White Thorn | On Hold

Potential

"You want me to move this girl onto the Fast-Track Course...?" Green eyes met Cole's grey ones. "Why? I get that her physical abilities are better than the average candidate, but her written test scores were substandard."

"She's a First Year."

The lollipop fell out from the girl's mouth. "Seriously?!" She stood, climbing on the desk so she was level with the Defence Instructor. "A First Year with that kind of physical ability?!"

"She's not one of our kind, though." He sighed. "That's why I want to get her onto the Fast-Track curriculum."

Long black hair flickered out behind the small girl as she walked over to the gigantic bookshelf lining one wall of her office. "Name?"

"Arya Cross."

She paused. "The daughter of that church?"

"Hmm." Cole tilted his head. "That explains a lot... If she's a member of the Vasilith Order, then she'd have been trained as-..." He blinked. "Wait, are you saying she could be an-"

"I'd have sensed her flames in her if she was." The girl said, sinking back down into the plush leather chair, brushing one of her long ponytails back behind one shoulder. There'd been no need for her to pull Arya Cross's file. She already knew everything she needed to about the girl. "Very well." She smiled grimly. "If it's her, I'll approve."

***

Arya Cross was completely oblivious to the conversation going on about her in the Headmistress's Office. She was, in fact, far more worried about the three people who'd cornered her on the second floor of the training halls who were insisting on giving her the full welcoming party.

That, apparently, involved her getting beaten up.

But Arya didn't like getting beaten up.

She also knew how to avoid getting beaten up, and how to ensure no one would ever try something of the sort ever again without even having to use any of the weapons stored inside the bag slung over one shoulder. Unluckily for them, they'd managed to catch her just after she'd come out of the woods from her solo sparring session against some very unfortunate trees. She was pumped and ready to bring the hurt, so she did.

Her foot moved of its own accord, slamming into one of her assailants, sending him flying back into the wall.

"You brat!" One of the other two scowled.

"You'll pay for that." The other spoke.

"Tch." Arya rolled her eyes, pulling her attention away from the unconscious boy who had become one with the wall. "Bring it."

A small crack from behind her made her freeze, her eyes fixed on the boys' smirking faces as something latched around her ankles.

Her breath caught in her throat, terror gripping her as thorny vines tightened their grip on her ankles, yanking her back into the wall. Fear paralysed her, a choking sensation building in her throat as thorns secured her wrists to the wall, drawing blood as they sunk into her flesh.

"No." She whispered, her eyes wide. "NO!" Her limbs thrashed, the thorns sinking deeper and deeper into her skin which had turned an unhealthy shade of white.

"I didn't think we'd need to use these..." The first boy laughed, staring at the girl held against the wall. "Most others of your kind don't put up half the resistance you have..."

"My kind...?" Arya's voice was a cracked whisper, her mind desperately trying to distract itself from the pain.

The all too familiar pain.

A short laugh burst from her lips.

If only they knew.

The pain she was feeling at that instant was nothing compared to what she'd inflicted on her.

"Inexperienced." Arya muttered, her oddly flat eyes meeting theirs. "So pathetic..."

"You've got a lot of nerve calling us pathetic..."

"Oh, I think I should be the one saying you've got a lot of nerve..." Another voice rang out, and it was one of the sweetest things Arya had ever heard. A single blue streak of hair fell in front of a set of matching eyes. "I've warned you time and time again not to do this..." Knuckles cracked. "But you never listen, and there's never been much proof..."

"But now it's undeniable." The white-coated guy next to him smirked, a devilish glint in his eyes. "Sorry we're late, kiddo... but we had to get proof."

"I recommend you come along with me quietly." Blu grinned, brushing the lock of blue hair out of his face, a glint in his electric blue eyes that just dared them to try and resist. "I believe you'll be spending the rest of the year in the West Woods with Loxian and the others."

"Like hell we will." The two scowled, drawing a set of swords in unison.

"Tch." The black-haired one wearing the white coat muttered, drawing his own sword. "Blu, you sort out the girl, I'll deal with these idiots."

"Kay." Blu mumbled. "I'll leave them in your capable hands." He said, hurrying over to Arya's side, reaching for his dagger, only to freeze as he watched the thorns turn to ashes in a matter of seconds. The cause of that soon became obvious though, once he'd caught the girl mid-fall. She was, after all, ridiculously warm. Unnaturally so. "Blaine..."

"What's up?" He looked away from the two idiots who were now well and truly unconscious.

"This girl's hot."

One eyebrow quirked up.

"In terms of temperature!" Blu grumbled, grabbing his hand, pressing it up against Arya's forehead. "See?"

"Get her to Rian." Blaine stood, a puzzled expression on his face. "Preferably before she dies."

"What?!"

Blaine stared at him. "That temperature is way over thirty-seven degrees, and unlike us, her body can't stand drastic changes in temperature without a special kind of training!"

"Oh, for the love of Vasilith!" Blu muttered, sprinting down the corridor, easily navigating his way through the maze of corridors he'd been running around for a good two and a bit years, leaving the other Commander behind to deal with the mess. "Rian!" He yelled, skidding to a stop in front of the ash grey door which led to the man's office. "I need your-" Blu froze, staring at the lone figure standing in the middle of Rian's office.

"He's not here." Large green eyes met his, the end of a lollipop sticking out from the small girl's mouth. "What's wrong?"

"Headmistress Wren..." Blu mumbled, dropping Arya in shock as he stared at the petite girl who rarely ever seemed to come out from her office. "What are you doing here?!"

"Leave her here." She sighed. "I'll get Rian, so go back and help Blaine with those three idiots who tried to attack Miss Cross here."

He blinked, nodding slowly, not even bothering to ask her how she knew. Somehow the Headmistress seemed to know everything that happened within the walls of Riverdale High.

"Oh, Arya..." She said, staring down at the girl sprawled out on the wooden floor. "What am I going to do with you...?" She crouched next to her, eyes fixed on her closed lids. "You're still supposed to be sleeping, silly." Two fingers prodded her forehead, the Headmistress's face calm and unmoving, as though it'd been chiselled from stone, not even betraying a hint of surprise when a set of glowing purple eyes snapped open. "It's not time yet."