<\/p>\n
\u201cHappy birthday, Dionne!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The oval shaped dining table barely fit the entire Archer family. Dionne was at the head of the table, as was the tradition of the family on birthdays. Her older brother, Allen, sat beside her. Her father sat at the other end with her mother to his right. In between were her two ancient grandmothers. It was her sixteenth birthday today, an occasion for celebration in her family. Her parents now considered her to be an adult, something that she\u2019d been trying to get them to acknowledge since her last birthday. <\/span><\/p>\n Her mother, who rarely cooked anything, had prepared all of her favourite foods: seasoned grilled chicken, fettuccine Alfredo, creamed corn, and garlic buns. For desert, there was spice cake with cream cheese icing. It was undecorated aside from the sixteen candles, but she was alright with that. Admittedly, the vast majority of the foods they\u2019d eaten had started out in boxes or instant mix packages, but Dionne would take what she could get. They often ate take out or pre-prepared food more often than not as her parents were busy people. Dionne would cook more, but there were seldom enough ingredients in the house or any money left lying around for her to go buy them. For now, though, she was thrilled that both of her parents were home, that they\u2019d fit her birthday party into their busy work schedules. <\/span><\/p>\n Dionne set her fork down on her plate as she savoured the last bite of cake. With the meal over, it was time for presents. She\u2019d been looking forward to this all week, even more so than the meal. Her parents left the table to get their presents and set them down on the table in front of her. She eyed the pile, pondering where to begin.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHere. Open this one first.\u201d Allen handed her a small box wrapped in green paper with a bright yellow ribbon wrapped around it. It had been sitting under his chair during the meal. <\/span><\/p>\n Dionne had done her best to pretend that she didn\u2019t know about it. She took the box and slid the ribbon off before tearing off the delicate paper. Inside was a soft box, like the kind that jewellery stores put things in. It opened easily, revealing a jade pendant on a silver chain. The piece of jade was circular, with a strange arrowhead-shaped symbol carved into its surface. <\/span><\/p>\n She looked up at her brother, who had a silly grin on his face. \u201cYou knew that I\u2019ve been eyeing this for years. Didn\u2019t you?\u201d she demanded, a mock-accusing look on her face as she clutched the box and its contents to her chest.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s why mom and dad would never buy it for you or let you get it on your own,\u201d he replied, still grinning. \u201cRelax, DiDi. Everything in life has a reason behind it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRight.\u201d Dionne closed the box and set it down on the table beside her plate. \u201cCan I open yours now?\u201d she asked her parents. At their nod, she reached for the largest box on the table, wrapped in the same red paper that they\u2019d wrapped all of her birthday presents in since she was a baby. There were a lot of pictures to prove it. She didn\u2019t like the colour\u2014green was her favourite\u2014but had stopped caring about it, seeing as it never stayed on for very long.<\/span><\/p>\n The box beneath the paper contained a pile of cloth, and a hardcover book with a plain, light green cover. The cloth was the customary new outfit that she got every year, but, instead of the usual gift of a sweater and a pair of corduroy pants, it was a long green crushed velvet skirt, a matching vest, and a blue silk blouse. That was her favourite kind of outfit to wear. The pages of the book were blank, a journal. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThanks mom, thanks dad,\u201d she said, fingering the soft fabric of the skirt before reaching for the box her Grandmother Archer had brought. It contained her usual gift of scented soaps that she\u2019d made herself and the book she\u2019d asked for as a Christmas gift.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t be able to send you a Christmas gift this year, so I figured I\u2019d give it to you on your birthday,\u201d the elderly woman explained. \u201cThe two are so close together after all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI love it!\u201d she said out loud, putting the items back into their boxes. \u201cThis has been my best birthday ever.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not over yet, Dionne,\u201d Adelaide Forester, her maternal grandmother, said, rummaging around on the floor beside her. When she sat back up again, she held a box in her hand. It had a roundish shape to it. \u201cOpen this later tonight. It\u2019s for your eyes only. Inside is a note to explain. If it weren\u2019t getting so late, I\u2019d stay myself and explain this all to you, but I\u2019m getting tired.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSorry for keeping you both so late,\u201d Dionne said, standing. She took the gift from her grandmother and set it down on her chair before going around the table to help the elderly woman to her feet. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll drive them home,\u201d Allen volunteered before either of his parents could say anything. \u201cI know how much you two hate driving in the snow late at night. If you two ladies are ready, I\u2019ll take you home before heading off back to my dorm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n As soon as they were out the door, Dionne got her presents up to her room with her father\u2019s help. He set the larger box down on her bed and turned to give his daughter a hug.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know you\u2019re sixteen years old now, but I don\u2019t want you to forget that you\u2019re still my little girl and you always will be,\u201d he told her, petting her head.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThanks, dad,\u201d she replied, trying to keep the tears from her eyes. A stoic man, her father was only emotional when it was important. <\/span><\/p>\n He gave her a last squeeze. \u201cSleep well, princess. I\u2019ll see you in the morning.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Alone at last in her attic bedroom, she set the round box Nana Forester had given her on her desk. Puzzled, she unwrapped it and removed the lid. Nestled in a layer of soft, light green fabric was a round, ornate mirror. It looked like an antique. The pewter frame was polished but worn. A stylized woman\u2019s head rested at the top of the mirror with curved ribbons forming the rest of the frame. She took it out and set it on the desk beside the box and took out the note hidden beneath it. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n My dearest Dionne. Congratulations on your sixteenth birthday. I should have given this to you on your fourteenth birthday, but I saw no reason to; however, there is a need to do so now. I regret the necessity of disrupting your peaceful life, but you are needed. When you are alone and are certain you won\u2019t be disturbed, look into the mirror and call upon Laira. She will answer you and give you further instructions. I\u2019ve already written more than I should have. If this should fall into the wrong hands, it could be disastrous.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n Sincerely,<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n Adelaide Forester<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dionne sat back and stared at the note. Well, mother had always warned me that Nana Forester was a little odd. What does she mean, it could be disastrous? And what\u2019s this business about looking into the mirror and asking for a person? That\u2019s just fairy stories, like the one she used to tell Allen and me when we were little. She sighed and looked at the mirror. Well, it\u2019s a nice mirror at any rate. Even if Nana has gone off her rocker a little. <\/span><\/p>\n Shaking her head, Dionne put her pyjamas on. She decided then to hide the box under her bed. Her mother snooped every so often, but it was understood that under the bed was to be left alone. Confident that they were safe, she went to bed.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n *~*~*<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dionne was early getting to school, as usual for her. She lived in the nearby Arcadia Housing District, so it was easy enough. The students of Elysium Valley High trickled into the building, yawning. It was still early in the morning and the wind was bitter, typical for a winter\u2019s morning. For that same reason, she\u2019d left her almost floor length green winter jacket on but removed her toque, mittens, and scarf and put them in her bag. The jacket was school issued and was part of the winter version of the school\u2019s mandatory uniform. Over the left breast was a patch with the school crest. Edged in purple, it depicted a white tiger on a white background with the school motto Vincit Omnia Veritas stitched in grey lettering outlined in green. The motto translated to \u2018truth conquers all\u2019. <\/span><\/p>\n Everything about the school was tiger themed from its mascot, student body newspaper, sports teams, and even their various bands wore white and grey uniforms.<\/span><\/p>\n Fortunately, the school uniform had better colours than that. Girls wore a green skirt with a grey stripe near the bottom and there was a green sailor style scarf around their necks. The short-sleeved shirts sported a purple stripe near the bottom of each sleeve and there was a purple vest to wear over the shirt. They could wear a green jacket if it was too cold in the building. A grey tie and grey socks with a green stripe around the top completed the uniform. Dionne preferred to wear the knee-high version of the socks. During the winter, they could wear grey stockings. Everyone\u2014boys and girls\u2014wore black shoes, though the style was up to the individual. It was one of the few things they could choose for themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n Thinking about the rules, she checked to make sure her new pendant was tucked away under her shirt. It was technically against the rules, but as long as the chain was long enough and it stayed hidden, the administration allowed it.<\/span><\/p>\n She sat down at a table in the cafeteria far from the door with a disposable mug of hot Earl Grey tea\u2014her favourite beverage\u2014in her chilly hands. It was far too hot to drink just yet, but it was warming her hands nicely.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMorning, Di!\u201d a sleepy voice greeted from behind.<\/span><\/p>\n Without looking up, Dionne could guess that the owner of the voice was her long-time friend, Cory Davis. <\/span><\/p>\n A rustling sound indicated that someone had joined her at the table. A glance up confirmed the girl\u2019s identity. Dionne smiled despite herself. Cory\u2019s glasses were fogged still; she\u2019d just come in from the outside. Her hair was dishevelled, though it was hard to tell if it was from wearing her toque or if she\u2019d just forgotten to brush it that morning. If the school hadn\u2019t had a mandatory uniform, she knew that Cory would dress as she preferred in faded overalls and a bulky hooded sweater. In contrast to her boyish friend, Dionne preferred to wear long skirts and blouses.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMorning, Cory,\u201d she replied, sighing.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhy the long face, Di?\u201d she asked, concerned. \u201cI thought you\u2019d be happy about it being your birthday and all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n She shook her head. \u201cI wonder sometimes. I think my Nana\u2019s lost her mind. She gave me a nice present, but it had this weird note with it and she told me to open it in my room when I was alone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh? What was it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAn antique mirror.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHuh.\u201d Cory pondered that for a moment. \u201cWell, your Grandma Forester has always been the weird one in your family, so this doesn\u2019t surprise me. Remember the stories she used to tell you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Dionne shuddered. \u201cMom had to make her stop because they gave me terrible nightmares. For some reason, that made Nana happy, but she stopped.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHappy about the nightmares? Weird.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s weird?\u201d a new voice asked.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYour hairstyle, Hatemi,\u201d Cory drawled without turning around. She took her glasses off to clear the lenses.<\/span><\/p>\n The girl made a face, \u201cYou can\u2019t even see it through my hat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo? We know it\u2019s bound to be odd.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHmpf! Just because you have the fashion sense of a twig doesn\u2019t mean that you can go around ridiculing other people\u2019s.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh come on. It\u2019s so much fun!\u201d Cory grinned. \u201cYou make such an easy target.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d better get to class or we\u2019ll be late. Mr. Parker is always such a grump in the cold weather and will take any excuse to snap at us,\u201d Hatemi reminded them.<\/span><\/p>\n Grudgingly, the other two girls got up and headed for class. Their first class of the day was on the main floor of the building and a short distance from the table they\u2019d just been at. They took their seats at their desks in the middle of the row against the left wall. Hatemi took her hat off then, proving Cory\u2019s earlier statement. <\/span><\/p>\n Hatemi\u2019s blond hair was tied up in a pair of buns with her bangs hanging in chunky sections down in her face. Unlike most people, Hatemi wasn\u2019t wearing the long, thick jacket that went with the winter version of the school uniform. She was the only one in the class who wasn\u2019t wearing it, in fact.<\/span><\/p>\n Dionne sighed. \u201cHatemi, aren\u2019t you cold?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Cory looked at her over the rim of her glasses. \u201cHatemi just doesn\u2019t feel the cold the way we do. All she has to do is stare at the Prince and it warms her up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The \u2018Prince\u2019 Cory was referring to was Kousei Prince, the most popular boy in school. Hatemi blushed at the mention of his name. Almost every girl in the school\u2014and even a few from their rival schools\u2014had a crush on him despite his refusal to date anyone. <\/span><\/p>\n The boy in question always sat up close to the front of the classroom with his two friends: Yan Diamono and Teir Whitmore. Today was no different. Dionne spotted Kousei sitting up two rows from the front in the centre seats. He was an attractive boy\u2014even Dionne had to admit it even though he wasn\u2019t her type. Since the beginning of the school year, he\u2019s taken over as captain of the baseball and basketball teams, a position rarely occupied by someone in their second year. It was tenuous at best as his grades weren\u2019t as high as the coaches would have liked. He kept the spot due to Teir\u2019s tutoring. He enjoyed a friendly rivalry with a boy from Khun Lun High School named Corentin Blair.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite the teasing his unusual name generated, Teir was the top student in school. It was said that Teir was the only reason that Kousei sat so close to the front. He preferred to be in the back, but Teir claimed that he heard the teacher better and could get better notes this way.<\/span><\/p>\n Yan was the strange one of the trio. He was very artistic and not so good in classes about other subjects. If he hadn\u2019t had Teir to help him, he\u2019d be in danger of failing most of his classes. He was a budding actor and dancer with a hobby in photography. He hated classes that took him away from that. Unfortunately for him, that was everything. He tolerated things like science and social studies, as science at least had some relevance to dancing\u2014muscle movements and such\u2014and social studies helped him learn about the cultures behind the dancing he loved so much. <\/span><\/p>\n Teir already had his books open and his pen poised and ready to take notes, even though class wouldn\u2019t start for another five minutes. <\/span><\/p>\n Mr. Parker walked in then and started class. Dionne and Hatemi scrambled to get their books out while Cory opened hers and wrote the date in neat letters at the top of the first blank page. Dionne sighed. Somehow, she felt that this was going to be a long day.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n *~*~*<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After the last class ended, she headed down to the cafeteria, spotting Hatemi and Hana deep in conversation. Hana\u2019s long black was bound up in a bun behind her head with trailing wisps of it hanging artistically on the sides of her face. Dionne took a moment to stare at Hana. Tall, slender, with creamy dark skin, she was a pretty girl with many admirers. She often wished her skin had more colour to it. Perhaps not as dark as Hana\u2019s, but Hatemi had often joked that she was paler than snow, even suggesting on more than one occasion that she dye her hair black and go as Snow White for Halloween.<\/span><\/p>\n The closer Dionne got to them, the more apparent it became that they were \u2018discussing\u2019 something from the social studies class they\u2019d just gotten out of. Wisely, she avoided them and went to get herself a muffin to nibble on the way home and another cup of tea. It was herbal this time as opposed to her morning cup of Earl Grey. <\/span><\/p>\n Pausing long enough to say goodbye to Hatemi and Hana, she headed off. Every time she had to walk home with the sun setting and the temperature dropping, she thanked her parents for buying the house they did and not the one in Spring Glades. In all likelihood, she would have wound up going to Khun-Lun High instead of Elysium Valley as she didn\u2019t have the grades necessary to merit a scholarship to Ching-Tu Private School and her parents couldn\u2019t afford the school\u2019s high fees.<\/span><\/p>\n She pulled her scarf a little tighter around her throat. The weather was harsh for late November, even given Elysium Valley\u2019s location in the Rocky Mountains near the Alberta-British Colombia border in the western part of Banff National Park. <\/span><\/p>\n A few blocks from home, she walked past the local park and saw what, at first, looked to be a bully pestering a smaller boy. The boy trembled with fear, eyes darting around as if searching for an escape route. Dionne could understand why. The bully wore strange clothes. They were skin tight and made him look like some kind of snake-man. He hissed, extending a tongue that looked forked, and grabbed the boy by the throat. The boy\u2019s face turned blue before he passed out. Snarling, the snake-man dropped him to the ground and looked around. Spotting Dionne, he smiled and came after her at a dead run.<\/span><\/p>\n There was no doubt as to his intentions. She turned and ran as fast as she could for home. He almost caught up to her, but her neighbour\u2019s dog leaped over their hedge and latched itself to his leg. As she slammed the door behind her, she thanked whatever higher power had inspired her neighbours to buy that bad tempered thing in the first place. She headed upstairs, panting, and collapsed in the chair at her desk. She looked around. <\/span><\/p>\n What was that all about? Why would anyone alter himself to look like a snake? He was hideous! What was he going to do to me? What did he do to that boy? What is going on here?<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n The mirror glowed with a comforting white light. \u201cNormally, I\u2019d call myself crazy for even doing this, but Laira, if you are here, can you answer those questions?\u201d She cursed. Now why did I do that?<\/span><\/p>\n The glow intensified, and a face appeared. It was a gentle face, though not human. Her skin was pitch black. Long, wispy tentacles framed her face, floating around her as if stirred by a gentle breeze. A few tentacles were decorated with white tattoos. Her golden eyes looked ancient. <\/span>Yes, I can, came the reply, sounding as if it came from the bottom of a well. You had but to ask.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWho…who are you? What are you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Didn\u2019t Adelaide explain?<\/i><\/span> She looked puzzled.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNot really, no. The note only mentioned your name.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Laira cursed. <\/span>That fool woman is going to be the death of us all. She was stubborn as a sehashi, and it seems she remains that way.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s a sehashi?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Sehashi is the term used for the people who protect their home worlds, warriors of truth and light. It\u2019s an ancient word that means \u2018shining light\u2019. Before you ask, you are descended from a long line of sehashi warriors going back hundreds of years. Your mother never took up the mantle; there was no need. She does not know about me or the sehashi.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhy me? Why now?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n What prompted you to call on me?<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n Hesitating for a moment, Dionne explained what she had seen on the way home, trying to be as descriptive as possible despite how shaken up she was by the experience.<\/span><\/p>\n That snake-man you saw earlier. From your description, I believe he\u2019s one of the Lords of Chaos, a group that will do anything to destroy the universe as we know it. They\u2019ve already succeeded in laying waste to numerous worlds, killing their resident sehashi in the process. They were here before, in your Grandmother\u2019s time, but were driven off. They must think we\u2019re defenceless. If one of them is out attacking, then they\u2019re set up and ready to destroy Earth.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n That pendant you wear is the key to activating your sehashi uniform. All you have to do is think about changing.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis is the most ridiculous thing I\u2019ve ever heard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Laira looked at her. <\/span>Please, listen to me. Adelaide must have felt the Lords coming. She\u2019s too old to fight; it would kill her if she tried. We need to find others with the power of the sehashi.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t believe a word of this. Do I look like I belong in a magical girl anime?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The pop culture reference went right past Laira. I<\/span>f you don\u2019t believe me, try changing. If I\u2019m telling the truth, you will see soon enough. If nothing happens, then you are not who we thought you were.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFine, I\u2019ll try,\u201d Dionne sighed. Change\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n There was a brief flash of light and Dionne\u2019s clothing changed. In place of her previous clothes were a sleeveless top, shorts, boots, and gloves. The shirt and shorts were navy blue. The shirt had a band of light green around the neck and another right above her bust. In between the two bands was a swatch of yellow cloth. The top was pointed downwards from just under her bust on the sides and ended in a rounded v just above her belly button. The shorts were cut at a slight downward angle from her left hip. A thin yellow band ran along the top of the shorts. On her left hip the band had a section of green fabric hanging from it that cupped the outside of her leg. It wasn\u2019t as long as the shorts were. She wore loose, fingerless gloves that went up to her elbows. On her feet she was now wearing yellow knee-high boots with a green stripe at the top. The foot part of the boot was navy blue with a short chunky heel.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis thing looks ridiculous!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Laira shook her head. <\/span>Nevertheless, it is your uniform. The Lords of Chaos will recognize it and know that you are a warrior to be reckoned with.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGreat. Just great. Does this mean I need some kind of code name, too?\u201d Dionne sighed. \u201cI guess I\u2019d better think about that. So now what?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Laira smiled at her. <\/span>You won\u2019t have to worry about people recognizing you. It\u2019s something about the uniform that prevents it. I\u2019ve never been clear on exactly how, but we\u2019re generally so grateful for the masking effect that we don\u2019t often think to find out how it\u2019s accomplished. Well, now we talk about your powers.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPowers?\u201d she asked, cringing. \u201cWhy is this happening to me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Laira ignored the question. <\/span>I don\u2019t know what form your powers will take or what keywords will call them into action. All I can tell you is that when you\u2019re ready for them, you\u2019ll know what to do. They react on instinct and how you\u2019ve grown as a person. They\u2019ve also acted up in stressful situations. We often find sehashi that way.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo now you want me to go and fight that snake-man, right?\u201d a tinge of fear entering her voice.<\/span><\/p>\n Don\u2019t worry. I\u2019ll be with you.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t take a mirror with me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n I can ride in your pendant for a time, Laira told her. It\u2019s not my preferred manner of guiding you, but you\u2019re untrained. You need all the help you can get.<\/i><\/span> With that, the light wisped out of the mirror and collided with Dionne. Her pendant felt warm against her skin. <\/span><\/p>\n Now, go out and find him, <\/i><\/span>Laira\u2019s voice whispered in her ear.<\/span><\/p>\n Reluctantly, she left her room, glad now that Allen had moved out on his own a few months ago and that her parents were both going to be working late tonight. That way, no one could see her like this. If what Laira said about people not being able to recognize her was true, she didn\u2019t want to risk trying to explain to anyone why there was a stranger in their house.<\/span><\/p>\n By now, it was dark out, but she had no trouble finding the snake-man. The snow in front of her house was all churned up from his struggle with the dog. She followed the footprints, being careful not to lose them in the spaces between the street lights. Eventually, she came to an empty lot. She was shivering by now. The uniform wasn\u2019t warm. She wasn\u2019t as cold as she would be if she were wearing a normal pair of shorts in the middle of winter, but it was still cold.<\/span><\/p>\n She spotted him on the far side of the fence around the lot. He had a pair of girls cornered. Without thinking, she ran over, but once she was close enough to recognize the pair, she stopped dead in her tracks.<\/span><\/p>\n What is it? What\u2019s wrong?<\/i><\/span> asked Laira.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThose girls. I know them. Cory and Hatemi have been my friends since elementary school!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n All the more reason to hurry. If he gets to them, they could die.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat does he want with them?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n If he\u2019s a Lord of Chaos, then he\u2019s got a specific goal that I will explain at a later date. I will need time to confirm my suspicions. There\u2019s no time to go into it right now.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n Dionne gathered her courage and moved up to confront the snake-man. \u201cHold it right there!\u201d she said, using her bravest voice. \u201cLeave those girls alone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He turned to look at her. \u201cAnd what will you do to stop me?\u201d he asked, hissing. He did a double take. \u201cSehashi? There are no more sehashi left on Earth. We destroyed the last ones years ago!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, you were wrong about that. What? Did you think we\u2019d let you find us so easily?\u201d She kept her shock hidden. Where is all this coming from?<\/span><\/p>\n He straightened. \u201cWell, you can\u2019t be powerful. You\u2019ll be easy enough to get rid of. Venom Shock!\u201d The toxic green stream that came out of his mouth nearly hit Dionne and would have if Laira hadn\u2019t screamed at her to dodge to the left and duck as it passed overhead.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, you have some training at least,\u201d he commented. \u201cWhat do they call you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you care, snake-man?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He hissed. \u201cI am called Slither. I want you to know before you die. Venom Shock!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n She rolled out of the way, but some spray still hit her arm. Crying in pain, she stopped, holding her arm. She looked up, seeing Slither calmly walking towards her. Time seemed to slow. All sound was muted out by a single, pulsing sound like that of a heartbeat. Her vision went crystal clear. Out of her control, her body stood.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI am called Archer. I want you to know before I kick your scrawny tail. Golden Arrow Flash!\u201d The bright light shaped like an arrow hit Slither square in the chest. He screamed and collapsed into the snow. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t over,\u201d he warned, vanishing. <\/span><\/p>\n With him gone, the two girls came running towards her. Cory, ever the practical one, whipped out a handkerchief and wrapped it around her arm. \u201cAre you ok?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n