Chapter 6: Arden

"Everyone, this is our newest student, Arden Gray." Dalton introduced me, and I walked into the room. I didn't know what to expect, but a room of four people sitting at a row of desks was the last thing I imagined. I guess there wasn't a large Seer population.

"N-Nice to meet you." Stammering again. Stop stammering!

The three people sitting at the desks looked like college students, as well. Two boys, and one girl. The boys looked calm and unbothered while the girl leapt to her feet.

"Finally, another woman." She breathed out a sigh of relief. "It was getting lonely here."

I laughed, but taking everything in was challenging. "What's your name?"

"Vera Hartland." Her green eyes glistened as she spoke. "Oh, and these two are Galen and Elias."

She gestured behind her at the two boys who both stood up. The taller one, Galen, was basically towering over me. He had long blonde hair that he tied behind his head and blue eyes that stared at me unamused. The other, Elias, looked more pleasant, smiling. He had short brown hair and looked to be the youngest out of the bunch.

"And last but certainly not least, your favorite classmate, Leon." Leon walked in and everyone's face darkened in unison. Dalton cleared his throat. He seemed to do that a lot.

"Today, I will be helping Arden choose a weapon while I am assigning the rest of you to work in the third precinct." He glanced through his black framed glasses at me. I stiffened. Choose a weapon? Did I accidentally sign up for the military?

"Can I help her?" Vera asked excitedly. Dalton sighed, but nodded his head.

"This is so exciting!" Vera grabbed my hand, pulling me closer. I tried to smile, but I was too close to shitting my pants.

"Don't worry," Vera winked. "I'll show you the ropes."

"Thank you, I'd appreciate that." I looked to Leon, who offered a sympathetic look but waved goodbye. I felt like a child on my first day of kindergarten again.

☾

Dalton and Vera showed me to a room that had weapons lined from the floor to the ceiling. I saw the usual weapons I knew from movies like a bow and arrow, a variety of differently shaped swords, spear, and even a large Thor-esque hammer.

I felt my heart rate quicken. Even though I supposedly killed that bear-looking Phantom, they must understand that was completely luck and a definite fluke. Sure, I wanted to protect my friends, but Leon seemed to have control of the situation, so couldn't I just call him when they appeared again? I winced and looked down at my thumbnail where a tiny trail of blood formed near the cuticle. My nervous habit. I pressed the tiny wound with my finger and paused trailing behind the two.

"I don't know if I'm cut out for this, honestly." I mumbled. "I was fighting for my life for the first time. It was pure luck."

"I am aware," Dalton said, and I felt my spirits lift for the first time. Was I off the hook? "But you proved that you are capable, which was the ideal outcome, so we would appreciate your compliance."

My shoulders dropped. If I knew I would have to train like some soldier, I might have let it win. I sighed. Maybe I could learn a few tricks and let the experienced people run ahead while I watched from behind long enough to escape.

"It's fun, Arden! Trust me." Vera piped in, and I tried not to cry. Fun? What aspect of murdering something, even an evil spiritual entity, was fun? I couldn't wait to wake up from this dream.

"Arden, tell me. Which of these weapons call out to you?"

Huh? "I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you mean-" I scanned the room and paused, suddenly noticing a heavy aura emitting from the same type of weapon I used to slay the Phantom bear. "Maybe that one?"

We all walked towards the weapon that looked like something the Grim Reaper misplaced. The long black metal staff had a large and curved silver blade at the end that came down to a sharp point. I wasn't sure why or how, but the aura around it was silently grabbing my attention. It was like feeling the heat from a fire, but instead of a fire, it was a shiny black weapon.

"Toren's Scythe." Dalton said, and I tilted my head to the side. "This weapon is called a scythe, and it is inhabited by the tiger Phantom, Toren."

This shit just gets crazier and crazier. I swear they're just making it all up. "You're telling me that there's a tiger demon in this thing?"

He nodded his head. "Upon discovering formidable Phantoms, instead of slaying them, we propose a contract. We spare their lives, but in return, their spirit becomes tied down to a weapon that will subsequently be fueled by their spiritual energy in order to slay other powerful Phantoms."

Wow. Now, that was a weird concept. I reached out to touch this supposed Phantom weapon, but Dalton's hand shot out and he grabbed my wrist firmly. "I wouldn't touch that yet, unless you're prepared to fight for possession of his spirit."

I reeled my hand back. "Is there an easier spirit weapon I can try? Like a butter knife rabbit spirit?"

Vera laughed, slapping her knee as she giggled. "You're so silly, Arden. Of course, not! Besides, if this is the only weapon calling for you, then you have no choice. The others aren't interested in your spiritual energy."

There they go again with the spirit jargon. And was she saying all the other weapon Phantoms rejected me? I felt oddly offended and crossed my arms. What's the worst that could happen if I touch the damn thing? "It can't kill me if I touch this, right?"

"If it rejects you, you are more likely to come out slightly injured, but there is always a slim possibility." Dalton replied. My shoulders slumped. Not reassuring, as usual. If only they had a Sorting Hat or something less high stakes.

"Okay, I'm going to do it." I decided. If it meant protecting my friends and Mia, I said I would do anything, right? I inhaled slowly before exhaling and grabbing the handle at the bottom of the staff. All I heard was Vera's singsong voice exclaim, "Good luck!" before the room I was previously standing in faded in exchange for a seemingly new dimension of eternal night.

The transition was so quick I almost lost my balance. After steadying my feet, I looked at my surroundings. The sky was black like it was midnight, casting a dark shadow on the jungle environment around me. I felt that annoying lump start to swell in my throat again. The air was humid and the jungle was eerily quiet save for the momentary chirps from birds and insects.

A low voice echoed around me from all sides and my body jumped in response. "It's been a long time since I've seen a little girl."

Was it the tiger Phantom? I swung my head behind me, but no one was there.

"Show yourself!" I demanded, but inside, I was shitting my pants. I felt like I was in a horror game simulation. Was it possible to pause or log off? The echoing voice chuckled around me, and I felt goosebumps prickle across my arms. I started to walk, and paused upon stepping on something hard. It was shiny and metal. The scythe!

I bent down to pick it up, but before I could grab it, something slammed into my side and knocked me off of my feet. It felt like a division-1 football player charged into me with full force, and I fell ungracefully onto the dirt. I swiveled my head quickly and screamed upon being face to face with a white tiger. It was huge, probably double my size, and had piercing blue eyes and a snowy coat with long white fangs. The sight was enough to have me scrambling to my feet and sprinting away through the jungle.

I didn't know where the hell I was going, but pushed past the lush bushes and branches as the adrenaline pumped through my body. I heard it roar as it charged after me, the sound of its footsteps right behind me. How the hell was I supposed to propose a contract to this thing?

I veered to the right, and it skidded forward, but recovered quickly, chasing after me with more rigor. I turned back and followed the trail of broken branches and flattened plants I made, attempting to return back to where the scythe was, but the dense jungle looked the same in every direction. I tried to track my footsteps as I ran and glanced back every so often as the tiger that grew closer and closer. It even swiped at my back, but missed which gained me another foot of distance. It wasn't much, but it was enough for me to pick up the scythe if I could just find the damn thing!

Blood pulsed in my ears and I felt like giving up until I spotted a glint of metal on the jungle floor. I dove forward, successfully grabbing a hold of the staff, and turned back to the tiger who leaped at me. It bared its sharp teeth and I cried, holding the scythe out horizontally. The tiger bit down on the metal staff, but thankfully, it didn't break. The beast shook its head like a dog playing tug of war and I dug my feet into the dirt as I struggled to push back the powerful Phantom. After long moments, it finally let up, releasing the staff from its jaws before it reeled back and pounced onto me again. I instinctively swung the backside of the blade at its cheek, thrusting the creature to the side. However, it was barely scathed and landed on its feet. I stepped back as it began circling me slowly like I was its prey. I probably was.

It opened its mouth, baring its teeth. It's voice echoed in my head like he was in my mind. "I sense fear in you, little girl."

I kept my eye on it as it circled me slowly, pointing the end of the scythe at the creature as it moved. "Yes, I am fearful of you."

It cackled. "Then why risk fighting me if you are so fearful?"

I frowned, bending my knees slightly. "To protect my friends."

"Friends, such a weak and pitiful reason to risk your life."

Without thinking, I charged forward, lifting the blade above my head and bringing the point down onto the creature. It leapt out of the way, climbing the nearby tree with ease and resting its long striped body on a thick branch. I lifted the pointed blade from the dirt where I missed.

"They are all I have, and protecting them is worth anything." I replied, narrowing my eyes at the creature. Even from my distance below, I could see a glint in the beast's eyes.

"Anything, you say?" It asked, and I nodded.

"They're that important to me. You would understand if you had any." I don't know where the boldness came from, but I felt my blood boiling. The white tiger's mouth curved comically like the cheshire cat before it cackled again, the sound echoing loudly in my mind. It was taunting me, but I wasn't going to let my guard down.

"Why don't you come down so we can finish this?" I asked, bluffing. If it came down, I would surrender, but it didn't have to know that.

"I have heard enough from you, little girl." It yawned and folded its snowy paws in front of itself before casually placing its chin atop.

"No!" I shouted. "We haven't made a contract yet."

"I accept your contract."

"I won't take no-" I paused. Did it just accept? "Wait, you accept, seriously?"

It nodded its large head, and I almost laughed. Was this a joke? A trick to lower my guard? "Not that you shouldn't accept but, why?"

"I have my reasons." It stated simply.

That was enough of an explanation for me. I placed my hands on my hips. "Okay, how do we start this? Is there papers to sign, or?"

The creature moved quickly. I lifted the scythe up instinctively as it gracefully descended the tree. The creature slowly approached me head on, and I pointed the end of the weapon at it. Was it going to attack again? I gasped as the large tiger walked into the scythe, its body disappearing into it like the end of the weapon was the entrance to an invisible tunnel. When the entire length of its body disappeared, I glanced at my surroundings. Was it hiding? I returned my gaze down at the weapon I held, which began to hum as if it were alive. Had it accepted the contract?

I promptly dropped the staff and at the same moment, snapped back into the weapons room with Dalton and Vera by my side. Their eyes were wide as they stared at me. I looked down at my hands which had dropped the scythe just as I did in the dark jungle world.

"Did it work?" I asked.

"You tell us! Did he accept?" Vera asked, and I stepped back. My head was spinning and I felt dizzy. The transportation was giving me whiplash.

"Yes, I think so." I touched the side of my head which throbbed slightly.

"Wow!" Vera clapped her hands together. I turned to Dalton who was silent as he scribbled onto his clipboard.

After long moments, he finally looked up and adjusted his glasses. "Vera, please report to precinct three with Arden. I will join the two of you after tending to another responsibility."

"Will do!" Vera grabbed my wrist and led me out of the room. "Oh, don't forget that!"

She pointed a manicured finger at the scythe. I hesitated slightly, but grabbed the middle of it and lifted it off of the stand. It was heavy, but not unbearably so. The real problem was how to conceal it. It would not be a good look carrying a literal weapon in public or even having a friend stumble upon it inside of my closet.

"How am I supposed to carry this around without people noticing?"

"No worries. It's a cursed object, so normal people can't see it." Vera grinned.

I laughed. "So you admit we're not normal."

She giggled. "Where's the fun in that?"

I sighed. After fighting off a giant tiger, which I never in a million years thought I would do, I needed a damn nap.