“Rexikat?” I heard a soft knock on the door as I was about to go through the portal.
“Rexikat, it’s me Nyx. Can I come in? RaXi… she isn’t… I don’t feel her at Zero’s. I think the Villains have her, and using her as a bargaining tool.” I paced towards the door, and then paced back, holding a hand to my head.
“We will bring RaXi back. You have to believe in us. Please? Xemmsur and I… we have the will to find her, and we will, there is no question about that. We have lost so much around us we will not lose anyone else. I know that Xemmsur will fight and fight bravely and whoever gets in the way will be tested.” I waited to see if she had anything else to say before I left.
“Everyone is brought to the test sooner or later, as apprentices we accept that like we always have. Please, I ask that you put your faith in us. We are stronger that what we seem.”
She finished talking, and I sighed. “Sorry, Nyx,” I murmured, “but I can’t accept that. I'm not an apprentice, and never will be. I'm a tigress, and I always protect the things that matter to me, no matter what. If you fail, I ]have to be ready to bring her back.”
I opened up a portal in front of me, walked through, and cast a chain through the darkness, muttering, "Find Citadel Abyss." My chain would find the highest source of energy in the world at the moment and latch onto it, leading me straight to the citadel. When I went through the other end of the portal, I found that my chain had wrapped around the ankle of a man, and quickly extended it to a full-body wrap.
Taking another chain, I went up behind him and pulled the chain around his throat. "Tell me your name," I growled.
His hands scrabbled over mine, trying to pull away the chain. "Verex," he rasped out.
Verex...why did that sound familiar? "Okay, Verex," I said, "I'm going to ask you some questions, and you're going to answer them honestly. Does your organization know where RaXi is?"
"RaXi! You know her?" He choked himself, straining to be free of me, but I wouldn't let go that easily. "Yes! They do. They just sent someone to get her."
I processed this for a moment. If Organization Zero had already sent someone while we were in the meeting, then...
"Please," Verex gasped. "I don't want Marlex to get RaXi, but I can't go myself. I don't know who you are, but if you can help me, perhaps we can make some sort of deal."
...What was it with these Organization Zero guys and deals? I released him, taking all of my chains back. "Your leader has already sent someone to retrieve RaXi, but you didn't want that person to go. If that person gets to RaXi first, it could mean bad things for her. You want to go yourself, but you can't. Am I understanding this correctly?"
Verex nodded.
"Fine. Where is Pashnirix?" I asked. Putting this information together with what I knew of Organization Oblivion’s plans, it looked to me like there was going to be a two-on-one standoff between us and them over RaXi.
“His room is two floors up, at the end of the left corridor,” said Verex, and I raced off to find the Dragon.
Two floors up, and down the left corridor…I skidded to a halt outside his door and jiggled the doorknob. I knocked impatiently, and nearly punched Pashnirix in the face as he opened the door.
“Tigress? What are you—” He looked confused as he addressed me, but I didn’t have time for that. I shoved him into his room, shutting the door behind me, and looked to him seriously.
“Listen. You need to do Verex a favor. You need to go and…” I thought for a moment about what I would ask him. I needed to figure out a way to keep RaXi safe in the event that Nyx and Xemmsur failed. I could ask him to find out where RaXi was, but by the time I could get there, it would probably be too late anyway; someone would have won the fight already. Verex seemed ridiculous worried that Marlex would get to her first, so I guessed Marlex was a viable threat. But Nyx and Xemmsur were on their way at the moment to get RaXi. I couldn’t send Pashnirix against them; they’d be slaughtered.
“Rexikat?” Pashnirix questioned me again, and then looked up as someone else pounded on his door. He pushed around me and opened the door to Verex, who was still coughing. “Verex? What is going on?”
Finally, I made a decision. “Pashnirix, I need you to go to wherever RaXi is being held, and observe the fight between Marlex and two Nobodies from my Organization. Should Marlex win…should he win, could you knock him out and take RaXi for yourself?”
Verex gave me an angry stare. “Take her for himself? Why?”
“To keep her safe, that’s why!” I whirled and shouted at him, all my frustration finally releasing. “Because she’s my friend, and I don’t want to leave her at the hands of her enemy! And I think you feel the same way, Verex, and since neither of us is in any position to help her, Pashnirix is our best option!”
“Do I get a say in this, perhaps?” Pashnirix said calmly. “You haven’t exactly told me what I get out of this, Rexikat.”
I regarded him carefully, and asked, “What do you want?”
“In exchange for defecting against my Leader, betraying my organization, and aiding the enemy, I’d say—”
“Don’t think of it as aiding the enemy,” I snarled, “think of it as saving your ass, because if you do this, and she gets hurt, I’ll tear you to pieces and leave you writhing and screaming in your own guts.”
Verex stared at Pashnirix. “Or you could always say you simply wanted the credit for yourself,” he said slowly. “You and I both know that you have no particular vested interest in this organization.”
“Well said,” Pashnirix murmured. “But I still require some sort of payment from the Tigress. Perhaps…conditional terms. If my intervention is not necessary in your organization’s retrieval of RaXi, then you will owe me the amount of time that I wasted. However, if your organization does fail, and you wish me to take RaXi instead, you will have to fight me for possession of her.”
I thought quickly about his offer; I didn’t have much time to contemplate. For a back-up plan, it didn’t really seem too awful. Should Nyx and Xemmsur win, I would simply have to escape for however long necessary. And if they lost…I had no doubt I could hold my own against Pashnirix in a fight.
Holding out my hand to his in firm decision, I said, “Deal. But you won’t interfere if Nyx and Xemmsur win?”
Pashnirix held a hand over where his heart would be. “Cross my heart and hope to die,” he said sarcastically, before answering seriously, “You have my word, Tigress.”
----------------
KitKat: ...I can't believe you just made a deal with Pashnirix. You really must trust him, huh?
Rexikat: It wasn't about trust, it was about--
KitKat: Oh, yeah, I forgot, you guys are secret lovers. That's what secret lovers do, right? Back each other up?
Rexikat: -_- You say that one more time, and it'll be you I'm tearing to pieces. I made the deal to make sure RaXi would be returned safely, more than that stupid LEADER can say for himself! *starts angry ranting*
KitKat: Oh boy.
I listened to the argument over who would go save RaXi, putting in my words only when necessary. I didn't think it would be wise to send a ton of people, when only a few would really be all that was needed. But when the Leader told Nyx that only Xemmsur would be going with her, I felt I needed to object.
Kyxsha beat me to the punch, shouting, "WHAT?!" She glared at the Leader exchanging some sort of internal dialog, and the Leader seemed ready to use Triskix to attack her, but Nyx stepped forward.
"Thank you. My only request is to leave immediately...sir," she said quietly.
The Leader began to speak, but I cut him off. "If I may be so bold as to speak, sir," I said coldly, "but with all due respect, I agree with Kyxsha. I don't think Xemmsur would be the best choice for this mission. We don't know what we could be up against, and she's not exactly the best fighter here."
I paused to glance around at the others, and then continued. "If you insist on keeping Triskix and Lexian by your side, and you refuse to send Kysxha, then I suggest you send Ximh or myself instead of Xemmsur." Preferably myself, I thought. RaXi had become one of the few friends I had, and I would not see her captured due to the error in planning of a nameless Leader.
"And if you insist on arguing my orders at every turn, Rexikat, I suggest you prepare yourself for an eternity of punishment," replied the Leader with a chilling smile. "Xemmsur will go with Nyx to retrieve RaXi. Am I clear?"
He looked around to everyone in the room. We all stared at either each other or the Leader. Finally, I looked away, muttering, "Yes, sir."
He looked pleased with himself, but I was furious. I needed a plan, and thought of one quickly as he moved on to the next subject of business. Carefully guarding my mind with techniques I hadn't used in years, I chained my true intentions into a corner of my mind, and let a few tears stream down my face.
I wiped at them viciously, and Ximh, sitting next to me, noticed the motion. "Rex," he whispered, "it's okay, don't cry."
"It's not okay," I hissed back. "RaXi needs someone who knows what they're doing. We can't leave her to the hands of someone so inexperienced as Xemmsur! She needs me!" I let out a broken sob for good measure.
Ximh looked worried, and then raised his hand. "Um, Leader, sir? Can I just take Rex out for a minute? Calm her down a bit?"
I let out a huge sniffle, glaring out at everyone. "Don't even bother, Ximh," I said before rushing out of the room through a portal. I ran, not bothering to look behind to see if Ximh had followed me.
Running as fast as I could to the West Tower and my room, I locked the door and chained it shut, making sure no one could get in. Wiping my face of the fake tears, I paced, trying to figure out the best way to execute my plan. I had never been to the Citadel Abyss before. I didn't know the layout of their castle. Going there on my own would be a huge risk, but one I was willing to take.
----------------------------
I will continue this really soon! It was a long post, so I broke it up.
"This better be good," I snarled, slamming open the door to the Leader's room. Both he and Triskix seemed to have been in a conversation. They both turned to look at me, Triskix in surprise, the Leader with a smirk.
"Ah, Rexikat," he said. "You're the first here. How did you get notice of the meeting so fast, I wonder?"
I narrowed my eyes at him, not liking the implication behind his words. "You called me here, remember?" I growled.
"Oh. Yes, of course," he said airily. Triskix glanced between the two of us, the tension in the air like a smothering blanket. "You seem upset. Were you...busy?"
I ground my teeth. The bastard knew about my meeting with Pashnirix, I could tell, and he deliberately pulled me away from it. I wouldn't--no, I couldn't let that happen again. I would have to be more careful in the from now on, and start using some of those long forgotten lessons I'd learned.
"No," I replied calmly. "I was just taking a nap."
The Leader's smile grew even wider. "Hm. Well-deserved, I'd imagine." He turned back to a portal he had opened in the room. It opened up to a white room filled with chairs of varying heights, all arranged in a circle.
"What's that?" I asked, motioning towards it and looking to Triskix.
"It's the meeting room of the original thirteen, Where Nothing Gathers," said Triskix quietly. He gazed at it with a nostalgia in his eyes. I could only guess that the place held certain memories for him.
"That's where this meeting will be held, then," I said. "Fun." I suddenly wished that I could have at least had one lesson with Pashnirix. I had a feeling that I wouldn't be able to see him for a while after this.
"Rexikat," said the Leader, "go and gather the others. I'm sure you'll be able to find the rest in the Castle somewhere."
"Excuse me?" Pashnirix ordering me around was one thing, but this--this Leader guy, I would absolutely not tolerate. "Did I just hear you order me to do something?"
"Rexikat," cut in Triskix. "Please, just find them. For me. As a favor," he added.
I glared between him and the Leader, and then left the room with a huff. Oh well, I thought, Just another hunt, right? I left in search of the other elites.
---------------------------
Rexikat: Stupid Leader, reading my stupid mind, tearing me away from stupid Pashnirix, stupid ordering me around...
KitKat: Well, you had to know this was coming.
Rexikat: I was expecting Pashnirix to try and pull something, not the Leader! I was ready!
KitKat: Sure, just not for the right person. ^_~
After we headed down to the kitchen and grabbed something to eat, Ximh and I were sitting in friendly silence. Suddenly, he darted out of the kitchen, like he sensed something wrong. Carefully dropping into my element, I crept behind him, my chains trailing on the ground.
"Ximh? Ximh, why did you run off so fast?" I muttered to myself. I turned the corner, and saw him with another girl, Kyxsha, if I recalled correctly. "Oh," I said, my ears flattening against my head. "Sorry."
Why do you wrap chains around you body?" Kyxsha asked suddenly as I reverted to my normal form.
I stared at her. How dare she ask me personal questions when she didn't even know me. "Why do you want to know?" I growled guardedly, glaring at her.
"I'm sorry. I'll...stay out of your way," she said bashfully.
"Thank you," I said to her. Turning to Ximh, I said, "Catch you later, maybe."
He nodded, and I left them to their conversation, quickly exiting the building into the courtyard through a nearby door. It was cool outside, but not cold; for once, I wished I had put on my cloak. Making my way over to the shade of a tree to sit down, I was startled as a portal appeared in the shadows, and I was yanked unceremoniously through. Not this again, I thought.
Fighting to get out of my kidnapper's grip as soon as we landed somewhere, I muttered, "Get your hands off me!"
"If you would quit struggling, I would do just that," a silky, accented voice muttered right back. I fell to the floor, but quickly rose into a crouch, eying my assailant with wary eyes.
"Have you forgotten of our deal so easily, Tigress?" In the darkness, I could barely make out Pashnirix's face, even with my enhanced sight. I straightened up and cocked a hip, folding my arms.
"Dragon. I should have known," I said. I really should have, too. But I had been so distracted by the Leader and his 'punishment' that I had forgotten.
"Yes, you should have," he replied. "I'm hurt. I thought we knew each other so well."
I scoffed. "You aren't hurt, because you can't feel," I said.
Pashnirix wagged a finger at me and tutted. "Tsk, what have I told you, Tigress? There is more than one way to feel than through a heart. You haven't listened to me at all, have you. You'll never learn that way."
I grew annoyed. "If there's more than one way to feel, then why don't you tell me, instead of just dancing around the issue?" I yelled.
"See, you're feeling right now," he said gracefully. "The heart is merely a vessel, a place for emotions to be stored. Where do you think emotions originate, how? In the mind, that's where. You form emotions based on logical analyses of people and situations, translate them into reactions, and those reactions become emotions. As long as you still have your mind to form emotions," he said, touching a hand to my forehead, "you don't need a heart," he touched my chest, "to feel those emotions."
Surprising even myself, I didn't lash out at him for touching me, for invading my territory like that. I merely frowned, and followed after him as he walked away. It was disconcerting, walking in darkness like we were. There I go, I thought, feeling again. "Pashnirix," I called out, "where are we?"
"Inside a Corridor of Darkness," he responded.
I rolled my eyes. "I know that, Dragon. Where are we going?"
He turned and held out his hand to me. "To your first lesson. I am taking you back to my castle."
I immediately put up my guard. "Your castle?"
"Yes. We have the least chance of being discovered there. No one but I knows where it is or how to access it. We will be safe from prying eyes," he assured me. "Trust me."
I glanced at his open palm. Trusting others wasn't exactly something that was high on my list of Things to Do, especially a rival. But some part of me kept nagging, making me wonder what I would miss out on by playing it safe.
"How do I know this isn't a trap?" I asked. "That your Leader hasn't found out and ordered you to kidnap me?"
Pashnirix shrugged. "You do not. I can only give you my word, as a gentleman, and as a fellow Spirit Nobody."
I looked to the side. Then why do I feel like this is a trap? ...Very well, if it turns out to be a trap, then he will truly feel the wrath of the Tigress, no doubt. Reaching out, I placed my hand in his, feeling a shiver run down my spine as he gave me a smile.
"Good. Let us begin," he said, as he pulled be through a portal to his castle.
He pulled us through, and I noticed that we were on a mountaintop somewhere, the castle looming ahead of us. It was grandly decorated with gold trim everywhere. Pashnirix looked to me and nodded in the direction of the castle.
As soon as I took one step forward, though, I felt an excruciating pull on my mind. Falling to my knees with a cry, I held my head in my hands. What...was this?
"Rexikat?" Pashnirix hovered worriedly over me, and I heard a voice in my mind.
Rexikat, your presence is requested immediately at Castle Oblivion for a meeting. If you do not report directly, I will not hesitate to force you here myself, said a voice I recognized immediately as the Leader's.
"Pashnirix...I have to...go," I said, forcing out my words through the pain.
"You Leader," he said resignedly, noting the pain I was in and recognizing the signs. "Very well, come."
He hauled me up by my arm, steadying me on my feet, and reopened the portal back to Castle Oblivion. Dragging me through, I could feel the pain in my mind lessen dramatically as we appeared in the courtyard again.
"So much...for our first lesson," I panted.
Pashnirix frowned. "Don't think that I will simply disregard this. I will be back for you, and next time I expect your presence for twice as long."
I stared at him in shock. "What?"
"We made a deal, Tigress. Weekly lessons with each other. If you miss this week, then you simply must make up for it next," he said impatiently. "As soon as that meeting is over, I wish for you to report back here and inform me when you will be available, if anything comes up during that meeting. Understood?"
"Wha--you wish? You little..." I started to yell at him angrily for thinking he could boss me around like that, but he had already portalled away. Growling in frustration, I stalked off to find the Leader who so nicely disrupted my meeting.
Slamming doors in my wake, I made my way to the Center Tower, where I pushed my way into the Leader's room. The Leader and Triskix both looked at me surprised.
"This better be good," I snarled at the both of them.
--------------------------
KitKat: AHHH! I haven't posted in a while. I've been so busy with other projects. But they're done now, and I'm back to my usual state of busy. And here, I find Rex running off to unknown locations with mysterious men.
Rexikat: Mysterious! HAH! I could take his ass out in five seconds if he tries anything.
KitKat: And what is he really was trying to kidnap you? What if he had an entire army waiting for you on the other side of that portal? What if he had your bloody torture and death planned out to the last second of your life?
Rexikat:...I think that's you, not him.
KitKat: -_-' Just...go to your meeting and stop talking.
