Ardere had just gotten back from her bath. Her hair was still wet and the robe she wore stuck to her skin. Ardere looked to a book she had on her bed and twisted her finger in the air. A burst of air hit Ardere in the face and dried her hair. Ardere closed the book and moved it aside as she sat on the bed.
Ardere still had time before classes started. She thought about going to check on the boy, but then remembered what Mr.Locke had told her. The potion needed time to work and would take a couple of days, except she only had a couple of days. Ultimately Ardere decided against going to the infirmary and put on her uniform. Ardere was grabbing her notes when she heard a knock at her door.
When Ardere had opened the door a female student had barged into her room. The student had short blonde hair, a peach skin tone and grey eyes. Ardere didn't recognise the student and felt annoyed at the sudden barge in. The student took a few quick steps into the room and twirled around and faced Ardere.
"Wow! your room is so clean and organized." The girl said in a cheery tone.
Ardere was visibly confused and spoke up.
"Who the He..."
"My name is Melodi Rose. It's a pleasure to meet you." Melodi extended her hand towards Ardere.
"Not for me!" Ardere grabbed Melodi's hand and pulled her towards the door and let go when she was in the hallways and closed the door. Ardere began to walk away from door, but stopped when she heard another knock. Ardere contemplated whether to open it or not, she knew who would be standing there so she ignored it. A moment later Ardere heard muffled voices on the other side of her door. Ardere grabbed the supplies she needed for todays classes and left her room.
In the hallway Melodi stood there still waiting. Ardere turned ignoring her and proceeded down the hallway. Melodi followed close by and began to speak to Ardere.
"I like your hair, It's rare to have such color. Who did you get it from, your mom or your dad?"
Ardere stopped in her tracks and pulled Melodi to the side.
"What do you want?" She said.
"Well actually I wanted to be your friend."
Ardere rolled her eyes and proceeded to walk again. Melodi followed seeing her reaction and spoke again.
"It's true, I want to be your friend. I see you in the Training hall every day and I can help you train and fight with you in the Mock battle since your Summon is incapacitated."
Ardere looked to Melodi, annoyed she spoke again.
"Were you following me?"
"No! I go there to train my magic too. I don't have a whole lot of Mana and My summon is different from the others and isn't great for battle so I was hoping to find a friend who's going through the same thing."
Melodi twiddled her thumbs as she spoke. Ardere wasn't sure about this girl, her personality seemed clumsy and dysfunctional, but that added to her character. She seemed very cheerful and her movement certainly said so too. Ardere was hesitant about it, but having an ally wasn't the worst thing at the moment.
Ardere sighed and looked Melodi in the eyes.
"Lets get to know each other first. I can't call you my friend if I know nothing about you."
Melodi's face lit up and she grabbed Arderes hands.
"Yes! finally! someone I can call a friend."
Ardere was about to tell her she still didn't consider her a friend since she still knew nothing about her, but kept her words to herself and let Melodi have this moment.
"Lets meet up after classes in the Training Hall and we can talk while we train." Melodi said.
Ardere nodded and the bell rang for classes. Melodi let go of Ardere and backed up.
"I guess I'll talk to you later."
"Yeah I'll see you after classes Melodi." Ardere said with a smile.
"Call me Mel and before I forget some guy in a white coat asked me to tell you to stop by the Infirmary before you go to class." Melodi said as she waved and walked in the opposite direction.
Ardere was confused. What did Mr.Locke need with her, he said it would be a couple days before the boy would wake. Did the boy take a turn for the worse? Arderes mind raced as she made her way to the infirmary. When she opened the door she saw the boy standing, looking out the window opposite the door.
Kenji turned around to see a girl standing in the doorway. The girl had silver hair, pale skin, blue eyes, long legs and a petite physique. Kenji always took a mental note of someones build so he could knock them down if he needed to. This was a habit of his he felt he would need to get over since everyone around him had their true strength hidden.
"So, you're my Master?" He said in an annoyed tone.
Ardere was at a loss for words. When she first talked to the boy he tried to kill her, but now he recognised her as his master.
"I am Ardere Daemonium. The first daughter of Berul Daemonium and yes I am your Master."
Kenji stood looking back at Ardere, his features neutral and calm. From the back room Vincent came out with a pair of scissors and bandage wraps. Vincent noticed Ardere and pointed to a bed.
"Why don't you sit, I'm sure you need to have a word with your summon and I need to change his bandages."
Kenji sat on the bed he was laying in for the past few days and Ardere sat across from him as Vincent began cutting off the old bandages and throwing them away. Ardere had presented herself like a noble, but had no clue where to go from there. Things felt tense between the two and for a moment the only sounds in the room were Vincent cutting through the bandages until finally Kenji spoke up.
"Look I don't know how you think this is going to go acting like you own me, but I'm going to tell you now...." Kenji leaned towards Ardere and she felt something she had never felt before as he pierced her soul with his eyes, she felt a chill run down her spine and her heart dropped into her stomach. "If you treat me like a dog then I will find a way around this Contract. Whether it be by accident or if i have to make it look like one, you wont survive."
The air felt thick and Ardere began to sweat nervously as Kenji's face went back to neutral and he leaned back.
"The relationship between Summon and Summoner is that of teamwork not slave work."
Ardere averted her gaze as she talked back, trying her best to keep calm and stay strong.
"It doesn't seem that way to me."
Ardere looked back to Kenji surprised at what he had just said.
"From what i've been told Summons are used to help Summoners in battle and other such things correct?"
"Ye...Yeah" Ardere stuttered.
"That sounds one sided, what does the Summon get in all of this when its the Summoner who starts a war that the Summon then has to fight. That's not a team, that's a pet."
Kenji was blunt with his words and this only worried Ardere since right now she needed his help.
"I can see that you might be right, but it looks like our situation is different. Normally you would have died if you attacked me with the intent of killing me, however that wasn't the case since you survived; no amount of magic can help a Summon who broke the Contract."
"What do you want?" Kenji said.
"What do you mean?" Ardere said
"Don't play dumb, your very prideful. I noticed the first time we met and a minute ago when you introduced yourself you sounded entitled. 'First Daughter of Berul Daemonium.' you sound like you've inherited your fathers achievements and yet here you are, speaking to me like i'm someone worth your time when a few days ago and even a few minutes ago you spoke to me like I was your butler, here to answer your every demand, but when I refused to be treated like one, your whole demeanor changed. So let me ask again, what do you want?."
Kenji uttered the last words slowly. Ardere felt embarrassed and tried to ease into asking for his help.
"That's not true im..." Ardere was cut off
"Your what... Different than the stereotype I just described. Okay then, what's my name?"
"You never said your name!"
"No. You never asked for my name, you assumed I didn't have one and you could just give me one. you introduced yourself with your fathers name and claimed to be my master, If this relationship is really supposed to be a team then I won't have a partner I can't trust. Since i read you like a book and your face shows it; This is going to be the last time i'll ask you. What do you want?"
Vincent felt uncomfortable being in the room. When he finished cutting off all the bandages he saw all the damage was gone and decided to leave the room to the two, but as he began to leave Kenji spoke up.
"Don't leave just yet doc, I need to speak to you here soon."
Vincent felt awkward sitting across the room from the two as Kenji stared daggers at Ardere and Ardere held her eyes to the ground.
"I have a mock battle coming up against another student in two days and I need your help. I don't have much Mana to work with and since he has his Summon the outcome is clear."
"Why don't you just call him a pussy for starting a fight with someone who doesn't have a Summon. People will judge him for not being able to fight someone at their strongest since from the sound of it he picked you for an easy target."
"I'm actually the one who challenged him."
When Kenji heard those words he couldn't help but go wide eyed and facepalm.
"Well then you're shit out of luck, you started a fight you couldn't finish so you're on your own."
Arderes heart dropped as she heard those words, she needed his help.
"I had to challenge him I couldn't let what he said go without punishment."
"So then tell me, what did he say that was so drastic that it summoned the wrath of the silver princess."
Ardere winced as she remembered what Ian had said and just thinking of him made her blood boil.
"He said you would end up dead if we were to ever fight." Ardere said while clenching her fist. It was a white lie, but she figured it would appeal to his violent side and make him want to make Ian eat his words.
"My, how noble of you to protect me." Kenji said sarcastically. "So what's the real reason?"
Ardere gritted her teeth. Kenji really could read her like a book. Ardere closed her eyes tight and braced herself.
"He brought my mother up. Laugh if you want, but im very sensitive when it comes to the topic of my mother."
Ardere waited for Kenji to start laughing or mocking her, but when she didn't hear anything she slowly opened her eyes and what she saw shocked her. Throughout the entire conversation Kenji had a neutral; almost menacing look, but when Ardere looked to him his features had softened and he had a somber expression.
Kenji gained back his neutral expression, but it seemed less menacing now. He sighed before he spoke.
"I don't know what you expect me to do in a fight against a Demon and his pet, but the outcome might not be what you expect."
"I don't expect us to win if we go into this fight, but if we both use our magic then maybe we can..."
"yeah, I can't do that." Kenji cut Ardere off.
"You still won't fight with me? What will it take to convince you to help me?"
"Well first I want a double cheeseburger with green chilli and a large soda. Second that's not what I meant, I can't use magic." Kenji explained.
"What do you mean you can't use magic! How?"
"Well fuck I don't know, I didn't exactly graduate from Hogwarts."
"What are you saying? I don't understand any of the things you say!"
"Yeah, I know this place sucks you don't even get any of my jokes."
"You were joking?"
"Yes and no, I actually can't use magic."
Ardere was now distraught; If he was telling the truth then even if he decided to help her, what more could he do. Then Ardere remembered how he fought against Ms.Black and the Head Master, he would have gotten to Ms.Black had the Head Master not been there.
"This won't be easy, but if you can fight like you did the other day and if I support you; I believe we can win this. That is if you do decide to help me."
Kenji stared at Ardere and thought for a moment before standing up and reaching his hand toward her.
"I guess we're doing this then. My name is Kenji, I don't have a family name."
Ardere looked to Kenji's hand and then to his face, she then cringed slightly before taking his hand and kissing the back of it. Kenjis face twisted into disgust as he pulled his hand back and wiped the back of his hand on his bloody torn cargo pants.
"What the hell are you doing?" He screamed.
"What are you talking about you're the one who held your hand out." Ardere said confused.
"To shake not kiss what kind of shit is that."
"What why shake? When Noble Ladies hold their hands toward another your supposed to kiss the back of the hand to show respect." Although it hurt Arderes pride to do such a thing to a man, she didn't want to ruin the relationship she had just developed with Kenji.
"Do I look like a lady? Let alone a Noble one. When I hold my hand out just shake the damn thing!"
"I wondered why you would want such a thing." Ardere said as she reached out and they shook hands.