Aura Thorne's Story

Cerbin Hiberion

Ryuu's words didn't necessarily make Cerbin feel any better. It was weird to him more than anything else. No one had really tried to comfort him before. It was barely even apparent to him whether she was even trying to or not. Still, he nodded towards her words of kindness for he did sort of appreciate them. She had no clue that she couldn't help but to not be able to protect her students. The highest ranking demons from Inferno walked the Earth that day and she had no clue that they were lucky with the little injuries they had.

After he had sat down it seemed that one of the students were upset about something causing Ryuu to offer him a ride. After which the red head walked back to Cerbin who was beginning to feel uncomfortable around her. He couldn't really explain it, but it felt like he couldn't sniff the air with her in the area. Like her scent made his nose itch. Though he managed to keep close conversation with her by using his mouth to breath with. “Alright Cerbin, I’m going to leave you in charge of getting them back to the dorms. It seems Julius wants to go back home on Night. Also I’ll be taking Aura with me; I have some elixirs that should help with her pain.” She said.

Cerbin left his face plain and didn't even twitch at her words. Though, he didn't really feel comfortable about leaving Azreal's injured daughter to the hands of a human. Once the group left, he whispered to Malice to travel inside of the girls shadow and be his eyes. If anymore demons were to come, Cerbin knew Malice would be able to handle them. From there, the bus ride home was a quiet one. Cerbin wasn't much for talking and left the kids to their own devices. As for Nathaniel, Cerbin escorted him to the nursury and left him in the nurses care without much thought. She would do a better job at nursing the pup than he would. "Hm. Pup. That's strange." Cerbin said to himself. "I usually don't call older humans pups." Cerbin thought about allot of things as he left the infirmary. He even turned to the remaining students to get his thoughts in order, but looking at them reminded him of how alone he was. There was no way humans could help him. "Okay kids." He spoke in a soft manner. "I suppose since I'm the only teacher still among you I shall dismiss you for today. So yeah. You're dismissed."

It wasn't the most teacher like way to dismiss a class, but Cerbin didn't mind the swift conclusion to his day with the kids. He left them to talk about the days events and worry about the people that were missing on their own, for he just genuinely didn't feel like dealing with them. He then began his nightly routine and left the school grounds without giving word to anyone.

Time: A little after midnight.

Cerbin walked the streets, just as he had been doing for the last few hours. By this time his face had completely healed itself of any bruise, but he kept a few patches of tape over his eyebrow so that none of the academy instructors would notice he was a unbelievably fast healer. The streets were not so noisy as they had been during the day. There was a sound of a few cars and a couple of people walking by, some alone and some with their respective lovers. It seemed as if they all had somewhere to go, while Cerbin had nowhere to go. He just planned on walking until morning and hoped maybe Ryuu would bring the girl back so he could report she was safe. This wasn't his first night not being able to keep a close eye on her so he wasn't all to worried. Malice had proven before that he was a trustworthy watcher. Though he did look like he wanted to eat her once. "Though he looks that way all the time hehe." Cerbin chuckled. His rambling ended when he decided to stop thinking and just observe. In one eye he stared at the streets in front of him and in the other, he stared through Malice's eyes.

Malice had decided to leave the girls shadow to walk towards the opening of the room, for he wanted to stare at the moon too. Once he realized the link between him and Cerbin was formed, he glanced over towards the girl to show that she was safe and turned back towards the moon.

Having saw that she was safe, Cerbin opened another connection, this time to Indigo. "Time to report," he said, making the blind wolf like demon walk back to his masters side. Just like Malice he showed a little bit of fang, if only to smell for Azreal's hand.
"Report. Time. From. Cerbin." The dog said sleepily.

After hearing the confirmation Cerbin began speaking with Indigo repeating him word for word. "After today's events, Aura was found safe. All demons were exterminated just as you have asked and there aren't any lingering scents in the area. One of the teachers had decided to take her to a place I can not follow. Malice is there watching over her in secret. According to what I've heard, she summoned something, something not so human like. A demon perhaps. Not only that, but a dog one. Leads me to believe that she is starting to tap into her power, but that is for you to decide my liege. Lastly, by the time I was done with my distraction, Bavol had also had time to talk to Aura. I saw her with my own eyes, though it seemed that's all she did. I would advise not saying anything to her on the matter since she did no harm. It would seem suspicious. I'll try my best to find out what they talked about on my end. The events of today match this places moon. It tells me the time is growing near. On your word, I'll do what I have to."

After speaking, Cerbin waited for a reply, one that he usually never replied back to and continued his walk. As the time moved closer and closer to morning, Cerbin moved closer and closer back to the academy, where he would lay down on one of the schools rooftops and stare at the sky for sunrise. the average person would wonder when did he sleep, and though the answer may come as a shock, it was clearer than the sky that morning. Cerbin never slept. From the day he walked on Earth with that baby in his arms, he never slept a wink, for he always believe that when he slept and cut off all his links, then that'd be the time something bad had happened to her. Not only that, in fact that could probably be a fall back reason for it, but for some reason, when Cerbin tried to sleep, he'd get these dreams. Dreams that he'd rather not think about.

Time: Early morning around 8 and 9.

"Hiberion. Mr. Hiberion. What are you doing up there?" A mans voice called from below.
Cerbin looked over his resting place and saw a very odd exorcist. He was scrawny and had a monocle in one eye. His mustache also looked like he had brushed it and his nose was in a ball shape. He looked more like a teacher than anything. "I was trying to figure out something that had been bothering me," he answered. "Why? It's Saturday. Aren't I free?" The question wasn't needy. No, he was not one to actually enjoy his weekend, though he didn't especially like talking to humans on the dawns crack.
"By the dickens, a teacher is never free until the day his student becomes a teacher himself my good man."
"So, this is about kids. Not demons?"
"Of course. Kids come first do they?"
Cerbin didn't answer.
"Well. Ahem. We have a new student that is supposed to be in the program, but he didn't get to go through a test or anything. Can you take him to Ryuu for me. You should be able to find her address through the school listings. Oh, by the way. I noticed that you don't have an address yourself......"
Catching the just of what the man said, Cerbin went in search of the school records. He purposefully dodged the last statement. Moving with haste, he quickly found the information he needed for the day and walked to the boys dormitory. "This is it." Cerbin said to himself before giving the door a few knocks. "Hello. Is anyone home? I'm looking for Cuthbert Baltair. I am one of your instructors. My name is Cerbin. Hello?" Cerbin waited for the new pup to answer his door and wondered how this would change his normal habit of going along with the day. He put a small piece of taffy in his mouth and kept another in his hand just in case the kid wanted some and waited for the boy to come to the door.

As the boy once again said 'sir', Cerbin shot him an unseen glance and then sighed. "I see we have to work on loosening you up a bit. You act like a younger version of me sometimes. Heh." He let a pause go as he heard the threatening whispers coming from afar. "Though, that might not be a bad thing when it comes to this woman. Keep minding your P's and Q's."

In truth not even the demon himself knew what that humans phrase meant. He knew the overall meaning, but not the individual meaning. What the hell was a P and a Q? He decided to leave it for later. It seemed that once again he had to come off as a friendly individual. He didn't like the term bastard very much. It defined him all too well. However the meaning of the word was a disrespecting phrase to him and his brothers. Humans sure knew how to create such filthy lines.
"Calm down," he said calmly. "It's just me Cerbin. I also brought this kid with me."

“What the hell are you doing here Cerbin? And who the hell is this you brought with you. Actually no answer that later, I have something I want to discuss with you.”

The man sighed. That wasn't exactly as calm as he expected her to be. Quite the opposite actually. "Hmmm. I'm not sure what you need from me, but I too believe I must talk to you as well." He kept his calm around her. Her smell was distracting and her attitude was flared. Looking at her was like looking at a burning flame and he saw no point in playing with fire. "Though I must ask, if we are to speak, for us to speak in private. I'm sure the children don't need to be witness to our words."
He scratched his head and looked around. This place was bigger than he expected it to be. It didn't match up. Her outside demeanor and this home of hers. Was she someone special in this world? He had to investigate her. Not to mention that smell. It was more like... Like... something he had smelled in the past. It gave him an alerting feeling. One that was even more on guard for the fact that her human smells were hiding the other ones. He had determined one thing. She was something other than human. However he wasn't quite sure what it was. Another high class demon might have been able to tell from looking at her, or by feeling her energy, but for him, a demon who mostly went off of smells, he was kept out of the loop. He would have to throw a guess in the air and hope that he could get some feedback from it. "I'll wait over there," Cerbin said pointing to a small area, about a hundred or so feet away from where they stood. Trying to grab control over the conversation he left after he was done, which in turn, would force her to comply and follow after him.

He waited for her to finally follow after him and crossed his arms looking at the sky above. It was a beautiful blue one with an apparent space above it. Much more inviting than the red sky in Inferno. He enjoyed watching it, especially at night, where he could see the stars that illuminated the sky with their grace. Though he didn't look at the beautiful scenery for long, for he was interrupted by the upcoming footsteps. Looking at the woman with his eyes showing no sign of, well, anything really, he quickly looked her up and down, waiting for her to start the conversation. After all, it was she that said she wanted to talk to him first. It was only respectful at the common level of knowledge to let her talk first.


Quickly suppressing her anger, Ryuu narrowed her eyes, a scowl taking place once more on her usual passive face. Ryuu was somewhat curious as to what he wished to talk to her about but she didn’t think it would be as important as what she wanted to discuss with him. “Of course, this has nothing to do with them. I’ll be over there in a minute Cerbin.” Almost all at once, Ryuu felt like a child being reprimanded for a temper tantrum. Well I guess I’m not the only one who was acting out of place. Looking over at Julius she watched him closely for a short moment, trying to figure out if it was a good idea to leave him alone in the state he was in. Walking over to him, she bent down to one knee placing a hand carefully on his shoulder. “Don’t think your training is over Julius. I’ll deal with you later, in the meantime I’d like you to be good. If you need anything just call for me,” straightening she strode over to where Cerbin stood waiting for her before stopping and calling out over her shoulder, “Oh and don’t wonder off the cleared areas.” Her warning had an almost ominous tone to it but hopefully the both of them would listen to her.


Once she stood beside Cerbin she had expected him to explain himself but instead he looked her up and down. Frowning at the obvious act Ryuu folded her arms across her chest before finally speaking up, “Are you done?” pursing her lips slightly she gave him a quizzical look. “Let’s go somewhere else.” she said after taking a quick glance back at her students. Walking around Cerbin she led him back to the courtyard Cerbin and the boy would have had passed. Walking up onto the wood patio, Ryuu slid the doors open moving out of the way for Cerbin to step through. “Have a seat, ”motioning to a pile of pillows that were thrown about a small table. Closing the doors Ryuu kept her back to him for a little longer than was needed, “Who are you?” she paused to let her words reach him while she reached for something in her pocket before repeating herself, “Cerbin, just who the hell are you?”


Ryuu turned around to face him taking quick steps in his direction. Behind her a small piece of paper had been placed over the door, most likely to keep anyone from getting in or from keeping them from leaving. Stopping to tower over him while he sat (I’m assuming he did), Ryuu folded her arms across her chest. Without realizing it she had begun to stroke the tattoo on her arm, in response to her touch it began to quiver and squirm.


Cerbin didn't mind her taking his little control over the conversation. He did think he had some control by choosing to relocate, but once she decided to once again move their arena for conversation, she had put the ball back in her corner. It was even more apparent to him that he was on the wrong side of the conversation when they went inside, and if that wasn't worse, once he sat down as asked, she remained standing. She was completely dominant over him at the moment. In realization of this, he looked at her back and sighed quietly at her question. It was a question that was so vague and yet so direct. So what was he to do? Give a vague answer or a direct one. He looked down at nothing in particular, not searching for an answer, but searching for a way to answer. He knew the answer, though he also knew that in the wrong ears, his answer could put all that he worked for at stake. He was someone with nothing to loose and yet, he also had everything to loose as well. He slowly looked up to her, staring her straight in the eyes, with the worlds greatest poker face, if there ever was one, and said, "I don't know. Maybe if you told me who you were then I'd trust you with knowing who I was." It was a challenge. Less of a physical one, but a verbal one. If they were fighting each other, then he was surely at a strategical dissadvantage. However, he was a demon, and an intelligent one at that. It was almost his main job to be good at conversation. He had nothing to loose on his end. Sure he might get fired, but that would still leave the woman with nothing. Yet, Cerbin was willing to give her something, though he had to know he wasn't giving that something to the wrong person. It was dangerous for him doing what he knew he would have to eventually do. He would be betraying his mission, yet he was ready to give away his nothing, for something that would help him down the road.

Watching him closely, Ryuu met his gaze with an expression that barely expressed her feelings on the current subject. However his answer was not one she had been expecting and it turning into a challenge was even more surprising. Ryuu did not think that this was how things would play out once she asked her question. It had been nagging her ever since Night informed her about it and she needed to know. The fact that she was taken aback by him answer managed to show itself on her face but it disappeared behind a frown as soon as it had been shown to him. “Who I am is of no concern to you Cerbin. Is that even your real name? And don’t turn the tables on me, I’m not the one who had his familiar stow away in one of my student’s shadow. They’re my students under my protection and I need to know whether or not they are safe in your presence.”. Ryuu thought back to what he had just said and couldn’t even think of speaking their names to him.


Looking at her falter a bit, but seeing her expression frown, Cerbin could have smiled for a moment. He had always observed humans before, never interacting with them, but it was enough to notice how their conversations usually go when they're mad. He espcially liked their expressions. Though, Cerbin wasn't much for smiles. Instead, he just blinked and looked back down. "It would be more welcoming to talk to you if you sat down too you know," he said before sighing once more. "Okay then. If you want to know if I'm safe, then yes. I think that was proven in the fact that my familiar was here all night," Cerbin paused to slowly look back up. " and you and the children are still alive." It was good enough proof to him. The fact that if he couldn't be trusted, he'd take advantage of the situation. "The real question is how are your wounds healed so quickly? Though you could just say that there is a remedy that makes you heal faster. I'll buy that too. However, for the longest time, you've been giving me an itching sensation in my nose. So I'll cut to the chase. Are you a human being, or are you a demon? If you say you're a human then I'll just blame this itch on your perfume or whatever. If you say you're a demon, then I'll ask, why are you an exorcist. Based on that answer, you'll either find out more about why my familiar was in the shadow of one of our students, or you won't see me ever again." Putting the emphasis on their sharing of watch over the children Cerbin slowly stood up. He didn't like looking up while talking to a person and he also didn't want the woman to attack him upon guessing his lineage. Though, doing something completely unhuman like by basically burning the bush instead of beating it, he was once again in lead in this conversation. "Wait a second," he said to the woman backing away slightly. Slowly, he moved his hands to his back where he kept his weapons. Just as slowly as he reached, did he grab them and set them at his feet.
"Words. No need to complicate things with action." Even if she might have been a demon, Cerbin wasn't going to risk the human reactions coming out of her. He might have been dodging God knows what already if he wasn't so calm.


“Alright I’ll sit if it makes you feel any comfortable.” she said drily as she kneeled on the ground across from him. It was an odd way of sitting, at least for some people, and if one was not used to it, it could be very uncomfortable. However Ryuu had long ago gotten over the pins and needles from her “lady” training when she was younger. Watching him with wary eyes Ryuu understood his point but that didn’t change the fact that she didn’t trust him any more than she had before. “What my question is why would you have your familiar follow.” She left it up for discussion but it was brushed aside by his questions.


She raised her brow at his questions, they made her slightly uncomfortable but she knew now wasn’t the time for her to be stubborn or prideful. "My wounds haven’t healed much since yesterday. Throwing that pole at you made my ribs ache but you are right about latter. I do have a remedy that speeds up healing I guess you could say but it’s more of a balm to quell the pain. “ While talking Ryuus hand had gone to her side and she grimaced slightly, but she paused as he continued speaking. I make your nose itch?, “What sort of nose do you have?” she spoke in a lighter tone than before. However his next question ruined that light mood the moment he asked her if she was human. A cold look passed over her demeanor as silence filled the air for a brief moment.


During that silence, all Ryuu could wonder was how she’d answer his question. “I’m human but I am not. The blood inside me is of both human and demonic blood; however I prefer to be considered human. “ she looked down at her arms, rubbing them as goose bumps danced across her skin before disappearing. “And you? I assume you yourself are not human or are you a half breed?” tilting her head to the side as she watched him with curious eyes. The curiosity soon dissipated to one of wariness upon him standing up. At the sight of his weapons Ryuu tensed ready to move least he chose to attack her but his words did little to relax her. Watching him through narrowed eyes, Ryuu herself stood up soon sat back down in a different position. “Tell me, what is your relationship with Aura? Or was she just someone who happened to be the perfect candidate for your familiar to ride on?”

Cerbin's eyes widened as she said she'd rather be considered a human. He never even though one could do that. "I see." That was the only phrase that left his mouth for he just wanted to see if she'd tell him. "Hmm. I guess you can say I'm a demon through and through. Though, if rankings mean anything to you, then I guess I'm a half breed in the demon terms of speaking. That's why my human features aren't perfect. Though I'm surprised. I actually got through your systems this way. I bet you're also surprised. Well, since you trusted me enough to share your circumstances I should show you respect by showing mine." Cerbin snapped his fingers, making Malice show up from his shadow. The demonic figure growled at his call and winced as Cerbin placed his hand on his head. Petting the beast, Cerbin let go of another sigh before putting a peice of candy in his mouth. "So what should I say? The girl. Aura. She's special you know. I'm not sure what knowledge people of earth have on the other realms, but there has been some falter between the two. Long ago, my master fell in love with an angel. Not only just an angel, but the current seraphim. The highest ranking of angels. They had a child and then everything changed. Look, I'm not one to ask too many questions. I only have basic knowledge over things. Like how the girl will one day be a deciding factor in a long term conflict. I am only here to protect her and give her guidence when the time is right. She's not evil. You should know that yourself. I also don't think that she's any danger to you. However, she is my masters daughter and I will do anything to protect her. So please," Cerbin scooted around the table and bowed down towards the woman. "Please, just let me do my job and protect her. Me and my brother mean no harm to you or any of these children. If you promise me that you wont let a soul know of this, not even her, then I, in turn, promise you that I'll do my job as an instructor and protect the rest of the children
as well as her.

Raising himself up Cerbin looked the woman in the eyes once more. "By the way, Cerbin is not my real name. In Inferno, I am refered to as a lot of things, but seeing as my master is the current Satan, people of this world would know me as a Cerberous. I'd rather not go into my actual family lines if you don't mind."

The more Cerbin spoke the less she understood, or rather the more it sounded crazy. Although she herself had only heard rumors about the other realms she never really thought much about them until today. Ryuu was surprised but also angry at how easily he bowed to her, it reminded her of her younger years with her family. Thinking back on it Ryuu never liked the idea of someone bowing their heads to her she considered it an act that only the weak would commit, but it seems today was the exception of it. Glaring at his bowed head, Ryuu slowly stood up, "Get up, and you call yourself a demon." she laughed rolling her eyes at Cerbin. Seeing that he was still bowing to her she repeated herself but in a much harsher tone.

After pacing the room for a short while, Ryuu finally turned to face Cerbin, or Cerberous, to give him her response to all of what he has just said. "I won't tell the others of her origin but she needs to know what's going on with her body. I know for a fact that the next couple of days are going to be hell for her because I went through the same experience when my blood awakened. I won't tell her who her parents are but she needs to know that she carries in her demon blood. If the others, especially those damned old fools, knew of her existence they will not hesitate to end her life." She looked at him with a serious frown. Ryuu wasn't sure why she agreed to any of this, it may have been because Aura was her student or that she knew of what the younger girl was going through.

Although now that she thought about it, those Lesser Demons showing up may have been because of Aura. "So if she's the daughter of such important people why did he send her here of all places? If she's in danger because of her heritage then she'll be a danger to all of the students and I can't risk that. We'll need to protect her from herself or to at least teach her how to control it.

"I'm not sure that's even necessary." Cerbin reached around his kneck and pulled on one of the chains, revealing a small pendent that looked like an average rock. "This pendent holds the potential to give her more power than I. Though I can't go into detail, because she's not part human she shouldn't have to be treated that much differently then the other children. I'm not going to give this to her until I'm told to either. However, if you insist on teaching her control, then that is fine with me. I never wanted for her to have an obscure childhood so I won't have her being seperated from the rest in her group. Also," Cerbin's eyes narrowed. "The reason for those demons attacking us had little to do with her. I've kept them away for all this time, there'd be no way they'd get the slip on me that easily. Not to mention, if you saw a demon that looked as human as me, then you should probably stay away from them. They're not thetype of demons I'm sure you're use to fighting. Even I believe I must prepare for another encounter with them. Down the road of course." Cerbin rested his head on his wrist, looking at the now resting dog on his lap. "The pendent isn't also a source of power for her to bear when she's ready. It's also something more I believe. Earth is definitely the safest place for now. Believe me, out of all the other places, this is best. As for how she got into an exorcist academy. Though it is ironic, I wasn't the one who chose this route for her. I've merely been a protector."

Ryuu listened to Cerbin, although he did have a point it was never Ryuu's intention of separating Aura because of her heritage. Mindlessly Ryuu brought her fingers up to cradle her cSherpas she thought a bit more. This involved Ryuu to begin pacing once more, "So that pendent will give her power, even more so than your own?" It was a rhetorical question but she wouldn't be surprised if a Cerbin answered. Placing a hand on her hip, Ryuu reached out towards Cerbin with an open hand, "May I see?" Realizing what it was she was asking of him she snorted, "I'm not going to do anything with it. I just want to see it." Whether Cerbin handed it to her or not, Ryuu had an idea formulating in her mind although she knew Cerbin may be against it. "But yostolidly haven't answered my question Cerbin. Why did they send you here with Aura? How could Earth be the safest place from her. What is it that you're protecting her from? I'd very much like to know so that I can prepare her if neither of us are with her." Her eyes narrowed and she knew Cerbin knew that it was a possibility.

Cerbin. still keeping eye contact, felt the stone around in his hand. He had never once let anyone else hold it before. Though, he did believe that if he was going to trust this woman then he would have let go of his uncomfortable feeling. Holding out by it's chain, Cerbin nodded. "It should give her more power. If anything, it'll bring her close to most superior demons powers. Those who've been alive for more than a century or so." He wasn't even adding in his thoughts on how it would affect the angel part of the girl. In all honesty he wasn't even sure if it'd do anything at all. When aked again why he brought the girl to earth, he looked at the candy wrapper in his hand, playing with it a little. "Other than the fact that the demons and angels most likely would love her to die, there has also been a mess made in both Heaven and Inferno. A serious one. I'm not sure how it came to be myself, but, once the girl was born, both places lost power in their gates. Though I'm not really sure about everything that happened in Heaven, in Inferno, all the demon princes barriers and even my masters, became weaker. The barriers were made to keep non superior demons away from earth. As I'm sure you know, back in the past, hundreds upon hundreds of years ago, demons use to scatter around the human world, murdering and haunting humans. However, once the barriers were set up, they started being rare to see on earth. However, about sixteen years ago, I'm sure even you were informed that the number of demons showing their faces in this realm have increased. Look at what happened the other day. That was no attack on the girl, for when demons do go to attack her, they usually try to go just for her before they meet me. However, those demons were going for whoever they could get there hands on. Usually, demons would go for her because most think she is an abomination. Some actually want the gates at full power again. Others want the prize that's on her head. Though I can assure you that
she's safe to be left alone. Trust me." Pointing at the stone in the womans hand, Cerbin finally dropped his stoic gaze and smiled slightly. "That stone is what they follow after, not her. All demons can sense it. However, because her power is small for the moment, she isn't noticed by most demons." The man thought back to when he had seen Bavol talking to the girl. He was right in thinking that she couldn't feel the girls power for what it really was. Otherwise, why wouldn't she attack her? "So, to answer all your questions again, Inferno is a bad place for her, becuase demons want her dead. The angel's think of her as an abomination, and the humans. Well they seem to get along with her. Making this the best place for her to be in my opinion. As long as I keep the stone, they'll come at me for the time being, and I expect when it's time to give it to her, we wont need to be here anymore." Cerbin's smile faded and his gaze went a little sour at the thought. It was true the girl would probably go back to Inferno with her father, but, could he also go back? It was a question he had on his mind ever since the day that he left.

Where..am..I? resonated the first thought of the day within Aura's head, her crimson orbs, groggily, taking in her surroundings. Confusion settled as those vermilion hues trained themselves on the plastered ceiling, her mind racing to piece together the events that led to this moment. A slight frown etched its way onto her rosebud mouth as flashback after flashback appeared, the encasing pillowed futon suddenly fading away. That's right.... I was......then that... Consumed by the memories, the Tamer's gaze took on a glossy quality, any and all attention long gone. In fact, it wasn't until a sparrow flitted past the window, it's shadow creating a break in the filtering afternoon sun, that Aura made the move to get up. Pulling her upper body into a sitting position, the girl only flinched slightly at the tenderness, any signs of the sharp pain erased. Running a hand over her scalp, a vain attempt to calm her snowy-golden mess, a small huff escaped its confines in discontent.

Lazily shuffling through the stretched hallways, her sock hidden feet barely making a sound, Aura's orbs flickered into every open room in hopes of spying another soul. Raising a hand to prevent a yawn, the girl took a momentary pause of disgust as she noticed how grubby her uniform was, dirt and blood evident on the cloth. "How disgusting.. I wonder if Ms. Shosuke has something I can change into..? I really hope she does.." mused out her ramblings, her sleep deprived state inducing such madmen behavior. However, her voice was stifled as other sounds drifted from a room further down the hall, her eyes immediately narrowing in wary curiousity. Cautiously approaching the cracked screen, that narrowed gaze widen just slightly spying her teacher and another staff member together around a table, their eyes holding severity. Ducking out of view, Aura came to standstill on the other side of the wall, absentmindedly chewing on her lower lip. I..I really shouldn't be here... it sounds important.. And spying like this-! It's... was her inner turmoil, her intrigue beginning to outweigh the morality of what she was doing. Stop it-! Everyone has secrets.. leave them be. Exhaling a heavy sigh, the Tamer was about to trudge back upstairs when the whisper of her name appeared, that intrigue flaring.

Heartbeat faltering, the snowy-crowned girl felt her blood turn to ice as each tidbit of news burrowed into her memory, each one driving deeper and deeper. Drawing in a shaky breath, eyes wide, a tremble began to rack her hands, only a single thought echoing. I'm..not...human... Satan is my..father? That means.. I'm.. In response, Aura's chin began to quiver and a wave of sickness washed over her. Feeling her knees give out, the Tamer slumped to the floor in a ruckus, gazing drifting off with a mocking voice whsipering I knew it..


Ryuu listened with interest, her hand againgst her chin as she began to think on the many outcomes that could ensue if anyone found out about Aura. "They did inform me, but never explained why. Now I wonder what other secrets they've kept to themselves. I'm sure they figured out what may have happened." thinking on it more, Ryuu continued, " That may not be a good idea, to keep it to yourself Cerbin, considering we crossed paths with others like you they may have been able to put two-to-two together and may be informing their superios as we speak. I know you don't want her to have any part of it, but as I said before, she will need to prepare herself if the day ever comes where she will need that power." Ryuu let her words sink in, resuming her pacing of the room.

Scratching the back of her head, Ryuu sighed. God, I'm going to get grey hairs before 60 Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Ryuu spoke, " We'll have to discuss this later-" suddenly a loud ruckus could be heard just outside the room. Turning quickly Ryuu rushed to the screen door and slide it open with a loud snap. A look of anger flashed across her face, thinking Julius had come to eavesdrop but the person who sat there was the last person she wanted there. "Damn." stepping to the side so Cerbin could see who it was Ryuu frowned. "How long have you been there Aurorali?" Using the girls fullname seemed to hint towards the seriousness of the situation. Turning to Cerbin she shrugged her shoulders, " Cerbin I leave you to this, I need to check on my students." she gave him an apologetic look but she really did. Ryuu couldn't exactly leave Julius the way he was at this point.

Hearing the noise and sniffing the air a little, Cerbin's brows fowned a little, displeased by what he had smelled. It seemed while he wasn't thinking the who he had tried to keep in the dark about the whole matter was just outside the door. He followed Ryuu and saw her dropped on the floor looking as if she had seen a ghost. He didn't expect the red headed woman to shove past her view. It was more expected of her to try to talk to the girl, but once hearing her words, Cerbin realized that task had belonged to him. Which was as it should of been he thought. "Okay," Cerbin nodded to the womans words, "but, make sure you aquaint yourself with our newest student." It wasn't as if he had cared, but the demon didn't think that introductions should have been held back long for the boy. It was him who brought the kid there afterall. Looking down at the girl, Cerbin took a few steps forward then crouched down on the balls of his feet to get closer to eye level with her. "Is it shocking," he asked, staring at her with no feeling. "I always wondered, from the day you were a baby, how much of a shock it'd be for you to be told that you were the daughter of Satan. Not only that, but you're also the daughter of a seraphin." Cerbin gave the girl time to absorb all of the information that she had been delivered. With a heavy sigh, he once again spoke. "You should relax. I know it's a lot to take in, but, since you know earlier than when was expected, you don't have to take it all in now. I'll give you till the end of the weekend. After that, I suppose the red haired one will have you train hard for what might be to come. As for me... well... until told otherwise, I'll still just be your teacher. If you ever want to come to me for anything I'll always be there. However, you should know, one day, you will be asked to leave this place."

Standing up, Cerbin threw a peice of candy in his mouth, lowly grunting at the fact that it was his last piece. Though, it probably wasn't only the candy that caused the grunt. For now that the girl knew a good bit about what she was, he had to wonder, would she accept it? Sure, Cerbin could lead her on the path that her father had wanted for her, but if she had decided to stray from it, could he make her do what was told. All these questions piled up into his head. It was also a question of what her father truly wanted for her. Though, it wasn't his place to question anything. No. It was only his place to complete the orders given to him. He once again looked down at the girl and stuck out his hand. "You should get up. I'll see if the woman outside has any more need for you. Otherwise, I'd advise you let me take you back to the campus so you can go home and change." Malice came from around Cerbin, nudging against his leg, only to dissapear in his shadow.

Ryuu Shosuke

Right as her sword was about to connect with Cuthberts defense or body, Julius called for the match to end. Ryuu barely had time to change her hold on her sword so the flat of the blade would be what struck Cuthbert. The flat of the blade slammed Cuthberts shoulder, and she could feel the blunt hit ring up the blade towards her hands. Bring Chokesku back quickly Ryuu resealed the Demon Sword with proficiency that only hinted towards the idea of her having done this many times before. Keeping her attention on Cuthbert she clasped his good shoulder, “I didn’t hurt you too much did I?” her concern was somewhat out of place since she normally didn’t act in such a way towards her students.

Hearing Julius’s question, Ryuu tilted her head slightly as she thought of how to answer the question. His question was surprising accurate, the red head hadn’t really expected him to take notice of such a thing. Most people didn’t notice it, especially those who weren’t suited for direct combat. A Knight on the other hand was taught how to notice these things, as well as how to counter against them in the possibility they go up against a demon. However thinking back to her heritage, the idea of having to answer the question since it hit so close to home made her frown just the slightest. Turning to face Julius she answered his question slowly and carefully. “I’m actually surprised you noticed most people outside of the Knights faction are aware of these changes.” Reaching back Ryuu pulled her hair back, tying it up to keep out of the way.

“I guess we did move a bit slower. Demons in general are very fast. Compared to a normal person, it’d be like facing you against the fastest man alive. However that is when it’s a normal Lesser Demon. Generally each one is different but there will be some that are built for speed while others are not. On the other hand, there are those Demons who are Superior in that not only do they look human but they are, as their name suggests, stronger and faster than the average human. It’d be like comparing a human to a cheetah in some ways. “ Realizing she spoke quite a bit, giving Julius a bit too much information, Ryuu shook her head. “Did that answer your question?”

Rubbing the back of her neck, Ryuu sighed wondering just what she would do with them. Nodding her head as if agreeing to something to looked back to Cuthbert. “Um why don’t you go back to the main building, it’d be best to patch up your wounds. Finding what you need shouldn’t be too difficult and if you happen to see Cerbin just let him know that I’d like to speak to him later.” Knowing the layout of her home, she knew Cuthbert was bound to come across Cerbin and Aura. Thinking about what they had discussed earlier, she was curious about what he was telling her right about now. Looking up to the sky, Ryuu realized the sun was high above them readying itself to sink to the ground as the day went on. It’s this late already?

Looking around the courtyard her read eyes glanced over the spilled buckets of water then at the piece of wood that she had thrown at Cerbin and Cuthbert earlier until those red orbs finally settled on Julius. From the looks of it he didn’t seem too tired but since it was already midday it would be bets that they get something to eat. “Well it’s already late, let’s say we take a break for the time being and get something to eat.” Not waiting for an answer from her student Ryuu led the way back to the main building. They eventually caught up with Cuthbert and Ryuu showed him where the medical supplies were. Letting the young Knight get what he needed, Ryuu left the two of them where they were while she prepared a meal for them. It took her a little while longer than it would have normally since she was making food not only for herself but four others if Cerbin and Aura were still there.

An Hour Later

Checking up on the boys, Ryuu was cleaning her hands when she slide the door open to see what it was they were doing. “The foods ready so go eat.” motioning to the room behind her. With the door to it now open, the aroma of good food filled the rooms. For a moment Ryuu remembered the times when she would make meals for her younger brother. A sad expression briefly found its place on her face but it soon disappeared. Ryuu then went in search of Cerbin and Aura, if they were still here she’d inform them that there was food to eat, if not then she would simply have to store their portions away for later meals. Waking back to where the food was, Ryuu put away the towel she had been using and sat down with the other two before serving herself. The meal was simple but it was enough to fill their stomachs.

Cerbin Hiberion

After a long moment of silence, Ryuu soon came to tell the two of them that dinner was ready. Cerbin waved his hand to acknowledge her, letting Aura go on ahead of him. While he had his time alone he closed his eyes and made a link with his brother. "Tell Azreal that his daughter now knows of her true path and preparations are being made to train her for future engagements."

The wolf sat on his perch next to Satan's corridors. Yawning he stuck his head up and looked around. "The master isn't back yet," he said. "He had matters to attend to."

"Very well," Cerbin nodded. "I'll just try the link again later."

"Whatever you want brother."

Cerbin then went on towards the area where everyone was eating. Though he didn't eat himself, he watched along as everyone else ate and chatted until he decided his presence was no longer needed. "Well i'm going now," he said as he stood up from his knelled position. "See you on Monday." He then went over to Cuthbert and said, "Stay here with the rest. Ryuu will make sure you're ready for monday." with his goodbye's he left and headed back to the academy grounds. The walk was long and lonesome, but he didn't mind. It gave him time and space to think of what his next move would be. He wondered how Azreal would react to hearing his daughter knows about him. He suspected he would be nothing more than happy. Then again, he could also be angered at the fact. Cerbin was never expecting the girl to find out so soon that she was the daughter of Satan. That bothersome teacher sped things up.

"Oh well," he sighed while sticking a piece of candy in his mouth. "I wonder. Is she really that trustworthy? What if she tries to get in the way of our plans?" He wondered if he would have to decide whether to kill her not in the nearby future. That would probably be a bothersome thing. For one, it'd mean that he would be on a hit list from the exorcist group, and if that would be the result, then why kill her. He could avoid that and still reek the same benefits. Though, he began thinking why him, a demon, would try to change his plans around sparring someones life. He was truly growing softer with everyday he spent around the humans. Would he become human if he continued on? He smirked at the thought. There was no way he'd become a human. He was destined to be forever tied to Inferno, whether he was wanted their or not.

Ryuu

Even by her standards and from the ones she once been used to Ryuu was proud of her work. It didn’t always come out very well so with a barely noticeable smile she began to eat. The room was full of the aroma of the food she had cooked but the pleasantness was ruined by Julius words. Pausing the red woman glared in his direction but made no move to counter his words. Shortly after Cerbin appeared along with Aura but the pair kept to themselves. Glancing at the two of them she wondered once more as to what they had been discussing. As the group conversed with one another Cerbin eventually dismissed himself. Nodding her acknowledgement the rest of her students eventually finished their meals. Standing up she took the dishes from the table and brought them to the sink.

Thinking on her actions Ryuu chuckled to herself. I guess this does suit me. I feel like a mother cleaning up after her kids. Shaking her head Ryuu returned to where they were, “Well I think that’s about it for us today. Julius why don’t you take Cuthbert home Aura you go as well. “ Leading them back to the main courtyard the red head made sure they had all of their things. She went as far as the entryway. Reaching out for Cuthbert in hopes he’d pause long enough to hear what she had to say. “Cuthbert you’ll need to be prepared for Monday when you take your test.” With that being said Ryuu closed the large doors.

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Ryuu strode through the halls with purpose. As always her afterschool destination was the Cram School on the other side of campus. The young woman carried files in her arms each one consisted prospective students who may or may not be becoming a part of Fidel City’s exorcist program or if any will be moving districts. There weren’t many but when she thought about it her group didn’t have an Aria nor a Dragoon but the Dragoon wasn’t particularly important compared to the Aria. We’ll need to go scouting or something. Biting the tip of her thumb Ryuu strolled into the classroom where those who decided to come to Monday’s class despite it mostly being focused on Cuthbert’s exam.

Standing in the front of the room it surprised her by how empty the room had become over the weekend. Only one other group had managed to stay in the program while the rest either failed completely with no room for redemption or they simply became too fearful of what was expected of them to do and left. Shuffling the files a bit as she looked over the faces the only ones she knew were her three students, Julius, Cuthbert and Aura. In a way she was surprised that the girl showed up but Ryuu didn’t want her to get into any activities just yet in case she wasn’t well enough to perform in a way that wouldn’t attract suspicion. Cupping her chin in her hand Ryuu considered her options. Have the students not taking part in Cuthbert’s exam or let them tend to their least proficient areas of expertise. Going with the latter Ryuu cleared her throat as she walked up to Cuthbert.

Placing her hands on his desk she leaned forwards, “Cuthbert Baltair are you prepared for your exam?” The red head leaned away from him placing her hands on her hips as she regarded him with a watchful eye. “Come with me then.” Beckoning him over Ryuu left the room and brought him to one of the farther ends of the Cram School. The pair left the building through a small doorway that led them into an incredibly large courtyard. In fact it was actually somewhat difficult to tell if they were in a courtyard or possibly in the land that surrounds the campus. There were large trees that surrounded the area their branches looming over them. As they walked further in a clearing opened up and if Cuthbert was to look around more he’d notice an old building that was relatively small from where they stood. Turning to Cuthbert Ryuu stepped back as if to present the area to him. “Well this is where you shall have your exam. Your proctor will be arriving soon and he will explain to you what it is you will be doing.”

With that being said Ryuu left Cuthbert where he stood the Knight went to Cerbin who was close by. “You’ll be Cuthbert’s proctor for his exam today. I’ll leave it up to you on how you want to test him. He’s in the old courtyard towards the end of the Cram School.” Leaving Cerbin to head over to where Cuthbert was Ryuu returned to her classroom where the other students had moved to better converse with one another. Seeing that their teacher had returned many of them scurried back to their seats while Ryuu took to the podium. Holding onto to the ends of it Ryuu took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “While Mr. Baltair is taking his exam the rest of you are to practice in the areas you are least proficient in. Meaning Tamers and Arias are to try their hands at physical work while Knights are to work on their scriptures. The only reason we do this isn’t to force you to expand your work but to give you a higher chance at survival least something happens to your team members.” Pausing long enough for the murmurs to die down Ryuu continued. “You will each be going to a different teacher as it’d be difficult for me to handle the lot of you on my own. I will be taking a group of four. I will call you by name.”

Moving to stand in front of the podium Ryuu held a sheet of paper and began to read off of it. “Aurorali Thorne, Julius King, Stevenson Blaire and Beatrice Nyugen, of the four names I’ve called please step forwards. The rest of you I will assign you to your teacher.” After giving the remaining students their teacher the room was soon empty of people save for the four she had called. “Now then I will split you into groups of two Stevenson and Beatrice will be one group. The both of you passed your exam so you will be together. Julius and Aurali you will be another although you did take the exam you didn’t necessarily pass it in a way that exwires normally would but the chairmen has made an exception considering the circumstances.” The other pair went to the other side of the room while Julius and Aura stayed on the other. Of the two groups she was mostly interested in Julius and Aura as she had not watched over the other two during their exam. Going over to where her own students were Ryuu began to explain to them what it was they were to do. [color=red] “I know this isn’t something you’d normally do considering you’re Tamers but it’d be best that you learn something. I will give you one hour to run one lap around the Cram School and when you come back there will be buckets full of water you will be using. I’ll explain how it works when you come back but Julius feel free to get started even if I haven’t explained it since it’s what you did Saturday.

Ryuu then went over to the other pair and told them the same thing. By doing a lap around the Cram School, which really shouldn’t be underestimated, they’d understand what it meant to be tired and then forced to control their output when they brought out their summons. When they came back Ryuu would explained to them how the activity would work and why they were doing it. For the most part it was just a repeat of what she had Julius do the other day.

Julius was slightly taken aback when Ryuu didn't jump at him like it was some form of provocation about his comment of her cooking. Of course he did give her a face in response to the glare, he wasn't going to let the chance to simply play with the woman slip by after her training. A petty form of payback if nothing else, after which he ate in silence. Mostly because he didn't want to risk saying anything more, and partly due to him trying to pick apart what went into the dish. From what his senses told him, it shouldn't be hard to replicate the taste in and of itself but improvements would be rather time consuming instead of simple tricks of skill.

" I should think a Knight would be capable of finding his way home...but I get your drift." Julius forced himself away from the table when he finished eating in response to Ryuu's request. When it came time to actually head off, he settled for a simple 'told you she was merciless' before withdrawing into his own little world for the duration...he didn't know how to handle swordsmen.



Julius was half asleep when Ryuu read off her instructions, he'd stayed up well into the morning- even skipping a couple courses before finally arriving in his current state. Partly due to the minimal results he got from the bucket exercise, and partly due to a mixture of curiosity he began looking into simple conversational summons. That is rather than binding a demon under his control, he wanted to see about having a proper conversation with a demon. It might help his research, or if good enough bait was used he might be willing to strike a bargain... but that remained only in the far flung realm of possibilities. He did however pale when he registered Ryuu's instructions...the Tamers were to run laps and THEN work with the bucket?! Julius made a mental note to deliberately take as long as possible in the run...he wasn't about to let his peers get a view of his lousy control.

"Sorry guys, running isn't my thing...no need to wait up okay." It was a piss poor attempt of a dodge, but Julius didn't have the mental faculties for much better at the moment

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Beartrice Nyugen & Stevenson Blair

The two tamers chatted quietly to themselves as they waited for their instructor, Ms. Shosuke, to give them their assignment for the day. They were rather curious about the special circumstances Julius and Aura had in regards to passing the exam. Beatrice made no effort to hide her curiosity either, as her voice suddenly broke the silence between the two groups. "Hey Aura! What're these special circumstances Ms. Shosuke was talking about. I heard you guys got to fight real Lesser Demons, and not those little spiritual creatures." Before her question could be answered however, Ms. Shosuke had already begun to explain to them what they were going to do.

Frowning just the slightest at the idea of having to run such a big lap, Beatrice and Stevenson both got up to start their lap. "Sorry guys, running isn't my thing...no need to wait up okay." The young woman then spoke, "Well there's no surprise there." Rolling her eyes in the process. It was obvious the blonde was a bit full of himself, which bothered her every now and then. Just as she was about to say something else when a hand gently laid itself on her shoulder. "That's enough Beartrice, let's just get this over with." his green eyes settling on her sea green ones.

Although Stevenson was generally kind enough, when he stepped in, it was for good reason. "But-" she stopped mid sentence realizing Stevenson's eyes narrowed in warning. The two stared at one another for a moment before Beatrice looked away, the corner of her lips curling downwards. "Fine then, I'm sorry your stuck with someone like this guy Aura." Her words were meant to jab at Julius but whether they had their intended affect or not was unknown, for Beatrice and Stevenson were already passing the door.

Neither of them came in attire that would have suited them activities of the day but they would have to do for the moment.

Little Less than and Hour
Ryuu Shosuke

Stevenson burst into the room panting soon followed by Beatrice. The two were somewhat sweaty, with the brunette being better off then his short tempered partner. The corners of Ryuu's lips curled slightly at the sight of them. She knew the other two, Julius and Aura, would be arriving soon but she had no intention of waiting for their arrival. "Shall we begin?" regardless of the answer, Ryuu led the pair to four buckets already filled with water. "So what exactly will we be doing?" Green orbs curious about the items before them.

Turning to face him, Ryuu began to explain the details of their activity. Eventually sitting down to demonstrate how it was to be done and what it should look like. Beatrice folded her arms across her chest, alerting Ryuu of a possible argument on why they should be doing this. "The purpose of this activity is to test how well you guys work under stress and exhaustion. I don't expect your results to be like mine since I was not under stress, but hopefully you'll be able to in the years to come."

With that being said, Beatrice and Stevenson seated themselves by their buckets and began to work.

Julius was a more than a little smug when his fellow students began asking about the circumstances of "his" team. It was the much needed vindication needed after Ryuu's rather humiliating treatment from earlier. However one classmate in particular decided to bare her fangs with his claim to lack of running prowess.

"Well there's no surprise there." The girl...Beatrice or so silly name like that rolled her eyes at him with her comment. Is she trying to start a fight?! Julius was instantly set on edge from the remark, and his still recovering ego reeled at the idea. One of the bigger guys in class diffused the situation before the angry Tamer could actually act on his rage. Instead he was stuck slowly plodding to 'catch up' with his classmates. The run however did help him with one thing as Julius managed to get the angry flare down to little more than a cold fury.

Ryuu's lead towards the buckets themselves lead Julius to further hang back. In fact, his classmates were already at work with the water when he finally caught up. He inwardly groaned at the notion of working in front of them, but Julius had his wits about him this time. Rather than throw a tantrum, the young Tamer had a different idea.

Instead of closing the distance to his bucket, Julius sought to use the fact he was much further from the bucket to his advantage...until a tingle down his spine served as enough incentive to bring him closer to the bucket. Given his recent bouts with Ryuu, Julius wasn't about to try picking a fight in front of the class. With trepidation, the haughty blonde made a slow drip-drop of energy into the bucket. The water pulsed in time with Julius' tender-footed release of energy. The micro success gave him a bit more confidence so Julius released a bit more energy. The result was some of the contents splashing from the bucket.

Shit! Julius panicked while instinctively clenching his hand. The water in question bunched into a sphere...he'd managed to shape water without breaking a bucket! The moment of celebration nearly dropped the sphere back into the bucket. But the Tamer barely managed to safely lower it back into the bucket. Julius inched his initial reach back a tiny bit while 'stirring' and finally got a spin within the bucket. Looking over at his other classmates, he couldn't call his feat impressive at all but he still smirked at his inward victory. He noticed a look of curiosity from his male classmate...and a gloating expression from Beatrice as the sluggish movement from his own bucket and rather painful lack of skill in comparison to the whole trio.

"If you're going to say something...shove it unless you're ready throw down right here right now." With an annoyed look Julius spat his comment out and Beatrice. Of course he didn't mean to ignore his other classmates, but Julius found himself trying to pick a fight. "At the very least you can summon a proper spirit right? Perhaps I'll show you why WE got to handle the real deal." Strangely, Julius actually stressed the team effort between Aura and himself during the exam.

[Wrong place! >W<]

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