After we headed down to the kitchen and grabbed something to eat, Ximh and I were sitting in friendly silence. Suddenly, he darted out of the kitchen, like he sensed something wrong. Carefully dropping into my element, I crept behind him, my chains trailing on the ground.
"Ximh? Ximh, why did you run off so fast?" I muttered to myself. I turned the corner, and saw him with another girl, Kyxsha, if I recalled correctly. "Oh," I said, my ears flattening against my head. "Sorry."
Why do you wrap chains around you body?" Kyxsha asked suddenly as I reverted to my normal form.
I stared at her. How dare she ask me personal questions when she didn't even know me. "Why do you want to know?" I growled guardedly, glaring at her.
"I'm sorry. I'll...stay out of your way," she said bashfully.
"Thank you," I said to her. Turning to Ximh, I said, "Catch you later, maybe."
He nodded, and I left them to their conversation, quickly exiting the building into the courtyard through a nearby door. It was cool outside, but not cold; for once, I wished I had put on my cloak. Making my way over to the shade of a tree to sit down, I was startled as a portal appeared in the shadows, and I was yanked unceremoniously through. Not this again, I thought.
Fighting to get out of my kidnapper's grip as soon as we landed somewhere, I muttered, "Get your hands off me!"
"If you would quit struggling, I would do just that," a silky, accented voice muttered right back. I fell to the floor, but quickly rose into a crouch, eying my assailant with wary eyes.
"Have you forgotten of our deal so easily, Tigress?" In the darkness, I could barely make out Pashnirix's face, even with my enhanced sight. I straightened up and cocked a hip, folding my arms.
"Dragon. I should have known," I said. I really should have, too. But I had been so distracted by the Leader and his 'punishment' that I had forgotten.
"Yes, you should have," he replied. "I'm hurt. I thought we knew each other so well."
I scoffed. "You aren't hurt, because you can't feel," I said.
Pashnirix wagged a finger at me and tutted. "Tsk, what have I told you, Tigress? There is more than one way to feel than through a heart. You haven't listened to me at all, have you. You'll never learn that way."
I grew annoyed. "If there's more than one way to feel, then why don't you tell me, instead of just dancing around the issue?" I yelled.
"See, you're feeling right now," he said gracefully. "The heart is merely a vessel, a place for emotions to be stored. Where do you think emotions originate, how? In the mind, that's where. You form emotions based on logical analyses of people and situations, translate them into reactions, and those reactions become emotions. As long as you still have your mind to form emotions," he said, touching a hand to my forehead, "you don't need a heart," he touched my chest, "to feel those emotions."
Surprising even myself, I didn't lash out at him for touching me, for invading my territory like that. I merely frowned, and followed after him as he walked away. It was disconcerting, walking in darkness like we were. There I go, I thought, feeling again. "Pashnirix," I called out, "where are we?"
"Inside a Corridor of Darkness," he responded.
I rolled my eyes. "I know that, Dragon. Where are we going?"
He turned and held out his hand to me. "To your first lesson. I am taking you back to my castle."
I immediately put up my guard. "Your castle?"
"Yes. We have the least chance of being discovered there. No one but I knows where it is or how to access it. We will be safe from prying eyes," he assured me. "Trust me."
I glanced at his open palm. Trusting others wasn't exactly something that was high on my list of Things to Do, especially a rival. But some part of me kept nagging, making me wonder what I would miss out on by playing it safe.
"How do I know this isn't a trap?" I asked. "That your Leader hasn't found out and ordered you to kidnap me?"
Pashnirix shrugged. "You do not. I can only give you my word, as a gentleman, and as a fellow Spirit Nobody."
I looked to the side. Then why do I feel like this is a trap? ...Very well, if it turns out to be a trap, then he will truly feel the wrath of the Tigress, no doubt. Reaching out, I placed my hand in his, feeling a shiver run down my spine as he gave me a smile.
"Good. Let us begin," he said, as he pulled be through a portal to his castle.
He pulled us through, and I noticed that we were on a mountaintop somewhere, the castle looming ahead of us. It was grandly decorated with gold trim everywhere. Pashnirix looked to me and nodded in the direction of the castle.
As soon as I took one step forward, though, I felt an excruciating pull on my mind. Falling to my knees with a cry, I held my head in my hands. What...was this?
"Rexikat?" Pashnirix hovered worriedly over me, and I heard a voice in my mind.
Rexikat, your presence is requested immediately at Castle Oblivion for a meeting. If you do not report directly, I will not hesitate to force you here myself, said a voice I recognized immediately as the Leader's.
"Pashnirix...I have to...go," I said, forcing out my words through the pain.
"You Leader," he said resignedly, noting the pain I was in and recognizing the signs. "Very well, come."
He hauled me up by my arm, steadying me on my feet, and reopened the portal back to Castle Oblivion. Dragging me through, I could feel the pain in my mind lessen dramatically as we appeared in the courtyard again.
"So much...for our first lesson," I panted.
Pashnirix frowned. "Don't think that I will simply disregard this. I will be back for you, and next time I expect your presence for twice as long."
I stared at him in shock. "What?"
"We made a deal, Tigress. Weekly lessons with each other. If you miss this week, then you simply must make up for it next," he said impatiently. "As soon as that meeting is over, I wish for you to report back here and inform me when you will be available, if anything comes up during that meeting. Understood?"
"Wha--you wish? You little..." I started to yell at him angrily for thinking he could boss me around like that, but he had already portalled away. Growling in frustration, I stalked off to find the Leader who so nicely disrupted my meeting.
Slamming doors in my wake, I made my way to the Center Tower, where I pushed my way into the Leader's room. The Leader and Triskix both looked at me surprised.
"This better be good," I snarled at the both of them.
--------------------------
KitKat: AHHH! I haven't posted in a while. I've been so busy with other projects. But they're done now, and I'm back to my usual state of busy. And here, I find Rex running off to unknown locations with mysterious men.
Rexikat: Mysterious! HAH! I could take his ass out in five seconds if he tries anything.
KitKat: And what is he really was trying to kidnap you? What if he had an entire army waiting for you on the other side of that portal? What if he had your bloody torture and death planned out to the last second of your life?
Rexikat:...I think that's you, not him.
KitKat: -_-' Just...go to your meeting and stop talking.
