Chapter 6

Noch

That girl will be the death of me. I thought to myself as I got up from the bed to investigate the scream that had suddenly ripped down the hall.

I didn't know why I thought that she might be the cause, it was just a gut instinct that lead me to that conclusion.

I walked out into the corridor and saw several people amassing close to the end. Picking up the pace, I arrived there to find a young man on the ground. He looked positively petrified and seemed to be on the verge of wetting himself. I looked around to see that there was no obvious danger, just a blade poking through the ceiling which was the floor of the Library.

I tried to contain my urge to burst into laughter but failed miserably. "Gods be damned, she dropped it!" I squeezed down a giggle and helped the boy up.

"Come now child, you're not dead or injured. There are much worse things to be afraid of than a little blade sticking out of the floor above your head." He looked up at me and then his eyes widened in the same instant as he seemed to glance at something behind me. He quickly scrambled out of my grip and ran away at an oddly fast speed.

"Noch..." A female voice whispered from behind me and suddenly the sound of a blade whistled through the air. The instant the sound hit me, I reached into my energy and called to my daggers Fa-Rot. I whirled around and lifted my hands in a block, the daggers appeared in my hands in a burst of flames and the enemy blade came down on them with a reverberating clang. I recognized my attacker, and gave an evil grin.

"Raska... Don't tell me you also want to kill me today. If that is the case, you'd have to get in line." Raska was a teacher at the Order and an old companion of mine. Her foretès were stealth and assassination, she wass also to blame for some of the younger witches running for the hills on regular intervals. Her teaching method was cruel and strict but she was bloody good at what she did.

"Not today at least." She flicked her jet black hair aside to reveal her face. It was as if the gods themselves sculpted such a magnificent sight from the finest earth they could find, her face was nearly perfect in every aspect. From the soft cheekbones down to her striking silver eyes. "My, my but you are getting old." She chortled.

"I AM NOT OLD!" I retaliated and shoved her back against the wall. I forced her to drop her dagger and grabbed hold of her hands with one of mine. I then brushed her hair out of her face with my free hand and stared jokingly into her eyes that reminded me of a fine blade of steel, fresh out of the furnace.

"But you on the other hand are slowing down my dear. Dare I say it but you might actually care about me somewhere deep down." I did a mocking gasp and widened my eyes in fake shock.

"Me? Care? Never." She denied thrusting out her chin in defiance. I let her go and she pulled herself together, adjusting the bodice of her dress. Her black dress flowed around her like the dead of night and showed her every curve and bend. She could put any stunning woman to shame with her hourglass shaped body and several men too with her murderous intent.

I snickered and picked up her dagger from where it had clattered on the stone. "I take it you know about the young ogre-like hag upstairs who took the form of a little girl?"

She took the dagger from my hand, brushing her incredibly soft skin along my fingertips and sheathed the dagger back beneath her dress on a strap that sat snugly on her right calf, I caught a glance of an identical dagger on her left shapely calf as well and smiled in appreciation. It always looked like she reached into the abyss of darkness when she did that. She looked back to me and said, "I heard from your cat and I had to make sure for myself."

"By killing me?" I snorted.

"Never! Who would I have to tease then? This place would be dreadfully boring with no one to play with." She deadpanned.

"True, but you might have someone new to torture in training if that little girl is a witch and her sister too." I say with the utmost glee.

She lit up like a roman candle in the dead of night. "Really? Oh well then I won't keep you, have a safe journey..." The distance between us disappeared as she brought her face so close to mine I could count her almost invisible wrinkles. Her entire demeanour turned dark as she said, "If you die, I will have your ass on a silver platter." Then she stepped back and the darkness that had enveloped me disappeared again. Gods that still scares me, and arouses me as well...

"I'll do my best, but I might drag you along before I die." I retorted as she turned and faded like liquid into the darkness in the shadows.

"No doubt about it..." Her whisper echoed down the corridor. I stood there another moment savouring the atmosphere that her aura had brought with her. Then I took a deep breath and started walking down the corridor again. Time to go see a brat about her possibly dead sister.

I moved through the winding corridors until I eventually reached the main entrance, a massive wooden door with a torch on each side greeted me as I approached. The torches reacted to my presence and my element by burning a deeper shade of red-orange and then going back to normal again. "Oh my." I stopped for a second and thought. I should probably put on a show for the little girl... Or I could just make her underestimate me, and she would really try to kill me.

Reaching down into my energy once more, I summoned my staff by calling its name. "Maebwyd O-Don." I whispered. A few seconds later my staff came up from the ground next to me. The shaft was a dark wood with a few runes scorched into it making it gleam in the most satisfying way. The headpiece was shaped like an open claw made from the same wood but a flame rested on the top in the palm of the claw.

"Ready?" I asked my staff. The flame responded with a flare of light and then settled down again. I went over the enchantments on my staff and the runes etched into my skin making sure all was ready.

I waved a bit of energy at the door, commanding it to open. It in turn, responded accordingly and gently swung ajar to reveal Fog and the brat sitting under a tree waiting for me. I walked over to them, the brat looked up at me expectantly and then I marched right past them without saying a word. Marching on the path back to the brat's house, Fog followed the pace and was next to me but it seems the brat had already fallen behind. Hopefully she stayed there.

"Wait for me you old bigot!" She yelled while running to catch up with the big scythe lumbering over her shoulder, even though it didn't look like it was the weight that troubled her but the length of the shaft making it awkward to hold for her.

I'm not old you demon child. "Fog, mind if I end her suffering?" I asked plainly with a straight face.

"Not on my grounds, and she's actually quite nice. Try appealing to her better nature or I may end you both." He replied sternly with an annoyed look on his face aimed pointedly at me.

With a deep sigh, I replied. "As much as I hate to say it, maybe there is a sweet little girl under that ogre skin of hers... Or maybe a troll."

My name is Mountain, for I am made of patience. I chant mentally as the girl caught up.