncomfortable if you're not used to it, especially the first time around," she added looking apologetically at her. "But it's the only way we could have possibly kept up with them," she said nodding towards Dan's guardians. "If it helps us find Dan faster, then I have no problem at all being uncomfortable," Claire said dismissing the apology with a wave, her voice much stronger this time as she turned to the guardians. Kirra and Karra were now moving from its center towards either ends of the alley their noses to the ground. Kirra was moving towards the end they'd come in through, while Karra moved towards the other. Both Ember and Athena seemed frozen as they stood at the middle of the alley both their gazes fixed in something on the ground before them. Claire had to force herself to remain calm once she caught the look pure and liquid rage dancing their eyes. Athena got down on one knee, her eyes still fixed on whatever it was they were looking at. With both the index and mid finger of her left hand she swiped at the ground before her. It is only when the demon raised the two fingers which were now crimson with what Claire easily recognized as blood, that she understood their rage and felt her own spike several notches higher that it had ever been before. Athena brought the two fingers below her nose, from the way her jaws clenched tightly, Claire already knew what she was about to say. "It's his," she announced. "Kirra, Karra," Ember called out in a voice that trembled with rage. "Where is he?" She questioned curtly. Both Kirra and Karra morphed back into their human forms at the same time. "It's odd," Kirra spoke up both the anger the frustration evident in her voice. "His scent comes into the alley," "But it doesn't leave it," Karra finished her twin's statement as she relayed what she too had found. "Do you think may be the wolves came for him?" Chloe asked as both she and the necromancer moved to where both Athena and Ember now stood. "If they had, their scents would have been all over this alley, we would have caught it, it wasn't the wolves," Karra answered. "Maybe whoever took him, magically masked his scent or any trail of him," Claire offered. "No," Kirra answered firmly without the slightest bit of doubt in her voice. "No amount of masking, magical or otherwise, could have hidden his scent from us," she stated. "Well he didn't just vanish into thin air," Athena snapped the look in her eyes murderous. "Actually," a voice from the other end of the alley spoke up. Claire immediately recognized it as belonging to the vampire that had joined their school about two weeks before. Aliya, if she remembered right. The vampire was at the moment leaning against on the left alley wall regarding them neutrally. "He did," she finished off her sentence... ******** "I told you not to hit him so hard, he's of no use to us dead," Twenty two berated the younger girl as she eyed the boy who'd remained unconscious since they left the alley. Though admittedly it wasn't that long ago, only about twenty minutes had passed since. "You felt the power that came off him," Two said defensively. "I wasn't taking any chances," she added That was true, she had felt the power that the boy possessed. After tracking his movements for about half a day without seeing anything extraordinary about him except for him pinning an alpha female against the locker. Which, the wolf could also have just as easily been faking so as not to rouse any suspicion from a human. She'd been about to turn around and get back to her car and drive away believing that they'd been wrong, when the fight broke out between him and the other alpha werewolf. Being pinned against a locker could have easily been faked but there was no way the fight could have. It was the fight that convinced her to stay on a bit longer and that maybe they weren't wrong after all. Later on when he walked out of the principal's office and stood up to the werewolves, she got all the proof she needed. For a moment after his power was revealed to them all, she'd been rooted to the place where she'd been standing as it became sorely clear the kind of madness they were about to attempt. It had felt exactly like Two had described it, like standing before the sun and feeling all its energy up close. Raw magical energy had come off him in waves, filling up the whole school and drowning out all other magical signatures. For the first time ever in her life, she'd considered aborting a mission. But at the thought of Twenty one, her jaws had clenched hard and her resolve once again turned to steel. "He's waking," Two's words brought her attention back to the boy who'd just let out a groan and was grimacing probably from the pain. Good, Twenty two thought coldly... ********* He couldn't help the feeling of deja vu as once again, he found himself feeling like someone was pounding on his head with a sledgehammer and all the voices around him sounding like they were coming from the other end of a very long tunnel. "I told you... to hit him... hard... he's of... use to us dead," fragments of the first voice of the one speaking reached him as he struggled not to sink back into the darkness he was just emerging from. Something was wrong, something was very wrong, something other than the fact that the ones around him were talking about killing him. His mind however couldn't figure out what it is through the fog that was clouding it at the moment. His jaws clenched hard as enough of the fog lifted for his brain to start processing the pain he was in. Not just his head, but his whole body, it felt like every nerve fiber in his body was on fire and shooting pain impulses to his brain. Discipline Dan, Focus! The memory of Ember's voice from training came to him. Forcing himself to calm down and steeling his resolve, Dan took deep slow breaths. You won't stop feeling the pain, you just have to keep your brain and mind from reacting to it! Athena's harsh voice also came back to him. Ironically, the memory of her voice gave him some sense of comfort and control despite its tone. Ignore the pain, force it to the back of your mind and focus on the more important things around you, Kirra's voice climbed up through the recesses of his memory. Though they felt like barrels of lead had been attached to them, Dan forced his eyelids open and blinked a few times trying to get rid of the blurry vision. Using all the focus he could muster, Dan summoned his magic trying to heal his body of whatever was ailing it and rid himself of the fog clouding his mind. A groan of agony immediately escaped him, his face contorting into a grimace, his jaws almost breaking from how hard they were clenching, as the pain increased tenfold at his effort. You have a to choose Dan, focus on the pain and nine times out of ten you will die, focus on the things going on around you and five times out of ten you might just live to focus on the pain later. Karra's cold and detached voice filtered its way through the pain. Gritting his teeth hard, Dan once again started pushing the pain to the back of his mind. "He's waking up," It clicked. At those words, his mind figured out what exactly was wrong, he was regaining consciousness! If he was regaining it then it only meant he'd lost it, how was that possible when he was bound to Ember? Dan called on all his will and self-control to keep the panic he felt slowly building up within him, from overwhelming him. 'Ember,' he mentally called out calmly. Except for a sharp jab of pain shooting through his head and eliciting a wince from him, nothing except for silence answered him. 'Ember... Athena, can you hear me?' Dan's eyes closed tightly even before they'd fully rid themselves of the blurry vision as the pain shooting through his head quadrupled. Focus damn it, Dan mentally berated himself as he once again pushed the pain to the back of his mind. 'Ember... Athena... Kirra... Karra... Claire... Chloe, can any of you guys hear me?' A groan of agony escaped him as only ten times the pain he'd first experienced when he called Ember, answered him. Ignoring the pain became a lot easier as full blown panic interlaced with ice cold fear started to fill him. What had happened to them? Dan spread out his senses trying to feel them through his bond... Nothing. "Ahh," the sound escaped him as knuckles connected hard to the side of his face. "I'm talking to you," an icy feminine voice reached his ears and a hand gripped hard at his hair and jerked his head back. "Now answer me," the voice demanded. Dan hadn't heard what the voice had asked and right at that moment, he didn't give a fuck. "Where the fuck are my guardians?" He posed to the owner of the voice, as he forced his eyes open once again and tried to rid them of the blurry vision. A second blow connected to the other side of his face. Dan barely felt it as his rage started to rise and burn harder than it ever had before. "If you have done anything to my guardians, I swear to you, I will make you suffer in ways you have never even thought possible," he ground out through gritted teeth. Dan was at the moment only remotely aware of the fact that the pain he was in was rapidly spiking the more his rage burned. His vision came into focus just as the third blow connected with his face at the same point where the second blow had hit him. Reacting on base instinct, Dan tried to lunge at his attacker, an effort that brought with it a new realization. Dan looked down at the ropes that now kept him bound to a wooden chair. His hands had been tied down to the chair's arm rests, his legs to the two front legs of the chair and the whole of his torso was crisscrossed with ropes tying him to the back rest of the chair. A second try at moving affirmed what he'd already gotten from his first attempt at getting off from the chair. The ropes had been tied tight, save for some kind of miracle happening, since his magic was for some reason failing him, he wouldn't be getting out of them on his own. He looked up at the one who'd just attacked him. His rage rose even higher as he immediately recognized the two standing before him, they were the two girls that he'd tried to help in the alley. The younger one who'd called for help and hit him with a lead pipe once his back was turned, was standing off at a distance eyeing him warily. The other girl, the one who'd been seizing in the alley, now stood before him with bloody knuckles and a murderous glare. Dan slowly exhaled forcing himself to be calm as he returned the girl's glare with triple the degree of intensity he was receiving it. "I will kill you," he said in a voice that held a deadly calm. "If even one hair on any of my guardians is not as I left it when I last saw them, I will kill you in the slowest, most excruciatingly painful way possible," he added. ***** A smile that bore no mirth crossed her face as she regarded him. "I must admit, I am a bit disappointed and impressed by you at the same time," she spoke up ignoring his threat. "For one as powerful as you, you were one of the easiest catches I've ever made," she informed him. "And yet for one as powerful as you are, you are surprisingly unaffected by that collar around your neck," she pointed out. From the way his face betrayed realization as he unsuccessfully tried to look down at his own neck, it became clear to Twenty two that he'd been unaware of the suppression collar Two had put on him. "What the hell is it?" The boy asked eyeing her suspiciously. Her brow arched, taking from the serious look on his face, it wasn't a trick question. "It's designed to keep anyone wearing it from using magic by turning their magic against them and causing them excruciating pain any time they try to use it," Twenty two explained. "With the amount of power you possess, simply having it on should be causing you unimaginable pain." "Then it's working just fine," the boy replied coldly in a level tone his face a solid cold emotionless mask. "It's also why you and your guardians can't communicate. Your bond to them is by nature magic, and as such the suppression collar just turns it into pain, it's not broken and I haven't touched your guardians," she watched the relief cross his face before suspicion quickly followed in its wake. "For the moment, you're the one in control and didn't have to tell me anything, so why did you just tell me all that? And how do I know you are not lying to me," he posed. Twenty two did not miss the implied threat in the first question. "I'm not big on wasting time, if I hadn't told you all that, you'd have spent the better part of the short time you still have breathing asking me about your guardians. As for whether you should believe me or not, well... in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter whether you do or don't," she replied. Of the array of reactions she'd expected from him at her threat, the loud derisive laughter that left him hadn't been one of them. He only made any effort at trying to stop laughing when her punch connected with the side of his face drawing more blood. Even then the side of his lips tilted upwards in a half amused smile half derisive smirk. "So you plan on killing me?" He posed seeming more amused by the prospect than terrified. "Yes," she answered simply. "How you die however is completely up to you. Do everything as I say exactly as I say it when I say it, and I can promise you a quick death. Fail to comply," she said leaning forward so as to bring herself to eye level with him. "And you are the one who will find out just how slow and excruciatingly painful death can be," she ground out. Her teeth clenched hard with irritation as the guy let out a loud artificial yawn and eyed her unimpressed. An artificial smile also crossed her face a second before a dagger materialized in her firm grip. The smile became genuine at the guy's scream when, with a hard swing, she sunk the knife to the hilt right through his left leg and into the chair below. Standing back up, she turned around to Two. "Watch him," she ordered. "He tries anything, kill him," she said before turning and walking out of the room. ****** "You," the word barely left the succubus's lips before she'd zipped across the alley and pinned her against the wall she'd been leaning on. She didn't react or make any move in defense, apart from the fact that doing this would only serve to escalate the situation, she had already expected as much from the demon. "You've picked the worst of days to show your face here," the demon ground out regarding her with inhuman eyes. "Considering that I am the only lead you have to finding Dan," she offered in a tone that exuded more calm than she actually felt. "I wouldn't exactly say that if I were you," she went on. "Now if you wish to hear anything else from me, take your hands off me," she stated firmly leveling a hard gaze at the demon. Ailin could feel her fear rise a few notches as she watched a chilling smile cross the succubus's face as she regarded her in a predatory manner. "I could do that," the demon spoke up in a deceptively calm voice. "Or I could get the information out of you my way," she added more maliciously drawing her clawed hands back ready to strike. Ailin only saw the demon's hand start to move forward to execute the strike before her eyes closed reflexively and she braced herself for the assault. The demon's grip disappeared from around her neck as if someone had ripped it off, a second before she heard the sound of something or more accurately someone being slammed against a wall. Her eyes opened up to find the succubus getting up from the ground just as the one with the flame hair stepped into view. She recognized the vibrations coming off her. She was the one who'd been in the girls' bathroom with Dan. Ailin had heard of phoenixes, but the last one of them is supposed to have died in the great war that saw the end of the reign of magic. Yet the one standing before her matched all the descriptions of phoenixes she'd ever encountered, at least the ones that she'd gotten from reliable sources. From the look etched onto her face and the fire she could see in her eyes, Ailin knew that the phoenix was in no mood to play. "Speak," somehow, the one word uttered by her, inspired more fear in her than the threats of the succubus. "He was captured, by a fourteen year old girl," she said. "Impossible," the succubus spoke up from behind the phoenix. "Didn't even take that much," Ailin went on, ignoring the succubus's objection. "They used the oldest trick in the book..." "They?" the phoenix cut in inquiringly. "There were two of them the fourteen year old and another the same age as Dan by my estimation. The latter was an assassin," the vampire informed them. Out of the corner of her eye, she didn't miss the change in demeanor and look of pure loathing that crossed the hunter's expression. "What do you mean an assassin?" The phoenix inquired. "They're just like hunters, trained from a very young age how to become the most efficient of killers. They came into being about five hundred years after the hunters. They are taught how to use their magic to conjure up any kind of weapon imaginable and others they come up with on their own," the hunter, Claire as she'd introduced herself, informed them. "Unlike hunters however, they are like guns for hire, pay them enough, and they'll kill whoever it is you want dead, no questions asked. They are the one section of the magical community that is responsible for the most killings of hunters," she said. "If someone's sent an assassin after Dan, then we need to find him, and real fast," Claire said emphatically. "Well, at least we already know there is no chance of the assassin killing Dan," the necromancer, Chloe, said to the vampire's confusion. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 09 Though she couldn't understand why the necromancer had made that statement, even Ailin felt the change in the air within the alley at her words. The air temperature seemed to drop a few degrees as the phoenix, succubus and the two weretigers all turned an icy glares to Chloe. "And what exactly, do you mean by that?" The demon spoke up in a dangerous tone. From the way her expression changed as fear etched itself onto it, the necromancer knew that she'd said the wrong thing. "Uuh... Well... the predi..." "I would stop talking right now if I were you," the hunter cut in curtly, her eyes fixed warily on the four magical beings. "No, I wanna know what she means by that statement!" The demon spoke up her fury now seeming to have spiked beyond the point of rationality. The vampire's eyes only just barely registered it as the demon zipped forward in a blur towards the necromancer. However just before she could get her hands on her, the necromancer burst into a pitch black cloud that rose through the air and rematerialized at the top of the roof of the building opposite to the one Ailin was now standing with her back to. "Athena!" The phoenix called out harshly just as the demon had opened her wings and was about to take off from the ground in pursuit of the necromancer. "She's right, we already know that one of us will be the one to kill him, so stop wasting time," she ordered. "The only reason you can say that with such indifference is cause you know you'll be dead by tomorrow," the succubus returned equally as harshly. Apart from her own, Ailin didn't miss the shock on that registered on the faces of both the hunter and the necromancer. "What is she talking about Ember?" The hunter demanded turning to the phoenix. The necromancer once again descended as a black cloud back down to the alley as she too waiting on the phoenix's answer, her fear of the demon forgotten. "Right now, the only thing that you should be concerned with right now is finding Dan," the phoenix answered in a tone that made it clear in no uncertain terms that what the succubus had just said was not going to be discussed. "What did the assassin and the girl do?" The phoenix asked turning back to her. "The older girl took some pills that made her start seizing, the younger one then began screaming for help just as Dan was walking past this alley," she related. "Dan ran over to play knight in shining armor, and while he was occupied with the seizing girl, the other younger girl slapped a suppression collar around his neck and knocked him out cold with a lead pipe she'd conjured," Ailin finished. "That's why we can't feel him through our bond," Chloe spoke up. "The suppression collar has turned his bonds to all of us into pain," the phoenix said. In spite of the calm and levelness of her tone, Ailin could see the rage burning even harder within her eyes. "I must say, he may be extremely powerful, but Dan's not exactly the sharpest tool in the box if he fell for tha..." Ailin stopped short her hands quickly rising to her throat as she fell to her knees on the ground, choking on her own blood. Her eyes were wide as she looked on at the succubus who now stood before her holding the tongue she'd just ripped from Ailin's throat in her clawed grip. "You were saying?" The succubus, Athena as the phoenix had called her, posed in an icy tone as she crushed the tongue in her hand. She could feel blood gushing from the severed blood vessels into both her gullet and windpipe into her lungs. She coughed it up in choked spurts as she tried to keep herself from drowning in her own blood. Her eyes turned frantically from one to the other beings in the alley, in an unspoken plea for help. The necromancer had gone white as a sheet, the hunter seemed frozen by shock her wide eyes fixed on the minced tongue that the demon had just dropped to the ground. The remaining four stood eyeing her with not even the slightest remorse or mercy in their eyes or expressions. Ailin fell to her side before rolling onto her back looking up at the demon and the phoenix who were the ones now closest to her. Contrary to the popular fictitious belief, it wasn't only a wooden stake to the heart that could kill a vampire. Inflict enough damage or just the right kind, and you could kill a vampire just like any other being, they were only harder to kill due to their superhuman abilities and fast healing. If the blood gushing from the wound left by her missing tongue filled up her lungs as it was quickly doing, she would drown and die in her own blood. Her vampire healing wouldn't be fast enough to stop the blood loss before she bled out, and even if it did she would still drown in her blood. The phoenix slowly dropped down to one knee beside her eyeing her coldly. "The only reason I'm going to heal you is because I need to know what happened to Dan. If I didn't, I'd let you choke to death in your own blood," she said in a tone that left Ailin with no doubt that she would have done exactly as she said. "Is that clear?" Ailin nodded emphatically unable to verbalize anything without her tongue. "If you say anything like that about Dan again, then believe it when I say that she will be the least of your worries," the phoenix warned nodding towards Athena. She reached forward and immediately the phoenix's hand touched her chest, Ailin took in a deep breath of sweet air as she felt all of the blood that had been quickly filling up her lungs disappear. The phoenix's hand rose to her throat and the wound left by her missing tongue sealed and new flesh started to reform where her tongue had been ripped off. ***** "They teleported," Ailin said pushing herself up from the ground into a sitting position as she regarded Ember once her tongue was fully reformed. "After Dan was knocked out, the younger gave the older one another pill that made her stop seizing and brought her consciousness back, once she was up she grabbed a hold of both of them and vanished into a dark purple cloud," she explained. "And how is it exactly that you conveniently came to be exactly at the right place at the right time, just as Dan was being taken?" Kirra posed eyeing her suspiciously. "I wasn't in the right place at the right time," Ailin answered. "I'm one of four people who were following Dan around today," she went on to say. "Apart from you and the two girls who else was following him?" Ember asked. "A werewolf," she answered. "But he was called off after Dan fought with the other werewolf," "You could have stopped it, you could have saved Dan, so why didn't you? Why'd you just let him be taken?" Chloe posed. "I was going to, I'd planned on stopping them before they left the alley, I just hadn't expected the assassin to be able to teleport," She answered. "How do we find him now? The assassin could have jumped to any point in any direction," Chloe stated. "There is a way," Ember said raising once again to her feet and turning to the others in the alley, dismissing altogether the fact that the vampire existed now that she had what she needed from her. "The furthest any one can jump in one teleportation is roughly ten miles," she informed them. "I know a were that can pick out a scent over one hundred miles away," she said turning to regard both Kirra and Karra. "If you are saying what I think you're saying, then forget about it!" Kirra said in a hard voice with an equally hard gaze directed at the phoenix. "If you've got a better idea, by all means do enlighten us," Ember answered in a level tone. "The fact that she can only move ten miles per jump, doesn't mean that they didn't jump over a hundred times to get wherever it is that they are at right now," Karra spoke up in a tone just as hard and twice as cold as her twin sister's. "They could have jumped in any number of random places and random directions just to mislead any tails they might have, it could take ages to figure out the right direction to go in," she added. "All the more reason why we shouldn't be wasting any more time talking about it," Athena snapped harshly. "There has got to be another way," Kirra spoke up regarding the other two guardians imploringly. "I'm all ears then," Ember answered in the same level tone she'd answered the twin weres with the first time around. "You could track his magic," Karra offered. "You already know that the suppression collar has turned all of his magic into pain, I can't track pain," Ember shot down her idea. "Then track the assassin's magic," Kirra offered instead. "Too many magical signatures have been through this alley, even before we ourselves walked in, it will take too long to figure out which is the right one, and if we don't, we might end up going on a wild goose chase," the phoenix answered. "What exactly is it that you want them to do?" Claire posed regarding them with slight confusion. The guardians however paid no mind to her question as they continued to eye each other. There was silence in the alley as the two twins seemed to be trying to get around what Ember was proposing. "You know perfectly well that I still don't have control yet," Kirra said both anger and defeat in her voice as she seemed to finally give in and consider what the phoenix was offering. "You don't have to," Ember replied enigmatically. Both Kirra and Karra narrowed their eyes at the phoenix. "In the state you're in? With what's about to happen to you? What if it starts while I'm still like that and you lose control of me?" What happens then? It's too big a risk," Kirra stated. "I will do my best not to, I can promise you that," Ember offered. "And if she does lose control of you, then I'll deal with what comes after," Athena spoke up in a cold tone. "We both know that you and I are equally matched when I'm like that," Karra said in an equally cold but twice as hard tone. "We're wasting time!" Ember snapped her patience wearing thin. "If you have a better idea then speak now," she curtly shot at the two weres. Silence met her words as neither of the two weres seemed to have a good alternative to what the phoenix was offering. Kirra walked up to Ember. "You better be sure of this," she said quietly before going silent. ********* Claire had been confused by the whole conversation, past the point where Ember said she knew a were that could pick out a scent that was over a hundred miles. Which to begin with, was impossible. She knew of a good number of weres with extraordinary sense of smell, and even for weres, the furthest they could pick a scent out from was about five miles off. A hundred miles was just preposterous. She had tried to seek clarification from Dan's guardians, but she might as well have remained silent for all the good that did. Her confusion now further deepened as she watched Kirra stand silently before Ember. Both of them staring intensely into the other's eyes as if trying to see into the other's soul. "I have control," Claire's brows rose high in surprise. The words had been spoken by Ember but both Kirra and Karra said the words together with her, same way a speaker repeats what one is saying just as they are saying it. It now dawned on the hunter what had been going on, the two guardians hadn't just been staring into each other's eyes, Ember had been infiltrating Kirra's mind and was now the one commandeering it. Why Karra also seemed to be affected by this though was lost on Claire. The eyes of both weres were no longer the light caramel brown they usually were when they were in human form. Instead they now mirrored Ember's flame coloured eyes. Claire watched as both Kirra and Karra moved and started to take off their clothes. "What's going on? What are you two doing?" Chloe who was still standing beside her, asked regarding both Kirra and Karra with confusion. Her question however, just like Claire's, went unanswered. Once they were both naked Kirra stood astride with her arms stretched out to the side as Karra walked up to her and stood behind her. "I don't think this is the time for..." The words got stuck in the hunter's throat her eyes widening with shock as she watched Karra take another step forward... into Kirra. ***** His jaws felt sore from being clenched for so long, the seat had become sticky from his semi-clotted blood. He'd been trying for the past half an hour to push his foot up to his toes in an attempt to dislodge the knife from the chair but the ropes that kept his leg bound to the chair were tied in tight. "She's good, real good," the younger of the two girls finally spoke up moving closer to him and breaking the silence that had filled the room since he'd stopped screaming in agony after the other girl had walked out of the room. The older of the two girls was now silently drawing runes and patterns around the room and muttering spells that Dan didn't recognize. "The blade's gone through your leg without touching any major blood vessels. Do you even have a clue the kind of precision it would require to pull off that strike with the ease she did?" The girl now seemed to be talking more to herself that Dan. "Enlighten me, why don't you? Dan replied sarcastically though weakly. The girl looked back up at Dan once again and some of the wariness she'd had initially seemed to come back to her as she took a step back from him. "If you keep doing that, you'll will die," the girl said to Dan's confusion. "Doing what? Sit here and be tied up, thanks for the heads up," since sarcasm seemed to be the only weapon left to him, Dan was using it in no small measure. "Moving your leg," the girl said ignoring his sarcasm. "The blade might have gone clean through your leg but it's awfully close to your femoral artery, move your leg the wrong way and you will bleed out," she informed him causing him to cease his motions. A sigh escaped Dan. "You know, by the look in her eyes I can tell that she has something personal against me. Whatever it is, I'll be damned if I knew," Dan said nodding towards the older of the two girls who was now repeating the runes she'd drawn on the other three walls on the wall to Dan's right. "But you, I simply do not get, why attack me? What could you possibly have against me?" Dan questioned regarding the girl critically. "Nothing," the girl answered simply. "Except maybe the fact that you might try to kill me if by whatever chance, you happen to get free," the girl said shrugging. "Which I should mention, the chances are very slim, so don't get your hopes up too high," she informed him. In spite of the situation, Dan felt his brow arch in curiosity at the girl. "You talk of me killing you so easily, as if you've already made peace with the thought of dying," He said. "Death is not a possibility, it's an inevitability," the girl said in a manner that gave Dan the impression that it was something that had been repeated to her severally. "Fearing death is just as stupid as fearing the sunrise, whether you do or don't, it will come," the girl said with indifference in her tone. Dan was silent for a while as he considered the girl's words. Though a harsh thing to admit to yourself much less say out loud, it was true, nothing on the earth, magical or not, lives forever. "Well," Dan finally spoke up. "My name's Dan, if you're going to kill me you should at least know that," he said. "The way you say that," the girl said tilting her head as she regarded him in a clinical way. "It's as if you're sure that we aren't going to kill you," she said sounding mildly amused by this. "If you're hoping for mercy or a change of hearts on our part, I can tell you right now that it won't happen," the girl said in a hard matter of fact tone. "Damn, how'd a girl as young as you get so fucked up? Your mom did not cuddle you enough?" Dan posed. "Soon as I was old enough, my first orders were to kill my mother," the girl answered indifferently. "She put up quite the fight... I slit her throat in the end," the girl related staring blankly into the air as her mind most probably replayed the memory. "So I guess you could say I am a bit fucked up," the girl finally said turning back to him. "What kind of monster would order a child to kill their own mother?" Dan asked appalled, his cheeks blanching at the idea. "It's what all trackers do when they come of age," from how easily the girl answered him, Dan doubted she understood exactly what a mother was or if not that, the she must have been raised in a way that she never grew attached to her birth mother. Whatever a tracker was Dan wasn't sure he wanted to know, at least not yet. "So why are you so sure that you won't die before all of this is over?" the girl asked matter of factly. Genuine curiosity could be heard in her voice, the morbidity of her question not seeming to register to her. "Well, let's just say that there is a kind of morbid comfort you get when you know the exact people who will kill you in the end," Dan answered calmly. "Neither of the two of you feature anywhere on that list," Dan added his lips tilting in a half smile at the girl. "Well, you might wanna scribble her name as a footnote on that list," the girl said casting a glance to the older girl. "She seems pretty determined." The older girl was now pouring a white substance that appeared to be a mixture of salt and ash, at least that's what Dan thought it was, in a circle of roughly two meters in radius. "I'm Two by the way," the younger girl said almost as an afterthought. Dan's brow arched at the girl. "Really, well now that you've mentioned it, you do look kind of twoish. Silly me, I would have pegged you for a fourteen year old," he said sarcasm thickly lacing his voice. The younger girl rolled her eyes. "I am fourteen," she answered. "Two is my tag, not my age," she added to Dan's further confusion. "Tag?" Dan repeated confused. "What I'm Identified by," the girl said speaking as if she was trying to explain a complex scientific concept to a lump of rock. "What Kind of name is two?" Dan posed. "If your mother gave you that name I can see why you killed her," he added. "It's not a name, it's a tag. And my mother didn't give to me, I earned it," the girl replied in a hard voice. "You're not a product to be bought, you can't have a tag," Dan said mirroring the tone the girl had used with him when explaining what a tag is. "She bought me for seventeen gold bricks," the girl answered nodding towards the older girl. Dan's mouth wordlessly opened and closed a number of times as she regarded the girl, before he finally started shaking his head. "You know what," he finally spoke up. "Forget I even said anything," he said just as the older girl, who Dan hadn't noticed had left the room, walked back into the room with another chick that Dan hadn't yet seen up to this point. "And let me guess you are One?" Dan said turning to the older of the two chicks who'd been in the alley. "Not that is matters, but I'm Twenty two," the girl answered curtly. "Wait, don't tell me," Dan said feigning being deep in thought as he turned to the last of the now three girls. "You're Two hundred and Twenty two. You're all one big happy family," Dan said with feigned joy. His words however didn't seem to even register on the girl as she kept on following Twenty two, as she'd introduced herself, to where she came to a stop just outside the ring of salt and ash. Dan got the impression that the girl would have kept on walking had Twenty two not turned and whispered softly for her to stop. "She," Dan did not miss the rage that had sparked in Twenty two's eyes at his words. "Is the reason why you're here," she said seeming to fight the urge to walk into the circle. "You will undo what you did to her," she ordered causing confusion to etch itself onto Dan's expression. "What I did to her?" Dan repeated his confusion apparent. "I don't even know her," He said. Arwain Chronicles Ch. 09 From the way Two and Twenty two shared a glance Dan got the impression that he'd just confirmed something they had previously known. "Roughly about three week ago, she and I were on a mission. We were tracking someone, she went into the magic force realm to try and locate our target. But before she could, you scrambled her mind," Twenty two said. "Three weeks ago," Dan repeated his confusion not fading. "I only came to know of the existence of magic three weeks ago. I couldn't have been the one who did this to her, the only thing I did three weeks ago, was become a..." Dan froze mid-sentence as he remembered what his guardians had reported to him the next morning after he became a wizard and what they explained to him about the magic force plane. His magical signature had been nuclear, the girl must have been caught up in the wave of his power and her mind totally destroyed by it. His jaws clenched as she looked at the blank eyes of the girl now standing beside Twenty two, as guilt started to slowly fill him. He now understood why they'd attacked him, he'd hurt one of their own so they'd come for him. He would have done the exact same thing had he been in their position. "You needn't have to do all this," Dan finally spoke up looking back to Twenty two. "Had you just told me, I would have done everything within my power to undo what I did," he said casting another guilty glance towards the girl who now stood gazing blankly into the air. His response seemed to throw Twenty two off a bit before her expression solidified once again. "No doubt about it, you will do your best," she said in a hard tone. "Cause if you don't, I promise to do my best, to make you suffer till you beg for death which will not come unless I permit it," she returned. Dan remained silent choosing not to engage her. "Not to point out the obvious," he instead began. "But how I supposed to help her when I am strapped to this chair with this thing around my neck?" He asked. Twenty two murmured a spell with her hand directed at him, the ropes vanished in a puff of purple clouds about a second after. "That still leaves the tincy wincy issue of the collar," Dan said tilting his head to the side to emphasize his point. "Here," Twenty two said holding out her hand to him, in it was a small key. "Uuh, not to sound rude or anything," Dan said unable to help the sarcasm in his voice. "But I'm kind of pinned down at the moment," he said regarding her neutrally with a flat expression. Twenty two's eyes dropped to the knife in Dan's legs, her mouth opened to cast the spell that would rid him of it... "Wait, wait, wait," Dan emphatically called out holding out his hands to her to indicate for her to stop. "How sure am I that I won't bleed out if you pull the knife out," he said looking at her warily. "You aren't," Twenty two said simply before turning her attention back to the knife. A short muttered spell later the knife vanished in a puff of purple clouds. Dan forced himself to look away from the ghastly wound that was left after the knife's disappearance. Part of him wanted to lash out and attack them for all the pain that was coursing through him at that moment, but with the collar still around his neck there wasn't much he could do. Besides, he rationalized to himself, he was the one that made the first affront. With his fists clenched hard and his jaws even harder, Dan forced himself to ignore the pain as he rose from the chair and started to limp over to where two was standing outside the circle. Once he was within reach of her, Dan held out his hand to receive the key from her. "Don't..!" The warning came too late. Whatever spell Twenty two had cast with the ash and salt, the moment Dan's fingers touched is boundary, he was immediately thrown back hard all the way to the other side of the circle where his back crashed hard against what felt like a titanium wall. Dan fell to the floor a sound of agony escaping him as he held the hand that had been outstretched with his other hand. It felt like the part that had crossed the boundary had been dipped in acid. Dan looked to the white circle before he turned and once again let his eyes land on Twenty two. His rage burned hard within him, his jaws clenched hard as he tried to rein it in. "What the hell was that?" Dan questioned his rage not hidden. I tried to warn you," Twenty two said her tone not all too concerned. "Did you honestly think that I would take that collar off your neck without a way of protecting myself?" she posed regarding him indifferently. "I just told you that I would help you," Dan said through gritted teeth. "In my world, a person's word doesn't mean much. People will say anything when they know they are going to die," Twenty two answered in a cold tone. "The spell I've cast on the room ensures that neither you nor your magic can cross that boundary. So I would think twice about any spell you might wanna throw at me, cause they'll do the exact same thing you just did," she warned. Dan's eyes turned from her as he studied the air around him. "You do realize that I am a thousand if not ten thousand times stronger than you are, right?" He said turning a deadly gaze to her. "Breaking through any of your spells would be child's play to me," he said in a matter of fact tone without the slightest bit of bragging in his tone. "I am perfectly aware of that and normally I would have let you find this out yourself, but like I said I don't have time to waste," she said. "The spell that is keeping within that circle is anchored by your own blood," she said causing him to study the boundary once again. "The magic that fuels it is drawn from you, so by all means hit as hard as you can and see what happens," she taunted throwing the key into the circle. Dan limped over to it and picked it up. After feeling around the collar for where the lock to it was, Dan inserted the key and turned it. Dan couldn't help the sigh that left him as he felt his magic flow through him once again instead of the incessant pain that had taken its place. The wound on his leg sealed up moments after adding to his relief. "Why can't I feel my guardians through our bond," Dan asked not turning to Twenty two as he let his body fully heal. "Like I said, your magic can't go beyond the boundary," she answered briefly. "Now, undo what you did," Twenty two said bringing his attention back to her once again. The other chick, the one that had and still held a blank expression on her face was now standing inside the circle. Though Dan felt sorry for the girl and guilty for what he'd done, the rage he felt towards Twenty two at that moment overshadowed both of the former emotions. "You've kidnapped me, bound me to a chair like a hostage, run a knife through my leg, and even after I offered to help you still find a way to cause me more pain. What makes you think I would still wanna help you?" He asked breathing hard after the tirade. "Look at the fingers of your right hand," Twenty two replied in a level tone. Dan turned to regard his hand. Though his whole body had healed from all the wounds that had been inflicted on it, the tips of his ring, mid and index finger were still a very angry red and now that his attention had been drawn to them, still hurt like hell. "The only reason both your back and the back of your head are not in the same state is thanks to your shirt and your thick head of hair, though you might need a new haircut," Twenty two went on as Dan turned to regard where the fallen pieces of his hair were now turning black on top of the salt ring. He hadn't hit an actual wall, he wasn't even anywhere near any of the walls of the room, he must have hit the opposite boundary of the ring. "That damage was inflicted by your own magic, magic just as strong as the one still coursing through you. It won't heal as fast as the other wounds you've just healed from," she informed him. Schooling his features so as not to betray just how painful his fingers were, he turned back to her. "If you think one burn will change my mind," he began with a scoff escaping his voice. "Then you're in for quite the disappointment," he said. "I didn't expect it to," Twenty two answered in a calm voice before she raised both her hands to the ash and salt ring. "But for your sake, I really hope you can stand on one toe," she then went on to say before she started casting another spell. Dan's eyes widened as the ring started to gradually grow smaller in size. "Wait, wait, wait, STOP!" Dan called out to her. "I'll do it," he conceded seeing as he had no other choice. "You have fifteen minutes, every five minutes longer is a foot I take off from the ring," she informed him. "Now get to work," Twenty two ordered before once again walking out of the room. Dan warily eyed the ring which had already shrunk by a foot, before turning to the blank-gazed girl who by all indications seemed unaware of all that was going on around her. Taking from the fact that the ring had shrunk to beneath the girl's feet and how she remained unaffected by this, Dan concluded that the spell Twenty two had cast was meant specifically for him. Which seeing as it had been forged and was now anchored by his blood, made sense now that he thought about it. "What's your name?" Dan posed trying to gauge how responsive she was. "She doesn't have one," the younger girl that had aided in his capture, Two, interjected. "What's your tag?" Dan corrected himself his eyes never leaving the chick. Only silence met his question. "Great," Dan muttered some of the optimism he was trying to muster fading. After a deep controlled intake of air, Dan slowly let it out as he closed his eyes. "I thought you needed to look into the eyes of the one whose mind you were trying to enter," Two spoke up. "I don't," Dan answered. "What I do need however, is silence," Dan said curtly though he didn't really need it. Though he hadn't done it again, or even tried it since he did it with Claire, it didn't take long for Dan to enter the cerebral plane now that he knew what it was and how to find it. With one glance at Two, who in this plane was eyeing him curiously as she probably was also doing in reality, Dan walked straight into the other girl. Unlike the white room that Dan had found himself in when he'd entered Claire's mind, Dan now found himself standing in what looked like a vast empty desert. Except, instead of the white slightly orangish colour that dessert sands usually had, the sand he was standing on was black... scorched black. It was as if a fire had burned through everything including the soil itself. Dan's hopes sunk even further as his guilt increased, was this what he'd done to the girl? Dan started turning in all directions trying to see whether he would see anything that could help him. It was on his seventh turn that he saw it, a slim projection up from the ground quite a distance away, had he been turning any faster he would have missed it. Dan began sprinting towards it, he wasn't sure whether time moved the same on this plane as it did in reality, but he had already spent too much time in that one spot, he didn't want the ring getting any smaller. To his delight, on this plane he moved almost as fast as Athena did in reality. Though there wasn't any real air to brush against his face, Dan could feel it as the distance vanished beneath his feet. He arrived at the projection only a few moments later. Once he was close enough to it, his brows furrowed in confusion. It wasn't a post as he'd initially assumed, it was the top end of a periscope. Dan got down on his knees and started scooping up sand trying to find its source, but that soon proved to be an effort in futility. The sand was too loose and unconsolidated for the hole to go any length, it kept flowing back into the hole. Getting back onto his feet, Dan dearly hoped that his other spells apart from cerebral magic could still work in her mind, cause if it couldn't then the time he'd been given wouldn't be enough to get through all the sand. Summoning all the magic he was sure he could use without causing further harm to the girl, Dan spoke the words of the spell he'd learnt for deflecting object thrown at him. Dan had to keep his joy in check so as not to lose concentration as the sand started moving out of the way. Ten meters into the sand without finding the source of the periscope, his joy and optimism was quickly fading. He was about to give up when a metal surface appeared from beneath the parting sands. Part out of joy, part out of desperation at the time which was quickly running out, Dan set aside caution and summoned a lot more magic than he was currently using. With one short spell, the sand parted around him as if a bomb had gone off right where he was standing, that now looked like a crater. Dan looked down at his feet. The parted sand also revealed something else. He was now standing on top of a very large metal cube, about the size of a house. Jumping down from it, Dan studied the structure. The only thing he could relate it to was a nuclear bunker. Dan fought to quell his excitement not wishing to be disappointed. Was she in there? Had part of her mind somehow cocooned itself in the bunker to protect itself from the havoc his power had wreaked on the rest of her? All he'd have to do was let it out and the girl would be back to normal. Dan started to gather the magic he would need to breach the bunker, by its looks it wasn't going to be a small amount. Once he was sure he had all the magic he would need he directed his hands towards the bunker. "Don't you even think about it!" Dan's eyes widened as what looked like elevator doors parted from what had previously been a seamless sheet of metal. The girl, or at least a projection of her mind appeared at the doorway. "Get in here, quick!" She ordered waving him in with her hand. The urgency in the girl's mental voice caused Dan to quickly move into the bunker. To call the inside of the bunker Spartan would have been a compliment. Apart from a single wooden chair, a single monochrome computer on a table, and the other end of the periscope the only other things in the room was the vast array of weapons that adorned the wall, Dan knew some of them while others he didn't. He wasn't even sure whether some of the ones he was looking at actually existed. There was absolutely nothing for comfort within the room. "How do you even sleep in here," Dan found himself asking. "I don't," the girl answered. "Sleep is one of the things you took from me when you did this to my mind," the girl said pointing to the periscope. "All that you see in here is a representation of what is left of my consciousness. The periscope itself is my awareness of what is happening to the rest of my mind, I get a front row seat to watch it as it turns to shit. This junk heap over here," the girl said pointing to the monochrome computer looking like she wanted to kick it. "Is all the awareness I have of my surroundings and all the control I have of my body," she said. "Say one word, and I can get what you mean, make it a sentence and everything on the screen turns to gibberish, I can't start walking or stop for that matter unless someone asks me to!" Dan clearly heard the frustration beneath the ire in the girl's voice. The guilt he'd been feeling came back to him in a flood. "I'm really sorry, I never meant to do any of this," he said truthfully. "That for now, is immaterial," the girl said turning to him. "What really matters is whether you can do what Twenty two brought you here to do?" "I thought you had little awareness of what's going on outside," Dan said more out of surprise than suspicion. "I can create a picture from the snippets I get," she answered. "Now can you?" She questioned once again. "Yes," Dan answered. "I did it once before," he said. The girl's brow arched. "Another mind you destroyed?" She asked not bothering to hide her disapproval. "No," Dan immediately answered. "Her father did that, I just fixed it," he said. From the way she eyed him, Dan could tell that she didn't believe him. "So how do we do this?" She posed at last. "I give you some of my own energy, your mind should be able to get itself back into shape after a while," he answered. "OK then, what do I need to do?" The girl asked. "Give me your hands," since the girl wasn't bound by any spells that might harm him as Claire had been, Dan had decided it would be much easier to transfer his magical energy to her when he was in contact with the girl. Without wasting time the girl held out both her hands to him. Dan took them into his hand started the spell... "Why did you stop?" It didn't take Dan long to realize it. "Something's wrong," he said letting her hands go. Unlike the first time he'd done the spell with Claire, the girls mind was not taking in the power it needed to fix itself from him. He was consciously pushing the power into her. "What?" The girl questioned curtly. "You should be siphoning the power to fix yourself from me," he said part of him going over all that he'd done so far trying to see if he'd done anything wrong. "Then nothing's wrong, I could feel your power," the girl said taking his hands into hers. "Now continue," she ordered. Dan remained silent as his mind went over the situation again. Once again he had the annoying feeling that he was missing something that was staring right at him. "What are you waiting for?" The girl questioned through gritted teeth. Dan pulled his hands from hers as he turned to scour and scrutinize the room more closely hoping to find a clue as to what it was he was missing. Dan's own teeth gritted in frustration as he looked around the room for the third time, it was here somewhere, of that he was sure, what 'it' was, was what he couldn't figure out. There was nothing else in the room except from the things he'd seen when he'd first walked into the room; the weapons, the chair, the table, the monochrome computer and the other end of the peri... Dan's eyes widened a sound of exasperation escaping him as it finally clicked into place. If he'd had the time, Dan would have paused to slap himself at the back of his head. "Open the door,' he immediately said walking over to the wall that he'd entered through. "For what?" The girl posed her confusion at his request topped off by her frustration at the situation and her impatience all merging to come out as anger in her voice. "Don't you see?" Dan asked turning to her. "You're not the one that needs healing, that is," Dan said pointing towards the periscope. "My periscope?" The girl questioned now predominantly confused. Dan couldn't help rolling his eyes. "No you idiot, it's the wasteland out there," Dan corrected her. It was all starting to fall into perspective, his error had been to assume that only the projection of the girl was her mind. A mistake he'd made based on how he'd interacted with Claire when he was in her mind. Claire had lost control of her will, that's why everything else had been intact except for her. This girl on the other hand, had found a way to preserve her 'self' while the rest of her mind was totally destroyed. The girl cast a wide eyed look to the periscope as she too started to follow his line of logic. "What are you waiting for?" She questioned turning to him. "Go!" She said as the door appeared from the seamless wall. Dan stepped out back onto the blackened sands. He'd come a really long way from when he'd healed Claire, but looking at the endless sea of sand before him, Dan knew that the spell would take a lot from him. He knelt down let his hands sink through the black grains. Mustering all the mental will he could Dan tried to recall all what Ember had taught him about holding his own even against taxing spells. Wasting no time he began the spell... Arwain Chronicles Ch. 09 A groan of exertion left Dan as he fell to his knees only barely managing to hold on to his consciousness. He was now back in the real world, and not a moment too soon seeing as how the salt and ash ring was now a few centimeters off from touching his knees. "Did you do it?" Two asked, her curiosity unhidden. Twenty two was a few feet from the girl studying her. Dan turned to regard the girl who was still standing where she'd been when he'd entered her mind through the cerebral plane. Dan could feel his heart sink as he studied the girl's still blank gaze. A sigh of defeat left him, his head hanging from both exhaustion and disappointment, he'd tried everything he possibly could. "Yes he did," Dan's head turned back to the girl so quickly that he was momentarily dizzy. A sigh of relief escaped him as he found her regarding him with life now back in her gaze. She was now smiling down at him. It wasn't a friendly smile. It was more of a she'd-gotten-what-she-wanted-out-of-him smile, Dan didn't care. He turned back to Twenty two who was still looking unbelievingly at the other girl. It was as if she hadn't expected for it to work and for Dan to be able to heal the girl. "There you have her back, now let me go!" He spoke up forcing strength into his fatigued voice. Twenty two turned and eyed him silently for a while before finally speaking up. "No," she said. "Even if I let you go now, I have no assurance that you won't come after me in future," she went on to say. "I give you my word," Dan said coldly. He wasn't going to beg or bend to her will anymore. "Like I said, a dying man will say anything," she countered raising her hands towards the salt and ash ring and beginning the spell to shrink it further. Dan closed his eyes focusing all of his energy onto the ring. A smile slowly crossed his face as he opened his eyes once again to regard Twenty two without breaking his concentration. He relished the struggle he could see in her eyes and the realization that was quickly filling them that she wasn't going to make the ring any smaller than it already was. "Having trouble?" Dan posed mockingly. "How the hell are you doing that?" Twenty two posed unable to hide her shock. "Like you said, the magic that powers the spell is drawn from me. Equal to me in strength, so while I may not be able to overpower it and break free, its magic is similarly incapable of overpowering me and growing any smaller," he said. Dan hated the smile that crossed Twenty two's expression, he'd wanted to see anger and frustration on it. "Very clever," she conceded. "But you see, one way or the other I still win," she said. "It's just that, you're not the only one who knows about pocket realms," she went on. "In fact right now, we are in one such realm," she informed him. "And like you to yours, I also happen to be the key to this one," she further said. "In a way, killing you now, would have been mercy, but seeing as how you've just proven that impossible, you can rot here until you're nothing more than a bag of bones," she said turning away from him. "Come on," she called out to the rest. The girl Dan had just healed squatted right next to the ring regarding him with a smile. "It's Twenty one," she said to Dan's confusion. "You asked for my tag," she explained when she noted his confusion. "Take care, I've got a feeling that we'll meet again real soon," she said before she too rose to her feet and turned away from him. Twenty one barely made three steps away from him before a loud bang resounded throughout the whole house shaking it visibly from its foundation. All three of the girls turned to him wide eyed. A smile slowly spread across Dan's face as another bang shook the house even harder. Dan didn't need his bond to tell that they were close, he could feel the rage of each one of them burning almost as hard as his own. "I never really got the chance to properly introduce you guys to my guardians, did I?... ****** Chloe blinked several times, her mind refusing to believe what her eyes had just seen. Karra had not just walked into and merged with Kirra, her mind kept saying even as she looked on at the one who stood where Kirra had been before Karra merged with her. There was nothing physically different about her from how either of the twins looked individually. For about a second or so after they'd merged, nothing happened. Until... A growl deeper than anything Chloe had ever heard even from the strongest of alphas tore through the alley reverberating so deeply that Chloe felt it in her chest. The merged twins took a few disoriented steps backwards her hands on her head, it was as if she was trying to fight off some unseen force off. The look of both concentration and iron clad determination on Ember's face, told Chloe that it was her control that the twins were trying to rid themselves of. "Stop," Ember's steely voice was heard. Another growl was heard as the twins morphed into their animal form. Cold terror flowed through Chloe as a tiger that was easily four times bigger than either of the twins individually stood before Ember growling at her threateningly. Even Claire had gone ashen beside her seemingly paralyzed right where she stood, Athena was eyeing the were uneasily as if she was preparing herself for the possibility that the situation might slip out of Ember's control. Ember however, stood her ground leveling a hard gaze at it. Chloe could tell that there was still a mental battle going on between the two of them. Her mind refused to even try and imagine what would happen if Ember lost that battle. Relief of a kind Chloe would never be able to put words to, washed over her as finally the tiger took a few steps back from Ember, the phoenix had won. The tiger turned back towards where Dan's blood was. Chloe clearly saw the flame colour that was usually in Ember's eyes in the were's eyes, however around it was a ring of crimson red so deep that it almost appeared black. The ring kept shifting in size sometimes growing smaller till it was almost completely gone and then at others pushing out the flame colour. Though Ember was currently in control, the mental battle for control was still on. The tiger sniffed at the blood for about two seconds before it raised its head and took a deep breath of air. It turned its head towards both ends of the alley. At the sight of the vampire who'd still been on the ground, there seemed to be a further struggle between it and Ember even as the vampire rose and vanished from sight at superhuman speed. It was only when she was out of sight that the tiger seemed to relent. Chloe had also been readying herself to move out of the way just in case the weretiger came in hers and Claire's direction when suddenly the tiger jumped high in the air onto one of the walls of the alley its claws digging into the concrete. With another jump it vanished from sight as it took to the roofs. Ember vanished in a burst of flames probably pursuing the tiger. Athena wasn't far behind as she with one flap of her wings soared through the air out of the alley and out of sight. "Come on Claire," Chloe called out drawing the hunter out of her shock. Putting her hand on the hunter's shoulder and gripping it firmly, both of them burst into pitch black clouds that quickly rose towards the roof as Chloe once again shifted to shadow motion. In spite of its size, the tiger was moving at a pace that made the twins look like they'd been moving at snail pace when they'd been each on their own. It took Chloe a whole minute moving at top speed to catch up by which time the tiger had already stopped at another point and was sniffing the ground again. Without wasting another second it jumped up back on to the roofs and took off in another sprint. It wasn't until they'd done this same routine about five times or so that it clicked in Chloe's mind that the tiger was going through all the places the assassin teleported Dan in an effort to lose their trail. It wasn't until they reached the twenty-eighth point about twenty minutes later that the tiger turned back to Ember who'd been at its tail the whole time. ******** "He's here," she called out morphing back to human in a burst of flames without breaking the steel grip she had on the weretiger's mind. "I can't sense or feel anything," Athena stated as she came to land beside her. Chloe and Claire landed in a black cloud about a minute and half after her. Ember remained silent her eyes keenly roaming over the area where they'd come to stop at. They were now somewhere deep in the forest that bordered the town. "Me neither," Ember conceded when she found nothing that could point them towards where Dan could possibly be. Both she and the demon turned to regard the tiger as it stood growling a few meters from them. Its eyes were fixed unmovingly at a point in the air before her. "You're in her mind," Athena spoke up. "What is she seeing?" Ember closed her eyes and delved into the mind of the were. She could feel the human presence in the mind but that part of the were was completely overshadowed by the much stronger animal side. There was very little chance of the human part ever regaining control from the animal side. Ember, however was not concerned with this at the moment. She bypassed the struggle and delved even deeper. When her eyes opened once again, she was no longer seeing through her own eyes. The were was seeing everything in red and right before her there was what seemed to be a hair line crack in the air. Ember blinked a few times as she pulled out of the were's mind. "A pocket realm," she said her fixed on where she'd just seen the doorway through the weretiger's eyes. Without preamble, Ember directed all of her magic at the doorway, hitting it with a force that shook even the trees around it to their roots. Unlike the doorways between whole worlds which were really sensitive and the slightest interference with them could have disastrous results, the doorways into pocket realms were much more stable. Much more so that they were no different from normal doors. With the right crowbar you could break through them, except that in this case with pocket realm doorways, the crowbar was magic. Magic which she was in no short supply of. Ember's second blow on the door landed a second before Athena's own blow which was quickly succeeded by tiger's own as it slammed its body against it. What had been a hairline fracture quickly widened till it became visible to plain sight. Gathering all the might she could possibly muster a sound of exertion left Ember as she directed the final blow to the door breaking it wide open into a circular doorway with jagged edges... ****** Dan's moment of triumph was short-lived as he watched a smile cross Twenty two's expression after the initial shock had passed. "Seems you might just get to live after all," she said walking over to the circle as the assault on the house continued. Dan smiled mirthlessly at her. "Sorry I can't say the same about you," he returned. "Oh, you don't have to worry about us," she returned. "One of the first things I learnt in my line of work, was never to enter a place with only one exit," she said before nodding for the others to follow her as she took off in a sprint in the other direction opposite to the one they'd been going in initially. Dan watched them vanish through the other set of doors in the room, which up to that moment he'd for some reason not noticed. A cloaking spell, he deduced. At the bang that followed, the door to the room through which Twenty two had been moving initially burst into several pieces, splinters flying everywhere. Dan smiled as he turned back towards the door, his smile however straightened his eyes widening as a tiger that looked every bit like Kirra and Karra did except for the fact that it was almost four times larger than either of the two jumped through the new open circular doorway. "Relax, she won't bite," Dan heard Athena say as she walked in after it "Now where are they?" Athena asked looking around the room with a murderous gaze. "What the hell is that?" Dan asked unable to keep the fear out of his voice, barely hearing Athena's question. "Not what," Ember said as she too walked into the room. Who?" She corrected. Dan's brows furrowed turned to regard the tiger once again. "Kirra," he called out. "No," Athena answered. "Karra," Dan tried once again. "Both and neither at the same time," Ember said to his further confusion. The Phoenix's eyes roamed over the room before it came to land on the salt and ash ring around him. Dan's brows rose as he turned to regard Ember for the first time. "Your hair," he said regarding it, the flame colour in it had climbed up all the way to its roots. As soon as he said this, the phoenix's eyes widened just as her hair turned into a bright yellow flame that quickly covered the rest of her body. "EMBER!!" Dan shouted calling out her as she fell to the ground a scream of pure agony ripping through her. Dan had to use all of his self-will to keep from trying to run over to her. The spell that bound him to where he now was, was still in place. A deep heavy growl reverberated through the room. Dan to turn his head to the weretiger just in time to catch it as the last of the flame colour faded from its eyes and all that remained was the deep dark crimson fixed solely on him... ****** To them that thought that there wasn't much to Kirra and Karra... Think again... hahahahaha Chapter ten comes at the end of Feb...