Immortali

Chapter 24: Phillipa Stone

She waved to her mother as she dropped her off at the school on a Friday afternoon for what her mother thought was a school camp that would be finished by Sunday afternoon. What her mother hadn't realised was that she'd just dropped her daughter off so that said daughter could participate in magical and combat challenges. Because her 14 year old daughter was an Immortali, information that Raina's mother also hadn't known.

And she never will, Raina thought to herself, as she gripped the bag strap that slung across her body. Her thoughts turned to The Challenges, and, more importantly... Sienna.

Just... do your best, she told herself. And what better could she do? She knew she wasn't going to win. How could she? Everyone who was going to be there would have more training and experience than she had. Why Arriana had entered her would've been a mystery if she hadn't already explained that she got bragging rights over Sienna's mentor if she won.

Whoever this woman is, she must have done something seriously bad to be on the receiving end of Arriana's hatred, Raina thought, then snorted. After all, did Arriana ever really need a reason to dislike someone? It was probably over something really petty...

And, as Raina thought about Arriana, she was surprised (pleasantly or unpleasantly, she couldn't tell) to find the older Immortali approaching her from behind. Immediately, a look of displeasure passed over her mentor's face.

"Is that what you're going to wear?" her mentor asked, pointing to Raina's dark jeans, green tank top, and black converse.

Raina scowled at her. "Why? What's wrong with it?"

"It's a little bit... casual, don't you think?"

"No. I think its fine."

Her mentor sniffed. "Well, I don't."

Raina groaned. "And what would you have me wear?"

Arriana grinned and snapped her fingers. Raina looked down to find herself in what looked like a cross between a hoodie and a dress. It was all black with a hood behind her neck. The dress part covered her torso, the hem touching her knees. Underneath the hoodie/dress was what looked and felt like tights. Comfortable and also black. And, when she touched her back, Raina discovered her katanas, already fitted in straps so that she could sheath and unsheathe them with ease. The only thing her mentor had left untouched was her converse.

She glanced at Arriana, an eyebrow quirking upwards as she did so. "Really? This was your idea of 'proper', or 'not casual'? I could wake up and exercise in this in the morning."

"That's the idea; it's designed for combat."

Begrudgingly, Raina nodded. "Ok, yeah, you've got a point. This is slightly better than the jeans and shirt."

"Only slightly?"

Raina didn't answer. She crossed her arms and gave her mentor a pointed look.

The older woman smiled. "Ah, so you're going to be like that. Well, I hope your pride will permit you to hold onto me when we use the Rune gate," she said. Raina watched as she began tracing the runes in the air. With great reluctance, she then took her mentor's hand and tumbled through the glowing doorway.

Immediately, that sensation of being pulled in a million directions at once hit her, but this time, she held herself together firmly, and when she came out the other side, she felt a lot better than she had in her first Rune gate.

Blinking away the light from the gate, Raina looked around to find a forest clearing filled with... people, or at least, she thought they were people. Some of them wore long robes, others a coat and a bowler hat. One man walked past her wearing armour. She had to rub her eyes a few times just to make sure, but, yes, he was fully covered in shining, silver armour.