Anton

Anton grit his teeth when the Dark Bearer simply burst through his stone walls with a concentrated blast of shadow magic. Naturally, he wasn't expecting that degree of skill from a Bearer of that girl's age. Nevertheless, he wouldn't give up pursuit, since any Bearer, aside from himself, Her Majesty, and anyone else under the employ of the crown was a clear hazard to the safety of the Empire.

Luckily for Anton, she wasn't particularly difficult to track down, especially considering his expertise in analyzing enemy movements from feeling the vibrations in the earth. She seemed to weave through the alleyways of Storm Flash, hoping to lose him, but he would not give up so easily. Nevertheless, he kept himself a fair distance away from her, mostly to give her the false illusion that Anton was gradually losing her. However, he stopped when he felt the presence of several additional Bearers. After some urging from the Dark Bearer, the others ran off, and someone else - notably without a presence - was talking to her, with a very audible sense of hatred in his voice.

Once the man was done talking, Anton stepped out to get a better view of the two of them. The man - apparently an Imperial soldier, judging by his clothing - was choking the Bearer with a single hand while his other rested on something else (Anton could not tell what it was at his current distance). Anton stepped forward, with his steel boots clanking on the cobblestone streets of Storm Flash. Right now, he would just wait to determine the identity of this Bearer. Hopefully, the man wouldn't kill her if she was important, and Anton would definitely prefer to figure out the identity of this Bearer.

Lilly should have known that Seles would be overdramatic. She seemed to really like females and hated males. Still, she was caught a bit off guard by the pink-hair lady's reaction to her question. The water bearer honestly didn't know if she was being serious or not. She was a bit insulted though to be called defenseless.

"I am fine Seles." she merely said, standing still.

When the other female bearer started talking, Lilly paid attention. Looking at Julio, she would have offered to help, but was asked a question by the dark hair lady.

"A wind bearer named Kara was right behind me. A dark bearer Bianca is fighting a hunter I believe for his energy was 'off' and it wasn't human. I don't know where the others are, but I can track them down." she replied.

Bianca worked very hard to maintain her emotionless composure. It was almost too much for her to handle. The very person she had adored and loved so much as a child had his hand locked around her throat threatening to snap it at any given moment. Tears were poking at her eyes, but Bianca forced them back down. Assassin's didn't cry.

Holding onto his hands with her own, she struggled against his strength with her own to keep her airways open. "What are you babbling on about? Killing off families? I'd never do such a wicked thing as that. I'm an assassin and I've killed quite a few people, but I have never once, nor do I plan to, laid a single finger on those who are innocent. Have you gone insane? No... that's a stupid question.... of course you have... that's apparent to anyone." she said.

She threw a side glance into the shadows at the sound of metal on cobble. "Ah, fancy pants. Nice of you to join the party. There's no need to hide in the shadows... I can see you quite clearly.... Although, your fancy shoes gave you away a looooooong time ago though...."

Flippy

Bianca’s words almost fell on deaf ears, Flippy didn’t care in the least, and her pitiful attempt at a ruse would have been ignored, and the life strangled from her if Sean hadn’t feel for it.
The naive boy’s heart lurched at the cold assassin’s feigning of innocents, and the impulse it spawned was so great Flippy had no choice other than to loosen his grip on her throat.
”Have we lost our minds? Or, to be correct, have you lost yours and begun infecting mine? She’s an assassin, a killer for money, to her the value of life is very clearly written in gold. Why would she care, innocent or not? And why would she have any qualms in lying to us? Especially if it served her purposes?”
Though Flippy attempted to batter the other with logic, Sean felt a little to justified.
He knew Bianca, or so he still wished to think, and with that “knowledge” he felt he could tell that she was lying.
He could easily pick out the strain in her voice, he felt he could see the truth in her eyes; Flippy merely wrote this off as a side effect of being strangled.

Just as his grip was relaxing, and he was holding back a scowl, contemplating actually giving into Sean’s insane request to speak with her, she deiced to address someone he’d been unaware of, someone clearly in armour.
Interpreting the man a threat to his prize, his grip re-tightened, and he drew his gun, aiming it towards the direction Bianca seemed to think the threat was.
”Another move, my dearest lurker in the shadows, and it will be cold lead that removes you from this world. If you wish any chance of escaping without a body-bag as a means of transport, you have two options. You may turn, and leave, which I’d greatly prefer, or you may identify yourself, and my judgement will go from there.”
The entire time he spoke he kept his cold, and hateful stare focused on Bianca.
”As for you...” His voice had dropped to a cool whisper. ”My gun has more than one bullet, and do not think this interloper will spare you the agony I intend it to afflict you..”

---

Rin & Seles

Rin noted that said air-bearer stood just behind the one apparently called Lilly.
To many names for her liking, she’d prefer them to be listed as number, and perhaps she’d come up with an excuse to label them as such at a later date.
The fact that this dark bearer, ‘Bianca’ was tied up with some odd human whom it seemed as though the two fled from, worried her greatly however.
With an agitated sigh she shook her head in dismay, loosely held raven locks of hair flying about in every which direction.
”Could something ever...You know...Work properly? That would be nice..I’m going to fully blame you for this mishap, Julio you were supposed to keep these children in che-”
It was Rin’s turn to be cut off, and by Seles no less.
The pink haired young girl has already pushed herself free of Lilly, and drawn her sword.
A certain hateful, violent malice clearly flickered behind her golden eyes as well, a some what disturbing sight.
“Shut it, you hold hag.” It was more of something between spitting and a roar than your normal speech. “You just quit your goddamn bitching for ten seconds. You’re not the only one with problems, you annoying bitch.”
Whirling around on her heels she reached out to grab Lilly’s arm with a vice-grip.
“No one, I repeat no one fucks with my toys, and sure don’t share...Where the hell is Bianca, Lilly? Take me to her, before it’s you who gets run through.”

Anton

An Dark Bearer that's also an assassin...? Well then, I may not have found the Bishop's son, but this is very, very interesting...

"I would not believe it, but apparently some people have the nerve to make such bold threats," said Anton, stepping out of the alleyway to face Sean and Bianca's back. Sean would probably recognize his face; and, if he didn't, he'd almost certainly recognize that white armor that had a rather famous reputation amongst the Imperial forces. Regardless of Sean's response, Anton kept one hand on the hilt of his sheathed longsword, ready in case anything happened.

"However, there will be no need for any bullets, and you will hand over that woman to me. From this moment forth, she is in my custody, and I expect no more interference from you. Do you understand?"

Julio nodded at Rin. "Yes.... of course..." He started counting off the Bearers he needed to track down. "Let's see.... We already have the air girl, Kara, the lovely Miss Lilly, and the loudmouth. I saw Sarin walking with Vincent, so wherever one is the other will be. I can feel Mr. Prince's aura nearby, so he won't be too hard to find. As for the fire bearer..... I can vaguely feel his aura in the area. I'm assuming you'll be chasing after the Lunian girl, Rin? If that's the case, then how about we all meet on the outskirts of town by the Thunder Guardian Shrine. We'll figure out our next move from there. Oh, and if anyone comes across any of the missing persons, tell them the meet up point."

With that, Julio darted off towards the nearest tavern to track down Vincent and Sarin.

---

Bianca turned her head with some difficulty towards Anton and gave him a smirk. "Well. Don't I feel loved today? I wonder what it could possibly be... In any case, threatening me with bullets won't get you very far... I made an agreement with death a long time ago... If I were to die now, I'd have no regrets.... Except for the fact you hate me, Sean...." She sighed, "I guess that's fate for you.... As for you, Fancy Pants, What could someone so high in the ranks of the Empire want with me? How should I address you? General Zarnas? Most high commander Zarnas? Or would you just prefer Anton.... Don't be surprised that I know your name... My network of information is quite vast and I have dealt with numerous organizations..." she said rather smugly.

Lilly wasn't too surprised by Seles quick mood change. She was serious now. Lilly could feel it. It was unnerving as well as her threat. She didn't even bother to pull herself free of the light bearer's grip. However, she didn't take lightly to being threaten either.

Her voice calm and devoid of any emotion, she spoke to Seles.

"If you will let me go, I'll gladly lead you to her." she replied.

She turned to look at Julio when he named off other bearers. She rolled her eyes when he mentioned her and the word lovely together. Looks like if they were all going to stick together, she was going to have to get use to his flirting.

Flippy

“Shit.” scowling intensely for a moment, he lowered his pistol.
As the figure stepped into full view Flippy couldn't help but curse Luck's sudden cold shoulder to him.
Not only had he just threatened a commander, now he had to put up with the presence of The Empire's greatest walking, and ass kissing cliché of a “white-knight”.
The man's arrogant spouting of custody, and would-be threatening “request” for no interference fell on nearly dead, but fully enraged ears.

“No, you pompous twat, I am not handing over what is mine to anyone, least of all your groveling hands.
You can find some other way to take the King's proverbial dick up your broken ass, not only does her fate belong to me personally, I am her captor, you allowed her to escape, by what right do you make such a claim? I could, and should end you.”

Bianca's smug little taunts interrupted his mental tangent, and from reflex alone his hand tightened around her throat.
“Of course, commander Anton, and I fully apologize for the threats. I was fixated upon my capture, and making sure she didn't stab me or something.”
He let her go with a somewhat forceful shove, uncaring of whether she fell or not, and spun on the heels of his boots.
Within the short time of being thrown of his revenge's single minded course, a far more fitting punishment had slipped into his mind.

“Good luck, my commander,” He leaned against a near by wall. “If you need me for any reason, I'm to be waiting here. My orders were to seek out...A group of contacts..” His wicked grin shown beautifully even through the darkness.
All of it's hate, and malicious intent was aimed directly at Bianca.
The way her friends ran off, he assumed at least one would come back in a rescue attempt.
He play innocent, inform them of his recent removal from the King's service, which wouldn't be a lie, and offer them a good deal of help.
Once they fully trusted him, it would be all to easy to slaughter them in their sleep.

---

Seles

Rolling her eyes Seles shot off in the direction Lilly had come from, not letting go of the poor girl's arm.
“I'll drag you around like some sort of Bianca-detecting machine if I have to!”

Lilly

When Seles started dragging Lilly off, the water bearer nearly tripped. That was the last straw for her too. She instantly pulled herself out of Seles grasp with strength born of icy anger. While she still refused to lose her temper, Lilly was angry enough for her eyes to turn into an electric blue color and her voice chilled.

"Seles, do that again, and you'll be turned into an icicle before you breath." she said directly looking at the light bearer.

She wasn't bluffing either. When she first started learning to control her abilities, several robbers found her cave and tried taking advantage of her and she ended up freezing them as she struggled against them, killing them instantly. Lilly did regret killing them and that was the major factor that made her start controlling her emotions. Right now the water bearer was struggling to keep her emotions intact. To keep herself busy, she started tapping into Bianca's energy and started following the trail.

Luckily it didn't take her long to find her and by than she was back in control of herself and had lowered her energy flow so hopefully she wasn't detected. She didn't see the one guy that she saw from before, instead she saw someone in armor and Bianca on the ground. This was not good.

Anton nodded at Sean when the soldier willingly relinquished the girl - the assassin Night, if his guess was right - and lowered his gaze to her. Once Sean was completely out of sight, Anton raised one hand, and rocks began to cover Bianca's body, trapping her in a sarcophagus made of grey stone and with a fairly grotesque mask covering where Bianca's face would have been. Luckily for her, Anton left gaps for her to breathe, but there were a large amount of tips pricking her skin. While they were not exactly sharp, they still provided a warning that, if she were to escape, Anton would turn the sarcophagus into a barrage of rock needles.

Once he was finished, Anton stepped onto the coffin's surface (luckily, Bianca really wouldn't feel any pressure) and turned to face the other end of the alley, from which he could sense the other Bearers approaching. Once Lilly and Seles arrived to face him, he gave a short chuckle.

"So my guesses were correct; there are other Bearers within the city. A shame that neither of you look like the Bishop's son, or I would be greatly rewarded for the capture of two famous wanted people. Nevertheless, I would suggest that you run off as quickly as possible, mice," said Anton. The coffin suddenly began to move with an alarming speed (for a rock-coffin with a knight in armor on top of it, at least), and took off through the alleyways, with the intention of losing the Bearers. While Anton was confident in his combat prowess, he was uncertain as to whether he would be able to confront two Bearers in single combat, while maintaining the Iron Maiden on Bianca.



Julio, upon entering the finest tavern in town, would find Vincent and another man brawling. It didn't seem too pretty, but at least Vincent wasn't the one losing. Whether Julio planned on interrupting, or not, was his own choice.

First, she was rudely shoved down on the ground by Sean, and then was locked into some weird rock box, which smelled like dirt, by Fancy Pants. "You know, for a stereotypical knight in armor, you're not very polite. Also, it amuses me to think that you actually think you can contain me in this. Have you ever tried capturing a shadow before? It's not that simple... Of course there is a way to do it..... but I wouldn't tell you that now would I? The only reason I'm going along with this in the first place is to help my companions.... sigh... when did I require a heart..."

In any case, before Anton had had a chance to imprison Bianca, she had managed to flash Seles a look that seemed to say, 'I may have my job quicker than expected, so don't worry.' Shifting and moving around in her "coffin", she quickly adjusted to it. He could of made it a bit more pleasant, but she was playing prisoner. This was the perfect opportunity for her. These fools were going to take her directly to her destination, the King. She was assuming that Anton would take her directly before the king. All she'd have to do then was escape from her bondage, assassinate the king, and leave before anyone even knew what happened. Not too bad. As long as they kept her in a nice dark room, she could escape from anything. She smirked. This job was turning out to be less fun then she hoping. She was expecting it to be much more interesting. Oh well.... what can you do?

---

Julio waltzed into the first tavern he could find. Luckily for him, it was exactly what he was looking for. There, right in front of him was Vincent. He didn't see Sarin, but assumed he was nearby. He didn't even seem to notice the fight going on. He simply grabbed Vincent by his arm and swung him over his shoulder. The man he was fighting started yelling, "Hey, what the hell are you doing?!" Julio answered by kicking him into the counter causing hundreds of glasses to break and left.

"She's a thief~" A sort of.. Jazzy tune swept through the streets, along with the strong stench of whisky and wine. "She stole my heart~ and my cat!" With a skip in his step, and the twirl of his cane, Sven walked leisurely down the busy city streets, following the ever bustling flow of the crowds around him and singing a song, clearly thought from the top of his intoxicated mind. "Please, father! We need the extra support!" A woman floated after him, dressed in a worn Nun-like Sunday dress, a napkin shielding her delicate nose from the strong stench of alcohol left in the wake of Sven. "Sorry, babe. Not buying it~" He called after, waving a hand in the air to indicate a dismissal of the conversation. "But father!" The small woman struggled to push through the crowds and catch up with Sven. "Donations are at an all time low. You're willing to let the children starve?"

Jabbing his walking stick to the ground, Sven quickly spun around, becoming an obstacle for the crowd of people behind him. "Listen sister," He spoke with a tone much more serious than his drunken humming. Removing his black glasses, Sven revealed is bleached blind eyes to the nun, who in return tried to refrain from staring. "I didn't become a priest to babysit snotty little kids." Ignoring the gasp and criticism that was returned by the nurse, he took in a big wiff of air. A mixture of perfumes, fruits, baked goods, and sweet tea filled his lungs, which were suddenly thriving for the stench of hard alcohol. Taking a drink from his bottle of wine, and ignoring the nun as she rambled on, he took interest in a nearby conversation.

"I can't believe they want so much for her." An elder man's voice seemed to chirp. "I know, eh? Kinda makes me wanna be a bounty hunter. She shouldn't be hard to find anyways. Not often you see a face like that 'round here." A second man replied. "Nicolette Seles Va'amar, eh? No wonder she's got a bounty on her head.. It should be against the law to look that fine."

"-Father?! Father! Are you even listening?" The woman's voice interrupted his eavesdropping and Sven turned his dead eyes to her once more. "Those kids.. they need care, Father. They have but themselves and their brethren. As is for all orphans." Sven's expression had slowly turned into a melancholics one. "So you understand now, Father." The woman said joyfully. "Yeah, I understand." Sven pouted tipping his bottle upside down, but a drop falling to the pavement. "I'm all out of booze!" "You're a disgrace to the church!" The woman growled, hands on hips. Sven, upset about his empty bottle, tossed it to the side. But when a loud crash was heard, followed by the cussing of an upset store owner, now with a broken window, Sven took running. "WHY ARE YOU EVEN A PRIEST IN THE FIRST PLACE?!" The woman shouted after him. "I was bored!" Sven called back, waving goodbye as he stumbled through the crowd of people.

"Hey, in all reality, I've been a good guy." He laughed to himself as he was lost in the sea of people. "Time to sin for my repent."

Seles & Sean

The man's contemptuous, and frankly worthless, little chuckles did not amuse Seles in the least.
Nor however, did they enrage her.
Normally, being mocked by anyone, especially a man, would draw a violet, and cataclysmic rage from her spiteful core, but instead she only shrugged as he skated away.

This lack luster response worried Sean as he stepped from the shadows that hid him.

"Looks like you two just lost something valuable.."

---

Rin

Being left alone was a blessed occurrence for her.
Rarely was she alone anymore, at least one person surrounded her at all times, but within the cloistered realm of the little back alley she'd taken as her own human life was devoid.
The only thing hinting at it was the echoic footfalls from the busy street that seemed miles away.
Sharply inhaling, filling her lungs to capacity with the cities' smells; all the cooking, foreign and native, the sweat of working men, and women, soaps exotic, and sickening, animals, death, fresh birth, all of it, she allowed it to wash over her in a violent wave.
Ten seconds passed, then another, and another, and still more increments as she held her breath, letting the city swim within her body, slowly attuning herself to all of it, before coolly and calmly exhaling.

Leaning against an old brick building, and closing her eyes, she allowed her energy to search, it's wanting tendrils seeking out the essence of all surrounding life, wrapping around it and fusing itself together.
She could feel ever fiber of every person, every individual blade of grass, each tree, and all it's leaves, each drop of water.
She felt Storm Flash's very pulse, stoic as it was, and slowly slowed her own to match it; before long, the spiritual essence of the city was meshed together with her own, woven together like a massive and elegant tapestry.
She twirled a thick lock of her Raven hair between her long, slender fingers as she focused on the cities' pulse.

At present, she could feel Julio, and Vincent, Sarin, and Seles, Lilly, Bianca, the clown boy, and an unknown bearer, not far from a human, one with a split soul.
She knew exactly where each stood, where they were moving to, what they were interacting with, she could have blindly walked to any, but instead stood still.
It was a different feeling that held her fleeting attention, a much graver one.
A calm breeze whispered through the alley, and teasingly brushed her cheeks with it's wisp-like fingers, breaking her concentration for a moment.
“Somethings tells me,” Her voice a soft whisper, as gentle as the breeze itself. “That you're trying to warn me about something..I can feel it too..”

With a sigh, she turned her gaze inward once more, searching through the nether of her soul, and all things it meshed with.
Now walking through a spiritual world, one made of energy, she felt at peace.
However, things never last.
Slowly, very slowly, an intense, undying rage crackled within the essence's stream, growing very little, but very great in power, until Rin was overcome with it's hatred.
Walking through the violent spiritual muck it wrought, she braced herself for what she so often did.
Now standing in the eye of a storm of hate as old as Vitae itself, it took effort to keep calm.

“Galagar,” She called.
There was no answer.
“Galagar...”
Silence once more.
“You infernal beast!” Her shout was high pitched, and cruel. “Show yourself to me, you pathetic wretch!”
An ear splitting shriek, propelled by hatred and delivered with enough force to shatter a normal human's soul, and have Oblivion swallow it whole crashed into her without mercy.
Refusing to be staggered by it she pushed through it's vile sludge, and remained calm.
“There you are, my dear..I think I may need you soon..”

The bone-plated head of her beast emerged, yellow eyes glowing with malevolence, sharp teeth, row after row as tall as a full grown man gleamed at her with malice, and an arm of mangled flesh, thicker than diamond and taller than most buildings crashed down beside her, it's nails as big as a pair of horses, glittering.
The beast spoke no words, it merely stared at Rin, unblinking, something which she returned.
A long while past, Rin merely stared at him, he merely stared at her, it was like time suspended itself for their little starring contest.
A tail snapped in the background to shatter the silence, Galagar's subtle way of giving in, and only drew a sigh from the woman.

“Vitae's greatest beast...Mindless hatred as old as time, murder embodied..And I have to waste your talents..I apologize, my dear. But I can promise, if I am right, you will feast well tonight...”

Lilly

Lilly cursed when she saw that she was caught along with Seles. Things got even worse when the man caught Night and placed her in a stone coffin. Oh wonderful, a magic bearer working for the king. While Lilly knew that not all magic bearers were good, she honestly didn't think that the king would utilize them since most magic bearers were hunted down. This earth one must have struck a deal with the king at one point. All thoughts left her though when the Earth bearer took Bianca away so quickly, Lilly didn't even have time to think. Now what? Lilly wanted to go after them but her mind kicked in and she knew it be best to find another way to rescue Bianca. However, before the water bearer could do anything, Sean showed up. Instead of answering him, Lilly merely stood there, ready to attack if need be. Without moving her head, she looked to Seles to see what she was going to do. Seles might be a bit crazy, but it was obvious she was much more powerful than Lilly.