Ren was behind me, following.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Ren’s voice was edgy.
“Yes.” I huffed and walked down the corridor. The dog was clutched tightly in my hands. I tightened my grip and marched down the stairs. I was going to be victorious, a winner. Bain would be the one feeling the pain and hurt. He would be the one hurt this time.
The memory of Bain’s soft expression flickered to life. His liquid eyes were looking at the floor, downcast. His hair covered part of his eyes, casting a shadow over his eyes. It masked his face, making his expression unfathomable. My lips tightened to a straight line. No, I would not change my mind. I wanted to see him suffer.
I chuckled, which sounded almost like a witch cackle.
Ren was fidgety. He darted in front of me and stopped me in my tracks.
“What now?”
“Why do you want to do this?!”
“Because Bain had been tormenting me for so long?! It’s only fair I got back my revenge!” I tried to rationalize with Ren, who seemed very determined to stop me.
“You’ll just become as bad as Bain himself. Sure, he gives you hell, but if you do this, you’re just being cruel like him.”
“Don’t patronize me, Ren. He had it coming.”
“I’m not trying to! Please Aria, don’t do this. You will regret this!”
“Look, stop trying. I can fight through an army of a thousand clones of Faris-es and I would still want to do this.”
Ren stared at me with his beady eyes. He wanted to say something, but let it go.
“Do what you wish. I can’t stop you anyway.” He looked downcast and flicked his tail. I huffed and continued walking. Ren, with no choice, tailed behind like a meek kitten.
My heart was thumping loudly by the time I was a few doors away from him. A thin layer of sweat formed around my palm, coating the glass sculpture. I felt the rapid beat of my heart in my sensitive ears. Should I even do it?
“Aria? What are you doing here?” Raphael’s blond hair came into view.
“Oh, I was uh…” I was lost for words. What could I honestly tell him? Hey Raphael, I’m shattering this cute dog sculpture made by a crow that was for your little romantic interest. Nothing big.
“What’s that?” He pointed curiously at the glass sculpture I was holding.
“Bain made that.” Ren popped in immediately. I turned back to him, shocked at what he said. How could he…!
“Really? That’s a fantastic piece of art there. Can I see it?” Raphael reached out to grab it. I recoiled and hid it behind me.
“Nope.” I answered lamely without any explanation whatsoever.
“She’s about to destroy it.” Ren quickly added. What was he doing?! He was going to ruin my plans!
“Oh. What a pity.” Raphael’s voice faded away as his eyes trailed down to the dog.
“If you want to dissuade me, it’s not going to work. I’ll be going, if you don’t mind.” I curtly announced. Whatever Ren was planning, he was going to fail.
“No, actually, that’s a great plan!” He broke into a grin. Before I could say anything, he snatched the glass sculpture from me. Sudden doubt washed over me and I bit my lip. I wanted to stop him from doing so.
“Wha-Hey wait!” I raced after him.
“HEY EVERYONE! Get out here right now! I have something important to do!!” Raphael shouted very loudly. I gasped. He wasn’t really going to do it right? I imagined Bain’s devastated face and I felt guilt poison my heart. No no no no no.
I immediately reached out to try to grab it back, but Raphael pulled it out of my reach.
“You wanted to do this, didn’t you? I’m simply helping you complete the favour.”
“Well, I’m not so sure…”
“Don’t you remember the pain and suffering he put both of us through?! This is our only chance to get back at him!!” Raphael reminded me with a harsh tone as he headed towards a nearby window.
That was true, but I couldn’t bear to see it now. I hesitantly and faltered when I noticed a crowd gathering around us.
I did not miss the look on Bain’s face when he saw his precious piece of art in Raphael’s hands, just inches away from plummeting to the ground and shattering. It was intense betrayal, shock and disbelief. His fiery orbs locked onto me accusingly and I gulped. His eyebrows twitched, unsure of himself. Strands of his dark hair masked his expression.
A flash of panic darted across his face when he realised what Raphael was going to do. He took a step forth, wanting to stop him, but paused.
“You see this Bain? I know this thing means a lot to you. Sadly, its fate is a fatal kiss to the sandy ground a storey below.” Raphael’s voice was dominating, so different than what I was used to. He looked exactly like an evil mastermind, with a confident, forceful tone. It was those voices that only a ruthless warlord would possess. It frightened me, to see what Raphael was truly capable of.
Unrecognizable emotion took control of Bain’s stoic face and disappeared. He fidgeted uncomfortably as he took in the astonished stares from everyone else.
What he said next completely shocked and pained me at the same time.
“Do as you wish, worm.” His tone was gruff and indifferent, betraying the pain and inner conflict he was experiencing. It hurt me much to see Bain like this, even though he was at the bottom of my list for possible friends.
Raphael seemed uncertain for a moment, but recovered his determination instantly. I watched the dog, which was helplessly trapped in the grip of Raphael. Thinking that that grip could have been mine only pained me even more.
His fingers straightened and the dog gave a last ethereal glow before it succumbed to the pull of gravity. My hands flew to the balcony’s railings as I watched in horror. My hand instinctively reached out, grabbing nothing but thin air. Hopelessness drowned me into a pool of guilt and regret. Oh, why did I ever get myself into this mess…
My heart leapt out from me as I watched the next scene unfold. Ren, with his animalistic reflexes, leaped off the metal railing, somersaulted before clutching the transparent dog with his minute paws. Blue light flashed as he bounced on an invisible platform, landing back into my outstretched arms. I activated the familiar bond again! That was magic, my magic. The outline of his furry body flickered slightly and I blinked in confusion. It was as if…he was an illusion. But that was impossible.
The imminent ‘clang’ sound was not heard and everyone whispered among themselves, before dispersing with a sharp glance from Bain. Raphael looked at me, with betrayal etched into his face.
“You disappoint me, Aria Lyore.” His tone was harsh and somehow, it filled me with guilt that I should not have even felt. His voice was so powerful and strong, planting seeds of regret as he spoke. He was acting like he was a king, speaking to a subject that failed him and deserved punishment. The real Raphael…
I shuddered as he stalked off, like a pissed off cat.
I could only sense the shadow of Bain’s muscular physique. He did not approach me, thoughtfully gazing at me, assessing me with utter confusion. He was not hiding his emotions, I realized, when real relief poured over his dark, handsome face. Wait, handsome?
“Just take it back okay? I can’t bear to destroy it.” I had intended my voice to sound bitter, but it ended off with a weak note.
Bain paused before taking a step forth tentatively. His rough hand took the glass sculpture away, brushing against my elbow rather gently. His touch sent warmth running through my skin. He still hadn’t said anything. He was going to kill me for this I realized suddenly and braced myself for the incoming impact.
Nothing came.
I finally peered at his face, like a reprimanded child looking up at his parent. His gaze was soft and forgiving, which surprised me greatly. He twitched, like he was uncomfortable in his own skin.
“Thank you.” He finally mumbled out before twisting away and walking off without another word.
“Janice would really like it.” I suddenly felt the need to add. He halted in surprise momentarily, before resuming his walk back.
When Bain finally disappeared, I continued walking back to my room.
“I knew you wouldn’t do it.” Ren smirked.
“Oh whatever.” I did not want to admit that he was right, even though I was glad he had faith in good-girl Aria.
It was not the end to my troubles.
I found the door to my room ajar, the blackness within in like a poisonous fume. Adrenaline found its way back into my veins, polluting my blood and racking my body with its sickeningly familiar effects. I switched on the light, clutching my fire crystal tightly. Its warmth comforted me greatly. I was still frozen at the doorstep, like my room was uncharted, dangerous territory.
Nothing. My room was just as it was when I left it. The smell was the same. The bed was untouched. My shoulders relaxed somewhat and I walked into my room. Terror left me and the feeling of impending doom followed. It was only when I reached my wooden table before fear gripped my heart again.
I’m coming for you
The words were clearly written with black ink on the piece of parchment. A shiver found its way down my spine and Ren hopped down to the table, seemingly unaffected.
“Faris.” Ren almost growled in my mind. Of course, sleep immediately turned into an impossible thing to me.
The next morning came to a huge relief to me. After lying on the bed motionless, clutching my katana in one hand and the fire crystal in another, with Ren lying on my chest, my muscles seemed frozen solid. It was such a relief to be able to move again. It was only after a cup of an energizing chocolate drink did I feel better.
Operation Ignore-Aria had already begun as Raphael boldly sauntered to the corner furthest from me with his food. I wanted to shrug it off like it was no big deal but I couldn’t. Raphael was my friend and I was the one that suggested that stupid plan anyway. Even so, my mind was occupied with thoughts of the note from Faris. My mind was in no mood to deal with the unimportant trivial matters like Operation Ignore-Aria. Janice was curiously staring back and forth between Raphael and me.
“Something happen?”
“You have no idea.” I told Janice everything that had happened, including Faris’ warm greeting card. She didn’t seem pleased at what Raphael and I wanted to do. Please don’t tell me she has an eye candy for Mister Bain.
“I would go find Daik if I were you. That dragon knows a lot of things, except he doesn’t appear as he pleases.”
“I was thinking of asking Bain.”
“Bain?” Janice’s eyes widened, clearly surprised.
“What else happened when I was away?” She asked suspiciously.
“Nothing.”
“Of course nothing. He does seem pretty friendly today. What happened?” She tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and grinned, suggesting something.
“What?! NO!! No way that could happen!” Ren and I protested violently, palms facing out.
“Well let’s go find your friend later, shall we?”
“He’s not my friend!”
“Something more than a friend?” Janice smiled teasingly.
“NO!” I almost yelled, attracting stares at my direction. Janice giggled, which sounded forced.
“I’ll see you later in the afternoon to find Bain. I have things to do.” She vaguely said and abruptly left the room. What’s with her? She was acting very different today. I shrugged it off and left the room, eager to get more practice with my bow. Robert had promised to promote me once I mastered the katana and a long-range weapon, which was a bow. I was more than happy to show him that I could so that I could get my own horse after being promoted to a ‘B’ rank.
There were still about five days left before the tournament begun and I wanted to do my best, regardless whether Faris would be the guest-of-honour. I went back to my room and packed the bow and arrows, heading down to practice.
I was getting slightly better, or I had convinced myself I was getting better. I obviously did not want to go ask Raphael for help after what happened so I made do with Ren’s keen observation skills.
“You know, I think I might know who did it.” Ren suddenly said.
“Really? Who?” I raised the bow and pulled the string taut. My fingers were aching from intense training but I was determined to learn how to effectively use the bow.
“It’s probably somebody close to you, who knows what you are doing every day.”
I let go of the string and let the arrow fly. I heard a satisfying ‘twang’ as the tip of the arrow collided into the wooden target.
“Somebody that was conveniently not around during Faris’ attack.”
“Bain?”
“I’m not ruling out Bain, even though he might have shown some human emotion in that soulless case of his. There is somebody else though.” Ren firmly said.
“It could be Raphael.”
“Raphael was there when Faris attacked. Were you even listening to what I said? He is the only one that could not have done it.”
I paused. Who else was there? Who was I missing?
“It is probably Janice.” Ren finally said, after a long pause.
“What? No, she’s the sweetest angel I have ever known. It can’t be her.”
“Isn’t that why she is the one? Expect the unexpected. She just wants you to think she is an angel. Then she strikes! That’s what real villains do.”
I could not deny the logic in Ren’s words. After all, she wasn’t even around when Raphael and I were attacked. She wasn’t even present during yesterday’s incident when the note was mysteriously deposited on my table. Sudden realization pumped through me. Everything made sense now. She did indeed left just now to do whatever she wanted to do. It was probably informing Faris of my whereabouts.
“I don’t like saying this, but you’re probably right.”
“What we have to do now is to confirm if it is Bain or Janice.”
“We can use today’s meeting. If Bain really does help us, he couldn’t be the one. Janice…well, we can just observe.” I suggested and Ren agreed.
It was only during lunch before Janice and I met up. I greeted her as per normal, but most of my expressions were forced. How could I be friendly to a person that could be backstabbing me?
“What were you doing this morning?” I asked.
“Oh, nothing. Just practicing and stuff…” She vaguely said. It merely deepened my suspicion that she was indeed the one that betrayed me.
I gave Ren a fresh berry to eat, which he gobbled up instantly. Ren, always hungry for more. I myself took a portion of stew and some bread. It was great bread, with a generous amount of nuts and raisins in side. The stew was thick and gooey, but that was the way I liked it. It had potatoes, carrots and chicken pieces inside.
It was difficult to enjoy a meal while sitting beside a betrayer. I felt uneasiness whenever I talked to her. I just hoped I didn’t leak out any valuable information that Faris could use.
Bain was sitting at the other end, looking bored while his gang talked animatedly. He merely grunted and nodded just to show that he was paying attention, although he was not.
“Go ask him. I’ll wait for you outside.” Janice whispered, placing a hand on my shoulder, giving me encouragement. She just wanted to get involved to know what I was planning, I concluded.
Mustering up some courage, I walked over. Halfway across the room, I sensed Raphael’s dangerous glare and gulped somewhat. The intensity of his glare could possibly match that of Bain’s. He was obviously still angered by what I did. I saw betrayal and rage in his eyes, which was surprisingly mirroring how I felt about Janice betraying me.
Bain blinked in surprise when he saw me approach. Something must have switched inside of him. He had not delivered a single blow to me ever since yesterday night. I could understand why though. He didn’t want me spilling the beans on his crush. My expression became masked when I thought about him betraying me. He would probably do that without even blinking.
“Can I talk to you for a second?”
He raised an eyebrow at me, assessing my face. Still, he did get up and went outside. I followed him. His gang didn’t seem to notice his disappearance, like him vanishing was a daily thing.
He was surprised to see Janice outside and his shoulders tensed up somewhat.
“Uh…so what?” His voice was surprisingly neutral, without any hate or threat.
I told him about the note.
“So?” He crossed his arms, indifferent. He didn’t seem surprised. Of course he wouldn’t be surprised, he put it there!
“He couldn’t be the one. He was there when that Raphael tried to throw the glass sculpture out.” Ren whispered into my ear, as though reading my mind.
“Well, I thought you might know who put it there.”
“Why would I even care? I’m not your brother, or your friend. I’m just a passerby that wishes not to interfere with the soul-stealing business.”
I sighed. I had expected that response from him. If he really did have had a past experience with Faris, I doubted he would want to participate in this again. He could, however, be doing so to avoid helping me. I pulled him away from Janice’s hearing range. I had planned for this eventuality.
“Look, I could understand if you didn’t want to help me. Let’s negotiate.”
“You have nothing to negotiate with. I-”
“Don’t you dearly want to spend some time with Janice? If you help me, you can spend all the time in the world with her.”
Bain blinked, shocked at my daringness. He paused, considering it.
“That’s a fascinating method of negotiation, but I value my life more than that.”
So my plan failed.
“Please Bain, it would really mean a lot to me.” I doubted the sincerity trick would work, but it wouldn’t hurt trying.
“No, but I can tell you I did not put it there, nor did I betray you. I heard what your rat friend said.”
“How-”
“My familiar is a reptile. What did you expect?”
“I expected you to help me.”
“Help you? Just because you saved that glass sculpture of mine does not make us friends. It does not even earn you a favour from me. Just so you know, I don’t do favours.”
“Well, then what do you suggest?”
“Try Daik, the dragon.” Everyone was mentioning Daik. Daik this, Daik that. Was he really some dragon that knew everything? It was worth a shot though.
“Where is he?”
“Daik? I don’t keep track of that dragon.” A flash in his eyes told me otherwise.
“Look. You made my life like hell and refused to help me. I was planning to destroy that stupid sculpture but I did not. And now you can’t even do this one thing for me?” I was exasperated.
He groaned and let out a long sigh.
“She’s not in the academy. She’s at a cave at the field outside. I can take you there but that’s it.”
“Thank you.”
Janice was waiting patiently at the side, half-smiling as she saw Bain. Bain ducked his head after meeting her gaze, obviously embarrassed.
“We should go now, unless you wish to get caught in the dark.” He muttered, obviously displeased.
This just left me more confused than ever. If Bain wasn’t the traitor, then Janice was. But why would she willingly tell me to go to Daik? If both of them wasn’t the traitor, who was?
“Have you met Daik, Aria?” Janice asked, while walking.
“No…I only heard of him.” I wondered if he was the dragon that saved me before from Faris, the one with white legs and blue talons.
“He’s quite different from what you would expect. He’s a faerie dragon. Have you seen him before, Bain?” Janice turned to him, looking at him with bright eyes.
“Yes.” Bain answered monotonously, looking down.
“Okay…” Janice was clearly not expecting him to answer at all.
“Are you excited for the tournament?”
No I was more worried about having my soul plucked out during the tournament when Faris graced the occasion with his holy presence. I was very sure he would appear then.
“Yes.” I lied.
“It’s sad that I don’t have a familiar though. Most of the seniors can use their magic powers. Have you ever used them?”
“Unexpected occasions, yes…I can’t really use it yet.”
“I’m sure you can soon. You just have to keep trying. Just remember the feeling when you used magic. I heard that sometimes it works that way.”
“What about you, Bain?”
Bain was visibly very uncomfortable with Janice’s questions by the way his shoulders tensed. He had both hands tucked inside his cloak.
“Yes, I can.”
“I see. What’s your familiar? I hardly see him.”
“A snake. And it’s a ‘she’.”
“Oh sorry. Mine was a sunflower dog, but it’s just another fancy name for golden retriever.”
“I know.” Bain blurted out and his cheeks turned red. The tip of my lips curled up.
“Huh?”
“Nevermind.”
“I always thought you were a really nasty person…The way you hit people and stuff, but inside you’re really nice, right?” Janice’s radiant smile made Bain’s blush deepen. I sniggered, earning a death glare from Bain.
“IIIIIdunnnooo.” Bain mumbled.
Janice turned back to me and looked at Ren. Her eyes sparkled as she picked him up and hugged him affectionately.
“Honey’s fur was never as soft as Ren’s, but it felt like silk to me. It felt like an angel’s hair, warm and comforting. I used to sleep on her during the war…” Janice’s eyes filled with sadness. Even though I did not personally experience that, I could feel her sadness. Bain bit his lip, unsure of how to comfort her.
I looked up at the blue sky. It was early afternoon and the sky was so blue. It was the blue that matched the colour of my eyes, azure and pure. The clouds looked so fluffy, like I could bounce on them all day. The sun hid behind the clouds, afraid to shine its glorious rays on the grassy field.
“How do you know where Daik lives?” I asked.
“I know things.” Bain answered, hiding a deeper meaning. I could pry, but Bain was unlikely to divulge any information whatsoever.
We continued walking for some time, with Janice talking non-stop about the most random things ever. I already tuned out after a while, but Bain was still listening, or doing a good job at pretending.
“Why is there blood here?” Janice peered down and pointed to the ground. Blood? I looked over. True enough, drops of dark red blood was splattered over a few blades of grass, defiling the greenery.
“It’s still wet. It’s fresh.” Bain noticed.
“Let’s follow it. Maybe somebody got hurt!” Janice started tracking the blood trail. I followed, curious. We diverted from the original path, straying out into the vast field.
It was easy to spot the liquid blood on the light green grass. A gust of wind blew and my hair smacked against my head. Annoyed, I brushed it aside. I looked over the horizon. This trail was quite far…I wondered what happened. Who had gotten hurt?
Finally, I spotted a black mass far across the field. I pointed over and we all ran across.
As I neared closer, the black mass turned. It was a teenager, close to my age or slightly older. I spotted his hazel hair fluttering in the wind. His eyes looked over at us, before finding me. My heart stopped. His eyes were so dark, impossibly black. He started to cough violently, his back rocking up and down with force. He covered his mouth and coughed. His eyes shut in pain and I automatically ran towards him.
He was very pale and looked really sick. His eyes roamed across me when I knelt down beside him. He removed his hand and found sticky residue left on his shaking palm. Blood.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yes, I’m oka-” He fell into another violent fit of coughing.
“I have some medicine.” Janice spoke, digging inside her clothes to find it. Did she really bring medicine everywhere she went? I was dumbfounded. Bain wordlessly handed over a bottle of water, which the youth gratefully accepted. As he drank, I saw a roll of sweat drip down his throat. He looked so sickly and thin.
“Thank you. Who are you guys, anyway?” His voice was rich and velvety.
“I’m Janice. This is Aria and this is Bain. What’s your name? Do you need help?” Janice was the first to speak.
“I’m…Drayden. People call me Drey for short. I’ll be alright. I was looking for the dragon that supposedly lives here. They said that he was a good healer.”
“Drey.” I rolled that name over my tongue. I liked that name. “We were just heading there. We can take you there.”
“Really? That would be great.” He started coughing again. He reached down below his black cloak and took out a long weapon. He used it as a cane to help him stand, while Bain supported him. At least Bain wasn’t heartless to sick people, I noticed.
“What happened to you?” Ren asked.
Drey blinked rapidly, looking at Ren in utter shock.
“Did it just…talk?”
“He’s my familiar. Do you have a familiar?”
“Familiar?”
He didn’t know about familiars? How was that even possible?
“They are animal companions, for life. They represent us and our soul. With them, we can even use magic.” Janice said.
“What?”
“Are you from around here?” Ren asked quizzically.
“N-no. I came quite far from here.” Drey seemed utterly shocked at the prospect of an animal talking.
“That’s probably why…”Ren concluded.
I finally looked at the long weapon that Drey was holding. It was black and slim, with a sharp curved blade sticking out at the end. It had a silver sheen, with ancient markings carved into the blade. A scythe.
“Why are you carrying a scythe?” Drey was carrying nothing but a scythe and it did look pretty heavy.
“It’s uh…my partner.”
“Partner?”
“It’s like your…familiar thing. My scythe is my partner.”
“Northerners normally forge strong bonds with their weapons.” Ren informed us.
“Can you walk?” Bain finally opened his mouth.
“Yes…I’ll be okay.” Drey looked down. He was wearing a very black cloak, with a hood. I could not explain why, but it felt like I could be swallowed by it.
“You look like some grim reaper with that cloak and scythe!” Janice said.
“I get that a lot.” Drey smiled slightly.
“Let’s get a move on then.” Bain muttered.
We slowed down our walking pace to accommodate Drey’s walking speed. Drey looked completely exhausted and I could even see his cheek bones protruding out from his pale face. I offered Drey some nuts that I had, which he declined politely.
Finally, Bain directed us to a steep, rocky slope. We jumped down easily and helped Drey down.
“Thank you.” His soft voice soothed me. He was relying heavily on his scythe for support, while panting heavily. It was like he was trying very hard not to collapse. An endless stream of sweat dripped down his skin.
I turned, to face the cave that Bain was talking about. A large hole was dug into the earth, with piles of rock outside to decorate it somewhat. A huge stone was blocking the entrance.
“Who is it?” A different voice echoed from the cave. I did not hear thundering footsteps. The cave was quite small, the height of about one person and one head. How could a dragon fit in here? The voice was high and faint, with a melodic tune to it. It was alluring and wonderful to listen to.
The stone was pushed aside and a creature walked out from the cave. It was stunning. It resembled no form of dragon I knew.
It was long and sleek, like an overgrown snake. The pointed scales at its head were a magnificent colour of gold. They resembled more like feathers rather than scales. As it moved down its sleek body, the colour cascaded down from red, to yellow, emerald, to a beautiful cyan and ending with a calming hue of lilac. It was beautiful.
Its eyes had no visible sclera, a striking gold colour. Its tail split into multiple ends, each ending with a pure white colour. Its legs were slender and thin, with no visible talons or claws. It moved and I gasped. It looked so ethereal, magical. Its body shone under the light, like a graceful fairy. It was then I noticed its iridescent wings. There were translucent and glittering in a myriad of colours. They were butterfly wings, I realized. I could faintly see the lines that outlined the wings, connecting them to its serpent-like body. The wings resembled bubbles. You could see through them, but you could also notice the colours that swirled in different patterns on the surface as it shone.
I hated snakes, but this was completely different, unexpected. I was enthralled by this startling display of beauty, which left me speechless for a few minutes.
This was Daik, the faerie dragon.
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Daik was based on the pokemon milotic and my own imagination. :P I read through the past few chapters and I realised how messy most of them are. Well, I'm not planning on editing them now, perhaps after I finish the book. Meanwhile, you have to bear with the messiness. Haha :)