Shadowsblade: Queens Gambit

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Shadowsblade a Whateley Tale: Written by Shadowsblade
Created for war and forged in pain, dealing with demons within and
without.

In this chapter...loss.
a pawn is moved off the board and Ro has to deal with that change and help others.

NOTE! in this chapter Ro does some not so? nice things? In some opinions?
you have been warned

Copyright © 2016 by Shadowsblade

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods,
without the prior written permission of the Author, except in the case of
brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other
noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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~o~O~o~

Monday March 19, 3:00 pm
Poe cottage

Well it's time, after my door gets closed and I run down the hallway to Poe's front door to port off to Shuster hall for a very stupid MID-MCO interview. Better known to most students, as 'the grilling!'

Mr. Reilly, had one of his legal personal run me through a whole slue of laws on this last night and e-mailed me even more on the subject. I studied that info hard, as I wanted to know all these new laws that could get me more than jailed, I could end up dead if I did not grab the upper hand here! Heck, I even took time to print out a full copy of the laws in question, a whole five hundred pages, plus!

As I hit Poe's entrance to get moving. I spot a new girl already there moving nervously about the entrance, one I have not met personally yet? But I have heard of her already. She is a Native American avatar, then add a real important spirit is in her and one I have encountered at a distance in my very ancient past.

When I walk up to her, I spot she is guarded at best and jumpy as heck! She seems to be looking for something? "Hey, do you need any help?" I ask her at a short distance, to give her it seems much needed space.

The girl studies me quickly, then gives me that same glassy vacant look I give others, when something in my head is talking to me? She blinks to me and steps back a little from me, when it seems she comes back to the more 'now' "My spirits say not to trust you, your kind hunted humans at one time?"

"Yep I did," I admit to her, like it was a normal job and it was! "that is what a Drow does, it obeys orders or dies?" I tell her in my own strange way, I had no choice in the matter.

She blinks at me more, then comes back to me "They tell me, that is correct. A slave at best?"

"Yes," I almost hiss at her, as my impatience grows.

She just stares at me, then takes that one more step back from me.

"Hey, calm down. I no longer hunt. I made a oath to protect the students here, so you're safe till you graduate." I grin at her and add a little giggle to break the ice more.

"Humm I am told you can't lie, so I should believe you?"

"Yep, that's logic for ya. It makes sense! But what do you need? And by the way, I am Rohanna Leigh?"

"Kayda," she smiles a little to me, "I need an escort to class in Shuster hall. I was attacked and have to have a student escort. Rosalyn seems to help me the most?"

"Ohh I bet Roz helps ya! You're her type and how! But I can help you out with that escort?"

"You can, or should I wait?"

"Your choice, I am already going there and I am the best at getting you where you need to go unmolested!" I boast to her.

"Really, how?"

"One, I teleport. Then two, I am sure that only a nut would test me these days! See?" and I show her the 'UV' armband, with a finger under it "I am even tagged as such...This means...Don't mess with, or if you do, you're going to regret it! AND I earned it!"

"I am not sure if I should?"

"Well I have to get going, then we are in the same cottage? Trust has to start somewhere?" I wink at her.

Her eyes glaze over once again and when back she asks me again "Can you promise me not to hurt me, they asked me to insure it?"

"Sure, I swear not to hurt you intentionally and only if you do not attack me? Good enough? Because that is the best you can get out of me!"

"Okay, thanks!"

"Well off we go!" and I port her to Shuster hall, with a touch to her shoulder.

When we land, I find she is very steady and not distressed at all by the port. Then I point out the room I am going to for her. "If your class is done in an hour or so? I will be in there or crystal hall for dinner. Have a nice day?" I smile to her.

She just waves to me and runs that short distance to the class door, as I watch her back for her.

~o~O~o~

For almost an hour, I wait my turn in line with other new students this term and when I my time comes. An MCO agent comes into the waiting room and waves over to me to follow him out.
My armor snaps onto my body, so I am ready for this interview and picture to come.

~"Violet stay hidden, this human does not need to know about you."~ I warn her for safety.

~"Yes, I will watch over you from across the room and wait for you to leave or he gets stupid!"~ she warns back to me.

"Have a seat?" he asks me in a friendly tone, but my eyes spot body language on him that tells me...he does not want to be here around us mutants at all, I am nearly sure!

"Thanks," I say to him in my best neutral tone of voice, from my time getting punished by the royals or their lackeys.

"Well I have to start recording all of this for the record. As per MCO and TSA regs." he states to me, blandly.

Then my way of telling if a person is lying to me, it just screams back to me!

"Ahh as far as I was told and read? No you don't, I am a minor, then add this is protected as such and US, plus international rules, they all say this is a private conversation." I smile at him, a grin of my very pointy fangs.

"Who told you that, or where did you read it?" he glares at me, in what seems to be his deepening anger at me questioning him and that badge of authority he wears.

I pull that bound printout from my storage with a wave, as I state to him "Mr. Reilly, my guardian told me, via a lawyer of his on retainer." Then the bound book falls from my hand to land with a thud on the small table, "Look up page three hundred ten, that covers most of it?"

"This interview is not protected under those laws?"

"Then read the book before you and learn the law? Till then, I say nothing and ask for my guardian or appointed lawyer to be present?"

"That will not be needed at all, lets start now please?"

"Well thanks for the manners, a little late?" I wink at him, to unravel him even more, "But thanks, then please turn off the recorder and put it away? Or I have to leave and we do this with a audience of lawyers later on?"

He just stares at the tome on his table, shoves it aside, as his other hand grabs his recorder off the table and drops it in a bag at his feet "Fine, lets start?"

My hand lands on his 'silence generator' and I am about to flick it on, when I just have to ask him "Should we use your very limited device or I use my way instead?"

"What would that be?"

"Magic of course, what else would a true Sidhe use?"

"No, just turn mine on!" he spits at me, "I don't trust magic?"

"Humm too bad, it's real fun!" I give him a cheesy grin as I turn on the device.

"Well lets start," he asks me, then pulls out a very large file and drops it between us both, "You have quite the file so far?"

"That's nice, I love reading!"

"Well you won't read this!"

I tap the file, with a finger and it's done. "You meant his one?" My power to read things goes over the file and it's now in my head, "Already read most of it? I will get the rest later on," I grin to him in my strange fang showing way, I did say the truth as my mind is still going over the files, because they are so messed up and unordered at best!

"What ever," he waves me off nonchalantly, "But I read here, you're an elf?" he asks and flips a page forward.

"No, that's wrong. I am a Drow! Not an elf?" I correct him flatly.

"It says here, Elf?"

"It's wrong, you humans seem to say that word in description all the time? That anything nearly human in size, with pointy ears, is an 'elf'" I do air quotes gesture to mess with him, "and that is wrong. Elves are shorter by far and nasty most of the time." I correct him again.

"Okay, I will make a note on that. But onward, you're a WIZ-mage and a exemplar?"

"Okay if you say so? I don't 'peg' others like you all do?"

"What do you mean by 'you all'....?" he sneers at me.

"Humans." I state to back at him coldly and twist in my chair to find a better spot to sit.

He glares at me more than angry at my last comment, but keeps on track "So any family to list on this file?"

I almost growl at him, "I don't have to tell you that information by law. You have one on file I am sure, as my guardian?"

"I will look that up when I enter in the final card entry. But to move on." He huffs out at my last words, then adds in, "I see a note on here, that you carry weapons on your person most of the time?"

"When I need them?" I give him nothing.

"So you use them to attack others?"

I hold back my truthful answer of 'yes' with a question of my own, "Why is this important? Are you trying to garner evidence to use against me later, in some legal issues?"

"Why are you evading standard questions?"

"Because you are asking no standard questions and you know it!"

"What makes you even think, that you can tell me how to do my job!"

"Humm that legal stuff I told you and dropped on the table for you to read?"

"That is not what counts here today, that is a set of guidelines!"

"Well then, drop dead! AND I will let my guardian do this via his end and go around ya!"

He quickly looks down at his file, to find that sheet that tells him who that 'guardian' is and then looks up at me with a jolt of his head to me, after he finds it.

"Yep that's him!" I study his face and can spot that little bit of shock now covering it, "Then add all that crap, that got the whole Berlin MCO arrested on top of that! Plus my ARC files and I will still get a MID card soon enough with out you or this little talk!"

With a huge sigh out at his loss of this battle of wits, he gives into me "Well we are done here, one last scan and I print your card out."

I was told by the lawyer this was normal and to expect it, even though ARC has a dozen scans of me on file!

He stands up and waves me to join him at a scanner that looks like a flimsy metal detector. My skull art covered mask, comes out and covers my face. As I am allowed to have a mask, to hide my identity from others and I stand where he wants me to. The scanner does it's 'thing' and I am done.

"Any other powers to add to this list."

I just stand there and don't answer him. My only defense, till he asks me to tell the truth!

"I will take that as a no then?"

I just look at him and give him nothing, like I did for all those centuries.

"Okay, address of record?"

"Same as guardian."

He nods to me and looks at the file to remember it, then puts it in the computer of his.

"Lastly, codename?"

"Shadowsblade." I say more than proud of it.

Within a few minutes he hands me a card, that I find is correct for me. Orange, student color, picture of me on front and all the right information on its back.

With it in my hand, I grin at him, "I hope to never see you again!" and he better not see me again on a bad day, if he likes his current life!

~"That one would make a fine Nymph of earth maybe?"~ I ask Violet as we leave the room.

~"Makes sense to me, he is lower than dirt!"~ she giggles to me.

~o~O~o~

Monday March 19, 7:10 pm
Poe cottage

All laid out on my bed, in just a tee-shirt and sweats. I am studying my books on magic class and my hardest subject in my opinion! Most of my bed is covered by me, the books or loads of snack bags, just full of all kinds of munchies! I take bites from various bags, as I read and make notes.

As I study on, a knock is at my door "Come in?" I bark at it and roll over to see who it is?

Paige opens my door slowly, with something in her hands I can see, "You decent?" she asks me sheepishly.

"What me? I am in a relationship with a lust demon and you ask that!" I giggle to her, as I know Sara is right behind her.

Sara pushes the door open and laughs at me "You knew I was there! But Paige has that computer done as promised...finally!" she glares at Paige, as she walks in with it "And it's here!"

"Hey don't blame me! I had lots of data to chase down, to keep that Boston video off the net!" she quips back at Sara and goes to place a large box on my desk.

"And a good job too! I will reward ya later for that?" Sara purrs sexily to the Were-panther girl, now taking out equipment from that box and placing it on my desk.

"Suuuure ya will! But Ro? This is the system I told ya I would do for you," she says to me and shows me a small lunch box with cables, she is just starting to connect to it.

"Darn thing looks real small?" I squint at it.

"Yep and bleeding edge tech!" she boasts, while climbing under my desk to place it and hook it up to my internet fiber line.

"Well now I have something new to learn?" I mumble back at her, while she is under my desk and I watch on as her tail swishes back and forth in a agitated mood.

"Hey I will teach ya!" she beams at me from down there.

"Okay?" I say not too sure of it? Then I lose the fight to grab that tail for fun!

I make a grab for it and give her a gentle tug. Paige instantly reacts to me doing that with a shriek "Hey lay off the Tail!"

"But they are so much fun to play with?" I whine to her.

She snatches her tail to her side and moves away from my reach "Leave it alone, then I have to show you this?"

"Go ahead, I am ready to learn?"

She runs down the long list of spec's to what is jammed into that very small box and what it seems to be to me? Is that, she jammed a supercomputer into a case ten times too small and gave me a very high end, thirty two inch flat panel monitor to use it with!

"Humm sounds fun?" I drone out, as she finishes the list.

"Yep...shoot! I forgot a game to play on it in my being pressed by Sara, to get this computer over to ya tonight!" she glares at Sara for sometime, as she ponders her next move, "I will ask if anyone around here has one to barrow?"

Paige is getting up off my floor and the computer is doing a last diagnostic at her whims via her powers over computers. But as she gets up, I have to give her something neat from my old times and that is the only thought in my head now!

"Hey Paige? Before you go and find a game to play on this?" I get up and go to my set of drawers. To pull out a small hand sized leather bag from deep within it.

"What's that?" she asks me while standing at my door.

"This?" and I pull out a smaller round ball from the pouch, the size of a baseball. Then wave it at her.

Sara laughs at it "What is that? A cat nip ball?"

"In a way?"

"Won't work on me! I am not a house cat!"

Sara laughs even hard now and falls back on my bed "Ohh yes you are, you're even 'box' trained!"

Paige pouts back at me "Hey that is only when I lose control and fully change!" she warns us.

"But this does work on Were's and I am sure it's the last one on the planet?" I toss it up into the air and catch it a few times.

"I tried a catnip ball one night, after Sara joked me by tossing one at me. The darn things are for cats! I am a panther?"

"Ohh but this is a thousand times stronger than that crap!" my hand gives the bag a hard squeeze to crush the contents a little, thus making it smell. Then I wave it below her nose and her eyes glaze over to us.

My hand wiggles the small ball back and forth before her face, Paige's eyes never leave that ball! Then I toss it onto my other bed and watch her 'pounce' on it!

Sara, just falls over laughing so hard, she has trouble getting enough breath to make sounds any more, She gasps out nearly silent at me "That is too funny!"

"It is," I say flatly, as we both watch her pounce and play with that ball on my other bed.

"Where did you get that?" Sara questions me between fits of laughing at Paige's antics.

"Ohh I have many strange things like that, remember? I was a leader of Were's into combat, so I know them well!"

Paige is totally entranced by the ball and it's scent as we talk, she tosses it up and smacks it around like a large cat would in her play.

"How long does that last" Sara asks me.

"Ohh about an hour, or till she 'OD's' on the scent and falls asleep?"

"But she was showing you that new computer?"

"Yes, but is this not more fun to watch?" I grin back at her.

"Ro, just grab the thing and lets get back to getting this computer all set for ya?"

"Okay, I'll fix this." I state then walk over and snatch the ball from Paige. She growls a little at me and I then toss the ball again to get her attention back on it.

While she is fully 'set' on the ball, I grab a foot of her's and slip off a shoe. She does not seem to mind at all. As that small ball is her whole world right now.

"Sara, come here please? You might want to learn this too, it may help you with Paige on some of her more bad days?"

When Sara gets over to me, I pull her hand to me and press one of her fingers on Paige's foot at the side, near the bottom "Feel that small spot, the bone and the tendon?"

She nods to me "Yes, what of it?"

"Press it hard, then slide up like this?" I show her the move and help her to do it.

She does it and Paige, she falls right asleep.

"Neat? But she will be out for hours!"

"Nope, just shake her awake, once I get the ball back into the bag and she can't smell it inside there!"

Once I get the ball collected and put away. Sara gives Paige a playful shove and she wakes up mad as heck at me!

Paige jumps across the room and growls in my face "That was not fair! I should...I should!"

"What? tear up my sheets? Or maybe zap me?" I grin at her, "But I had to show ya how much fun that ball was?"

"But like that, I was busy showing you that new computer?"

"Hey, we only lost like twenty minutes and you had fun?" I hand the bag to her, as I smile to her, "Besides the ball is yours, call it a gift!"

"Okay, I give. BUT I would not forgive ya! If that thing was not so much fun?"

Sara grins at me, her next question, "That foot thing, how long does it last?"

"A few hours and it will calm Paige down right away."

"What's this?" Paige asks me, more than confused.

"I just showed Sara a way to calm you down when you're agitated. Like when you change during certain times of the month or year?"

"What, there is something you can do for that? The other Were's never told me any of this?" she asks me even more confused now.

"Of course they did not know that, only Drow or some Sidhe know this kind of stuff? The Were's never really needed it that much, back then...but now?" I question myself, "They might need to relearn it, I will show you how to do later on!"

"Yep, or I will?" Sara smiled to her, "So Paige, go grab a good game from? Hummm?" Sara ponders a little and looks so cute when she does, "Hank has a good collection of games! Go ask him for one?"

Once Paige gets back to my room with a game that Hank gave her in hand, Hank and a few others flow into my room to see that new computer at work. Hank smiles at me as Paige loads that game off it's disk "You'll love this one, It's HellGate London! A new game that you fight demons in!"

I nod back to him, "Sounds like my old job?"

We all watch on, as Paige plays the first levels of the game on that huge monitor. She kills off demons in a destroyed London and church looking buildings with practiced ease. Then the game moves into sewers, where she just has to jest Sara a little as she plays, "Any on these demons look like family Sara!"

As Sara squints at the screen and gets closer to see better. I am having an issue with my fingers. I start rubbing them hard together. They seem 'dirty' to me and I am starting to feel that 'dirt' spreading up my arms just now, as I watch the game play on more.

Sara leans over the screen and taps a clawed finger on the monitor, "That one looks like an uncle of mine," she joked, then Paige moves into a church battle and the gore really flows on the game "Now that one there looks like my aunt for sure!" Sara points on the screen and laughs at the game.

I watch on, over the rest of the room, then drift off and stand nearer to the back by my door. For some reason, I really want to stay closer to the door and not the game? But that feeling of 'dirty' is really starting to get bad on my arms now, I am scratching at them and trying to 'rub' them clean?

After Sara leans back up from looming over Paige, she glances my way and can see I am not looking good? She gives me a playful bump as she asks me "You okay?"

"Fine, just fine." I mumble back to her and scratch at my arms even more harshly.

Paige comes upon a section 'boss' in the game and most of the other kids in my room howl and root for her to beat it. My eyes never stop watching the screen, I can't seem to look away for too long! And now my shirt feels 'dirty' and 'wet' with something? I just have to peel it off me, so I rush out of the room and down the hallway toward the showers.

~o~O~o~

Jade is bouncing down the hallway, looking for 'One-san' or most others call her Billie! When she is nearly shoved aside by Rohanna, who is rushing down the hallway going towards the showers.

But what really grabs her attention, is that Rohanna is TEARING her tee-shirt off in strips and patches off her body. Then she does not even stop to pick them up, she just leaves the torn pieces all over the hallway floor? This new act is very strange for Rohanna, who always cleans up after herself and some others!

Jade, scans the hallway and finds no one to tell what is going on? But instead of chasing someone down and maybe Rohanna gets hurt! She runs into the showers she just went into, where she finds the teen Drow under a shower and she is scrubbing at her skin like mad!

She slowly walks up to Rohanna, who is sitting and leaning against that shower wall with the shower raining water all over her.

"What is wrong Ro?" she asks, at near whisper so as not spook her more.

The Drow, who is crying like mad looks up to her all wild-eyed "The Blood...it never comes out? I can never wash it off?" and she goes back to her harsh scrubbing.

"Ro? There is no blood, not a drop on ya?" Jade shakes her head to the madness she sees and realizes this is getting bad!

"Can't you see it?" Rohanna asks while shoving her hands to Jade to examine them closer.

"I don't see any? You know I would never lie to you, just check with that gift of yours?"

Rohanna searches over Jade's face, but says yet again "The blood never comes off?" then goes back to washing her arms and hands till the skin starts to bleed.

Now Jade is really worried, Rohanna can't lie and yet? She is seeing 'blood' that is not there!

Just then, Ayla pokes her head into the showers when she heard a sound that is not normal at all...crying. "What's up!" Ayla asks the room and that makes Jade jump in surprise. As she was fixated on watching Rohanna right then.

"Ayla, go grab someone please? Rohanna is having...an issue!" she says, but tries not to say a bad word that might be taken a wrong way right now?

"Got it!" she chirps back and she is gone!

Jade tries to get a little closer to Rohanna and sits under the water with her, "Rohanna?" she tries to get the Drow's attention on her and not on her arms "I am here for ya, but you know this is getting me all wet!" she jokes to her.

The ghostly empty stare she gets back from the Drow, is a bad one and one that does not show Rohanna even cares that Jade is in the room with her.

Then she spots Violet, Rohanna's Pixie hovering in the room near both of them. "Hey Violet, what is wrong with her?"

"I don't know? She shut me out, an hour ago?" the tiny voice tells her and almost starts crying herself.

Just then, most of the kids fly into the room with Sara at the lead and Nikki plus Gwen following close behind her.

"What's up Jade?" Sara asks her at a near whisper, as she crawls toward both of them and is trying to look non-threatening to the Drow. Because she knows how fast 'good', can turn to 'bad' with her!

"Ro, she is in bad way? She keeps telling me, that there is blood on her and that it will not come off her, no matter how hard she scrubs at it?"

"Got it, anything else you have seen?"

"She seems like a ghost, just not here?"

"I bet she is having a flashback, or something close to that?" Sara suggests.

"Rohanna, talk to me please?" Sara's soft voice calls to the Drow only feet away.

When the Drow looks up at Sara's face, from her work at scrubbing her arms and hands. The Drow's eyes both go instantly red upon seeing her!

Sara mumbles out quickly, back to the room filled with kids "Ohhh SHIT!" she warns too late.

Then as Sara tries to scoot back a little and maybe that will make Rohanna less upset? Heavy metal armor flashes allover the Drow's body, as she grabs Jade by the shirt and tosses her to the corner behind her. Next, a large blade comes from nowhere and slices towards Sara's body near her neck!

"GET AWAY BEAST!" the Drow screams at her, more in battle cry than a warning! "I MUST PROTECT THE CHILD THIS TIME!"

Sara's only save from that swipe, was her vast speed and that saved her from losing yet another head!

The room watches on silently, as all that happens and then sees that Drow shove poor Jade back into that corner even harder. Her metal boots clang against the showers marble surface, trying to gain purchase as she hisses out once more at Sara "GET AWY FROM THE CHILD, THERE IS NO MEAL FOR YOU HERE TODAY!"

Sara wisely backs out of the room and down the hallway a few feet, but as she does that. Chou sees something strange, but it makes sense to her!

"Sara?" Chou asks her fast "Move down the hallway some more for me?"

"Why?"

"Just do it, darn you!"

Sara moves a few more yards down the hallway, as Chou watches the Drow and she notes the blade's position all the time.

"Sara, she knows you're there, wall or not. She can see you somehow?" Chou warns her.

Just then, Billie finds the madness that is going on in the showers and tries to bust her way past the crowd "Let me save JADE!" she shouts that the group of teens in her way.

But before she gets there, Jade yells back at her "One-san, I am fine. Rohanna is just protecting me, from what she feels is dangerous right now?"

"But...but?" Billie stutters out in the hallway.

"No don't come in here...please? I am fine, she needs some space!"

Sara moves back towards the shower room a few yards and if to prove Chou's theory. The Drow skitters on the marble floor again as she yells out again and again "Protect the kids...got to protect the kids!" and then doubles her efforts at shielding Jade by shoving her back into that corner even more.

That move gains a 'yip' of surprise from Jade and a grunt of a little pain. When that is heard, Billie tries to gain access to the room again, by shoving at the crowd by the door "She's hurting her! Let me in there!" Billie shouts.

"Billie, Jade she is fine. Just fine!" Hank shouts to her, as he fills the doorway to keep her out, "Jade is being protected by Rohanna, not being hurt by her. She sees Sara as a threat of some sort now? You can understand it, don't ya?"

Chou swaps glances at Sara, then the Drow's blade and for sure they are connected. That blade points without error, right at Sara and Chou points it out to the small group once again. "Yep Sara, you moved and Rohanna 'saw' that, like I said before, wall or not?"

"Makes sense, Drow are made to hunt the GOO and a simple wall of this cottage can't stop that!" Aunghadhail tells all from Nikki's body.

"Should Sara go outside or something Aung?" Chou questions the old Fae.

"That might calm her down more, I can not be sure? But trying it out is a sound plan."

"Let's try it?" Hank tells the hallway filled with kids, "It makes sense to me?"

"I don't want to leave her like this!" Sara shouts back at the group, as she balls up her fists in anger.

"You really don't have a choice in this Sara?" Paige points out to her, "I can see that she is fixated on ya and that is bad...please go. I will stay and keep you in the loop?"

Sara dreads this, not being able to help. But the others are right, her past that is shared with Rohanna's. It is affecting the Drow now and has to stop for the time being. So she reluctantly goes out Poe's front doors and walks toward a bench to sit and wait this out.

As Sara walks out the door, the ones in the shower room watch on as the Drow makes a swift move. She calls from nowhere, a flat metal square, then slaps onto the wall and then says something in a magical spell.

Those in the room with sight that can see all things magical, watch on in surprise as a huge ward spreads all over the walls of Poe and the runes it leave behind glow in magical fire.

Aunghadhail, knows this spell well and has not done or seen one since her days. She yells back to the hallway "Warn Sara not to come back into Poe, until I tell her it is safe to do so? This new ward Rohanna just added to the building, it will hurt her for sure!"

Now with the ward firmly in place, the Drow seems to relax more and the sword in her right hand sags toward the floor to bang on it's smooth surface. Her head leans down just a little and those close enough to her, can just make out her sigh of relief.

Aunghadhail notices this and thinks it is a good time to act on it, She helps Nikki mentally with the next steps. Nikki moves closer to her friend and kneels down to her "Warrior?" she asks calmly, then waits to be 'seen' and the Drow's head snaps up to her.

"Your duty is fully done, the threat has left this building and all is safe because of you. Please relent your charge to me and I will promise to watch over the child, just as you have done?"

The Drow sees the girl before her for what she is, royalty and with that. She has to obey within her sets of rules that govern her life, 'all is well' as she says? The building is safe, she promised to protect the young and then said her duty is done fully.

Nikki watches on, as the Drow's sword falls from her hand and clangs on the floor, then vanishes. Then her metal armor fades away and the Drow slumped to the wall and passes out.

Jade now has a rather large Drow on top of her, pressing her to the wall and she tries to push the body off her. Billie sees that it's all over and rushes the room to move Rohanna off Jade and pick her best friend up from the wet floor.

Billie shouts at the room filled with Poe kids, in her anger fogged mind, "Maybe she needs to get sent over to Hawthorne, if Ro is this dangerous!"

"Billie!" Jade yells back at her, "The other posies did not give up on you and send you there? So why would you say that! I am not hurt one little bit, besides she is Sara's friend and Nikki's!"

"Guy's?" Nikki shouts at the group, "Can some of you get her to a bed, while Gwen and I remove this ward Ro left behind, so that Sara can get back into the cottage?"

"I got her," Hippolyta the Amazon teen, barks at the kids around her, "then somebody go grab me one of her towels and we can get her dried off?"

Ayla runs off and grabs that towel from Ro's room. While 'Hip' gets the Drow lifted over to one of the benches in the shower room. When Ayla gets back with the towels, they strip off the wet clothes from Rohanna and get her all dry. Then 'Hip' carries the Drow back to her room, lays her on the bed and covers her up.

While that small effort was being done, across the room two Sidhe teens get a ad-hoc class on Drow style magical wards. While Aunghadhail removes the metal plate from the wall.

Once removed from the wall, Aunghadhail studies the small hand sized plate that contained that ward "Nice craftsmanship, this one surly was not made by Rohanna? I am sure it was made by one of the main royal mages of my time!"

"So Rohanna carried it around all this time? And it's made to keep GOO's out of a building?" Gwen asks the queen.

"Yes child, "she smiles to Gwen, "like most of her possessions, it is that ancient and very powerful indeed. But only toward those of Mythos or their minions." she then hands the plate over to Gwen, "give this to Rohanna, then let us tell Sara it's safe to come back in and care for her."

Sara had been given the word by Hank that the ward that Rohanna placed on the cottage was now gone, she sped into the building and to Ro's room. Where she found the Drow laying on her bed and she was passed out. From what she was not sure, but it seemed she was not dreaming yet? As her body did not even twitch one bit, like it usually did when she slept and the nightmares came for her.

"Ohh Ro?" she asks the still form on the bed, as she rubs the Drow's back, "What brought this on?"

Just from the door was a voice that had a clue to that, "She said something about blood? Then that she could not wash it off, it never came off?" Jade tells her from her leaning in the door and looking in on her friends.

As Gwen enters the room, she smiles at Sara and starts to sit across the room as she ass a clue, "Then add to what Jade just said? Ro, said 'must protect the children or child?' Many times over?"

"Well that makes this a nearly sure case of that PTSD she has, coming fully to ahead tonight? I just have to figure out, what action or thing was around her that started it?" She sighs to Gwen.

Gwen goes to show that metal plate to Sara, but as it gets within a few feet of her. Sara reels back from it with a shriek, "Ekkk what is that darn thing girl, it makes me sick to be near it!"

Gwen backs off and studies the plate as Nikki walks into the room "That Sara, my friend. It is a magical ward to keep Mythos out of a building. One that Aung tells me, you should never touch, if you want to keep that hand?" she giggles to her.

"I'll take her word on that!"

"Yes, you should. But how is she?"

"Sleeping I think, but she is so still? She is not moving an inch and that is far from normal for her?"

Nikki goes to lay a hand on Rohanna's back for a second, then Aunghadhail speaks up as she sits on the bedside, "That must be her Geas at work, it took far too much time to start working on her? It should have kept her from going that far in to that 'PTSD', the humans call bad memories?"

Sara glares at the Queen, as she growls out, "Is this all because of the bloody command book, or that binding and Geas crap yet again Aung?"

"No, that should have stopped this? But this maybe a memory that is so bad, that when it came upon her, there was no stopping it?" she questions what happened, with a shake of her head.

"Well, I am staying tonight with her, both of you should go now? As I am going into her head and trying to help out with fixing this?"

"That should work Sara and when you get time seek me out? We have to talk over things that have happened of late?" the queen asks, as she stands and walks to the door. Then at the door, Nikki takes control back over her body, "Sara, take care. There might be some bad things in there tonight, that got all dragged up by this?"

"I will."

Once both of them are gone, Sara yanks out that meditation mat from under the bed and sits on it near the sleeping Rohanna. Sara fades off into her dream state and finds that small link she has made with Rohanna's mind.

This time instead of the academy's door being there as usual and it waiting for her to knock on it. She finds a vast forest of giant trees, that go on for miles and miles. Sara wanders those vast woods for what seems hours, till she comes on a small castle keep and it's very deep moat.

At the bridge over to the keep, she spots a full size Violet with wings still on her, and she is waiting and sulking there under a sign written in Drow maybe?

"Violet!" she shouts at the Pixie, "What are you doing here?"

"I am waiting to get in? Rohanna locked me out of her mind when Paige was playing that game and I have not felt or heard one thought from her since?"

"So you two are linked now somehow?"

"Yes, we bonded. Why she let you in this far, I don't know? It took me hours to get here!"

"Me too! That might be her testing us both, to see if we would keep going or give up?"

"Maybe?" she cries a little harder to her now.

"Your not sure, haven't you been here before now?"

"Yes, even deeper! But once this started, a wall went up and I got shoved out and blocked!"

As they both speak of what has happened, the bridge lowers and a large elf dressed in bright metal armor shimmers from nothing into their view.

"You, Violet. You can come in now, but be warned your oath is the same here!"

When Violet hears that, she happily runs across the bridge.

"Hey shinny dude? Can I come in too?" Sara winks at the elf warrior.

The armored elf studies Sara for what seems hours, then speaks slowly "You can come in, but you can be ordered out at anytime by the lord knight or the mage? To stay past that order can bring death!"

"You got it, obey the rules or die. Simple black or white...like Aung said."

The Elf waves them both in, once across the bridge and inside the walls. Sara notices the troops all around her are training, some are being taught and others are teaching...nearly all of them are Rohanna clones of various ages? The others, Sara is sure that they represent key persons in her long life.

Sara has seen this in others minds, representations of their memories acting out the parts of that memory...like a play or movie part.

On far off platform, Violet spots someone standing there? Who seems to be leading this large group. As she gets closer to see better, Violet finds that person standing there, is 'A' Rohanna that she is sure now is the real one...not a clone one! She rushes over as fast as her wings will carry her, when she finally gets there. Violet wraps the Drow in a deep loving hug.

"Why did you lock me out?" she asks.

A glassy eyed Drow stares back at her and tells her in cold monotone "Violet, go train with those who fight with staves...now." and the Drow turns back to her work, watching the training as it plays on.

"What?" she questions Rohanna, very surprised at the non-existent greeting.

Then as she asks that question, a Elvin knight ports into view and with an old Elvin mage standing beside him "Pixie?...remember your oath and go now!" the knight orders her.

All Violet can do is nod to the lord of this place and fly off to practice as she was told.

Sara watches what just happened and runs over to talk to what she also thinks is the real Rohanna among all the clones of her. "Ro!" she shouts up at the Drow standing on the platform, "What happened, talk to me!"

"Sara?" The Drow said, as it looked down at her and then recognized her with a smile starting. Then with a tap to her shoulder from the knights blade, that look of recognition and joy fades from her face, "Please let me do my job, I have students to tend too!"

"Rohanna, Darn it! Look at me!" she shouts up at her again, but does not get any attention from the Drow at all.

Sara runs around to the platforms stairs and leaps up them. At the top, her path to Rohanna is blocked by the knight and the mage. Both stand in her way, faceless Elves behind a helmet or mages facemask watch her every move.

"Get out of my way!" she shouts at both of them.

"We rule here and we rule her! You have no dealings with her now!" the knight tells her coldly.

Then the mage speaks it's turn "Leave or stay, your choice GOO! You are only here because of a very small oath and with it's near nonexistence, you have no power or say here."

Sara sees instantly what both of them are, one is the oath she took in life...the knight. The other...it's that damned BOOK! The one that holds Rohanna back!

"I get it now, if I can fight my way past both of you? I win her freedom back!"

"A Drow that never had any freedom in life!" the mage laughs at her wildly, "NO Drow has tasted freedom...ever! My spells have never failed to act. To either hold one to their path or kill them from straying too far from it!"

"Well that changes today!" Sara shouts out at both and she gets ready for a fight.

"I hope that you have time?"

"What?" Sara questions that statement promptly!

"Time my dear GOO, you don't have it on your side and I do!" the mage states to her yet again.

Then a gallows forms under Rohanna, with a wave of the mages hand and the knight goes to stand guard at its stairs. The mage 'pops' up to the higher platform and drops the noose around Rohanna's neck. The Drow does not even struggle, all she does is glance at Sara with eyes that just say to her...save me? Or runaway!

"Ohh I will get to you both, before you can kill her!"

"Too late, that death starts now. We always hold the line till death!" the knight says to Sara in cold words.

Right then, Rohanna drops through the platform and starts to choke at the ropes end.

"Leave now and she lives! Or fight us as she dies and maybe you can win before she dies!" the knight makes it's challenge known to her.

Sara leaps at the knight and is met by it's blade with ease. The blade slices her side badly and the wound flows out her black blood.

"If that is your best, this Drow dies today!" the knight shouts at her, as she reels back in pain.

Sara can see Rohanna dancing at that ropes end...gasping, but is this real or not? No time to chance it, she has to act and these spells, plus Geas are far too strong for now!

"I am going, let her go!"

"Leave and we free her. Or wait and she dies!"

"I am going...I am going!" she shouts back at both and fades away back to the real world.

When Sara's eye snap open to Rohanna's room, she can hear the Drow thrashing around in her bed gasping for breath! She leaps to her feet and can see that Ro, has both hands on her neck desperately trying to tear a rope away from it, that is not really there!

Sara screams down at the Drow, hoping the spell inside her listens to her plea, "I left...leave her alone! I am out here...gone...let her live!"

Rohanna gasps out once more, then rolls off the bed to the hard floor and seems to wake up fully now.

~o~O~o~

"What was that!" I gasp out at Sara, who I find suddenly in my room and all the others strangely gone?

Sara hugs me close, so very close. Like she almost lost me? "I tried to help you and you're right. The book's spells that bind you are too tough, I will have to get help...help from somewhere? ANYWHERE!"

"That dream was you? You were really there, it was not me dreaming of old times?"

"No, I went into your head and tried to help out with why you went crazy?" she looks into my eyes slowly, "and why you crawled into the showers to wash blood off you?" she asks me and tells me what happened to me at the same time.

Then that nightmare gone mad, fills my mind again and I shove her away from me a little. So I can look over my hands and arms. I find no blood on them this time, unlike most of the times this nightmare struck me in the past. That dream was so bad, it took days or an order to make them vanish from my head!

But the memories of why 'that' nightmare, they fill my head and with them coming back. I scramble to my bed and cower in it's corner near the window...that safe window to outside, us Drows always hated enclosed spaces, the forest is where we belong!

As I curl up even more into a tighter ball, Sara rushes over to my side, "Hey it's all safe here, are you okay?"

"The blood, this time it's all gone?" I ask her, while look at every inch of both of my outstretched arms.

"It was never there? Where do you think it comes from?" she asks me in a soft voice, while slowly trying to sit next to me.

"The kids, I walked through a lake of their blood." I say back to her, without any emotion hanging on any of my words.

"What kids? Please tell me and maybe this one burden I might be able to take from you, when you share it with me?"

"We were guarding a bunch of children, waiting till we could get them all away from the coming battle. Just waiting for a mage to make a safe gate to use? Then one of the royals, he told us to go out and save someone he knew. All the Drow, we knew, just knew it was a trap to get us away from that temple." I stop and think of all those children, the young faces, the faces that trusted us and that they depended on us for protection!

"Please keep going?"

"We left, orders you know and can't refuse that!" I bark, "Well we got to where this 'one' person was to meet us and nothing at all. Like I said...trap!" I start sobbing to her.

"Ro, go on if ya can?"

"Okay...Then we ran back as fast as we could! I could not port, it was not safe for that. The...others" I look down from her as I almost stop and stare at my sheets, "They blocked that."

"Other's?" she questions me.

"Do you want me to say it?" my eyes ask her not too?

"I understand...the GOO, like me?"

I nod to her, yes..."But, we ran back and found that royal gone. He had fled with his few guards, he could have held out till we got back! But he ran instead, to save his own life and we made sure he paid for that cowardice later!" I growl at her now.

"I bet, that law of saving kids seems to be the top one of your kind?"

"It is! There is none higher, I can pass by any oath for it, as I choose to!"

Sara places that small statement in her mind, never cross that line with Rohanna around or death will come fast to anyone who violates it, is her bet!

As I think of the next thing to come in this memory or nightmare! I stay really silent.

Sara smiles again to me, as she softly encourages me to go on, "So I guess you stopped and this is the real bad part?"

"Yes it is...We entered that temple and found all the children, we had left behind...dead. They painted the walls and ceiling with them. The stone floor was covered in several deep inches of their blood. We went nuts for hours and tried to find them to no avail. Then we all came back to the temple, to bury the dead correctly and that is why I was covered in blood...their blood...it never washes out!" And I rub my hands again, thinking of that feeling and this time I don't see any blood on me? But I know deep down, it's still there!

"So your Geas pulled at you and sealed you off from that memory. At least till you could deal with it? That is why Violet said that she got shut out, you had no choice in the matter?"

I glance up to Violet sitting in her usual spot, she is waiting for me to say it "Yes, it did. Sorry my Violet! I could not stop that?" I apologize to her.

"I know...I can see that now. At the time, I did not understand what I was seeing. But next time, please tell me and we as a TEAM will deal with it!" she almost schools me on the subject. All I could do was nod back to her my agreement.

"Well, it's all over lets rest and go to class tomorrow?" Sara suggests to me.

~o~O~o~

Tuesday March 20, 5:10 am
Poe cottage

When morning comes, I wake to a very mad Sara and she is pacing my room back and forth cursing all the time in old languages. Most of what she says I know the translation, so I know what she is saying now

"Why are you mad at Aung?" I ask her on one of her rounds around my room, as she passes by my bed.

"You told Aunghadhail that witch, to tell me about what Caitlin is to you and why you went nuts that first day meeting her? So I am mad now!" she growls out at me.

"Now you understand just a little more, of why I hate her so much!"

"Yes I do, but lets get ready for class?" she suggests to me, but this time there is no real smile from her?

~o~O~o~

Across the nation at that same time

A boy pulls a small laptop from a hiding place, then inserts a memory stick in it, he had pulled from yet another hiding spot and starts looking at it's files yet again.

This laptop is the one, his dad showed him one day and it was to be taken by him 'just in case' in any disaster! This small laptop, was what his dad called a...'rock'...it had no internet connection and could only read data, never write it! Then add to that, the case on the small laptop was so strong, you could bash it on ground and not damage it.

Even the memory stick was hardened to damage, then it was 'read' only, no data could be put on it or erased from it.

As the computer warms up and loads it's programs. He thinks back to nearly a month ago, that terrible night, when his mom woke him and his sister. To tell them both, as she hugged them close, that...dad was dead...and mom then lied to them both. He was very sure of this, Mom told them both...'your father committed suicide' and that was that!

Then the rush of cops all night, doing their thing, asking questions over and over. When they left, mom had them pack as fast as they could and they left the house. She found a good hotel to stay at and paid for the room with one of the many dead end credit cards dad had. From there, she arranged the house to be sold and she rented this townhouse they now lived in Colorado, over two thousand miles from their old home!

The day to day life, mom had them in now was basic. No going out without her, no phones without her there, keep your bags packed incase we have to go! Heck all three of them, kept one bag packed in the car no matter where they went!

Mom only used the 'burn' cell phones, his dad had packed in his 'run' box and the rest of that box had the 'other' needs in it. Money, way over two hundred k! In cash and gold. Several debit-credit cards, under dozens of names, that held who knows how much money? Papers that ID'ed the whole family, under what he could see when mom opened that box, at least ten different names! Then a list of contacts, that could be depended on and he plus his sister, were given a copy of that list. A very short list indeed!

But what troubled him most, was that sealed letter she gave them both, in it was a copy of a sheet of paper that she always had on her. On it was three hand drawn symbols and the next page was a address and phone number. She told them both, if it all goes nuts and mom is gone. Call the number or write a letter with this on it and hope!...help might come to them? What 'help?' that was coming, she never said that part?

Now the computer was up and running and he opened that file that so intrigued him. He had found this file, along with others on this one memory stick. His dad had others in that 'stash'...most were records of money going back and forth. One was instructions on what certain files were what...from his dad, in case he was not there and who or what might want them as a bargaining chip!

But this one, covered his dads last real assignments. It had grabbed his attention in a strange way and he found once he read them, looked at the pictures in them. He was obsessed with that very last file in a strange way!

Both files were on Elves! The first one was a kid that got changed into a elf, that had the power to control computers and that was cool! She was cute and pretty looking! But not his type in many ways? She disappeared and was thought to have been hidden in a school in the north-east?

The next file, was the one he obsessed on, she was a Drow and tall, very tall for an elf at six foot! Her face just grabbed him, like he had seen it somewhere long ago? He pondered on that thought many times...where did he meet her, he was sure that he had met her somewhere!

Her face was lovely, But her body was to die for! She had a fit body and skin of a strange, but beautiful to him purple-black color. The voice she had, it snatched him in it's melody and held him in it's sway! Even when she spoke in her own ancient language, he thought he was sure, he knew what she just said and ment on some level, but the words...they passed by him on a higher level?

He leaned toward the screen and hit the play button on the video files. From there on, he was in a deep trance of watching her! Her cute laugh when she fought in some sim, her talking to others, her moves...the way her body moved! God he wanted to meet her sooo bad!

As he hit that play button for the tenth time today and that file ran on. His mom opened his door suddenly...she was supposed to be shopping with his sister for hours! He glanced at the clock when he spun to her, indeed two hours plus had passed since they left and he missed it all and now mom was mad at him for missing chores!

His mom yelled at him "You did not clean the kitchen or the living room!" Then she suddenly stopped yelling and ran to over him when she saw the computer. She stanched it from his hands, as he laid on the bed and yelled once more at him.

"Where did you get this!?" she barked at him.

"Dad told me to grab this" he gulped out, "If he died suddenly?"

His mom looked over the files and a very shocked look comes over her face when she sees that last one "Are there any others!"

"Just these mom, most are just files and one is from dad on who or what they might be bargained for?"

"Why would your father give you this instead of me?"

"One mom, you can't run a computer to save your life?" she nods back to him, that's a fact...she can't! "The other he told me, there was a chance that both of you would be dead and both of us kids would be on our own?" he shrugs to her.

His mom, then opens that file he paused and watches the whole thing. She knows this girl by the voice and now she can by her body moves too! Each one of her moves, smooth and with purpose, no wasted motion. She was there that night her husband died, then she helped save her and the kids! The last video of the training fight in some sim, it was the last clue. As the girl that was shown in it, she wore that same 'skull face' mask on her head as the one that night!

Then she struggles for sometime getting the other files to open and finds most of it medical files. The others are opinions on what powers this elf might have and that is one long list of powers and skills! One grabs her attention and she shows the screen to her son very mad "So is this why you look at this...all the nude pic's of her!"

"No maww I look at the videos of her, her talking and moving when she fights. They just grab me hard is all?" he whines to her, but she can tell he is saying the truth this time!

"So you are infatuated by her?"

"I guess?" he says more than embarrassed, but then perks up to her, "I would love to meet her!" he beams back her happy as heck.

She sits down next to her son and gives him a hug of death.

"I have something to tell you and you have to promise me not to tell your sister this?"

"What, is this that bad?"

"I am sure your know by now, as you're too smart to fool for long and so is your sister. That your dad did not kill himself, his job did! His work followed him home that night, after he was fired from the CIA."

"Yes mom, I got that easy. But the agency killed him?"

"Yes, he embarrassed them one to many times with failure, so they had to shut him up forever."

"That had to be...because of her," he opened a file to the first elf, "She can make a computer do anything! Then the other one with powers just like her, dad lost track of months ago, she could make them do anything like magic! Her mutant power was just that!" the boy realized that in both cases, a nation would kill to keep that, or kill to keep that power over all computers from others.

"I am sure you are right, you and your father are one in the same. You both can think outside of the box and do it so well!" She started to cry thinking of the place he left them in...deadly trouble!

"Mom it will get better!" he tells her, knowing it must...somehow?

"But that night, when 'they' came for your dad. She came too, she was there for his hunting that other elf and I am sure that other mutant too! She wanted him dead, but the CIA interrupted her and they did the deed instead...she watched them," his mom stops almost crying, "She watched them make your dad kill himself!"

"Ohh man she did, that is bad?" he thinks she could have saved dad, but dad did do this to himself and when he failed, it got him killed.

"She is not all bad? The men that came night, they wanted to kill us all, but she stopped them and killed them all in horrible ways. She has a rule, one she told me...you never hurt kids!"

"So she saved us?"

"Yes she did, she saved us and cleaned up the mess. That letter I gave both of you?"

"The sealed one with the weird writing in it?"

"That's the one," his mom nods to him, "it was from her. I begged her to help us get away, but she does not have the resources to do that. But she gave me one last chance, if all failed us?" then her head slumps, to stare at the floor in her stress of telling the boy all this and then she thinks of that last warning the girl gave her!

"Mom, there is something else about this? I can tell your holding back something more?"

"Yes, there is more." she says to him way to simply for it 'not' to matter!

"MOM!" he shouts at her, "Please tell me?" he shoots to standing up and gazes down at her. As what ever this is...it is starting to scare him!

"That girl came back after the cops came, she snuck in somehow? She told me that the men wanted you and your sister dead...because you have a very high chance of mutating? So they being H1 types, wanted you dead and me...to clean the plate so to speak?"

The boy just has to fall back onto his bed, to sit and think this over "I might be a mutant, Someday?"

"Maybe? No mater what happens, I will still love ya!" she then grabs him and hugs him so hard he can't breath well, but he does not stop his mom from that love he feels now.

~o~O~o~

Thursday, March 22 7:05 am
Poe cottage

All night, heck most of it? I had done my learning time with Aunghadhail and I even learned a few new spells during tonight! When I ported to my room, I knew I might be late to class. So I undressed fast as I could, grabbed my stuff and off to the showers!

Hours later, I just finished up on of my martial arts classes and was headed toward today's magic class with all the other Sidhe! This was the one class I truly loved being in, all of us Sidhe, all in the same class and in the same group!

For the last few hours, all of us were busy 'arguing' or deciding what to do as a group project? A spell scroll, my choice! A potion, Gwen's want! Or a enchanted magic item, but each one of us has to turn one in and I am banned from that choice. This was Bree and Rhia's choice, as they wanted a invisibility charm of some sort? Belphoebe, she did not care one way or the other what we did, as long as she was included!

Well since I seemed to be on the side of a losing choice, on what we were going to do as a project and I could not do that choice as a team or personal project. As making a enchanted item was 'out' for me, as I did them so quick! I decided to get up and ask Mrs. Grimes or Belle, who was filling in for an absent Nikki. What in the heck I should do?

I snatch our long list of what to do, off the lab table and glare at Gwen as she sits perched on her stool "All your fault, you just have to be strange...all of you!"

Gwen giggles at me her answer "Not my fault, I wanted the potion option?"

"Well talk to them?" I point at the far end of the table, with Rhia sitting beside a leaning Bree, who both stick tongues at me in protest.

"Traako!" I bark out at the room in anger. (shit!)

"What did she say?" Belphoebe asks the rest of the now giggling girls table.

"She said Belph...One of the first words you learn in Elvin from Ro?" Gwen smiles to her.

"What?" she squints back at Gwen.

"Ca-ca or shit!" she laughs back to her, "You will learn to cuss in Elvin, long before anything else at this table?"

My head shakes at what Gwen said, she is right I have to 'cuss' a little less these days?

As I cross that room with my list, a pain hits me deep in the chest! My very soul is being attacked I can feel it, it feels like part of me is being shoved out and shredded whole!

The pain is worse than that blade was, this pain makes that sword and the burning it did to me feel like a pin prick and it drives right through me!

I falter on my next step and as I fall down to one knee, my heavy armor flashes on to my body as a trained reaction to attacks this bad.

One of my blades comes to my hand, I stab it into the floor with a loud bang and use the hilt to steady myself from falling, by using it like a cane. That sound of that blade hitting the floor so hard, it drew most of the class to look right at me.

Gaea, the pain! It's so bad! I gasp out and nearly scream from it and my eyes are filled with tears from the enormous growing pain. My very spirit is crying from it and being torn to shreds!

With the next second, my mind knows why I am hurting...Aunghadhail the old Queen just died her final death...she is gone now!

"NO!" I gasp out in pain and shock, "Not that!"

As I gasp those few words, I hear Gwen fall from her stool with a squeak of pain and hit the floor with a even more painful moan. She starts wailing to the world like I have never seen her cry, then thank Gaea she passes out.

Then Rhia falls to her side and is almost in the same pain. When I spot Bree still standing, but she is gasping for breath and she seems to be better off than the rest of us.

Belphoebe spins her head all about looking for an attacker of some sort? And seems not even affected in the least.

I grasp onto that new thought for a short second, we are affected today in our pain by how much the Queen is or was part of our lives. Gwen is a direct relative in her way and is in the most pain. I am next, then Rhia. Bree being totally new, is the least affected here anyway?

Mrs. Grimes sees us all fall in someway or another? She starts running over to me, as she asks me sternly, "What happened Rohanna?"

My body spun from her questions, as in my anger I cursed at her very existence and I left that sword of mine stuck into the floor as a marker of my anger, "Sevir udossa tlu xsa'us rivvil! Udossa Sidhe inbal vharc ulu morfeth yallt!"
(Leave us be damned human! Us Sidhe have vengeance to make today!)

With a huge push of my will. I get back up to standing and spun back to the lab table of my group "Bree grab Rhia, I got Gwen!" I order the only other Sidhe not laying on the floor right now.

"What was that? Bree asks me, as she goes to help Rhia.

"You know deep down what that was, she is dead...So lets get moving!" Bree nods back at my order and helps Rhia to stand.

"Belphoebe?" I ask the artificial Drow at our table.

"Yes Ro, what's going on!"

"Did you feel anything just now?"

She shakes her head at me "No I did not? What happened to all of you?"

"Something happened to Nikki, we felt it. But if you come with us, it could be bad or good for you? But we are going NOW! So choose now, you have no connection to this and can make a choice with no guilt?"

"I'll stay, that is best. As Nikki and Aung hate me to say the least."

"They do, but I invite you to come as the Sidhe you are now?"

"No I will stay here, it's best?"

"Fine," I tell her and grab a now still Gwen from the floor. She is unconscious but alive.

As I lay her on the table, I glace at Rhia who is in better shape and being steadied by Bree "Rhia? Please call the others on your phone now. We all meet at Poe in five minutes!" I bark an order at her, she nods back to me, a cell phone comes out and she starts working on it.

"Rohanna! What is going on?" Mrs. Grimes questions me again with a shout.

I just stare at her with growing red eyes of pain to come to those who block my path. Then I hug all the Girls at the table into a group and port to Poe. Once we are there, I place Gwen on the couch in the sunroom and check on her.

"The others are on their way Ro?" Rhia tells me, as she grabs a seat.

"Thanks, now to get Sara!" and I reach out to her mind ~"Sara? Where are you? I can feel that pain of yours!"~

~"Nikki she is hurting...Aunghadhail dead!"~ is all Sara gives me, but that was enough I know she is in the class room that is next to mine.

When I port to the room, I find several students trying to help her and one is Beltane. Who glares at me, as I shove her aside "What gives Ro!" Beltane shouts back at me.

"Go way leave us now!" I bark back to her.

The teacher in the room, Circe glares at me from her desk, as she shouts at the class while on the phone "Leave her alone till medial gets her?" I don't even glance to her or give her recognition.

Beltane moves back at my command and I tend to the fallen Sara. Who is curled up in a ball on the floor in pain and crying at the others, then at me when she sees me "Nikki is hurting! She lost Aunghadhail!"

I am not far behind in that crying myself, "Sara, I have you now. We are going!" and I port away to retrieve my blade and school bag.

A port back into my magic class ends at the lab table, then I lay Sara on the table while shouldering my bag and then pick her up again. Next I go back to my blade, that I had shoved so hard into the floor in my rage. I must have put a spell on it as a warning to all, of that rage of mine at this act of hurting one of my friends...a true sister in many ways!

Mrs. Grimes is startled by at my sudden appearance, but still questions me as she talks on her phone to someone, "Ro, what is all this about?"

"Aunghadhail, Daughter of the Burning Oak, Paramount Queen of the West in the Five-Fold Court. she is gone, dead, slain by a human! Her spirit, her very soul screams out for vengeance and I plan to quench that need, with the blood from the still beating heart of who did this!" I cry back to her and port away.

"Ahh that is not good!" Grimes sighs, then hangs the phone back up and redials Carson's number. After she gets through to her, the first words she uses are "Liz, we have big trouble here!"

"What Eliza?"

"All my Elves, just fell over in pain. Then Ro got them back up and ported away. But she came back for Sara and a sword she left behind. But the bad part is," she sighed at the thoughts, "...she said Aunghadhail is dead?"

A now shocked Carson asks her on the other end of the line, "Did she say that Nikki was dead?"

"No just Aunghadhail? That maybe good or a bad thing. But Rohanna looked like she was on the 'warpath' she wants vengeance for this attack and death"

"Did she say it, or worse swear to it?" Carson asks knowing a swear from a mage like Rohanna or an Sidhe, it means they MUST do it or pay the price for failure!

"Said, yes...a swear to that no?"

"I will call up ARC and find out about all this!" and Carson drops the line.

A still shocked Beltane, whispers to Mrs. Grimes, "I just know this is bad, but will Ro react too bad and kill someone?"

"Beltane? A Sidhe like Rohanna was raised with certain rules I am sure and killing a royal was a big no-no! So I am sure someone is going to die for this, maybe not today? But die none the less!"

"But Aung's a ghost?"

"That Doesn't mater to Rohanna! Someone still attacked an elf she knows and hurt her?"

When I port into Poe, I find Gwen is still a wreck and crying badly. The rest of the Sidhe are here now and gathering up for what is to come, some brought armor and Rascal brought his blade along for this. That alone tells me, he is ready for a fight! I have to smile to the boy and give him a slight nod at his being so ready and willing.

I go to hug Gwen and try to sooth her and myself "I am sure Nikki is fine, Sara said Nikki is in pain and not dead!"

As I comfort Gwen, Mrs. Horton comes into the sunroom and spots all us Elves there gearing up for a fight, "What is this?" she asks me, as I seem to be at the center of the group.

"This is us..." I warn her, as I stand up from comforting Gwen just now, "Getting ready for vengeance. Go away!" I demand to her.

"Vengeance, for what?" Horton asks, as gently as she can.

Rascal...or Roger, he taps my shoulder to get my attention "We are ready Ro?"

"Then we go!" and the group gathers around me as best they can.

"Where are you going?" Horton questions me again.

"We are giving Aunghadhail's soul what it needs!" and we all vanish with my last word to her.

~o~O~o~

The small group of us Elves, pop back into existence at ARC's gatehouse at the far end of my port. When most of the kids see where we are, I ask them all to wait at this side of the road. A good distance from the gates...as this might get nasty fast, then tell them that Sara and I are the only ones who belong here with our passes.

I stalk up to the gate-guard house, mad as heck! Anyone spoting me, can tell that I am ready to start a war now.

Sara stops sobbing long enough to try and calm me a little, "Please Ro, don't hurt anyone?"

"If the human that hurt Nikki and killed Aung's spirit is here...they die!"

Sara knows I mean it, a basic law in my head has been broken and simple black and white punishment is warranted now. "Okay then Ro, but please try to make them disappear and not get into trouble here. Wait for that needed vengeance...just a little?...For me?"

I have to sigh, at her asking me and stop my walk for a second, "I will do what you want, if you help me and make sure that no one gets away with this?"

"If they run from us, we will track them forever! They hurt one I cared for too!" Sara says to me, as her black tears start to flow over her cheeks again.

I have to give her a quick hug before we get to the guard house, "Here we go, lets see if they are reasonable!"

As I step up to the huge desk and window of the guard house. I can see that more than one man is in there, today there are four and last time I was here, there was only two? I slap my pass to the window and Sara shows her's at the same time.

"We all want in ARC today, us Sidhe or 'elves' that you humans call us." I wave to the kids behind me, where I told them to wait out of the way of possible trouble, "We felt one of ours get hurt in your care and we are here to help them!"

"I am with Doctor Otto and a consultant for ARC, I can vouch for the group." Sara states to the man at the window, trying as best she can to hold back those growing tears.

"I have to get clearance for this?" the guard states to me from behind his wall of glass.

My armored fist slams into the glass, as I yell at him "THEN get it! And be quick about it or..." I trail off from saying my next words, as Sara pulls me into a hug.

"Don't say it?" She warns me with a whisper, as she hugs me close, "they might try to stop us?"

"Let them! I am far too mad right now, to care what damage I do!" I whisper back to her.

Sara waves to the window and pleads to the guards inside, "We will wait, but this is an emergency we all have here!...hurry please?"

Just short of five minutes later, I spotted a running Donna and my Bill following close behind as he was talking to Dr. Otto in the rear of the group now hopping out of the small van that just stopped at the front gates.

Donna, speeds through the security passage. While Dr, Otto seems to be talking to the guards just outside and just having him open the doors fully to our small group, to speed things up.

Both of them, Sara and Donna hug while they chat. Bill walks through the now open passage to me, as I storm in his direction into the main complex.

"Rohanna, quite the war party you have here?" Bill laughs at me, as I pass by him.

"I need to see Nikki now and this is no war party. A wild hunt maybe! But not war party." I almost yell at Bill in my anger, as I pass right by him on my way to Otto.

Constance cringes behind me, when she hears what I said and whispers to Rascal beside her, "Did she really say that?"

"Yep the warrior did just that!" He whispers back to her.

Bill overhears that exchange from the two elves behind me and stops them to ask what I meant "What was that about?"

"That was an insult my good human, a wild hunt kills everything in it's way and nothing can stop it." Rascal tells him.

"Yes the wild hunt, it's legendary and if that is what Rohanna is thinking we are doing right now? That is bad for you, that I am sure of!"

Bill sees what the two kids are alluding too, then runs to get ahead of me and my rage. I am just getting up to Otto with my quicker pace, as Bill catches up with me, "OTTO what did you do! Where is Nikki and who did this!" I shout at him, while my fist grabs his shirt and yanks him to my face.

"Calm down Rohanna, I was just told not ten minutes ago what happened and I was not on this project at all?" Otto tells me and tries to keep me from acting out.

Bill makes a grab at my hand, but I spun away from him with Otto held off the ground and slam Otto into the guard shacks side "Tell me where she is and who did this!" I growl even louder now.

The guard that Otto was talking too, goes to draw his side arm and decided to stop just as fast. When Rascal snapped the blade of his sword under his chin "That would be a very bad idea Sir?"

When Rhia spots the moves by all parties involved, she acts by dropping a shield spell on me and the group she is standing in to protect them from harm. Constance, waves a hand at the shacks open door, her winds slam it shut and hold it closed to keep the other guards trapped inside.

I notice how well they team up and take a mental note of it 'when we all get together for some more practice, we will be a great team afterwards!' is my only thoughts on that and I have pride in them as a future team of mine.

Bill's outstretched hand, grabs at my arm holding Otto and he pulls at it as best he can "Let him go Ro!" he barks at me, "This is not the place for this!"

"Who did this!" I warn again.

"We don't know?" Otto admits to me, "We are just treating two of your classmates, with Nikki's help and this happened?"

"Ro, Let Otto go please?" Bill asks me again.

All I can do is close my eyes and try and calm myself from this rage of mine. I know that this is unprofessional of me and the other Sidhe next to me are in danger because of me? I have to calm down! But it's just not happening?

Then I hear Violet in my head, as the voice of reason ~"My sister, teammate? I think that this is a bad time to fight, we are outmatched and the kids standing next to you will get hurt? I am sure they will fight with us, but get hurt or die in this coming fight?"~

~"But Nikki and Aung?"~

~"Your choice, I will fight next to you, no matter your choice? But this is not a good place to battle in, the humans are too many!"~ she admits to me the odds on this.

With a sigh, I drop Otto from my hand "Nikki where is she now!" I ask him again in a less angry tone.

Otto points to the main building just past me "I am sure they will be right up? They had to pass by many security levels, to get back up here and that takes time. I ordered up a small bus to take you all back to Whateley?"

"Thanks, now lets go meet them and see what we can do for Nikki?"

As Otto starts to lead the way, Bill tryst to speak to me but I raise a hand to him for a second to quiet him while I speak to the other elves "Amin naa proud tanya lle ilya stood ed' amin a're, lye naa y' winya nosse sii' e' sina shared awra ar' let lye sangana lye talant san'?"
(I am proud that you all stood by me today, we are a new family now in this shared pain and let us gather our fallen then?)

Constance, Rascal and Thorn all nod to me. Gwen and Rhia both wait for the others to translate that statement of mine while we walk to the main building. When we get there, we all spot a crying Elaine who is trying to get on that waiting bus to go back down to Whateley.

"Constance, you know her better than most here, please go help her as best you can? While I help get Nikki up to here," I ask , as best my still raging anger allows me too.

With a nod, she is gone to help the other girl, who I am sure was involved in this mess. Just as we enter the main building, the elevator doors open to us and Wyatt a senior at Whateley I have only seen once, he steps out with a crying Nikki held very close in his arms.

Most of us run up to those two fellow students, who are being followed by a man in a lab coat. All I do is pat the crying Nikki just once on the head in support and take a spot behind the huge bear like Wyatt to support him.

Wyatt looks over his shoulder at me "Drow, you felt it too?" he asks me.

"Yes we all did, that is why we are all here." I almost sulk in the thoughts myself, thoughts that I am finding deep trouble with dealing with.

"Do you know me?" he asks again.

"Of course, your the healer of the court." I say back to him, as if it's normal. "Or what spirit is left of him?"

"I had heard of you, but till now I thought you were just another Jobe style Drow?"

"I am sure that could be mistaken easly, considering how much that human has done this month?"

"We will talk later about today?"

"At your request?"

Otto jumps in the conversation before I can speak more to Wyatt "You all felt Aunghadhail die, past our wards?" he questions me with a glance to all of us Sidhe.

"Yes, human! One that old and that connected to her kind, you actually think we would not know when she passed beyond!" I bark at him.

When Nikki hears my few words, she leans up from Wyatt's arms and cries to me "Ro, please find her, I need her!"

"I will try Nikki, I will try my best to?" I said to her, knowing that there was no hope at all. Aunghadhail was dead and she was not coming back.

"Weeee have to find her?" she sobs out to us all. It's just killing me inside, her pain and me not being able to help, "I've got to find her...." she sobs on, then looks at me again "Promise me Ro, you will look for her!"

Wyatt glances to me for an answer, "I swear Nikki, I will search for Aunghadhail's spirit for you." and her head falls back to Wyatt's arm, as she begins sobbing again.

When we get to the last set of doors, a doc in a lab coat that was in the elevator with Wyatt speaks up to us "Are you sure you don't want to have us treat Nikki here? We do have some of the best facilities around?"

Wyatt's angry stare back at him, tells me all and my blade whips out to the doc's neck "You walk a thin line right now between life and death! We are taking her home, to her friends and family, where she can heal with those who love her!"

He gulps to both of our shared stares, "I was only suggesting?"

"Speak, suggest or talk of that once more and that will be your last!" I warn once more.

"Doc," Bill interrupts me next thought about this, "You better just run, she does not play...ever!" he warned and the doc sped off to find a safer spot to be in.

Wyatt clutches Nikki close to him and goes to take a seat on the waiting bus, I don't even suggest a 'port' home. As that might be a bad idea right now, a journey down the forest road might be what she needs...time and space?

Sara and Donna grab a pair of seats in back and Donna tries to comfort a pained Sara as best she can. Gwen is very silent and being helped by Bree. The rest of the group files in the bus and takes spots to support each other.

I am last on the bus to take a seat near the front and stare out a window. Bill grabs a seat next to me with a smile, "I am coming with, I know you need to talk about this with someone?"

All I do is nod to him, As I am deep in my own thoughts and the bus pulls off to the road down to Whateley.

~o~O~o~

An hour plus later, the bus pulls through Whatley's gates and stops at the administration building. I stare at Shuster hall, as the rain streaks my window on the bus and I wait for door to open. 'How appropriate, it's raining on this sad day. Could that be Nikki doing this because of her sadness?' is what I think to myself, as that door opens and I hop out to the rain soaked street.

Just outside the door, I spot a waiting Everheart and a few of her guards are with her. I make sure the door is softly open and Wyatt is off first with the still crying Nikki clutched close to him. As he stands in the doorway of the bus and nods to me. I understand his wish and drop a weather spell on them to keep them dry.

As I stand there and make sure my group is off the bus all safe. Then check where we are all going too. Wyatt is taking Nikki, to a waiting Dr. Bellows for a long talk and I am sure that man will be very busy this week!

Everheart leans in to tell me, as the last of our group leaves the buss "After they are all off, you have to talk to Carson."

"Not now Everheart, this is not the time for Carson's anger at me. I have friends to tend to in our grief."

"We have to go Ro?" she insists to me, as the last of them go into the building or on the way back to Poe, where we agree to meet next.

"NOT NOW!" I shout at her, with red burning in my eyes and I slam the side of the bus with my fist, hard enough to make it rock on it's suspension.

"You know ARC is going to make you pay for that dent?" Everheart tells me flatly, while she examines the huge dent I just made.

"They can BILL ME!"

"Well we have to go, Carson wants to talk about this taking a large group off campus now." she asks me again.

"Hey squid!" Bill insults her being an ex-navy person, "She is going to be with her friends!" then he moves to stand between us both.

Everheart, does not give ground to him and measures Bill up for a second. I say one thing to her, "Family! Don't even think of it!" I warn her, she gets the meaning. I see Bill as such family and off limits!

"Fine, I agree now and I can see that you're in control of yourself Rohanna. I had to press you to be sure, before I let you back on campus grounds?"

"You were testing her today! That was a very bad idea...Squid!" Bill barks once more at Sam.

"Bill let's go, Everheart was right to try? I am so off balance these days, who knows?" and I start to walk off towards Poe at a quick pace.

"We will certainly talk, later on about this crap!" Bill warns her once, before he runs to catch up with me.

When we hit the entryway of Poe, I can see that most of the Kimba team is waiting for Nikki to come back. Gwen is getting comfort from her roomie on a couch and Sara I am sure is with Donna in her room for now.

All of my fellow Sidhe, they are waiting in the sunroom down the hall I can see. But I make my first stop with the Kimba kids and the Posies gathered there.

Chou is the first to speak to me "Is it true Aung is gone?"

"Yes she is gone forever, I am sure of that. Or us Elves would not have felt it?"

"So what do we do to help Nikki?" Bugs asks me next.

"Be with her when ever she needs ya, but never even imply to her, that Aung is ever coming back! Not for even a second, she needs to know that is sure thing in her life, from now on."

Most of them 'get it'...Then I hand Mrs. Horton my credit card, "Take this Mrs. Horton, and please make sure that the sunroom is filled with hot food for any who come. Please include us Elves in that plan?"

"Why?" she asks me.

"Tradition of the Sidhe, elves and Fae folk. Then just so you know, Because I am sure Nikki does not? The proper gifts for a time of grieving, are living flowers, plants and seeds. That shows life goes on, over the giving of dead, cut flowers. Then toys are next, if we had kids here, seeing them at play shows that life going on too?"

"How much food should I get dear?" she asks me.

"Several days worth at least and make sure it's fresh and hot? Don't worry about the cost, I got it covered...." Then I tear up so bad, I shout to them, "I got to go!" and I run to my room, with Bill walking close behind me.

With me now gone, Horton moves to start making phone calls "I wonder if she means this floor only for food or?"

Constance hears her question from down the hallway and answers that call, "She means the whole building, that is tradition for us and I am sure she would do it for the whole school too, if that was proper?"

I fly into my room, jump onto my bed and bury myself in it. I just want all of today, this week, Heck this month, to just go away right now! My head hurts with the thoughts going through it, they are all a jumble right now and I have no idea how to feel right now?

Bill takes his time coming into my room and waits for Violet to find her perch before closing my door. He glances over my room now and all the new plants that Roz and I gathered to make it look like a small Grove in here.

He just has to whistle at the changes "Boy you have been busy redecorating since I was here last?" He asks me gently trying to change the subject.

I am not having any of it, I am trapped into what I am thinking right now so much, I don't even hear him on a 'real' level. But Violet does my job for me and becomes a good host, "Yes Rohanna made some changes to the room with a close friends help."

"I love it all," he takes a large deep breath of the small flowers and the earthy scents in the room, "the smells are wonderful! Are the fruits edible?" he asks Violet next, as he fingers a few of them hanging from one of the many branches just over his head.

"Yes...they are always ripe, good and very sweet!" Violet smiles at him.

"Can I try one?"

Now I can hear him just a little in my world of trying to deal with this madness in my head, "Sure you can Bill" I say muffled by my bed's pillow, "Nothing is off limits to you, unless I know it will hurt you?"

Bill plucks several of the small bright orange, red fruits from the tree branches that make up my new ceiling and goes to sit next to me. "Well show me how to eat this?" he smiles at me, but I still am not looking at him.

I roll up to sitting next to him and we both lean against my wall. I take one fruit from his hand and take a bite "You don't need to peel these, just take a bite and watch out for the small seed at the center. When you get done, just toss it back into that tree's pot for it grow off of?"

Bill takes that first tentative small bite and I can see the surprise at the taste of it on his face "My god that is sweet! It's like pure sugar!"

"Has to be, how else could a Pixie move so fast?" I almost have to laugh at him.

"But this? It's so sweet, but the taste is really good! You could sell these!"

"Can't," I shrug to him, "they only last a few hours picked off the tree and then the tree has to be near a large magic Ley line or it can't grow?"

I finish mine quickly and Bill is close behind with his. He gets up to place the seeds back in the tree's pot like I said too. On his way back he asks "Violet, Do you want one?"

She shakes her head to him "No I am fine."

"Give her some of the candy in my desk drawer, she loves that."

Bill goes to the desk and opens the drawer to the sight of a vast stash of candy in small bags "Jesus you horde more than Jineen does!"

"This Pixie loves chocolate!" I tell him.

"So do ya want one of these small one?" he asks Violet, who gives him the 'gimme' hands sign if a kid.

"Here ya go!' he tosses her a small bag and then sits beside me again.

Violet, sits above us munching away happily, on bag of small mint chocolate squares. I can just make out her say "Ohh this is new, so minty!" as she eats the next one.

"Well Ro, I just know this day is bugging you. Tell me something...it might help?"

As My tears flow fast onto my cheeks, I tell Bill the issue I have with what happened to Nikki and Aung "I don't know what to feel right now Bill? I am so confused by all of this?"

"Go on tell me all sides of this...feeling of yours and maybe why?"

"I want to help, protect Nikki all I can for what she has done for me. But I HATE Aunghadhail for what she did to the past me...ohh so much!" I growl at nothing, but that deep anger of mine at Aung.

"I know that, I was there that first day, remember?" he nearly chuckles to me, "God you scared me and doc Mike!"

"Sorry?" I say that one little word and start crying again. Bill pulls me close and leans over to me whispering as he does, "It's all okay now, that was then and you were so messed up that first day? I doubt anyone less would have done better?"

"Gaea, I have no idea what to feel now?"

"Say it, let it all out?"

"Like I said, I don't want Nikki hurt. But Aung! Some human stole ending her from me...someone who knew none of the pain she truly did to the world! In fairness and justice, I should have been that one person to end her!" I slam my fist to my bed in anger.

"I understand that, I know I have the smallest clue to what she did as Queen? But I know it was bad, as with my time in the military? I can't even fathom the evil my officers would do with us grunts if there were no rules to follow or obey?"

"But...But...But," I stutter out my words thinking too fast, "I was sort of starting to like her? But then I don't know or may never know, if that kindness she was showing me, was it real? Or just some sort of plans she had for me?"

"I can see that, now I understand why you're so torn up over this?"

"What you don't know about? Is that she was teaching me most nights, on how to do better magic. She showed me all the parts, that they never taught me? Was that her being kind, like mother? Or her just sharpening the knife I am?"

"I would hope both, no one can be evil each day and live with others like she did? Even Nikki would feel that evil by now?"

"I am not so sure, that kid is acting more like Aung since I met her, each day...I could see it. Especially after I got here!"

"Well she is gone, now you should spend time with Nikki showing her the better ways of life. You have a foot in both worlds just like her, you were human for a time and a long time as a Drow. Now show her that blend can be better?"

"I will try, after she heals a little more?"

"Good, then any other plans?"

"I know you will hate me for this?"

"I can't do that? I can only tell you what's best and hope you listen to me?"

"I have to find who did this and I sw..." And Bill clamps a fast hand on my mouth, "Ohhhhh NO you don't. I was told what a swear does to a elf or mage and you're both! None of that from you, no matter how mad you are!" Bill warns me.

I muffle out words, till he eases up a bit on my mouth "But I should, it's our way?" I say what is deep in my mind.

"Vengeance maybe a Elvin thing to do, but wait till your better off to bury someone for this crime!"

"I am not afraid of being caught, bodies are easy to get rid of!"

"Don't tell me that stuff, I am sure I don't want to know if you have hidden any recently?"

"I have to say this too?" and he nods back to me, "I have lost everyone so far that I loved. Even though I hated her, there is still that loss and I am sick of it! First my kids as a Drow, my friends from then and as a human...my parents. Now this!" I scream at the world!

"So you're scared it's happening all over again?"

I nod and mumble out from my renewed crying "Yessss?"

"Well it's not! I am here and my job is very safe? Then there is Sara? Name one thing that can kill her...besides you?" he has to laugh at me.

"Ya but?"

"No but, no pity party? Just take a breather and move on, we all do it sometimes?"

"I just get so confused at times, I just want to tear stuff apart!"

"Well then it's time to learn how to fix things?"

"I don't fix things, I lead warriors into battle at the front, or I teach those same warriors to fight. I break things, I don't know how to fix things? All that fixing things, it was left up to the royals who lead us?"

"All that destruction, was the Drow part of you talking, listen to that human part for a little now. But who better to know how to fix things, than one who was best at breaking them?" he laughs at me.

As we sit and listen to Violet happily munch away for nearly and hour. Someone knocks at my door and 'Rip' pokes her head into my room "Hey Nikki is just coming back in!"

When I hear that, I just have to see her and see if Doc Bellows had worked any good on her? I run down the hallway and over to her room, when I get there. All I find is a still despondent Nikki being held by Toni. All Nikki says between sobs is "Where is she... I have to find her?"

When I hear that again, my anger at the world goes all the way to the top and I need a target for it! AND right now! I know who has this information I seek and I am sure, is more than willing to give it to me!

I march past Bill, who can see I am past that regular 'mad' and venturing into 'crazy' mad! He tries to slow me down with a hand to my shoulder as I get to him, "Slow down Rohanna, this will not help Nikki one bit!"

"But it will make me feel ooohhh so much better!" and I walk past him on my way to Ayla's room. Along the way, I find her coming my way and I grab her.

"We need to talk now...please?"

"About what, I want to see Nikki?"

"Who did this?"

"Ohh..." both of Ayla's eyebrows go up in that thought! "lets get to my room then?"

When we enter Ayla's room Vamp or Alex is still there laying in her bed. Ayla asks the albino vampire to leave, "Hey Alex can we have the room, I need to talk and use my computer for it?"

"No, this is my reading time." she winks at her, "Besides Rohanna, are you sure Ayla can help you with what you need? As I am a 'fixer' here at Poe too?"

"And you just got here, what could you know? So if we can have the room?" Ayla asks her again.

"No," she says flippantly to Ayla.

"I know this is your room, but please give us space and go for a little while?" I ask her myself.

"NO,"

"This is not a day to test me, please go?" I ask yet again, as that anger peaks in me again.

"And what if I don't?" she dares me.

"I break what ever it takes for you to leave and go from there?" I grin at her.

Ayla can see what is coming and tries to stop it, "Alex, I know you hate me? But this is for Nikki, who just lost Aung and Rohanna even felt that loss. So please go, before this gets out of hand?"

She pops out of her bed and slowly walks to the door, then spun to wag a finger at me, "You owe me elf!"

"No I don't," I correct her, with a sneer covering my face for her to see, "if you had any manners, I would? But since you had none just now, I don't owe you anything and I don't like you either!"

Alex, just glares at me and closes the door.

Once she is gone, Ayla turns on a anti-eavesdropping device. "Well that should cover us Rohanna?"

"I am sure it's the best money can buy?"

"Yep, you know it! But you want who did this to Nikki and killed Aunghadhail?"

"Yes I do and I know you're the best for this. As you will not lie to me, or give me the wrong information and I know you will be very thorough."

Thanks, I am glad you trust me?"

"Nikki has been your teammate for a long time, so I am sure you want this done right and as much as I do?"

"Yes, but please I beg you. Wait this out and don't act just yet, no matter who it is?"

"I might? I can give no promise on that for now?"

"I am sure, other oaths are in the way or have precedence over this act?"

"Yes, very many indeed and some of my oldest!"

Ayla turns on her computer, then glances back to me "I will make a very complete file for you to read over tomorrow morning. But I can tell you this, a missing student code named Hekate, real name Kallysta Thessellarean. She was expelled when she did a bunch of felonies, one of those was making magical salves of Skybolt and Cavalier. Who Nikki was helping today at ARC?"

"So that is my target then? I want her!" I demand, "I want any info on her, no matter the cost and you know I have it!"

Ayla takes a big gulp of air at the thoughts, as she just knows I mean it, I don't play the threat card at all. "I will do all this for you and Nikki, at no cost. I would never charge for this, Nikki is like family now and I help my 'real' family!"

"Good anything else?"

"I will get that file done, someone that I employ will gather the files and then forget they ever saw them. Don't worry, I have nothing but trust for my people!"

"Fine, I trust you on this."

As I start to leave, she laughs a new question at me, "Rohanna?"

"Yes?" I glance over to her, still sitting at her desk and getting the computer files together.

"I'll trade all this for some Sidhe magic lessons?"

"Me? I know what I know, but Nikki would be far better for that?"

"But you know the evil stuff and I am sure she does not?"

"Yes and Circe, plus Grimes warned me not to teach that stuff to you guys. It's far too dangerous?"

"Humm, lessons on fighting then and," She pinches her fingers together at me, "just a smidge of magic?"

"Fine, I can do that? I hope you like learning at night, as that is class time for me?" I jest back at her.

"I got an espresso machine here in the room, so I am set!" she beams back at me, while happily pointing it out to me.

As I ventured back into the hallways of Poe from Ayla's room, I noticed all of the visiting Elves had left us and had gone back to their own cottages. Then as I wonder back to my room, I can hear that distinct voice of Everheart's just now, coming from far down the hallway?

I am so very sure of why she is here, I make a stop at my door and lean in, to still find Bill waiting there for me, "Bill? I am sure that Carson wants to chat with me right now? So you can stay here and wait for me? Or leave for home if ya want too?"

"I'll wait, then you can 'port' me all the way home?" he shrugs to me.

"Humm sounds fun, Then I get to see your place and that girl or yours again!"

"We can have dinner, I will call Jineen and she can have something waiting for us all?"

"Nope, the food I ordered is just coming in, we can get a bunch of that and have that to eat instead?"

"Good plan, I will call her now? Then wait right here for ya?"

"Yip!"

Once my plans with Bill are set, I silently creep over to Everheart, who is still talking to Mrs. Horton and surprise her with a tap on her shoulder, "Well Everheart? I can guess why you're here!" I shout at her.

She almost jumps to the ceiling with my bark and spins on me at the ready. All I can do is laugh at her plight, "If I wanted to hurt you," I grin evilly at her, "...Everheart? You would be gone, but let's go. I am sure Mrs. Carson, she wants some personal chewing time on my ass!"

"She does, but it's not that bad. She just wants to know why you left?"

"Well let's get it over with?"

~o~O~o~

Several minutes later
Carson's office, Shuster hall

After I had been shown a seat and Carson seemed to be very calm to me. She handed me a can of my now regular orange soda, "Well Rohanna? This is messy, you leaving campus with so many students and when you were told not to do that by security?"

It stuck me funny now, she said 'Rohanna'? not 'Miss Leigh'?...."Yes I was told that rule, then Chief Delarose told me? He expected me to do this from time to time, but not to abuse it?"

"Yes he did Rohanna and you are not in trouble for it. Though what I want to know, is why only the Sidhe students were on this trip?"

"We all felt her...die that last death. Aunghadhail's passing into," my head lowers at the thoughts, "Who knows where?"

I think of that 'Where' being? Who knows for sure? I can make book, that if she showed up to the 'warriors feast' they would not forgive her and banish her off to some hell!

"Well that is what we all thought too? Then ARC has to ask all of you elves. How could you all feel that death, from past the ARC's wards?"

"Aunghadhail, she was connected deep into each of us in turn. She was the Queen of us all at one time. Do humans actually think, that a little set of human wards could keep us from feeling that death had come for her?"

"Humm makes sense to me. It just worried them badly up at ARC, that a section of protections had failed is all?"

"I am sure nothing was damaged by her passing beyond us?"

"Rohanna, the main reason why I called you here is? That I know how the Fae just love vengeance or revenge for things like this. Are you going to go after someone for this?"

"I will hold to my oath, not to harm any personal or student of Whateley, while I am or they are enrolled here. With the exception of defense of self or others."

Carson easily sees the limits to what I just said, non-students or non-personal of Whateley are open season! Then when they leave Whateley or Rohanna does, all bets are off.

"Do you see this death, as an attack on Nikki?"

"Do you?" I ask coldly, more than asking for who did this act with my sneer at her.

All Carson can think to herself is 'please don't let her find anyone on campus is at fault for this?' But Carson knows very well who is and she is not in the dark at all to the goings on with her students.

"No I don't see this, as a personal attack on Nikki."

"You almost lied, I can tell. Very good at skirting the line Mrs. Carson...bravo indeed!"

"I was trying to keep this friendly Miss Leigh! But if you want to venture in that direction? Let's stop that now!" she jumps at me and orders me.

"Yes ma'am."

Everheart has to ask from her little corner watching me "Are you going to retaliate on this."

"I will stay within my present oath." I say very flatly.

"Fine Miss Leigh, you can go now." Carson tells me via her narrowed eyes, "But I do not want any trouble from this!"

"I will act accordingly and as promised. Can I leave now, as you just told me?"

"Have a nice weekend Rohanna?"

"Yes, thanks Mrs., Carson...same to you and Everheart." and I leave the room, with the doors closing behind me via Everheart.

"Well Liz, what do you think?" Sam Everheart asks the head of the school once I am gone.

"She will do exactly what she promised, she has no choice in the matter. Mages are bound by their words. Thank God she gave me an oath on that first day, or there would be kids here paying for it by now?"

"And when she graduates?"

"She will go hunting, that I am sure of."

~o~O~o~

Thursday, March 22 7:45 pm
Berlin, Bill's townhome

Once I had got back to Poe, Bill and I grabbed a good size meal for two humans, plus one Drow! Then I told everyone where is was going, I had to promise Nikki again 'that I would search for Aung for her' that nearly killed me inside. I just knew it was empty hope.

We both port to his front door with 'Bugs phone' help and he opens the unlocked door for us. Obviously Jineen was expecting us? When he opens the door he comically yells "Honey we're home!"

Jineen has the table already set for us when we get there, Bill places the bags of food in the kitchen and starts to dish most of it out into bowls or onto plates.

Jineen gives me a hug of greeting, "Bill told me what went on today, how are you doing now?"

"I am still processing this, I have no idea what to feel? Anger, grief, sadness or joy? Gaea I am so confused at all this."

"Well if you ever need a quiet place to think, there is a small bedroom upstairs for ya, it's part office? But it has a bed and other things?"

"I might use it?"

"Well lets start eating then?"

"Can I have five minutes, I have to do something for Nikki?"

"What?" Bill asks me.

"See if I feel anything of Aunghadhail's spirit at this new place. I am so very sure I will not, she is gone. But I did promise her, that I would try and I will."

"Do you need inside or out?"

"Out is best, so that there is no interference?"

"Honey, I will go out to the balcony with her and we can do this there?" Bill tells his girl.

"Makes sense, that would be a quiet and secluded spot? You both go and I will get all this set!" Jineen smiles back to him.

After we went outside, Bill laid a mat from one of his lounges for me to kneel on. I reached out with my senses, as best I could after I centered myself. My defenses to everything fell, as I let them all go to give me the best chance. I felt out very far and....nothing? All I felt was that hidden evil, that this valley always has in it, hiding, planning and waiting for the right time to come out and....kill.

After I stand up, Bill asks me from the sliding door and it's sheltered warmth "Well anything?"

"No, nothing of Aung, like I said. She is gone forever."

Bill shakes his head, "Pity Nikki, she is so crushed by this. I saw that."

"Yes it is, but this may work out for the better?"

"How?" he questions me.

"I told you? Aung was a bad influence on Nikki and was leading her down a dark road to what Aunghadhail was before...a Queen with a vicious cold heart."

"I see, well we all can work on that for her starting tomorrow. But for now lets go eat?"

After we all finish eating, Bill and Jineen have to hit the bed now. As they both have the early shift up at ARC tomorrow. Bill leads me to the door to go, but has to try to sooth me more before he lets me go back to Poe. Because he is a little worried by my 'just picking' at my food in near silence at dinner time, I usually eat like a pack of vermin and he knows it from vast experience!

"Rohanna, I have to ask ya before you go? Are you good for the night or should I call in for my shift and miss it? I am sure Doc Otto will let me off, so I can spend more time with you."

"No, please. I want to start coping with this tonight. My only issue is that, I spent lots of nights like this with Aunghadhail in the Grove near school learning more magic. Now I have no idea what to do instead?"

"Go and study in the same place, your regular class subjects?"

"I'll give that a try, but I will do that tomorrow. Tonight, I just want to be alone and think about all this."

"You be sure to call me please if you change your mind or need one little thing. I am here for you! That cell phone of mine, is going to be right next to my bed all night and all tomorrow in my pocket. Or just come here or up to ARC if you want too?"

"I will, But I am going Bill. We must do this again!"

"We will, I think in a week or so? Maybe even stay the night?"

"Ya I'd like that, to get off the campus and see what has changed in the world so far?"

"Well it has not changed that much in this little town?"

"We can go anywhere we want to?" I give him a evil crooked grin of my intention "I can 'port' us all to anywhere!"

After one good hug, Bill waves 'bye' to me as I vanish from sight.

When I get back to Poe, I grab my book and port over to the Grove. My plan for the night is doing my most boring classes...ethics in magic and powers theory. I will be asleep in seconds!

~o~O~o~

Friday March 23, 7:00 am
Poe cottage

After a long night of boring reading, I venture out of the showers fresh and clean. Coming up the hallway toward me is a ghost of Nikki, she looks bad, very bad. I am sure she got no sleep last night!

Toni, her roomie is almost dragging her to the shower room, to clean up for the day. Most of that sight hits me real hard, then I can hear her mumbling on. When Nikki spots me, she gets a little better looking, more happy.

Then.

Nikki's eyes go vacant on me, as she asks me that empty question again, the one question I can never fill with any hope. I watch on, as her soul hits bottom again, as she speaks the words to me.

"Did you find her Ro? Aung...I need her?"

"I looked last night, I even searched from Berlin when I was there. I will search farther for her soon, as I promised you."

"Ro, please find her, I need her!" She pleads to me again, as tears fill her eyes and Toni nods to me. Then gently leads her away.

My soul is just dying inside, seeing her so hurt, so empty, it's killing me and I can't help one bit! If she was a Drow, I could help her WAY more. But as a regular Sidhe, there is a mental barrier there I can't cross. I hope Sara can help her, in that way?

Before I leave the cottage, Mrs. Horton calls me into her room and closes the door. Something she rarely does?

"Ro, honey?" she asks me while offering a famous cookie of her's, "Bellows informed me that any Fae that felt what happened yesterday, they can take days off with permission. Then add to that list, Nikki's personal friends and you count on both parts. I told the other cottage mates that last night when you were gone."

"Thanks Ma'am, I might use that. But this morning has that fun archery class I 'TA' in, so I am going in for that. After lunch, I will think of what to do next?"

"Please take your time, we have it to spend."

"Good day Ma'am, I have to get going!" and I run off, with yet another fresh cookie in hand.

At least Friday morning's class gets most of my mind off this week, the archery class goes real well. I can see the students are progressing fast with the new style I teach with. Then I am sure that today, they are all making a supreme effort to show me that they are! That class is trying hard to get my mind off yesterday and it's working out well.

Once Class is over, most of them give me many words of support and ask me to pass well wishes on to Nikki. When the class is done and most of the equipment is put away. I spend some time with the simpleness of practicing at such a short range, with what in my opinion is very substandard equipment. The challenge for me is, making this stuff work and that gets my mind off the current day well.

At an early lunch time for me, while picking at a small meal on my plate, Ayla finds me and sits at my table. Her privacy generator comes out and when I spot it. I add to that, with my own spell and give us even more coverage.

When we are both done and I can see she is getting ready to eat. I ask one word or her "Well?"

"I have what you want." she nods to me and puts dressing on her large salad, "But I will not give it to you, till you make a promise?"

"You know that's going to be hard to do?"

"Yes, but can I get a promise that you will wait...like six months before you do anything...deadly?"

"I will agree to that promise, I will wait as you ask. I will not kill others for this crime on Nikki, for the next six months."

Ayla's eyes narrow at me when she thinks about what I just said, then realizes 'what' I said! "Hey!" she almost shouts at me, "do it right, no loopholes! I am smarter than the rest of these guys!"

I have to make a deep sigh and shrug to her. She got me good. "Circe choose well in a person to train, you're going to be real good at magic someday." I shrug again to her in my slight defeat, "Fine, Ayla, I promise not to act, or encourage, or order, or buy my vengeance and cause death to others for six months on this matter, but after that...it's open season. I will not wait any longer! Then exception of that all bets are off, for this Hekate girl as of now!...agreed?" I nod to her.

"I can work with that, after Hekate tried to kill Jade and Nikki. She does not deserve any leeway, what so ever! I would ask for a 'piece' of her, but that is not my way."

She then slides across the table to me, a very thick file and on it's top is a small memory stick. I take it off the table and heft its weight. But find, this file is impossible to read via my powers? There are far too many files in it, all written by various people and that means to me? My power is useless, as that power needs the thought residue of one author or just a few to really work!

I grunt in frustration now, I have to read it all...the hard way!

Ayla notices my anger and stops her eating with a question, "What's the matter, not thick enough?" she tries to be funny with a small laugh at the end.

"I have a small power to read stuff fast, but it's bane is files like this!"

"What?"

"The file has too many authors, there are too many thoughts to follow, so I have to actually" I grit my teeth, in thinking about my waiting to know who did this to Nikki, "I actually have to 'read' it all!"

"Nice power!" she grins at me, "But take your time. I know for sure, what's in that will upset you?...Please take it easy for Nikki, she needs you. Not right now, but in the millennia yet to come!"

"It's nice to hear that you actually think I might live that long?"

"Yes I do, if this month did not kill you...nothing will! You're a Drow style cockroach!"

I have to laugh at that description, part insult? But part praise on my survival!

With my lunch done and Ayla gone off to class. I grab a spot in the quad, to sit and read over that huge file. Most of the other students are 'milling' about the quad, getting lunch or going to class.

The first part, is a basic overview of what happened up at ARC, with the basic why and it's very well done. Then the next is Hekate's attacks on Nikki, Jade, Cavalier and Skybolt. Then who Hekate is, what she is sought for legally and where she 'might' be. That 'where' part is REAL thin and has no straight definite target, darn it!

There are lots of details on what Hekate did to Skybolt and Cavalier. She made them both magical slaves over a Christmas holiday, then let them both be slaves for her group...the Alphas on campus. Most of all her boy friend, who used the girl Skybolt in ways that turn my stomach!

Then it goes into her, 'lackeys' two of them 'Spellbinder' and 'Conjure'...I know both of them. Girl Mages of small note, I will 'see' them after reading this today! Then have a short 'chat' with them both, about where Hekate might be and if they still know?

As I read that last part, the part I am sure Ayla placed lower in the files for me, to take my time up and ready me for the BOMB it is! I read the very important pages...why this happened to Nikki...I have to reread them all four times to be sure of what they show me.

A boiling hate grows in me, like only once in my long Drow's memory and I crumple the pages as I drop the file!

Then it blows!

Most of the students see, one of the few Drows in school stand up, as a file falls from her lap and the scream of anger, madness and with sadness playing into it...fills the quad from her. Most of them, run away from that scary sound. One word "Vharc!" As it echoes off the buildings nearby. (Vengeance!)

Sara hears that sound and knows it, she felt that scream...heck she screamed it herself, a few weeks back and knows it's showing of deep pain too well.

"Ohhh shit! Rohanna just found out!" she mumbles at the table, then springs up to her feet and runs towards it.

"Found out what?" Hip asks still sitting at the table, that Sara ran from.

Paige answers her question, as she stands up and gathers her plates to follow Sara, "She found out, the who and the what and the why...of Nikki getting hurt yesterday."

"Ohhh! But what is that word that she is screaming?" Hip asks all kids about her.

The new girl in Poe, the small Lakota Indian tells Hip from her table a few yards off, "My spirits say to me, it means 'Vengeance' in Drow?"

One of the other girls glances over to Kayda the new kid, as she questions her statement, "You speak Drow?"

"No, but my spirits do and they can translate for me?"

Back in the quad, most of the students have run off. The smart ones know it's bad when a student screams like that and even worse when 'that' student has a colored 'UV' armband that states to them 'don't fight this one, or you might die!'

After I finish letting that all out, I gather the fallen file from the ground as Sara runs up to me. All she can do is grab me into a hug and whispers in my ear "Don't do it!"

As I pull her tighter with that file in my hand, I whisper back to her, "I have to!"

"No you don't?"

"It has to happen?"

"Please not now, they will get mad and send you to prison or worse!"

"It will not happen now, I have plans to find the one who did the most damage to Nikki and I need this male alive to do that...for now!" I say back to her, with a low growl showing my growing anger.

"Ro, please lets talk before you act rashly?" she suggests to me.

"I have to go, I have plans right now." I step away from her embrace and vanish.

~o~O~o~

Friday March 23, 2:04 pm
Kirby hall

The mystic classes inside Kirby hall just let out and several students fill the paths just outside of the building. I scan the small crowds of students searching for two girls 'Conjure' and 'Spellbinder'.

I spot both of them easily, both are walking together on their way to Melville I am sure, by the path they choose to walk on.

I speed up from behind them and give each a tap on the shoulder. That surprises both of them and they twist to glare at me. As they get a good look at me, I say flatly to both "We have to do a little talk!" and all three of us vanish with a 'port'

My sudden 'port' lands all three of us, many miles away from campus. Both girls are more than surprised by the abrupt change to 'where' they are and Conjure looks a little ill from the trip.

As she sways from that little sick feeling, that some get with my ports. I smile to her, "That will pass very soon. That uneasy feeling you are having?"

Spellbinder is screaming at me, as I slowly walk a circle around both of them "What is this! Then where are we!"

"What this is?...This is a little chat?" I grin and show my fangs to her, "Where are we?" I ponder the question...like I don't know for sure!

"We are many miles from Whateley...out in the woods!" I give into her.

"Take us back now!" she demands.

"No, our little chat is not done yet?" I shrug to her almost comically.

Then Conjure, jumps into the argument with gusto! "Take us back now ELF!"

"No, like I said. We chat, then...maybe you don't walk, run, stumble in the dark and crawl your way back to Whateley before you die of exposure?"

Both of them realize at the same time the predicament they're in, with a shared stare of fear at one another. No one knows where they are and will not miss them for hours!

Conjure starts warming up a spell in her fear, I easily notice that growing spell and then she ups the ante, with pulling out her Athame blade in her growing fear of me.

"Conjure, Randa? You finish that spell or use that blade and this chat will get nowhere fast?"

Spellbinder spins to her friend and gives a warning to her, "Randa! Stop that, I don't want to die out here!"

"Good idea telling her that, I would like this chat to end well too?" I smile at both of them.

Conjure drops the growing spell and her blade vanishes with a flip to it's storage. Both of them now eye me evilly, but I smell fear on both. They try to put up a brave front, but I see past it.

"What do you want Rohanna?" Spellbinder asks me.

"Everything you have on Hekate! I want her!"

"We can't do that, she'll kill us both!" Conjure shouts back at me.

"Humm I guess then," I mentally give Violet a wave to go at them, "My little friend will have to get that out of you?"

Violet rushes at Spellbinders face, with one of the wicked spears I gave her out. She stops just short of jamming it into Spellbinder's eyeball. Violet screams fiercely in her face "Tell her human or I start the pain!"

"Crap! You bound a Pixie to you! No one does that, they are too nasty and hard to control!" Spellbinder shouts out her knowledge on the fact.

"I did not 'bind' Violet, she volunteered to join me in my life!" I proudly boast for her.

Conjure wisecracks at my small Pixie, "You're sacred of something so small Friday? Girl!...I could swat that thing in one hit!"

Spellbinder waves a dismissive hand at Conjure, "Go ahead, be my guest! AND if you do? Can I have your room in Mel and your stuff?" she laughs at her a warning.

"Are these things that bad?" Conjure questions.

"Yep, they can inflict pain beyond measure and they use poisons that would kill the whole school with a drop of it! Pixies...they are bad news!"

"Fine...What do you want!" Conjure asks me while crossing her arms. A sure sign she is real scared, but does not want to show it!

"I want ALL that you have on Hekate...NOW!"

"All that we know? Is that she is hiding with someone in Boston...maybe?" she shrugs to me.

I have to sigh at that, they know nothing?

"I want a oath from both of you, that when you hear from her. You will tell me as soon as you can!"

"That might get us killed someday?"

"Well take this as a fact, you find out something AND don't tell me. You will die!" I make no promise for right now, but it's still open in my mind.

"What do we get if we do?" Spellbinder asks me.

"Living?" I say coldly to her.

"Not enough!"

"You don't realize your place in this, Aunghadhail just Died! That hurt Nikki, my friend and fellow Sidhe...I want and require vengeance for that! AND I am going to get it!" I growl at her and my armor snaps onto my body in place of my regular school uniform.

Conjure cringes back from me, as I stalk toward her, "Okay...okay! I'll do it, just no binding oath that Hekate might find on me, if she shows up again!"

"Deal! And you Friday?" I ask the other girl.

"I will promise the same."

"Good then!" my armor fades, then I step up to both of them, touch both and port away.

At Melville's front door, I giggle at them "See you two in class!" and leave with a port.

~o~O~o~

The Grove

After I had NOT found what I wanted from the two girl lackeys, I am pacing around the Grove thinking what I should do with this last person? One idea I have, is to 'skin' him alive? He will surly survive that! One more idea I have, is to watch Violet and her sister Lilac torture him, while I enjoy the screams coming from him and eat popcorn!

Violet nods her small head in agreement to my mumbling that idea happily!

When I get a full plan formed in my mind, I walk over to the spring waters and call the healer there. She wades over to me at my request, "Yes guardian?" she nods to me.

"Can you heal a human past the Grove, out on the School grounds?"

"Yes, I can. As long as the one in question, is not near death? My powers are very much weaker out in human lands."

"So broken bones, large cuts and bruises? They would not be an issue then?"

"Give me an hour to do my work, I can fix most of the damage you speak of...if it's not too close to death?"

"Good I, request your service tonight?"

"I await your call with pleasure!" she sings back to me.

"Thank you, Joan will bring you to me then?"

She nods an understanding to me, then I go and tell Joan my bound Nymph, my plans to call for her services tonight.

~o~O~o~

Friday March 23, 11:44 pm
Melville cottage

Now after I waited all the time I could stand! My shadowy form enters Melville from the roof, this top down way to get to my target was planed out. I had used Bug's 'Bunny phone' to find out what room he was in and that was floor number five out of eight! So starting at the weaker top of the building made more sense.

The wards of the building are utter crap! Mrs. Horton does a far better job at this, then add Nikki with Aung's help, had added layers on top of that. Several small hops down, via the balconies and I am at his room's balcony door. This room had some very good wards on it at one time, they are all faded from disuse and torn now. A few rooms above this floor, they had beautiful ones, but here? Nearly none!

When I slip the lock and the simple alarm. I find Sebastiano, or the 'Don' he liked to call himself when he ruled the Alpha's group and he is very asleep with a girl laying in bed next to him. The smells hanging in the room tell me, they had sex tonight.

Next I place a silence spell on the room, a faint one to keep others from hearing what is going to happen in here tonight! Then one is added to bathroom too, I have plans for that room.

The next time both stir in their sleep, I gently move the sheet to expose just a foot each and that is all I will need for what comes next. A small 'rap' on the girls foot and she is out for hours. Next is Sebastiano or A-hole! I will most likely call him most of the night!

With both out for hours, I paralyze the girl once more and make this one so deep. She will not wake at all, for any pain I give her. After that is done, I grab her foot, to start dragging her from the bed and her head hits the floor when she falls out.

"That might leave a mark? But 'he' will have to explain that, not me!"

I drag her into the bathroom and slide her into the deep tub. I drop a towel on her to be nice and then stand there contemplating madness. 'Should I just turn on the water and drown her? That would get this man in deep trouble! Then maybe expelled for it!'

But no I can't do that, she is innocent and that small bump on her head. It might wake her to what a mess, this male brings to her with his past! I leave her be for now and go back to the room.

I study him, my target for tonight's rage. My anger grows, but first...calm. We can wait.

Back into the bath, I turn on the sink and I call my Nymph to me. She comes to me via it's now filling bowl of water and once here. She kneels to me, with the healer of the spring next to her "Jabbress?" Joan asks me.

"Watch over this one for me? No hurting, only keep her still!"

"Yes, I do as bidden!"

"Healer, if you please. The one who will soon need your skills, he is in the next room. Be ready to heal him and I require no magic be left behind with your powers to track us?"

"That is easy, I will only heal him via nature and that is untraceable as you know?"

"Thanks be to you," I nod to her.

"Violet, watch my back and tell your sister outside to be at the ready?"

"Done...hurt this one for me!"

I grin back to her, then stalk over to the bed and leap onto his chest! I straddle him between my legs, as he wakes up and my hand grabs at his throat! He is pinned by my weight, plus strength and can't move. When he wakes gasping for breath, he stares in fright at the skull covered mask of my armor.

"You know who I am!" I shout down at him, my face only inches from his and then pull my mask off my face to show him.

"Yessss!" he gasps out.

"Who am I then?"

"Rohannnnnahh," he struggles breathing the word out.

"Wrong human...I am your death!"

He struggles even harder now beneath my hand and my body. He tries everything he has, grabbing at my arm holding him down, only makes it worse. As I have to 'squeeze' his neck even harder to keep my grip.

"Keep struggling with me and tonight you will die...not later?" I growl at him.

He gives up, like so many others have in my past!

"So what is my name again?"

"Death?" he still questions the thought and the statement he makes.

"Wrong again!" and I renew my squeezing the life from him.

He gasps out finally correcting himself, "My death...my death!"

"Good, very good and now you understand this!"

"Yessss." he says as I let go.

"Do you know why I am here?"

"I have no idea?" he tries playing with me, with a smug satisfied smile on his face

That earned him a fist smashing into his face!

"What was that again?" I ask once more.

"Nikki...Nikki?" he shrieks in pain to me.

"Better! Then what did you do, that hurt Nikki?"

"I did nothing? Others did!"

Yet another fist slams into his face for that!

"Tell me now!" I demand once again.

"I don't know?"

"Your lying to me, you must have heard by now? That no one can lie to me, without me knowing it. The curse's reward for me not being able to lie!" and I slap him hard for that one!

"You keep this up Rohanna and all these marks on my body, they will get you expelled!"

"Fine then, lets lay out the rules of this game now shall we! One, you lost already!"

He tries to interrupt me, but a hand wrapping around the neck again, it gains his silence once more!

"Two, there is only one reason why you live now! I gave Headmistress Carson my oath, my word. That while I am enrolled here at Whateley, I will never kill anyone that goes here or works here!"

He gasps out, what little reply he has.

"If I get expelled!" I lean to his face, so that my breath falls on him, "YOU DIE!" I hiss at him.

I relent in my grip a little and he gasps out "I understand, I understand! I won't tell anyone!"

"Good! And if you are thinking to show the staff the damage I do tonight? Then flee to them for protection, all the while tossing me under the bus?"

His face asks me the question his mind can't grasp right now.

"That plan has already failed, This healer?" I lean him over to just see the healer Nymph standing next to the bed, all dressed in see-thru gossamer cloth. While she grins on and watches the fun happening!

"She is going to 'fix' you right up and there will be no marks on your body, as your proof tonight even happened!" she waves to him, to be friendly. I think for a second to hand him over to her and have her wreak his mind? But that would be found out too easily!

"I understand the game now, I hurt you or tell someone to get you expelled and I die!"

"Good boy! Now we are getting somewhere!"

I slam him in the ribs and break four to them, his breath now wheezes out to me in pain.

"But onward? What did you do to Nikki, that earned this pain for you tonight? Admit to it and this ends faster?"

"I did not like her and the Team Kimba's!"

"Wrong!" I smash into more ribs and grab a hand now. I am ready to break fingers now and he knows it!

"I convinced Hekate to get her!" he gasps out.

"Why?" I ready that hand for pain.

"I wanted to get even?"

"No, you just can't admit to yourself why? Can you?" I question him, then shout down at him in anger "So let me tell you, what it is!"

I leap high up enough and bring my knee right into his 'parts' as I scream it "You wanted to FUCK Nikki like a slave, rape her and sent Hekate to fulfill your wet dreams!"

He screams in pain to me, gasping for breath and tries to fend me off again while screaming "Help me!" over and over again.

But I slap him down hard to the bed, when he tries to get up. "Scream on boy, no one can hear you past my spells! I have been doing this kind of work far tooooo long, to mess this up!"

He gives in instantly, when his small brain finally catches up to reality! "That's better! Now here is the deal to save your life...maybe?" I tell the truth to him, it's a true maybe...a long shot! But he has a chance?

"Yes what can I do?"

"You bring me Hekate! I want her for this, I want vengeance!"

"Okay so I give her to you, or information that leads you to her?"

"NO! That info, better be her address tonight! For you to get off the hook from me!"

"What?"

I start shaking him hard as I can by his neck, as I start crying in his face "You silly human! No stupid human like you or her, should have killed Aunghadhail! A fellow Sidhe should have ended her! That was my job! LIFE owed it to me! The Fates did!" I rant on and on to him, while I shake and start beating the life from him.

The Don, as he gets shook like a mouse by a large cat. He sees what is wrong now, long ago he set this path to his own doom and Hekate's by even thinking to bed Nikki! This Elf will end him and his only way out is Hekate's corpus!

"I will get her for you! I will!" he shouts back at me, as I shake and beat him violently.

I let go of him, my rage spent for this short time, "Do so quickly!"

"So you know? I told all I know about this to Carson already. Her master, who ever that is? Is on this campus somewhere? Find that person, then you get her!"

"I will try! But for now, your going to get just a sample of Nikki's pain tonight!"

Then the beating begins!

When I am done, he has several broken ribs now, a leg and most of his fingers. His face is a mess of pain! Even Violet jumped in during my rage, with a few selected 'pokes' of her spear at his pain centers.

Now the healer I brought with me, is doing her work. But I instructed her 'not' to ease his pain. Just fix him and do it perfect!

When she is done with him and he lays in the bed groaning, still in a good deal of pain. I sit next to him in that bed again, "Now to go over this again to be sure?"

"Yes, I am listening!" he grunts in pain.

"I get expelled because of you...you die. You send others after me...they fail...you die. Your only chance at a long life, is Hekate on a silver plate! Do we have an understanding? You say something to the staff or others...it will end badly for you!"

"I got it...everything I get on her, it's yours as soon as it hits my hands!"

"Good boy! Don't make me send a bouquet of flowers to ya?"

The Nymph cringes at hearing that and he notices her cringing at my words, "What was that for?"

"Cut dead, Flowers human, represent death to the Fae. To get them as a gift? It tells another, they will die soon!" the healer tells him, in her melodic voice of promised sex.

"Ohh...like getting a fish from a mafia guy!"

"YEP! But in my case it's a sworn promise! It will happen, when I choose the day you die!"

As my party gathers for going home, I show him the other Nymph. "Hey asshole!" I call to him from the bathroom door "See her?"

"Yes I do? What?"

"She is sworn to me, so even if you do kill me? Others will fulfill my last wants and kill you! Many others!" I warn again.

After the healer Nymph makes a playful wave at him, we all vanish. Sebastiano's head falls back to his pillow, "GOD I so fucked up! I hope I can live through this one!"

~o~O~o~

Sunday March 25, 9:05 pm
Poe cottage

As I get ready for bed and wash my face a little from the busy day. I watch a very tried Toni come staggering into the shower room, I can see that even with her powers and that hyperness she always has. She is running out of gas literally.

She gets undressed, then heats up a shower for I am sure is a deserved break.

"Toni?" I ask her from the sink I am washing in.

"Yep Ro?"

"You want to sleep in my room tonight and I watch over Nikki?"

"Naw, I got it!"

"I make this offer as a friend, we all need support sometimes and Nikki more so right now? You need a good nights rest, for the coming class week! And my bed is far bigger than yours, besides I am sure you will find my room a real nice break?"

"I want to be there for Nikki?"

"You are, just down the hallway? Then think, who else in this building is she safer with and a elf taboot?" I wink at her.

"Let me think about it?" and she goes into that warm shower just filling with steam.

When Toni is finished with her very long showering. I am still there waiting for her, leaning against the far wall, "Well?" I have to giggle at her.

"Why not? Who else would know how to sooth another elf, but one as old as you!"

"Ohhh you!" I shake a fist playfully in her face, "I am not THAT old!"

"You knew Aung?"

"Yes...but I had a break from her in life. SO I am not that old darn it!"

After I show her my room and all my new changes to its look. She loves it! And easily agrees to stay the night. We go back to her room, then tell Nikki what the plan is for tonight while Toni gathers a small bunch of her stuff for the next morning.

I already brought mine with me and toss one of my pillows onto floor. It's followed by my large meditation mat "You're not using Toni's bed?" Nikki asks.

"Nope I need some time meditating and besides this makes sure I am closer to you, if you need something?" I smile to Nikki.

Not too long after Toni has left the room, Nikki leaps at me and starts bawling hard on my shoulder as I hold her, "We have to find her! I need Aung, you said you would find her!"

I hate to do this to Nikki but, I shake my head to her statements, "No Nikki, I said and promised...That I would search for her...and I have done just that, over the last few days?"

"Where?" she cries to me.

"I tried nearby in Berlin, then very late Friday night I tried LA. That is when I got Rip and Toni that bunch of burgers to-go. Then again last night, while I was with Sara for a bit. We ported to New York and we both walked the park, while I felt out for Aung there and she joined in the search too?"

"Maybe you need to look farther?" her eyes ask me to fill that impossible need of her's.

"Anywhere you want me too, just say it and it's done." I ask her while taking a spot next to her, on her bed.

"I...I...I don't know?" she stutters out to me in sadness.

"Want to go to San Francisco?"

"I guess?" she says while looking over at me, her face asks me to fix this pain.

My Bunny Phone comes out in a swift move, I look on it for a good spot and find one in Golden Gate park. I show her the phone's map, "Does that look good to you?"

"I think?"

"Good, then we go now!"

"What, I am not dressed!"

"This will fix that!" I drop a invisibility spell on her and my port goes there!

A minute later, I find a nice seat for her on a bench in a dark spot, that no one will find us in! Once she looks a little comfortable, I smile to her, "Well I am going to start feeling out for her, care to join me?"

Nikki tries hard to concentrate and join me. But is such a 'wreck' emotionally, she can't settle her mind at all. "I can't!" she cries to me and seems to be getting worse emotionally.

"Just listen to the waterfall, the sound of it and the winds of the city. That might help? I am already reaching out, but still feeling nothing of Aung?"

She tries harder, then seems to relax with the splashing of the waterfall and both of us reach out in this search. I find nothing, Nikki keeps trying and I know she does not want to give up. But I have to 'motivate' her away from this...dead end quest.

"Nikki I have felt out and searched to my farthest. She is not here sadly? We have to go back home, we can try another night and I will keep searching on, without you none the less?"

"Yessss," she sighs in tears to me, "You have class tomorrow and I have to try to get to mine?"

"Let's go?" and I port back to her room.

When I try to stand up from Nikki's bed, she yanks me back down to it "Please stay with me?"

"I was just going to sit on the mat?"

"No here!"

"On the bed with ya?"

"Yes?"

"You need that hug don't ya? Well one hug coming up!"

As I lean in to her, she snuggles up closer and I wrap the blanket over both of us, "There, better now?"

All I get is a nod back from her and her pulling closer to me. For a long time we just sit, then I start humming that tune I did for my two kids. I know for sure, that it's rhythm will sooth elves!

When I humm that melody for some time, Nikki's face shoots up at me, "Aunghadhail did that once for me!"

"I am sure she did?"

"What is it? She really never said?"

"It's a set of songs, that Elvin mothers have sung to their children forever!"

"But you're human or was?"

"But part Drow, remember? I have both parts and that is why I am so crazy!" I have to laugh to her.

"Aunghadhail only sung the one, do you know more?"

"Yes and tonight you will learn them all!" and I start singing them for her.

I only get two done before she interrupts me, "Ro, I have questions?"

"Yes?"

"Tell me what you remember of Aung?"

"You have to remember, I never met Aunghadhail in person and was introduced? I only know her from very afar and that distance does show her in a very bad light?"

"Still tell me?"

"It can wait, please?"

"NO...now!" she almost demands.

"How about this then, I will tell you all that in a year. When, what I say will not upset you? Can you agree to that?"

"What if I don't want to wait?"

"You have to, that is the only way I will agree to this...for you...for your safely?"

"Okay...but tell me of your mom then?"

"What one? I did have the two?"

"The one with the songs, then teach me more of them...for my kids?"

"Well sadly, the only thing I remember is the songs...nothing else and I don't know why? It's just all gone, my memories before age...humm...ten? Then on top of that, none of a dad...a Drow dad that is?"

"Who did that to you, erase all that?"

"I don't know? But on to that song of life and children, I promised to teach ya!"

For the rest of the night, we sit, sing and learn those songs.

~o~O~o~

Shadowsblade here.

This story in a joint venture with a group of fan fic authors, so far this group is made up of Nuuan, then Branek and finally myself. We all got together and after a jumpy start decided to make a group of stories that all take place within the Whateley fanfic universe.

To have an idea about the main protagonist this story's will develop
around here is a short introduction.

Angels Peril a Whateley Tale: Written by Branek
Tormented by the past, Angel is struggling between light and dark.

Melvin a Whateley Tale: Written by Branek
They say old soldiers never die, Melvin is about to learn that the hard
way.

The Way of the Dragon a Whateley Tale: Written by Branek
Born for eternity but vulnerable like a child, dragons shouldn't leave
their nest.

Every Rose has it Thorns a Whateley Tale: Written by Nuaan
Watch what you say around rose, could give you more trouble than you ever
asked for.
This one is coming soon, bug him for it! lol

Kelly a Whateley Tale: Written by Nuaan
Struggling with fate, Kelly has to deal with love and loss.

Shadowsblade a Whateley Tale: Written by Shadowsblade
Created for war and forged in pain, dealing with demons within and
without.

Vantier a Whateley Tale :Written by Shadowsblade
Ancient and Powerful Vantier awakens in a foreign world, struggling to
find her place in it.

You might ask yourself what is the Whateley Universe? To make it short,
here is a abstract straight out off the wiki.

Whateley is a Prep School for different teens. VERY different ones. Where else could a kid go to a school that has a resident demon living in the furnace? Or meet magic users, mutants of every imaginable kind, get trained in how to handle some rather odd abilities, and worry about
flunking Freshman English? Come visit Whateley Academy, nestled in the
lovely hills of New Hampshire. Just down the road from a town named
Dunwich... (Mythos jokes purely intentional).
This is the Whateley Academy Universe, a shared universe with over a dozen authors and more than a hundred stories (and counting). The stories range in size from vignettes to novels. It's a Mutant High scenario with both a strong transgender theme and a slightly watered down Cthulhu Mythos theme.

It's also very much a work in progress.'
If you want further information you will find them on.

http://crystalhall.wikia.com/wiki/Whateley_Academy_Wiki

or

http://whateleyacademy.net/

But I have to thank, Both Branek and Nuuan for their vast input and the ability they both have to 'bounce' off ideas and improve them!

To all my readers who have e-mailed me and given support--THANKS!

Please feel free, to add a review to this story and others. As those kind words are 'cookies' that keeps that muse well fed on the 'sometimes' long breaks between stories!

Copyright © 2016 by Shadowsblade

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods,
without the prior written permission of the Author, except in the case of
brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other
noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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Comments

Comeuppance

Sounds like many will be receiving their comeuppance for their past misdeeds and Ro is will be happy to deliver it.

The death of Aunghadhail was also the catalyst that awoke and released Vantier from her block. So now both Vantier and Shadowsblade are in the world, Still will be awhile before they can meet but it will be cool when their timelines intersect.

Great story!!

Jeri Elaine

Homonyms, synonyms, heterographs, contractions, slang, colloquialisms, clichés, spoonerisms, and plain old misspellings are the bane of writers, but the art and magic of the story is in the telling not in the spelling.

A tie to the past

What a great chapter! A little of everything..

alissa

Awesome

jennifer breanna's picture

Great chapter. Thanks

Jenni

I really do not believe I

I really do not believe I would ever want to get on the wrong side of Rohanna--EVER. I do not even feel sorry for "The Don", because he is getting everything he deserves and hopefully then some.

Wow ... Trigersville.

To me it is obvious that Ro was triggered by watching the violent vid game. I'm triggered by things like that.

I am a little unsure about how to track future development in this tale.

Very good.

Gwen

what's got ya bothered Gwen?

shadowsblade's picture

what's got ya bothered Gwen? the story and the contents or what?

just so I know?

Proud member of the Whateley Academy Drow clan/collective

Yay! More Ro.

Sadarsa's picture

Your usage of the question mark is downright infuriating.
Or
Your usage of the question mark? is downright infuriating?

LoL that aside, I love this story despite how often your punctuation makes me want to bash my skull against a wall. I've searched everywhere for the story that has Aung's death, but i can't find it. Can anyone point me to it's location?

~Your only Limitation is your Imagination~

Powerful

This is a very powerful story that reaches out and grabs you. I had to stop a couple of times, to let myself deal with things. That love/hate relationship Ro had strikes at the heart of things, the need to take care of business herself is a strong part of her soul. "When the hit-man comes, he knows damn well he has been cheated"*

*"Twilight Zone" Golden Earring


"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin

Sara: -curls up in her chair,

Sara: -curls up in her chair, hugging herself- Not being able to help anyone. Yeah, that's my personal hell. The one I've been living.

It's not your fault, I should've...

Sara: No, we didn't get the chance.

I have wondered

about Angs death, Yhis is is the most detail I have read about it so far.

Walking dead meat

Jamie Lee's picture

Another powerful chapter, full of raw emotions fully realized by only those who truly understand the loss.

Mrs. Carson and Sam want Ro to learn how to stay calm and in control despite the attempts on her and Sara's lives. Now Aunghadhail has completely died and the two women expect Ro to stay rational about the aftereffects.

Why are both not trying to get the guilty party by contacting outside help, who can without any trouble, capture the guilty party? Or is it not that simple for either woman?

One does not know, or realize, she is a walking dead piece of meat. Likely she believes she can handle whatever comes her way. But can she handle a Drow who is hunting and has 40,000 years of experience doing so?

Others have feelings too.

If you read WA canon.

shadowsblade's picture

If you read WA canon.

Hekate was sent by her boyfriend of the time and a personal grudge to capture Nikki and make her a slave during the yearly spell renewal that they had already going on two other students and slaves. Well with Jade's help they failed in a huge way, Nikki escaped the two slaves were freed. Then the school found out and sent the cops after Hekate. But she ran off for protection with a villain who is part GOO in away and a relative of Sara on her human side--(long story there)

Hekate for right now is out of reach by the cops or anyone for now and most will think that she is dead via a spell she makes before years end and the cops stop looking for her...the Drow don't give up that easy, they actually have to SEE the body and they don't believe that Hekate is dead. But don't have the outside connections yet to find her..

( when the two salves escaped...they nearly killed' the Don' or AKA Hekate boyfriend...in the canon story...they left a very tall lamp jammed where the sun does not shine and he was in the campus hospital for weeks..Don lost his power base and the two ex slaves were sent to ARC for mental eval when Nikki and Aung got sent in and dies at the hands of a GOO based spell that Hekate left behind guarding her works or slaves in their shared minds...the only place where Aung could be killed...mentally.)

on a note and spoiler a bit
Hekate in year 2 canon, is stalking the school looking to get even in disguise as a student.

Proud member of the Whateley Academy Drow clan/collective