I guess a few might care for how I had spent my four years. I had studied which trained my mind, an old acquaintance of Morrigan had handled physical. Karma was a brute of a woman, with keen instincts and a sharp eye. I had learned very quickly to not underestimate her intellectual acumen, for while she did not care for schemes she knew the battle field.
Hundreds, if not thousands of books and data memorized within my mind like organized snapshots. Training to pull like data, narrow the scope of my search until I had an absolute answer. Time stretched within Civa's world of mirrors while she learned her abilities and the limits. She was an invaluable source of information and the one who would keep me on my chosen path.
I had to become a Card, the first step for taking over The Academy. Doing so would allow me access to books, and journals no one else had. There had to be some way to stop, or circumvent the Void even if I did not see it as a curse. In its own way the, affliction, or ability as I saw it had given me valuable tools. I could dive into it, like a dark ocean inside my mind and body. I could dive beneath those untouched waters willingly losing my feelings. Doing so was at times, very very useful.
"Little sister." Civa was technically here and there while also neither at the same time. Weird as hell witch powers, Mirror Witch was her official title but Morrigan, her mom, always let her do her own thing. She was fifteen and had been using her ability since she was a toddler. Her platinum hair had only grown longer and curler in the last five years.
"Via." Her smile was truely duchenne, as it always had been. I felt the faintest flicker of warmth as it shimmered through my chest for a breath. I smiled, knowing she would know I still felt something, for now. I was twelve, but nearing thirteen as the days passed quickly.
I had only recently learned that she was my half sister, on his side. I had little interest in her birth a scant few months after Fae's birthday. We had another sister, but Via held no interest is Fae. I knew better, I'd seen the anger in her aquamarine eyes when they had locked with mine. Our faces were simular as I took it in from the floor length mirror I had made sure we had acquired quickly.
It was settled between Seika and my own wardrobes. From them three foot were our beds, across from one another.
"You passed." A spark sizzled in my chest and my smile grew as I laughed. Seika bounced around in the five feet between our beds. She let out a soft 'yip' as she twirled and skipped around the area on silent feet.
"Of course I did, and now the real competition begins. You, Dragon, Seika, and Skull." Oh how things had changed, the spark of excitement was gone suddenly and I allowed my face to fall back to neutral.
"Time to start although do be careful please." She laughed but I had already turned to my roommate.
"Team of Four. Plus our secret~" Seika spoke her soft voice musical, though it no longer moved me. "Hehe~" Her now bright golden hues shone before they turned back to their swirl of colors.
"Yes, yes!" Civa giggled again, "They gave him a proper burial per our line." Seika smiled so wide and bright she showed her dainty canines. Dainty but deadly, then the view was gone and I shook my head at my elder sister.
"Via, you cannot rile our mad one up so." Her laugh twinkled through the air before the mirror showed us reflected. She was referring to him but I felt nothing about his burial.
"I just can not wait to castrate the womanizi-"
"Seika!" I rubbed my forehead as I cut the younger girl off. She barely looked six years old, but she really was my age. Girl had developed her fangs but use of her all brilliant fire had stopped her age at six years old.
"I am stuck in a child's body! I however am old enough to-"
"No! Do I need to get your brother?" That finally got her attention and she flopped onto her bed. Girl was all ruffles, lace, with golden hair and stormy eyes. She would one day no doubt be a knock out, her birth mother had been gorgeous.
"Fine. I'll be the lady as everyone want's, however I am working on somethings~" Like crystal bells, that is what I had once compared her voice with. She lifted up a pair of beat up headphones, although the earmuffs were now finished it seemed.
"Oh, good." I could not wait to see what concoctions she had created now. Suddenly in a flurry of ruffles and lace she was before me.
"It's midnight." I too was then on my feet moving towards the door. I glanced up, the clock did say midnight and the boys should have been here by now.
"Arm yourself." I slid my boots on doing up the tight laces to just below my knees. Two daggers were sheathed in their customized holders. Next my hip and thigh rig, basically two belts hooked at my hips and dropped crisscrossing each other to the opposite hip. I tapped counting all four dagger hills before I straightened pulling my jacket from the hook. Seika was already ready when I turned to face her.
"Keshi....." Her voice was softer than normal and I touched the top of her head. Palm resting in the baby soft waves of pure gold I felt nothing. Her large eyes were initially wide but looking into mine she suddenly smiled brightly. "Let's find out where my big brother is!"
I yanked the door open slipping my left glove on, then my right. Supple hide specially treated the middle finger was open stopping right after the first knuckle. The right had her pinky and ring finger also open from the same spot. I was moving down the six foot wide hall taking the left immediately. This part of the pits was known as the cathedral. It had seventeen main wings, only five of which I could access, until midnight. Things changed now, and we had to weed out the weaklings.
"I, for one can not wait to see who made our boys late." I knew it wouldnt take long, but the dorms are a maze. Intended to weed out the weak, "Find them Via."
"Area C."
"Seika, lead." A yip was her response as I kicked my body into gear. The dorms had a lovely habit of rearranging themselves and that was its lovely wonder. It did not have a pattern, an experiment of some sort but definitely a lot of magic. A dart of gold and pastels, I followed her closely as she darted down the random halls filled with doors. We suddenly saw them in one of the reading nooks Seika favored.
Skull was laughing, while Dragon had skull to walled one of four guys. The other three looked ready to piss themselves and the lanky silver haired boy moved suddenly. He was before Seika kneeling eyes roaming her before he focused back on the others. I noticed the tear in his shirt before she was at his side. A soft golden glow swirled from her hands and his side as she moved them near. I saw the tattletale signs of her true power flicker and then it was gone.
"Brother!"
"Just a scratch, scales caught it." His sisters voice had made him wince and his words were calm. The rage in those silver peony eyes was unmistakable though. Such a unique shade, and unheard of amongst dragons. Morrigan was looking into things, but for now Seika had wanted to be here. He never did anything that would upset his dearest Seika. Was was past the two of them the moment I saw movement.
"Kill them, that's the order." I was on the one who looked the most determined. He had decided one on of us girls as a target. I would make his last lesson on not underestimating a tiny female. "Seika, he has blood on his dag-" was all I had gotten out before she was on him headphones on.
"One foot radius." Smoke, colored a bright blue spewed heavily around her and enveloped her figure. I had ducked around him but her skirts had disappeared quicker than he had. Ground zero would not be fun, unless you were Dragon. I had slipped two daggers from my rig one flipped and thrown within a blink. The dagger landed in the one who had moved, nearly turned as the dagger caught him in the shoulder.
I was in his face then and struck with the dagger in my left hand. He paled, color leaving face as a fireball was suddenly at the right side of my face. I dove into the ocean at my core the stark emptiness surrounded me. I flared my own air affinity using it to twist my face and body. He still grazed my cheek, and some of my jaw. My held dagger was then in his side, and his eyes widened.
I watched life drain sapping the spark of life and pulled my daggers already moving again. I was over his body and on his friend to clash my daggers against his sword. After midnight Initiates could kill with the sealing ward. Curfew was ten to eleven pm, while the dorm liked to rearrange itself the most. It could mean your death if you were out in those hours. Most avoided travel if they could do anything about it. The pit had been dangerous enough, and now they would only advance to the next stage through one way.
"Survival of the strong, weak die." Some had been at the boards waiting for the list to drop. The number of teams, and the number they had to get to. "How many?"
"Around sixty teams."
"Then thirteen." I laughed the boys had been sent to get information, and return. While Seika was sensitive to all magic, Dragon could always find her. He had bonded to her as only high bloodline males could. None of us could separate them, and they did not want to be separated. "Skull earn your keep."
"Yeah? Bodies mine then?" Sixteen, large and the only physically intimidating member of their team. He was behind my opponent a smile large on his face, showing teeth. He grabbed the guys head in one massive paw, and shoved down on his shoulder suddenly. Red coated my vision before I closed my eyes, I waited a few heart beats. I was drowning in the ocean now, when I opened my eyes his locked with mine.