Bloodlines (IC ~Recruiting Players~)

[Yuina]

Sign-ups here: -=Bloodlines=- OOC (Recruiting: Updated 1.2)

BLOODLINES

Life... What does it mean to live? What does it take to have a life? Is there such a prerequisite for one being to be allowed to live? If so, then what are they?

These were the questions that the young looking lady thought about for ages, but until now had found no answer to. As the thundering rage of the dark skies continued to bathe the ground below with tears from heaven, the young looking lady, dressed in a finely tailored crimson gown, continued to stare down at her Mansion's empty grounds. Though the view of the Mansion Grounds from atop her chambers was obscured by heavy rain, she could still clearly see that there was not a single soul in it. This has been the third day of continuous, harsh downfall. The mood of the heavens seemed to share her own. Raising her right hand, she gently placed it on the cold, thin glass of her window. Constantly showered by beads of water, her glass window continued giving off a constant, light beating sound. There was no definite tune, it was random, just like her thoughts. Her black eyes stared far off into the seemingly endless dark heavens, as if searching for something. An occasional lightning flash graced her eyes followed by a roaring thunder that resounded as she continued watching the rainfall... lost in thought.

It did not take her long before she was locked in her own trance, back in time during The Final Hunt. Though that was an event in the distant past, she could still feel it, as if it only happened yesterday. That night was filled with flames and screams. The walls of her former home painted red by the blood of her relatives, and their attackers alike. Never in her whole life had she experienced such brutality. The ones she cared for were subjected to a cruel death -heads lopped off from their bodies. Her parents, though strong also shared the same fate whilst trying their best to protect her. It was the eyes of that man, the very same man who killed many of the ones she loved, was the only thing that scared her until now. Just the memory of how those eyes gazed at her before delivering the final blow was even more terrifying than the feeling of her flesh being torn apart by that man's weapon. She recalled her last words to that man before everything went black. Why do you hate us so?! Is it truly impossible for us to coexist?! and his reply was a cold-hearted one. Your existence is a curse to us... Begone!

Her trance was instantly broken by the sound of glass breaking. A black bird, drenched in the rain flew blindly into her room through her window trying to seek shelter from the rain. It was a raven. The young looking lady's chamber doors immediately flung open even before the bird's injured body landed on her chamber's floor. The large man who was always behind her chamber's doors made an entrance with a worried look on his face. "It's alright." She softly spoke and knelt down to where the bird lay injured. "It's just a raven looking for shelter." she continued. The large man, despite his size immediately made one fluid motion to stand in front of the lady's window within a blink of an eye. The lady chuckled. "I was referring to this bird... it is also called a raven." she informed. The large man sighed in relief and looked at the lady as she picked up a broken piece of glass. She pricked her finger and let a drop of her blood trickle into the beak of the injured bird. Moments later, the bird's eyes began to glow a faint red and not long after that, began flying inside the chamber as if it was never injured.

"Not all ravens deserve death..." She said and trailed off, watching the bird as it flew around her chamber with her now faintly glowing red eyes.

[Seer]

Dusk was huddled in the creases of a tree as the rain poured down. The hollow tree only gave him a meager shelter. His ripped and tattered clothing offered little warmth. He held himself tightly and curled into a ball. He was ever so cold and rain dripped through holes in the tree occasionaly splashing his skin. He sat on his little book and hoped that it wouldn't smudge or get stained with the relentless rain.

He didn't want to get wet either. Rain was something nice to look out when you yourself had shelter. Thunder roared above and the heavens were lit up with the crack of lightning. All he could see through the rain was darkness. An empty abiss of black. Not a single soul was out and about in the woods, ar thats what he thought.

It had been so long since he had a real roof over his head, or someone to speak to. He wondered if he could still speak. He stayed away from people as much as he could. He didn't want to hurt them. He didn't want to be labeled a monster. He wasn't one. Or was he? He had drunk blood, he had killed for it. He wasn't proud of that fact. He despised it. But what else could he do?

Why he became a New breed was beyond him. He had lived a perfectly fine existance when he was one of them. One of those fragile humans he now thought of as food. Thinking of blood only made his throat dry. He hadn't had anything to drink in weeks. He was ever so thirsty... He needed to drink something. He didn't want to bump into a raven and run on empty. He wouldn't put up much of a fight if he was hungry. He began wondering what raven blood tasted like. Would it taste sweeter thanks to vengence?

He shook his mind of such thoughts and with a groan of reluctance, crawled out of his 'home.' He grabbed his little book and wiped the dirt off of it before he hid it well in his shirt. He wrapped his arms around it and turned his back and began running through the trees and through the darkness, searching for an unlucky victim.

[Yuina]

The Nest

The sounds of muffled grunts, exerted efforts, war cries, and grunts of pain all echoed throughout the muddy sparring grounds of The Nest. Despite the heavy downfall of the rain, there were still people training, all of them in pursuit of perfecting their skills. These were the people who were well known throughout the land as the Ravens.

Inside the Sparring Grounds, the center was highlighted by a large crowd all gathered and formed a circle of people. In the middle stood two men, one had a lean body, standing tall and proud with a height of approximately 6'3. He was dressed in a black leather coat and had long orange brown hair, all of them hanging heavy whilst he bathed in the rain. In front of him stood a man with twice his body size, bald and heavily muscled. His fists were raised and he held a fierce look in his eyes.

Silence consumed the Sparring Grounds, those who were eagerly training stopped whatever they were doing and added themselves to the already large crowd encircling both men. All of them excited about what was to unfold. Seconds later, the larger man roared in fury and charged at the one standing calmly with his fists lowered. He launched a mighty swing with his right fist aimed for the face of the man with long hair whom he acknowledged as his opponent. His movements, for the average man, would be hard to see through the heavy beads of water that relentlessly poured on. But the man easily avoided danger with a simple sway back of his head.

Missing his target, the larger man quickly pulled back his right fist and almost instantaneously threw out his left, of course, this too was predicted and avoided by his opponent. With two attacks aimed above missing their mark, the larger man tried a sweep to the legs, but that too was avoided by a simple motion of leaping into the air. "Come on and hit me!" The smaller man mocked. Frustrated, the larger man regained his balance and tried his luck with another swing of his large right fist. But the swing was too wide, the smaller one immediately stopped his movement with a parry using his left arm followed by a quick step in to the larger man's chest. The sound of two powerful blows could be heard and soon after, the larger man fell to his knees.

Displeased, the smaller one brushed his stray wet hair that dangled in front of his face and stared at the man knelt in front of him with cold eyes. "Keep that up and you are bound to get killed one day. Power is not everything! Even the smallest rock can cause severe damage if thrown in the right place..." He said and turned around. "Understood... Lord Siegfried..." The man replied and staggered back to his feet.

He was about to make a speech but was stopped by the sight of his runner coming up to him after pushing his way through the crowd. "What is it?" Siegfried asked. After catching his breath, the runner began to speak. "Mi'Lord, it's about that matter, the one who is said to be living in the forests still hasn't been found by our patrols..." He regretfully informed. Siegfried looked up to the dark skies letting the beads of rain pour down on his face. "How long has it been since the request was made?" He finally asked. "Two Weeks Mi"lord..." his runner answered. "Fine. I will send out more Ravens. Tell the patrols to keep looking. When they find it, I want them to kill it." He said and walked away heading to his bastion.

He lost the mood for a speech upon hearing terrible news. His men are having trouble finding a single New Breed. Somehow, he had a feeling that things are stirring in the backstage of El Drid.

[The Literate Angel]

Rosaline

Rain fell down in a steady stream through the leaves of the forest. Rosaline had been traveling for almost a week through the deserted place after being chased there by Ravens. Her soft, light brown hair lay flat against her head, but she cared not for the rain or the way it soaked her already ruined dress. The simple peasants dress she adorned had been ripped, muddied and rain soaked. She had no shoes and the bag she was carrying was practically soaked through.

Still, despite her depressing state, she held a sense of beauty and wonder about her. She walked undaunted by the rain, as if there was none, and didn't stop when her bare feet stepped on a particularly sharp rock or thorn. She seemed almost like a wood nymph simply passing between the realms. If anyone were to see her they would wonder if she was in her right mind or if she was really otherworldly. To tell the truth she was both though.

Rosaline's amethyst colored eyes turned to the skies as a large raven flew across it, seemingly looking for shelter. She started to walk the way it was headed, her goal unclear, but her destination determined. The goal of the raven was now her goal. She was being slightly whimsical with her decision, but she was hungry, slightly out of it and cared not for her own body. She only did what she needed to to survive.

She followed the raven until it disappeared over a particularly dense patch of woods. She stopped for a moment before venturing in. The bramble was thick and it was hard to maneuver, but she managed perfectly fine. When she cleared she was met with an odd sight. A heavy black gate stood in front of her. A few seconds later she heard the sound of a crash and figured that the raven had crashed into a window that was in the house that was beyond the gate.

Rosaline stepped forward, stopping inches from the heavy black bars. She was at the entrance to the gate and she reached her hand out to push open the doors. She wasn't sure if she would be allowed access into the strange area, but she hoped she would be. Perhaps she would be able to eat something there and regain her sense of purpose that she had lost over the years that had passed. In fact she feared there was no purpose and she should just walk to the Nest of the Ravens and allow them to deal with her as they wish. Of course she wouldn't, but it was tempting.

[The Literate Angel]

Maria

The rain streamed down, hitting against the glass windows of the Halls of Feast. Maria watched absently as the rain threw itself against the earth, her food laying practically untouched in front of her. She wore a simple black dress, though it was fairly form fitting on the top it flowed out past her waist and it really was a beautiful, but simple dress. Maria's hair hung loosely around her, curls forming at the bottom and straightening as it went up. Her hair hung past waist now for she had been letting it grow over the few years she had been with the Ravens.

Maria slowly finished her meal before standing up, picking up her scabbard with her two swords, and headed out towards the sparring grounds. Maria usually sparred alone, but at times she would allow someone to spar with her, simply to test her skills against theirs. She was quiet skilled in both hand to hand combat and sword combat, but she had yet to perfect her spearing techniques. She had already gone through the House of Swords and the House of Fists, but was currently finishing up her training with the House of Spears. Swords were her favorite form of combat.

As Maria was heading towards the sparring field she saw Siegfried Ravenstein walking towards his Bastion. Her emerald green eyes followed his movements, though it was hard to see him through the glare of the rain. She could tell it was him by his posture and also by his hair. It was easy to spot him, he was the kind of man that stood out from the rest. He seemed to be slightly annoyed and she absently wondered what had upset him.

Maria's hair now stuck to her body and she was quickly soaked through. Her beautiful dress was plastered against her, but she felt no discomfort. Things like that had never bothered her. She figured she should be able to fight in any clothing under any circumstance so she would often train in nice dresses simply to learn the way she had to move in them when she fought.

She pulled out her dual straight swords and began to practice her sword fighting techniques, her moves graceful and practiced. It was almost like watching her dance, the way she moved was so fluid and effortless. It would make many men jealous, but she figured it was because she was simply gifted with a woman's grace that she was able to move in such a way. She didn't think she had any special talent.

[Yuina]

SIEGFRIED

Streams of different thoughts lingered in his mind whilst making his way back to his bastion. It was only until an idea crossed his mind that he stopped dead in his tracks. He wasn't that far off from the Sparring Grounds and most of his men are out there training. A wise time to hand pick the additional Ravens he promised to send out to finish an overdue request.

Instead of embracing the shelter of his bastion, Siegfried turned around and made his way back to the Sparring Grounds, his goal was to pick out the best he could find. Most of his high ranking Ravens are out on a job and it would take them weeks before they reach The Nest should he call them back, it was not an option. he needed Ravens now, and these trainees are all he has. Though most of them are still to graduate from weapons training, Siegfried was sure that there are a gem or two amongst them.

With observant eyes, he strode the sidelines of the Sparring Grounds. Men and women alike who noticed that he was watching exerted even more effort in their training, clearly an attempt to please his eyes. Siegfried paid no mind because he knows that those doing it to please somebody are the ones who always ends up dead rather than their quarry.

After several minutes of strolling the sidelines of the Sparring Grounds, Siegfried's eyes caught a shine. There she was, thrusting, slicing, moving gracefully while practicing excellent swordplay. Even from a distance, Siegfried recognized her as the one they took in from one of the villages that were decimated by a new breed, although new townsfolk had already began living there again, she declined to return and decided to stay with the Ravens.

He watched her as he slowly made his way to where she was practicing. To regular eyes, it would be impossible to see that she was slicing the beads of rain that dropped mercilessly in front of her. But Siegfried noted that tiny detail that she can. The marks of a prodigy as he termed it. She was focused -too focused, almost absorbed in her training. She didn't even notice that Siegfried was already behind her.

With one swift swing of his sword Raven, Siegfried blocked one of her swords into a deadlock to gain her attention. "Never lock yourself in focus even while training. Observe and become one with your surroundings." He said and lowered his sword. "How would you like to go out for a hunt?" he asked after sheathing back Raven into his scabbard.

[Yuina]

REIKO

The raven found a place to rest atop the corner pole of the lady's bed. It was now drying its soaked feathers. The lady smiled and turned her gaze back outside the window. "Can you feel it?" She asked the large man with him. He in turn gazed down to the Mansion Grounds. "Yes Mistress. I will welcome our guest." He said and bowed down. As he was about to leave, the lady issued one last request.

"Send out my pets. I have felt another one wandering in the woods." She finished. The large man nodded and continued to exit the Lady's chambers closing the large wooden doors as he left. The lady continued watching the rain fall down with a faint smile on her lips. Deep inside her, she was happy that another one of her kind found their way into her sanctuary. With her faintly glowing red eyes, the lady saw her guest pushing open her Mansion's Iron gates.

With a slow motion of her hand, the Iron gates opened just before her guest was able to exert any real effort into pushing the gates open. She looked pretty, but in her current state, the word pitiful registered in the lady's mind. "Do not worry young one, I will take good care of you here. Just follow your blood's calling." She whispered as she watched her guest reluctantly walking inside her mansion.

The man who left earlier appeared before the woman who stumbled into the lady's mansion. He elegantly stood in front of her holding an umbrella to shield their poor guest from the rain. "Welcome to Anticea." The man greeted with the warmest smile he could offer.

[Ethereal]

ZIED GRAY


Strong dull thuds filled the House of Fists while a lone Raven tirelessly hits a training dummy alone in one corner. His companions who decided to take a break from training all watched him as he unleashed a furious combination of kicks and punches. The sounds he made while hitting the sturdy training dummy gave the people watching him an impression that, if those combination of kicks and punches were to land on a living thing, would most likely be fatal, or seriously do damage.

After a series of quick blows, Zied stopped to catch his breath. Beads of sweat are visible on his upper body. He grabbed a piece of clean cloth and dried himself while he sat on the floor. The light of the house was disturbed by a shadow looming over Zied as he was drying himself from sweat. "Those are good punches however, I sensed that your heart is elsewhere." An old voice said in a low tone.

He was right. Zied's heart was not set on training. What his eyes saw while he was punching and kicking the training dummy was a different image. A New Breed, bearing it's ugly fangs at him. Zied scoffed at the remark. "Do you need a heart while fighting those things?" he asked after standing up once more. "Foolish question." The old man said. Zied smirked and pulled back his right fist. He threw a punch backed with his full body weight at the training dummy. As soon as his fist connected, the head part of the training dummy snapped and fell to the floor with a wooden thud.

"I don't need a heart when faced against them..." He said and wore his black leather jacket around his body. The old man could only shake his head sideways in silence as he watched him walk the opposite direction. Just when he was a few feet away from him, he called for his attention. "Zied, do you hate them that much?" he asked.

Zied stopped and turned his head to his left side allowing him to see the man from the corner of his eye. "Yeah... I do..." He responded. "I heard Siegfried is looking for Ravens to send as backup. It has been a while since you went out for a job right? Maybe you should ask him to let you join the mission. You need to release that anger or it will only destroy you..." The man said and picked up the broken head part of the training dummy.

Deep inside his heart, Zied was happy that the old man cared, but his deep hatred for the New Breeds doesn't allow him to show appreciation too often. This was just one of those times. Still, what he said sparked a fire in his heart. "Thanks old man..." He said and made his way out of the House of Fists. The strong rain immediately soaked him wet as he made his way to the Sparring Grounds. He heard that Siegfried was there sparring with the one who was nicknamed Brute.

[The Literate Angel]

Maria

Maria had been lost in her training, to focused to notice their leader approaching her. She had noticed the faint sounds of others increasing their exertion, but she just put it as them actually pushing themselves. She wasn't really seeing the things in front of her though, she was seeing the forest where she had followed her damned sister. There was no rain, there was no dark clouds, there was only sunlight streaming in romantically through the green leaves.

There had been a moment, when her sister had turned around in desperation to defend. She hadn't had any formal training at that point and only knew the potential of the sword she held, but she had clashed with her sister. Her weapon was her finger nails, she saw that quickly when she slashed at her. She had defended with her sword, but her sister had pushed her back with surprising strength. She had been the one who was supposed to be stronger, she had been working at a blacksmiths for a few years at that point.

Her sister had quickly turned around and ran, but to Maria it had been like she had defeated her and she knew her sister would only be stronger. She would train until she got good enough to take down even a first and that meant she would have to dedicate her life to training, always training, always fighting until she could take them all down with her swords.

As she was lost in her thoughts though, Siegfried suddenly blocked one of her swords with his sword Raven. She was slightly surprised, but poised herself to defend against any of his own attacks. He told her that she had to be aware of her surroundings, become one with them. She knew he was right. She couldn't afford mistakes like that again. If he had chosen to he could have attacked her back and she would have been dead. She bowed slightly in respect and thanks.

"Thank you Master Siegfried. I will take your words to heart."

He then asked her if she wanted to participate in a hunt. She felt her heart flutter for once with excitement. A hunt meant she would be able to attack the hated New Breeds. A smile played on her soft, pink lips and the excitement was evident in her eyes. She would be able to test her skills against living creatures who would be trying to kill her too, not just sparring partners. She sheathed her two swords and stood straight. The rain poured down on her, but now with her renewed excitement it was as if she was in the warm sun.

"I would be most honored Master Siegfried. When should I leave and to where?"

Maria looked him straight in the eyes, never looking away from his stare or wavering. Her eyes did reflect a sense of pain and lifelessness, but she was still smiling softly.

[The Literate Angel]

Rosaline

The gate pushed open effortlessly and she stepped into the grounds. She stumbled a little as pain registered in her feet. She knelt down, the pain was making it hard for her to walk, and she saw that her feet were cut and blistered. She knew she was a mess and all because of the Ravens. They wouldn't leave her alone. She couldn't just wallow in her misery by herself.

She really did look pitiful. It was obvious that she had once been beautiful, a bright person with grace and elegance, but now she looked like a destroyed rose. As she looked up she saw the man with the umbrella. She stared up at him, her eyes barely registering him. It had been ages since she had spoken with someone. He welcomed her to Anticea, which she figured was the mansion she was at.

"Who are you."

She said as she stood up and watched his graceful form. She walked under the umbrella, not that it made much difference, she was already soaked to the bone. She stared up at him, her eyes wary, but it was as if she had lost all will, her eyes were so lifeless.

"Thank you."

She whispered, glad for a semblance of kindness. She hung her head again as she thought about what she had done. She clenched her fist, her nails digging into her skin. There were already scars there from her doing it so much, especially with their strength.

[Seer]

Dusk had been soaked head to toe the moment he had started running through the trees. With his eye sight, he was able to see more of the trees looming around him than if he had been human. He scanned his surroundings every moment. He was looking for food and for those damn Ravens. Thinking about them gave him a shudder of disgust.

They called themselves humans? What about the innocents they too killed? His family had been innocent. They hadn't even known he was a New Breed before the Ravens attacked them and slaughtered them like pigs before a feast. They weren't humans. They were just as blood thirsty. What made them any different then himself?

He picked up speed and jumped high onto the branches of a tree. Up here he could see farther, or at least try to. He didn't know where he was going. Where was he anyway? He had lost track since the Ravens had pushed him into the forest on the last hunt. Was he going in circles? No. He would have noticed if something looked the same. But then, everything looked the same.

Trees, leaves, mud. There wasn't much of a difference. Why did it have to be raining? Most humans would be sitting at home nice and cozy. not running about in a forest where a New Breed could be waiting. He was thirsty and he needed to drink. What would happen if a Raven caught up to him? Maybe even two?

He shuddered at the thought. He might be able to kill one, but he would be mortally wounded. He needed to gain his strength. Maybe he could feast on some other animal. He squinted his eyes but saw nothing. He leaped out of the tree and continued running without a sound.

[Yuina]

SIEGFRIED

"Thank you Master Siegfried. I will take your words to heart."

It was her reply to the small words of wisdom from a man who had seen nothing but combat all his life. He smiled faintly as if trying to give his Raven a boost in her morale. But after he asked her if she would like to participate in a hunt, the young Raven came to life. It was evident in her eyes that she was raring to go. Her reply was a confirmation to that.

"I would be most honored Master Siegfried. When should I leave and to where?"

Without taking his own eyes off from her stare, Siegfried took off his black leather coat and gently wrapped it around her. It would be a meager comfort through this rain but it was the best he could do without an umbrella. Countless eyes filled with jealousy all directed their sights to the young Raven. They clearly did not understand why he chose her for the mission. Siegfried knew that with her current skills, even if she is still to graduate from weapons training, she would be able to keep herself alive. Unlike that oaf they nicknamed Brute, who relied solely on his physical strength. He chuckled.

"Strength is meaningless if you don't know how to use it. Remember that too young raven." He said and gestured for her to follow him to his Bastion. "Bloody Mary isn't it?" He asked her but did not wait for an answer. Siegfried was sure he was right about her nickname. "We shall speak about the details inside, away from this harsh weather." He finished and walked on forward.

Just as they passed by the House of Fists, Siegfried saw another man whom he classified as one of those unpolished jewels, Zied Gray. He stopped in his tracks and looked at the lady following him with a faint smile. "Seems you don't have to go alone on this one." he said and walked towards where the man named Zied stood. He looked back at the lady whilst walking. "Come, I will introduce you to a man whom I think you would get along well..." He trailed off.

[Yuina]

REIKO

Inside the area known as Guarlisle Woods, twelve fury feet ran swiftly through the thick and thin brambles of the forest. Three pairs of eyes glowing red amidst the thick mist and heavy rain. Three black wolves made haste while sniffing here and there every now and then. They were looking for someone. They did not growl nor howl as they made their way deeper into the woods. The sound of their footsteps drowned out by the heavy downfall of the rain.

One of them stopped for a brief moment in front of a tree which appeared to have a fairly hollow trunk at its base. It sniffed a couple times and began sprinting towards a new bearing. The others did the same and followed. They have been commanded to look for a New Breed living in these woods. Their master had observed his way of living long enough and decided it would be best if she would take him in.

~~Anticea~~

"Who are you?"

A question that was rather difficult to answer for the man that stood in front of her. Had she been referring to a name, it would have been easy to answer but names are not the ones that truly defines a being of existence. Had she been referring to him as one being living life with a purpose, he did not know. "I am nobody but a mere servant in this mansion. The one you should meet is waiting for you inside. Come..." Said the man and helped her up. He then offered to carry whatever belongings she has with her.

"Thank you."

The servant looked at the lady he was shielding from the rain, she seemed to be slipping in and out of a conscious state of mind. Her eyes glowing red one moment and shifting back to their original hue. This was an indication that she is hungry yet a part of her refuses to acknowledge it. The servant took note of it and looked at her from head to toe. She was lovely, or at least she used to be before she got into her pitiful state. Upon gazing down to her feet, the servant felt sorry for having to see her walk with wounded feet. It was still a long way through the Mansion Grounds before they reached the Mansion doors.

"Pardon me for the intrusion..." He said and with one graceful sweep, scooped up the lady in his mighty arms and ran swiftly across the grounds. Healing is not an easy task to accomplish, although their kind displays an incredible rate of recovery from mere wounds, it takes time for one to master it. For the lady, healing her wounded feet on her own would be near impossible in her current state. She needed help.

It took them only a few seconds to close the distance before them and were now standing sheltered from the harsh weather in front of the large mansion doors. The servant put her down back on her feet and gently pushed open the mansion doors. It revealed a well lit hall decorated with expensive furniture. Probably the most noticeable pieces of art were the huge chandelier that hung above the center of the hall and the marvelous paintings that filled the walls.

The servant bowed down and gestured for their guest to proceed. "Please, make yourself at home."

[The Literate Angel]

Maria

Maria could feel the jealousy that was directed towards her as Siegfried placed his jacket on her thin shoulders. It was to big for her body, but it was warm and she thanked him. She knew that most of the others couldn't understand why such a small woman had been chosen for such a mission, but she knew it was only because she didn't spar with or show off her strength for everyone.

They started to walk and he again spoke words of wisdom. She nodded her head showing that she understood. She had heard what had happened with Brute. He had fallen quickly under his hands and it was no surprise. He had no finesse, nothing other then strength.

When he asked her if her name was Bloody Mary she almost laughed. The useless nickname really did embarrass her. She got it simply because she accidentally cut someones ear off and cut his shoulder half way through while training in the Halls of Swords. They were practicing dodging another persons sword or blocking with their own and the fool said he wanted them to use real swords. She had agreed of course and when he tried to do a flashy dodge that took to much time she simply did a long sweep down. It wasn't really her fault, though it was the first time she had caused someone else to bleed that much. Maybe that's why they called her it, because she just stood there and watched as blood spluttered at her from his shoulder.

She noticed that they were headed towards his Bastion. She had never been inside, but she had heard that those who hadn't finished their training fully rarely ever went in, only during promotions. She wondered what he could want her for, but she was excited. He then spotted someone else exiting the Hall of Fists. He stopped and said that she wouldn't be going alone. She would prefer to go alone, but she wasn't going to mention that.

Maria studied the man briefly. He was fairly tall, well built and was wearing leather with red gloves on his hands. He seemed to be like her, slightly emotionless, uncaring about those around him. She wondered if she would really get along with him, or if he would dislike her for having to work with a person who hadn't finished all their training. She didn't feel like she need a spear anyways. They were just long sticks, she was better with a sword.

[Seer]

Dusk was still roaming the forest without knowing which way was out. All he wanted was a drink and he was going crazy. Or thats what he thought. He felt weak and helpless. He wished he was at home, with his family and eating a hard earned meal on honest work. He had never stolen anything from anyone. Why was he doomed to this life?

He shoved his hand in his pocket and absent mindedly fingured his parents ring. Somehow it gave him strength to move on when everything semed hopeless. His reminder that he had come from a loving family; that he was still human somewhere under this murderous mask. It was a small inkling of hope and he would cheerish it.

Thats when he heard soft foot steps and sniffing behind him. He froze. Could it be a Raven? Another New Breed? He whirled around to face whatever danger had come up on him. He extended his fangs and hissed in defense. Then he saw the black shapes of wolves. Fellow hunters. Maybe he could make a meal out of one of them.

His face formed a small smile and he crouched low. There were three of them. He would have quite a fight, but it would be worth it. For all he knew it could be the only meal he would have before this rain let up and let him happen across a human.

[Ethereal]

ZIED GRAY


Stepping out from the Halls of Fists, Zied finds himself still throwing out half jabs and hooks. Even under the relentless rain, his blood is pumped up solely by the thought of going out for a hunt. He was deeply excited. If only he could find the man they called leader of the Ravens amidst all the trainees loitering around the nest. Zied sighed, wherever he turned his head, he couldn't see the one named Siegfried. Sounds of random punches caught his attention. As a fist user, he knew the sounds of strong punches. The one he heard was indeed one of those.

He turned his head towards the direction of the punching sounds. He frowned upon seeing the man they all knew as Brute. He was alone and was facing off against... a tree. He wanted to laugh but he recognized the emotion behind those punches landing on the tree's trunk. It was punches filled with frustration and anger. Zied immediately recalled that he requested or rather demanded to spar with Siegfried himself. It was the earlier commotion that Zied himself did not waste time watching for he knew the outcome.

The man they call Brute was actually his senior. But he was the type who thinks that everything can be resolved by using brute force. Which was completely wrong. The result? Even though Zied came in a few years later than Brute, Zied already passed the the three houses, while Brute was still to graduate from the House of Fists. Zied only chose to stay under the guidance of the House of Fists for that is where he is most comfortable. He didn't want to feel the pain he felt in his fists back at that time. As silly as it might sound to others, the House of Fists taught him that hitting things causes pain and at the same time relieves pain. Which was what he exactly felt while training.

He sighed and turned his gaze away from Brute and started jumping up and down, swaying back, ducking and weaving while strategically throwing out straights and hooks with his fists. His form was perfect, every movement flawlessly executed. It lacks grace but reflected power and has no wasted movement. His shadow sparring was disturbed upon hearing some of the men greeting the man he was looking for. He turned around only to find Siegfried followed by a lady whom was nicknamed Bloody Mary.

Zied did not join the Ravens to show respect, but every time he sees this man, he is engulfed by a very strong pressure field that never fails to make him bow down in respect. When Siegfried and the lady was only but a few steps away from him, Zied bowed down and greeted them. "My lord, My lady..." he said and got back up after a brief pause.

Zied immediately realized why the trainees all had a mixed feeling of jealousy and anger in their eyes as they gazed at the lady. She was wearing their lord's coat. But Zied paid no mind to it for he knows the reason why Siegfried did it. It was only to share what little comfort he has from the rain and nothing more. He too would practically do the same for the lady given the chance. But to simpletons like their fellow trainees, it meant that the lady was being held in high regards by their lord. Whichever the case was, it was hard to tell through the cold eyes of their lord.

Nonetheless, a single thought crossed Zied's mind. Poor lady. He secretly hoped that she was strong enough at heart to not give a damn about what others may think of her. He for one didn't care, it's just a matter of doing what you do best.

"My lord, I heard you are in need of Ravens, please! Let me join the mission!" He said almost begging. He never took his eyes off from the cold stare of their lord's eyes.

[Yuina]

REIKO

~~Guarlisle Woods~~


After minutes of tirelessly tracking down their quarry, the wolves slowed down from sprinting to a strut. Upon entering a small clearing in the forest, they stopped moving and began looking around the area. It was only a matter of time before their eyes laid upon a figure atop one of the trees.

The black wolves had finally traced the scent they have been trailing for quite some time now, only to find a New Breed dressed in tattered clothing with his fangs bared at them hissing in an act of defense. The black wolves stopped their approach and silently observed the man. Their eyes flashing a faint red glow as the rain heartlessly poured inside Guarlisle Woods.

One of the wolves sat away from the other two as if it was there to just watch the events that might unfold any second should one of them move first.

~~Anticea~~


From her chamber, the lady of the mansion watched her servant scoop up their guest in his arms and dash straight into Himeno Mansion's cover. She smiled to see that their guest did not resist even the slightest. Assured that their guest is in good hands, the lady stared through the rain far off into the distance once more. Her eyes now brightly gleaming in a red hue. Momentarily, images inside the woods became clear to her eyes, as if she was there herself. The lady was amused by the sight she was seeing.

"A rather unfriendly fellow isn't he..." She mumbled as she continued watching through one of her wolves eyes. "He can't be blamed though... his hunger is clouding his better judgment." She continued. The lady's eyes flashed twice when she issued a command to her pets. "Fine... I will let you have one of my wolves. Then maybe you would consider talking." She finished.


~~Guarlisle Woods~~


After receiving their master's wishes, one of the wolves mindlessly walked forward to where the man who bore his fangs at them crouched. The wolf sat there with a blank stare offering itself for the man to feast upon.

[Seer]

Dusk saw two of the wolves edge a little closer while the third stayed away, watching. That was something he hadn't expected. He knew wolves to all attack their prey. He watched all three wolves, wondering why they were just standing there. They were n't growling, weren't barring their own fangs at all.

Why weren't they scared of him? He moved back a little and jumped to the side. The wolves only watched him. He returned to his former position trying to figure out what was going on. They didn't act like normal wolves. He had see them hunt before. They were vicious, but these did not even tense.

Thats when he saw one of them move foreward. Dusk snarled ready to pounce, but the wolf only walked to him and offered himself up. His eyes widened in surprise. What was going on? Was this a trap laid out by the hunters? Whatever it was, it was to large of a temptation to resist for his thirst. If the wolf was giving its life to him, then why should he refuse?

He knelt down beside it and pet the wolf's head cautiously, making sure it would not lunge at his own throat. Then his heart seemed to pitty the poor animal. He scratched its ears and whispered, "I'll make it as painless as possible..." he only hoped he was really telling the truth. He didn't know how to control himself.

He moved to the animals throat and sank his fangs into the jugular and drank in the blood. He savoured every drop and as he drank, he felt himself grow stronger and the animal grow weaker. He held the beast until he willed himself to pull away. The animal would live but it was extreemly weak now. He would care for it since it had pittied him. He wiped the blood from his mouth and waited to see what the other wolves would do now.

[Yuina]

SIEGFRIED

Siegfried walked towards the House of Fists in an elegant strode, though he was a battle-hardened man, his father and grandfather hasn't failed to teach him refined manners. Even though the situation he is in now calls for a little bit of panic, his actions clearly showed the exact opposite. Calm and composed, he made his way towards the man whom he watched as he shadow sparred. He was returning greetings from the trainees left and right as he passed by.

Their eyes filled with jealousy did not fail to escape Siegfried, he knew the reason and looked at the lady trailing behind him from the corner of his eye. He did not say a word though, only a faint smile formed on his lips. Zied Gray, the man who forcefully made his way to the ranks of the Ravens once annoyed Siegfried. He thought that this man was just another one of those people lost in the fog of vengeance. But he was proved otherwise and his first impression on the man was swayed.

He seems to have noticed that Siegfried was on his way towards him. Upon reaching conversation distance, Zied bowed and greeted Siegfried and the lady who followed him. "My lord, My lady..." he uttered and raised back up after a brief pause in his bow. Siegfried returned the gesture with a nod but was amused to see a rather blank expression on Zied's face. He was expecting that he would be having the same look on Maria like all the other trainees had but his eyes showed no emotion. He did not care, that much is certain. This fact made Siegfried smile.

He was about to speak his thoughts when he was cut in by Zied with a request to join the mission.

"My lord, I heard you are in need of Ravens, please! Let me join the mission!"

He was eager and almost begging for it. He wouldn't be denied of course, for this was the real reason Siegfried came to him. "It would seem to me that you two would really get along well together..." Siegfried said the very first thought he had before it slipped out of his mind and followed it with a light chuckle. He enjoyed watching people getting along well with each other, although he himself is not fond of sharing a bond with others.

"Maria, I would like to introduce you to Zied Gray, he is your senior so you will have to follow his lead. But I trust you will be able to handle yourself well so following his orders would only be needed if things start to get out of hand. You are free to act in your discretion but I would require you to stick with him." Siegfried said and brushed away a lose strand of his hair. Without waiting for Maria to answer, he turned to Zied. "The reason I came to you is exactly what you are asking of me. I expect good news from both of you. Work well with Maria, Zied." He said and stepped closer to the man. He whispered something in his ear solely for the purpose of Maria being unable to hear it.

("She has potential... If possible, I would like for you to see for yourself what she is capable of. You are to report solely to me about your findings. Think of this as your special assignment.") he whispered and stepped back.

"Come both of you, we will speak of the details inside. This rain is starting to ruin our fine clothing." Siegfried said in an attempt of jesting.

[Neschume]

Skender floated towards the gates of the mansion out of the trees to the left of it and saw they were open for some reason. The rain was still coming down hard, same as when he left, and it was difficult to see too far ahead of himself. It didn't help that he was drenched from head to toe and was dripping off of every part of his body. The cloak he was wearing didn't do too much to shield him from the rain so he ended up freezing cold because of it. The last thing he wanted was to come back to his home in an unrepresentable manner but it would appear that he had no choice.

As he went up to the gate and closed it behind him Skender became to feel a bit disappointed. He was recounting the battle with the raven after the unsuccessful scouting trip. The trip out into the forest in the furious downpour was to look for an extremely powerful New Breed whose presence had just been brought the Mistress Reiko's attention. She didn't want her wolves to go out for this one because she feared they would be killed and not be able to bring in their catch. Yes it was the wise decision to send him for that reason but quite unwise seeing as he had little tracking experience and surely wouldn't be able to find the new New Breed.

While out looking for this New Breed Skender encountered a raven. This raven seemed capable enough and before Skender could even draw his scythe the man attacked. He sliced Skender across the face and made warm blood drip down his face but before he could get any more attacks in Skender drew his scythe and smacked the blade out of the Raven's hand. It flew into the air and out of view. With one spin of the scythe from above his arm to under his arm to the Raven's chest then face he had all but dispatched of the pathetic man. He was sitting on the ground, practically laying really, with his hands out in front of his face begging for mercy. Skender wanted to kill the Raven but he was too pathetic so he decided it best to leave the man and he floated off towards home.

Halfway back to the mansion Skender heard footstep closing in fast behind him but before he could look to see what it was he had a knife in his back. The knife pieced right below his left shoulder and he began to bleed plentifully from the wound. He turned around in a full 360 and the Raven had been decapitated. In a single fluent motion he had pulled the scythe off his back, spun around 180 degrees, sliced the Raven's head off and returned to his forward position with his scythe on his back. "Damn Raven's don't know what they're dealing with," he said under his breath as he headed off towards the mansion once more.

The thoughts had taken Skender off to a different world and by the time he came back he was already at the front door to the mansion. He opened the large doors that were engraved with all kinds of symbols and shapes and proceeded inside to see what all had transpired in his absence, though there was likely nothing new. The large, lavish paintings and the beautiful hand made chandelier were all very familiar to him, he had come in these door so many times in the past that he rarely even looked at any of it when he came in.

Today was different however because he saw a girl standing in the middle of the room looking at all of these things which made him look too. It was only a second of looking and he didn't see anything apart from what he knew he would see. His attention was directed to the girl who was standing staring at all these things. Moving over to her he shooed the servant away and greeted her with a, "Hello my name is Diamond I can be your guide for now. I'm sure you would rather have me than just one of our servants. Now we'll be heading off to my room where I will change, as you can tell I'm quite soaked kind of like yourself. now if you'll just take my hand," he extended his hand in front of the girl, "We will be on our way."

[The Literate Angel]

Rosaline

The man who had shielded her momentarily from the rain answered her question, saying that he was no body and that the one she wanted to meet was inside. He seemed fairly nice, and he was the first person she had talked to for years. Basically it was just silence, silence and the sounds of the forest and yells of Ravens.

Rosaline's mind wasn't all there, she was slipping, she could tell, but she felt like she was safe, there was no sense of dread or anything horrible like that. She noticed that the servant did look her over as he asked her to walk with him. She didn't mind, she knew she probably looked atrocious at that moment. She hadn't even seen herself in a mirror since her wedding day.

Sorrow filled her as she thought about her wedding day. She hardly even remembered it, but she did remember the pain, the heart wrenching feeling she got when she thought about it. Her eyes fell to the ground as sorrow filled them. His voice penetrated through her mind and soon after he picked her up and raced towards the mansion. She didn't say anything as he set her down under the cover of the awning and let her into the mansion.

He bowed and told her to make herself at home. He stood quietly by as she stared up at the paintings on the wall. What she really wanted was warmth, a fire perhaps, but she was content at the moment to just be out of the rain. The paintings were beautiful, she had never seen something so elegant in her whole life. The furniture was beautiful too. She suddenly felt very dirty and very unworthy of being in such a beautiful place.

Rosaline had grown up in a small town, and while her family had been one of the richest families in their village, they still had to work hard to maintain that money. These things, the beauty that they were, didn't come from money that had been worked hard for, but from family money.

As she was lost in her thoughts the servant was shooed away by another man who she didn't know. She didn't even notice him until he spoke to her. She turned her head and her amethyst eyes shifted between their original color and blood red. He introduced himself as Diamond and he was offering himself as a guide to the mansion.

"Thank you. I am Rosaline."

She said in a sing song voice that sounded like it was far away. She seemed to be floating by at that moment and she knew she wasn't fully aware of her surroundings, she could tell she was running on close to empty. He said they would be heading to his room so he could change and she nodded as he held out his hand. He was a fairly large man with scars covering what seemed like every inch of his face. He was intimidating, but she wasn't afraid.

Rosaline was a little reluctant to take his hand for she felt hers was so dirty, but she lay her much smaller hand into his own. She grabbed her knapsack with all her possessions in it and carried it with her. She didn't feel like parting with the only familiar thing she owned.

[The Literate Angel]

Maria

Maria followed Siegfried as they approached Zied Gray. He greeted them when they were close enough to hear. She was slightly surprised by his greeting to her. She had never been called lady before, but she quickly shoved the thought away as he eagerly asked to join the hunt. She assumed that's why they had approached him in the first place.

Siegfried then said it seemed that the two really would get along well. She wondered what made him say that, but she just let a polite smile form on her lips, though it never reached her eyes. He then said that he would be joining her in the hunt and he would be her senior. She was to follow his orders if it was required, but that she was basically free to do what she wanted. She nodded and mumbled a word of understanding.

He then stepped closer to Zied and whispered something in his ear. She could only guess at what it was, but she wasn't to concerned. For all she knew he could simply be telling a private joke. After though he stepped back and told them they were going to get the full details in his Bastion. She smiled a real, slightly excited smile that seemed to fill her eyes up. She knew the trainees on the sparring grounds had a right to be jealous, though she wouldn't rub it in she would wallow in the glory.

Maria wondered what his Bastion would be like, she had never really conversed with anyone who had been in it and she didn't spend her time thinking about it, but now that she was heading there she was curious. Was it going to full of splendor and decadence or would it be simple, filled with the bare minimum for a man of his stature. She thought it would probably be magnificent either way. While her family had been one of the richest families in their village they had had to work hard for that money and her father had still been working for it.

[Neschume]

Skender walked the young lady up the spiraling steps to his room. Quickly opening the door that looked far to large for even him he moved inside and began looking through his cabinet of clothes. Everything from the door to the Cabinet was so extravagantly decorated with what seemed like random carvings but he never even noticed it nowadays because he had been living here for so long. His room was decorated with lavish red and wood brown pieces all around. His bed, dresser, nightstand and doors all had some kind of red embellishment around the edges and it gave everything a high class, wealthy feel.

As he moved through the clothes that all looked exactly the same Skender pulled out a shirt while almost instantaneously taking off his robe and and shirt that he had been wearing revealing his muscled physic. Almost as soon as his sopping wet shirt came off a towel wrapped around his upper body and he dried himself off. Just when he had moved his hand onto his pants to take them off he stopped and looked at the girl who had introduced herself as Rosaline and said to her, "Sorry ma'am I forgot whom I was in the presence of," and shut the door politely. Under the cover of his door he changed his pants quickly and opened the door once more showing himself to Rosaline. "I take it I look more presentable now?" he asked as he led her up the stairs once more to Mistress Reiko's room.

"You look like you've had quite a time out there." he said as he looked at the girl up and down noting her ragged, wet clothes and eyes that seemed to be fading in and out of red and their natural color. "New to being one of us then I take it. Well it matters naught we'll have you acting like one of the family in no time flat. Oh and by tomorrow we'll have you looking dapper and clean by tomorrow, don't you worry." Rosaline really did look like a wreck though he had no room to talk, he had looked the same if not worse just a few minutes ago. While thinking of his appearance he remembered the cut on his back where the Raven had stabbed him. He was going to have to get a new shirt after talk with Reiko.

The wall that lined the way up to Mistress Reiko's room were surprisingly plain for what the rest of the house looked like though there would be a picture or two on the wall every 30 or so steps. The way up to Reiko's room wasn't important and it didn't have to be pretty it was her room that was the real treat for the eyes.

Rosaline and Skender approached the door to Reiko's room which was quite large and had beautiful carvings in it just like all of the other doors in the house. Reiko's door was different though it depicted a battle, a battle of the New Breeds. On it were the New Breeds with claws extended, fangs at the ready and weapons at their sides fighting against the Ravens who had uniforms on and weapons plunging forward into New Breeds. The Ravens were winning in this fight but that is how it was after all. Of course now New Breeds were making a strong comeback from the dwindling population from when Rigald had killed so many of them. "Isn't it a work of beauty?" he asked Rosaline as he knocked his hand against the huge wooden door.

[The Literate Angel]

Rosaline

Rosaline followed him to his bedchamber, staring at all the intricate carvings on his bedroom furniture. She glanced over as he started to undress himself. She noticed that he was very well built. She looked away quickly though when his hands went to his pants. She heard him hesitate then apologize as he remembered that she was there. He closed his door and she looked at the designs on the door. They were beautiful, but she found it hard to focus.

The door opened and he was fully dressed in warm, clean clothes. She felt a small shiver run through her and he started to lead her to wherever it was he was taking her. She was fine with just going with the flow. It wasn't like she would be able to do anything else for herself at that moment and so far they had been polite. He asked if he was more presentable and she nodded, her eyes looking at the various paintings on the wall.

Rosaline could tell he was looking her over and he said she looked like she had had quiet a time out there. She had, but she wasn't about to talk about it. He then asked if she was new to being a New Breed, but said that she would be welcomed into the family and taught how to be one of them. She wanted to tell him she had been a New Breed for two years, but she kept quiet about it. He said that by tomorrow she would be cleaned up and looking nice. She wondered what she even looked like. She hadn't looked in a mirror for two years.

"Thank you for your hospitality."

As they reached the room that appeared to be where they were heading she stared at the door. It was a great battle between New Breeds and Ravens. She thought it was beautiful, but sorrow filled her chest. She knew the Ravens had a good reason for attacking them, they killed their kind, she had killed her entire village in one fell swoop and now her sister and her were the only surviving original members. She nodded when Diamond asked whether she thought it was a work of beauty. He then knocked her she reverted her attention back to the where they were. She was about to meet the person who owned the mansion she assumed.

[Yuina]

REIKO

"Ahh, now he looks a little more friendlier." She said after seeing the man feast on one of her wolves. She smiled after noting that the man left her wolf alive. "I see compassion... Interesting." She mumbled with a faint expression of amusement. Her gleaming red eyes flashed twice once more.


~~Guarlisle Woods~~


The black wolf who had been sitting far away slowly approached the man who was still wiping the blood from his recent meal off his lips. Its eyes were gleaming bright red and it strode under the rain with elegance. Momentarily, it stopped just close enough in front of the man and looked into his deep but troubled eyes. "Young one, before anything else, I would like to introduce myself. I am Reiko Himeno, a New Breed like yourself. How long have you been living like this? Don't you think it's time for you to look for your "real" family? Though I know you have your own reasons why you chose to live like this, I want you to know that you are welcomed in my sanctuary. I will be waiting for a positive answer." Her voice echoed through the wolf's mouth.

"Oh... if you want to know how to find me and my sanctuary, the blood of my pet will show you the way, and one more thing, I really cherish my pets so much... Seeing as you kept it alive, I will be expecting that you will nurse it back to health and bring it back with you should you choose to seek me out... Farewell young one. As a parting gift, A Raven patrol is close to where you are. I would suggest you move quickly if you want to live."

After a short one sided conversation, the two remaining black wolves vanished into thin air leaving the man and his recent meal alone in the forest.


~~Anticea~~


Her concentration, though being used while conversing to the man in the woods, never failed to notice that outside her chamber's doors stood two presences, one was undoubtedly from Diamond, the first ever New Breed she took in and cared for. It would be fair to say that he was the most spoiled by her. The other presence was weaker, and it seemed like a candle that was almost snuffed out.

Reiko turned around and faced her doors after hearing Diamond's very familiar knocking pattern. With a soft motion from her right hand, her chamber doors which seemed to be very heavy, gently opened revealing her guests. She looked at them with her now faintly glowing red eyes. Her lips parted as she put on a serene smile for her guests.

"Diamond, it has been a while. You have been missed." As if reading Diamond's eyes who seemed to be troubled, Reiko shook her head slightly. "And do not worry about that matter. We can look into it another time..." She said trailing off and turning her gaze to the girl who looked like she has been through better days. With both of her hands softly clasped in front of her navel, Reiko gracefully walked towards her guests, her footsteps hardly making any sound at all.

"You've been to battle again?" Reiko asked Diamond without looking at him. She was displeased but knew that he would only draw his scythe if needed. Without waiting for him to answer, Reiko gently reached out for Diamond's face touching his new battle scar and gently trailing it with her finger. Upon pulling her soft hand back, the fresh scar was no longer there.

She then reached out with both arms towards the woman standing in front of her. With her warmest smile, Reiko embraced the girl even though she was still soaking wet. "Forgive my servant's lack of manners... come, let us enjoy the pleasure of fire." She said and faced her chamber's fireplace. With a flash of her eyes, the fireplace came to life, burning the fresh set of firewood.

Reiko held her guest's hands and playfully pulled her inside her lavish chamber. Though it was the most beautiful part of the mansion, it was a rare sight to the other residents. Her large bed, soft and fluffy was covered with crimson red sheets topped off with flower petals that doesn't seem to decay. The scent was that of roses, mild and truly relaxing. Her floors, completely draped with the finest carpet with a shade of darker red.

With a gentle sideways motion of her hand, Reiko effortlessly pulled open her large dresser. It was filled with different dresses made from only the finest materials, all elegant and finely tailored. She pulled out a towel from the bottom part along with a thick blanket. She handed the towel to the woman and gently wrapped the blanket around her. Reiko then guided her in front of her fireplace where she sat beside the woman, all the while maintaining that same serene smile on her face.

[Yuina]

SIEGFRIED

With the rain showing no signs of letting up, Siegfried made his way towards his bastion. In his mind, he was amused by Maria, she had this aura around her that really makes him want to know more about her. Though it has been quite a while since the Ravens took her in, he never really had the chance to converse with her. Those times were busy and hunting was at its peak. He wanted to know what was binding such a fine lady to the way of the warrior. In his lifetime as the head of the Ravens, there had been few women in his ranks.

He was constantly glancing at her from the corner of his eye as they made their way to his bastion. No words were spoken though until they have reached the Bastion doors, away from all the rain. Siegfried turned the handle and forcefully pushed open his Bastion's doors. The inside revealed a clean living room atmosphere, shiny marble floors, granite staircase, finely crafted wooden art, glass cased and were artistically placed on the most noticeable corners of the Bastion.

Along the halls were occasional sights of potted plants that seemed to be finely cared for. The hallway walls, decorated by huge portraits of the Ravenstein lineage, were lighted by intricately designed brass light holders. "Follow me please." Siegfried worded as he continued to elegantly stride into the one place where he usually spends his time. The brick fireplace in the living room that looked as if it has been used for long, long years was lit by a gentle fire that gave off a warm atmosphere.

He gestured for his guests to take a seat in his stylish sofa that had the wooden parts shined to a perfect luster. Feeling as if his guests would hesitate to taint his furniture with their rain soaked state, Siegfried smiled and encouraged them before they could say anything else. "I would really appreciate it if you relax. Please, make yourselves at home." He said and headed to his personal bar, pouring a drink of scotch on two glasses and his finest wine on a wine glass. After fixing some drinks, Siegfried walked towards his guests and handed Maria the wine glass first then to Zied with one of the scotch filled glasses.

After taking a sip of scotch, Siegfried cleared his throat and began to speak. "This mission is very dangerous even for hunters with skills like the two of you have... But I wouldn't send both of you out to your deaths, I know that if both of you worked together, there might be a chance for success. Getting straight to the point, you are going after a New Breed that goes by the name of Alexander, he is a very powerful New Breed..." Siegfried said trailing off and gazing into his fireplace.

"I have lost many good men against this adversary, and while it shames me to say it, I have failed in snuffing out his existence when I once went after him. Our battle ended up in a draw but that is a tale for another time..." He said and took another sip of scotch. "The Forest of Screams is his home... in there he is a god. It was the mistake I made when I hunted him. I fought him in his own grounds. I'm sure the same could not be said if you can manage to lure him out correct?"

Without waiting for his guests to answer, Siegfried made his way to the barren patch of wall and turned an ancient looking dial in what seemed like a number combination. Moments later, a black velvet lined jewelry case appeared in front of him. He picked out two rings and approached his guests. He then gently held Maria's surprisingly soft hand without her consent and slowly slid the ring in her ring finger. He smiled at her faintly and turned to Zied tossing the other ring to him.

"I will let you borrow these only for this mission. Those are Sacred Artifacts known as Diamond Lust... you should be feeling the effects in a couple of minutes. They will enhance your physical prowess to a certain degree. These will greatly help both of you when you are up against Alexander. Head to the Forest of Screams, when you get there, I trust you already know what to do. You may depart anytime you are ready. Godspeed both of you." Siegfried said and downed the rest of his scotch.

[The Literate Angel]

Rosaline

Rosaline stared at the woman who opened the beautifully sad doors. She herself was as beautiful as the door, but she had a serene look on her face, not a sad one. She greeted Diamond then told him not to worry about a certain matter Rosaline didn't know about. She glanced curiously up at the man, but looked back the woman who appeared to own the mansion. The woman turned to her, clasping her hands at her stomach and then looked back towards Diamond.

Rosaline watched curiously as she traced a finger along a wound that she hadn't noticed before. It vanished. She felt surprised, she had never seen something like that before. And then the woman turned back to her. She wondered what she would do to her. She held her arms out then embraced her, a warm smile on her lips.

Rosaline felt almost uncomfortable. The last time she had been hugged she had been in a wedding dress and it was by her father just before they walked down the aisle to her beloved Mason. She couldn't even lift her arms up to hug her back, she didn't want to go back into a breakdown. The woman then apologized for her servants lack of manners followed by her leading her into her extravagant room.

"There is no reason to apologize. They have been very kind to me."

She said in almost a whisper. She felt so tired and worn as the woman led her in. She hardly noticed that a fire was started magically. A thick, warm blanket was wrapped around her and she was handed a towel. She was then seated in front of the fire by the woman. Rosaline felt like she was floating slightly. She put the towel to her messed, dirty hair and started to dry it. She felt like she needed a bath, to be scrubbed clean of all the dirt and grim she had collected on her body.

Rosaline pressed the towel to her face and felt little droplets of tears fall down her cheeks. She felt so much sorrow and she was so worn that the kindness was almost to much for her. She felt like she didn't deserve it. Who would help a monster like her? She realized that they were New Breeds too, that much she had noticed, but they were kind, they didn't seem like they would kill an entire village or lose control like that. Who knew how many others she had killed before she got her mind back. She found that when threatened she lost her sense of control and the next thing she would know was that her hands were bloody and she was else were.

Rosaline looked into the warm fire then turned her head up to the woman, tears still leaking from her eyes.

"Thank you."

She said, her voice catching slightly. She looked back into the fire, her sisters face at the fore front of her mind. She wondered what her twin was doing, what her other half was going through. Was she safe? Did she move on? Was she still living in the village or had she gone back to her blacksmith shop? She tried to push the thoughts away, she had yet to introduce herself to the woman, but she found that she couldn't get her voice to work so she sat in silence, staring at the fire, waiting for her to speak.

[Neschume]

"There's no reason to tell the lady I have lack of manners Reiko it's not like I treated her badly. And yes I have been to battle but I wouldn't have killed the boy if he hadn't ran at me and jabbed his blade in my back." Skender was walking into the room and sitting on his normal chair in the far back like he would regularly do. "I'm going to have the guards get you a new dress. If you have some emotional attachment to the one you have on now I suggest you tell us so we can have it brought back to its former glory." He called the guard and had him go and fetch Rosaline a new dress though it would be a bit before he got back.

Skender would almost always sit here, in the corner of Reiko's room, and watch over her. Only when he was sent out of a mission would he ever even think of leaving her alone. He thought if he wasn't with her she could be in danger and could be easily hurt though this was surly not the case at all. Reiko was a very capable New Breed who could easily take on almost any Raven without so much as raising a finger. This is just how he had come to be, there was no reason other than that she had saved him and now he felt like he owed his life to her.

The chair Skender sat on was one of the few plain chairs in the entire house. It was wooden and brown with no beautiful red embroidering or anything like that around the edges. It had a tall back so that he could easily rest against it without hurting his back in any way. The legs, on the other hand, were too short and his knees would come up past his stomach unless he held them outwards into the room. Facing the fireplace to the right side is where it would always sit and where he would always sit. It had been this way since he was taken in and it would always go on this was until the day he died.

Skender would continually divert his attention from Rosaline to Reiko, making sure nothing was wrong with either of them. Rosaline seemed to be looking a bit better though her eyes told a different story and Reiko was just her usual self. Nothing seemed to phase his vigilant watch over the two girls in Reiko's room. He kept quiet like he always did and just sat in his plain wooden chair, feet extended slightly, just watching. If someone wasn't used to this they could likely be scared by it but it was simply how Skender was, what he had become.

A guard walked into the room interrupting Skender's vigil with a large dress for Rosaline. He took it and extended it towards Rosaline with hopes that she would at least take it and hopefully change into it.

[The Literate Angel]

Maria

Maria walked with the two men towards Siegfried's bastion. She would finally get to see the inside of the man's large home. She could feel him casting glances at her and she wondered why. She was still a trainee, she was almost out of the House of Spears, that was true, but she was still a trainee and their leader shouldn't have really taken interest in her, she was just skilled with swords and her fist.

Maria watched as he pushed open the doors to his bastion and looked at the expensive things that lined his home. They were beautiful and place strategically all throughout the house so that others would notice them. She could tell though that his servants worked hard to make him comfortable and keep the place as neat as possible. That was made more evident when they walked into his living room.

The place was very neat and the wood on the chairs were polished to a shine. He made a gesture for them to sit and before they could hesitate, as she was sure she would have, he told them he wanted them to relax. Maria nodded and just slightly shook out her wet dress. She sat down on one of the sofas. It was very comfortable and the fire was warm as well.

Maria watched as he poured out two glasses of scotch and then a glass of expensive looking wine. She assumed the wine was for her and was proven right when he handed it to her. She sipped on it slowly, never much of a drinker herself, but she found the taste to be quiet nice. He then started to talk about their mission. She listened intently. He said that if they worked together they should be alright. She glanced over at Zied. He seemed strong, she just hoped they could get along well. Alexander, she had heard small whispers, but nothing more. Mostly what she heard was about how people had fallen to his hand.

She was slightly confused as to why he was sending them after such a dangerous New Breed, especially if he wasn't even able to beat him, but she held her tongue and trusted him. She nodded when he talked about luring him out of his domain. The Forest of Screams was a fairly small place, not as big as Guarlisle Woods, but she had never entered them before. She wondered if Zied had.

Maria's attention was turned back to Siegfried when he turned an ancient looking dial in the wall. He grabbed two rings and she watched as he came over, took her hand and slipped it onto her ring finger. She couldn't help but feel her heart flutter and a slight blush made its way onto her soft cheeks. She then looked down at the ring and her eyes widened a little. Excitement then filled them as she realized she was wearing a Sacred Artifact. He told them that they were called Diamond Lust and it would help boost their fighting prowess.

He told them that they were temporary, just until their mission was completed. She nodded again and stood up, placing the glass gently down on one of the small tables in the room. She turned to him and bowed.

"Thank you Lord Siegfried. I hope we do not fail you."

She rose up and smiled a surprising soft smile before turning to Zied. She hoped he was ready, because she was raring to go. She stood in front of him and held her hand out.

"It will be a pleasure working with you, Zied. Please guide me well."

She smiled at him, though it was more of a smile of excitement. She had been waiting to slay those abominations since she joined the Ravens. She went through a list of what she would need before they departed. She would need to change her clothes, tie her back in a more appropriate fashion, get bandages as well as other medical supplies, just in case, and of course get some provisions. She didn't think they would be to long so perhaps only about two days worth, but she couldn't sure.

[The Literate Angel]

Rosaline

Rosaline looked over at Diamond, he was sitting in an uncomfortable looking chair as he spoke. He would have her brought a new dress and asked if she would like her current one repaired. She looked down at her dress. It had once been the most beautiful thing she owned. White, long, flowing with small, white beads that looked like crystals sewn into it. Most of it had been ripped away and it was now completely caked in dirt and grime and blood. She didn't think it would be possible to restore it, but she would let them try.

"Yes I would appreciate it if they could and thank you for clothing me."

She was wary about telling them it was once her wedding dress. She was also wary about telling them who she was almost married to. A high rising Raven named Mason. Her eyes took on a look of deep sorrow and pain as she thought of him. She knew her emotions were written all over her face and she was embarrassed by that, but she couldn't help it.

She noticed that he kept looking between her and the woman he called Reiko. She didn't think to much of it, he seemed like the protective type any ways. She could also tell that was a chair he usually sat in. Perhaps there was some bond between the two. She didn't really think any further then that because the dress was brought in.

It was a beautiful dress, emerald green, very elegant and she thought it was wonderful. She walked over to Diamond and took the dress. She smiled at him and it was surprising how beautiful it made her look. She gingerly held the dress, as if it would fall apart if she held it to tight.

"Thank you."

She said, her smile still in place. She then turned to Reiko. She didn't feel comfortable changing in front of him and wanted to clean up before putting the beautiful gown on. Rosaline walked towards her so she could see her fully when she spoke.

"Do you have a place where I can change and wash up? I don't want to soil the dress."

She was dirty, there was dirt all over her body and she was soaked through. She didn't want to ruin the beautiful gown nor did she want to continue to feel dirty. Reiko was clean and so was everything she owned. She felt horrible for getting her beautiful things wet and dirty as well as her.

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