Author’s Note: Oh, I am so sorry for the wait. I can’t believe it took me this long! Oh well, it’s here now. A bit on the short side, but what can you do? I’ll try to get the next one up quicker (maybe I’ll actually have an idea of what I’m doing next chapter :P). Okay, so, new character! (Kinda. She was somewhat introduced a few chapters ago. But now she has a name!) She’s based off one of my friends (minus the magick, and turning into stuff...). Enjoy reading! And Happy New Year's!

Story Warnings: Swearing, violence, kissing, some drinking

Chapter Warnings: I don’t think there’s any swearing. Just grumpiness. And guns.

Sunday, September 7th

Flint was counting down the minutes until his siblings would leave. They’d only arrived yesterday, and he was already going crazy. His little brother wasn’t the problem...it was his sister. Her phones never stopped ringing, therefore she never stopped talking, both of which combined to create an almost constant migraine. Flint was getting closer and closer to going over the edge.

“So, what are we doing today?” asked Jin, dipping her spoon into her grapefruit.

Flint sighed, rubbing his face.

“I don’t know. I just got here.”

“Well, why don’t we go look around? Y’know, get you used to the school.”

“You already know what the school looks like,” pointed out the younger necromancer, stabbing a home fry with his fork. “I mean, you used to go here.”

Jin rolled her eyes. “Well, yeah, but you haven’t seen the whole thing, yet, have you? So, we should look around. I can be your tour guide.”

If Flint didn’t know better, he’d say she sounded helpful. But of course, he knew better. He also knew it was just a ploy to check out guys. His older sister had a one-track mind and there were guys her age here (she’d been a bit of child prodigy and had started this school at the age of eleven and graduated at sixteen). Nonetheless, he was forced to agree to her suggestion after seeing the excitement on Runn’s face. He had a soft spot for his little brother.

The necromancer sighed, setting down his utensils. “Fine. Let’s go.”

He got up and nodded at his roommates before leading his siblings out of the dining hall. There were worst things to do than hang out with his brother and sister. Like, jump into a staked pit full of vipers, for one thing.

“Hey, let’s go check out the gym,” said Jin, pulling him down a hallway.

“Why? So you can check out all the guys?” asked Flint, rolling his steely eyes.

“Of course not! You have a gym class, don’t you? So, you should know where it is.”

Liar.

Nonetheless, he allowed himself to be dragged along, accepting the hopelessness of escaping his psychotic older sister. She was pretty strong, despite how she looked (she was also four inches taller than him).

Flint really had no idea where the gym was. All he knew was that he was being led down many hallways, up and down staircases, and through little courtyards. It was mind-boggling.

“Jin, slow down, will ya?” complained the male necromancer, struggling to keep up with his sister. Runn was jogging next to him, happily humming.

“Bah, you’re young and healthy. Live with it.”

He groaned, stumbling down an old staircase. Where the heck was this gym, anyway?

“We’re here!” announced Jin, smiling widely.

Flint looked up and saw a huge set of double doors, carved with glowering daemons and wistful angels. To each side was a single, smaller door, one stamped with a female faery, the other with a male elf. Hm, change rooms? He could hear the faint sound of balls being bounced and thrown on the other side of the large doors. He raised an eyebrow at his sister.

“They put the gym in the basement?”

She shrugged. “Kinda. But wait ‘til you see the size of it!”

“Whoo, a big gym. How wonderful,” he grumbled sarcastically. All he cared about was the presence of a shooting range. Did this school have one?

Jin dragged the doors open and peeked in. Her eyes lit up and she grinned at Flint.

“The guys here are so hot!”

“And I would care about that because...?” He crossed his arms. “Is there a shooting range here?”

She nodded, her gaze trained on the athletes. Flint rolled his eyes.

“Well, could you tell me, or better yet, show me, where it is?”

Reluctantly, Jin peeled herself away from her spying and sighed.

“Fine.” Under her breath, she added, “Little brothers are such a pain.”

“Yeah, well, big sisters aren’t exactly a basket of peaches, either,” muttered the younger necromancer, stuffing his thin hands into his pockets.

They walked along a hall right next to the gym. Flint could hear the faint sound of gunshots at the end. Nyoki and Bahari stirred, shifting in their holsters. The necromancer idly stroked them, concentrating on following Jin. It would suck to get lost in the middle of this gigantic school.

The 17-year-old walked through the open doorway and gestured with a wide arc of her arm.

“There you go, little bro, your dream come true.”

Flint felt a surge of elation as he slipped past Jin to look around. The room was large and well-lit. Along one wall were still targets, along the opposite, moving. Opposite the door was a small room for storing weapons, guarded by a stern-looking daemon with long white-streaked red hair. It looked up as the siblings entered, its silver gaze steady, and its long fingers playing with a string of jet beads.

“Should we go in?” whispered Flint, looking uncertainly at his older sister.

Jin shrugged. “Why not?” Her face brightened when she glanced around at the occupants of the room. “‘Sides, I see some pretty good-looking guys...”

Flint groaned. “Is that all you think about?”

She smirked. “Pretty much.”

“You’re not supposed to be proud of that!” cried Flint, exasperated.

Jin giggled and stepped the rest of the way into the room. Nervously, Flint followed, his annoyance with his sister forgotten in the face of dealing with more strangers. The daemon continued to watch them as they moved closer. Flint couldn’t tell if it was a girl or a guy, due to the daemons’ affinity for keeping their hair long, and wearing loose clothing.

Finally, the daemon spoke, revealing itself as female.

“Can I help you with something?”

Jin jabbed her thumb in Flint’s direction, and said, “My brother here is new to the school, and he’s interested in guns, so I brought him here.”

The daemon looked the pair of us over, and raised an eyebrow. “Necromancers?”

“Yeah.”

She peered past Jin. Flint shifted, nibbling on his lip.

“So, you want to shoot?”

“Er...I guess...”

“Alright. Do you want to sign out a weapon?”

“Uh, that’s alright...I already have my own...”

Her white and red eyebrows shot up at that, question marks practically dancing in her eyes.

“I have a tie with guns,” explained Flint, playing with a piece of loose hair.

“Hm, that’s interesting...” Her silvery gaze shifted to Jin. “What about you?”

“Phones,” replied the older necromancer, holding up a cell.

“Interesting,” the demon repeated, distractedly running a finger along her shiny horns.

She flicked her fingers, a pen appearing in them, and quickly jotted something on a slip of paper in front of her. She pushed both pen and slip to Flint.

“Write down your name, and sign on the line.” Flint followed her instructions, scribbling in his sharp scrawl. “Alright. I’ll give you...#15.” She pointed with a long pale finger in the direction of the booth.

Flint murmured his thanks and shuffled over to it, fingers playing with his weapons. As he was setting up, Jin glanced around and suddenly asked, “Where’s Runn?”

The little necromancer ducked behind a pillar as he spotted a couple of boys walk around the corner, chatting animatedly. Stifling a giggle, he waited until they were walking on the carpet nearest him, then flicked his wrist sharply. The rug bucked, throwing the boys to the floor with simultaneous cries of surprise. Runn fell back, muffling his hysterical laughs in his sleeve. That was awesome!

Before his victims could get up and investigate, the necromancer jumped up and scampered off to another hall to continue his game. He had already done this four times, after he had managed to escape from his bickering older siblings. This was more fun than touring the school. Not only did he get to explore on his own, he could play his favourite game without being scolded by his sister.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Runn dived into a dark alcove. He carefully peeked out, silver eyes curious. A new victim?

A tall man appeared, studying a book. Runn guessed he was a daemon, due to the horns and tail, not to mention the pale red scales peeking at his collar and sleeves. The boy couldn’t figure out his age. Should he yank the carpet out from under a person who was possibly a teacher?

Of course!

A grin curving his lips, Runn prepared to attack. He waited until just the right moment, then...

“Ack!”

The daemon’s book flew out of his hand as he landed with a thump. He sat for a moment, looking surprised. Runn giggled, trying to stifle the sound in his small hands. That had to be the best one yet!

Suddenly, the daemon’s head snapped in the necromancer’s direction, his silver eyes narrowed. Runn’s breath caught in his throat as he sunk back in the shadows. Had he been spotted?

The hand grabbing hold of his elbow and dragging him into the light answered his question. He stared wide-eyed into the pale face of the daemon, who seemed amused. He rested his free hand on his hip as he raised an eyebrow.

“So you’re the one behind this, hm?”

“Uh, I-I’m s-s-sorry,” squeaked the boy, fear gripping him. He had heard about what daemons did to those who annoyed them. “P-please don’t s-scoop out m-my eyes and eat m-my h-h-heart!”

“‘Scoop out your eyes and eat your heart?’” repeated the man, confused. “Why would I want to do a thing like that?”

“Cuz that’s what daemons do!”

“Do we? Well, this is the first I’ve heard of it.” He laughed. “I assure you, I have no intention of doing any such thing.”

“So...you’re not gonna hurt me?”

He laughed again. “Of course not!”

Shaking his head, he released Runn’s arm and retrieved his book. The necromancer watched him warily, ready to bolt at any sign of attack, but none came. The daemon simply stood with his arms crossed, studying him with level silver eyes. Finally, he broke the silence.

“I’m assuming you are not a student here.”

Runn shook his head. “No. But my brother is.”

“And who’s your brother?”

“Flintlock of the Necro Clan,” replied the boy, biting his lip. He hadn’t gotten his brother in trouble, had he...?

“And what’s your name?”

“Runner,” he whispered meekly.

The daemon stuck out his hand with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Runner. I am Professor Kindlegale.”

Runn’s eyes widened. Oh no! He was a teacher!

“Y-you’re not gonna tell my brother, are you?” exclaimed Runn, worry lining his young face.

Kindlegale laughed, shaking his head. “Of course not. The only thing hurt was my pride, and–” He shifted slightly, wincing. “–my tail bone. But other than that, I’m perfectly fine!” He crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side. “So, what are you doing here, anyway? Other than making trouble, of course.”

“Er, me and my sister are visiting Flint. He just got here yesterday, and our mum sent us to check up on him. Right now, him and Jin –that’s my sister– are in the shooting range. Flint has a tie with guns, so he likes shooting ranges. I have a tie with carpets, and my sister has a tie with phones. All necromancers have a tie with something weird. Like my cousin, for instance—” Realizing that he was babbling, Runn cut himself off, biting his lip. He had a habit of babbling when he was nervous.

Kindlegale smiled, stifling his laughter. “That makes sense.” He straightened his long hair, and tucked his book under his arm. “Well, let’s get you back to your siblings. They’re probably worrying.”

Runn recognized the hidden order in the professor’s voice. His mother used it all the time. The boy sighed, and reluctantly trudged after the daemon as he headed down the hallway.

After a few minutes of silence, Runn looked up at the tall daemon and asked, “Why is your hair so long?”

He shrugged. “I’m not really sure. I guess it’s just the way daemons wear their hair.”

The boy nodded slowly, thinking about this. He looked up again.

“What kinda daemon are you?”

“Wind and fire.” He pointed a long finger at his cheek. “See?”

Runn’s silver eyes took in the tattoo of wind surrounding a flame. His brother had told him about some species of Darke’s tradition of tattooing their element (or elements) on themselves.

The rest of the walk was silent, since the necromancer had run out of questions to ask the daemon. Besides, he was more worried about the scolding he was going to get from his sister. Hopefully Professor Kindlegale wouldn’t tell her what he’d been up to...

Runn jumped when he heard a sudden volley of gunshots. He noticed he was being led down a short hall and into a large room. He gazed around with big eyes, fascinated by all the people and weapons.

“Runner! Where have you been?!”

The 10-year-old cringed at the sound of his sister’s angry voice. He looked up to see her and Flint hurrying over to him, the latter looking amused.

“We have been so worried,” growled Jin, planting her hands on her hips. “What would I tell mum if we lost you, hm?”

“Sorry,” mumbled Runn, looking at the floor.

“Where were you, anyway?”

“I found him wandering the halls,” said Kindlegale, smiling at the irate teenager. “He was just exploring.”

Jin blinked, her anger disappearing in an instant.

“Oh! Professor Kindlegale! I, er, didn’t notice you there...”

He laughed. “Jingle of the Necro Clan. It’s been awhile.”

“Only a year,” she said, smiling.

Flint looked between the two, realization dawning in his eyes.

“Oh! He’s the one!”

Kindlegale raised an eyebrow. “‘The one’?”

“Flint! Shut up!” Jin hissed, smile still fixed on her lips.

Her brother snickered, sending a wink to Runn. The boy grinned, giggling. He remembered his sister’s crush on her drama teacher, and how much fun he and Flint had teasing her about it. Kindlegale obviously had no clue what was going on as he still smiled at the three of them, confusion in his silver eyes.

“Kindlegale! I have been waiting forever!”

It was the daemon’s turn to cringe as he watched the gun-mistress storm towards him.

“Er, hi, Windflame...”

“You were supposed to be here an hour ago!” growled the daemon, crossing her arms.

Kindlegale scratched his head nervously.

“I, uh, got caught up with some stuff...”

Before she could retort, Flint interrupted.

“Whoa, are you twins?” he asked, staring at the pair of them.

“Yes,” they replied in unison.

“Cool.” He looked impressed.

Now that Runn looked at them, he realized they were identical (excepting their genders, of course). Even their voices were the same. Which was proven by their slowly increasing bickering. Kindlegale was the first to notice the stares they were getting from the students practising their shooting. He flushed with embarrassment.

“Um, Windflame, maybe this could wait ‘til later...we’re making a scene.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, fine, if you’re that worried.” She turned to face the students, hands landing on her hips. “Hey!” she barked. “I expect to see at least five bull’s eyes from each of you by the time you leave for lunch. Get back to work!”

Their was a rustle of movement as each of them quickly turned their attention away from the small group. Windflame watched them with narrowed eyes.

“She’s a bit of a hardass,” Kindlegale whispered to the siblings, amusement lacing his hushed voice.

“I heard that,” said his twin, not turning around.

Her brother stuck his tongue out at her back.

“And I saw that.”

“You did not!” he retorted.

“True, but now I know you did something.”

“...hmph.”

Flint fondled his gun, and peered at the weapon-mistress through his long bangs.

“Can I go practise, now?”

“Hm? Oh. Of course.”

The necromancer turned to his sister.

“You keep an eye on Runn. If he gets lost again, I’m blaming it on you.”

Jin rolled her eyes. “Yeah, whatever.”

He fixed his steely eyes on his little brother.

“And you stay with Jin, okay? It’s pretty easy to get lost in this castle.”

Runn sighed, stuffing his small hands in his pockets. “Okay.”

A small smile flickered on Flint’s face.

“Good.” He pushed his bangs back, and spun the gun in his hand. “Well, see you later.”

He wandered back over to his booth, away from his siblings and the twins. Jin shrugged, and grabbed hold of Runn’s arm.

“C’mon, let’s go explore some more.”

Runn rolled his eyes. Translated into normal language, that meant: Let’s go check out hot guys.

Even at ten, the boy knew his older sister was completely boy-crazy.

Flint walked down the hall, yawning. He’d spent hours in the shooting range, only stopping when his stomach started growling and Windflame started hinting her wish for everyone to leave (it was Sunday, after all).

He decided to head back to his dorm room for something to eat before tracking down his siblings. His mother wouldn’t exactly be thrilled if he lost them.

He turned a corner, looking down at his guns as he adjusted them in their holsters, and was surprised when he ran into a yielding surface.

He looked up to see a short black girl fall to the floor, her book flying out of her hand.

“Oof!”

“Oh, uh, sorry,” said Flint, an embarrassed flush staining his pale cheeks.

He knelt down, offering his hand. She took it, frowning.

“It’s alright.” She bent down, and grabbed her book, then adjusted her purse.“Just watch where you’re going.”

“Ah, yeah, I will...”

She peered at him, curiously, dark orange eyes narrowed.

“You’re new here, aren’t you?”

Flint frowned. “Why do you say that?”

She shrugged. “I haven’t seen you around here before. Besides, you have that whole ‘new kid’ aura around you.”

“Oh.” He scratched his head. “Well, yeah, I’m new. My name’s Flint of the Necro Clan.”

She nodded. “Cool. I’m Phoenix of the Flame Clan.” She tilted her head to the side. “What species are you? Vampyre?”

He shook his head. “Necromancer.”

Her eyes lit up. “Cool!!” She smirked. “I’m a werephoenix.”

“‘Werephoenix’?” he repeated.

She nodded. “Wanna see?”

“Uh, sure...I guess...”

She set her stuff down, then stood perfectly still. In the blink of an eye, a bright phoenix replaced her, looking at Flint with sharp eyes. He stared, awed.

“That’s awesome,” he murmured.

Phoenix reappeared, her straight chin-length amber hair tousled. “Thanks! I’m the only one here.” Her eyes flicked to his waist and widened. “Are those guns?”

“Er, yeah...” he replied, stroking them nervously.

“That is so cool,” she whispered, eyes shining.

“Um, thanks. They’re kinda my speciality.”

“Can I see them?”

“Uh, well...”

Her watch beeped and she glanced at it. “Oops, never mind. I hafta go. Bye!”

She grabbed her things and sprinted down the hall, leaving a bemused Flint. He watched her go, then shrugged and headed to his room. Maybe his siblings would be there...