Re: Bloodlines (IC ~Recruiting Players~)

[Seer]

Dusk noticed movement at the corner of his eyes and turned. His eyes narrowed on the wolf that was approaching. What would it do? Attack? he had drained it's brother's blood and now the wolf was limp in his arms; weak. The wolf however didn't strike. He wasn't growling or snarling either. These really were strange wolves.

When it began to speak to him, his eyes widened in shock. The wolf was speaking to him! He had never dreamed that animals would ever speak and here he was listening to humans words as they rolled out of the wolf's jaws. He knew that someone was speaking through it, this Reiko person, but it was still starteling.

Huh. So this woman was also a New Breed and she was willing to help him. She offered her home and shelter and even warned him about Ravens that were heading towards him. Everything seemed to be on friendly terms, but was there some hidden agenda? He wouldn't be able to find out unless he went to her. Either way, he wouldn't live long out here alone and now trying to nurse a wolf back to health.

He sighed and closed his eyes. He searched for the path to the woman's home and was surprised to find that Reiko had been right. He knew where to go. He lifted the poor creature into his arms and started carring it towards home. He ran as fast as he could to get away from the Ravens and the bitting cold. If anything, the wolf needed food to replenish its own strength.

He was soon standing in front of a gate with beautiful decore. He closed his eyes to make sure this was the place. This was it. Should he just walk to the door and into the warmth? What if it were some kind of trap set up by the Raven's themselves? There was only one way to find out. He took a breath and pushed the gate open before shutting it. He walked cautiously to the door and knocked.

[Ethereal]

ZIED GRAY


Following Siegfried into his Bastion, he noticed their leader constantly gazing at the woman named Maria, though he does not know what he had in mind, one thing is clear. Their lord, Siegfried has taken quite an interest in the female Raven. Upon entering the Bastion doors, Zied was not surprised by how it looked. He had been here before, back in time when he begged for Siegfried to let him join the Ravens ranks. Nothing much has changed save for some of the arts that was glass cased.

He followed quietly until they came to the Bastion's living room. It was lit by a gentle fire that gave a comforting warmth, just enough to keep a person feeling cozy. Zied and the female one named Maria was asked to sit. Though he was personally against the idea, given that they were both soaked, he still sat down after hearing Siegfried say that he would appreciate it if they made themselves comfortable.

Like a true noble man, Siegfried prepared drinks for his guests. Scotch was Zied's favorite. He raised a brow after seeing Siegfried prepare it and one glass of fine wine. He at least wanted to take one last drink before heading out on a mission. This has been how he was. He would usually drink alone whenever he was going out on a mission.

Of course, the lady gets the drink first. Zied bowed down lightly after receiving the glass of scotch meant for him and immediately took a sip. It helped quell the light chill he was feeling from being rain soaked. His temporary enjoyment of liquor was immediately diverted to Siegfried when he began speaking.

"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..."

A light smile escaped Zied's lips upon hearing details about who they will be up against. Powerful New Breeds, a tempting adversary to test his skills upon. Lately, he had been out on hunts for nothing but easy kills. Now was a perfect time to test how much he has improved over the years.

"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... 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?"

It was indeed a wise strategy, fighting a powerful foe in his own grounds is definitely a fatal mistake but if the battle grounds was to be different, then the same could not be said about how the fight would turn out. Zied followed his gaze on Siegfried when he went to turn a dial in front of a blank patch of wall. A lightly surprised look came to him after seeing the wall reveal a hidden storage.

He was even more surprised after seeing Siegfried gently wearing a ring that came from his secret storage on the woman named Maria. He smiled faintly although it only lasted for a few seconds. His memories flashed back to his betrothed, he was about to do the same for her but fate played its cruel part on them. His daydreaming was stopped after seeing one more ring tossed to him from their lord. With a quick flick of his left hand, he caught the ring and looked at it in his palm.

"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."

After learning about the Sacred Artifact, Zied excitedly put it on and anxiously waited for the minutes to pass by. He wanted to feel the effects for himself. Though his attention was shifted to Maria when she suddenly stood up with the same excitement burning in her eyes. Zied guessed she was feeling the same. She held out her hand in what seemed like a manner of proper introduction.

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

These were words that came from her directed to him. Zied stood up and gently gripped her hand and shook it politely.

"The pleasure is mine My Lady." Zied said and turned to Siegfried. "My Lord, We will not fail you." he said. Although he doesn't know anything about the Forest of Screams, Zied only cared about getting the mission done. Alexander, he had heard the rumors but to him, it was just another day's work.

"I'm ready to go anytime." Zied said after drinking the rest of his scotch.

[Yuina]

REIKO

"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."

Diamond attempted to justify his actions but Reiko cared little about it. She was more concerned about their guest. She watched Diamond slump back to his usual seat in her room. "Diamond, I was not referring to you who treated our guest badly. You have done well. Remind me to teach our butler some 'manners' when we have sorted things out." she said and turned to their guest.

Reiko watched the woman, hiding her own amusement. She kept a serene smile as she listened to her give thanks. She was studying her carefully, and to her surprise, she found their guest rather emotional. The tears that came from her eyes was something Reiko had not seen for ages, although she exactly knows how the usual emotion that came with tears felt. She herself has not cried ever since those she cared about had been slain many, many years ago.

Reiko wanted to wipe away the tears but the woman seemed to have been again lost in thought. Reiko quietly sat beside the woman gazing at her like a child wanting to know more but she kept her lips sealed. She wanted to give their guest a moment of privacy. It was Diamond who broke an incoming period of silence.

"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."

An excellent idea, though Reiko was thinking about getting her cleaned up and fed first.

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

And yet another reason for Reiko to be amused. Their guest believed in sentimental value. It was a belief Reiko herself shared. Their conversation was disturbed by her servant entering the room carrying a new dress from the tailors over to Diamond. Though she wanted to let their guest try on some of her dresses, it was an idea ruined by Diamond's quick thinking. Doesn't matter though, she could just let her try them on anytime she gets tired of what she would be wearing. Reiko knows that they have all eternity after all.

She watched their guest leave the fire's comfort to take the emerald green dress that Diamond was handing to her. She looked like she would collapse any moment and it was clear that she would need to feed soon. Reiko stood up from the comfort of her fireplace as well and walked over to the small table in her room. It had a fresh bottle of animal blood and a single glass. Reiko poured it on the glass only to a half filled state.

She heard their guest thank Diamond and watched her walk towards her direction.

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

Reiko smiled and nodded. "Yes of course. It's over here, my personal bathroom. I give you permission to use it to your heart's content. You'll find everything you need in there to freshen up." she said after pointing to the door that leads to her bathroom.

Reiko suddenly shifted her gaze out her window. She felt a new presence enter her sanctuary. It was the man from the woods. A new smile escaped her lips, it would seem the man had decided to heed her calling. She turned her attention back to the woman.

"Once you have cleaned up, you should feed. Seeing as you are still attached to emotions, I would assume that feeding is something you are not fond of doing." She said and pointed over to the glass she recently half filled with animal blood. "It's animal blood. Should you choose to feed, know that the glass is just waiting for you. If you'll excuse me, I would like to personally greet another guest that has recently arrived." Reiko said and politely bowed down, excusing herself from the presence of her guest.

[Neschume]

Skender moved up from his seat and followed behind Reiko as they went down the stairs. They passed the same walls, same stairs, same paintings as he had before when he came up with Rosaline. He had passed them so many times he didn't even bother to look at them nowadays, they were just there as a place filler. If there was nothing there the mansion would surely feel empty.

"So you felt it too then? Well i suppose you would know even before you sense the boy, you sent the wolves for him. Am I correct?" Skender said to Reiko as they got closer and closer towards the front room of the mansion. The guest was probably already inside, Skender had felt that this one was a bit more open to just barging in than the last.

The two were almost to the main room when they heard a knock on the door. Skender rushed ahead and opened it. The boy who stood outside looked young though that was no surprise and he had a wolf up on his back. Fresh blood dripped from a corner of his mouth and he looked like a wreck. His clothes were wet just like anyone else who had been out tonight had been and they didn't look like they were very good at keeping him warm. Skender was surprised he wasn't shivering from the sheer cold. He did look muscular though and he was even taller than Skender which wasn't something he saw often.

Skender moved to the side of the door to allow for Reiko to get through and talk to their new guest. It seemed like she had wanted to be the first to talk to him so he decided it best to just let her do the talking. "Reiko, I believe this is our new guest." He knew that she would know that already but there was no sense in being rude.

As Skender stood he wondered how the girl Rosaline was doing. It's not like he had much else to do at the time. She was likely putting on he clothes and had already gotten cleaned up. He was curious as to what she would do when there wasn't anyone in Reiko's room. Hopefully she would come downstairs and greet their even newer guest. It didn't matter really, she would do whatever she wanted to do and his thoughts had no control over her actions.

[Seer]

Dusk tensed a little when the door opened. He didn't know what to expect. He was ready to dodge out of the way if an attack came and run to safety. His eyes narrowed on the man who opened the door and waited for him to make a move. He did nothing. They looked at each other for a moment before the man turned to call over his shoulder at Reiko. He knew that name. So she did live here.

He was unsure of what to do, but he assumed he could entere the home and out of the rain. He stepped inside and made sure not to brush up against the other. He didn't want to cause a fight just because of a mistake. He gave him a small smile and gently pulled the wolf off his shoulders and lay it down on the ground. He pet the wolf trying to ease its pain.

"My name is Dusk. Thank you for letting me in. What may I call you good Sir?" he asked the man who had opened the door for him. He looked up and waited. If this wasn't a trap, than it would be a good idea to start things off on a friendly tone. He didn't want to be thrown out into the streets again. More than likely he would return to the forest and he knew that Ravens were out there searching for him. He didn't want to be caught by them.

He glanced at the wonderful decor of the place and swallowed hard. This Reiko had to be a noble of some sort! All this wonderful furnishing... he was beginning to wonder if he should take off his shoes and excuse the mess he was causing on the floor. He was dripping and there was mud on his clothes. Would Reiko be angry with him for soiling her home? Many of the other nobles Dusk had met would have skinned him for it.

[Yuina]

REIKO

As usual, Diamond would always follow behind her wherever she goes, even though it was just inside the mansion walls. Reiko walked a slow pace towards the Mansion's front doors. It was a fairly long walk from her room to the mansion doors, and the time it takes to get there, had the chose to walk, allowed for a small conversation.

"So you felt it too then? Well i suppose you would know even before you sense the boy, you sent the wolves for him. Am I correct?"

Reiko smiled even though Diamond wasn't able to see. He was right, there would be no need to send him out to fetch such a young New Breed. It was the one who lives in the Forest of Screams that needs Diamond's attention. Though his recent trip to find the New Breed named Alexander didn't go so well, Reiko trusts that there will be other chances to send out Diamond to look for him.

"Of course I knew. I find it troublesome for you if I would ask you to look for our new guest right? And yes, I sent my beloved pets this time." She said and combed her silky black hair with her fingers in an attempt to fix any loose strands -not that there were any to begin with.

Elegantly striding down the marble steps of her mansion's stairs, Reiko felt a bit of excitement upon greeting their newest guest. It has been quite a while since the mansion had 'new' faces, that fact alone gave her a sense of happiness.

Upon reaching the mansion doors, Diamond immediately went to the doors ahead of Reiko and flung it open with his mighty arms. It revealed a tall man who was carrying a black wolf, still soaking wet with rain. He looked different, he had the aura of the wilderness with him.

This revealed one truth about their new guest. He had been living alone for a long time. Diamond moved aside exposing Reiko to the view of the man outside their doors.

"Reiko, I believe this is our new guest."

Diamond said and stood quietly beside the door. Reiko immediately stepped forward and bowed down to her guest. He looked rather too cautious.

"My name is Dusk. Thank you for letting me in. What may I call you good Sir?"

He asked after laying down one of Reiko's pet wolf on the mansion floor. It was in pain and the sight of it stung Reiko's heart a little but it wasn't enough to wipe the smile off her face. She then began speaking to the man who recently entered her home.

"His name is Skender, welcome to my sanctuary. I am the one who spoke to you through one of my wolves. Though I have already introduced myself to you, I would like to do so again personally. My name is Reiko Himeno, the owner of this sanctuary" She said with a warm smile. "You seem worried. Is it about making a terrible mess in my home? If it is, then worry not, I have enough servants to keep this place clean at all times. Please, allow me to care for my pet..." Reiko said and knelt in front of the man called Dusk.

Gently biting down on her finger, Reiko bit her finger gently causing a wound on it and allowing for a drop of blood to seep into her pet's mouth. Just as soon as Reiko's freshly cut finger wound healed up, her pet sprang back up to it's feet. "This was a test to your personality, it would seem that you and I will get along just fine Dusk. Come in, make yourself at home. I'll have Skender show you around, if you'll excuse me, I have another guest in my room and it would be rude to leave her alone." She said and bowed down to dusk.

"Diamond, I leave the rest in your hands." She said and turned around walking back up the marble staircase with her pet wolf following behind her.

[Neschume]

Skender heard the man ask for his name and was about to reply when Reiko answered for him. he wasn't too happy with that but there was nothing he could do about it. She went right to work on her wolf who had been injured and then left to go see Rosaline, entrusting him with showing this new boy around. There wasn't too much excitement with showing new members of their makeshift family around but if that was what Reiko wanted him to do then he would gladly do it without hesitation. He didn't know where he would start with this one though, possibly some new clothes.

"So your name is Dusk? Well then let us start on our tour of the mansion." Skender told dusk as he began walking forward. Hoping the man would follow him he started talking again, "So how long have you been one of us Dusk? Well if you don't want to answer you don't have to I suppose not everyone is as open with these types of things as others." He walked around the mansion pointing out things of interest or at least what he would imagine would interest this man. The dining room, the wash rooms, anything he could really find that wouldn't be totally obvious to someone who had never been here before.

"Oh I haven't shown anyone the rooms they'll be staying in." Skender was back at the begging of the house, he didn't know if the man had followed him of not but it didn't matter so much, the tour wasn't really all that exciting. "Well by the looks of you you'll need a new set of clothes so if you'll just follow me to my room I can allow you to borrow one of my suits. They're all the same as this one but you'll have your own wardrobe soon enough."

Skender took the man by the arm and had him follow him up to his room. He grabbed a few peices of clothing from his wardrobe and held them out for the man. "I trust these will fit just fine, after all we are about the same size. You can just change in my bathroom and clean up too. We will go up to Mistress Reiko's room once you have changed." Skender moved over to his bed and sat still holding the clothes out for the man. Once he was changing Skender would lay down and rest, if only for a moment. It had been such a long time since he had just laid down.

[Seer]

Dusk looked up startled when he heard Reiko and stood up to give her a bows just as she did. He wondered why she bowed to him, but he would rather not speak against it. He glanced at the other two in the room but they didn't make a move against him. He relaxed a little and when she picked up on his worry, he blushed.

"Lady Reiko, I wanted to thank you for opening your home to me. You don't know me, yet you act as if we are family. How did you find me out in the forest?" he asked. He probably would have asked more questions, but he didn't want to seem rude and annoy her. Then something else caught his attention. She had another guest? Did she do this often? Just pick up strays and bring them home?

What if one of her strays would attack her for her trouble? She really was a generous person, or seemed like it. Were they really just bringing in 'guests' to help them, or were they brought in for tests or maybe even food? It wasnt' unheard of for a New Breed to drink the blood of another New Breed. He had heard such stories when he had been... human. He shook his head to clear the thoughts that swarmed like bees.

He looked up at the man beside Reiko who was supposed to tour him around and possibly take him to his room where he would clean up. That thought made him smile. He hadn't had a shower except the for the rain in a while. A nice warm bath... new clothes... that was all too tempting. He eagerly walked forward and watched Reiko walk away with the wolf he thought he would have to nurse.

He followed Skender out on the tour and looked at everything he would point at. "I.. er.. I actually don't know how long I have been like this. I have lost track of time really..." he admitted to the man. "All I know is that is has been quite a long time. years probably. How about you?" He gave a brief smile when he heard clothes and room. He followed him into Skender's room and looked at the clothes had been given. He was sure he would fit.

"Thank you." He took the clothes and headed into the bathroom. He washed up and pulled on the new clothing. Once he felt better and looked more presentable, he came out and looked over at the man that was now relaxing on his bed. "Is Reiko a nice person? She seems quite hospitable."

[The Literate Angel]

Rosaline

Rosaline nodded as she offered her the drink as well as her own personal bathroom. She was flattered and bowed slightly. She didn't know exactly why she was being offered such kindness, but it seemed that the woman took in New Breeds like her, those who had lost their way. She watched as the two left to go greet someone else and she looked back to the door where the bathroom was.

Rosaline was a little wary still, she wasn't sure what her future held for her, but she pushed thoughts to the back of her mind as she went over to where the blood was sitting. She picked it up and sniffed it before pressing the glass to her lips. She drank it slowly, not wanting to let the animal inside her out again. As she drank though she felt calmer and her head seemed to clear of a haze she hadn't even realized was there.

When she finished she set the glass down and headed into the bathroom. When she entered she was surprised. She hadn't seen such a large bathroom before, nor one so luxurious. She stared at the beautiful space as she wandered through it. She saw a perfect spot to set her dresses.

As she walked over there she looked up to see a mirror and gasped loudly. She saw her reflection, herself as she was now. She hadn't seen her reflection since her wedding day and she was shocked at how much she had changed, how much her beauty had faded behind dirt and grime. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes, but she turned away and quickly took off her dirty wedding dress. She folded it lovingly and set it on a counter next to the emerald dress.

Rosaline then turned back to the mirror and looked at her own body. She had a few scars from some pursuing Ravens, but nothing that was to visible or would last for many years. She was also covered with dirt and mud. Her light brown hair looked darker then it was and was now crusting from the mud that had been caked into it. She could see her amethyst eyes were going between red and their natural color.

She turned away from herself and walked over to the bath, drawing water for it. She saw various bath soaps and oils, but she simply stepped in, the warm water sliding over her body like a warm blanket. She dipped her head down, the warm water feeling marvelous in her hair. She could feel the dirt rising off of her, falling away from her as was her old life.

She came up and grabbed a small sponge and some of the bath soap. She scrubbed her body hard, getting every speck of dirt off. When she was a human she would often take baths, she hated getting dirty, and now that she was back in a normal home she felt rejuvenated. She thoroughly washed her body and her hair, making her skin glow.

When she was finished she stepped out of the bath and drained the water. She then rubbed her body down with some lotion that smelt like rose petals and dew. She then went over to the mirror and looked at herself. Her pale skin was glowing, her face looked somewhat content. Her hair looked brighter and healthier and it hung beautifully down her back. She smiled softly and her white teeth shone back. She looked like a completely different person now.

Rosaline sat down and picked up a small comb. She ran it through her still tangled hair until it was smooth all the way through. She then stood up and turned to her new dress. The emerald green dress was beautiful. She was excited to wear it. She picked it up and unlaced it, stepping into it easily. The dress fit surprisingly well. It was tight around her torso and accentuated certain aspects of her bodice well. The skirt of the gown fanned out around her and the deep color made her eyes stand out even more.

Rosaline dried her hair then brushed it again. She found a small pin, nothing very extravagant or expensive looking, and pinned some of her hair up. Most of her hair fell down her back while the pin held the hair that fell into her face up. She found some powder and applied some of it to her face, though very little. She then stood up and smiled softly. She was still a shadow of her former self, but she now was closer to it in appearance.

She stepped out of the room to find that they hadn't returned quiet yet. She looked around her again, now being able to fully appreciate the room. It really was beautiful, probably the most beautiful room she had ever seen. She ran her hand along the wood of the bed, her eyes tracing the intricate patterns. She turned to the door and decided that she might as well head down the stairs, if nothing more then to find those who were housing and clothing her.

[The Literate Angel]

Maria

Maria smiled and nodded. She walked out with Zied, casting one look back at the bastion before turning to him again. She needed to change her clothes since she was wearing a dress and they needed supplies. He seemed ready so she would ask him to get the things they would need.

"I need to change my clothes, do you mind getting the supplies, like food and medical things?"

She didn't think it would be a problem so she hardly waited for an answer. She was to excited to get out of the Nest and go after their target. She wanted to let her blades feel flesh.

"How about we meet at the front gate in about twenty minutes then? Then we can leave immediately."

And with that she turned and headed back to her room. She practically ran back there. When she entered her room she quickly stripped herself of her dress and grabbed a pair of mens pants. They were a dark brown and slightly loose on her, but they allowed her to move easily. She also put on a loose, lighter brown shirt. She tucked it into her pants so it wouldn't get in her way when she was fighting.

Maria took the bows out of her hair, letting it fall loose around her and small ringlets at the bottom of her long strands made her look very elegant. She then took one of the ties and put her hair up into one ponytail. A few stands still fell into her face, but they wouldn't bother her at all.

She then packed some extra clothes, a dagger in case they ran out of food and had to hunt for it, and her sword sharpening kit. She put on her small gold bracelet with the emerald in the middle. She then headed out of her room, her heart racing with excitement. She knew it would wear off, but she was enjoying the slight giddiness she was feeling. It was the first time she had felt that way since she had first made a sword.

Maria then headed out to the spot she had told him to meet her at. He wasn't there yet so she pulled out her swords, just to make sure they were in top condition. She ignored the surrounding glares and stared at her blades. They were truly magnificent blades, her master had made them for her after she told him what she was doing. The man was sad that she chose that path, but he understood and gave her the blades.

Her eyes narrowed slightly and a dark look came over her features as she thought of her sister. She loved her sister, that would never change, but she hated what she was and she would kill her. She was the only one who could save her sister from what she was and she would enjoy watching her die. She wasn't sure what she would do after she killed her, but she didn't care. She just wanted her blades to taste her blood.

[Ethereal]

ZIED GRAY


Zied returned her smile with a faint one from his lips followed by a light nod of his head. He turned to Siegfried and bowed down before following Maria out of the bastion. The way she walked was a clear evidence that she was burning with excitement. It was evident in her speech too.

"I need to change my clothes, do you mind getting the supplies, like food and medical things? How about we meet at the front gate in about twenty minutes then? Then we can leave immediately."

Supplies, of course that was necessary. Without a word, Zied nodded and went on to the armory alone. Though if it was only himself, he would head out right away. While asking the armory tender for supplies, Zied began to give their journey an advance thought. It was the armor tender's voice that broke his solemn state of thinking.

"Word travels fast Zied, I heard from Lord Siegfried's servants that you're going out with Maria on a hunt. Might I ask where you two are headed?" He questioned while fixing a bag of herbs. Zied slowly turned his head to where he was. "The Forest of Screams..." He said trailing off. The armory tender seemed to have had a surprised look after hearing where they would be going.

"Are you by any chance going after...?" He wasn't able to finish his question when Zied interrupted him. "Yes. That would be the case." He answered. "Then why do you think Lord Siegfried chose Maria to accompany you instead of sending you out alone?" The armory tender asked again after handing Zied the leather bag he packed with supplies.

Zied took the bag and hung it behind his back and gave a fake smile to the Armory tender. "It would seem our lord has taken quite an interest in Maria." He answered and turned around. "What kind of interest?" The Armory tender asked one last time. Zied stopped just before the door of the Armory and turned his head back to him. "It is not in my place to say but... I think the lord likes her." He said and stepped out of the armory.

Zied ran through the crowd of trainees in the sparring grounds with surprising speed. It was only until he reached the Bastion gates where Maria was waiting whilst checking her swords he realized that the Sacred Artifact has already taken effect.

"Are you ready?" He asked her and fixed the pack that hung behind his back. With the rain still pouring hard, Zied walked over to the Bastion gates and gave a hand sign to the one in the watchtower to open the gates for them.

[Yuina]

SIEGFRIED

Maria's soft smile hasn't gone unnoticed by Siegfried. Though it was only for a brief moment, it was a smile he himself rarely ever sees with his own eyes, a genuine smile. Siegfried closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had heard his Ravens say that they will not fail him, which was indeed what he was thinking right at that very moment. He watched the two exchange greetings, shook hands then followed them with his eyes as they headed out of his Bastion. Though his eyes were practically fixed on the smaller one of the two.

Siegfried then walked to his personal space and poured himself another glass of scotch. It has been quite some time when he last indulged in the flimsy pleasure of alcohol. Downing his second glass in one gulp, Siegfried's thoughts wandered back to the time he went alone in the forest of screams. It was a cold night and the only sounds he could hear was the crunching twigs beneath his every footstep and his constant calm breathing.

What lay ahead of him was thick fog, his breath made visible by white smoke coming out of his mouth with every breath he took. His sword was drawn out and his eyes were fierce. It was Raven's blade that provided him with an ample light to find his way while walking inside the forest.

He was hunting, or at least that was what he wanted to think. Back then, a lone New Breed was on his tail, cautiously waiting for a chance to strike. Its first attempt proved to be futile because of Siegfried's quick reflexes. He was waiting for a second attempt from it and was planning on ending it should the chance come.

It did came. The New Breed attacked him from behind with surprising speed. Had he not been anticipating any incoming attacks, he would have been added to the list of Ravens who have died in the forest of screams. With a quick turn followed by a ducking motion and slash from below, he had stopped and countered the New Breed's attack in one fluid string of motion.

However, it was not enough to end his adversary's miserable existence. It roared, voice echoing throughout The Forest of Screams. Siegfried braced himself for a fight and took on his stance. Katori Shinto Ryu, commonly known as Battou Jutsu, it was a style his grandfather taught him which he had mastered quickly. It was meant to kill opponents with just a single quick draw and slash from a sheathed sword, but this New Breed was different.

It was filled with blood lust and was regenerating any wounds Siegfried inflicted at a frighteningly fast rate. Had he relied solely on his sword fighting skills, he would have surely suffered injury. Combining his swordsmanship with his fist fighting know-how, Siegfried kept a considerable advantage over the New Breed which led to a drawn out battle.

"You fight well Raven, it has been a while since I have fought someone who lasted for more than minutes. My name is Alexander, I would have turned you but you are a threat to our existence. It's a shame but you have to die!" It said and attacked.

Focusing all of his bodily energy to his Sacred Artifact Raven, it began to glow a dark red hue. It was the first time he had ever activated his artifact's full potential. When their final clash ensued, it was Siegfried who was left standing victorious. When he was about to deliver the final blow, Siegfried found himself sent flying backwards.

In his eyes, a figure dressed in a crimson red gown suddenly appeared in the middle of him and the New Breed Alexander who delivered a quick and very strong push to his chest. He tried to grab the figure but his hands only caught the crimson red ribbon tied to the silky black hair of the one who appeared before them. Siegfried lost consciousness for a brief moment when his back hit a large tree. When he came to, he was alone in The Forest of Screams with only a ribbon in his hand to serve as a memory of what had happened.

[The Literate Angel]

Maria

Maria watched as Zied approached. She was feeling the effects of the Sacred Artifact and she knew he was too. He had the same excited look in his eyes. She sheathed her swords gracefully and started to walk with him. He asked if she was ready and she just nodded.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be, I suppose."

She looked at the ring that was giving her new power and wondered why Lord Siegfried had acted so nice to her. She had seen men faun over her before, but he was an important figure and she hadn't even finished all three houses. Granted she knew she was talented, but she didn't feel that her talents merited so much interest.

She cleared her mind of those things though. She needed to focus on their mission. If she was distracted she would get them both killed. She knew that the New Breed Alexander had escaped their Lord and that he was a formidable foe and king of the Forest of Screams. Beyond that she knew nothing about him. She didn't even know anything about the Forest of Screams.

Maria looked over at Zied who was walking with her. She wondered how much he knew. He had finished all three houses, excelling in the House of Fists from what she heard, and he was a very good fighter. She wondered why he wasn't sent alone, but she didn't think to much about it. She was getting a once in a lifetime chance.

"Zied, what do you know about Alexander and the Forest of Screams?"

She adjusted her knapsack slightly before turning her full attention to him. She hoped he knew more then her because if not she wasn't sure how their little plan would go down. She wondered what would be more affective against Alexander as well, hand-to-hand combat or swordsmanship? Perhaps it would have to be a mixture of both. Maybe that's why they were both sent out. She was far more talented in the way of the sword then in the way of the fist and for Zied it seemed to be the opposite.

[Ethereal]

ZIED GRAY

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be, I suppose."

Maria said in response to Zied's earlier question. "Good. Let us make haste then." He said and began walking forward. With the gates slowly opening with a loud metallic creak, Zied walked on towards the land outside The Nest, Maria walking beside him. Her thoughts seemed to have been lingering away from their objective for a moment which Zied didn't fail to notice, but it was shifted back to their primary goal... Alexander.

In his own space of thoughts, Zied was wondering how strong of a New Breed this Alexander is. For their lord to have failed hunting him, he was thinking it could have been a New Breed on par with their lord's power, or there must be some kind of mistake. He didn't know what to believe and he honestly has no idea about the history of their target. Siegfried didn't give out that much information but every basic one is there. The target is a New Breed, their sworn enemy, their foe, and it needs to be killed. To Zied, that's all there is to it.

"Zied, what do you know about Alexander and the Forest of Screams?"

His temporary state of contemplation was disturbed by Maria's fair voice asking a question. He turned his head and looked at her. It was the catalyst for Zied to begin digging up tales from fellow Ravens that was told some time in the past. "The Forest of Screams... I heard from others that though small, it is easy to get lost inside. I have never been there myself but as I heard from high ranking fellow Ravens, it is always covered in thick fog. Why it came to be known as Forest of Screams eludes me..." He said and looked forward.

"People say that The Forest of Screams is a good place to gather rare medicinal herbs, but the risks are high. That's about the extent of my knowledge about the place. I suggest we leave a trail when traversing inside the forest." He continued and kicked a stray rock away from the road. "As for the New Breed Alexander, the tales I heard would be best kept untold. Grim, an A class Raven lost his life to this New Breed..." He said and trailed off and brushed his wet hair with one hand. "And so did many others. It would be wise for us to watch each others backs" He continued.

He glanced at Maria who seem to be listening intently and only then had he seen that she was indeed a fair lady. He smiled in amusement and failed to keep his opinion to himself. "No wonder the lord has taken an interest in you Maria. You resemble 'her'..." He said trailing off once more and shifting his gaze onto the road.

[Yuina]

REIKO

With the thought of having two new guests in her home in a single day running in her mind, Reiko could not wipe the smile off her small soft lips. It has been a long, long while since she had ever felt so excited. Their new guests were a woman whom she left in her room, and the man named Dusk whom she left with Diamond. To Reiko, this was indeed a day to rejoice. "It would seem our family is growing as time passes by." She addressed her pet wolf that was playfully tagging along with her. It responded with a playful bark.

Reiko smiled and stopped, kneeling slowly to pet the head of her wolf. "If only Diamond found that New Breed, we would have had another guest for today." She said and rose up again. She was about to walk forward when a sudden burning sensation in her throat consumed her. Staggering and losing her balance, Reiko fell to the carpeted halls on the way to her room. Her eyes flickering from faint to bright red glows, her breathing instantly becoming ragged.

The lights of her mansion instantly responded to the owner's state, flickering on and off the same way her eyes did. Rapid gasps for air escaped her mouth as she tried to ease away the burning sensation she felt in her throat. She clawed the fine carpet with her now sharp nails, desperately trying to hold on to her calm and composed state. Her wolf circled around her barking and growling in worry for its master.

Her life was the mansion's life. With the burning sensation now reaching down her chest, the mansion lights began to dance around flickering on and off at a rapid succession. Reiko finds herself clawing at the chest part of her crimson gown in a vain attempt to ease the painful sensation she was going through.

She has not fed for a long time, even though she was given a bottle of fresh human or animal blood daily, she barely touches them. Her moans of pain now slowly becoming screams of agony, Reiko battled her hunger. "Di...amo...nd..." She called out weakly in a broken speech pattern. Her vision becoming clouded by red mist, rage was rapidly consuming every sane part of her thought process.

[The Literate Angel]

Rosaline

Rosaline pushed open the door and stepped out into the hall. She wasn't exactly sure how to get back to the entrance hall or if they were even there, but she had a good idea. She headed down the hallways, now able to fully appreciate the paintings on the wall.

As she walked the lights suddenly flickered. She looked around, a slight fear festering in the pit of her stomach. She walked faster, wondering what could be causing the lights to flicker like that. As she went they only seemed to flicker faster and faster. Suddenly she could hear moans coming from up ahead. As she neared the moans turned into cries of agony. Rosaline saw Reiko on the floor and ran forward, falling to her knees next to her.

"Lady Reiko!"

She yelled. The woman's eyes were flickering between red and their natural color. She could tell that she was hungry. She heard her mutter Diamonds name and looked around, wondering where the man who usually followed her was.

"Diamond!"

She cried out, panic in her voice. She didn't know what to do for the woman as she writhed in agony on the floor. Rosaline looked at the wolf who had been circling around the two since she got there. She closed her eyes, knowing what she had to do, but not really wanting to. She quickly grabbed the wolf though, holding it down as it tried to struggle. She ran a razor sharp nail over its throat, not deep enough to kill it, but deep enough to let the blood flow freely.

"Forgive me."

Rosaline lifted Reiko's head as she let the wolf's blood flow into her mouth. She could feel a few tears fall down her cheeks. She didn't like to kill, especially if she was that conscious of her actions. She didn't like to kill and she had no idea if the wolf was a pet or something. She hoped Diamond would be there soon.

"Diamond!"

She cried out, a little more desperation in her voice. The wolf didn't struggle very much and that made her insides curl even more. She hoped she wouldn't kill it, but she wasn't sure how much blood Reiko needed to become better. She also wasn't sure how long her kind could last without blood. She didn't know if they could die from lack of it, but Reiko seemed very close the way she had been writhing and crying out.

[Trinity Veritas]

Layla had managed to stumble into a darkly deep forest without her knowing. It could have been the craving buried inside of her for the blood, or it could have been the sight of the young boy’s lifeless eyes that replayed in her mind relentlessly that distracted her from her better senses. Whatever it may have been, it was too late to worry with now with the moon hidden from her sight by the dark banked clouds. Rain spilt from their full bellies and onto the drowning land. Each step Layla took deeper into the forest was met with large black puddles. And though the rain came down with a chill in its intentions, she was slightly comforted by it. She had always enjoyed the way it slid down her skin and teased the nerve endings.

Layla shook her head and tried to clear her thoughts. Two things were certain that she needed to focus on; food and a place to sleep. Looking up, she found that the canopy of the enormous trees was as thick as the trees were tall.

If I cannot find shelter in time, the trees will do.


Sleeping among branches was nothing new to her. She had spent many a night hiding upon them from humans that called themselves Ravens and angry villagers. Hunts that had her head as a bounty were becoming less often once the hunger had slightly curved. Her time racing with death and life left a painful spot in her heart where the love of fellow humans lies from the way they looked at her with such hate and disgust. But she could hardly blame them. She had become a mindless monster only looking out for herself, and only for herself. Though now that the humanity had found a way back through the veils of blood lust, Layla is determined to atone her sins.


As the thoughts flowed through like an unruly stream craves its way down a mountain, Layla began to feel a glimmer of an emotion around her. It seemed like hope to her, but she was much too far away to tell. A faint smile found its way across her face while she licked her lips in anticipation. She immediately began to set out to find whoever was leaking the sickly sweet emotion within the drowning, dark forest.

[The Literate Angel]

Maria

Maria listened to what Zied said and nodded when he said they needed to watch each others backs. She wondered what kind of trail they could leave, perhaps a string, but she didn't have anything like that. Maybe he had grabbed something that would be useful. She was also worried about the fog. She was fairly good at listening and maneuvering with little visibility, but she didn't like to do it.

Before she could ask anymore questions though Zied said something that confused her and slightly annoyed her. He said that it was no wonder Siegfried had taken an interest in her, that she must remind him of a certain "her". Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at him, wondering what he was implying. She didn't think he had necessarily taken a romantic interest in her, just simply believed that he saw her skill.

Still she was curious as to who the "her" he was referring to was. She wondered if it was a past lover or maybe in a past wife. Perhaps it wasn't even that, perhaps it was simply she reminded him of a woman who was also skilled. She didn't see many Ravens who were female around so she assumed she might look like one of the few.

"I'm not quiet sure why you feel a need to comment on whatever interest Lord Siegfried has in me, but I do want to know who the "her" you referred to is."

Maria wondered if he would respond or keep his mouth shut, but she would find out one way or another. She didn't know why but she felt an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. She kept her face fairly clear though and simply had a look of slight annoyance on.

[Neschume]

Skender walked down the hall towards Reiko's room with the new addition to the family, Dusk. They had a bit of idle chit chat when suddenly the lights started to flicker. "Damn it, what's going on?" he questions and he rushed forward, feet lifting off the ground. This is how he ran when he was in a hurry it wasn't too much quicker but it saved time because he didn't need to move his legs at all. His clothing was flying behind him, barely hanging on to his body.

As he began to twist up the staircase heading towards Reiko's room Skender heard the Rosaline girl calling his name. He moved faster now as the lights began to flicker more and more rapidly. "Reiko! Rosaline!" He cried out as he stormed up the spiraling stairs. Pictures flew off the walls and crashed down behind him as he could hear the screams of Rosaline getting louder. Nothing would stop his race towards Reiko's room except for one thing, Reiko.

Skender was stopped dead in his tracks. Before him lay Reiko, on the ground, eyes flaring red and then falling back to their normal coloring. The new member of their family Rosaline was kneeling beside her wolf in hand, trying to feed Reiko it's blood. He heard Reiko mutter his name under her breath and he instantly fell to the floor, all the way from levitating to kneeling beside her in one fluent motion. "What is this! Damn it all we need more blood than that," He was looking at the petite amount of blood falling from the wolf's mouth into Reiko's as he said this, "She probably hasn't fed in weeks maybe even longer."

Looking around at the thin hall around him he knew of nothing that would give any more blood than the wolf but he knew it wasn't enough. The lights around him were dimming ever still as the life was being drained from Reiko even though she had blood going into her body. "Keep that wolf there Rosaline." He was speaking in one of the most stern and seemingly angry tones of voices one could manage to, "I'm going to her room to get a bottle of blood."

Skender pushed off from the stairs, jumping over Reiko and Rosaline as he sprinted towards Reiko's room. Halfway up the rest of the stairs his feet picked up off the ground without him even noticing, it was a force of habit. He made it to Reiko's door and pushed it open as quickly as he could. A crashing sound was heard to his left and he knew he had damaged the door or the wall in some way. It didn't matter, nothing matter other than getting the wine glass filled with blood for Reiko.

The bottle was in a small cupboard on the right side of Reiko's room and as soon as he found it Skender hurried off back towards Reiko. He had a difficult time controlling the Levitation while going down stairs at such high speeds. He went faster than normal and he had hardly any control of which was he turned. He crashed into a the wall on his left a few times while going towards Reiko but nothing would stop him.

Skender stopped right as he got to Reiko and immediately pushed Rosaline and the wolf she was holding out of the way. "This had better work." He muttered under his breath as he pushed the edge of the bottle up to Reiko's lips. He had popped the cork off with his fingers as soon as he got there so that there would be no need to open it when he was by her side. While pushing the glass to her lips and pouring it in slowly he started talking to Rosaline. "So how much blood do you think you got to her? That was a very small cut in the wolf it couldn't have been much." His voice had calmed and now had only a slight feeling of urgency in it. "If she dies we're all doomed, or at least that's the way I see it."

[Ethereal]

ZIED GRAY


Zied saw Maria's annoyance from the corner of his eye. It was a natural reaction from a lady to become annoyed if they were told that they remind someone of somebody. It never failed to amuse Zied. "Ahahaha! I'm sorry My Lady, I meant no offense in saying that. Since we'll be having a long walk to The Forest of Screams, sharing a story or two might help pass the time." He said and kicked another loose rock on the road.

"Now, if you could just ease away that annoyed look, I'll tell you more about what I know of our lord from years before you became a Raven." Zied said and pulled out a small metal container filled with scotch. He took a light sip and put the container back in his jacket pocket.

"Our lord displays a very rare soft side around female Ravens. The complete opposite of how he is around males. You should be honored he treats you like that..." Zied worded while fixing the leather bag that hung on his back. He looked up the rain filled sky and took a deep breath. "Lord Siegfried reminds me of how I used to be with somebody... that is why I couldn't keep my comments to myself." He said and gazed upon the gold ring he wore on his right hand.

Maria seemed to have slightly dropped the annoyed look and was showing interest in his story. Zied brush his wet hair up again and slid one hand inside his pants pocket. "Back when I was still a trainee, about four years ago, there came a woman to the Ranks of the Ravens. Her reason for joining was never made public, we guessed that Lord Siegfried decided to keep it a secret. Eunice was her name." Zied said and turned his gaze over to Maria.

"Lord Siegfried personally taught Eunice his own sword style which made a lot of Ravens wonder why she was being treated differently. Whenever Eunice would go out for a hunt, Lord Siegfried accompanied her. She was hated by other Ravens because of the fact that the Lord gives her so much merit." Zied said as both of them slowly walked down the muddy path.

"One day, Eunice and Lord Siegfried went out on a hunt. I have just recently graduated from the House of Spears that time and have just climbed the Official Raven Ranks. Being curious myself, I secretly followed them..." Zied said and took a deep breath. "What I saw was remarkable." he said with a tone of admiration.

[Yuina]

REIKO

The red mist in her eyes had grown thicker and her surroundings were all inside a red haze. Her own heartbeat was the only thing she could hear right at that moment. She was already lost in her own rage and hunger. Blood, she knew she needed it right now! As if miracles really do happen, the sweet taste of blood slowly dripped down her mouth.

She felt her body gently lifted up as the sweet blood continued to flow down her throat, easing away the burning sensation she was feeling little by little. Her clawing of her now ripped and tattered crimson gown had subsided as she mindlessly drank the meager flow of blood that poured on her lips.

Little by little her sanity had been seeping back to her. After a few more gulps of blood, she began to recognize that it was her pet's blood, but she didn't care. Her hunger has clouded her better judgment and all she wanted was more. Soon she was able to tell that there had been crashing sounds drawing closer to her followed by a gust of wind as a seemingly large figure landed beside her.

The red mist that has clouded her vision began to slowly dissipate as the meager flow of blood was replaced by an ample amount which greatly eased her craving for more. Reiko's fangs slowly retracted and her claws no longer visible in her now soft hands. Spasms of hunger occasionally engulfed her body as she continued drinking more.

The flickering lights have stopped only after she had completely drank the contents of what she recognized now as the bottle of blood that was formerly in her room. Faces whom she recognized too became clear as her vision was relieved from the red mist of rage and hunger. Diamond, Rosaline, and even Dusk had seen her in a pitiful state.

She gently held Diamond's hand and pushed it away from her mouth. She looked down only to see that her chest is partly exposed. Reiko quickly covered herself up by hugging herself with her arms. She looked to the side to see a crying Rosaline still holding her pet which was wounded. She was right, it was her pet's blood she drank.

"Thank you Rosaline, Diamond... and Dusk, I apologize to all of you for having to see me in such a miserable state." She said and hung her head low. She wanted more blood and there is still a light burning in her chest and throat but nothing she couldn't handle.

Soon after, the Mansion's servants began filling the halls where they lay. The Mansion who seemed to be only inhabited by a few came to show that it sheltered multiple New Breeds. All of them sharing that same worried look on their faces.

[Trinity Veritas]

It didn’t take long for Layla to find the source of the emotion. There’s so much of it that it almost over-powered her, leaving her light-headed and disorderly. She could handle small emotions such as contentment and what not to tune them out, but that sweet, sweet scent of hope in such large quantities is something next to impossible to rid of.

It surprised her when she reached the edge of the forest to find a spectacular housing standing proudly with its wrought iron gates surrounding it protectively. Layla closed her eyes and steadied herself against a tree’s comforting structure. She let all of the hope slithering its way from the beautiful home and let it wrap around herself like a second membrane. A sudden depressed took a hold over her heart as she realized how strong the hope was. Hope was something she hadn’t experienced since her long forgotten childhood; not since she was taken away from her family.

Layla slowly opened her eyes and gazed aimlessly towards the sky above the castle-like building. Something beckoned her to walk upon its plane and savor what it had to offer, but if survival taught her anything it was to be wary of the things that she desired most. For all Layla knew it could be a inn for villagers, vindictive ones at that, or the humans that called themselves Ravens that are constantly hell-bent on chasing her kind; if there was even “her kind”, she had never met another like herself before. A thousand situations flashed through her mind of what fate would fall upon her shoulders if she made the slip up of going to the structure. Though, it was her curiosity in the end that gave her the will to take a chance.

She let out a breath she didn’t notice she was holding very slowly and said in her soft voice, “Standing here isn’t going to get me anywhere…”

Layla made her descent down to the iron gates and admired the craftsmanship. No amateur blacksmith could have bent the metal against its will in such a fashion. A true artist had reached out by their remarkable hand to make this masterpiece. With a slight swallow, Layla laid her palm against the cool slick metal and gave a push. She chewed on her bottom lip nervously, one of her less mannered habits, and awaited for what was to come.

[Yuina]

SIEGFRIED

Having drunk half the bottle of scotch empty, Siegfried still sat in his personal space while playing with a glass half filled with scotch. His thoughts were random, flying everywhere they wanted but there was nothing but memories of battle, pain, suffering, anger, hatred. He smirked sarcastically and downed the remaining scotch in his glass. "There's just no end to it..." He mumbled to himself and half-filled his glass once more with liquor.

One of his servants, the oldest of them all, came in to the living room with a clean towel draped in one of his arms whilst carrying a tray of food for his Lord. Siegfried noticed him but paid no attention. His gaze locked onto the swirling reddish brown liquor in his glass. "My Lord, your dinner." The servant said placing the tray beside Siegfried in his bar. The servant then made his way inside the bar and acted as a tender.

"Is something wrong Lord Siegfried?" He asked the man who was drowning himself in alcohol that had little effect on him. Siegfried chuckled and downed the glass of scotch once more. This time, his servant took the glass and was the one who half filled it for his Lord. "Everything is wrong..." He said in a shallow tone, eyes now gazing at a piece of marble the size of a fist he held with his right hand.

The servant noticed his Lord holding that very same marble piece once more. "Painful memories my lord?" he asked while keeping the bar clean. "Indeed." Siegfried answered. The old servant took a deep breath. "Won't you share your pain with this old man like you used to Lord Siegfried?" he said followed by a faint smile. Siegfried kept quiet and downed another glass.

"Forgive me for the intrusion my Lord, but that Maria resembled Lady Eunice, is it why you are acting like that?" the servant asked politely. Siegfried played recent memories across his mind, the way Maria sat on his sofa, the way she drank from his wine glass, the way she blushed when he wore the Sacred Artifact on her finger, and especially the way she smiled. Everything about her reminded him of Eunice, but the painful thing for him is that, Maria is a different person.

"It's my fault..." Siegfried mumbled while gripping the marble he held as tight as his fist would allow. His servant refilled his glass with scotch and looked at Siegfried with reassuring eyes. "My Lord, you should forgive yourself. She knew the dangers of your work yet she chose to be by your side. Should anyone be blamed, it's not you or the lady." he said in a soft, refined and reassuring tone.

"You're wrong. If there's anyone to be blamed, it's me... for allowing my emotions to cloud my better judgment. I knew the dangers! I knew this life wasn't for her! And yet... I let her in... consented and even showed her the ropes... Maria just reminded me how horrible of a man I am." He said and downed the glass of scotch once more.

As Siegfried was about to leave his private space, the voice of his servant stopped him from walking away. "My Lord, please heed the words of this humble servant. For every sin, lies different paths to atonement. It's just a matter of finding the right path to follow. Good night my Lord." he said and bowed down. Siegfried replied with a light nod of understanding and made his way up the granite staircase to his room.

[Seer]

Dusk felt so much better in his new clean clothes. He had forgotten the last time he felt so comfortable. As they were walking down the hall, Dusk was taking in the sites and smells. He wasn't cold, he wasn't wet, and he oddly enough, felt so calm. Fear wasn't a constant companion for him and that was one worry he didn't have to care for anymore. He was eternally grateful to Reiko. She had helped him escape death and maybe now he could find redemption.

When the lights began to flicker, he froze. He looked around wildly trying to find the reason for this suddenly light display. When his companion jolted off down the hall and off the ground, he was startled to reality. He ran after him using his speed as a tool. He heard people calling out Diamond and a strangled cry. A cry he had made before. Whoever it was, was thirsty to the point of rage. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Reiko.

A woman was sitting besides her trying to feed her pet's blood to her but it wasn't doing too much to help. It at least calmed her a little. Skender jolted down the hall and into a room to retrieve something and Dusk stood frozen. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know this place so he didn’t know where to go and get help. Instead, he took to kneeling beside her and caressing her, trying to ease her pain.

"It will be okay Lady Reiko..." he whispered and moved her hair out of her face as she continued to drink. Skender landed beside them and poured a bottle of red liquid he knew as blood to Reiko's lips and she drank long draughts. Her spasms were growing weaker until she was calm once more and her hunger began to diminish. He gave a small smile relieved. He didn't know what would happen if she had gone on without blood at that very moment.

She sat up then and looked around her, getting her bearings. She covered herself up with her arms probably embarrassed. He couldn't blame her. He might have fled were he in her position. Only hours ago, he could have been facing the very dilemma she had. Why hadn't she had any blood to begin with? This place was huge, no doubt she had some way of obtaining the blood she needed to survive. Maybe hosts, or just having someone hunt for her.

"Thank you Rosaline, Diamond... and Dusk, I apologize to all of you for having to see me in such a miserable state," Reiko apologized. Dusk shook his head and caressed her face, full aware of the audience that had now gathered around them. She had nothing to be sorry for. They were all in that position before they came here he was sure.

"Do not apologize Lady Reiko. There is nothing for you to apologize for," he smiled.

[Yuina]

REIKO

Thanks to the quick efforts of her guests, Reiko regained her composure after momentarily losing it from intense hunger. She sat on the hallway to her room wallowing in shame. Reiko apologized to her guests but felt that what they saw from her would shatter their hopes that she wanted to provide. Those were occasional hunger attacks that she tends to suffer alone. Reiko has not fed for a long time, probably somewhere around fifty years she didn't know for she lost track of the count.

She deduced that the cause might have been too much excitement and excessive use of her powers whilst in a state of hunger. With her head hanging low, she heard one of her guests, Dusk say that there is nothing she needed to apologize for. Soon after that, a gentle touch caressed her cheek. Reiko was surprised. There had been nobody in her mansion who had ever laid their hands on her that gave so much feeling of comfort and reassurance.

She closed her eyes and unconsciously nestled her cheek on Dusk's warm hand, Reiko enjoyed how it felt like even if it was only for a brief moment. She then opened her eyes and looked at Dusk, acknowledging his kind act with a light nod followed by a warm smile. She was her usual self again, the same smile she always had escaped her lips once more.

Reiko then turned her gaze to Rosaline who was still weeping beside her while clutching her wounded pet wolf. With a silent chant, Reiko recalled her black wolf. It disappeared from Rosaline's arms with a faint black smoke that dissipated as it floated upwards. She then reached out with her right hand and wiped away Rosaline's tears. She was much more radiant now than when she first came to her mansion. Tears clearly doesn't suit her, or so Reiko thought. "There, there young one... no need to feel bothered or guilty about my pet. You have done well. You have my deepest gratitude." Reiko said using the gentlest of her voice trying to calm Rosaline down.

Reiko's attention however was shifted to her Mansion gates. A new presence had entered her sanctuary. "Everyone, I assure you that I am alright now... please, go back to your usual chores and worry not, for I am perfectly fine." Reiko lied to her servants. They however believed her words and soon after, the halls were cleared of New Breeds and it seemed like the Mansion had fewer residents yet again.

Staggering back up to her feet, Reiko looked at her guests. "Dusk, Rosaline, would you be so kind as to escort our new guest back to my room while I go get changed? My gown is... not in the best of conditions I must say." She worded followed by a faint giggle.

[Trinity Veritas]

The gates swung open with a haunting creak that invited her to step onto the stone walk-path that led to the structure. Layla began to feel imitated by its vast beauty by the time she reached middle ground. Her brisk footsteps immediately turned into an inching pace.

“What am I doing…?” she mumbled to herself softly.

It wasn’t until now that it hit her. Of course this home belonged to someone prestigious; someone who wouldn’t want a drifter like herself with nothing to her name but the blood stained clothes clutching onto her as if it was a lifeline. The fact she was also a…whatever she was, also put her at major disadvantage.

Layla looked down into her half opened palms and saw flashes of images of past throats passing through them. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to will the past away. The word monster crossed her mind as her hands curled into fist. She was a monster; there was no better word for it.

The rain traced the ridge of her nose and the corners of her eyes and dripped to the ground to join its brethren in a puddle. A roll of thunder roared demandingly above as a streak of lightening danced gleefully across the dark sky. Layla opened her eyes slowly and watched the display with a sense of wonder.

But it was then she felt an overwhelming emotion of panic crashed over her like a tidal wave. Though as she rushed towards the main doors in a fit of reflexes and wrapped her slender fingers around a thick iron ring that acted as a handle, the wave disappeared as quickly as it came to her and was replaced by a soothing calmness and relief.

Layla pressed one of her hands against her throbbing temple. The sudden shift was as if a whirlwind ripped through her senses and left her disoriented. Her knees swayed in an unsure way and her eyes fluttered as she tried to regain a scrape of balance.

[Neschume]

Skender looked at the people around him as they slowly dissipated. His quick thinking as well as Rosaline's had saved Reiko. He wondered what would have happened if they had not gotten her blood so quickly and he could only shudder. He looked back up and all of the servants who were once standing around in this room were gone. They came and left so fast he wondered only how so many people could move in and out of sight so quickly. Though he had been here so long it still amazed him at the speed of Reiko's servants.

It was at the time that Reiko was telling him and the others around them that everything would be alright that he sensed another presence at the mansion. He looked at Reiko as she was telling Rosaline and Dusk to great their new guest. It was for the best, he would much rather stay and guard her than have the two newest members of their family to do so. There was nothing wither of them could do if anything similar to what had just transpired happened as an aftermath of the first situation. Those two had better hurry, the girl's already getting into the courtyard, he thought to himself. The girl was moving at surprising speed towards the house which surprised him.

Skender stared at the door then Reiko and then looked back at the door. "Reiko you should have those two get out there quickly, we don't want our guest to think us rude." He said to Reiko, "Maybe it would be best if I simply did it. I'll be right back Mistress."

Skender walked over to the door and opened it slowly revealing a broken looking New Breed girl standing at the door. She looked just like all the others who had come today, wet and cold. There wasn't much else he could observe other than that and so he welcomed her to their sanctuary. "Hello Miss, might I ask your name?" He held his hand out for her just as he had done for Rosaline as he asked this. "Please don't be shy we are all very friendly I assure you. Though things are a bit tense right now so please excuse the mood."

[Seer]

Dusk returned Reiko's sweet smile with his own. She had been kind to him so it was only right that he returned the favor. He was glad that he seemed to up her sprits even a little. That was all that matter wasn't it? They were a sort of family now he guessed. Family helped each other when they were in need of it most. It was only natural to him and wondered why so few have tried to comfort her.

He watched in silence as she tried to sooth the girl beside them that was holding the pet she tried to help Reiko with. He felt bad for her suddenly. She was quite beautiful and those tears that streaked down her face shouldn't be there. He didn't want her or anyone else to cry and gave her a small smile as well when Reiko wiped away her tears and tried to calm her down.

At Reiko's requested he nodded. He reached down to help Rosaline get up so they could answer the door when Skender decided to answer the door for them. He shrugged it off. He would still be there to welcome whoever else came to this place. It really was a safe heaven for them and would gladly help Reiko in anyway he could. He glanced over at the door curious as to who else had arrived.

From the side, he could barely see a girl standing outside in the rain. So it was another New Breed female that had arrived. This little family seemed to be getting bigger and bigger and by the crowd he had seen, there were so many of their kind that Reiko had saved. He started wondering how many in all were living in this place and how old Reiko was. He would never ask her of course. It would be rude to ask anyone that question. It was so sensitive. Than it dawned on him; how old was he?

[Yuina]

MIST DWELLERS

Seeping from the cracks on the forest floor, a white mist escaped the thin crevices of the land into the rain soaked state of Guarlisle Woods. Hovering just above the ground, the white mist's spherical shape is disoriented by the huge beads of rain that constantly passes though it. Despite the harsh wind that accompanied the rain, the mist is neither lifted into the air or blown away by it. The mist remained there hovering, as if carefully observing it's new environment.

So this is El Drid... Truly it is magnificent. Seems I came out to what they call a forest this time around...

Floating across a combination of puddles and dead flora, the mist made its way into the shade of a large tree, away from where the downfall of rain is harsh. A few moments passed until the mist began taking on a different form. With a little bit of light display from within the body of smoke, the mist took on a form of a human. A woman with dark green hair and pale gray eyes. She floated slowly downwards, gently touching her feet to the soaked forest grounds.

This form really takes a while of getting used to... has been years since I last assumed this form. I am out of practice.

Wobbling left and right, the woman tried hard to gain balance. She however fell when she took a step forward. The woman's face was temporarily disoriented as she lost quite a bit of her focus in an attempt to walk. She remained sprawled, naked and soaked on the forest floors as if contemplating on the basics of walking. In her mist form, she did not have to worry about balance for all she ever did was float.

It would seem I would require time to refresh and practice staying in this form once more...

She thought to herself but was suddenly alerted to the presence of others in the area. Not far from where she sat, she had felt it, humans are wandering through these woods. She tried to move but she has not practiced enough to get her new form to function like it should. Instead of being able to get up, she further lost her balance causing her to fall face first on the forest floors.

"Sir! Look over there!"

One man called to his superior as he pointed to where the woman lay. A man of old age looked at one of his men pointing at a certain area and made his way to where he was referring to. Moments later, A Raven patrol of five people made it's way to the scene, all of them rain soaked and heavily armed. They were all surprised to see a naked woman lying face first on the forest floor but cautiously kept their distance.

"Sir, what do you think?"

One man from the five asked with a low voice as he gripped his spear tight, slowly pointing it forward. The aged one responded with a nod and drew out his own sword. He took on a defensive stance and soon after the rest of his men followed his lead. It was not an everyday occasion you get to encounter a naked lady in a forest as huge as Guarlisle Woods, and the chances for that kind of encounter is greatly reduced to nearly impossible by having New Breeds running rampant these days.

"You! Where are you from and what are you doing here?!"

The man of old age questioned the woman with a raised and unfriendly tone of voice. Should she fail to answer correctly, a swift death lies in wait for her. At least, that was what the aged man had planned until the woman raised her lightly muddied face to take a glance at them. The old man's eyes widened in shock.

"It-it can't be! Eunice!! Is that you?!"

[Ethereal]

ZIED GRAY


Having walked a considerable distance away from The Nest, Zied knew that the dangers that lie ahead are exponentially growing with each step he and Maria takes. Though he would have loved to continue chatting and possibly asking Maria questions about her, the situation they were thrust into suddenly did not allow him for idle banter. Upon reaching a fork in the road, Zied's attention was turned towards the right path. It was not the way to The Forest of Screams, it was a path to a nearby village. He didn't know why but his attention is drawn to it.

That's funny, I thought I heard something... He said to himself after stopping in his tracks and gazing at the road to the right. Zied squinted his eyes to get a better view father into the road however, the harsh rainfall and dim backdrop restricted him from getting a clear view. Maria's silence however was appreciated as it helped Zied tune out the sounds that were already playing in the ambiance. I was sure I heard something. Zied said to himself as he listened intently. Momentarily, his eyes widened. There it was! Screams of panic! He could only make out a few words which were Get back! Stay away!

Zied's eyes suddenly turned fierce. He knew somebody is in trouble and the adrenaline surging through his veins are screaming for him to dash out. Within a split second, Zied realized that he may only have a few minutes or even worse, seconds to make a decision. Having been used to working alone, he had completely forgotten that he had a partner this time. Damn it! Hang on! I'm coming! he assured the one screaming though he knew that his thoughts wouldn't be able to reach him.

Zied's eyes turned even fiercer. He dropped his leather backpack beside Maria and began dashing towards the road on the right. Faster Zied! Hurry up! He said to himself mentally urging his body to go faster. He was feeling lightweight and he could feel the beads of water hitting his face like small pebbles as he ran through the road. He didn't even notice that he was already going fast, in his mind, he needed to be there now!

Zied listened once more as the sounds finally became clearer. The screams of panic were actually accompanied by running hoof steps. Zied knew that the one screaming was riding a horse which is good however, sometimes even thoroughbred horses are not enough to outrun a New Breed should the case be that he was running away from one. Zied's eyes brimmed with hope as a silhouette of a rider emerged from a distance.

He pushed his legs harder wanting to get there as fast as possible. As he neared the source of the screams, a new sound made its way to his ears, that distinct growling and heavy breathing, there was no mistake! It's a New Breed!

"Oh no! No! No! No!"

The man screamed more after realizing that Zied was running towards him from the front. Zied however found that he was laughing inside even in this situation. The man probably thought that he too was a New Breed thanks to the Sacred Artifact he had on. He knew it had allowed him to run probably as fast as a New Breed can. His thoughts however was pushed aside after seeing the New Breed leap from behind the man, its fangs and claws were bared and ready to strike.

Shit! Not good! Zied thought and put all his leg power onto his right foot and boosted himself up to the air while shouting at the rider. "Get down! I'm a Raven!" Zied timed his leap exactly to clear the height of the horse and rider combined. Had it not been for the Sacred Artifact, he would surely not be able to perform such a feat. Shifting his thoughts back to the surprised New Breed, Zied twisted his body in midair and launched a back kick with his right foot that landed squarely on the New Breed's face.

Gotcha you bloodsucker! He thought to himself as a smirk escaped his lips. From the impact earlier, Zied felt some bones crack, but he was sure it wasn't any of his bones. His smile widened as he landed on both feet and watched the New Breed fly and skid quite a distance away from him. Even though it has regained balance in the last second avoiding a crash landing, Zied knew he did damage.
Taking in huge breaths, Zied tries to recover what he lost by dashing out like hell.

Knowing that the rider had gained enough distance to be safe from this miserable creature, Zied smiled hoping that the rider comes across Maria at the end of the road for added security. That is when it hit him. Shit! Maria! I totally forgo-- His thoughts were immediately turned to the New Breed in front of him after hearing it growl at him in anger. Seeing as it has taken a striking position, Zied steeled himself for combat.

Gghh! So you belong to the stronger ones huh... Zied said surprised at the sudden development. Normally, his kicks and punches are strong enough to knock out or kill lowly New Breeds. But this one is different, even with the Sacred Artifact on, it withstood his surprise attack and is now getting ready for combat. With his breath returned to normal, Zied raised his fists and took on an offensive stance. This fight is inevitable and he left his partner in the dust.

"You and me bloodsucker!"

He taunted while motioning with his right hand for the New Breed to come. Zied's eyes are fierce and it never left his opponent, he wasn't even blinking for all he knows, if he was to be distracted even for a few moments, it was all this New Breed would need to end his life. Zied braced himself for the most important part of what is to come, the first clash. Should the New Breed attack first, he too would come at it and make it feel pain. Although at the back of his mind, he would surely feel more at ease if Maria had his back. Who knows, this one couldn't be hunting alone. If that is the case, then splitting up is definitely a bad idea...

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