Another One? No Way.

Pain. Head. Raise my head. Blurry. Where am I? Cold. Very cold. Shivering. Numb. I feel myself as if through a thick slough of mud. Disconnected. I hear a voice. I can't make out what it's saying, though it is very loud. Painfully loud. Hangover. Seems like a hangover. Except, it is different. Much different. Get up. Try to get up. Fall back. Headache. Pulsing, painful headache. I hear the voice again. I try to hear. Pain. Flashing, sudden pain. Any progress I have made in getting up is gone. On the floor. Hard. Smooth. Where am I? Panic. What is happening? The voice gets clearer. I can almost make out the words. It's calling. It's a name.
Raewyn!
Raewyn? Who is Raewyn? The voice seems to be panicking. Who is it? Who am I, for that matter? Pain hits me again.
You're Raewyn! Don't tell me you got amnesia!
Raewyn. It does sound familiar. Is that me?
You were fighting Alice just now remember?
Fighting. Alice. I feel it now. I start to remember. Yes. I am Raewyn. I remember now. Try to pick myself off the ground. Manage to get to a sitting position. Pain, once more. Libys?
Yes?
What happened?
The sword. Libys' tone changes. I do not recognise it at first, but then, I realise, he is sullen. The tone is of a petulant child. It seems the most riduculous thing for a demon to sound like and I start to giggle.
Oh, damn, you're hysterical. You need a doctor. Wait no. I know why this is happening. Blessed sword.
Sword, the sword, what happened to it? I manage to project amidst my fits of laughter.
Calm down, Raewyn. Calm down. The sword, it seems has a mind of its own. Sentient in its own right. It...
Oh come on, just spit it out.
Well, stop convulsing. The sword is bonded to you. To us.
You don't seem too happy about it.
Why should I? Remember what Alice said. Each sword has its own special property. Oh, stop that inane giggling already.
I can't. So what's this one's characteristic? I can't see Libys, but mentally, I know that he is doing the metaphysical equivalent of a facepalm.
Either Alice is really a bitch or Fate is an ironic asshole. The sword, Aida, I believe it's name is, is a demonsbane. She really really hates me. In fact, the moment you fell unconscious we were practically trying to kill each other.
Well, I'm not hearing her now. What did you do?
Imagine this scene. She and I are fighting. Not properly, just more of a fistfight. I overpower her and then I tape her mouth and bind her hands. That's basically what happened, although its on a mental level.
Uh... Okay.. When are the binds going to break?
Actually, it breaks right about now-
A third mental voice was heard and Raewyn got over her laughter.
Foul demon! Do not ever lay your cursed hands on me ever again!
Oh, I'll touch you whenever I want, you self-righteous piece of metallic junk!
I will kill you and take your evil head and stick it up your-
Both of you, shut up!
Raewyn held up the sword and examined it, murmuring, "Good job Alice, now I've got to deal with two of these whiny kids in my head."
She could feel the sword literally vibrating with the hate it felt towards being held up by a demon.
"Oh, relax, you crazy sword."
I'm not crazy. Just that my makers made me as a demonsbane.
"I didn't mean literally. Sheesh. So your name is Aida."
Yes.
"And you hate all demons."
Yes.
"And you're bonded to me."
Yes.
"Do you hate me? For having a demon as my skin?"
No. Circumstances. Aida gave a mental shrug. You are my owner.
"Umm... Right... So I assume that you don't mind that I use you as a weapon?"
I am a weapon. It is my purpose.
"You don't mind being held by these pair of hands, part of which is demonic?"
You are my owner. Aida reiterated. Use me as you will.
Yeah well, Raewyn, just stick her up-
"Libys. Shut up."
Alright, alright, I'll jus-
"Shut. Up."
Although I do dislike this demon particularly over others in general. He seems to be a major irritant.
"That he is. You have no idea. So, hi. My name is Raewyn Aesiflay."
Pleased to meet you.
"That jackass demon is Libys."
Not so pleased to meet him.
Raewyn sighed and got up. Learning how to dual-wield would take some time. Especially learning how to use a sword in one hand and a chain-morningstar in the other. She looked around. She was still in the dungeon.
"Well now. Let's get the hell out of here-" I could arrange that. Especially the sword. "-and back into her shop. I wonder if Jack knows about Alice." This was proving to be a long and tiring day.

Tachys For Speed

Raewyn barely managed to raise her own sword just in time as Alice's own clashed into hers. They were face to face, swords locked in-between. Her soulless eyes looked deep into Raewyn's, searching deep for that which she herself lacked. Abruptly, Alice pulled back and dashed backwards. She shook her head.
"Too slow, much too slow. You'd never survive an attack from one of my kind." Alice blinked behind Raewyn and slashed at her neck, ready to decapitate.
Duck! Libys' mental voice rang out. The bloody bitch isn't aiming to hurt, she's trying to kill!
Raewyn numbly obeyed and made a sweeping cut under her legs. Alice wasn't even there anymore. Raewyn looked all around the chilly room.
"Come out Alice! I don't want to fight you! Why are you even trying to kill me?"
Alice blinked into existence several metres in front of Raewyn.
"I'm not. What makes you think I am? I would never kill you, Raewyn."
She blinked out of sight once more.
"Well, I don't know! Maybe its this whole sword fight thing, or maybe its the fact that you almost cut my head off! Oh, dear me no, it must have been your sudden lack of hair, yeah?" Raewyn shouted into the damp and clammy air.
"Maybe." Alice's voice was a whisper, right above her. "But I already said I'm not going to kill you." She dropped down and right behind Raewyn, sword held high and ready to deal a death-blow. Raewyn dodged to the side as the sword hit the stone floor and thrust her own at Alice's chest.
"If that isn't trying to kill me, I don't know what is!" Alice easily parried it and pushed Raewyn to the floor. Raewyn scrambled to get up but Alice's bare foot pushed against her back and forced her down.
"It's called training, sweetheart, not killing." Alice stabbed the sword down into the concrete just beside Raewyn's head, hard enough to crack it, pierce through and embed itself blade first. Alice shook her head. "No, you definitely wouldn't live."
"I didn't want to hurt you."
"Remember, we are Doppelgangers. Any of my kind you face will probably take a shape of your friend or someone close to you and taunt you. You have to be stronger than that."
"And why in the Archon's name do I need to face Doppelgangers?"
"Because of that sword I just gave you."
"I don't even want it! I've got Utrennyaya and she works a beauty on anyone i face!"
"Hmph. You still have to take it with you."
"Why? You're not even listening to me!" Raewyn was more indignant by this stage than scared.
"It's a real work of art. My people's artificers really knew what they were doing when they made it. You have to take it with you because of what it is."
"What do you mean?"
"It's not any ordinary sword. It's a bonded sword. And I'm not sure what special quality that one has, it only makes it known to its owner. And it's bonded to you."
"What? No, it sure as hell hasn't bonded to me!" By this point, Raewyn had got up and was examining her sword.
"It has. Speak to it, much the same way as you would to Libys."
She's right you know, I can feel the presence of the sword. Your mind sure is getting rather crowded. Libys' voice echoed in her thoughts.
"Prove it, Alice."
"Look at the blade. There's a symbol carved in it. All of our swords have a different symbol. Only the owner can read the rune. It is the name of the sword."
Raewyn held it up and examined the flat of the blade. There was indeed a symbol in it, but she could not underst- She gasped as a bolt of pain lanced her head. Aida. A voice trailed on the wind. The last thing Raewyn heard before she fell unconscious was Libys screaming incoherently at someone.

Tachys Exam Results 9048. The words stared out at the group from the paper they all gripped. Excitement, fear, anxiety, indifference, the entire gamut of emotions would be run. Just three more days left before they were forced to make a choice. However, they were virtually the only ones who hadn't fully decided what combinations to choose and thus were the only ones agonising over it while the rest of the school was having fun. Cocytus and Kestrel were playing chess with Lethe spectating. Phlegyas and Acheron were discussing what he should take and Styx, once again, was no where to be found.
"But you don't actually like Higher Languages, right?"
"Well, not exactly, I don't hate it but I also have no deep-set hatred for it."
"Well, your grades are more than enough to get in. And you mentioned Higher Engineering?"
"Umm, it seems kind of fun."
"But your Engineering results is kinda bad."
"Ok, fine, then what do you think I should take?"
"Are you interested in Magic?"
"It's ok, I guess."
"You're fine with everything."
"Yes."
"Then I give up. Flip a coin or something." So saying, Phlegyas went over and joined the other three in their chess game.
Yeah, brother, that went totally well. You're sure decisive. Acheros' mocking voice said.
Like you aren't. Go hunt some roadkill or something.
"Hey, isn't anyone worried for Styx?" Phlegyas asked.
"I don't know, she's been in the practice room all the time these days and coming out so tired and all. We keep calling her through our link and she doesn't even deign to respond." Cocytus stated.
"Yeah. Archon knows, we've tried. But I think it's just a phase. She'll get over it and come to us." was Kestrel's feminine conclusion.
Three days left, and Styx was still locking herself in the combat room, no choice being made.

The Letters #4

Darling Calm,
I just want to point out
That we are just continuations of
the process of life and death.
Who are you, to decide on my span?
Death is a gift, one which I am not yet worthy of.
I love you so much,
My heart and soul aches for you.
But it won't inhibit me, when you come to kill me.
-November

Fregoli Delusion? Guess Not.

No time for play recently. Study, study and more study. No time to practise, no time to talk, no time to explore. But it would be over in just a few more days. They were already half done with their papers and looked forward eagerly to the time of pure leisure. These thoughts were distracting Styx, in the middle of their Languages exam. She appreciated the effort Acheron must have put in to learn Common, Cain being his first language. She wondered what Cania looked like. She shook off such thoughts and continued with her paper.

Solciro, having finished his papers awhile back, sat back against a tree. He leaned against it, feeling its wood and every rough detail. Like the rest of the Terra family, he was very much into nature. It felt good, just leaning back and just being there. He put a hand onto the ground and sifted through the soil. He lifted some to his nose. It was soft and loamy with a smell so very vibrant and full of life. Good soil. The sun was warm, uncomfortably warm for most others but just right for him. The grass below him, the tree behind him, the sun above him and all his future ahead of him. Glorious and wonderful, the day was. His sister would have disagreed about the sun, he thought. Lunare much preferred the moon, the cold and the dark. Thinking about his sister, his mood slightly darkened. She was spending so much time now with that... Cain. He could feel them even now, through that link that all twins had, that she was having a great time with that faceless thing. Relax, he told himself, relax. Racism, I mustn't be racist. Still, it was hard to accept someone so profoundly different. Those spindly fingers, those... alien, liquid eyes. So inhuman. And he had heard the tales of their endless depths of depravity, torturing for joy, murdering for pleasure. But at least this one hadn't shown anything of the sort so far, he told himself. Yet. Call no man happy till he is dead. Don't judge until it's all done. He just hoped his dear little sister would be fine.

Lunare was having the time of her life, learning how to pick locks from Acherus. They were breaking into Cocytus' locker as part of her practice and just to annoy him. In the chilly corridor, she was perfectly at home. She was aiming for Specialist Magic, particularly of the Frost domain. Her brother would be going for the Fire domain. She had had little experience with members of other races save humans and elven parents weren't exactly known for their lack of discipline with their offspring. Being out of their control was a new and rather intoxicating experience for Lunare. Freedom, after all, was the most addictive drug. For Acherus, it was rather odd for him as he was more used to working only with Acheros and he was explaining everything every step of the way to her. Abit of a hassle, but he could only begin to imagine the possibilities with a partner or at least, a partner with a humanoid body. Acheros was simply amused by the whole thing and was simply perching close by, keeping an eye out.

Styx was training. She didn't tell anyone or show anyone. But the most anyone knew was that she was coming out of the hand-to-hand combat practice room daily with sweat covered all about. And it didn't just seem to be unarmed practice against one of the combat dummies, she was metally fatigued as well, not just physically. One time, she was almost fainting as she stumbled off to the cafeteria, causing alarm in all her friends. Now that they had finished their exams, there were no more classes and everyone could do whatever they wanted during lesson times. But it was odd. Now that they had time, they didn't know what to do, save Styx, and nobody knew what she was doing.

Lethe sat on the grass. The heat was starting to get a little unbearable and she chanced it. She took off her hoodie and hoped that no one would touch her. Feeling the wind in her hair, she knew it was worth it and smiled. It had been quite awhile since she had felt the wind on her skin. A crow nearby squawked. Lethe was reminded of Lacier and the circumstances of his death. But she had finally managed to let him go, finally gotten over it. She would still grieve for him, but she wouldn't be so helpless when faced with a death again. Turning her head, she saw Solciro under the shade of a tree and decided to join him. After all, the sun was beating down and she was close to sweating, and she didn't like sweating.
Walking over, she sat down beside him and leaned against the hard bark.
"Hello."
Solciro opened an eye. He woke up.
"Oh hello there. How did you do for the Tach?"
"I don't know. Actually, I don't even know which subjects to take. Only Dream-weaving."
"Dream-weaving? That's cool. I'm taking Specialist Magic in the Fire domain and Higher Magics. I want to be a fire mage but with other fields of knowledge."
"Dual eh? Interesting."
"But I'm having several doubts. I could be a fire mage as I originally planned, but I feel like druid would be suit me more."
"Why not both then? Take Spec Fire and Druidism?"
"Well, who ever heard of a druid who casts fire spells?"
"Go ahead and break the mold. I hate it when people stereotype. And anyway, fire is as much a part of nature as anything else. Trees enjoy small fires. The large artificial fires are the one that hurt the forests."
"True... What you say makes a whole lot of sense. I guess I will. Thanks."
"What for? I merely stated the facts."
"For boosting my self-confidence I guess. For assuring me that what I'm doing isn't wrong."
"Sure. No prob there. Any thoughts on what I should take for second subject?"
"Uh, well, what're you interested in?"
"I was thinking Shapeshifting but I'd probably gonna be the only non-werewolf there. I don't want to be the odd one out." Again, she thought to herself. I am not going to be the oddball again. Not again.
"Yeah. I've heard stories about the Shapeshifting class. The non-weres get bullied like nobody's business. And it is nobody's business. Best not to take it. What else?"
"Combat ain't my sorta thing, really. Maybe Higher Magics?"
"Any domain you particularly like?"
"Umm... Nope."
"Then you could go all-rounder for Higher Magics. If you're interested in any one of them, you could go Spec Magic."
"Hmm, now that you mention it, I've always rather liked the Enchantment school."
"Oh you're picking by spell schools rather than elemental domains aye? The thing is, you have to select your discipline too. If I'm not wrong, Enchantment is split into Charms and Compulsions."
"What's the difference?"
Solciro was in his element, having studied the entire magic system before. "Charms are more passive and less overt. It lets you influence the subject's attitude to you or anyone else. On the other hand, Compulsions forces the subject to a certain action or avoiding it. Also, Compulsions are more offensive-based and the teachers teach those spells which hurt by affecting their minds and emotions. The downside here is that Compulsions are a one-shot thing and once the compulsion has been fulfilled, the spell wears off. Sort of like a geas of the old stories. Also, compulsions are quite obvious and once detected, may be dispelled by someone else of a similar strength or stronger. On the other hand, Charms can't actually force someone to do something they don't wish to do. Charms can only make a person do something if they don't have any negative incentive against it. So you could say that Charms is the prod while Compulsions is the push."
"Umm..." Lethe blinked. "Wow. Kinda confusing. You studied up on all that?"
"Yeah, I wanted to know if I was missing on anything I would like."

"You're back. Was my information accurate?" Jack asked, rather lifeless she felt.
"Yes, of course. Your information always is."
"Yes I know. But it's always nice to know for sure."
Alice stepped forward.
"I see you've brought my implements back. I trust that they worked?"
"Indeed. I can always trust the quality of your items. In fact," Raewyn paused. "The demon gave more information and knowledge than we needed."
You're going to ask her, aren't you?
"Oh? Such as?"
Raewyn sighed. "Don't take this wrong Alice, I'm just curious. I know you're not human. But I always assumed you were an elf or some such using magic to disguise yourself. But the demon has told me that you're not... not anything that we know. What are you?"
Alice nodded. "I knew you'd ask eventually. Follow me."
Sounds ominous to me.
She led Raewyn down a winding staircase, carrying a torch to light the way. Down they went, into a damp, dark and cold room, suspiciously similar to a dungeon. Alice went to the centre of the room and sat down. She motioned for Raewyn to do the same.
"It is safe to talk here."
"I thought it was in your shop."
"It never is. It's just that they don't care about what you're doing."
"Alice. Who's they?"
"I am a Doppelganger."
Raewyn's blood froze.
Oh bless us. We're blessed. Demons had a warped sense of swear words and Libys was no different.
"No, Raewyn, relax. sit down. Look into my eyes. I am one of the last of them. I haven't had any contact with the survivors, if any, of my kind in years. I was lucky enough to escape the Doppel-hunts. I had no knowledge, so I masqueraded as a child and enrolled myself in that school we both went to. Raewyn. Believe me. You're the only one I can tell this to. Please don't betray that trust." She got up and walked over to a wall and took something.
Raewyn stayed to her seat on the floor and just stared at her numbly. Alice walked back, the item revealed to be a long and immaculate sword with a simple hilt with no guard and a handle of obsidian. The blade itself shone in the weak lighting provided by her torch.
"You're going to kill me." The words fell from her mouth without her intent to say such.
Kill us, don't forget me.
Alice lifted up the blade, a chilling sight considering her appearance as such a child. She pointed the blade at Raewyn and lifted it to her eyes. Raewyn's gaze was firmly fixated on the blade which, if Alice so wished, could cut into her head and kill her in a moment with just a twitch. Abruptly, Alice pulled back the sword and reversed it, offering it to Raewyn. Raewyn grabbed the handle and stood up.
"I wouldn't kill you. You are... my friend. Take the blade. Use it, as often as you will. By this day and age, nobody will recognise it." Alice turned and dropped to the floor cross-legged. "It's an old weapon. But it will serve you well. Chances are, if another Doppelganger sees you, he or she will attempt to kidnap you and interrogate you about how you got it. It's a minor downside to the strength of the sword though. Not that many of us out on the streets anymore. Shouldn't be noticed." Alice stood again. "You're curious, aren't you? About what I really look like."
Alice's petite form suddenly grew taller until she was just over Raewyn's head. Her skin turned grey and her features faded. She looked similar to a Cain, except that she had no horns or vents by her throat. Just a blank mask with eyes that bored into Raewyn's soul. Her scalp was as hairless and bald. Her clothes dropped off to reveal an androgynous body with no genitalia. Smooth, unmarked and lean, Alice was a sight to behold. Somehow, with no orifices, she contrived to speak. "Draw."
And with that, she lunged forward at Raewyn.

All Too Familiar That Seems

Snarling, it lunged at its attacker. It turned out to be a decoy. With spikes of cold iron embedded in it. The demon had effectively impaled itself on the dummy.
"Excellent. These things do actually work then." A feminine voice from behind, approaching.
The cold iron sizzled and burned the demon wherever it touched. The cold iron had been strategically placed at the neck, the chest, the lower torso and the legs.
With its neck impaled, the demon could just barely speak and could not even turn its head. It could only flail its arms about, not having the leverage to push itself off the trap. The person walked forward into the demon's field of vision.
The demon growled. "You are a demon hunter?"
The figure gave a high laugh. "If by that you mean that I am a demon and I am a hunter, then you would be partially correct. I'm not fully demon. Only my skin. And as to what I hunt, I am a bounty hunter. Let's see." She took out a list. "I was charged with torturing several bits of information out of you. Shouldn't be too hard, what with all these toys Alice has provided me with."
The demon stopped its struggling and froze. "Alice? Alice Arias?"
Raewyn looked at it curiously. "The same. She is famous amongst demons then? Interesting."
The demon shouted, half in terror and half in anticipation of the pain. "You would work with that monster? That.. That.. That beast? That abomination! She is not of our ken!"
Raewyn just looked at it. "How amusing. A demon calling someone else a monster, a beast."
"You do not understand, mortal! Alice is not demon, not human, not elf, not Cain, not any of the other species of this world! She is something more..." The demon trailed off into silence. "Hurt me then. I shall experience first-hand what that unnatural being has wrought."
"You're kinda ruining my mood for the torture."
Libys. I give you permission to take over my body and torture out whatever we need.
Sure thing Raewyn. Finally.

I never knew a demon could scream like that.
I pride myself on systematic torture.
Right. So, we've gotten everything. But I am curious. I always knew Alice wasn't human. I assumed that she was some other race using magic to disguise herself.
Well, she is some other race. I'm just not sure what. But whatever she uses, it isn't magic. She is something other.
And you knew all this since when?
Since you met her.
And you let us become acquaintances and now really good friends without telling me?
Would it have changed anything?
Well, it would have alienated me, sure.
Would it have changed anything important?
Fine. You win. But don't withhold information from me next time.
Or you'll do what?
I'll stab myself with cold iron.
.... Smart.
Now where did I put that scroll...
In your third Bag of Holding. What is it with women and having so many bags anyway?
Raewyn teleported back into the Portal Gardens of Pero Diaz.

Days passed. Cocytus had been discharged from the bay. The oddity of the class, temporarily. Some took photos. Sudden popularity. He didn't tell anyone else about what he could do, though he practised whenever out of sight. Lethe was still annoyed. And depressed. Her eye ache had intensified to a splitting pain and seemed to never go away or if it did, it would return a short while later in a greater degree. And her eyes grew imperceptibly redder in the whites. Acherus was still spending time with Lunare and rumours were spreading all around. Styx augmented her clairvoyance with her telepathy, managing to achieve a degree of clarity similar to that of the truly skilled. Phlegyas tried to clear away the distractions and concentrate on his work. Kestrel just tried to ensure that Cocytus didn't hurt himself, much to the amusement of everyone but him.
Exams were coming. A general lack of concentration spread around while everyone tried to rush their revisions. This was the big one. They would be splitting into different classes based on their choices of tertiary subjects. Only Cocytus, Kestrel and Phlegyas knew what they were going to choose.
Cocytus and Kestrel would opt for Draconian Studies and Higher Magic, while Phlegyas was thinking of Specialist Combat and Astronomy. They were rather surprised by his odd choice.
"I believe that celestial alignments affect us." was all he would say, shrugging his broad shoulders.
Shapeshifting appealed to Lethe, but you could only shapeshift to one shape, never change to any other again. Also, she would be surrounded by werewolves and probably be ostracised. Dream-weaving would be one of her choices though.
Acheron was aiming for Higher Languages, his anatomy giving him an edge but they couldn't really think of anything else to pick. Possibly Higher Engineering.
Styx didn't know at all what to pick. She didn't particularly care. She would probably pick them based on her grades and not on her interests.