Of Dust and Parchment [Closed]

As Cassima struggled with the hound, her cutlass would stab forward, but only to skew to the side and graze against some of its skin and protective shell. It would start doubling down on her, bringing its jaws and sharp teeth closer in an attempt to maul her face.

The flames around her continued to flicker and she would have to figure another way to ger out of her pinned situation in order to fight back.

Theo meanwhile was surprisingly quiet.

Cassima panicked as she was pinned down by the hound and couldn't move, not helped by the fact that the hound's teeth were moving closer to her face, ready to maul her if she's not quick enough. The attempt to stab it in the stomach having failed as she looked around for Theo...

Who was quiet.

"Ahh, ahh!" Cassima tried to move her cutlass upwards so she can launch it into the hound's teeth and perhaps injure it on the inside so she can injure it and pull the hound off of her.

Or maybe she can light up a fire mark under the hound so it can get off of her, which she quickly tried to do if her hands were free.

Cassima's blade managed to hound's mouth and through its windpipe. Blood would spray against Cassima's face as it died on top of her once again. Her fire was beginning to fade and if she managed to push the dog off, she would see the silhouette of the other dog leap through the flames and charge in front of her. It would growl before sending out a bark that would aim to temporarily stun her.

Cassima had managed to kill the Hound before it tried to maul her, nice! It's just too bad that her clothes and face were now covered in blood now, corrupted Hound's blood. No thanks to Theo who started this entire mess, literally.

The fire from her cartic marks began to fade as Cassima hastily threw the dog off of her before getting up and preparing for the next hound, who tried to stun her as she screamed and threw her cutlass forward.

"Ahh!" She yelped when the hound barked.

The hound would see the cutlass flung at it and move to the side before rushing to try and pounce on Cassima again. However, before it even had the chance, a bright blue glyph appeared on the floor underneath it. Lightning struck from the ceiling and hit the corrupted hound, making electricity course through it and burn it into a crisp.

As the flames died down around her, she'd see the silhouette of a tall and lithe figure and one slightly shorter. It would soon reveal a tall woman with golden blonde hair and Theo. The woman in question was, for lack of better term, remarkably handsome. With a slender face, piercing blue eyes, and painted lips, she held an air of authority about her. Her hair was swept in a tight bun with some stray strands hanging down in a stylish manner. Her expression was one of dismay. She wore a uniform Cassima saw only but a week ago or so: the signature silver and blue coats and white trousers of an Expiate members. The additional medals on her breast suggested she was of high rank as well.

In one of the woman's gloved hands was Theo, who, despite being pinched by the ear, was still smirking behind a tinge of pain.

The woman looked at Cassima as the corrupted hound disappeared in front of her.

"Theo," the woman said, her voice surprisingly gentle even if strict. "Do you want to explain to me why you've brought a junior assistant to the cell?"

"Oh, her?" Theo said trying to be playful.

The pinch on his ear tightened and he winced.

"A-ah...oh, well I was giving her a tour!" he said. "Ow! Ow! I mean it! I thought she'd benefit from training a bit, plus it was fun seeing her scared!"

The woman glared at him but didn't let go of his ear. Instead, she turned to Cassima.

"You must be so weary right now," she said. "Were you hurt? And can you explain to me what my nephew was really doing?"

Cassima looked back at the hound as the cutlass missed and it was going to pounce on her. "AHH!" She screamed as the Hound was about to tackle her and it would of managed to pounce on Cassima were it not for the timely arrival of the Expiate Officer that would come to save the day...And Cassima's life.

Once it killed the remaining hound for Cassima and got rid of her cartic flame mark, she went to go punish Theo by grabbing him by the ear, causing Cassima to smirk as she continued to wipe off Hound blood off of her.

"Serve's you right for trying to kill me." Cassima snarked as she looked at the Expiate Officer who asked what had happened.

"Oh, he was trying to kill me with those hounds, or training me. But I guess it was likely the former." Cassima told the officer.

"Well, this 'training' is definitely not protocol, I assure you, Miss..."

"Addington," Theo said. "Cassima Addington."

"Addington, then," the woman said. She finally released Theo's ear as the latter rubbed it tenderly. The woman crossed her arms "I'm not sure what games Theo is trying to play here, but rest assured it won't be tolerated. This cell is only supposed to be accessible by higher tier members. I'm surprised you weren't informed of this."

"She kinda was...?" Theo said nervously as he scratched the back of his head. It was amusing to see him suddenly nerve-wracked after considering his earlier arrogance. "By...me?"

The woman glared even harder at him.

"Your uncle would not approve of this, you know that right?" the woman said.

"I wasn't planning for Uncle Richard to know," he said with a shrug.

The officer sighed and approached Cassima, expecting her for any wounds.

"I commend you for handling such an abrupt situation so smoothly," she told Cassima as she raised a hand. Cassima would feel a white glow wash over her and heal any small scratches she could have gotten from combat. "Tell me, child, what brings you all the way here and to be convinced by my idiot nephew that any of this was a good idea? I'm sure you were briefed on the rules, weren't you?"

Cassima smirked grew as Theo continued to get scolded. In her mind Cassima was thinking. "Serves you right." As she watched in silence. She was about to introduce herself to the Officer when Theo did that for her, causing her to glare at Theo as the Officer check for her wounds and proceeded to heal her.

"Wonderful, I feel more healthier then before I came into this place." Cassima clasped her hands before being asked a question, which basically boiled down to one simple question.

Why was she here?

"Well I was expecting it to be dangerous, but I had to do whatever Theo said. Since he was sort of training me to be prepared for the tasks that I have to do in the Archive. For you see, i've recently had gotten a position in the Archives in order to stay at this Academy and learn the magic that this place has." Cassima explained to the Officer.

"Of course, I thought he would keep me safe while we were doing here. It was obvious by now that he didn't." Cassima glared at Theo again before smiling.

"But thank you for the compliment about how I handled the hound situation." She said.

"I see," the woman said slowly.

She glanced at Theo, who winced in response. Sighing, she grabbed Theo by the arm and moved towards Cassima.

"You two really shouldn't be here," she said. "Aside from it being quite dangerous, this place is meant for training purposes of those of higher rank only. Come now, we're leaving."

She'd also take Cassima by the wrist and start towards the door, but as she did, the entire room darkened. She paused for a moment and looked at Theo.

"What are you up to?" she demanded.

Theo, in turn, looked at her in surprise. "That...wasn't me this time."

The officer would stare Theo in the eyes, reading his expression. When she ascertained he wasn't lying, she would let go of both of them and try to open the door.

"All the better we leave faster," she said.

However, as she pulled on the door, it wouldn't budge.

"What?"

She'd tug again, the door not giving into her command. Theo would try to use his bracelet to unlock the door, but as the Cartic marks landed on it, they merely vanished. For the first time during their entire time together, Cassima would see a look of concern on Theo's face.

"That's odd," he said. "I'm pretty sure my stone is charged. Cassima, can you try opening the door with your bracelet?"

Upon being told that she wasn't supposed to be here Cassima was grabbed by the wrist of the Expiate Officer and was pulled towards the exit of the level of the archives along with Theo. "Be careful. I can be escorted without being grabbed." Cassima said to the Woman, only for the room to darken, as Cassima sighed.

"Oh my, we could perish by the looks of it." Cassima said before she followed the Woman towards the door. She tried to use her bracelet to open the door, only for the door to still be locked. Cassima nodded when she asked to use her bracelet and she proceeded to try and do so.