Chapter Three:The Feeling is Mutual.

Well, as it would turn out, he didn’t break his neck that day. But he was very huffy and incredulous that I’d actually push him such a distance and then just walk so calmly after him. What, did he expect me to run? I don’t run for people I don’t care about. And besides, if he had broken his neck, his corpse wouldn’t be going anywhere, so my hurrying wouldn’t make a difference. And I might have even helped him up, had he not already gotten himself up and started shouting at me. At which point I just turned and walked away. I don’t have to listen to anyone who is not my superior, I especially do not have to listen to a young man shouting at me like a young child. If he hadn’t been so insolent in the first place, maybe he wouldn’t have gotten pushed down the hill, think about that, hm?

“Will you slow down for one damn minute!” He shouts after me, my steps are coming at a faster tempo now, in an attempt to outwalk him, without running. I don’t want it to seem like I’m afraid of him. Of course, I don’t stop, or slow down for that matter. I marvel inside my head at the beauty of the frayed ropes that remain of the nooses tethered to the deceased trees’ branches. If only I had a camera…..

“You psychopath! Aurora Nightingale! Stop!” and I do. I do stop. I stop and turn abruptly, and next I know, we both have a hand around the other’s neck. (Simultaneous choke holds, looking back it may just be the most warm and fuzzy romantic moment I’ve ever felt.) It doesn’t surprise me that he has grabbed me, that in itself isn’t odd, but I have the upper hand, because I know in a fight, or even if we were just to strangle each other, I would win. Because I don’t lose. The facts of life are just as simple as that. Things destroyed completely cannot be fixed, and Slayers do not lose. Those two things I have learned like a sort of religion.

“How do you know my name?” I snap, clenching my fingers slightly around his throat in a threatening manner. He looks at me with those silver eyes, in a way that says he doesn’t really care all too much what I do or what I don’t do at this point. After all, he has what he wanted. I’ve stopped. For now. He doesn’t seem to understand I could snap his neck with my fingers at this point. Or at least, if he does know, he doesn’t care. Suicidal imbecile. Well, it wouldn’t be the first person a suicidal person has approached me….

“You’re my trainer.” He says stiffly. He says trainer like it’s a swear word. Dirty and venom to his tongue. I’m not entirely sure I like where this is going either, or what the word “Trainer” entails coming from this young man.  I trained for years to become a slayer, but am I a demon hunting trainer? Hell no. I’m not a teacher. Megan and I agreed a while ago that if I were a teacher all of my kids would be dead or crying after the first fifteen minutes!(Yeah, kids don’t like me so much….we’ve never really been able to grasp why.). Even at the chapel, Megan and I were never allowed to watch the children. People don’t trust slayers with children, probably for good reasons, but I mean, come on! We were at the chapel. Only a monster would do something at the chapel.(The Chapel is like the church of Muortum. Every district has one, but the Chapel is an odd sort of church, twisted to our world. We learn of our own world’s history and our own ruler/god. You’ll never find a more devoted chapel attendee than a Slayer.)

“What the hell are you talking about crazy man?” I narrow my eye, this young man is looking more and more irritated with me. Like I should just drop all suspicions and just believe everything he has to say. Sorry Sir, but I wasn’t trained like that.

“God, were you the one in Antarctica? Geez, just my luck. To get the worst Slayer out there.” He spits snidely.

“Let’s get something straight. I am not from Antarctica, nor have I ever had the pleasure of visiting it. I am perfectly capable of maiming you for life. So you had better start explaining before I find a mountain to throw you down, am I clear?”

“Crystal.” He glares at me, I feel like the words ‘Frigid B***h’ are forming on his lips. After all, that is my affectionate little nickname from all who loathe me. They loathe me because I am cold and do not care enough to interpret their feelings. I only waste that effort on ones I care about. And sometimes, I’ll be honest, I just don’t care. So if that makes me a ‘Frigid B***h’, then that I am.

“Then explain. Before I lose my patience with you.” I snap.

“Did you not get the memo? Slayers are of a dying breed, I’m sure you’ve noticed that at the very least. Nobody wants to be a Slayer anymore. But I bet you didn’t notice that Hunters are dying early, and in larger numbers, because the ‘dark things’ are getting inexplicably stronger.”

“Why should I care? They are not of my branch. They made the wrong choice. It’s none of my business nor is it any of my concern.” I say coldly, tossing him into the snow back first in such a motion that tears his hand from my throat and slams his back against the frozen earth with a loud ‘poomf!’ as snow goes flying. As he gasps to regain the wind knocked out of him, I set my heeled boot steadily on top of him, the six inch black stiletto digging into his abdomen slightly.

“You still haven’t answered my question. How. Do. You. Know. My. Name?” I give him my famous one eyed glare.

“In order to help stop this trend, Slayers are being brought to the first district, alongside hunters, and paired together. Slayers are the trainers, they’re supposed to help prepare hunters- preferably in a non painful manner… And you are my Trainer.”

“Hm.” I laugh slightly, a quick short laugh behind closed lips. “You said ‘preferably’. And too bad for you, that my teaching, will not be painless.” I dig my heel deeper into his abdomen for a moment, just far enough to ensure it’ll leave a bruise, before I take a step back and pull him up by his arm. I’m surprised to find he has a fairly good set of muscles underneath his loose black shirt. And since I trampled him so easily, I know exactly what we’re going to have to work on. This could be the most fun I’ve had in years….

“You lack finesse.” I tell him, in the same manner I would tell him that he had just dropped his fork.

“What? You haven’t even seen me in action yet!” he protests.

“I’ve seen plenty. I don’t need a long and drawn out exhibition from you. I can tell from just this encounter. You’re strong, yes, but anyone can be strong. You bank on that to give you the upper hand. And hence, you just had your a*s handed to you.” I flip my dark hair over my shoulder, and for the first time he sees the eyepatch that was hidden beneath my long bangs. He eyes it for a long moment, before looking away.

“I don’t think I like you.” he grumbles bitterly, because he knows I am right.

“The feeling is mutual.” I reply calmly.

The feeling is mutual. Everyone wants to have their feelings returned, even a person who only hates, they want someone to hate them back, so they can have a satisfying fight. But mutual feelings, in the end, only cause more trouble than they are worth. I learned this the hard way, In these years, it would turn out, that I learned a lot of things ‘The hard way’...

I thought I liked ‘The Hard Way’, turns out, sometimes….it hurts.

And sometimes, hurt isn't a good thing.

Reviews

[Catherine Frain]

Hi, here once more to give you another review. :3 Well, I though I'd help you by going chapter by chapter. Well...another review on this chapter..

First of all, I loved the first part...
Well, as it would turn out, he didn’t break his neck that day. But he was very huffy and incredulous that I’d actually push him such a distance and then just walk so calmly after him. What, did he expect me to run? I don’t run for people I don’t care about. And besides, if he had broken his neck, his corpse wouldn’t be going anywhere, so my hurrying wouldn’t make a difference.

Well that is very true for everyone. And was is the use of rushing when you don't care anyways? There is none, and I am pretty sure that Aura would agree.

I *still* love the dialogue between Kurai and Aura in this chapter. It is funny, and you can tell that He has a hatred of slayers, or just a hatred of Aura, based off what he has said. It is a well written chapter, and it is interesting. It goes to show that Aura is superior, even if she doesn't look like it.

[Catherine Frain]

This is a very neat scene in between them. Love Aurora's attitude in this chapter. It is very well written, and his attitude to having her as a trainer is priceless. (:D) Well done. :D

[RedRozeNinja13]

"The Feeling is Mutual."

[EmaleighLynn]

Loving him so far, and Aura too! Some grammatical problems, but nothing major. Good job, great chapter, can't wait for the next one! Keep writing!

[RedRozeNinja13]

What grammatical problems?

[EmaleighLynn]

I can't see any right now, but there were a few. It's not too bad. One this I caught was here: "The Chapel is like the church or Muortum." It should be of. But it's easy to fix.