Rain

Chapter 3: Sneaking Out

Ria took a deep breath as she woke, shuddering as she had awoken from a strange dream. Ria tended to wake up in the middle of the night and always wanted to practice. After all, it could tire her out, and is the perfect time.

As a reality wizard, the main purpose of your powers is to make your dreams a reality. Therefore, practicing right after you wake up with a fresh mind is the best method.

This dream was where she had turned into a lizard that squeezed in the smallest of spaces, finding her way through a revolutionary war for the reptoids, as fire was being set on the bookshelf she was scurrying through.

Strange but useful. Ria looked around to see all the girls sleeping in the hotel before sitting up from her bed and slowly walking out to the balcony.

She saw the city gleam even in the midst of the night and held her umbrella close to her, opening it after feeling the light drizzle of rain still going. She took another breath, having the rain seem to stop around her when doing so.

She stood up on the fence of the balcony, balancing on the edge as it was made of thin metal connected to the red brick building. Placing the umbrella in between her legs and focusing on just the feeling of her breath, it all started to vanish.

The feeling of the soft cold wind on her skin, the feeling of her pajama clothes cooling down and tickling her as they danced around, the smell of fresh air along with the texture of her smooth handle against the palm of her hand.

There was only the way she breathed and how her heart pulsed, soon slowly flooding her thoughts of what she experienced mere moments ago. Smelling the smoke coming from the bookshelf, the brightness of the fire, and the way the wood rubbed against her body.

Her hands felt long, and scaly as the rest of her body with the tips hardened and pointed. Her body expanded, difficult to breathe as she adjusted while her ribs felt flattened along with the leathery back.

Suddenly, Ria disappeared. She had turned to dust and the umbrella slowly fell off the balcony-only to be caught by a dog-sized lizard's tail. It clung to the side of the balcony, keeping a deadlock stare on something that caught its eye as it clung onto the fence.

The blonde demon from before watching her as he stood by on the outside of a window sill and watched in awe. The lizard slowly started camouflaging with the fence and vanished, having Micke shout while climbing towards the balcony.

"No, no. Don't go. I was only admiring the act, it's not often you bump into a reality wizard in your life."

Micke looked around once reaching the balcony, having his bright sky eyes meet the sleeping girls. For a moment, he looked like a predator-a wolf lurking for deer in the night.

It wasn't until he was caught off guard that the haunting stare stopped, a train-a...train?

A city train appeared and almost slammed into Micke if it weren't for his reflexes, jumping on top of it and feeling a mighty gust. Looking up, he saw Ria with her, having her umbrella closed but held it in a way that a warrior would wield their sword.

With the train heading towards another building, Ria slowly walked towards Micke as he casually waltzed against the harsh winds. Noticing how calm he was, Ria decided to open her umbrella and jump off the train-falling gently to the ground.

Micke had his smirk grow, following her within seconds as they soon went through a chase through the barren streets and alleys. Ria had the bricks in the buildings nearby seemingly falling behind her as Micke chased, having him avoid them.

He was getting a tad tired of all the chasing and when Ria turned a corner, she saw him right in front of her-having him blow a kiss right at her. She swung the umbrella at him, being caught in his hand as it felt burning.

"Spicy, don't worry. I'm not here for a meal. I already had one at a nice party with my friends just a few hours ago. It was just a simple human but enough to-"

Ria didn't let him stop as her body became distorted and grew. Pieces of glass grew out of her withering skin while her hands and feet had claws elongated.

Micke jumped to the roof of the building nearby when she attempted to slash him with her free arm, looking up as her mouth that was ear to ear kept slightly open.

Hissing at him slightly, he sighed and lifted his hand to raise four fingers slowly while speaking to her from above.

"Auras' taste like the happiest time in your life coming to life once more, Voodoos' taste like an organism like never before, Nerves' taste like becoming a cloud in the sky and floating in the air, and realitys'-"

Micke sucked his teeth as he looked down as Ria followed him slowly from down below, keeping her eyeless sockets deadlocked on his aquamarine eyes.

"Realitys' are a mystery. Some say they taste like the forbidden fruit, others say they taste like everything you love coming together. I always wondered what it's like-"

Ria jumped as high as she could, only to see that Micke had disappeared. When landing on the building's ledge, she stood still as she looked through the reflection of the glass seeping out of her skin. They provided a lens of every angle around her, not needing to turn around or move as Micke appeared below.

"-to just have a taste of a reality wizard."

He smirked, having Ria open her umbrella and cover herself with it as she seeped into the ground. Micke walked into the wall, having his flesh seep as well until he morphed out of the rooftops' entrance and looked at the empty void that was on the floor of the flat roof.

Tilting his head, he deeply sighed before kneeling and speaking to her in whispers.

"If I wanted to, I would've already gotten a nice hand or thigh out of you. So, how about you come out of that rabbit hole and talk,"

Micke raised his eyebrows and watched if anything would happen with no results. He clicked his tongue and started walking off, only to give a final statement which had Ria appear right in front of him and the void vanish.

"Very well, I'll just see you in the morning, goodnight Ria."

She kept her umbrella right under his chin while her body faced perpendicular to his. Their eyes met as hers shot daggers at his before she spoke softly.

"How do you know my name?"

"Such a soft voice for an overcompensating trickster,"

Ria pushed her umbrella deeper into Micke's throat, making him speak once more.

"I had a dream once. A dream where I was once surrounded by barriers and could hardly breathe then, suddenly, I went through the barriers. I had overcome them with great strength and was able to fly out like a baby bird from its nest."

"If you're what you're saying then you're a traitor."

"If I am what you're thinking then you're pushing your luck."

"Do not confuse luck with skill, neither of which I'm pushing."

"Oh, ho ho. I hope you are staying because I am going to have a fun time with you. You, Tiph, Pwul, and Frita will all have a fun time as well. Trust me, who wouldn't want to enjoy the great city of Ratrin where the parties flock and the demons run amok?"

Ria attempted to stab Micke, having him disappear as she did so. When looking around, she saw nothing-no one. She was all alone yet still wary.

Back to her hotel room, she kept an eye out and even as she laid in bed-Ria kept a lingering stare out the balcony all night.