[u]Zaad and Aramir[/u] Aramir was wandering the school halls, having nothing better to do and wanting to stay away from Auriel. even if there was the risk that the silence might get to her, it was better than trying to keep her traitorous, corrupted, evil emotions in check. She shouldn't have feelings for another female. It was wrong. Wrong on so many more levels than just the practical. The fact that the Naga, Mar, and the Human, Althalus, were having a child only reinforced her belief that what she was doing and thinking was wrong. Which only made her feel more conflicted and confused shen her emotions disagreed and turned her thoughts against her. Confiding in Khan hadn't helped, and neither had attempting to rigidly control her emotions. Her only blessing was the fact that Auriel seemed oblivious to what was going on. Something Aramir was grateful for. Still, she walked away from the crowds and the loud noises, sure that was where Auriel would be. She was currently alone, the crowds in the College a dull rumble in the background. As she walked, she hummed softly to herself, filling that void that the crowds didn't. It had been six months, and her fear of silence had gotten better, but it was no where near managble. Years of hunting in the howling Plains made listening in this quiet environment almost unnaturally easy. Thus, she picked up a sound, like the slithering of sand upon sand. Aramir stopped humming, and looked around. Seeing nothing, she called out, "Who is there?" Mentally, she cursed herself for not even bringing her knives. This environment had made her placated. An easy target. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zaad had heard a humming as he edged just a bit from the shadows, his body once more dried while he spotted the small form of a Snow Elf. The small humanoid with pointed ears was humming to herself, her body turned from the crowd and seemed obivious the world around her. He couldn't help but snicker at his luck. Immediately he slipped back into the darkness before she could see him, his form blened into the shadows as she passed by. He waited until she came into view and realized who she was on sight, mainly due to her association with Khan. Aram..Aramir something. He wasn't able to recall the last name at all, despite her countless time spent within the boss's company. His teeth gritted a bit at the thought while he dwelled on it. The boss and her would often be seen either wandering the halls late night or spent time within his office, sipping Winter tea during their conversations. In the end, Khan was always the one who stood up late the longest when the Snow Elf left, believing he would soon retire. Those past regrets were hellish things. His mind focused on that fact and couldn't help but wonder why the student stayed up late at night with the Headmaster. It couldn't be because she liked his company, at some point her body would've wounded down and her normal sleep cycle would've kicked in after at least a month at the College. So it wasn't the newness of the place which kept her. The more he thought about it, the stronger the desire to learn the true cause why Aramir couldn't sleep at night. His head watched her head down the hallway, her pace steady and easy. That's when she heard his sand shift. Her humming stopped and her body edged to a halt, head darted about for its origins. Finding nothing she called out. Zaad chuckled, softly. Then his hand reached into the shadow and knocked over a chair just outside a class room, it slammed heavily and echoed through out the hallways. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aramir tensed when she heard the chuckling. [i]Lovely. A prank.[/i] She thought, beginning to turn around. That plan was ruined as the chair came banging down, causing her to jump about a foot into the air. She whirled around, trying to see who had done that. But of course, she saw nothing but an fallen chair and shadows. Still, she didn't move from where she was, and instead slowly circled around, eyes scanning for any hint of her mystery antagonizer. She couldn't shake the sinking feeling that she was being hunted, or at least something similar to it. This wasn't a situation she was unfamiliar with, most creatures at anything they could in the Plains, including those that were supposed to be hunting them. Thus, she treated it like she was being hunted, her mind racing. It could be a distraction, to get her to focus her attention on that sound. Alternatively, it could also be a scare tactic to get her to run where they wanted her to run. The best option was to stay still until she knew what was bothering her. It was a creature like her, to be certain. After all, animals didn't chuckle. "Very funny. Now, why don't you quit the childish attempts at scaring me and actually come out?" Well, this little trip had suceeded in her goals. Auriel was the last thing on her mind right now. That was a blessing, right? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zaad merely ignored her as his shape shifted and gathered towards the rafters. His four red eyes watched her move away from the noise made by the chair and her head shifted side to side, panic and cautious. He could've easily pounced from above and she wouldn't have known. However, scaring her was much, [i]much[/i] more fun. His hand reached into the shadow again to the same place. His hand reached for the chair and using his wrist, snapped it across the floor. It headed just to the left of Aramir. It slammed into the wall. The wood creaked and clattered, a single leg broken off in the rough toss. Again...Zaad chuckled. His form moved when Aramir moved at the sound's source. His body shifted behind her where he shrank a bit, enough not be seen when she looked upwards. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aramir's head snapped over to the chair as it began skittering it's way over towards her, and she stepped to the side. Unneccessarily, perhaps, but she would rather be safe than sorry with whomever, or whatever, was tormenting her. The chair slid past, so close she could feel the air of it's passing. Yet again, she cursed the fact she didn't have her bow or at least her daggers. Anything to make whomever was doing this have second thoughts about continuing to do this. Assuming that they were able to be injured by things as simple as arrows and steel daggers. Some creatures couldn't be damaged by arrows, even if she had runes inscribed into both her bow and her arrows to give them more power. The first time she had gone hunting with Mar, the arrows had simply bounced off of the tough armor of inhabitants of the Ravine. She had managed to find the joints where the armor didn't protect them, but to many close calls, to many times she had felt hot breath on her cheek and the swipe of claws barely missing her. So she had gone back to Val, and gotten the Runes she needed. There were no more close calls now. Well, aside from the one she was currently experiencing. Once again she heard that chuckle, right above her, and she looked up to see only nothing. "Okay. So you're obviously not a student, going from the ground floor to the roof quite quickly..." She heard the sand sliding on sand sound again. Directly behind her. Turning around, Aramir jumped backwards at seeing a creature made of what appeared to be pure shadows directly behind her. She didn't like being suddenly surprised by whatever it was. She didn't like it at all."By all of the Gods," She said, practically spitting the words out. "Who are you, what are you, and why are you throwing chairs?" She eyed Zaad warily, not trusting him. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Well, how else am I suppose to get my kicks? You're rather cute for a frightened mouse, aren't you?" Zaad chuckled, his body glided to the side as his dark sand floated by her. His hand reached for the chair then slide it back to its rightful place, his mind still savored the scene of her fright. It wonderful how that feeling coming back when someone was frightened of him again whch made him realize how much he missed that. She might've been small and rather timid, but it still felt damn good. His body turned to face her, his four red eyes narrowed on her. "Why you keep visiting the Headmaster is beyond me." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aramir took a wary step back from him, as he glided by her. Every instinct she possessed, honed from hunting and being hunted in the Frozen Plains, was screaming at her to not trust this demon. At least she thought he was a demon. Her knowledge on the subject was limited, admittedly. Still, she kept her distance. He looked like he was made out of pure shadows. Shadows that could surround her, and cut off any light. Shadows that could bring back the darkness and the terror. She ignored his first questions, and instead chose to concentrate on his final comment. If he wasn't going to answer her questions, maybe he would let some information slip in idle conversation. "Who else is there to talk to when I'm up all night? The Golems?" She gave a quick little smile. While it was true some of the Golems had sentience and the ability to talk, most were Gargoyles and rather...surly. Though, she would prefer surly to Zaad at this point. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zaad grinned at her cheek, something he believed might easily ripped from her soon enough. He chuckled at the thought in his head as he absorbed her words easily. It wasn't hard to note she was fearful of him as she back stepped to avoid him, her small form not able to move fast enoguh by the look of it. He snickered at the memory just a tidbit. Cute how she sought to hideit by making idle conversation and he replied to her questions in his own fashion. "You could try, but it makes me wonder why you would bother? Khan's not exactly the best company for you after all. It might look odd for a student to spend all her free time with him and most people need only a hint of something foul going on to jump to conclusions." He said in a passing and mild way, his form moved again. This time a bit of sand brushed by to stroke her cheek, his form seemed to pace about like a predator who found a easy meal and intended to savor it. His hand rised close to his face had scratch his chin in slight boredom. From the corner of his eyes, he noted her reactions and movements for future referance. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aramir shrugged her shoulders. The fact that people might assume she was sleeping with the Headmaster meant little to her. Unless they were going to leap to the conclusion that she should be killed for it, she couldn't care less. "Let them jump to conclusions. Can't be worse than what has already happened. And besides, few are up long enough to know about my nightly wanderings, much less that I talk to the Headmaster every night." She took another step back as he began to move by her, and that's when he brushed her face with his sand. Aramir had never felt sand before. Much less felt it on her face. That, combined with the fact that Zaad seemed to be made of pure shadows and darkness and her fear of darkness, resulted in an, interesting reaction. She recoiled violently from the touch, eyes wide with fear and slight panic. Instinctively her hands curled in a cupping motion, and a small blue flame appeared in her palm. Aramir was breathing heavily through her nose, wrestling with the fight or flight instinct in her that screamed now was the time for flight. She didn't know what she could exactly do with the flame, but it was a reassurance. Flames beat back the darkness. "Don't...don't do that. Please." She said in a shaky voice. It was clear she was just barely repressing fear and panic. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zaad's lips twisted in to a wicked grin. His head turned back to her, a vision of mock confusion and concern, as he leaned towards her. He didn't care for her flame and even doubted she would use. Pyromanacers were such a pain at times but he was rather confident he would be able to handle one small snow elf. Again, she reminded him of a little blue mouse as she had recoiled from his touch, his words dripped with warning. "And what do you think you're going to do with that little flame, um?" If she was trying to scare him off, that wasn't the way to do it. She was, after all, just a novice which meant she wouldn't be able to do much other then glass the surface of his face. His mind flickered to Dollface at the moment, his tongue pressed to his cheek in memory at how painful that was. His lower half extended until it touched the ground where it unnotably reached for the nearest shadow, one right under the Snow Elf's feet. Slowly a shadowy hand rose up then aimed to latch upon her ankle. The moment they did, his fingers tightened and jerked backwards. His body on the other hand shifted to side step as he fully meant to watch her crash into the floor face first. A minor lesson not to threaten a demon. He felt he was being more merciful then others, if they were in his position, would've been. Had she done that to a larger demon within the Ravine, the beast would've ripped her to pieces. Eating her limbs, insides and much more while she watched. This little...lesson was for her own good after all even if she didn't see it that way. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aramir drew a shaky breath. She wouldn't lose it. Not here. Not to this..demon. In response to his question, she said, "Nothing. I don't intend to attack with it. Even if I did, it wouldn't be much use against you, now would it?" After all, fire couldn't burn shadows. He would just reform, and then come to attack her..surround her, extinguish all light and leave her in nothing but darkness...Aramir shook her head in an attempt to clear it. She was tense from fear, every sense straining. That's how she picked up on that familiar sound right beneath her. Looking down, Aramir was alarmed, to put it mildly, to see a shadow hand grasping at her ankle from her own shadow. While she avoided screaming, she did attempt to leap backwards and away from it. That failed, of course, and the hand grasped her ankle and tugged, making her fall hard to the ground. Her entire body shivered with uncontrollable fear. [i]It's going to happen. He's going to swarm me with shadows. The light will go out. Darkness will be all I see and feel and know..[/i] "Stop. Please. Stop." She begged. If she hadn't known that it'd be a useless gesture, she would have already been running. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zaad looked over the female Snow Elf, his body towered over her curled up form and seemed to frown at her reaction. Why is she reacting this badly to a little joke? He wondered with a slight disappointment of how quickly his joke became sour. His thoughts were distracted when a familiar voice broke in. Zaad's head jerked upwards, his eyes narrowed as Rathel started to rip into him. [i]What are you doing, Zaad?[/i] "Nothing, I haven't touched her...yet." He answered honestly, his words replied out loud and clearly seemed to be address to someone unseen. [i]It seems you were thinking, weren't you? Back off Zaad, now.[/i] Rathel's tone took on an authority that rubbed Zaad wrong, his teeth gritted at being told what to do. "You can't tell me what to do..." To prove his point, Zaad's hand extended a finger to brush the Snow Elf's cheek again. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aramir's eyes, wide with fear, flashed in brief confusion as Zaad seemed to be talking to himself. However, her confusion was stored away for later use as she saw her opportunity. If the shadow demon was distracted, that meant he couldn't use his shadows. Which meant she might escape this without remembering the dark. Slowly, carefully, Aramir began to drag herself away from Zaad. If she could just get far enough away to start running... Then, of course, he had to reach out and touch her. Aramir was scared. Absolutely terrified. And she had no where to run, as far as she was concerned, since Zaad could just keep pace through the shadows that were everywhere. So she reacted on basic, cornered animal, instinct. "[i]Leave me alone![/i]" Blue flames erupted around her, swirling into a brief protective dome, stopping any attempt to touch her. Of course, this only lasted for a couple seconds, before Aramir's emotional boost ran out and she collapsed to the floor, only barely keeping herself up. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Crackle... Pain and glass filled Zaad's arm as the sand heated when it touched the blue flames. He naturally bit back the scream which had edged to his throat and died there. This fucking shit hurt. His eyes brigthen with a red fury as his hand turned into a familiar shape, one he had used to put down many others before this bitch. He held up, pointed at the Snow Elf's head. Khan would never know if there wasn't a body found, now would he? The thought seemed like a very good idea within his head. His finger squeezed the trigger and light bursted from the gun muzzle. The bullet darted from the barrel, it's path was right at the out cold figure and he knew it would hit. He wanted it to so badly. Hhhhiiissssshhhhh. The moment the bullet touch her head, it fell apart. It crumbled and once more became black sand what shifted direction back into him. His breathing was hard and very angry as he looked at the fallen student. He couldn't leave her there, now that his temper was eased, while he inhaled with a sigh. His hand scratched the back of his head in thought. "Any other demon would've torn you to pieces by now..." He mumbled to himself, knowing fully well how that felt. "Fuck it." He turned to the other demon, Rathel, who emerged from the shadows. It seemed he wasn't happy as his eyes narrowed upon the student then jerked to him, accusing as usual. His nails clicked to approach her allowing his sweet adn calming scent to premate through the air in a faint hope to sooth her fright. She would likely had remember him from an occasional meeting time to time. "What have you done now?!?" He seemed to growl defensively, a tone rarely used unless in Zaad's presence. "I let off some steam. What does it look like I did? She's not dead so get off my case." Zaad's figure jerked down the hallway and vanished, his attitude clear uncaring. His voice echoed back in his departure. "Take care of her..." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aramir was only barely aware of what was going on. She knew Zaad had done something to her, because she felt something on her head. But she didn't know what because her vision was rapidly darkening. She had used too much blood, to explosively. Darkness was closing and dragging her in, no matter how hard she tried to fight it. That's when a slightly familiar scent reached her nostrils. Her mind struggled, and failed, to make a bigger connection with the scent than 'Safe'. Still, she felt a calmness go into her, a fight go out of her. The darkness closed in faster. "No..no.." She mumbled before passing out. It was a blessing, in a way. Maybe she'd forget her entire experience. At the very least, she wasn't afraid anymore. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As Zaad left, Rathel once more was the one to clean up the demon's mess. His hollowed out quills rattled a bit in frustration but quickly settled down when he glimpsed the student's condition. It seemed she had used too much blood and was paying for it. Mentally cursed Zaad's stupidity, Rathel's arms lowered to scoop the small Snow Elf into his grip. Holding her like an ape did an infant, he started to make his way towards the infirmary as the plant had notified him of her location recently. After a bit of navigating around the hallways and time getting there, he finally had made it. His large frame waddled in before he gently set the Snow Elf upon the nearest empty bed. "Lucilia, we've got a student who used too much of her blood." When he was sure the small Snow Elf was being tended to, his eyes shifted about."What happened here and everyone alright?"