[img= http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h461/kathichan1/ariacastshot.png]

 [u][b] Los Paraisos : the Grande Diamond- 9th floor[/u][/b]

“[i]Chirps[/i]?” 

Aria stared incredulously at the blond-haired ranger who seemingly popped out of nowhere while rubbing her sore arms. Who would have expected him of all people to come to her rescue? 

“How-When did you…?” Her eyes darted to where Kenneth had been thrown against the balcony railings, but quickly widened when she realized that the man had already managed to recover and disappear once more. “Never mind, there’s no time for that right now.” She hissed in frustration, grabbing the ranger’s arm and tugging him back so their backs were close enough to the pillar she had been hiding behind so Kenneth wouldn’t be able to sneak up on them from the back, something illusionists were prone to do. 

She scanned the area through narrowed eyes, looking for any telltale signs that illusionists often missed while hiding themselves- any indents on the carpet, missed reflections or remnants of shadows, but spotted nothing. Chirps was giving her a questioning look and she quickly explained under her breath, never stopping her surveillance of the area around them.

“He’s an illusionist like me. Only stronger.” Her lips twitched in distaste. Admitting this had left a sizeable dent in her pride, but it was crucial to convey the situation. “Meaning my illusions are next to useless against him, but I’m susceptible to his.”

Sudden screams from the floors below made her press her lips even tighter and she shut her eyes, trying to block off the sounds and instead focusing her mind on sensing for his illusions. If only a certain Virtuoso was here-

Her eyes snapped open as she abruptly ducked to the left, hand shooting out to grab at what looked like empty air. Her fingertips brushed cloth for one short moment as carpet-muffled footsteps quickly moved away. Two knives were quickly thrown in the direction Aria thought the man had retreated but only hit the wall, blades chipping as they hit the wall. 

She stared even more intently now, taking deep breaths in order to keep her ever rising frustration under control. She hated feeling helpless. If she didn’t come up with some idea soon she swore she was going to start chucking knives at random areas in the room, courtesy be damned.