"Muriel. Wake up." A voice called out and I groaned as I slowly opened my eyes. As soon as I did, a sky filled with different colored stars met my sight along with Cyan's worried face illuminated by the light of a fire
"Muriel, are you alright?" He asked with worry etched on his face as he helped me sit up as I was lying down on the soft grass which served as my bed for who knows how long.
"Yeah. What happened?" I asked back as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and opted to look around. A camp fire was burning a meter away from me and we were surrounded by trees.
Everything rushed back to me like a wave and I looked around hastily, my eyes searching for Leirum and Rex. I then saw them, Rex was leaning over an unconscious guy whose chest part covered with white bandages.
I quickly made my way to them, ignoring Cyan's shouts as I went near them. Rex withdrew and pocketed something as he looked at me but, I ignored him as I looked at Leirum.
He was trembling hard and chains bound his feet and hands as a growl rumbled from deep within his throat. Beads of sweat trickled down from his forehead and his hands were balled into tight fists.
"What's wrong with him?" I asked as I touched his hand but withdrew them when I felt the scorching heat of his flesh which was beyond normal before I looked at his face worriedly.
Rex didn't anwer me, instead, he stood up and faced Cyan who was now standing up and silently watching us.
"Muriel, watch over him. Cyan and I will get a potion to heal him. Just wait for us." He said and I nodded for I was in a loss of words and my words failed me..
I watched as Cyan and Rex held hands and vanished in thin air with a small pop and I turned to Leirum when he groaned and began thrashing around, the chains did their job to restrain him as I backed off in surprise.
Just then, he began screaming and shouting, agony and pain in them as I just stared, feeling helpless as I don't know at all what to do. I don't know what to do at all!
As I watched, a fiery light, so bright, momentarily forced my eyes to shut themselves and I covered my eyes with my hands as I peeked and forced my eyes to get used with the brightness. Squinting, my eyebrows furrowed.
I saw a mark on his neck and some trailing down his body like some sort of mark that I couldn't see well enough because of the fiery light.
His pained shouts grew louder and he thrashed around more violently with every moment passing by, his hands gripping his head. "Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!" He screamed like a victim undergoing torture which only made me feel more and more helpless of not knowing what to do.
I could only watch and bite my lips as tears threatened to fall from my eyes, blurring my vision from the sight of his agony. My eyes widened when I saw his skin on the chest not covered by bandages turning black rapidly, blood seeping through the bandages wrapped around his chest.
He gave another shout and arched his back as his hand clawed the ground beside him, creating claw marks on the earth.
"Leirum!" I called out and crawled towards him as the ugly red color kept on staining the white bandages. It gave me shivers at how much blood there was.
Damn! Where's Rex and Cyan?! Why aren't they back already?
Leirum began gasping for air, his breathing hitched and his body shook violently as fear made its way through my system. The sudden events gripping my heart with anxiety, as I looked.
I gripped his hand tight, not minding the scorching heat I felt from him because of the need to do something. The heat coming from him was absurd, I've felt people who had high fevers but those heat from them were nothing compared to what was coming from him.
"Leirum! Calm down!" I yelled, tears finally streaming down my face as I feared for the worst. What was happening? I don't understand. Why is he like this? Is it because of Lydia's attack earlier that he got from saving me?
His eyes opened and rolled back in his head as he gasped for air like he was having a problem with breathing and he arched his back, successfully scaring the hell out of me.
The chains were threatening to break, adding more fear in me than what I was already feeling that it was hard to breath normally. The chains were thick and large, almost impossible to break but knowing that this guy was a person not to be underestimated, it's not impossible for him.
"You arrogant bastard! What is wrong with you?!" I cried while I hugged him, cradling his head in my arms and shouting desperately and cursing him at the same time when I no longer could hold the anxiety and fear in me.
The chain on his left arm broke and I hugged him tighter, as I cried harder. He was shaking so violently as his free arm gripped my hand tightly that it hurt and would undoubtly leave a bruise on my skin.
But I didn't let go as I refused to let him go though. I felt like bursting as I watched his agony silently, a lump of fear lodged in my throat.
"Aaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!" He shouted loudly for the nth time as sobs escaped my lips.
"Leirum... you jerk. Please don't scare me. Wake up already. You're making me cry jerk." I begged him as tears fell down to his face.
"Please calm down, please come back. Please... Please." I cried, crying so hard like I hadn't cried since forever as I sobbed while hugging him tightly.
I heard no response but I suddenly felt his shaking becoming weaker and his thrashing stopping. He stopped screaming but his breathing was rugged and he was grunting painfully.
"Wake up." I whispered once more to him.
This jerk. Why is he so troublesome? Yeah, I hate him and I wanted the worst for him as I cursed him every time for annoying me but seeing him like this now, I don't want it at all.
I never imagined myself watching someone suffer before me and I swear it was one of the most unpleasant feelings that ever existed.
"S-stupid witch, let me go. You're ch-choking me." I heard a hoarse voice gasp out.
I raised my head and stared at his face, his eyes slowly fluttering open as he looked up at me, a glare in his eyes.
I immediately let him go and knelt down at his side, not minding his curse when his head hit the ground.
"You! What did you do that for?!" He angrily spat at me. Anger lacing his tone but I just glared at him.
I suddenly huffed and began hitting his chest as tears kept falling down.
"You good-for-nothing bastard!" I yelled through gritted teeth and punched him on the chest.
"H-hey! Stop that! Owwww!" I ignored his pained and angry yells as I hit him again and again.
"You jerk, useless piece of sh*t. Fvck you! Damn you!" I screamed at him as I resumed hitting him.
"You!" He caught my wrists as he sat up and glowered at me while I kept my head down.
"What's your problem?!" he harshly spat and gripped my wrists tightly.
I looked up at him and lashed out.
"My problem?! It's you, you idiot! Don't you know what you effin did?! You scared the hell out of me with all those shaking and pained shouts coming from you! You were shaking violently and I felt so helpless! I didn't know what to do and I had no clue as what to was happening to you! You scared me to death and now your asking me what's wrong------"
My angry rants was cut when he suddenly hugged me, his strong arms wrapped around me and the tears totally continued falling down once again as sobs escaped my throat.
"You scared me... you." The words died in my throat as I tightly hugged him and sobbed. This isnt me. Why am I even crying for this guy at all? Why am I even-----
"I'm sorry."
Two words... those two simple words made me cry harder as I buried my head in his chest.
"Don't scare me like that again. I hate feeling helpless. I hate not knowing what to do and watching someone undergoing unimaginable pain in front of me." I sobbed.
He didn't speak and just held me silently and listening to what I had to say. This jerk. I hate him so much.
--------
"Where have you gone?!" Alfreed's angry and worried shout met us as we opened the main door of the twelve's home.
Alfreed and the other girls stood up and strode towards us along with Kevin as the others remained in their seats with Lord Azrael.
The girls gave us all tight hugs and checked Leirum if he was fine which irritated the first ranker a bit.
"Don't waste your words. You'll get no answers." Rex firmly said before anyone could ask and began walking.
"You brat got us all worried and that's what you're going to say?" Alfreed angrily spat at the eleven-year old kid who was now ascending the stairs but stopped when he heard the red heads words.
He looked back and regarded Alfreed coldly.
"Don't test my patience." cold as ice, his tone made me a little scared.
Alfreed wasn't one to notice though. "Why you----"
"Let my brother be. They're tired." Leo chimed in as Rex glanced at him before proceeding to his room.
"And you think we aren't?! You think we're not tired?! Damn it Leo! Shut up because you were one of us who waited concernedly like fools and was regarded poorly. I don't get why you let that brat of a brother of yours go." Alfreed said with contempt before she stormed off up the stairs to her room.
That's when I grew a little bit irritated. "If you warned that our coming back will just cause a fight then maybe it was better if we didn't return at all." I angrily stated while Leirum and Cyan chose to keep quiet.
"I'm sorry." was all Leo said and kept silent which kind off made me a little bit guilty for lashing out my frustration and all the pressure I felt. I sighed while I gave him a hug as an apology.
"No. I should be sorry. I'm just...tired." I said and let go before turning to Lord Azrael and the others who just watched what happened.
"Lord Azrael, we aren't speaking. I hope you understand that-----" before I could finish my sentence though, snores interrupted me and I glared at the now dozing off old man seated by the couch that was usually filled by Leirum.
"This guy." I muttered under my breath and gritted my teeth as the others laughed.
"Well, let's just go back to our own rooms and have our much needed rest. I'll come back to give Lord Azrael a blanket to keep him warm." Mikael said and nobody protested.
We all then ascended the stairs to go to our rooms, drowsiness and exhaustion intensifying by each step that we could almost hear our beds literally calling out to us.
"Don't ever worry me like that again big sister. Good night now." Kevin muttered and gave a loud yawn before he pulled me down and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
With those words from him, I looked at Leirum's figure who was already turning around a corner.
"I won't. Good night Kev." I answered and kissed him on the cheek before he went on his own way to his own room.
Huh. I forgot to ask them what had happened to the demon----I mean Lydia. I'll just ask them tomorrow.
I proceeded to my room and entered lazily. When I saw my soft bed, I closed my door and kicked off my boots before letting them scatter on my carpeted floor.
Jumping on the mattress and going under the warm blanket, I gave a satisfied sigh as the blanket warmed me up and the soft mattress relaxed my tired limbs and soon enough, my eyes began closing and submitting to the drowsiness.
Before slipping away to dream land, I smelled a faint unfamiliar smell, so sweet and heavenly I couldn't quite describe.
Well dreamland. Here I come.
-------
My eyes fluttered open when I felt the rays of the sun on my face and my cream colored ceiling greeted me. The sun wasn't just up now, it was already high up in the sky. I yawned, stretched out and sat up.
Remembering that there was school today, I immediately moved hastily, not noticing that I was on the edge of my bed. Too late though, I fell flat on my face and I groaned painfully. What a morning.
"Oh gosh! I'm friggin late!" I screamed and stood up immediately as I began going about the room, not knowing which was I going to do first because of panic.
"Why the hell did nobody wake me up?!" I shouted as I scrambled to the door. It was soon opened by someone though, and there, Violet's face met me.
"Classes are postponed for today because of yesterday's events so don't shout." She said while yawning and stretching herself.
I gawked at her appearance. Messy hair, dark bags under her eyes, and ooooohhhh, she was wearing only some bandages around her 'chest' instead of what human women and girls wear.
Truth is, hers are bigger than mine and her little waist had a very lovely curve that it kinda made me self conscious. I hope I don't have baby fats. Anyway, point is, she wasn't wearing a top at all.
"Muriel, your hair is like a birds nest, your shirt is raised a little bit and I can see your belly. Why don't you fix yourself?" She commented and I snorted.
"You're one to talk." I scoffed with a smirk and crossed my arms over my chest as I pretended to check her out.
She looked down and only realized then how she looked like. "Oh my gosh. What if someone sees-----"
"It's inappropriate for a girl to be walking around looking like that." Leo's voice was heard and a lavender headed guy came into view.
As a proper reaction, Violet covered her chest with her arms, a deep pink shade on her cheeks but Leo only rolled his eyes.
He suddenly removed his shirt, allowing his luscious body, abs, firm muscles and all. He threw his green shirt to Violet who automatically caught it and looked at him curiously while I watched silently.
"Hurry up and wear it, someone's annoyingly loud shout woke them up and three are headed here now." Leo stated and I glared at him.
"Well I'm sorry, it's not my fault for freaking out because the people here forgot to kindly inform me that there were no classes today." I sarcastically said as Violet opted to wear the lavender head's shirt.
And just as she finished wearing Leo's shirt that is, Ryouta's rant about being hungry, Antoinette's scolding and Mikael's voice were heard.
"Why the hell aren't you wearing your shirt?" Came Antoinette's statement and their footsteps became louder as they neared my room.
"Someone forgot to wear her shirt." Leo coolly replied before he went down to cook our breakfast as the three appeared at my door and peered at us.
"Why don't you two go and take a bath for now--uuuhhhhh? Let's all go!" Antoinette excitedly said after she disgustedly looked at us. This girl. Tsk.
"Well, we'll just go help Leo. Enjoy girls." Ryouta decided and dragged Mikael along with him as Antoinette fully entered my room, locked the door and pulled the both of Violet and me towards my bathroom.
Well, I couldn't protest though, I really wanted to have a bath.
-----
"Soooooo.... What happened to Lydia?" I asked the two as I lathered my hair with sweet smelling shampoo. Gosh, it smells so sweet it was somewhat tempting to eat it.
Their shoulders slackened as they made themselves comfortable in the warm water and scrubbed themselves clean.
"She escaped." Violet shortly answered and glared at nothing in particular as if she had Lydia's face in her mind. So... The demon escaped.
If she was a demon from the start, why didn't I feel anything wrong before she transformed?
"Ummmm. Mind if I ask you but do these demons here in Azeroth... Like have a ranking or classifications?" I voiced out, curiously, somehow knowing that they'll be saying yes. Oh, wow, I wonder what type those daraks were.
"Yup. A demon of deceit like Lydia can probably pass as an S class." Antoinette answered as I watched them.
"And by S class, what do you mean?"
"It means that she's atleast in the fourth most powerful category. Handling her back then was really tough on us that we all needed to work together just to defeat her." Violet gritted her teeth as she obviously thought back of what happened yesterday.
Just a rank fourth? Then just how strong are the other demons above that?
"Enough with us, tell us what happened to you guys and how the hell did Leirum survive a direct hit from a pure dark energy. Yeah, we all know he's a monster but him being sane like nothing happened is insane!" Violet blurted out.
They gave me demanding looks, expecting for an explanation. Besides the fact that I was asleep most of the time, I was forbidden to speak the truth, much less tell them about anything.
"Actually, I was asleep all throughout everything that happened---correction, I passed out. When I woke, Rex was finished healing the jerk." I half-lied and kept my gaze down, feeling their eyes on me.
"Then Leirum isn't the only monster there, count Rex in." Violet chuckled. Remembering the eleven year old kid's cold glare on Alfreed Yesterday, I shivered.
"That kid scares me." I blurted out.
"Well, he does that to everyone, the only ones not scared of him are Leirum and Cyan, and probably the people who doesn't know him." Antoinette added as she rubbed her shoulders.
Can't blame us though, the kid is quite scary. You don't know what he's thinking off or what he has up his sleeve. Every time he smirks that devilish grin if his, you'll need to get away if you don't want to be a chess piece.
"Your words flatter me but you three should hurry up, everyone's waiting for you." We froze when we heard Rex's voice just outside my bathroom door. Eyes wide open, I glanced at the other two who threw me the same looks.
"O-okay! We'll be quick!" I shouted in a squeaky voice and we heard his footsteps fading away as he went out of my door.
"We're dead."
-----+----
"Why are you still here?" I asked Lord Azrael with a frown on my face as soon as we entered the dining hall and saw him seated at Leirum's opposite seat which is at the other end of the long table.
"We'll talk that about later so please do sit down now and let's have breakfast all together shall we?" He responded and sipped some coffee from his mug which was strangely golden. This place is really rich ain't it.
Without the frown leaving my face, I just obeyed and took my seat which is now based on ranks so I sat between the noisy Alfreed and the yawning Cyan.
"Good morning." Cyan greeted sleepily and rubbed his eyes. Looks like he just woke up. That messy hair of his and sleepy looking eyes tells it all.
"Well, dig in." someone muttered and no one bothered to speak as we began eating and feeding our grumbling stomachs. I forgot to eat Yesterday at all for dinner with everything that had happened, it also slipped away from my mind.
The food that Leo cooked was just as delicious as the others. Everybody in here knows to cook, and by that, they're all great cooks. But it seems that Leirum, Rex and Kevin were the only ones who knew how, not that I tried cooking here. Also, add in Alfreed who said that it wasn't fit for her.
I studied the seating arrangements and tried to memorize their ranks in my head. Going from the last up, Last was Kevin, Violet was the eleventh ranker, Harumi was tenth, Antoinette was ninth, Leo was eighth, Ryouta was seventh, Mikael was sixth, Cyan was fifth, I'm fourth, then Alfreed the red head was third, the eleven year old kid Rex was second and Leirum like everyone knows is first.
I haven't seen everyone's powers yet. I only know that Leirum has telekinesis like mine, Rex has healing, plant manipulation and the elements of lightning, wind and earth. Cyan has illusion and teleportation. Violet has telepathy and ice. The rest? I have no idea but I'm sure that I'll get to see them all one day.
Soon enough, everyone was finished eating, except Ryouta of course, there was still so much space in his stomach to fill, that's what he says.
"So, what mission do you have for us now? Who are the ones going?" Rex asked with his face rested on his left hand propped on the table and his right hand playing with his table knife. Lord Azrael refused to answer though if no one was to make him another cup of coffee so Cyan made another cup for him.
When everything was done and the cup of steaming coffee with a sweet but strong fragrant was settled in front of the high court leader, everyone kept his attention on him.
"Everyone's participating on the mission." He announced and sipped coffee from his mug as everyone creased their foreheads.
"You're saying that the whole Twelve Lords will be going in a single mission?" Rex asked him while gazing at the Lord.
"Yup. All of you will go, also, bring Jack along. He'll be essential there to help you." Lord Azrael added and gave a grin. There he goes again, plotting another game for his amusement.
"And what exactly is this mission? What's the mission?" Rex asked, peering at Lord Azrael with calculating eyes.
"Ahhh, you'll be bringing back a little brat like you here. It'll be easy if you don't cross class S demons on your path I mean." Lord Azrael chuckled as Rex narrowed his eyes.
"Whats's the catch? Why do we need the former twelfth's help?" Rex asked cautiously, as if expecting that the task wasn't going to be easy if it required the twelve lords which are by means, the strongest warriors---errr, students of Wysteria Academy.
"Old man! Where are you?! Give me back my locket!" someone's angry shout was heard and we could make out the sound of the main door being pushed open by whoever that was. The voice was a male's and it was kind of familiar to me.
"You kids have fun in your mission and make sure to come back all alive. I'll be taking my leave as your visitor will be the one to tell the rest of the mission to you. Tell him that he won't be getting his beloved locket unless you complete the mission." Lord Azrael quickly said and chuckled.
Before anyone could talk and protest, he vanished in mid air and left his empty mug of coffee and everyone glared at where he sat a minute ago. That guy. tsk.
"Where the hell is that old geezer?" someone who had red brick hair appeared at the door way of the dining hall, panting and catching his breath as he entered. None other than Jack.
"Left the moment he heard your shout and said that he won't be returning your precious locket unless we complete the mission." Rex bluntly said.
Jack gritted his teeth and rubbed his temple as he clenched his fists.
"That old man, tsk." he fumed and clicked his tongue as he brushed back the strands of hair that strayed on his face.
"So what is the mission exactly?" Leirum who was quiet the whole time spoke up and stared inquiringly at Jack who was appalled to see him.
"How the hell---Is this guy a monster?" He muttered to himself before he fixed himself and grinned later on at the first ranker who was shooting him daggers with his eyes.
"Well, we'll be visiting the human world and who knows how long we will remain there just to get back the brat." Jack said with a grimace as everyone yelled "What?!"
"Yeah, the old man is sending us on a class B mission. We'll be killing demons while searching for the said brat who escaped there just a month ago." Jack confirmed and everyone gaped at him. We'll be visiting Earth? What the hell?
"By what you said about a brat escaping to the human world....." Rex trailed off, deep in thought. Leirum looked the same. A few seconds later, they looked at each other.
Rex was wearing a horrified look but Leirum had a wide smirk, like a devil grinning from ear to ear as they realized whoever the "brat" they were talking about was.
"Yup guys... Prince Narsus Archspere of Idris. One of Lord Leirum's greatest frie-enemies." Jack muttered gravely with a grimace as the dining hall was filled with shouts.
"Ohhhhh nooo!"
"That's it! Were not participating in the mission!"
"I'm out!"
"I have enough devils in my life, I don't need another one! No thank you!"
"Guys! Just this once, help me out or I won't get that damn locket!" Jack shouted. To me, it sounded a bit desperate and his eyes were showing emotions I couldn't define but the others failed to notice.
Mikael patted his shoulder. "I'd like to help but I wouldn't take any chances to see that brat."
The others began standing up and shaking their head in disapproval, Rex remained stupefied in his seat while Cyan had his eyes widened, Ryouta who was oblivious of what was happening was joyfully eating while Kevin and I sat cluelessly.
Before anyone could step out of the doors though, Leirum spoke up and everyone stopped on their tracks from his words.
"Well guys, We are all going and catch the little devil, oppose me and you'll see a real devil."
"Now I don't know if I'll be happy knowing that I can get back my locket after the mission or if I should be horrified knowing that I'll face the troublesome Prince." Jack stated.
------
I don't know if this story is good at all but geeeezzz, my imagination keeps on bugging me to write.
I hate birthdays.
Please vote comment and follow.
-thebadgirl05 at your service.