Avenger

Chapter five: Golden mask

Walking through the front door, Akiza dropped her satchel and flopped onto the lounge. Quicksilver jumped on to her lap, purring and rubbing Akiza's hand with her cheek. Akiza still wondered about last night. She still didn't understand why the Circle was after her now. They should have realized that she is now more experienced and dangerous, but they still attacked her. Akiza knew that they weren't stupid enough to attack her with her own paralysis powder, so there had to be a reason.

Twirling her hair, Akiza heard a knock at the door, and got up to open it.

There stood Amy, but now she was wearing a pink day dress instead of her school uniform, which she had added a skirt to instead of pants. Akiza scowled, propping herself onto the door frame. "What do you want? I'm kind of busy." Amy placed her hands on her hips pretty diligently, careful not to meet Akiza's gaze. Sighing, Amy began to speak, "you could try to respect others-" SLAM!

Akiza had turned around and slammed the door, barely trying to make sure Amy was out of the way. She walked over, resting on the lounge with her feet propped on the kickstool. She remained there for hours, thinking in the darkness. Around eleven o'clock, she went upstairs to sleep.

She was once again floating in darkness, no ground or ceiling. Then it all disappeared. Akiza put her arms over head, bracing for the impact that never came. Looking up, she slowly put down her arms. She seemed to be inside a royal ship. Strangely, the captain wasn't their. Looking to her left, Akiza stared in horror.

In the corner lay the captain in a dead bloody heap. Looking back to the front, Akiza noticed a trail of burgundy footprints. Turning her head to her right sat a man tied to a chair.

It was Rydelle.

Beside him stood someone in dark robes who seemed to be looking behind Rydelle. Cocking his head, the man looked at Rydelle. His bare arms were covered in cuts, his face was a bloody mess.

"Where's the girl!" The man cried. "She is important and we need her, tell us where she is!" Scowling, Rydelle looked down, his eyes full of digust. Raising a hand, the man smacked Rydelle, bloodying his black glove further. Rydelle shook his head, "I don't know where she is! Even if I did, I wouldn't tell a monster like you." Furious, the man put his hand to his hilt.

"You will tell me, or your life ends here." Rydelle still refused. "Very well," the man pulled his sword from his sleeve and raised it. Tightening his grip, he brought it down.

Blood spilling on the floor, Rydelle slumped into a lifeless heap. "No," Akiza whispered, tears filling her eyes. She dropped to the floor with a bang, her hands catching some blood. As if he heard her the man turned, revealing his face.

Beneath a black hood was a mask of gold. Her eyes widning, Akiza gasped. Looking strait at her, the man put down his sword. "Well my dear, what a surprise. I wasn't expecting you to show up in a place like this," he purred. It seemed as though he was smiling under his jagged mask.

Taking a few steps foward, he stopped. Raising his hand, an orb of darkness seemed to erupt from his palm. " To another day my precious,"and with that he threw the orb strait at Akiza.

She woke up in a coat of sweat. Her sheets were tangled in between her legs. Gasping, Akiza looked at her hands. Even though it was just a dream, blood was spattered on her palms. She couldn't believe Rydelle was dead, it just wasn't true. Looking up, Akiza felt as though she had just experienced a real event.

Remembering the man, Akiza's face twisted with fury. The bastard she thought. I'm gonna... then her rage faded into fear. She knew who he was.

"Kandere, " she whispered. "So it's true, their back."