Training began the next day to take Evabelle's mind off of the events of the night before.  Calandra had found a large room filled with strange training equipment that one would see in karate movies; while Del and Faux had figured out a drill Evabelle, Aza, and CJ to follow.  It didn't seem so bad at first, but after doing the same exercises for an hour, her limbs started to feel very sore.  She continued, however, long after the other two had taken a break.  Aza had tried to convince her to come and eat, but Evabelle told her to go on. 

When Lucis returned from speaking with the Elder, he confirmed their mission.  They would not be able to enter Jovis until they found the source of the Annihilator disease and shut it down.  Lucis and Tru left that afternoon, with a promise to return in a few days time, to check out some underground taverns owned by some dwarves. 

Apparently dwarves were a fairly neutral people like the mage.  They had some pubs that were welcome to children of the day and night; of course with the tension between the creatures of good and evil and with the it being in the dark underground, it tended to only hold those affiliated with the demons.  The one thing about those pubs though is that they held information, possibly the information they needed to find Averno.

Evabelle returned to the gym and continued to train until dinner.  She barely ate and kept glancing up at the empty seats that should have held Kai and Gem. 

Aza and CJ tried to distract her to no avail.  "Go and talk to him."  Aza said finally.  "You need to get this off your chest.  Just go knock on the door and apologize.  I'm sure he will understand."

Of course Evabelle had already thought of that, but she just couldn't face him after what she had said.  Just the thought put knots in her stomach.  However, after dinner she did end up facing door number one with a dry throat and shaking hands.  Shame bubbled up inside her, at the realization that she was still afraid of him; still afraid of the long needle teeth, still afraid of the blood dripping from his mouth, still afraid of those soulless eyes that swallowed her in a suffocating scarlet.

She couldn't do it.  Evabelle dropped her quivering hand and ran back to her room and threw her pillow over her head to drown out the beauty of the piano that had begun to play.

***

It was several days before Evabelle saw Kai again. 

Evabelle and Aza were in the training room.  Aza was hitting a large sandbag, while Evabelle held it for her.

"Where's CJ?"  Evabelle's friend gasped as she swung another punch.  "He's supposed to be training with us."

Evabelle shrugged and braced herself as Aza's hit reverberated back to her.  For such a small person, Aza had quite a bit of power.  Evabelle could barely make a dent in these things.  Aza hit again and again.  Sweat was dripping down her face, but her face was alight.  "I think I could take on that Del, now, don't you?" 

There was a cold laugh from the corner.  "One week, a warrior, does not make."  Del stepped out into the light.

Aza smirked.  "Nice Yoda."

Del grimaced.  "You and that CJ were doing it for two days straight, and now you've got me actually doing it too."  He shivered.  "I'm disgusted."  He circled around the girls, with Evabelle getting that prickly feeling whenever his gaze passed over her.

"You're not throwing your whole body into it."  He told Aza.  "And considering your shrimpy size, you're going to need everything you've got."

Aza pulled a face.  "Oh, come on, you haven't given any kind of encouragement, just criticisms.  Does it really hurt that much to give a compliment?"

Del placed a hand on the punching bag and Evabelle stepped back, out of the nerves that were making her heart skip.  "I only give compliments to those who deserve it."  He murmured.

Aza raised her eyebrows.  "You actually give compliments?"

"I have yet to do so.  There has been no one who deserves it."

Aza groaned.  "Oh, come on, what are you waiting for?"

Del scanned over the sandbag, running his hand across its worn surface.  He turned back to Aza.  "Hold the bag."  He commanded.

Aza narrowed her eyes, but did as he said.  And with the smooth and powerful grace that Evabelle had witnessed several time now, Del let his fist fly and slam into the training sack.  Aza tumbled backward and landed awkwardly on her butt.  "Ow!"  She exclaimed.  "Are you serious?"

Del walked over to Aza and glared down at her.  "That is what I am waiting for."  Then without offering her a hand up he stepped over her and headed toward the door.

Aza moaned again and rose to her feet.  "Sorry I don't have your superhuman strength, Flyboy, but I use what I've got."

"Mercy," Del muttered.  "We are in trouble." 

Aza's mouth twitched.  With no warning, Evabelle's small friend darted forward and swung her leg up in a roundhouse kick at Del's back.  It was so sudden that any normal human would have had no time to dodge, but Del wasn't normal.  Not only did he dodge Aza's flying limb, but with one fluid moment he ducked, turned, and caught her foot.

Aza's eyes widened, and there was the smallest trace of a smile gracing Del's lips.  He shoved the small sixteen-year-old, who somehow managed to do an awkward backward somersault, and land hard on her back.  

"You couldn't even face an enemy with their back turned."  Del scoffed, and then he left the room.

"Gaaaaahhh!" Aza cried, kicking her legs up in the air, throwing a tantrum like a toddler.  "I HATE THAT JERK!"

Evabelle walked over to her.  "Well if you would stop provoking him, then he might be nice to you."  She murmured and held out a hand to her friend.

Aza glared at her and didn't take the hand.  "Yeah right."  She shook her head.  "We should start learning how to use weapons.  I mean how do they really expect, us humans, to fight anything using hand to hand combat?  We don't have that strength or extra sensory crap.  What we need is some magic weapons or something."  Finally she accepted Evabelle's outstretched hand.

An impish voice spoke, causing Evabelle to jump.  "If I remember correctly, Lucis claimed it was you who originally suggested the training."  Faux stepped out from the opposite corner from the one Del had been standing in.  He had that side grin that practically never left his face.

Aza scowled at him.  "So you've been here the entire time too?  Just perfect."  She huffed at some hair in her face.  "Why don't you give us some weapons to try?"

Faux chuckled.  "And upset the king of moodiness?  No thanks."

Aza pressed her palms to her eyes and let out another moan.  Then she removed them and gave Faux a pleading look.  "Come on, I'll take him for you.  Please, I can't handle these stupid routines any longer.  I need something in my hands."

Faux laughed again.  "Darling, I've seen you take him.  Amazingly I'm not reassured."

Aza shook her head.  "Why don't you take on Del?  Aren't you older than him?"

Faux nodded.  "Yep, by four years.  He may be younger, but he's got a harder punch than I do.  Age doesn't really factor into who's stronger or has had more experience.  Neither does size, necessarily.  Take you and Evabelle for example; you are smaller, but you hit harder than she does."  Faux glanced at Evabelle and his voice instantly slipped into his voice that was coated in honey.  "Of course, I like a girl with a delicate touch."

Aza rolled her eyes.  "Anyways, couldn't you just let us?  You don't have to tell him, of course.  Just this once."

Faux put his finger up, and put on his expression that said, I am about to give some cheesy wisdom crap. "Now, my young pupil," he began, confirming that some ridiculous quotes were going to start spewing from his mouth.  "One cannot put something into another's hands until they prepared to receive it.  Danger comes from a weapon in the hands of a child.  Your physical body must be strong before we can give you something to make you stronger."

"Okay, I get it."  Aza cut him off.  She groaned and collapsed into a chair that sat against the wall.  "I swear, you two are the worst teachers ever.  Del treats us as if we should be experienced soldiers, while you don't teach us anything."  Aza stared up at the ceiling.  "I'd rather have Lucis teaching us.  He knows how to do it right."

Faux, unperturbed at her accusation of being called a lazy, good-for- nothing teacher, nodded.  "Yeah, well he is the more diplomatic.  He might be able to sweet talk those dwarves in revealing what they know.  Of course all you really got to do is offer them whiskey and they'll sing like a bird.  But that's mainly for Tru.  She's not that diplomatic."  Faux ran his fingers through his hair, only messing it up even more, as he moved to the center of the room.  "Thank goodness those two are in two different places."  He murmured. 

Evabelle knew that Lucis and Tru had been sent to two different taverns in two opposite directions.  It had seemed purposeful, to get those two as far away from each other as possible.  Now, what Faux had just said confirmed that.  "Why doesn't Tru like Lucis?"  Evabelle whispered.

Faux didn't look at her.  "Oh, she has her reasons."

"Do you know them?"  Aza asked.

Faux looked up at the girls and grinned.  "I might."

Evabelle notices that this time, the smile didn't reach his eyes.

***

After lunch they were given a break.  Faux claimed he was going to go out flying for a bit.  Del didn't say anything, just left.  And Calandra slipped off to the library.  CJ was still nowhere to be found.

"You want to help me search for him?"  Aza asked.

Evabelle nodded.  "Sure."

The two then began to make their way around the Sanctuary.  It was the first time Evabelle realized that she was actually exploring the spacious building.  Aza had been around a bit, so she began showing Evabelle some of her previous finds.  Apparently there was more than one way to get to the secret library.  Also there was one of those classic trap doors that lead to a cold dark cellar. 

When the girls went upstairs they went to the side where the mirror room was.  Evabelle showed Aza it, who found it very entertaining as she pulled a face in the mirror and it appeared to go on and on.  They continued down the same hallway to where another door was.  Neither of the girls knew what was behind it, so when Aza pushed to door open, Evabelle held her breath preparing for anything ranging from a three-headed dog to a vacuum into space. 

What was behind the door was neither of those things, but it was a beautiful sunlit room.  It shone with golden light, pouring in from the window that made the far wall.  It was a huge room with barely anything in it.  It could have been a ballroom with its warmth and freedom.  The only thing in the room, at its center was a large, glossy, grand piano.

Well now Evabelle knew where the piano was, though the mysterious piano man, as Evabelle had begun referring to in her head, was absent.  Slowly Evabelle drifted over to the stunning instrument and let her fingers glide across its smooth surface.  Just the feel of it under her fingertips sent shivers down her spine.  It was beautiful.  It made sense that the wonderful music Evabelle heard at night came from this.

Aza whistled.  "Wow, now that's what I call a work of art."

Evabelle tore her gaze from the gorgeous piano to see the works of heaven spread around all three plastered walls.  It was a giant mural, creating a fairytale across the walls.  "Whoa," Evabelle breathed.  They were paintings of angels, humans, demons.  Each stroke painted with care.

Aza nodded.  "I know, right.  They're definitely better than the ones we did at our apartment."

That was an understatement.  Evabelle had seen pictures of professional artwork created by masterful artists.  This could have been classified with those, if not above them.  This mural could hardly be compared to the skills of ten-year-olds.  Evabelle glided, trancelike across the room to a part where an angel, who appeared to be previously bound had just broken free with its magnificent wings unfolding as the angel embraced its freedom.  Evabelle raked the wall watching as the painting appeared to follow each other creating sequence of events. "It's like a story."  She murmured. 

"That's exactly what it is."  Calandra's voice spoke from behind her. 

The two girls whirled.  The ruby-haired mage stood in the doorway with her arms folded, giving each of them a hard look.  She entered the room, her arms still crossed, as she made her way to where the painting began. 

Evabelle tried to apologize, but Calandra waved her off.  "If I did not wish you to be here, you wouldn't be.  This room is open, people may enter it."  She raised her creamy hand up to wall and her fingers slid over them with her slim, careful grace.  "This is our history."  She said softly.  "From our beginning, this tells us our tale from where it all started."

Both girls could sense a story coming on and drew closer to Calandra, anticipation building.

"The war that has been raging for millennia began with angels and demons."  She gestured to the start of the paintings where they could see figures of light and figures of darkness swirling around a man, a human being.  The human was the only one that had a recognizable form, but the angels and demons had no shape.  As they swirled around the man, he cowered in fear and pain as if the light and dark was causing him physical damage.  "The war between Heaven and Hell," Calandra continued.  "Caused harm to anyone who was in the middle of it, which just happened to be humans.   Earth is the place between heaven and hell.  While the war raged, man suffered greatly.  The angels, being good servants under God, saw the pain that was being inflicted upon these innocent creatures, and decided to give them protection." 

Calandra continued on while the girls following the mages steps.  She stopped at the point where a small infant, appearing to be asleep, floated up a river nearing a waterfall.  "Because angels could not physically come to earth, or at least they could not stay, the angels took a dying baby."  Her hand hovered over the little child.  "Just before he passed through the veil of death, they gave him the blood of angels to drink and an angel's light to eat."

"I thought it was a feather."  Evabelle suddenly blurted.  She blushed as Calandra turned and narrowed her eyes at her.  "I'm sorry.  I-I read it in..."

"Day and Night."  Calandra finished.  She nodded.  "Yes, I forgot you got that book.  Day and Night briefly explains this history.  It categorizes everything into children of the day or of the night.  More properly known as those born of light and those born of darkness."  Calandra directed back to the painting, where two glowing were outstretched to the human child.  In one palm it held a small bowl containing gold shimmery liquid.  In the other it appeared to be holding a great bright star. "The book does claim it to be a feather that was given to the infant, but that is only how it manifests, how man sees it.  Angels have wings like birds, but it is more correct to say aura of light."  She continued on to where Evabelle had seen the angel break free, unfolding its breath-taking wings.  "It was from that that the Anahalian was born.  It is the first descendant of the angel; its purpose to protect the human race, to be the guardian angels when the war caused chaos on the Earth."  Evabelle stared at the Anahalian's magnificence; beings donned with a glorious purpose.  

"The demons were enraged that the angels had created something for the humans."  Calandra cut through Evabelle's thoughts.  "But for demons, creating something was not done very easily.  Destruction is more their forte."  Bitterness stirred in mage's throat as she continued on with the painting.  The next part showed a group of humans conversing with the darkness.  "So the demons offered a deal with the humans that would listen.  The demons offered them power to do as they wish, in exchange for services to the devil."  Calandra clenched her fists.  "And that was the dawn of the witches.  Slaves to the demons are what witches are, no more than filthy, disgusting slaves."  She whipped her luscious hair away from her face.  "Anyway, now there was a building evil on the Earth itself, leading the angels to continue to give their blood to create other guardians.  An extremely ill child became the first elf, to help preserve the life beyond humankind.  A crippled child became the fairy to help protect the natural beauty and the sustaining of love.  A mentally afflicted child was given the power to help progress, becoming the pixie.  And so it goes on," Calandra waved her hand as each of the creatures figures appeared on the wall.  "With each creature and its divine purpose." 

There was a tall willowy elf with hair like sunshine, and their skin, though only part of the painting, appeared to glow with the essence of life.  The fairy was small, delicate, and absolutely beautiful.  Evabelle stared at its tiny elegant face.  It reflected, not arrogance and haughtiness of one that is stunning, but a humility and love which, perhaps was the thing that made her beautiful.  

There was more that caught Evabelle's eye.  Just below all the angel children there appeared a dark form of all of them.  She pointed at them.  "What about them?  Are they...?" 

Calandra gave a small nod.  "Yes, the demons took all these designs of good and light as a challenge.  As their creational skills were limited and anything that ingested demonic blood would wither and die, they used the witches to create a counterpart to each of the angel's creations."  Calandra let out a growl of disgust.  "And being the wretched beasts that they are, they did it.  They took a strong human child to help improve the chances of its survival with the demon blood and cast a spell that would hopefully affirm it.  It did not work at first.  There were many innocent deaths, but eventually a child lived; a child that became the soul opposite of an elf, a creature that drained the life out of everything."

Evabelle stared at the painting.  Her mouth had gone dry.  The tall lean figure with hair as dark as night, and its skin pale and gaunt, stood with his eyes like glittering rubies.  A cruel smile from the creature froze Evabelle's blood as it revealed its glinting white fangs.

"The vampire."  A flat embittered voice murmured behind them. 

Evabelle whirled.  It was Kai.  He was leaning against the piano with his arms crossed.  A hard expression marked his pale face as he glared intently at the painting of the cold dark creature. Evabelle could feel the trembling in her hands.  She could sense that he was deliberately not looking at her. 

Evabelle opened and closed her mouth several times.  She had to say something!  But then Calandra cut through.  The mage seemed quite unaware of the tension that had suddenly filled the room.  "Yes, the vampire."  She glanced back at Kai, but then continued.  "And so on and so forth.  The fairy's opposite was the imp, an extremely jealous creature that thrived on hate and impurity.  The little devils dived right into doing everything it could to tear people down, making it seem as though your appearance had everything to do with being beautiful." 

Evabelle glanced at the painting that showed an absolutely hideous, twig-like beings with greasy dark hair, slivers for eyes, and an utterly disgusting mouth filled with jagged, uneven, plaque covered teeth.

"The opposing demon-born of the pixie was the werewolf."  Calandra gestured on to the next part, showing a large beast with a wild, insane stare.  "The werewolf was nothing, but destruction and a being that muddles the mind.  It brought humans to a more animal state, stopping progression and bringing about the reverse."

"So there's really an opposite of everything."  Aza glanced between Evabelle and Kai.  Aza, being a witness of Evabelle's fit could feel the static between the two.  She turned back to the painting and tried to move all attention to it.  "They really don't miss a thing, do they?"

Calandra shook her head.  "Not exactly.  The human is at the center of all beings.  It does not have an opposite." 

Aza sighed.  "Well, besides that."

"Actually," Kai spoke softly and Evabelle averted her gaze from his.  "The Anahalian has no demonic oppressor."

Evabelle saw Aza's expression of puzzlement.  "What do you mean?  I thought the witch—"

"The witch never consumed demon blood; they only retain some of their dark power."  Calandra cut in.

"Yes," Kai said.  "Some may disagree with me, but even the witch has an opposite.  It was not made by angels or demons, but the witches that no longer wanted to be a part of the devil's schemes."  He nodded at Calandra.  "The mage."

Calandra bowed her head.  "Several days ago you asked what the words above my door meant.  No Gods, No Masters.  It is the code of the mage.  We serve no demon, nor angel.  We chose for ourselves what we want.  We are slaves to no one.  My family are direct blood descendants of one of the original mages.  And it has followed us all the way down.  Nearly all of us deciding our own destinies."  Calandra's eyes narrowed, and Evabelle could practically feel the temperature in the room drop.  "However even the best of families will have those that make mistakes."  Calandra looked up and wrapped her green robe around her perfect form.  "But back to the Anahalians, they never had a true opposite."

Kai unfolded his arms, from the corner of her eye Evabelle saw him turn his head to stare out the large window.  The sun was setting, so the light was a dying orange, but apparently it still was not enough, for she saw the pale vampire wince from it and turn away.  "Until now."  He whispered.

There was a silence, finally broken, surprisingly by Evabelle herself.  "The Annihilators."

She felt all gazes on her, even Kai's.

"A-and if," Evabelle's voice shook.  "The Anahalian's purpose is to protect the human race, then the Annihilator's p-purpose is to d-destroy it."  Her voice continued to decrease until it was virtually nothing.

Calandra took a deep breath.  "That does appear to be Averno's intentions."

"Wait just a second," Aza put a hand up.  "Destroy the human race?  The ones that were after Evabelle didn't go after any of the humans in that alley besides me, but that was because I was in their way.  Their purpose didn't seem human oriented at all."

"We don't know anything for sure, only that those monsters are under the control of Averno."  Calandra folded her arms.

Aza tapped her chin.  "Okay Averno, he's like the Voldemort guy, right?"

Calandra blinked at her and Evabelle was surprised to see that the cold, serious mage appeared, for the first time, stumped.  It was almost comical.  "Volde-what—?"

Suddenly a crash echoed from downstairs followed by Tru's shout of fury and frustration.  "You have got to be kidding me!"  Calandra snarled.  She whipped around and strode from the room.

Now it was just the three of them in the room and Evabelle still could not bring herself to look at Kai.  Only a glimpse of the pale vampire made it through her hair and peripheral vision.  She saw him take a step toward her; instantly she tensed.  Kai paused.  Evabelle closed her eyes.  Stop this!  She screamed in her mind.  You have to say something!  You have to apologize!  However, when Evabelle finally opened her eyes, Kai had vanished. 

Evabelle snapped her head up and spun around.  He had left the room completely.  Now it was once again her and her best friend, who was studying the painting.  "You know, I never thought I'd find history interesting."  She said as she ran her fingers over a large black star.  "I'm figuring this is where the mages came into existence."

Evabelle came over to her.  "What gave you that impression?"

Aza gave her a look.  "Oh, I don't know, maybe the giant black star that takes up the entire entry downstairs." 

Evabelle gave a smile.  "Right.  I should have known."

"You're going to have to share that Day and Night book now.  All this is making me more curious."

Evabelle nodded, suddenly feeling drained.  She let herself fall to her knees, roll over, and lean against the elaborately painted wall.

Aza slid down next to her.  "I think this is my favorite room."  She decided. 

Evabelle looked around.  It was beautiful; there was no doubt with the paintings, the grand piano, and the glass wall looking out over the trees that were set ablaze with light, made by the fading sun.  The library remained Evabelle's favorite, but this was definitely a close second.  She nodded in agreement.

There was a rare silence between the two, but it wasn't awkward.  Sometimes you could just sit in silence with someone and it was peaceful.  There was no push for anyone to say anything, but Evabelle did speak.  "It's interesting but it makes sense, how all the magical creatures were created."

Aza raised her head, which had been resting against Evabelle's shoulder.  "Yeah, elves, fairies, all those happy fairytales came from angels and all the nasty stuff came from the demons."  She agreed.

"And, isn't it interesting how the angels took all sick, hurt, or dying children and made them strong, giving them, in a way, a new life?"  Evabelle murmured.  "And then the demons took strong, healthy children, murdered many of them, and for those that lived, cursed them with being savages and..." Evabelle glanced back at the vampire.  "Having no choice, but be dependent on others blood."  She looked down. 

Aza moved down to look at Evabelle in the eyes.  Her silver discs said, Just talk to him.

Evabelle gave a small nod and shrugged her off. 

Aza leaned back against the wall.  "I was right, wasn't I?"  She asked.

Evabelle glanced at her.  "Right about what?"

"About the Averno guy, being our Voldemort."

"If you mean, the bad guy, then yes.  Averno is the fallen Anahalian who invented the Annihilator, or the stuff that makes them."  Evabelle replied solemnly.  "You know there are more villains than just Voldemort, right?"

Aza grinned.  "Oh, yeah like who?"

Evabelle started counting them off on her fingers.  "There's Valentine, Malthazar, President Snow, Khronos, Opal Koboi, Baal, Smaug—"

Aza snorted.  "Okay you're making those up.  What are those from?"

"I'm not making up any of them.  "Valentine's from The City of Bones, Malthazar is from Arthur and the Minomoys, Snow's in Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Percy Jackson fights the titan of time Kronos, Baal is from Bewitched by Mark Jay Harris, and I'm fairly certain you've heard of Smaug from the Hobbit, like the first fantasy novel ever."

"You've forgotten, my friend, I don't read twenty-four: seven."  Aza laughed.

"Come on, Aza, you must know some of them." 

Aza shrugged.  "Okay, I admit I might have heard of a few."

Evabelle shook her head, but she was smiling.  She wasn't sure why with the inevitable still in their future.  A daunting shadow of this fallen Anahalian was there waiting for them, but Evabelle was just glad to be able to sit here with her best friend and talk about silly things before that happened.

~(A/N: Alright, finally a bit of background on this world...Please let me know what you think of it all! Was it confusing at all? Was it interesting? Was it boring? Do you think I should have had more info earlier on or does this feel like a good place? // Random tid bit: I've started putting up pics of people that make me think of my characters in previous chapters. Like the one above it supposed to be of Kai....Let me know if you think they're good choices! Thank you so much!! You guys are AMAZING!!! I love you all!!!!!!)~