Day 5 Part 3

As I watch V's taunting retreat, the sight of him attracting a full army of skeletons is oddly satisfying. The corners of my mouth twitch up as I think, 'May your path be riddled with bony hands and sword blades, pillow thief.'

"Oooh~ hehehe, no running for me~" I sigh contentedly, looking down at the mass exodus of the bone brigade below. Honestly, who knew V had a talent for skeleton herding? That was some National Magic Monthly shit right there.

On the other side, Isadora, looking all intense and combative, leaps into action. She drops down like an elegant cat, blades spinning in a lethal ballet as she dispatches the few skeletons who were too stupid or too slow to follow V. Watching her with her fancy footwork and her deadly grace, I can't help but click my tongue.

"Boring."

I decide to get this over with. The less time I spend in the air, the better. I love sleep, but dangling high above the ground isn't the ideal place to catch some Z's. I jump down, attempting to imitate Isadora's graceful descent. But, of course, the universe doesn't like me much.

Instead of landing on my feet, I meet the ground with a thud, a puff of dust clouding around me as I wheeze out an, "uuuggghhh, that hurt."

Cursing both Isadora and V internally, I scramble up and dust myself off. No one bothers to check on me, of course. Why would they? It's not like I just turned my butt into a damn pancake.

"You assheads," I grumble under my breath. I'd scream it aloud, but then I'd have to deal with Isadora and her judgy face. And I don't have the energy or the patience for that.

As expected, Isadora is doing her thing – slashing, spinning, and killing without so much as an 'are you okay, Biana?' She's cool and silent, the cold-blooded bone destroyer. I have half a mind to shove her into a skeleton's reach and enjoy a show. I mean, she would probably just destroy it anyway, but it would still be entertaining. Should I? It's so easy, she's right there... No! If I do that she'll beat my ass.

"All muscle, no manners," I mutter, cursing her under my breath. She's just too… Isadora. It's annoying. You know when you hate someone just because they're them? Yeah, that's Isadora for me. I don't know why V like her so much. So what if she's a little strong? This fucking bitch, if it wasn't for her I would have a larger share when he cooks. Tsk, Fuck you V, why do you have to eat so much?

After dusting my clothes, I follow her to the glowing hut. Isadora has already started to do… whatever it is she's doing. Ignoring her, I tap the strange, green aura encasing the hut. It shimmers under my touch, a strange humming sound filling the air.

"Magic," I mutter to myself. Should've known it wouldn't be simple. Nothing is ever simple with the Academy. You think they'd let us walk in, wreck the place, and call it a day? Of course not. They just had to throw us on a damn Island and tell us to survive without a pillow and a bed, shitty Academy...

"Hope you're having fun, V," I whisper sarcastically, a lazy smile on my face. "At least you're not dealing with whatever magic bullshit this is."

Then a wicked thought crosses my mind. I hope one of the skeletons trips him. Nothing serious, just enough to make him look silly. Yeah, I would enjoy that.

Finally, deciding that standing around won't help, I look at the magic barrier. Maybe if I poke it hard enough, it'll go away?

Gathering my courage, I take a deep breath and push against the barrier. It doesn't move. Surprise, surprise.

"Just once," I mutter, "I wish things would go my way."

But when do things ever go according to plan in this stupid Academy? All I wanted was to sleep through my youth in peace. But no, I had to be a 'potential world savior' or some bullshit like that.

With a sigh, I settle down to figure out the barrier. Magic. Skeletons. And a stupid hut in the middle of nowhere. Could this get any worse?

Isadora, in all her stupid glory, decides to attack the barrier with her sword. I roll my eyes at the predictability of her actions. She raises her blade and swings at the green, humming wall.

"KLANG!" Her blade rebounds off the barrier and she's thrown backward, landing in the dirt.

I snort at the sight, trying to suppress my laugh as I say, "And who's the idiot now?"

She sends me a murderous glare that would have probably burned a hole through my head if looks could kill. I stumble back, taken aback, then quickly regain my composure. A scoff leaves my lips as I shoot back a glare of my own.

"Someone has a bad temper," I mutter under my breath, rolling my eyes.

Determined to prove myself as the superior, I stride towards the barrier. "Watch and learn, princess," I quip, pulling an arrow out of my quiver. Carefully, I start to carve a rune into the barrier. Hehehe~ No one beats me when it comes to runes~ Maybe a 'disperse' rune will do the trick.

The second I make the first mark, the hut shudders violently, and I step back, almost losing my footing. In my head, I quickly pass the blame to Isadora.

"Great! Look what you did, Isadora!" I exclaim, knowing very well it's my fault. It's obviously her fault, it couldn't have been me.

Her brows knit together in confusion, but she doesn't say anything, too proud to take the bait.

Suddenly, the sealed door of the hut flies open, and five skeleton knights charge out, swords gleaming ominously under the dim glow of the room.

"Just great! V's friends have decided to crash the party," I groan, shooting a glare towards the direction V ran off to. It's probably his fault too, somehow.

A skeleton knight lunges at me, its sword slashing through the air with a dreadful swoosh. My heart pounds in my chest, my mind racing to bid farewell to the world.

Goodbye, Biana's favorite red wine, I'll miss the way you'd warm my insides after a long, stupid day. Goodbye, to the hilarious memory of Oliver losing all his hair to his own stupidity. And finally, goodbye to my beloved bed, my pillow, my comfy PJs, and my favorite blanket. I'll miss you most.

As a single, pathetic tear trickles down my cheek, a hand wraps around my neck, yanking me backward. I choke on my spit, the world spinning for a second.

"Isadora, you ass," I curse under my breath. I hate when she touches me.

We gain a little distance from the skeleton knights. Isadora drops me on the ground, standing protectively in front of me with her sword raised.

I sigh and roll my eyes, picking myself up and dusting off my pants.

"This is just fucking great," I mutter, fuck you V, Why did you have to kill their friend?

Looking at Isadora, her pretty face marred by a scowl and her body bending and weaving to keep up with the skeletons, I can't help but let a sly grin creep onto my face. This is turning out to be a better show than I expected.

Slowly, I back away, my heart pounding with a devious glee.

"Oh, Isadora, ever the heroine," I mock, settling onto a comfortable rock and crossing my legs. "You go, girl."

The skeletons are surprisingly strong, blocking her attacks and not dying immediately. Their metallic clanging only adds to the wonderful melody of Isadora's grunts of frustration. I take a moment to appreciate the poetic justice of it all.

"Mmm, I could really go for some pizza," I mumble, absentmindedly playing with a strand of my hair. I remember the way V had topped it with extra cheese and my mouth waters. The one time the man cooked something delicious.

Suddenly, an idea pops into my head and I spring into action, raising my hand and cheering for the skeleton knights. "Go, Mr. Bone! Show her what you're made of, Ribs! Don't let her intimidate you, Scully!"

I catch Isadora glancing back at me, her usually cold eyes flickering with confusion. I respond by sticking my tongue out at her and sitting back down.

"If it was V, I would've jumped in. But since it's you..." I shrug, wrapping my arms around my knees and settling in to watch the show.

After a while, I feel my thoughts drifting towards V. That idiot, causing all this trouble and then running off. "I hope a skeleton trips you, you glutton," I whisper, crossing my fingers for good measure.

Suddenly, one of the skeleton knights falls to the ground, its bones scattering around. I gasp, getting up and running towards it.

"No! Scully, why did you leave me?!" I fall onto my knees, clutching the fallen knight's skull to my chest. "You stupid, bonehead! You were supposed to last longer!"

Turning to look at Isadora, I can't help but marvel at the sight. She's still fighting, looking even more pissed off than before. How did V manage to kill one of these with one shot? I mean, I get it, his attack went straight through a rib bone...

An idea suddenly flashes through my mind and I scramble to get my bow. Without hesitating, I load an arrow and take aim at the third rib bone of one of the knights. "This one's for you, Scully," I whisper, releasing the arrow.

The skeleton crumbles to the ground, its bones scattering just like Scully's did. A giggle bubbles up from my chest, echoing through the night as I fall to the ground, unable to control my laughter.

"Looks like your skeletons have a weak spot, Isadora," I manage to choke out between fits of laughter. "But don't worry, I'm sure you'll figure it out soon."

I watch Isadora, her eyes narrowing as she studies the remaining skeletons. Then she swings, her sword striking the third rib bone of a skeleton. It crumbles instantly, just like the others. Her head snaps towards me, her piercing gaze falling on me. I feel my heart thud against my ribs. Shit. Shit. Shit. She's seen it. She's seen my little secret.

"Damn it, Biana," I mutter to myself. "Why do you have to be so smart and perfect?"

The corner of my mouth twitches up in a grin as an idea comes to mind. I cheer, "Hang in there, Mr. Bone! Just a few more hits!"

But Mr. Bone's not hanging in there. He's on the ground, bone shards everywhere.

Suddenly, it's over. Isadora's standing among the scattered bones of the skeletons, looking as calm and cool as ever, and I just know she's going to come after me.

Rushing over to the fallen skeleton, I kneel down and gather up the skull, pressing it against my chest.

"Thank you for your service, Mr. Bone. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten," I say solemnly.

Then I stand, spinning around to face the hut. It should work twice, right? I pull another arrow from my quiver and, with a flourish, carve a new rune onto the barrier.

The ground beneath me rumbles and the door to the hut flies open once again, revealing five more skeleton knights. I stifle a chuckle as I slowly back away, leaving them all to Isadora.

"Have fun!" I shout over my shoulder as I dart away, my laughter echoing around me. I turn just in time to see Isadora's glare morph into pure annoyance. She lunges into action, sword spinning in a dance with the skeletons.

"Oh, the poor heroine, forever fighting alone," I say in a sing-song voice. I laugh as I begin to recite a ridiculous poem I just came up with on the spot.

"Dear Isadora, our brave knight,

Keep up the fight, it's quite a sight.

Don't worry, we all know you're right,

Even though your actions are always tight."

I let out a cackle at my own genius. Man, if they just let me sleep more, none of this would've happened.

I continue watching the fight, the poem repeating in my head. "Yeah, that's good," I murmur to myself. "Biana, you truly are a genius."

If only they'd just let me sleep more. Maybe then they'd be able to appreciate my true talents. But for now, I have the joy of watching Isadora struggle with the skeletons.

"Hang in there, Isadora," I call out, my voice laced with laughter. "You're doing great!"

A skeleton lunges at her, but she ducks, slashing at its third rib bone. It crumbles instantly. I snort, turning my attention back to the hut. As long as I keep carving runes, more skeletons will appear. And I'll tire her out. Yes, otherwise she's going to bully me.

This really is turning out to be a perfect day, isn't it? With a satisfied smirk, I turn back to the barrier, arrow poised for my next rune. This all could've been avoided if they just let me sleep a tad bit more.