Ritsu Kirinelli's Story

It was so crowded, with music filling the streets of Cre' Est and laughing and the smell of many different foods being cooked. It was a good thing Ritsu arrived earlier that morning to rent out a room in one of the Inn's on the further outskirts of the city. All of the Inn's within closer walking distance to the main center of the festival were all booked up or too expensive for her to afford. At least she was able to drop off her belongings and change her clothes and tidy up her hair and appearance a bit. Though this was one of the rare occasions that she was seen without her boots on and instead was wearing a pair of wooden sandals, her ankles were still covered by the length of her kimono. She was glad she decided to leave Gweynura and arrived just in time for Cre' Est's famous festival. There were plenty of things to do, though she was really looking forward to the main event.


Four days ago in Gweynura

"What do you mean you've decided to go to Cre' Est!?" Ritsu's mother, a tall woman with green eyes and long, auburn hair pinned up in a large bun, slammed her bowl of rice down onto the wooden kitchen table with a shocked expression on her face.

"Now, mom let's keep calm here." Ritsu said with a cautious smile and she pulled her own bowl of rice back a couple of inches to avoid any flying grains from her mothers bowl. "I told you this yesterday, remember? I want to go and see the festival there. I heard they have a this huge art exhibit, and I've never seen fire works before either."

"Do you know how dangerous it is for a young lady like yourself to go traveling about in the forest?! The roads aren't as safe as they used to be! And you're too defenseless on your own! What would I do if something happened to you?"

"It's..really not that bad.."

A short woman with silver hair and squinting eyes barged into the room with a large wooden bowl of salad. "Ritsu's going to Cre' Est? It's about time!"

"There's no way she's going!" He mother snapped back, and the older lady gave her a menacing glare in return before replying.

"The girl's been trapped in this tacky village forever! Bout' time she goes n' does something with her life! She don't go do something now she'll be exactly like you! A widow with no job and living under her mothers roof!"

Ritsu let out a sigh and looked down at her half-filled bowl of rice. For certain reasons she suddenly felt her appetite run away.

"I'm happy with my life you old hag!"

"Hag?! Well I'd be happy if ya just dropped dead already! Not like you've got any reason to be here!"

Another sigh. The arguing was completely normal, and usually never bothered Ritsu all that much. But this time was different, she was trying to be serious and the two of them were going at each other like an old married couple.

"That's enough!" She shouted, standing up and glaring at the two of them. The two ladies went quiet, but they would be ready to go at each other any time. Honestly, Ritsu felt like the only adult one in the house. These two were like little kids!

"Listen, mom, I'm going okay. Grandma's right, I'm tired of living here. It's boring! I'm eighteen so whether you like it or not, I'm going." She said sternly before taking her bowl over to the kitchen and setting it on the wooden counter.

Her mother remained quiet with an unusually serious expression on her face. this lasted for about 40 seconds before the woman let out a sigh, and Ritsu's grandmother started laughing.

"Look's like she told you! That's my granddaughter!"

"Shut up, ya old hag!"

"What did you say! Show some respect to your elders!"

And there they go again..

Even so, Ritsu let out a little giggle and gave them a smile. She'd leave tomorrow then and make her way to Cre' Est.


Four days later back in Cre' Est

Ritsu had come here with the art exhibit on her mind, but now she was just so dazed by all the event's going on that she'd completely forgot about it. She pushed her way through the crowd, realizing there were a lot more people in this area of the street than she'd thought there was. Suddenly she passed by a larger man who decided not to bother stepping aside. She ended up bumping into him, then stumbling backwards. She let out a small gasp, bracing herself for a fall, but then her back roughly hit the back of another person.

She spun around, briefly dipping her head a couple of times at the young man who was sitting at what looked to be a large tea stand.

"I'm sorry! Excuse m--"

Oh no, since she'd bumped into him, the tea that he'd been holding ended up toppling forward and spilling onto the long bar in front of him.

"I-I'm sorry!" She said again, this time more urgently. She hoped this person didn't have a short-temper. "I'm really sorry, let me buy you another one!" She stepped up to the bar beside the young man and opened up her change purse, a little red pouch with a string tied around the top that had been attached to her wrist.

"I'm sorry..w-what kind of tea was it that you had? Oh! Of course, I'll get you any kind you want!"

As Keito pressed the ceramic cup to his lips, he felt a hard object roughly bump into his back and he coughed, the cup slipping out of his hands and splashing onto the table. Luckily it didn't break, but some of the liquid that had managed to make itself into Keito's mouth was now trailing down the wrong side of his throat. He coughed a couple more times as he tried to clear the warm liquid from his pipes, then turned to face the person who had run into him

"Watch what you--!"

"I'm sorry! Excuse m--"

Keito stopped himself, his expression lightening up a bit as the young girl quickly apologized. The girl quickly noticed that she'd spilled Keito's drink all over the wooden surface in front of him as well and she pulled out a small coin pouch and stepped up a little closer. She looked pretty flustered and was acting more like she'd broke Keito's finger rather just just simply causing him to spill his tea.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm really sorry, let me buy you another one!"

"No, that's alri--"

"I'm sorry..w-what kind of tea was it that you had? Oh! Of course, I'll get you any kind you want!"

He gave her the friendliest smile he could muster, despite his somewhat depressed state at the moment, and raised his hand a little, signaling that she could put her coin purse down.

"Really, it's alright! It was just a little cup of tea, nothing too expensive so it doesn't matter. I was about to go watch the fireworks anyway."

He scooted back a little, letting the server wipe away the liquid with a white cloth and pick up the cup. Keito gave the man a small apology and an thank you before turning back to the girl.

"You must be new to city life, huh? You seem a little flustered and out of place. Where are you from? If you don't mind me asking."



"You must be Gilas."

"I am."

Gilas had a perfectly calm, but stern composer to him. He stood tall, naturally being 6'2", but seemed taller with the proud stance of a high-ranking officer. He kept his left hand calmly at his side with the other lightly resting on the handle of his sword, kept in a plain black sheathe. He was clothes in a creamy white, V-neck shirt with a heavy, short-sleeved, long black coat pulled around him with the collar folded over. His shirt was loosely tucked into a pair of black pants with a thick black belt around his waist that held his sword. Lastly he wore a pair of black, buckle up boots with his pants tucked into the and his medium-length hair pulled back into a small, loose pony tail with his loosely combed to the sides.

This is my husband, Dude Enzberg."

Gilas slightly narrowed his eyes at the man for a brief moment before ignoring him and turning his attention back to Leina.

"I hope you have a good reason for calling me here, mrs. Leina. It's not often I take time off from my duties to deal with simple business like this."

He spoke with ease, his tone as calm and collected as ever, but there was also a hint of strictness in his voice as well. His gold eyes were a little softer, but still serious.

"Really, it's alright! It was just a little cup of tea, nothing too expensive so it doesn't matter."

"Oh..are you sure?"

"I was about to go watch the fireworks anyway."

She let out a small sigh of relief and tightened the red strap around the little coin purse before sliding it back over her left wrist and turning to the man behind the counter as he begun to clean up the mess she'd caused. "I'm sorry, sir." She said briefly, the man just giving her a slight nod and a smile in return as he finished wiping up the spilled tea. She was thankful that the two of them seemed friendly enough and she hadn't run into some crazy, giant monster man with a history of anger issues and tattoos and scars...well..that was going a little bit over-the-top.

"You must be new to city life, huh? You seem a little flustered and out of place. Where are you from? If you don't mind me asking."

She turned to him and gave him a friendly smile, relieved that he'd turned the subject away from the little incident she had caused.

"It's that obvious?", she asked, giggling awkwardly a couple of times.

Of course it is..

"City life is pretty new to me. I'm from a small village in Gweynura so I'm not used to all the crowds and this is actually the first time I've actually traveled. Good timing too though! I got here just in time for the festival and I came to see the big art exhibit that is supposed to be presenting all kinds of forms of art. I guess I got kind of distracted from all the commotion and event going on though, and I've never seen fireworks before either so I--" She stopped abruptly, realizing she'd been rambling on for a while to a complete stranger.

"Eh, I'm sorry about that. Oh yeah, my name's Ritsu. It's nice to meet you." She quickly introduced herself with an apologetic smile. Now that she was able to get a better look at the boy, she realized he seemed kind of young to be out alone.

In truth, Keito was a little disappointed that she's stopped explaining the reason why she'd come to Cre' Est. Sure, she had added a bit more information than he'd originally asked for, but her energy was a nice change. Plus, it wasn't everyday he could talk to someone who seemed so normal. Well, normal compared to him at least.

"Eh, I'm sorry about that. Oh yeah, my name's Ritsu. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Keito. Nice to meet you too." He replied with his friendly smile. He slid off the stool and slid it back into place up close to the tea stand, deciding that he'd been sitting there long enough. At least this girl, Ritsu, wasn't as tall as she looked when he was sitting down. Now that he was standing up he realized that he was maybe four or five inches taller than her, though that didn't do much for his seemingly incurable small body size.

great I just admitted it...

"You say you've never seen fireworks before, right? I don't really get the chance to watch the big ones all that often, but you haven't lived until you see the ones they set off for the festival. I know a pretty great place where you can get a big view. I could show you if you want?"

He needed something to pass the time anyway, and something to also get his still missing sword out of his mind. This girl showed up at nearly the right time, and fireworks were more fun to watch with a partner anyway.



Gilas took a seat at the table, leaning back in the chair a little to show that he was perfectly relaxed and comfortable around the two of them. Of course, that wasn't really the case. In fact, he was fully prepared to draw his sword at any second if need be. The one thing the man never did, was let his guard down, even around his most trusted subordinates. He politely refused the drink offered by Leina, letting her know that he didn't drink any kind of alcohol.

The blonde woman's husband, Duke, in which he had corrected his wife, got right to the point with their meeting. Gilas didn't flinch in the slightest when a very familiar black sword was stabbed into the middle of the table in front of him. Instead he continued looking on, his emotions being completely unreadable.

"You have a bounty for your son correct sir? It so happens that we are in possession of said person, that sword is proof of that. Check it as you wish but know that I will need that back, I'm not contracted to you so I feel no need to give you anything at this time... Do I make myself clear... "Sir"? Crystal clear... "Sir"?""

Duke tossed his pistol up into the air and caught it quite gracefully in his right hand, all while emphasizing the word 'Sir'. Only seconds later the man leaned over the table to give his wife a kiss, which this time Gilas slightly narrowed his eyes to. He was barely swayed by the mans rudeness, but took note of it all the same. He came here on the woman's request, so he had no reason to show this man any kind of acknowledgement.

A few moments later Duke pulled himself back away from the blonde woman and stared straight into Gilas's eyes, in which he returned the stare with cold calmness.

"Now me and my wife are going to decide whether or not we "give" you your son... You see not much information was give on that bounty of his, we just want to know who exactly we are dealing with. No, not you, I don't care for you. You're a high ranking militant man, anyone can see that. But why would such an upstanding man contract a bounty and for his own son? Something is highly suspicious about this job... And I don't know if we should work with you...So.. Tell us what we want to know or we can keep your son... Possibly sell him off to some slaver... He seems like he is strong enough for something such as that... Could fetch a good price to the right buyers you know... So... why the bounty?"

"By the way, Gilas," The woman started to add on to the man's last threat and Gilas moved his eyes onto her for a moment to listen. [/b]"He's been poisoned so you better think quick. And you wouldn't try anything funny in here if you wanted to keep that adorable neck of yours intact, pumpkin."[/b]

A very small, barely noticeable grin pulled at the corner of Gilas's lips as the two finally finished. He moved his gold eyes back onto Duke to start his response.

"First off, I ask you to show a little more respect for that sword there." He said, glancing over at Keito's sword for a brief moment before moving his eyes back onto Duke, "It's an old family heirloom and not something you can simply come across in smith shops anymore. Secondly, you seem to care a lot for Jun, my son, which I must admit I am a little curious about, though not curious enough to want to hear the whole story. As for why I placed the bounty on him.." His eyes moved back onto Leina, his meaningless little smirk showing slightly more than before. "You two seem like a new couple, so I doubt you would have any children. I don't believe you would understand what is it is like to have your first and only son disappear on you without warning and to go missing for years."

He paused a moment to look at the sword that continued to stand in the middle of the table, then he turned to look back at Leina, continuing to show little acknowledgement of Duke's presence. "You seem to have gone through a bit of trouble for such a small bounty, that makes me a little suspicious of your threats upon my son. I'm a little insulted though that you would think I'd try to force you to reveal him to me, I have to admit."

He stood from the table, resuming his proud stance. "I guessed the price I placed on him wouldn't gain much attention. I suppose I'll just have to higher that price. Also, if you have my son like you say, I want you to let him know about the passing of his mother four months ago, and that he also now has a younger sister who turned three six days ago." He briefly waved his hand as he began to walk away. "Enjoy the festival. I think I might stay here in Cre' Est a few days too. It would be a shame to miss up on such a celebration, don't you agree?" With that he left the tavern and made his way down the crowded street.

(Might be a little choppy. I apologize.)

It was strange being back in Cre' Est after staying in Gweynura for so long. He'd never stayed in one place for so long before. Well, at least he hadn't done it in a very long time. Usually his urge to keep moving would always make him leave, but this time he had something holding him back, literally. In fact, on one attempt to sneak out and leave in the middle of the night after returning to Gweynura with Ritsu and staying with her for a few weeks, the red-head had caught him and given him one hard knock on the back of the head and her mother had practically dragged him back to the house. For someone who was supposed to be hired as a temporary body guard, he felt more like a prisoner and Ritsu's mother and grandmother the wardens. He never expected such a sweet girl to have such violent relative's.

On the other hand, he would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it there. It was a strange, but warm change of pace and something he had started to miss. It was very difficult for him to get used to it at first, and it took him quite a while to admit it to himself, but he kind of liked it there.

Even so, he'd let it drag on for too long. After the first couple of months, he saved up plenty of money to start on his travels alone, but then made the mistake of telling Ritsu why his sheath had been empty before she'd bought him a new sword. It didn't take her a single second to announce that she'd help him find it, and after that, for some reason he just couldn't shake her off.

It was nice that she'd spent her money to buy him a new weapon, but it was very different from his old one. For one, it was much, much lighter than his original one, with a thinner blade and handle. The blade was also a bit shorter than his old one, and not very strong either, though not completely useless. Keito could use practically any kind of sword, but after using one sword for so long and then suddenly being forced to use a different one, it wasn't something easy to do. Not to mention Keito was more fit for using double-edged swords, but the one Ritsu had bought for him was a single-edge and he'd never been very good at using that kind of sword.

The festival music seemed a lot louder than last time, but the clothing that everyone was wearing didn't look all that different. Ritsu wore a black, flower-patterned kimono with her hair neatly pinned back and brushed like it was the first time he'd seen her. If he'd gone alone to this festival, Keito would be wearing his usual black clothes and boots, but this time he came with Ritsu, and she insisted over and over that he dress properly for the festival. After going around for a few hours, she finally found something cheap that Keito reluctantly put on.His own attire was dark blue, and nothing that stuck out in the least. In fact, it was probably the plainest thing in the entire festival and he refused to take off his boots and put on a pair of sandals. He continued to carry his black bag with him, it looking a little larger now that his clothes were rolled up and stuffed into it.

Keito felt awkward in his new clothes as if everyone was watching him, even though that definitely wasn't the case. Still, he wasN't used to wearing clothes like this and the last time he could remember him ever doing it was when he was still just a toddler. He walked beside Ritsu through the crowded streets with his bag over his shoulder, his empty sword sheath in its normal place on his back with the strap going over his shoulder and around his chest, and the new sword positioned on the left side of his waist.

They began to near the center of the city where the music was the loudest when Keito suddenly heard something very familiar. The voice was mixed in with many shouts, other voices, footsteps and plenty of other noises, but it wasn't a voice that could be easily hid. Yes, he was sure it was Layla's voice.

"Layla..."

He whispered it quietly, possibly loud enough for Ritsu to hear but one couldn't be sure.

"I'll be right back! Hold this for a moment!", he said quickly, handing Ritsu his bag before running off into the crowd. With her stubbornness, he was sure she would follow, but that wasn't his main concern right now. If there was even the slightest chance that the bounty huntress knew where Jude and Keito's sword was, then he needed to get to her before she disappeared.

He pushed through the hoards of people, a few of them grunting or giving him a quick shout to 'watch where he is going', until he came to a large area with plenty more people. Though, this time they were all close together, joined in a dance which Keito wasn't familiar with. He wasn't much of a dancer, after all, so why would he bother ever watching people dance?

His eyes moved through the crowd until they found the source of the voice. Above the dancing villagers, in the center circled by other women dressed in beautifully decorated kimono's, was an even more beautiful woman with long, snowy-white hair.

Now he just needed to figure out how to get her attention so he could speak with her after she was done with her performance.

The information which the woman had just given him couldn't have been more unwelcome than at this very moment. Jude had just barely been saved by his captors by the young women, only to have the target on his back to increase exponentially. The Red Eyed Demon?... Well ain't that just great! Not only am I a member of the most infamous thieves guild in Cre' Est the Wolf Pack who have been regularly hunted down by the Assassin's of Te'i Sai, I am now MARKED as a friend of The Red Eyed Demon... Great... just great. Sighing Jude looked down at the cane he was holding in his hands and his legs, his legs which would be unable to carry him if not for the assistance of that cane. Jude could just as easily stay in the inn for a while longer but knowing how the Assassin's of Te'i Sai were, how they hunted and killed so many of his "brothers" he knew he couldn't stay there, not for one more lingering moment. If I am to be hunted by them again I will have to be constantly on the run... Guess my life has become interesting once again, Father.

"Thank you for being honest with me love... Guess that if I am going to be associated with the man I may as well seek him. We shall meet up with them then... For me to thank them and to get out of here... Oh, and don't worry love. I might not look it at the moment but I can handle myself... even with just this cane." With that said Jude walked down to the floor of the inn, grabbing some food and some money from some unwilling patrons. If I am going to be hunted I can't be going out on an empty stomach... or without any money... Not like these people needed it, if they did they would've made better sure that they would be able to keep hold of it. After eating Jude and the woman left the inn, in search for The Red Eyed Demon.

"Hope he isn't as the stories say he is... Don't want to be killed anytime soon you know." He said this jokingly but he knew that the very fact of who he was seeking out that was actually a very high possibility. But right now he had to gamble on the demon, being a monster himself he couldn't be picky about whom he worked with to keep himself alive. I would trade my soul if it would grant me freedom... Heh, what a funny concept. To sell your soul to the devil to be forever damned and imprisoned by him to gain freedom... That is a laugh.

The Streets of Cre' Est

The night air was something which Jude had missed, the freshness and the very smell of the night. It is one hell of a thing to be free... I won't become imprisoned again... I rather die than to lose my freedom. Jude and the woman hadn't traveled that long before they heard the sound of commotion. Judging by the sounds of the crowd it was most likely because of the man himself, The Red Eyed Demon. I'm glad to know there are some people in this world more sought out and hunted down than me... I wonder if it is bad to feel that way? Following the sounds of the crowds Jude began to walk as fast as he could towards them, only to see someone he hadn't had planned to meet again. His muse and his bane, Layla.

As her beautiful figure began running towards them, snow blonde hair flowing as she ran, Jude began to remember the nights they shared together. He didn't know why she was there or why she was running, all he cared about was that she was there. Jude could've lived without her in his life, correction he could exist without her in his life but he couldn't live. No matter how she felt about him at that moment Jude needed to get something from her, something he knew that she would have on her if he knew her at all. As her figure ran near him he saw that she had been bumped into by a young girl. Odd girl... beat me to it I guess... Will have to find another way too... never mind. Jude walked towards them with his cane in his hands, looking down at her Jude took her hand, bringing her to her feet. Placing his hand on her back, feeling the fabric in between his fingers. Haven't changed a bit have you Layla?

"Well isn't this strange... I didn't think I would meet you again like this... or this soon... Did you miss me love?" He questioned her but she didn't seem to recognize him right away, or she didn't want to realize that it was him. Grinning Jude bowed, taking the top hat on his head off as he did, revealing his longer unkempt black hair. He then lifted the eye patch, uncovering his golden eye.

"Ain't this a serendipitous situation... Right Layla?"

There was something incredibly off about Layla. She didn't answer him after he asked her the location of his sword. She didn't even look at him, or give him a smirk or a smart remark. She just continued sitting there, completely frozen. Could it be the presence of this 'Red-eyed man'? Sure, the glowing eyes did throw Keito off a little bit, but it's the aura that the man gave off that let Keito remind himself to keep a cool head. That man had far more experience than Keito, and by simply looking and measuring the confidence level the man had, it was better to stay away from him.

Suddenly Layla picked herself up off the ground and turned to run, leaving her shoes behind. She looked terrified, not like the Layla Keito knew at all. The snow-haired woman didn't get very far before a familiar figure turned the corner and collided with her, causing them both to fall back onto the stone.

Of course the red-head instantly became quite flustered and apologetic, repeating the words 'I'm Sorry' to Layla a few times before even stopping to figure out the situation.

"Keito?"

"Ritsu?"

"What's going on here?"

To be honest, Keito wasn't exactly sure himself anymore. All he wanted was to confront Layla and get his weapon back, but then the green-eyed man showed up, and Layla went and caused a scene, which seemed to be something she was too good at doing, and then a few moments later the man with the red eyes showed up. A simple confrontation turned into a real head-splitter in just a few minutes. He glanced over at the red-eyed man for a moment before walking over to stand beside Layla where she sat and picked up his bag to make sure all of his belongings were still inside. He pulled the string and peeked inside, glad to see his clothes still intact and in their original place. Knowing Ritsu, she probably wouldn't notice of some stranger decided to stick their hand in and take something. He tied the bag shut again and threw the strap over his left shoulder and adjusted it so the bag sat comfortable behind his shoulder.

"It's a little hard to expla--"

Layla was pulled to her feet by the hand of a stranger, though a stranger whose voice sounded all too familiar and who spoke to the woman with the up most causality in his tone. Of course, there was also the fact that he pulled her in close and placed his arm around her. Who else would do that to a complete stranger besides the one and only Jude? Still, the thief looked pretty ridiculous in his new attire.

"Ain't this a serendipitous situation... Right Layla?"

"Jude? What the..what are you wearing? You like you were just trampled by a heard of elephants and then stole clothes from some old homeless man you just picked up of the street." In truth, he probably could've looked worse, and in even more truth he didn't really look horrible either, but Keito hadn't exactly forgiven him for landing on top of him that day. "Or did you just loose a bet?"

So now the hunt for his sword turned into even more trouble for him.

"Layla!" he shouts, his feet shuffling across the floor boards. The door pounds against the wall as he steps in, like an angry palm against a tight drum. I pull the thin sheet tighter around myself and I wish I was brainless furniture. My father crushes himself on top of me, I struggle beneath his weight.

But I am too small and he is too big and there is nothing I can do.

Sitting up, he presses all of his heaviness into the knee on my chest, choking my lungs and crushing my flesh. He rips my hair and there is the smack of bones on wood. He jerks his shoe deep into my gut and a heavy pain spreads from my stomach. I croak pitifully and he stomps on my body before breaking my skull on the ground. For a moment, there is a blissful oblivion and I could bury myself in the emptiness forever but forever never lasts. My mind roughly awakens me to my father's puffy red eyes and his alcoholic breath - acidic, bitter, broken.

"I wish you died." His sizzling tears burn through my skin.

I wish I did, too.

There's the pounding of a door returning to it's place and the click of a lock pulling shut. I'm left alone in the darkness of my small and tarnished room - like me - with shadows for company. The eerie figures creep over the surface of the boxed walls, threatening to bury me alive. I tremble and pray that Demons do not come for father says they drag the souls of bad children to hell. He says I am the worst of them all.

Red eyes watch from the window high above the ground. "Saya," I whisper as my black cat lands gracefully next to me.

Tomorrow I will find her impaled to the floor next to me with my father's carving knife, with holes where her beautiful ruby eyes used to be, soaking in our blood.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there and I wasn't watching where I was going! Are you alright I'm so sorry! You're not hurt are y-- Keito?"

The sweet voice brought Siren back to the present - How did I end up on the ground? Iridescent eyes the colour of blood embedded itself in Siren's mind. Her heart began to race again, panicking when she realised she most likely lost time. A million different escape routes nudged at her consciousness, all of which were futile against a Demon.

A warm, large hand held Siren's and pulled her effortlessly to her feet. Another rested on the small of her back. She pressed her small waist further back against the hand behind her, clutching the other. Somehow the hands felt familiar and safe. But for the life of her, she could not place her finger on why she felt so protected touched by them. Siren wasn't so terrified of the Demon then, for even if she did die, at least she would not die alone.

"Well isn't this strange... I didn't think I would meet you again like this... or this soon... Did you miss me love?"

Siren froze, her hand, bloodied from her sharp nails, holding onto the man's tighter. The voice was low and raspy, a voice that squeezed her heart in a longing and painful way. She raised her head, looking up at the large man who towered over her. A patch covered one eye but the other had a completely black iris. He was handsome, though - broken. She didn't wish to think about it but the man looked so much like...

The tall man pulled off his cap and lifted his eye patch to reveal an intense, lovely eye of pure gold. Siren wanted to cry.

"Ain't this a serendipitous situation... Right, Layla?"

A soft squeal escaped her lips - I'm a stupid fangirl - and then she wept without tears. Her small body shaking with an agony she could not spill from her eyes as she reached up to run her fingers through his hair. It grew.

"Jude? What the..what are you wearing? You like you were just trampled by a heard of elephants and then stole clothes from some old homeless man you just picked up of the street. Or did you just loose a bet?" Keito's voice asked. Siren sobbed louder, half laughing as she touched his messy hair. He could've been wearing a potato sack and he still would've looked ridiculously handsome to her. But Keito was right - he did look homeless.

"You look terrible," she managed to say, her voice breaking from her sobs. She trailed a finger over the familiar scar on his face, then down his neck and chest. He had so many more scars, some weren't even healed. Each new mark on his body felt like another explosion beneath her skin. "What did you do?"

Gripping his dark hair, Siren pulled his lips towards hers and just before they touched - she punched him across the face.

"Yoooouuu sonofabitch! Holy mother of God I could've been pregnant and you pointed a gun at my head. How could you do that to me? I trusted you! Youyouyou you should be a woman, yet your beard will not let me interpret you as such!"

Layla punched the thief right in the cheek with an angry force. Even Keito flinched a little at the thought of that being his own cheek. Whatever the guy did to anger her, he probably deserved it, even though Keito had wanted to be the first to punch him when he met with him again. Despite the slightly uncomfortable reunion, Keito heard the sound of a laugh behind him and he turned a little to see who it had come from only to realize it was the red-eyed man. The sound made Keito smile a little, but that didn't last very long when the red-eyed man stopped laughing and he suddenly seemed very alert.

Within just a few seconds, the were surrounded, the red insignia of Te'i Sai seen on each one of them. He tensed, slowly moving his hand up to the handle of his sword. He didn't draw it just yet, but he made sure to be ready if any of them attempted to attack. Keito narrowed his eyes, letting them scan over each of the men that surrounded them, then they moved up to the roof tops. They did a perfect job at positioning themselves, that was for sure, but what were they after? Only a few moments later, Keito's question was answered, and his guess that the red-eyed man had far more experience than himself was quickly proven as the assassin's began their attack on the man.

There were many screams from the villagers as they began to shove and even trample each other in an attempt to get away. Keito reached forward and grabbed Ritsu's wrist, pulling her to the side and backing himself against the wall of a building. He wrapped his arms around her, making sure no one bumped into her or knocked her over. He shielded her for a few more seconds before finding an opening and pushing open the wooden door of the building.

"Stay here until it's quite!" He demanded, shoving her into the building and slamming the door.

He started to move away from the building towards Layla when he noticed her being attacked, but suddenly found himself being knocked to the ground. He landed on his stomach, letting out a small grunt as he hit the ground, then rolled onto his back just in time to avoid a blade that drove into the stone beside him. He made another attempted to draw his sword, but the hard pressure of a boot stepped down onto his right hand.

Damn it!

He brought his leg up, kicking the man hard in the knee with his left foot. It was a good thing he'd refused to wear sandals and instead kept his boots on, but it wasn't entirely easy to move around in his current attire. He pressure on his hand let up for a split second and Keito took this opportunity to push himself backwards and finally unsheathe his blade, doing a well good job at ignoring his now fractured wrist. He swung the blade up, meeting it with his opponents blade. A stabbing pain shot through his hand and up his arm and he slightly loosened his grip, the sword flying from his hand and landing a few feet behind him. Before Keito could pick himself up, the bottom of a boot slammed down on his left cheek and the back of his head hit the stone.

He was completely helpless.

There were a few more blows from the boot and then a blade jammed itself into Keito's left palm. He left out a short scream, which was cut off by another kick to the cheek and one to the side. He was starting to question if he'd ever find an opening to knock this man away from him. His left cheek was broken open now and blood dripping from the wound, it was probably bruised and starting to swell up as well. There was a small, dark chuckle from the man who stood over him as the lade that was driven into Keito's hand was pulled out. He clenched his teeth, keeping himself from letting out another scream. He barely noticed that the man had walked away, now focused on a different target in the center

He slowly rolled himself over and pushed himself up off the ground to stumble to his sword. It wasn't the first time he had taken a beating like that, but it had been years since he'd sparred with his father. He picked up the sword, clutching the blade with his right hand and spitting out a bit of blood mixed with saliva. He wiped the blood from his cheek and straightened up in a hard attempt to regain himself, the sounds of painful cries and terrified screams pounding in his head. There was so many noises, and the grey stone painted with thick blood with the smell of rusty iron filling the air.

His eyes widened for a second as he felt a strong presence approaching him. He spun around, ready to swing his blade, but stopped it abruptly when he noticed it was the red-eyed man, a mistake he would thoroughly regret. He was hit hard, once again being slammed back onto the ground. Another boot was brought down onto him, but this time landing in the middle of his chest and with much greater force than before. Keito's sword slipped from his hand once again as he reached up and grabbed the red-eyed mans foot, but with a fractured wrist and bloody palm, he could hardly apply any pressure.

The foot stepped down harder and Keito heard a snap, followed by am extreme stab of pain shooting through his chest and the rest of his body. He let out a rough gasp, unable to scream with the air just being knocked out of him. He had felt terrible pain before, but nothing like this. He'd always been so good at staying out of any situation that would put him in such danger, but without warning he'd been thrown into one. His blue eyes briefly met with Shadow's beaming red one's, and for once, Keito believed that this pain might just be the last thing he'd ever feel.

The pressure of the boot was gone and Keito felt himself being picked up like a rag doll before being thrown and slamming against a wall. The pain seared through him for only a second before everything went black and his consciousness was tossed into a dark abyss, the glowing red eyes of a demon being the last thing left to burn themselves into Keito's memory.

Elina..are you going to be waiting for me?

The atmosphere was warm and friendly for a moment, one of those moments that Ritsu always enjoyed and treasured. She didn't know the snow-haired woman, or the other man who had helped her up, but they lightened things up a little. Of course, that small, warm moment was so easily torn apart within a matter of seconds. The lantern-lit festival that was originally filled with people having fun, laughing, smiling, and maybe drinking a little too much, erupted into an unexpected blood bath caused by men she'd never seen before.

The red-head only stayed in the clearing long enough to watch the incredible, but terrifying fight between the man with the red eyes and the other men who had shown up, all bearing a red insignia. The mark looked a little familiar, but she still had no idea who these people were and why they were doing what they were doing. The screams echoed around her, but she was unable to move, frozen by fear with wide eyes as she watched the scene unfold. She couldn't move, speak, she barely felt like she was even breathing. She felt her heart pounding against her chest, cold as ice and making it hard to take in any air. The crowd began to scatter, but Ritsu was unable to move out of the way. She was too terrified to even move her eyes away from the sight of blood being splattered onto the stone floor.

At that moment she felt a warm hand grip her wrist and pull her aside, arms wrapping around her to protect her from the stampede of humans making a desperate attempt to get away. Even with Keito's arms around her, she couldn't tare her eyes away from the scene and she could feel herself trembling.

He pulled her towards a door and opened it, shoving her inside along with his bag which she held tightly to her chest.

"Stay here until it's quite!"

Don't leave me!

She wanted to say those words so badly, but she couldn't speak a word as the wooden door shut and she was left in a dark wooden room which looked to be an empty living room. The only window in the room was positioned beside the door, but it was covered by a red cloth and she couldn't see anything through it. Ritsu backed up against the farthest wall and slid down it until she was sitting on the floor, her knees pulled close to her and her arms tightly wrapped around Keito's bag.

I'm scared.

Even in this room, the screams and cries were hardly muffled and Ritsu could hear every noise. The sound of metal clashing together, red liquid being splattered everywhere, crying, desperate prayers, and footsteps pounding on the stone service of the city outside. She pulled her knees closer and, closing her eyes, she shoved her face into her legs and covered her ears.

I'm scared..I'm scared..

It felt like an eternity before silence dropped over her, followed by a heavenly voice and a beautiful song.

Ritsu lifted her head a few inches from her knees and her eyes slightly opened. The song continued and she pulled her hands away from her ears and lifted her head a few more inches. Her eyes moved up to the covered window as she listened to the song. It was almost like an angel had come down to sing the lost souls of Hell a comforting lullaby so they could finally sleep without torture. Whose voice did that belong to?

The song ended and Ritsu remained in the room for a few more minutes, repeating the lyrics in her head a couple of times before forcing herself to stand up. She stood with her back against the wall for a couple of more minutes with Keito's bag in her hands as she tried to get her knees to stop shaking. Her heartbeat had slowed down after repeating the song in her head for a little while and then, telling herself that she needed to make sure Keito was alright, she gained just enough courage to walk towards the door of the room. Gripping it with a sweaty palm, she pulled it open and stepped out.

Instantly she pulled her hand off the door knob and covered her mouth to keep herself from throwing up as the stench of fresh blood filled her lungs. Her eyes widened more at the grotesque sight of bodies ripped apart and spread around, blood drenching the ground and still dripping from the dead bodies of the victims, some of them being the strange men who had showed up out of no where, and a majority of them being innocent villagers who were unlucky enough to be standing around when the attack happened.

Then her eyes fell upon one body in particular about six feet away beside one of the buildings. Her eyes widened even more with complete shock and fear. It was Keito, broken and bleeding as he lay on his back with his eyes closed and blood dripping from his forehead and other areas of his body.

"Keito!" She screamed, her voice cracking as tears began to form. She let his bag fall to the ground and she ran over to him and dropped to her knees beside him. She reach out her hands, but stopped herself before her palms touched him. She was trembling again, all thoughts of the song vanishing from her mind. Salty liquid began to stream from her eyes and drop onto his stained, red chest. "Please! Keito, wake up!" She sobbed desperately, finally setting her palms on his arm but very gently.

"Keito, get up!" She sobbed again, letting her head rest softy on his stomach as her body trembled more. If she wasn't completely distracted by the sight of him and the terrifying thought of him possibly being dead, she probably would of noticed that he was still breathing, but not very strongly. "Please get up! Keito! Please, please.." Her voice started to weaken and she choked on her tears. The crying was starting to cause her head to throb, but that was the last thing on her mind.

A mouse pressed under an empty mug;
Bubbles floating to the surface, popping into fingers.

"Oh Heavens, this one's a mess."

"At least she died with a friend."

A creature made of squishy mould;
A voice of God - God is the Voice.
Tracing red paint with bleeding eyes,
A million and one moments -

Gathering into one.

Women, men, poised on a red and black mattress. Lust, breathless, empty - 'What's the matter?'

"What a pity. She was beautiful."

Shattering weight, shattering bones, shattered girl in a shattered home.
An Angel sings - falling backwards into the sky - Remember to come back for me.
Forget I exist.
Bleeding light, shining darkness.
Make sure you come back.

Perfect wings, perfect soul - I will never come close.
Turn away, melt into oblivion - rid the world of your presence.
Do not touch Her wings, do not tarnish

What is perfect.

A million lanterns pressed under a spoon.

"Please, please..."
"This is a mess."
"I have seen enough blood at the moment."
"I am a doctor."
"Eyes of red upon me."
"Sure, Layla..."

A million moments gathering into one.

"Sir, please let go of her."

Let her go.

Let me go.

Let it all go.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I'm not dead.

Siren's silver eyes snapped open, wide with panic; to stare into the darkness. The stench of rotting flesh and dried blood filled her senses and she found herself staring into the unseeing eyes of a small child. Her heart smacked against the walls of her ribcage as she tried to scream but instead found herself choking on the hair of a broken doll. She struggled, her limbs thrashing about - Oh god, oh god, oh god, I'm in hell.

'Welcome, welcome," she imagined the little boy on top of her saying - his mouth rising manically into the too-wide smile of a possessed soul, with his eyes large and red, like a black hole made of human blood.

Let me out. Let me out!

Siren had been buried alive.

She was trapped under a pile of dead bodies - mistaken for dead as her heartbeat slowed to an almost standstill as she collapsed on the corpse of her limbless Evi. Siren had spent all of what was left of her on the tears for her bounty huntress friend. When the raining liquid from her eyes ran out, Siren had either passed out or fallen asleep - it wasn't quite clear. Outside the miniature hill of corpses, two medics restrained Jude as one carefully explained how denial was understandable but the snow-haired girl was truly dead and he had to let her go.

With a desperate kick, the living girl buried under the dead managed to kick a body off of the pile. She struggled like this for some time, her body connecting with ripped flesh and contorted bone - before the cleaners finally realised something wrong. The bodies drenched in maroon crust were not supposed to move.

Hands gripped Siren and dragged her out of the rotting pile. The dead boy - his mouth spread in a grin that reached from one year to another, watched her with dull red eyes as he waved with his arm, his hand sliced off at the wrist.

"Dear god, we're so sorry. Are you okay?"

Siren stared at her bloodied and trembling hands before slowly lifting her head to stare blankly at the worried man who'd pulled her out. The young woman's eyes were so pale, they could've been made of ice. The bright shimmering silver of them had been replaced by a cold lacking as she stared right through the medic at nothing and everything.

"Am I okay?" she repeated his question, her sugary voice numb.

"Yes, miss. We made a mistake and-"

"Where's Evi?" she asked, not hearing a word of anything.

"Uh, do you mean the woman you were-"

"We need to make her all better. She doesn't like looking injured, you see," Siren mumbled, running her fingers through her blood-stained hair.

"I'm sorry, miss, but-"

"They're not dead, you know," she nodded towards the pile of dead bodies, her eyes large and blank, "You should put them back together."

"I think she's broken," the man who'd been trying to speak to Siren whispered to another. "What should we do?"

"Nothing. She's with the red-eyed demon. We should let the Knights arrest her," the other, taller man shrugged.

"He sure keeps nut cases for company," the shorter man laughed. "It's sad - she's a real beauty."

"Bet she's easy to sleep with. She's not exactly right in the head," came the reply.

"Unfortunately for you, I'm perfectly right in head. I bet you two were getting hopeful," Siren said with a raised eyebrow as she watched them with a fleeting moment of clarity. "I'm pleased to disappoint."

Then, as quickly as she came, Siren slipped away - leaving a lost soul in her place.

Shadow listened to Solomon speak and listened to everything else that was said and done from a slight distance.

"I want to leave." Sereinia stated quietly.

Shadow nodded to her.

"Linde, Taira, Mayumi, take these people to the inn and treat whatever injuries they have. I will keep the guards from following." He said quietly.

Linde and Taira nodded, with Mayumi simply bowing and going off to her job. Shadow had noticed her injury, but it would be treated by either Linde or Sereinia upon reaching the inn.

As the ladies went about doing their job and started guiding people away with the few seconds they had left, Shadow took that moment to approach the Captain of the Royal Guards and stood not but six feet away from him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the others disappear around a corner of the street and took that as his cue. He looked forward again, a serious threat rising in his voice.

"I understand your duties, and I understand your desire to follow them to the best of your abilities... However, Captain, if you so much as twitch before I have left the area I will reactivate Roda I'l Lousta of my own accord. You and your men will be slaughtered and more innocent lives may yet bleed out in your streets because of the orders you received from Solomon."

The Royal Guards all started looking at each other and whispered among themselves until the Captain told them to be quiet.

Shadow brought out one of his Twin daggers and raised it to the palm on his right hand, placing the edge of it against his skin as he looked the Captain of the Royal Guards in the eyes.

"You have a choice Captain. You either tell your men to retreat and leave the area, or you can stay here and die while possibly dragging yet more innocence into it as well. I will give you fifteen seconds to come up with a decision, and I pray that you make the right one." He said in a low voice.

The Captain looked at Shadow, then to his men and the surrounding buildings as well as the blood lying on the ground all around them. By now the blood on Shadow's chest had long since clotted so that was no threat for activating the deadly state known as Roda I'l Lousta, but if Shadow were to open his hand it would not take but a few seconds for the scent to reach his nose and then all Hell would break loose. Regardless of how well trained they were, the rest of the Royal Knights and Royal Guards were no match for either Yarun or Solomon and even they couldn't defeat Shadow. And that was without Roda I'l Lousta. Had Roda I'l Lousta been active when Shadow fought Yarun he would have been dead a minute in if not sooner.

The Captain heaved a sigh and turned to his men.

"Fall back through the streets to the gates of the Palace and await my return." He announced.

There was hesitation at first, but the men all complied none the less as the Captain turned to face Shadow one last time.

"You would threaten the lives of innocence just for the chance to 'get away'? What kind of person are you, Demon? Are you even human at all? What goes on behind those red eyes of yours that makes you think you can get away with all of this?" He asked.

Shadow tucked his dagger back into its sheath behind his back.

"Captain, you and your own have no idea who I am or what I will do to destroy Te'i Sai. Every life I protect from their grasp is a life that will continue to live without fear when they are gone and that is what Te'i Sai fears the most. Throughout the ages it changed from an organization which guided and protected the people of the land from a distance to an organization of corrupted Assassins who's only goal was to take total control of the people and force peace upon them through their own image and teachings. It is for that reason I rebelled against Te'i Sai in the first place and have since been fighting to destroy them. I am already responsible for destroying two of the five branches of Te'i Sai which exist on the continent of Cre' Est today and I plan to destroy the rest in time. I cannot do that, however, if people like Yarun and Solomon continue to get in my way."

He took a step forward, causing the Captain to retreat a step.

"As hard as it may be for you to believe this, given my history and past actions in Cre' Est and throughout the continent, I am working on the side of the people and the innocent against Te'i Sai. Every life of Te'i Sai I take is a life that will never threaten the innocent and a piece of the organization that will never be recovered. If His Majesty and his Royal Ilk such as Yarun and Solomon would be so kind as to stay out of my way and leave me in peace I will do the same for them, but if they continue to hunt me I will be forced to end the lives of the two most powerful Royal Knights to have ever existed and I do not wish for that to happen."

Shadow took a step away and turned his back.

"Yarun and Solomon are fine warriors and will do very well in their efforts to protect this place and their people. Taking their lives would only cripple Cre' Est against Te'i Sai and any other invaders who seek to challenge His Majesty. Though I don't really care for His Majesty as an individual, I do care about the lives of the people he watches and rules over. I would ask of you, Captain, that you relay my message about "he and his men stay out of my way and I will stay out of their way" to His Majesty. So long as you do not hunt me, I will not be forced to kill you."

With those words Shadow walked away to join the others. There were still bodies to be picked up in the streets and blood to wash away, but when the Captain got back Shadow was certain that he would send a clean up crew to take care of what was still there. Shadow took a few minutes walking back to the inn and when he arrived in the room it was a little crowded given the number of people who had since been brought to it. But it would have to do for the time being.

Shadow simply sat in a chair in the corner of the room and closed his eyes, resting them after all that had happened.

The scene which had unfolded before Jude's eyes was not something he saw everyday, two very highly experienced and skilled combatants locked within a dance of life and death. Never been one to enjoy a fight, even a good one. I don't understand people like this... Why not just deliver the killing blow as soon as you can?... Red Eye's could've done it multiple times already... Tsk, guess I don't have a fighters spirit. He couldn't see all the quick movements and attacks which were being displayed, he tried following as much as he could but without having immense combat skill Jude was unable to do so. However at the climax Jude had caught something which the Knight had not, he had been bested and he was sure to be killed ...Interesting... letting an opponent kill themselves on their opponents blade, a humiliating defeat. Wonder if he will notice. But before the Knight fell onto the Demon's blade he was intercepted by his fellow knight, which made Jude quite frustrated, since he knew the Knight would've been killed if there was no intervention.

The pleasantries shared after the fight weren't anything to pay much attention to, at least that is what Jude believed. He didn't care much for the Knight's, seeing as he is a criminal himself but more than that it was the actions of The Red Eyed Demon which confused him the most. This man who is able to defeat assassins... This man who can best the Knight's of Cre' Est... This man who can kill this many innocent people.... why would he not kill that Knight? He didn't worry himself with his thoughts though, he thought it was better not to know. Familiarity breeds contempt... and I don't really want to have anything like that between me and such a man.

As directed by the two women in Shadow's company Jude had begun to walk towards the inn. Jude looked down at the woman he was holding in his arms, grinning at the antics she was getting at. He didn't know quite how to react when she asked who he was but he knew that something as traumatic at this could have an effect on her. Believing it wasn't the time or place to try and talk to her about such things Jude walked with her silently in his arms.

"As comfortable as this is and as royal as I feel - where do you think you're taking me?" Looking down at her Jude could only think of one thing to say.

"Home, my love."

The Inn

Leaving Layla to wash herself in the Inn's natural springs Jude sat down in the main room with the others, all of whom were receiving medical treatment. Jude wouldn't have any of his wounds attending to until everyone else had been treated, though his wounds were more severe than most he couldn't help but look at Keito. The young swordsman had been severely wounded during the scene earlier, by the same man sitting in the corner of the room, The Red Eyed Demon. He would've blamed the man for Keito's injuries but he was also the same man who was having them treated at this moment and Jude could tell he wasn't himself when he was doing it as well.

As soon as everyone else was treated by Sereinia, the doctor, she then proceeded to treat Jude. Stubborn though he tried to keep her from treating him but he was in no real condition to resist her, she was being rather forceful. She then began to scold Jude for having left his bed when he had such injuries, he however just ignored her, moving whatever part of him she began to tend to. He found her becoming a little bit frustrated with him, which just lead to Jude finding the scene hilarious. After his all his wounds were finally dressed Sereinia rested. Looking at his wounds a smile appeared on Jude's face. She's very skilled... it would be good to have her around. And she isn't bad to look at either.

"I think I'll go and wash myself... Don't want the stench of the dead to linger on me for too long... We should all talk later about what we should do after this incident... I already made my decision though... Hopefully everyone else here comes to the same conclusion. Til then..." Sighing Jude grabbed his cane as he walked towards the Inn's natural hot springs. The Inn's hot springs were shared between men and women alike, something which made Jude smile a little. Ah... the comforts of life... As Jude changed out of his clothes, only having a towel wrapped around his waists, he found Layla's clothing within the changing room. Looking through the clothes Jude had found his dual pistols in their holsters and belt. Sly girl... she had them on her all along... Taking his pistols for himself and placing them with his own "borrowed" clothing, Jude walked to the spring.

"Auruxeilla... please tell me what to do." He hadn't been in the springs long when he had heard Layla. Auruxeila huh... she really is from Triveila. Jude than listened to her sing, it had been a long time since Jude had heard Layla sing, he had dreamed about it many times while he was being tortured, it was one of the only things which kept him sane. Jude could've sworn he heard someone else singing with her but he couldn't tell who it was or where they were. After the song had finished Jude had walked over towards Layla from behind, inching ever closer to her as he wrapped his arms around her waist, lowering his head onto her shoulder as he kissed her neck.

"I may not be the moon Layla... but unlike her I can embrace you in my arms... Even when you don't want me to, I'll always come back for you..." After he said this he embraced her more, their bodies resting upon each others as he stole another kiss from her lips. As he stared into her silver eyes he knew something about himself that he never knew before. I am human... aren't I? As he lowered them both into the hot springs, the steam flowing around them, he looked back at her with his black and golden eyes.

"What did you mean by... "Who are you?" I'm Jude Vanderwolf... don't you remember?"

Upon the morning Shadow awoke at the first light of the sun and woke everyone around him whether they were ready for it or not. It was time to move and the less time they spent in the city the better. He dragged their weary bodies out to the new horse drawn cart brought about for them by Taira and loaded them up one by one. Those who couldn't or wouldn't wake up on their own to get in were simply knocked out and placed in the cart anyway as Shadow and Mayumi both decided it would be best to run alongside the cart for some morning exercise as they traveled to their new destination.

Stopping once or twice along the way for approximately one hour at a time Shadow and Mayumi took the opportunity to train by sparring the entire time. Given that the others were either too beat up or too tired to join in the fun Shadow let them stay in the cart and watch and relax but that would all change soon enough and if they didn't believe he was a Demon before, they certainly would once their training began whether they wanted it or not and whether they were ready for it or not. If they were going to survive Te'i Sai Shadow couldn't afford to show them sympathy at this time as Te'i Sai most certainly wouldn't either so it was better they get used to it now from him instead of from them later.

Within a day and a half worth of riding they arrived at Shadow's 'Base Camp' in the underground caverns where he trained Mayumi before the New Century Festival had begun.

The cavern was four hundred feet wide by about six hundred feet deep and had several small, flat 'levels' within it ranging from a few inches in height to several feet which served well for multiple training purposes. There were about eight of these levels throughout the cavern, the nearest to the entrance about thirty feet away being only six inches drop in height to the floor below. The next one back, about fifty feet away was approximately ten inches in height up. Twenty feet back there was another six to eight inch rise. One hundred feet back further still was a four foot increase with a one foot decrease eighty feet beyond. One hundred thirty feet back was a seven foot rise. One hundred and twenty feet back was a two foot drop and the final rise was about one foot fifty feet further in.

There were three small pools where dripping water from the ceiling gathered and formed natural springs to wash and bathe in. Two of them were on the upper level in the back and one was just to the rise side off the center of the cavern just after the second rise. There were a few stalagmites around the cavern with a few stalactites hanging from the ceiling and nearly touching the stalagmites but not quite. It made an excellent gap for training with accuracy of throwing knives and daggers and other weapons which was why there was a weapon rack not far away. In the front of the room were several weapon racks with exotic and even some weapons lost to time from the outside world.

Training began within a few hours of arrival with the exception of Keito and Jude who were still recovering from wounds that prevented them from training properly as Sereinia continued their recovery process. As for the others, their first task upon arrival after having rested for a day and a half was to do a "simple routine" as Shadow called it of completing five hundred push ups and one thousand full situps before one hour had passed. If they couldn't complete it in time there was an obstacle course set up and waiting for them. For most this was an impossible task given the state of their bodies and injuries but Shadow was hoping at least one would finish. Mayumi was required to join in and Shadow even partook as well.

Within the first seven minutes Shadow was finished with the push ups and started into the sit ups which were completed after about another ten minutes. For Shadow, who was fresh and used to such harsh numbers, it was nothing but a warm up. He got to his feet slowly and waited for the others to finish their task. As he had expected, given their pitiful state, nobody except for Mayumi completed the exercise in time and they were all forced to partake in the obstacle course which involved a long jog around the outside edge of the cavern. There were small obstacles for them to jump over, none below three feet in height. Obstacles for them to duck and/or crawl under, some of which were as low as eight to ten inches in height, as well as several weapons which were automated by switches in the floor as they came close enough that would swing in and attack them along the way as they went. Dodging these weapons was always a challenge thanks to how tight the activation mechanism was and how fast they came in and several of them were struck with the weapons as they tried the first lap.

Most of them were able to avoid the weapons the second time around, but one or two still ate it once or twice before they finally got the hang of it. The course had ten five for it occupants, and each time they came back to Shadow at the front of the cavern they had to switch to a lane they hadn't used yet since each lane presented a different weapon obstacle at different times which changed the game and kept them on their toes. None of the weapons were bladed, but they were powerful and well hidden to prevent everyone from guessing when they would end up being attacked. Some of the more perceptive individuals were able to feel when they hit the switch along the route and prepped themselves just in time to dodge but it took a good three laps for that to take place in any of them. It was interesting to watch them do this, while Mayumi was ordered to continue with isometric exercises until they completed the course in all five lanes each.

At the end of the course they were allowed a ten minute break to rest, during which time Sereinia tended to their injuries from the weapons as best she could. Without delay she had objected to Shadow's methods, but Shadow confirmed that while harsh this was the best way to prepare them for Te'i Sai. It was best to see and experience what kind of training Te'i Sai had to offer so that they would have a better feel for how their opponents would move and attack without warning. This course was a near exact duplicate of the one used in Roda Valley during Shadow's early years as well as a slight influence from the Shaharan branch's obstacle course. Some of the other training routines were reminiscent of the Triveilan branch's training methods and also influenced by the Veilbrand branch's routines. The methods of meditation and awareness were based on the Gweynura branch's training so that no matter where they ended up, they had a good insight into the minds and bodies of Te'i Sai operatives so that they could tell exactly where they originated from just by fighting with them.

This was no guarantee that they would ever truly be ready for them though, as the Assassins had decades of experience with training like this and worse. Shadow had days to prepare them for a confrontation because, whether they liked it or not, they were staying with him for their own protection until he was certain they could handle themselves on their own in the world without his protection.

Once their ten minutes were up Shadow gave them another hour to do another five hundred push ups and one thousand sit ups to which they all failed once again and had to repeat the course again. By the end of the night they were dead on their feet and completely exhausted. Shadow was satisfied with their exhaustion and so let them relax shortly after the skies darkened and the torches around the cavern were lit. They all circled around Shadow in the center of the room for meditation, with Mayumi watching over them and making sure they didn't wander or fall asleep. Anyone who did was to be given a rather harsh warning of Sora landing with one foot on either shoulder and squeezing just enough to cause discomfort without drawing blood until they fixed their posture or stopped nodding off.

Once meditation was over after about two hours the women were allowed to bathe on the two upper level springs while the men bathed on the lower spring. Neither of the two sides could see each other because of the distance and the scattered objects in their way, but just in case Mayumi stood watch for the girls while Shadow stood watch for the guys, just to make sure there were no attempts to wander to a spring where you didn't belong. Shadow did not give them a choice in the matter either, as all the men were forced to bathe, even Ketio despite his delicate state as Shadow stood watch with his back against a stalagmite just a few feet away from the spring. The complaining from each side at being forced to bathe in the springs was understandable, being around strangers with whom they were uncomfortable showing their bodies to (or at least most of them), but there was a method to the madness.

These springs were sprinkled with a special gathering of herbs and natural minerals which not only sped up the body's natural healing processes, but also strengthened it which was why Shadow's body seemed so durable despite how often he was injured and worn out and also accounted for much of his stamina. These effects, so far as Shadow could tell, were permanent. He knew this because he had not visited these springs in over a year but his body's efficiency had only increased since his leaving and had never once reverted to its original state. Some of the herbs were also designed to nourish the muscles once absorbed into the skin which would assist in the muscle's ability to recover from exhaustion and also would help to build them faster during training so that it took less time to reach their potential. This was also how Shadow had become so physically strong over the years, also accounting the beyond extreme training he'd received to go along with it.

In short these springs were one of the few secrets behind the success of the Te'i Sai Assassins and it was why Shadow had brought them here and not to any other training ground. These springs were only found in five other places on the continent, the five lairs of Te'i Sai. Two of the lairs were destroyed and unusable so Shadow brought them here. Even if he only had a few days to train them, they would, without a doubt, emerge stronger, faster, more agile and more reactive than they had when they first entered the cavern. However, with only days, their recovery and strength increase would still limited to but about 0.3% to 0.5% during that time and as such would be nearly unnoticeable over the time they would spend with him. The only thing that they would notice would be the increase in stamina and endurance at the end. By tomorrow, they would be completing the obstacle course in about ninety five percent of the time they did today and they wouldn't lose their breath as fast thanks to these springs. It was a small change, but once which they would notice if they paid attention.

Shadow gave everyone the chance to go to sleep once their group bath was over near the entrance where it was warm from the torches but cool enough from the entrance to be just the right temperature for optimum recovery. Staying too near either exclusively warm or cold temperatures was a mistake and one which Shadow would not allow them to make. They needed every ounce of his skills as a teacher and every microscopic bit of knowledge as an Assassin if they were to have any hope of standing a chance against actual Te'i Sai Assassins.

The next morning, shortly before the sun came up, Shadow exited the cavern while letting the others sleep for just a short while longer. As he exited the base he heard the sound of footsteps, but he was not on guard during their approach. The sound was familiar. Seemingly one set of footsteps, but if one listened closely the slight phase in their echo told Shadow that it was actually two sets of feet walking towards him. He knew who was coming, and he looked over to the location of the sound and waited. Surely enough, two familiar faces emerged from the brush.

The Moonlit Twins, known to Shadow by their names of Linos and Calandra had arrived. No doubt they'd heard about the commotion in Cre' Est during their time there and had figured Shadow was in the area and were looking to rejoin him after their time spent elsewhere. Most of it had been in training designed for them by Shadow to suit their united battle style as well as to give them that much better of a chance for survival if they ever were separated. They were the same as always, with Calandra saying very little upon arrival as Linos did most of the talking. They exchanged words as Shadow told them what had happened and they both looked at him somewhat worriedly when he told them about Roda I'l Lousta's activation and the deaths of innocence. However, this did little to deter the twins from rejoining him as they had business which required his aid. It helped that it coincided with his own mission, so Shadow accepted and as the sun rose over the horizon Shadow walked them inside, woke the others, and introduced them to everyone.

Within a few minutes everyone was dressed and ready to start the day. They began by all doing the same five hundred push ups and one thousand situps in one hour's time. Again, they all failed, due to the incredibly minute changes the spring provided over so short a time. Afterwards, they were all given a new training lesson by the twins. They were partnered together in pairs and taught the ways of the twin's unique "united" combat style. While this would ultimately take years to master, they basics of it were very simple and would give everyone the foundation to begin learning how to fight in perfect sync with anyone who shared their own style of fighting. Again, Keito had to sit out thanks to his injuries, but observation proved useful enough as he recovered from what had happened and processed what he saw in his head. He would be able to practice very soon, but most likely he would not be joining training with them for another week or two.

This, however, was not an issue as they all spent a total of eight days with Shadow. Keito was able to stand on his feet and walk through the motions of the basics by himself while everyone else continued Shadow's ruthless routines and were continually pushed to the pique of exhaustion and their physical limits. Since each one was different in where they were at, Shadow adjusted their training accordingly to push them farther and farther even when they claimed they couldn't take it anymore and were convinced of it in their own minds.

As they all completed the course for the third time during that final day Shadow called a sudden halt to their training and ordered them to gather around him in the center of the cavern. One by one they were brought up to spar with Shadow himself, also being instructed to make use of the entire cavern before the match would be called to an end. One by one they came up, and one by one they were defeated but Shadow limited himself to using but a fraction of his full strength and speed for each one. This allowed them all to make use of the techniques they had learned by training with him, the twins, and Mayumi. While it was almost painful to hold back so much, he knew it was for the best as he gave them all a chance to land the necessary strikes and make use of anything they needed to be declared the "winner" of the match by points. Everyone knew what was going on, but he was still pushing them to the brink of their capabilities and making them perform the techniques under pressure which, for each individual, was different and unique to make use of their own body's abilities. Ultimately it was successful in Shadow's eyes as each one had managed to land the required techniques in a timely fashion and win the match within a few minute's time.

As the final day came to a close everyone was again sent to their respective sides to bathe in the springs as Shadow too finally joined the men in theirs. The scars covering his body from throat to feet, as well as the numerous signs of injury throughout the years were a little unsettling to most except for Jude who seemed to be almost as scarred as Shadow was, but not quite. They even spent a few minutes comparing injuries and scars across their upper bodies and talking about the experience, much to the amusement and amazement of the others who sat with them in the springs.

After everyone had rested for the night and morning broke, Shadow received a message via a raven from Taira with some good news. Shadow's primary targets from Triveila had been seen taking refuge in Cre' Est and were still in the city awaiting their fate though they did not know it. Shadow could not help but smile as he burned the letter and sent the raven who carried it back to Taira. He gathered everyone around at the entrance and told them that he had business to attend to and that, while he was gone, they were free to either remain here to practice on their own or go into town for whatever they wanted or needed. However, the twins were in charge and should they call them back at any time they must be obeyed or the twins would hunt them down and drag their sorry butts back by force. Luckily there was no reason for the twins to do that, given the state of things right now, but the authority to do so was in fact there.

With that parting thought, Shadow left and disappeared into the brush outside as he headed for Cre' Est to hunt his targets.

Pain and sorrow is a necessity in the world today. Pain and sorrow, for some, is all that is known. These feelings are especially potent in the hearts of the twins. After a life of misery with only each other to comfort, it is surprising they are still sane. Then again, are they really even sane?

For nearly a year now, Linos and Calandra have spent their time deep in Cre' Est, hunting for the heart of their family's murderers. To no avail. Then again, that is to be expected from the Te'i Sai. Perhaps it is a blessing from angels that the twins have yet to find the guild of assassins. After all, even they know they wouldn't last two seconds against such people. Thirty mercenaries nearly killed Calandra that year ago. If it wasn't for the Red Eyed Demon, Linos would be alone in the world, starving and killing mercilessly innocents and murderers alike. Sorrow would have consumed him had it not been for dear Shadow that day.

But still...Calandra is silent. Caught within herself, not even open to her precious brother. Instead, she simply holds his hand, silent and brooding. Perhaps at times she will sing to him a lullaby sang to them when they were still so very small. But that is usually the only time her voice is heard. The voice of the songbird. The mockingbird. What is a falcon without his mockingbird?

The last night of Cre' Est, the twins had managed their way to a smaller part of town, where they happened across the bodies of innocents and assassins alike. The memory of such skill flashed in the eyes of the twins, and they knew instantly that Shadows had been there. But where was he now? It all pointed to a small inn. But they weren't about to enter such a crowded space. So, instead, they waited, falling into a light, gentle sleep on a rooftop across the street. Upon the sun's rise to show the next morning, they grabbed their horses and followed behind the carriage, remaining an hour away as to not be seen just yet. First, they wished to remain hidden and watch from afar...judge the people he had placed himself with.

And when he made his way into that cavern, they had become lost, abandoning their horses to track him on foot. It took another night, and together they ended falling asleep just outside without even realizing it. Backs against each other, hands held out to the side with fingers twined together, they slept silently, breathing in unison. And once more, the sun began to shine, and they stood and began to look again, steps coming down in unison. Everything was in unison. This was a natural feat of the twins. Not only is it training...but that connection shared only by such powerful siblings.

Shadow met them outside. Calandra stared at him with a distant look in her round, golden green eyes, the silver flecks sparkling like stars as her lips twitched into a small smile, her free hand rising to tug at the little scarf she had pulled around her neck to hide the still painful scar on her throat. Linos couldn't help but grin, his hand squeezing hers lightly as he bowed respectfully to the Red Eyed Demon. "It's wonderful to see you again, Shadow," he had said. Then, everything was to be explained, and with his sister's nod of approval, the twins agreed to join Shadow in the training of the injured ones. After all, the twins owed him. And perhaps they could finally repay their debt to him...and finally take out the Te'i Sai...the murderers of the Galiendhe family.

Introductions went...as smoothly as they possibly could. Linos would let go of his sister's hand to tip the chins of every young, beautiful woman here, including the youngest, Mayumi, paying particular attention to her, as she appeared to be a younger version of his dear sister. His voice was soft and sultry, his lips moving only to allow the gentle whisper of his words caress the skin of his victims. His eyes sparkled. Calandra, however, was less than amused. Though they were no longer in unison, when she stepped forward, she seemed to regain that control of unity once more, her step timed perfectly with his as she caught up to him and proceeded to drag his shoulder back, forcing her twin brother to look at her big, glaring eyes. "What?" he had said in that innocent-like voice. She would say nothing, shoving him into a stalagmite as her jaw ticked with frustration. He pouted and kissed her cheek with a busted lip, and just like that, she forgave him with a small smile and a kiss on that lip, as if to say she was sorry. "I forgive you," he said, touching her cheek gently, brushing her bangs from her eyes and pulling a lock of hair from one of her pigtails, running it between his fingers. And then, his hand returned to hers, and though he gave a special wink to Mayumi, he didn't leave his sister's side for the next while.

When Shadow gave the day's exercises, the twins did a particularly differnt set of push ups. With Calandra's feet hooked on the shoulders of her brother, she and Linos worked their push ups in perfect unison, taking around fifteen minutes. They were fast, never making a mistake. Perhaps this was why Linos could handle the heavy chain he had on his belt? The sit ups were just as quick, each taking fifteen minutes. Crossing their feet at the ankles, they proceeded to do these in unison as well, taking around 25 minutes.

The training was hard, as the twins had never taught others how they did what they did. Unison had been hard for them at some point in their lives...but that was when they were such younglings. Unison came naturally. All it took was balance and practice. And a strong connection. Their breaths were timed, coming out slow and steady. Their hearts beat steadily. Their ears pricked to listen to each other. Arms came out, daggers in hand as they did what appeared to be nothing more than a dance. They stood with their backs against each other, daggers reaching out slowly as they began to turn. When he stepped forward with his left foot, she stepped back with her right. When he stepped back with his right foot, she stepped forward with her left. And they would do this strange, deadly dance slowly, showing each move with precision and grace. And then, when they did it slowly, they did it at full speed, showing the moves that had taken them nearly ten minutes to show individually together in less than thirty seconds.

Sure, others didn't quite get the hang of things. The twins were and odd pair, and it took them years to truly master the arts of fighting in unison. But they listened. And they watched. That, for the twins, was all that could be taught.

That first night was hard for the twins. Bathing separately had never been a thought for the two. After all, when at home they would bathe together as to keep their connection strong. They were never forced to separate, only forced to come together when angered at each other. And when they went without a home, they had no choice but to bathe together. At least, that was how they saw it. So being forced to separate was not something either enjoyed. Both would bathe begrudgingly, scrubbing themselves down and ignoring any comments on their scars with heavy hearts. Neither would speak, not even the ever-talkative Linos. Every bath would be like this for the next eight days.

When Linos and Calandra trained with Shadow, they were silent and grateful, sparring hard and pushing themselves past their limits. Though they could feel the worry of their sibling at all times, both knew that this ruthless way was necessary and very refreshing, since they hadn't trained quite like that since they were blasted from that house all those years ago. When not with Shadow, they trained the others of the group. Linos spoke for them, giving his commands and verbally going through each step of their united attacks slowly. They would show techniques of not only daggers, but knives as well. Sometimes, she would thrust a dagger out, ducking for the general height of the kidney as her brother leaned over her shoulder with a near frightening grace to throw a knife through the tiny gap of a stalactite and stalagmite to hit the target behind it. They were beautiful and deadly.

But none could ever compete with the grace of the mimic ability Calandra finally showed on the seventh day. The sound of a bird outside echoed through the walls, and instantly Calandra mimicked it perfectly, her lips barely moving she whistled and chirped the little tune that had been sung. Linos smiled. "My little mockingbird," he had said, lifting her up and kissing her nose. She smiled and hugged him before returning to her feet and watching those in the area being trained. He turned to look at everyone with a smile. "I hope you have all learned something special with us. If not...well...we understand."

On the eighth day, they stood by Mayumi and watched everyone spar. Linos would once more tip Mayumi's chin and try to flirt, once more being shoved by his sister. This time, though, he had made it out alright. Always was there forgiveness. And then he would return to dote upon his beloved twin, silenced until the next hour. Upon the washing with the spring water, both remained silent and sulking, even as the other men talked of their scars. Linos would only look down at his arms, caring not for the dozens of other scars covering his torso, remembering the licking flames that had hurt his sister so. Then, he would proceed to dress and sit outside to await the return of Calandra.

Finally, as morning of day nine breaks, Shadow has news. Linos grins, knowing what is going on. He speaks, his sister right behind him, staring with hard eyes glinting with hurt. "Why do this alone, Shadow? And leave us to tend to people we do not know well? Can you not take us with you?" Calandra nods, her lip trembling as the memories of murder and flame once more trickle into thought.

Even so, Shadow goes alone, leaving the twins to handle their memories and pain in the company of those they do not know. Linos turns, looking to everyone. "Alright, make your decisions. We do not care," he says, his grip on his sister's hand tightening slightly in a squeeze. Leaning down to Mayumi, he speaks again, tilting her chin up. "What say you to speaking with us for a few moments?" Calandra stands tall, looking down at the girl with those distant eyes, her lips quirking in a small, innocent smile as her hand slowly reaches out in offering to be taken. With particular interest in the little archer, the twins simply wonder...and if they are to be stuck here with the remains of painful memories, it's best to make friends, yes?

"Wake up," commanded an unfortunately familiar voice. Siren moaned, the world falling in the worst way as she tilted her head to the side. Her body buzzed in a slow crawl, a curious machine where her heart should've been pumping liquid sludge through her veins. "For the love of Auxureilla, it isn't even daybreak," she hissed, pulling the loving sheet over her head just to have it ripped roughly away. After some more persistent protesting, Siren was met with darkness with the demon's pressure in her neck.

Lovely. Now he can control me with...

She awoke to the sounds of sparring. Her thick lashes fluttered and she frowned, her moon painted irises attempting to watch the movements passed between the demon and a young child. Smacking her head against a tree behind her, she rolled her eyes and gave up trying to follow their precise and abnormally quick swings and parries and she could not be bothered. Why on Cre' Est was she here, riding on some cart, much less with the creature that plagued her nightmares?

When they finally arrived in some Goddess forsaken cavern, she could not even bring herself to appreciate the quiet, sturdy beauty of the damp structure. Siren collapsed onto the wet surface - I refuse to live in a cave as if I were a barbarian, she thought gruffly before falling into an all too short nap. She was awakened to be made to do five hundred push-ups and a thousand sit-ups. Bloody hell. Pain shot through her shoulder - I just got a sword in this, you wusses - her eyes throwing daggers at the thief who sat so luckily on the side lines before she decided to keep going no matter what. Siren most certainly would not let these men and the thief have the better of her.

Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow.

How she wished she was dead right then for an hour felt like a millennium. 695 sit ups and one hour passed, she'd given up on the push-ups before she'd even reached a hundred and her shoulder tried to murder her. Siren fell on her back, never, ever wanting to get up. Pushing her long fringe back with her fingers, she thought numbly, At least my hair is still neat. The red-eyed demon was a monster. Siren bit her lip to hold herself back from crying with the burning in her body. Her shoulder felt as if it would fall from its hinges. Siren's abilities did not lie in strength and she despised the demon for completing the torture so easily and she despised herself for losing to the small, silver-haired child. Yet, she could not help but feel a slither of respect. Okay, perhaps more than a slither.

The long run around the edges of the cavern was not quite as bad for Siren was light, agile and her stamina was ridiculous. The corners of her lips lifted slightly as her feet slapped gently onto the ground, I wonder why. With her concentration wandering to bedroom, Siren tripped over an obstacle before her. Hissing, she shot what she hoped was a deadly, rather than tired, glare at the red-eyed demon. She managed to jump over most of the obstacle courses without much trouble. The huntress stared in surprise as she regarded the obstacles and slashing weapons that stood in her way. I knew the bastard wouldn't just make it an easy jog.

Wiggling her way under an obstacle course, Siren found her full breasts to be a weakness - curses - a wicked iron weight swung overhead, dangerously close to her face. Shoving her chest down with her palms, Siren shuffled through, narrowly missing the weapon that was trying its damnedest to shred her face. Of course the demon would wish to mar her lovely face, it was just like him.

Siren was quick and although she could dodge most of the vicious weapons, admittedly with little grace. She yelped, skipping around until finally deciding to take a chance and climb the trees in the third lap. Her thigh crumbled every now and then from the gash that had been embedded through it. Her shoulder screamed as she lifted herself onto the branch, her watering eyes darting around to search for any bizarre contraptions. Flipping onto the branch, she climbed higher and higher, her body now numb from Hell's Boot Camp.

Sighing with relief, Siren leaned against the bark of the mighty tree. She would rather rip herself apart swinging from trees while injured than be slapped in the face with those obstacles of her 'teacher's.' Gripping a branch with both hands, she swung herself forcefully backwards before letting go to fall into the next tree - just to have a wooden bar whack her now wounded other-shoulder.

No trees, then.

Hell went on till night. Siren with her limbs of jelly shook, her entire body trembled with exhaustion, hunger, death - she wasn't sure and her brain of mush couldn't bring itself to care.

The springs were Heaven. In fact, they were so miraculously wonderful, Siren almost drowned in them. Oh, how she would've loved to drown in them.

For eight days, the demon pushed them beyond the end of the world and Siren grew quieter and quieter. The first night she'd been snarky, even humorous, slipping a joke about the obstacle courses and the demon's breathtaking charisma here and then. She'd even dropped a seductive hint every now and then to Sereinia, although the doctor did not seem to realise she was doing such a thing. It seemed the assassin's name was Shadow - a peculiar name for a man of his... Lack of shadowiness.

"You should've been named Virgin for it suits your charming purity," she'd teased.

As the training wore on, however, Siren grew more and more quiet, that was, until The Twins came. Linos and Calandra were beautiful and she couldn't help but think rather unladylike things about them, not that shame existed in Siren's definitions. The two moved as one, as if they were separate bodies sharing the same soul - it was rather unnervingly wonderful to watch.

Morning pressed against Siren's eyelids and she willed it all away, slapping herself in the face as if her body's awakening were a pesky fly. "Who gave the cavern permission to wake me up?" she moaned, flipping onto her back. Someone had brought her clothes, she wasn't sure who but she was grateful. At least she looked mildly elegant as she tripped and had herself hit with massive sticks.

"No, Shadow. My bed is comfier," she mumbled, half dreaming. "For the love of Auruxeilla, Jude... Sereinia, take those off. What? Of course I don't sleep talk. Linocalakeileeritma mmm... What does breast milk taste like?"

The morning after the horrendous event, everyone that was now known as Shadow’s accomplice was made to move on to a cart provided by Taira. They were heading for the cavern Shadow had trained her in before. Mayumi ran alongside the cart which contained weary people whom she weren’t familiar with while Shadow ran along the other side and Sora in the air looking out for possible threats.

While on the road, Shadow stopped to have a spar with her and Mayumi didn’t mind being used to it. In fact, she had done much more sparring with her previous master while they were on the road. There was hardly any time for rest then. Every second, she was training in some form and this time, she was training her speed with weights placed in her open toed black boots.

A few hours upon arrival at the caverns, rigorous trainings started as Te’i Sai was sure to strike again. Shadow made them do a simple routine of five hundred push ups and one thousand full sit-ups before one hour had passed. Mayumi joined in and so did Shadow, it was barely a hard work out for her having done less than her usual trainings. Shadow had said that the obstacle course was a punishment if they couldn’t complete the simple routine within the given time but for a punishment it seemed a little… easy? Even then, Mayumi was finished with the simple routine within half an hour.

As the others went through the obstacle course, Mayumi made her way through it with her eyes closed putting her senses to the test. Running round the outside edge of the cavern at high speeds with her weights still on, she spread out her senses. The young archer first sensed small obstacles in front of her through the objects’ small aura of presence, she then estimated the distance between her and the obstacle before jumping over them when the distance was covered. Next she sensed obstacles above and on the ground. Doing the same thing, she ducked and slipped through the obstacles easily. Presence of small objects came flying at her next which Mayumi quickly took to dodging her way through them making it seem like she was dancing. Next came objects that swung from side to side. Mayumi heard the way they moved against the wind and waited for a moment before stepping through them one after another listening to their rhythm. It would seem like she was playing with them had people not know she was in fact training. Mayumi completed the obstacle course within 6 minutes. After completing the obstacle course, she proceeded with intense isometric exercises pushing beyond her limits.

After hours of training they were allowed a 10 minute break which Mayumi thought could have been shorter but did not say anything. Once the break was over, they redid the simple routine and like before everyone except her and Shadow failed to complete it within the given time therefore had to do the obstacle course again. Mayumi observed that some of them had improved from the previous round but still got hit quite a few times. Shortly after night fell, they were taught meditation while Shadow ordered her to watch over them. Upon seeing someone fall asleep, Mayumi got Sora to give them a squeeze on the shoulder. Two hours of meditation passed before they were allowed to bathe in the springs. The two genders were separated with the women going to the upper springs and the men to the lower one while Shadow and Mayumi stood guard. Once the group bath was over everyone was finally allowed to sleep.

The next morning, Mayumi awoke to the vibrations she felt through the ground. Upon registering that someone was approaching them, Mayumi got into a half crouch in the blink of an eye. Shadow had alos noticed them as he had gotten up and was walking out of the cavern, but his actions told her there wasn’t any need to worry thus she relaxed. At first she thought there was only one pair of footsteps but then felt the faint vibrations of another in perfect sync with the other.

‘Interesting.’ Was her first thoughts on the new company.

Two faces emerged from a bush and recognition flittered across Shadow’s features. Shadow then greeted them and awoke the others before introducing the two people who looked alike to each other as the Moonlit twins, Linos and Calandra.

Linos would let go of his sister's hand to tip the chins of every young, beautiful woman here, including the youngest, Mayumi, paying particular attention to her, as she appeared to be a younger version of his dear sister. His voice was soft and sultry, his lips moving only to allow the gentle whisper of his words caress the skin of his victims. His eyes sparkled.

Mayumi stared at Linos blankly, slapping his hand away from her when he tried to lift her chin like he did to the other women. The young teen was trying to figure out what he was doing since she sensed no malice in his aura.

Calandra, however, was less than amused. Though they were no longer in unison, when she stepped forward, she seemed to regain that control of unity once more, her step timed perfectly with his as she caught up to him and proceeded to drag his shoulder back, forcing her twin brother to look at her big, glaring eyes. "What?" he had said in that innocent-like voice. She would say nothing, shoving him into a stalagmite as her jaw ticked with frustration. He pouted and kissed her cheek with a busted lip, and just like that, she forgave him with a small smile and a kiss on that lip, as if to say she was sorry. "I forgive you," he said, touching her cheek gently, brushing her bangs from her eyes and pulling a lock of hair from one of her pigtails, running it between his fingers. And then, his hand returned to hers, and though he gave a special wink to Mayumi, he didn't leave his sister's side for the next while.

Mayumi observed the exchange between the twins and wondered if she was supposed to be seeing that exchange. They then left her but not without a one eyed blink from Linos.

The day began with the simple routine once again and then a training session by the twins. Everyone paired up and she paired up with Sora thinking it would help improve their partnership. She noticed training methods were rather different from her master’s and Shadow’s as it had always been individual training with them.

Eight days flew pass quickly since the surprise encounter with Te’i Sai at Cre’Est. Shadow had gone off to finish off his task leaving them in the hands of the twins.

"Alright, make your decisions. We do not care," Linos says, his grip on his sister's hand tightening slightly in a squeeze.

Leaning down to Mayumi, he speaks again, tilting her chin up. "What say you to speaking with us for a few moments?" Calandra stands tall, looking down at the girl with those distant eyes, her lips quirking in a small, innocent smile as her hand slowly reaches out in offering to be taken.

Mayumi flinched from the physical contact of Linos’ hand, still perplexed as to why he kept doing that, especially to all the girls. Upon hearing his question, Mayumi looked up at him then looked at the hand that was being offered to her from Calandra. She cautiously took the hand and stood up with Sora watching over her closely from within the cooling shadows of the cavern.

Onyx tinted blood orbs stared at the two twins inquiring what they would like to talk about.

Keito felt quite useless for the entire time he spent in the cavern, only watching from the sidelines as the others trained. He simply sat back and tried to gain as much knowledge as he could by simply observing. For Keito, it wasn't entirely difficult to map out the movements in his head and try to figure out how he could act them out with his body and weapon. At least Layla had finally returned his sword to him after he'd woken up. It was nice having it close to him again, but he was still worried about Ritsu as well. The journey to the training area where Shadow took them, and for the entire time they spent here, she hadn't spoken once about that unfortunate night. She didn't seem like the kind of girl who had ever witnessed such a thing, so he was curious as to how she really felt after seeing something like that. Bloodshed wasn't knew to Keito, he'd seen it plenty of times despite how he was usually good at avoiding such situations. She seemed to be acting like her usual self, which was comforting, but maybe that was all just a mask. He was never all that good at sorting out emotions like that.

The hot springs were the most relaxing part of staying with the group. Even though Keito felt a little bad since he couldn't join in with all the training the others had to endure, he still enjoyed just soaking in the hot water. Ever since he was badly injured by Shadow, the person who surprisingly enough was taking the time to train them, he had quite the difficult time making his way around the place. A majority of the time he'd be told that he needed to rest but, despite the fact that napping was one of his favorite things to do, he didn't like having to lay around the whole time.

He was glad that the springs quickened his recovery enough to start practicing a few things on his own, but that didn't help with the pain of healing at all and he'd often have to sit and take a break. His legs and arms weren't hurting as much as they used to, and Keito could tolerate it just fine, but the hardest thing to ignore was the constant pain in his chest. If he accidentally stepped down to hard or moved in a wrong way, he'd get a rough stab of pain in that area. It seemed that's one of the only things that was taking the longest to heal. Luckily with Sereinia around none of the gashes or cuts he'd received had been infected and they were healing quite nicely. He still hadn't had a chance to properly thank the girl for taking such good care of his wounds.

Still, his training was moving much slower than the others due to his injuries, and Keito constantly scolded himself for not being able to recover faster. Being beaten in such a way by a single person caused him to slowly start to loose his confidence. Though he tried to push himself to his limit even with his wounds, he still couldn't do nearly as much as the others were doing, and he could feel himself slipping behind. He wasn't even sure why he wanted to become stronger so badly. Was it just because he didn't want to be looked down on? Or maybe being put up against such a strong opponent made him feel like he wouldn't be capable of protecting the one's he cares about. Then again, for that same reason, he always made such an effort to not get that close to someone, so who was he so fixed on protecting right now? Either way, he wasn't going to be staying here for very long. Sereinia was healing him for free, and he knew he wouldn't be able to afford a doctor if he left before he was healed.

That was his plan then. After being healed enough to be capable of walking away, he'd leave. He never asked to be a part of anything like this and yet he was thrown into it anyway. Ritsu would be taken care of just fine without him around, so he wouldn't feel guilty about it at all, or at least that's what he kept telling himself.

With the arrival of the twins and a knew form of training, Keito once again felt like he was falling behind. With his wounds the way they were, there was no way he'd make a fitting partner for anyone at the moment, so once again he watched from the sidelines and tried to take in as much as he could just by observing. Even so, working with others was never his strong suit and he didn't think that kind of fighting style would fit him very well, and probably not at all.

Eventually Shadow decided to leave for some unknown business that Keito wasn't really all that curious about. Whatever the man did was his own business and he could do whatever he wanted, however he wasn't overly fond of being babysat by the twins. At least they also seemed not-so-fond of watching them, since the male quickly told them that they could do whatever they wanted and they wouldn't care.

It would probably best if he sat in the hot springs for a little while, but instead he decided that he'd go into town for a while or maybe just go for a walk in the forest. Being cooped up in a damp cavern couldn't be good for the soul. He put on his usual clothes and left, keeping his footsteps slowly and softer than usual so not to cause any pain to stab his chest any more than it already was.

During the small amount of time he spent in town, Keito had managed to buy himself a little food and a couple new pairs of socks to place into his bag. He had to admit it was a nice feeling being alone again, even though it was for a short time. He had to return to the cave eventually since there wasn't much chance of him just walking away with his wounds still in the process of healing. During the time that Shadow had disappeared for a while, Keito really just spent his time sleeping. It was one of the quickest ways he knew how to pass the time, even if it resulted in him falling behind on training. He was already behind as it is due to his wounds, but for a while he just chose not to think about it. Of course he wanted to get stronger, but the boy simply lacked motivation and he wasn't planning to stay with the group anyway. If he'd never gave himself over to Layla that night for Jude's sake, then he'd never have lost his sword and would have never had to waist so much time looking for it. Not only that, but he probably would've never met Ritsu since he most likely wouldn't have been sulking around a tea shop during the festival, and he would've never been caught up in such a bloody mess if he didn't go looking for Layla that night either. All of the events he'd usually avoid led him straight into this mess, and he didn't want to be in it anymore.

The night Shadow returned, Keito didn't speak a word to him, nor had he really talked to the others during that time either. In fact, you could say he was actually trying to avoid them and keep his distance as he waited for the time to pass so his wounds would heal enough for him to walk without the pain in his chest. He probably spent a little more time in the springs than the others too, and when he did make an attempt to train he'd usually end up doing it when no one was around. He even avoided making too much contact with Ritsu and rarely talked whenever Sereinia treated him and checked to see if he was healing properly. He probably would've been concerned for the girls absence if he wasn't soaking in the cave's springs when she left.

He slumped down into the hot water until his mouth was underneath, but the rest of his head remained above the water so he could breath out of his nose. Closing his eyes, he made an attempt to clear his head from all the negative thoughts, but there weren't very many positive ones he could replace them with. Hopefully within a few more days he'd be healed enough to leave, though he did wonder is Shadow would even let him. The man couldn't possibly force him to stay, could he? If that would be the case Keito wouldn't have a chance trying to fight him, especially in his condition. The best thing to do would be to not tell anyone that he is leaving and do it when everyone was asleep or busy with training. He let out some air, causing bubbles to float up to the surface and disturb the water. He leaned his back against the side of the spring and let out a sigh as he raised his head form the water and leaned his head back against the stone, letting his eyes rest on the ceiling.

Once again, he was acting like he didn't care, but being beaten in a fight so easily was secretly bothering him. He'd never even caught a glimpse of a Te'i Sai assassin until the first night he met Shadow anyway, so why did he have to be strong enough to fight one? Even so, it still frustrated him. Maybe if he had his actual sword instead of the one Ritsu had bought him, he could've done something, but to blame it on not having his usual weapon wasn't very reasonable and made him seem childish.

It doesn't matter, he thought to himself, sinking back into the water again. I'll be leaving soon anyway.