Ignite: The Archangels Chronicles

"So quick to insult your guests! Not much of a host," Lucia fiend indignity, placing a scarred, slender hand over her heart.

Azreal wasn't sure if Lucia was trying to get us all thrown out of the city, or wanted to make an excuse for Azreal to murder this weasel by getting herself thrown in prison.

Not wanting to deal with the repercussions of the latter, Azreal bit out, "Enough"

She was looking Jasper directly in his beady eyes "do we have a deal then? You will provide food and shelter for everyone in my riding party for the entire duration of our stay, and in exchange you will keep the profits of any fights won in The Pits."

Azreal just wanted to go lay down in an actual bed. It had been six years since she had slept in an real bed. When they had been dumped unceremoniously at the front door of what seemed like a small castle, Azreal had been too busy helping everyone get situated and fed before Jasper had come to collect on his so called "skills testing", claiming he wanted to make sure he could profit from this "investment", that breaking the sand curse wasn't just a fluke.

Jaspers eyes lost their glazed look as he turned his attention slowly back to Azreal

"And of course if you are to die, all of your little band of misfits will become my property."

His graze went right back to Lucia's face as he finished, "I will have to teach this wench some manners, but she can suck my c.o.c.k just fine, I'm sure."

Oh shit, this wasn't going to end well.

Lucia scoffed loudly and got right up in Jaspers face, Azreal could feel the heat rolling off her.

Azreal, sensing her intent, quickly reached out and dug her nails into Lucias shoulder. If she had been anyone else, they would have just melted the flesh from their palm.

Lucia hissed and snapped her head towards Azreal with a look of betrayal on her face.

Azreal shot back at her "Back down, Luce. Now."

Lucia's nose scrunched up and her top lip curled back as she spit out "I will never be anyone's slave." And spun around, knocking her shoulder against Azreal's as the she stormed off.

Jasper raised an eyebrow "Lovers quarrel?" He inquired sarcastically

Heavens, Azreal just wanted to punch him in his smug reptilian looking face.

'Why had she stopped Lucia again?' Azreal was still pondering why she wasn't killing him, and if she did decide it was worth the stress of it, how she would slowly take him apart, starting with his tongue.

Seething through her teeth Azreal replied "We have our terms then?"

Hating herself more and more with every second that she bartered with this snake of a Warlock, Azreal wanted this finished.

Jasper's reedy voice replied, "For now." And the dirty little weasel just went back to lounging in his chair, waving a dismissive hand at her. The maidens who had scattered earlier were back, positioning themselves around him, while nervously glancing at Azreal.

Azreal scoffed, did a mock salute, and turned on her heal. Fuming as she went to find Lucia and Cameron, who had followed after her dramatic disappearance.

As much as she hated to admit it, she needed to be here. Not only to train her fighting skills, but something was pulling her here. She knew fate was calling, but she wasn't sure what it was saying. it wasn't exactly a bad feeling anymore, no, now she just felt anxious. Like she was forgetting something but couldn't for the life of her remember what it was..

Cameron was deep in a hushed conversation with Lucia when Azreal found them by a crumbling pillar at the bottom of the grand entrance staircase. Camerons face was flushed and his hands were up by his c.h.e.s.t like he was completely exasperated, and of course, Lucia looked mad as hell as she furiously whispered at him. She knew what Lucia was upset about, and it was only going to make this conversation harder for her.

With a heavy sigh she stepped forward, and as soon as Lucia saw her she started laying into her.

"What the hell, Azreal?! Don't you think you should have talked this over with everyone before deciding to just gamble everyone's life away like that? What happens to us if you die? We all become slaves again, because of what you have just done." Lucia's face was now bright red and her whispers were turning hoarse and Azreal could see the panicked tears building in her eyes. "You heard what he wanted to do with me and you still made the deal. For what? Just so you can fight a few drunks in a sand pit?" The tears were spilling down her cheeks now, and Azreal was sure the empty socket in her c.h.e.s.t just grew a bit darker. Her heart had already broken into a million shards, and had already faced these facts.

"It is the only way for all of us to stay together, protected. We would never survive outside the city walls, and if I hadn't taken Jaspers foul arrangement, much darker things could have happen to all of you while we were starving out on the streets. We have no money Luce, and most of us are either too old or too young to work." Azreal said, feeling defeated.

Cameron cut in, "I was just telling her that. Even with all your powers, you wont be able to take on a barrage of elemental curses going off continuously just because of your magic magic triggering the wards. And if that keeps happening the Death Dealers are going to become suspicious and come check things out for themselves."

Azreal could tell Lucia already knew this and understood there was no other way, but still couldn't come to terms with it.

Azreal put she her on Lucia's shoulder and looked at her straight in the eye so Lucia knew she meant it, "You do not have to stay with us. If you want to go off on your own you do not have to be a part of this."

Lucia shook her head and took a deep breath, "No i want to stay." Then she looked up and met Azreals gaze and gave her a nod.

Cameron chuckled and said loudly "Good now were all friends again." And gathered them both up in a big hug. To which Azreal immediately tried to escape from, while Lucia squealed with delight and started laughing.

"Get off me, weirdos!" Azreal jokingly said as she tried to bat them away, and only succeeded in making Lucia grab her and hug her tighter.

Azreal laughed, but kind of shoved them off, and as they stumbled back a little she said "That's enough of that." And straightened her cloak out.

Cameron and Lucia were both a little shocked at first but were now quietly chuckling.

Azreal looked left for a few seconds and then looked right... and then said, "Do either of you remember how to get back?" ...

*

It took them hours to find their way back to their newly appointed home. They were sweaty and bickering by the time they stumbled through the door.

A bull of a women name Jarin was the head maid of the house and hurriedly showed Azreal towards the bathing chambers, even when Azreal tried insisting on going straight to sleep. The women just kept shaking her head and saying "Filthy"

Azreal quickly scrubbed herself and cringed at the disgusting water before climbing out and dragging herself into the bed. It was far too soft, everything was too soft. It was suffocating.

A few hours later Azreal was being woken up while she was laying on the floor curled up in her blanket next to the bed. Lucia eyed her wairly and said "you know your supposed to sleep up there right?"

Azreal groggily rolled her eyes and pushed past Lucia. With a heavy sigh she asked "How soon do i need to be at the pits?"

Lucia rocked back on her heels looking away, "well you should have left a few minutes ago.." she nervously trailed off.

"WHAT?!" Azreal exclaimed jumping up from the floor.

"You were just so tired and i felt so bad waking you up.." Lucia winced.

Azreal barley heard her as she tied on her worn leather armor like a whirlwind and sprinted out the door to The Colosseum.