The Confrontation

[Evangeline Gardan]

It was reaching the midnight hour and had been at least 5 hours after the note had appeared on her table in her room in the Emerindyls' living quarters. How it got there, she didn't know but what Evangeline did know was that the tone of the note was not to be taken lightly. Her sister was downright pissed at the fact of Evangeline not only pulling out the Emerindyl sword from it's stone, but also of the fact that she was happy to not be placed in Ruberagon. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Evangeline knew that this meeting would lead to some sort of a duel, whether with just words or with magic, also, she wasn't sure.

The emerald colored cloak draped around Evangeline's shoulder would probably only serve to further fuel Kalika's rage, but at this point she didn't care. She would not be bullied by her half-sister and even if it came to spell casting blows, then so be it.

However deep inside, Evangeline knew she was no match for Kalika. Not that many girls their age were, and some even older were no match for the seventh year Ruberagon girl. There was a reason, after all, that Kalika was going to be given the title of "Lady" to the Gardan line. and it wasn't just because of her birthright. After all, if anyone were to retain the rights to the title, it would have been Skylar, being the boychild of the twin set however Kalika always showed dominance over all and for that, their father felt she would be more fit to rule.

Evangeline really did not want to confront her sister but knew the meeting would be inevitable and if she had dodged her sister's meeting with her, it would be all the more worse for Evangeline.

After a moment, Evangeline heard a rustling in the blackness of the gardens. She spun around to face whomever she would come upon. She hoped it was someone other then who she was originally supposed to meet. But what were the odds of someone being up at that hour?

[Romulus Silvia]

“Well, well, well, an Emerindyl, who’d have thought you would have the guts to be out of bed at midnight? What’s wrong? Life not interesting enough for you with all the other poster boys and girls from the House of prep?” Romulus drawled as he moved out of the shadows, he was just about to head down to… somewhere not inside the school and was surprised at this meeting. He would have tried to avoid the girl if she had been a prefect, but of course he knew she was not; she was a nobody, just like all the other nobodies that infested the corridors of Romulus’ prison.

He looked her up and down openly. He didn’t really mind what he saw, though at the same time he had seen much better. And to be honest, she was just a little dumpy. And dumpy meant lazy, and lazy meant she would be of no use to anyone, least of all to him, or the people he sort to be useful to himself by finding others whom were also useful.

The clothing he had on were not all that against the grain. He was wearing black from head to toe. Not a cloak but a pair of black pants, a jacket with a hood and his school shoes. The silver buckle on his belt glinted in the moonlight and his hair lay limp about his moonlight pale face. He was smirking just a bit. He was not in a hurry, he hadn’t managed to fill his quota on this day and things were moving slowly for him, so he knew his mistress would have little interest in his appearance that night. All the same he had to check in/. It was onl;y polite.

“Looking for something more interesting in life? I suppose if you were up for it, I could show you?” he said digging into the pockets of his pants and drawing out a small bag in which were a few small green pellets. He tipped two from the bag and offered one of them to the Emerindyl before him. Would she have the guts to accept? He didn’t think so, but he didn’t really worry about her telling someone else he was offering her a pill. No one would believe her. Drugs were so not Koalingo. Not even the magical kind.

“Tempted?”

[Kalika Gardan]

Kalika stepped out of the shadows and slowly walked over to the pair standing in the darkness of the gardens. "So you showed up... how... interesting. I didn't think an Emerindyl would have the guts to meet me at this hour. Least of all a spineless one such as yourself. But then again, I'm not surprised considering you must feel you have something to prove." Kalika's usual icy tone permeated and seemed to chill the already cold night's air. After taking her time to reach Evangeline and Romulus, Kalika stopped and sniffed the air. After a second, a cruel look spread across her face that was half grinning as if awaiting her next statement. "You smell like an Emerindyl now too... again I'm not surprised considering you associate with those filthy-bloods all day."

After a moment, Kalika turned as if she had just now decided to take notice of Romulus. Sizing him up she decided it wasn't worth it to engage in conversation with him at the moment, especially considering her purpose that night was to displace the little git that was her half-sister for embarrassing her at the swording ceremony. "I would have preferred you alone, Evangeline. However, Romulus' presence isn't going to change what is to take place."

Before Kalika uttered another word she pulled a long chain from the inside of her black robe. At the end of the chain dangled the ancient amulet of Gardan. The amulet had almost killed Kalika in her younger years as she tried to learn to harness it's power. Finally, just before the start of her seventh year she was able to control and wield the powers of the amulet, which contained the souls of hundreds of generations of her bloodline. Just feeling the amulet run through her fingers, it almost pulsed with the amount of power it possessed.

In one deft movement Kalika smashed the amulet into Evangeline's chest, while chanting the ancient language taught to her by her father. She wasn't going to kill Evangeline, because she had so much more planned. However the pain the three claws of the amulet would cause her as well as the spell itself was enough to satisfy Kalika's anger for the moment.

The spell was one meant to slowly draw the breath out of a person's body. A way of suffocation that could easily be lifted when the amulet was pulled away from the body. If cast right, the victim would be made to feel as if every breath they took were being ripped from them, making them gasp for more air which would repeat the cycle of a slow and most painful demise.

Kalika smiled as she held the amulet steadfast, gazing into her half-sisters eyes with a look that clearly taunted now what are you going to do?

[Romulus Silvia]

Romulus wouldn’t have reacted normally but things happened so fast something clicked inside of him. His hand reached for his wand and he snapped it out so quickly and shouted “Avada Kedavra!” aiming at the girl with the amulet in hand. Though to his shock and utter horror as the green spell emanated from the tip of his wand in a wide beam that covered both girls; nothing happened.

Horrified at the very thought of what could be so much more powerful then the killing curse. Romulus stood opened mouthed at the two girls before him. Surely something like this had never been reported. How come the death curse didn’t work, it was famed for not having a block. For not being thwarted ever except once, and that was somewhere overseas and the details were so hazy Romulus didn’t know a lot about it. What shocked him most of all was that the spell didn’t even rebound. It engulfed both girls and seemed to have worked but when the light faded. It became obvious it had not.

Caught up in their own fight, Romulus gaped at both girls. “That wasn’t supposed to happen,” he was so surprised at this that he didn’t stop to think that perhaps the usage of the spell set of alarm bells somewhere else in the castle.

[Evangeline Gardan]

Evangeline was beyond terrified. And if she could indeed die from fright, it probably would've happened around that time. First of all people to show up, that Ruberagon boy Romulus appeared. She knew from other people he's had run ins with that he wasn't exactly Prince Charming. Which came to prove itself when he talked to her. Before she could even reply to his last question, Kalika stepped in. All blood drained from Evangeline's face. She knew that she would face Kalika, but two Ruberagons? Was she to face both? Was this Kalika's plan?

Then before Evangeline had time to even let out a scream or block an attack, Kalika lunged at her with a strange looking amulet. At first Evangeline tried to struggle. Then she felt an instant burst of pain. Stinging fire coursed through her body starting with the landing spot of the amulet and moving steadily outward. She couldn't move, couldn't even breathe, for those 3 painful claws had dug into her soft flesh and ripped with ever miniscule movement she made.

Then the breathing. As if the pain could not kill her fast enough. With every breath Evangeline took it was if it were attached to a long thin rope that was being forcibly extracted from inside her. The tiniest breaths felt as if someone had reached in and yanked them out. All she could do was gasp and try to breathe, which would inevitably set off the cycle all over again.

'I'm going to die.....' She thought as tears streamed down her face.

Looking into Kalika's seemingly angelic face, Evangeline saw a monster behind her eyes. A snake demon that would kill her own family for bringing shame to the bloodline and heritage that Kalika thought of so highly.

Suddenly she heard it. It was faint because of the drumming sounds of adrenalin in her head, but yes she did hear it. Someone had cast the killing curse. She turned her eyeballs in the direction of the sound to find that Romulus was finishing off what Kalika started. Evangeline's eyes widened as she realized that the two were teaming up to kill her.

Until it finally dawned on her. The position of the wand was not pointed at her, it was pointed at Kalika! But why, except for the fact that Kalika was killing her, but she had heard Romulus didn't care for anyone. Why would he care to save anyone?

Evangeline's confusion was short lived, as terror once again took hold. He had cast the killing curse on her half-sister.... And it didn't work! Evangeline felt that her time was up. Her sister could not even be stopped by the world's most powerful curse. What madness was this?!

[Skylar Gardan]

Soundless footsteps made their way briskly to the mini battle scene. A cold look of malice was situated on Skylar Gardan's face as he brandished the amulet's equal; the blood staff passed down to him at birth. "Everto minion EGO induco vestri vomica!" (Demons' minion I revoke your curse!) Skylar growled as he whirled the staff through the air, piercing the ground upon it's landing.

Dark winds whipped around the four as the ground shook with the ferocity of hundreds of earthquakes. The scene would have been devastating to watch had it not been for the charm that Skylar put upon the small area of the gardens that they occupied. To an outsider, it would seem rather calm and peaceful, but to the four who were involved, it was pandemonium.

He would not let his sister get away from him, alive. They were twins and he knew she would have known of his arrival. He could safely surmise that she had expected his interference of the little confrontation with their half-sister. He knew about Evangeline. Though he had feigned disapperance, and to some even death, he had been around and had loyal lackeys to see to it that important information was delivered to him.

Though he would have accepted another sister into the family with an open heart, he had no heart anymore. He was no longer the same quiet, gentlemanly, noble boy of yesteryear. Not since his sister had robbed him of a love he held so dear to him. No... Now nothing resided within his soul except hatred and lust... a lust to have his angelic-faced twin's beating heart clutched within his very fist.

After the ground stopped shaking, Skylar grabbed the staff and yanked it from the ground. Expertly gliding the family heirloom between his fingers Skylar smirked at his sister. "constrictum!" He commanded his staff as it glowed with his ancestors very blood within it's jeweled confines. The spell he hurled at his sister was to bind her hands and legs, by some invisable force, to her body. It was a stronger version of it's original incantation.

Striding slowly towards Kalika, Skylar's smirk took on that of a animal that has caught it's prey. But yet, he knew it was not time for the actual battle of blood against blood to begin. That would not take place within the castle grounds. And he knew that battle, would be the most brutal of all. Though he held the Gardan staff, it's counterpart- the amulet- was by far stronger and more devastating in power then his weapon.

"Well, dear sister. It seems you're in a bit of a.... bind."

[Kalika Gardan]

Kalika held the amulet to Evangeline's chest, feeling the beating of her heart become ragged. She was faltering and Kalika knew it. Suddenly a strange green light enveloped the two as Kalika's eyes locked onto Romulus. The little git was trying to kill her! She felt the power of the killing curse course through her veins before dissolving into all that it surrounded. After watching the curse fail Kalika threw back her head and laughed; the delicate sound of bells yet the tone of pure victory. "You still think me to be just a trophy, Romulus?" she asked as her blood red lips curled into a grin of contempt as well as superiority towards all who were in her presence.

She concentrated on her sister, concentrated on her lungs, concentrated on slowing them to the brink of death. "You may die tonight sister dear..." Kalika whispered as she stroked her sister's hair with her free hand. The gesture was both to put her sister more on edge and to also suggest that it was Kalika who would always have the upper hand.

Suddenly another person appeared onto the already chaotic scene. It was as if Kalika were seeing a ghost reappear in flesh and bone. She was surprised... She knew her brother would be coming for her... She knew that even though she had heard of his demise that she felt from their connection that he still lived and breathed. But here he was, standing before her, ready to continue the war that waged so fiercely it had taken the life of her brother's love (or rather, she had taken the life of...)

Before she could react, her twin lashed out with a series of curses to both expel her sister from her grasp and to bind her arms and legs. The first curse was rather strong, however the binding curse made her laugh.

"solvo ties ut redimio..." She whispered as she looked dead into her brother's eyes. The invisable binds seemed to melt off of her as she reached around to fiddle with the pulsing amulet around her neck. "I learned that curse in my youth. Are you to tell me that after losing Aurora, that's all you learned from that sage, Corrimen." Kalika asked, almost spitting the word sage from her mouth as if it were a bad taste. She knew her brother would be surprised of her knowing his whereabouts. It proved that her link with him was stronger then he may have thought.

"It amuses me, dear brother, that you would interfere in my 'talk' with our filthy half-sister here, come to me all guts and glory like some pathetic muggle action movie star, and yet all you can produce is a flimsy little binding spell. You want a spell? This is a spell! adficio!!" Kalika's normally soft voice boomed as she hurled the spirit draining spell at Skylar. "You stupid little imp. How could you ever think you could defeat me. As everyone knows... I am the stronger one between you and I. Allow me to prove it." She laughed again as she tightened her hand into a fist pulling Skylar's very essence out of his soul.

[Romulus Silvia]

“Oh shit,” was about all Romulus could say as he looked on to the confrontation happening before him. He had met Skyler once before… or more; he has seen him around the place and had never spoken to him, but he was somewhat amazed by what he was watching. They were fighting as if they wanted to kill one another. This surprised him since he knew Kalika was one of Lucius cronies and Lucius didn’t seem the killing type, nor did he appear to be interested in someone who might be. He watched on with his mouth hanging open just a little. What was going on here? Who were these crazy people? And why had alarm bells not sounded when he attempted to use the killing curse on them.

He backed away just a little when he saw the two arguing with one another. The killing curse was the best he knew, and they were playing with magic beyond his knowledge. This alone was enough to scare him. Rooted to the spot he didn’t really know what to do, one thing was certain though. Someone was going to die. He needed back up.

He reached into his pocket quickly and found a little gemstone he always carried with him. It was an Onyx and was no larger then a small marble. He pulled it out of his pocket and thought for a moment; who would be match enough to help him stop this scene. Realising that no other member of the Guild of Avada would be of any help Romulus pulled out of the scene before him just as things started to get even rougher.

He felt something pulling at him as he tried to move backwards. It was as if the world was coming to an end, the earth was thrashing at his feet, grass which was initially quite short was flicking him around the knees and he was quite sure that soon the plants in the area would become uprooted.

Struggling with all his might he pushed on though and suddenly face planted into the ground as the pulling sensation stopped at once. He scrambled to his feet and turned. It appeared as if there was some sort of dome over the three he had escaped from. Beyond the dome everything was quite normal, “That must be why no one realised I use the…” he stopped mid sentence not wanting to finish it in case someone was listening in.

He turned. He had to get someone, but who… no other member would be powerful enough. It was then that Romulus knew what he had to do, though he did not particularly agree to it. Scrambling away from the garden quickly but not quite so nimble; Romulus tripped over the hedges and slipped on the pathways as he came back towards the external wall where a gargoyle was sitting looking like stone.

Romulus raised his wand and tapped it on the face. It sprung to life at once, but before it had a chance to say anything Romulus had already spoken, “Summon Lucius Sinister to the grounds! At once!” he would not dare summon a teacher. He had far too much to lose. But he also knew that Lucius might have some strength in this battle, “And tell him to bring a weapon,”

[Evangeline Gardan]

Evangeline was thrown to the ground when someone new appeared onto the scene. She had never met the boy before but he looked so familiar... Finally it dawned on her. Of course! She had seen portraits of him hanging in the Gardan household. This boy was her half-brother. She heard Kalika scoff about something and mention a girl named Aurora... Where did she hear that name.

Oh yes! The maids in the Estate loved to gossip, and had told Evangeline a sad story about Skylar who obviously was in Ruberagon falling in love with a girl named Aurora Velvetblossom when they were just young kids. Aurora and Kalika hated each other from the beginning but they're dislike only grew when she found out that not only was Skylar in love with Aurora but that she was an Emerindyl.

How tragic a story it had been to hear... but what's this about losing her...? Evangeline wished she knew the whole story but her curiosity was short lived and once more replaced by confusion and terror. What the heck was going on. Kalika and Skylar were using magic way beyond their years and they looked like they wanted to collect each other's head for a trophy.

Evangeline noticed Romulus backing away then finally disappearing from view. GREAT! Now what was she going to do? It wasn't like Romulus was hero of the year but she had her two crazy siblings duelling to the death in front of her and at least Romulus tried to stop Kalika.

[Lucius Sinister]

Lucius had been sitting in his room reading over some reports he had been sent regarding the family business he now took care of. He had only recently started controlling parts of his families business empire and was not at all pleased by the performance of the business since his father had… disappeared. He was just in the process of writing termination letters to the board of directors when he heard a throat clearing noise. He looked up from where he was and scanned the floor of his room. It was not Tonkin. Tonkin was running an errand for him and was not expected to return for some time. Lucius dismissed this noise and went back to writing the letters, feeling a little annoyed for the part of having to bother himself with the triviality of firing incompetence.

The throat clearing noise came again and this time Lucius stood up with his wand already in his hand. He looked about the room again and then heard yet another throat clearing noise. He looked towards one of the paintings he had had hung in his first year and saw that the frame and the painting were moving, though not in the way a painting did move, it was actually jiggling on the wall.

Lucius flicked his wand at the painting and it floated off the wall, revealing the face of a gargoyle intricately designed into the stone work. Lucius suddenly remembered the day he had hung the painting, at the time he did not know this gargoyle was part of the Koalingo intercom system, a good way to communicate around the castle without use of an owl or sending away your house elf.

“What is it?” he asked, acting as if the confusion of the situation had never occurred almost as if he knew about the gargoyle being there all along.

“Lucius Sinister?” the gargoyle asked him. Lucius did not normally put up with a lack of manners, though remembering this was a piece of the castle and not a creature, Lucius let it slide and nodded his head without answering verbally.

“You have been requested to attend the school gardens, sir” the gargoyle said to him with a self important voice. Lucius decided this must be because it was a Ruberagon gargoyle.

“By whom?” Lucius asked it not entirely pleased with its messaging delivery abilities. He usually expected the well-constructed message carrying system of a house elf who gave all the facts, in order, without faulting.

“Romulus Silvia, sir” the gargoyle added probably realising Lucius was growing annoyed with it, “And he has requested that you bring a weapon, sir” with that the gargoyle went still again and was, as always, as stone.

“So it has finally happened… he dares challenge me, faor enough,” Lucius pulled on his boots, he was already wearing a robe suitable for duelling, and pocketed his wand before walking out of his suite. He walked along the hallway a little before he noticed that Kalika’s suite door stood ajar. He paused and knocked on it after a moment. A moment more and no answer came.

“Kalika?” he called from the door, but there was no answer, he saw a house elf fussing around inside and pushed the door open to address it, “Where is your mistress?”

“I am a cleaning elf, sir, not the house ef of this room, its occupants were not here when I arrived, sir” the house elf said before returning to its work. Lucius looked at its uniform with disdain. This was one of the elves, which were employed and paid for by the school, and was not nearly as accommodating as the ones that were bound to their master’s.

Feeling curious of this event, Lucius walked on and headed towards the exit of the fortress. He had had an odd feeling that something was slightly off balanced this evening and was not at all pleased to find that Kalika was missing in action. He moved on and soon found himself coming down the steps of the entrance courtyard.

He could see Romulus and headed for him at once, he would have it out with this boy if that is what he wanted, Lucius was not scared of him in the slightest, such things were joke-worthy. It wasn’t until he had almost reached Romulus that he saw one of the most incredible things he had witnessed in his time at the school.

“Kalika?” he said looking at the dome of light. It appeared that lightning streaked over the bubble and Lucius could barely tell who was inside, though it looked like three people, and one of them was definitely Kalika, “Kalika!” he shouted raising his wand and moving forward at a quickened pace.

He still couldn’t see what was happening, but he knew he had to do something, and whatever he did, he had to do it soon. He looked about frantically. What could he do? He didn’t want to carelessly cast spells on the dome in case whatever he did accidentally hit Kalika. She had been so off lately, he should have known something was going on.

He thought a second more, realising there was nothing else for it, he could see a male figure with Kalika, he couldn’t see exactly what was happening, but it looked like he was attacking her. Throwing caution to the wind, Lucius whipped his wand in a round motion at the wall near them. Huge blocks of stone came out of their place shot at Skylar.

[Skylar Gardan]

Just as Skylar had anticipated, the spells he had cast at his sister were nothing in comparison the powers she possessed. They were pretty basic with his as well, but used more as a device to anger her into showing at least the advanced curses she had learned. When Kalika hit Skylar with the soul draining spell he knew she was almost at the pinnacle of her advancements with the amulet for the soul draining spell was among the powerful curses the amulet could produce. But still, since he had expected the curse, he also perfected his way of releasing himself from her magical grips.

Concentrating on calling his staff to his hand, which had dropped when he levitated into the soul draining spell, Skylar used all of his focus on bringing the staff to his hand. Finally feeling the jewel encrusted magical device, he forced all of the adrenaline rushing through him to whip the staff around curling it backwards and throwing the hex right back at his sister.

He kept a firm hold on the staff as he felt his sister's soul start depleating and practically melting out of her body. He wouldn't have completed the hex obviously, since the battles had just begun however he was not even able to really get a good scare out of Kalika when bricks from the wall shot at him. Using his staff as a blocking device he hurled the bricks to the ground, watching as they smashed into pieces on contact.

Turning swiftly he saw that the caster was none other then his sisters... whatever he was to her. Lucius Sinister. Of course... who else would come to her rescue? Gathering himself and dusting off his robes from the debri of the bricks, Skylar waved his hand slowly over his head. The dome shaped barrier released it's hold as soon as Skylar's hand passed by it. All had returned to normal within the gardens and the 5 were now able to see each other without the barrier.

"I realize, Lucius, that you come to protect my sister. But know that this war between her and I is inevitable. It is destined to take place whether you are their to support her or not. And truthfully, one of us... will die when our last battle is fought." Skylar stated as he stared at his sister. Would she still attack him? Would Lucius attack him? And even though Romulus had... affiliations with him, would he in turn attack him? Skylar learned after Aurora was killed that he could trust no one... least of all his twin.

[Lucius Sinister]

Skylar might have deflected the levitating stones, though Lucius was pleased to see that at the very least they had had their desired affect. His wand was firmly in his hand, the tip of it was glowing with a bloody red and his eyes were alight with anger. He was surprised to see that Skyler was here, he had heard rumours about Skylar being dead though Kalika had never said anything about and Lucius had dismissed it as rumours, though knowing nothing else, he was surprised to see the brother of Kalika Gardan standing before him, fresh from an attack on his own sister. Lucius was a little lost.

He looked at the male half of the Gardan twins and wondered exactly what had occurred before his arrival, more so why; if things were so inevitable; did Kalika not tell Lucius that this might occur. “I realise Skylar that you understand exactly how things are done here,” he said as he moved closer to Kalika. His wand was gripped firmly in his hand though he did not fear whatever magical device Skylar had, this was Lucius’ turf and he had home site advantage.

“And you would understand, that while here you will follow the groove and move against it at your own detriment,” Lucius said as he stopped by Kalika and looked at Skylar with a look that would make most other buckle and probably collapse. “In that you will heed my warning,” he started looking from Skylar, to Romulus and back to Skylar, totally ignoring the Emerindyl.

“I will stand in the way of any whom wish to upset the world in which we currently exist,” he looked from Skylar to Romulus and then back again for the second time while saying this, “And I should let you know, threats on the life of those who are important to me, do not sit well in this world,” it was a threat in a very roundabout way, but a threat all the same. He required minimal bluntness when dealing with Skylar, he knew the Gardan male would understand how serious he was.

“Stand down now,” it was not a request, it was a command, and he knew Skylar understood it would be folly not to do as he was being told. He could try it, but Lucius was more then a match for him, it would be stupid to try something regardless of the company in the vicinity.

Lucius turned his back to Skylar, he had not thoughts of being attacked. Surely Skylar would not be so stupid as to believe and attack on Lucius would be successful. Not now, not ever.

He looked at Romulus after this, “You are dismissed,”