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The Crimson Twins

"..."

0 · 543 views · located in Cre' Est

a character in “Assassin's Pledge: Demon's Conquest”, originally authored by KumoriRyuu, as played by RolePlayGateway

Description




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Description: The Crimson Twins are both youthful, attractive, and divinely dangerous individuals. They both wear a set of clothing crafted of a unique and extremely rare material known as I’k Ehvn, a material strong enough to deflect bullets so long as they don’t come in on a straight path and which can stop even the finest crafted blades dead in their tracks.

Shadow, the “Red-Eyed Demon,” stands tall and proud at approximately six feet two inches in height. His body is that of a solid mesomorph, boasting broad shoulders tapering down in classic “V” style to his waist which is thin and devoid of any and all body fat. His chest is full and strong, with incredibly defined and large lat muscles (like those of Bruce Lee in ‘Enter the Dragon’). His upper body to lower body ratio is roughly 45/55, making his lower body a bit longer than his upper body. Both his arms and legs are extremely defined and even when relaxed their muscularity shines through.

His face is youthful but mature with no blemishes or scars of any kind. His eyebrows are fairly thick but the hair is quite fine so they do not appear terribly dense or stand out too much on his face. His eyes glow via bioluminescence, the source of which is commonly believed to be the Demon inhabiting his soul. He has high, but not terribly defined cheekbones though he still has a strong cheek. His jawline is strong and well shaped with an evenly thin chin at the bottom. His ears are situated in the natural area and are an even size though they are slightly smaller than the average (though this does nothing to impede his superb hearing).

His attire is composed entirely of an ensemble of I’k Ehvn. He wears a long sleeve and thick jacket with a flared up collar, though he usually rolls the sleeves up to just above his elbows to make room for his armor. Under this shirt he wears a black tank top which is fairly tight to his frame but very flexible to allow complete freedom of movement. Coupled with the I’k Ehvn jacket, this combination alone makes his upper body nigh impenetrable against any conventional weaponry. He wears a belt with a black metal buckle and his pants are fairly loose to his frame though still tight enough to make it clear how muscular they are. His boots are dense and have armored souls and toes, but despite their obvious weight they make almost no sound when he walks thanks to the I’k Ehvn material which absorbs vibrations and impact.

Era, the “Ruby-Eyed Witch,” also stands tall like her brother but is less striking in her features than he is and is considered to be the runt between them by those who know them (a fact she detests). She stands at five feet ten inches tall, which is taller than the average woman. She has straight black hair similar to her brother’s though hers falls down behind her back all the way to her hips (and she keeps it in a ponytail). Her neck is smooth and slender leading down and sloping into her shoulders creating an alarmingly feminine appearance which hides the true depth of her power and aggression. Her chest is full at a solid thirty five C cup and has very womanly features beyond that. Her waist is slender, her hips full but not containing any extraneous body fat, and a taught, round posterior.

Her eyes are the same as her brother’s and glow via bioluminescence which is attributed to the Demon residing in her soul. Her strength is comparable to her brother’s, but because he holds a greater muscle mass than she does her strength does not quite match his though it still grossly outshines even the strongest of even above average strength warriors. Her muscularity is a bit more subtle than her brother’s, hidden under a layer of soft and smooth skin which only gives way to her muscles when she flexes. Contrary to her brother who has a very masculine and powerful face, Era’s is softer and much more feminine despite how equally ferocious and aggressive she is which makes her all the more frightening to observe in combat. Her face is heart shaped with a soft curving jawline and a set of bangs which hover over her eyes that she trims herself to avoid getting in the way of her sight.

Era’s outfit is quite different from her brother’s in that she prefers to wear as little as possible. For Era, the ensemble is that of a single top piece similar to that found in a two piece bathing suit which is just enough to cover her breasts and wrap around her back. She wears pants like her brother’s, but they’re tighter to her frame to show her assets. Her legs are muscular but still feminine enough to attract attention with a one inch thigh gap. Over her hands she wears long and thin black gloves which cover her arms up to her elbows. Her boots stop just below her knees, a bit higher than her brother’s, but are just as armored and soft to the step as his are. She also tends to wear a black hair band as she came to enjoy the style not long ago.

Alias: The Crimson Twins, The Red-Eyed Demon, The Ruby-Eyed Wtich

Age: Unknown
Sex: Male, Female respectively
Birth Date: Unknown
Birth Place: Unknown
Current Location/Residence: Unknown
Height: Approximately 6’ 2” and 5’ 10” respectively
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Crimson Red
Complexion: Fair
Body Type: Athletic
Voice Type: Baritone, Mezzo-Soprano respectively
Blood Type: AB+
Astral Sign: Auxera

Combat Style: Combination of Hard and Soft
Adaptability Ratio: 10

Personality: The personality of the Crimson Twins is nigh impossible to describe, but one must try.

Shadow’s personality is one of mystery, though it becomes quite clear very quickly that he is prone to acts of unprovoked violence simply because he enjoys it. Shadow has always enjoyed violence and the sight of blood spilling from the human body, an unnatural infatuation instilled in him by the Grandmaster of Te’i Sai. His surgical precision with a blade means he can cause whatever kind of damage he wants whenever he wants, and he’s quite fond of opening arteries to watch the blood pour from the body. He is sadistic, merciless, and cares absolutely nothing for the lives of other human beings save for that of his sister whom he is protective of as his only living relative.

Era’s personality is a little more obvious and defined than her brother’s. Era appreciates the finer things in life and has a penchant for jewelry though she never wears it on missions. She enjoys things that help one relax such as charms which bring “tranquility,” “harmony,” “peace,” and “passion.” Even though she is just as ruthless as her brother in combat, outside of battle she is more agreeable and actually has a sense for humanity as she was not raised in isolation as he was. She knows how to mix in with other people by using special eye drops to color her eyes brown so she can walk around in broad daylight without attracting unwanted attention. She even held a romance for a short time before Shadow put an end to it at the order of the Grandmaster.

Strengths: The Demons which inhabit the very souls of the Crimson Twins grant them inhuman strength, speed, agility, flexibly, endurance, stamina, and their senses are greatly heightened. They can selectively isolate the sounds they wish to hear from the outside noise, giving them the ability to hear a pin drop over fifty meters away even during the height of the day in a crowded marketplace. They can see in the dark as easily and perfectly as in the daylight, and they can smell even the faintest of aromas which also lets them smell human pheromones so they can tell even without seeing where other people are around them beyond walls and around building corners. They can taste the changes in air density as moisture either increases or recedes, giving them the ability to predict the weather and make adjustments on the fly to their strategies. And finally, their sense of touch is sensitive enough to detect minute vibrations in the ground which functions similarly and cooperatively with their sense of smell to detect where other people are around them through walls and around building corners.

Weaknesses: Unknown

Quirks: Shadow and Era both have an unnatural attraction to combat, but only Shadow is unnaturally attracted to the idea of watching blood spill from the bodies of his victims.

Likes: Solitude, nature, completing their missions
Dislikes: Crowded areas, other Assassins, and surprises

Special Talents/Traits:

Shadow, when exposed to both the scent of his own blood as well as the blood of another enters a berserker state known as Roda I’l Lousta. In this state he no longer distinguishes between friend and foe, innocent or guilty, and will kill every living thing within his line of sight until nothing remains. In this state his already inhuman strength increases even further making him completely unstoppable until he exits the state once nothing living remains within his line of sight.

Equipment:

Shadow and Era both wear a set of armor made from a legendary and almost unaccessible metal known as Orichalcum.

Orichalcum is the single strongest substance ever known to exist on this Earth, and has no known equivalent or rival in the world. Even a modest blade crafted of this legendary metal is capable of slicing through the most finely crafted steel blade as if it were nothing but air. The downsides to this metal is that it is also incredibly heavy, making weapons and armor crafted of it impractical for use by normal people… but the Crimson Twins aren’t normal, are they? The other downside is that in order to forge anything out of it, one must use the heat of molten magma to bring it to a malleable state. Even the best blacksmith forges do not burn hot enough to bring it to such a state no matter how long it remains situated within it.

Shadow’s vambraces on his forearms both weigh approximately eighty pounds each making them weapons unto themselves and also give him extra protection when his jacket sleeves are rolled up. His greaves over his shins weigh just over one hundred and twenty pounds each. The armor in his boots are also made of Orichalcum, weighing around thirty pounds each despite being thin plates in the bottom of his boot souls and covering his toes. And lastly, Shadow’s belt buckle is made of Orichalcum and weighs fifteen pounds.

Era’s armor is more modest, and crafted to be a bit thinner than her brother’s but is nonetheless just as potent in its durability and ability to protect her. Her breasts are covered by an Orichalcum breastplate, and she wears vambraces and greaves nearly identical to those her brother wears. The final piece of her Orichalcum armor ensemble is her hair band, an unlikely piece of “armor” but nonetheless it is made of Orichalcum and weighs around eight pounds.

The final piece of the Crimson Twins ensemble is that both of them carry a pair of Twin Daggers hand crafted from Orichalcum by Shadow himself. They are of a simple design, but they are more than enough to get the job done right every time and are so sharp and finely folded that they can slice through even other, less well made, Orichalcum weaponry. The two pairs of daggers are respectfully, and affectionately, named “The Twins.”

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* Training History: The training history for the Crimson Twins varies quite greatly between the two which is why they ended up as two very different people.

Shadow’s training began the day he learned to walk. By that time in his life he was already smart enough to mimic those who looked after him, and the first things they taught him to do was to hold a knife and use it in a stabbing fashion. In order for him to prove that he was worthy of training on a higher level than other Assassins, he was thrown into a pit as a one year old and made to fight and kill other infants who had also been trained to hold a blade. The blades were small and light weight, and it made the “fights” between these babies all the more brutal and long lived. It was a sick game meant to weed out the weak among those who were meant for something more within the organization, and Shadow excelled on all levels. By the time he was only two years old he had already killed over one hundred other infants who had been thrown in the pit against him.

By the time he was three and capable of training on a more sophisticated level he was being trained directly by the Grandmaster of Te’i Sai. Day one of his training under the Grandmaster pushed his young and underdeveloped body to its breaking point and the boy couldn’t train again for over a week until his body healed. However, such repeated torturing hardened his body and mind and within the span of four months he had grown used to the harsh reality of his new life. During these early years of training he was isolated from all other people and hidden away in a little room with nothing but a bed and a chair for company. The only human being he knew was his Master, and it whenever the boy was brought out for training all other Assassins were given the order to clear his path so as not to be seen. They didn’t want the boy thinking that he was one of them.

On his fifth birthday he was introduced to his sister, Era, but their meeting didn’t go over well. The first thing the two did was fight, and the Grandmaster had to break the fight up personally as the other Assassins weren’t fast enough to catch up to the rapidly moving and combating twins. When it was over, both of them had bloody lips and bruised faces, and the Grandmaster saw immediately that these were no ordinary children. Their eyes had been a clue up until that point, but no proof of any exceptional talent had been observed until that moment. When the Grandmaster factored in that these were other Master Assassins who were failing to keep pace with the quarreling twins, the possibilities became endless. It was at that moment that he gave them their names of Shadow and Era, a play on the concept of the world falling into an era of darkness with the advent of their abilities unleashed.

Shadow’s training was intensified upon his sixth birthday until once again his body couldn’t keep up with the Grandmaster’s regimen. Once he had acclimated himself to it, it was intensified again, and again, and again. By his seventh birthday he was already just as powerful and much, much faster than even the best Master Assassins within the organization. When Shadow and his sister turned eight years old, they were deployed against the Cre’ Itian Royal Guard to display the extent of their prowess. In just one night they killed all four hundred Royal Guards and left the city painted red with blood through nearly every street and alleyway leading up to the front doors of Castle Cre’ Est. Upon the dawn of the next morning they were found standing on the church cross holding the heads of the two most prominent members of the Royal Guard. They tossed the heads into the crowds below and disappeared without a trace.

Shadow’s training from that point on was on an ever increasing level of difficulty to push the limits of what even his Demonic soul could achieve. Eventually it reached the stage where even the Grandmaster was no longer able to create anything more difficult for him and Shadow’s training was officially complete by the time he was only twelve years old. The rest of his life up until this point has been spent on missions and accomplishing deeds the likes of which the world has never seen. His prowess alone is astronomical, but when paired with his sister there is literally no such thing as even a tiny sliver of hope. Nothing short of divine intervention can save someone once both Crimson Twins have their sights set on them.

Era’s training began much more similarly to that of a normal Assassin’s, and as opposed to the training her brother received it was much more humane until she was introduced to her brother at age five. After the two finished their fight and the Grandmaster separated them, she too was trained exclusively by the Grandmaster on ever increasing levels of difficulty until she too had surpassed even the Grandmaster’s creativity. Alongside her brother at age twelve, she completed her Assassin training and became an operative alongside her brother often working together with him. However, she insisted on doing things by herself quite often and only worked with her brother out of necessity and that was not very often. But when it happened, the job was already done even if the world hadn’t caught onto it yet.

Biography: The history of the Crimson Twins is shrouded in mystery. It is a story of deceit, brutality, and tragedy. The horror of the Crimson Twins escapes the comprehension of the human mind, which has been etched and sculpted to believe in mediocrity and contentment. The true depth of their suffering eclipses that of any who have come before or will ever come again, yet they persist and thrive in this world of never-ending darkness. In order for one to understand the Crimson Twins and the depth of their tragic lives, one must travel back to the very beginning.

The birth of the one named Shadow marked the beginning of an era. He was born on the night of September 28, 550 at the very moment the sun descended beyond the horizon to awaken the night. At first he seemed a stillborn, neither affirming nor denying life. No breath, no open eyes, nothing. Then as if by magic he stirred from his silence and as his eyes opened the dimly lit room was engulfed in red light. His mother, her handmaidens, and the doctor overseeing the birth all stared in wonder and horror at what the child’s eyes brought to the world and of what it could mean. When his sister, Era, was born not more than one hour later, hope remained that her brother’s shining eyes were one of a kind. That hope vanished as her eyes opened to reveal the same crimson flare which her brother’s eyes brought.

The twins were taken to an isolated room where the doctor invited several of his colleagues to examine the children. When they concluded the examination they had found no logical reason why the children’s eyes glowed with such a strange bioluminescence, and so the explanation fell to the church to decide. It was eventually agreed to that the children had been possessed by Demons in the womb and that the only way to protect and save their souls was to destroy their possessed bodies. However, one of the doctor’s colleagues did not see things this way and killed all in the room before spiriting the children away into the night. The two children were never heard from again by their mother nor any who were present during the birthing, and the entire affair of their glowing red eyes was kept a tight lipped secret from that day on.

So where were the children taken?

The answer lies in the myths and legends of Te’i Sai, a ruthless Assassin organization founded thousands of years ago as guardians of order over the blind sheep that are the people of Cre’ Est.

So begins...

The Crimson Twins's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Scarlet Remiella Character Portrait: Archer Trapp Character Portrait: The Crimson Twins
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The Red-Eyed Demon came from the sky. Literally, he just dropped. Nobody should have been able to land on their feet from that high up and still have both legs intact, but he had. After he tossed that peon away like it was nothing, Archie was sure of one thing: The man standing before him was undeniably one of the Crimson Twins.

He had only made eye-contact with him for less than a split second. Just one glance at his glowing ruby-red eyes gave Archie all the adrenaline that he needed. As soon as Scarlet was passed over into the man's arms, Archie bolted. The demon took off in a sprint as well, and Archie pushed himself further to catch up to him, now just running at an axe swinging distance to him. But instead of attacking him with Brenda, he reached out his hand to try and grab him.

"Hey-!" Archie shouted, "Hey, wait!" Archie jumped, but instead of tumbling over the demon he smacked into the ground. Wincing, he looked up to watch a dark figure leap from building to building. Archie could have sworn the figure glanced over his shoulder and shot him a look that said, Really, man?, but that was most likely Archie's imagination. Archie stared at the demon in awe and whispered, "And there he goes..." He slammed his fist down on the ground furiously. "God-freaking-dammit!!"

Archie continued to pound the ground in frustration as the other people on scene watched on, some curious and some backing away.

"So close! I was so freaking close!" He roared and eyed a stack of crates beside him. He swung Brenda out and flipped the top crate up into the air, then cut it down in a strong, downward swing. He continued to toss up the crates and cut them up in increasingly elaborate ways, until he was left seething on the ground surrounded by splinters and shards of wood. He took in a deep breath and smiled a little at Brenda. "Thanks girl. You have no idea how much I needed that." He stood up shakily and sighed, ruffling his hair to make the splinters fall out. Then, he turned to the peons who were carrying the woman Scarlet and stormed up towards them.

"Excuse me, sir..." one of the peons said, taking a step beck from him and glancing up nervously, "We promise that we have no affiliation with the-" The peon shut up when Archie's axe was at his neck. If it were to budge another inch, it would be buried in his flesh. Archie glared down at him with unforgiving eyes and the peons scattered, one putting a hand under his shirt to fetch a small knife. Pathetic.

"I want to know where the man carrying your boss is heading," Archie snarled, "There was a woman - Lindsay? Where is this Lindsay?"

"Linde," the peon replied softly, "The..." All of the other peons looked at him urgently like they were telling him to shut up, which Archie noticed.

"If he doesn't answer, he gets it. Then, I'll move onto asking each of you in turn. If any of you run, I will chase and hunt you down. Your boss isn't around to protect you now, you see." The peons gulped and one nudged the man with Brenda threatening his neck.

"If she asks, you followed the Red-Eyed Demon, yes?"

"Yeah, right. Like she'll believe that." Archie chucked and grinned, "Nah, I'll just tell her how it was. If she's worth following, she'll forgive you. So, where are they going?"

"The Almna Apothecary," one of the peons replied. He had a bandage around his side and he winced as he stepped forward. Archie smiled at him and removed Brenda from the man he was threatening. The man breathed and rejoined the others.

"Great. Think that you can take me? I'm new in town," Archie said pleasantly and rested Brenda over his shoulder. The bandaged guy nodded.

"Yes, I can. I was there only recently."

"That's good. Remember, I'm only there to talk to your boss. I wouldn't attack her in her sleep, that's no fun." Archie laughed again and the bandaged man didn't look relieved or disappointed.

"Okay..." he said, then started walking up ahead down an alleyway, "It's this way."

"Yeah, I'm coming!" Archie called after him, but before he followed after him he turned to the other peons and looked at them sympathetically, "Oh, you guys. You're all so afraid of her. Why are you so loyal to her anyway? Don't tell me that you depend on her," Archie's eyes narrowed as the peons nervously chatted amongst themselves. They obviously depended on her. "Whatever then. Oh, and fruit stand guy! Have you ever actually considered running a fruit stand as a living? Your fake one had me convinced, and I'm sure that there are other hungry and ridiculously generous guys like me out there in the world." As Archie walked after the man with the bandages, he waved with his back towards them, "Being your own boss can be scary and tough, but considering how well you guys are off now, it might be an option!"

After a while of walking behind the bandaged man, Archie was bored.

"When are we going to be there?" He whined, twisting Brenda around in his hand in an attempt to amuse himself. The bandaged guy - Colin, was his name - shot him a dirty look then cried out of pain from twisting."Looks painful," Archie commented, "How'd you get that?"

"It's not as it was before. Miss Linde was a great help," Colin replied holding his side, "And who gave it to me..." he caught himself and stopped talking. Archie didn't need to know that, but that was exactly the conclusion that Archie jumped to. He shook his head and sighed exasperatedly.

"I don't know how you guys can put up with that," he said earnestly, "I could never live with somebody controlling my life like that - especially if I needed that person." Archie stopped in front of another alley. He sniffed the air. "Smells like something is decaying," he stated, then pointed down the alleyway. "Did anything happen down there recently?" Colin's face turned white as he looked in the direction that Archie was pointing at.

"Yes, mister. Just the other day, the Crimson Twins struck again in the area." Archie nodded, smiling.

"Mm-hmm. So how could you tell it was them?"

"It was either them or a bear, and a bear is ridiculous." Colin said, moving over to stand next to Archie. "They were mauled beyond belief."

"Awesome," Archie breathed, "Not the mauling, that's terrible, but... can I just go do something here for a second?"

"Don't ask me for permission," Colin said awkwardly, "I'm not used to that."

"Of course you aren't." Archie ran down down the alleyway and yelled back to Colin gleefully, "Of course it smells off, there's bucket loads of blood down here! Seems like they haven't gotten the chance to clean this place yet!"

"You do not need to exaggerate, mister... oh." Colin had followed Archie down the alleyway, and was looking around the scene of the crime to discover that Archie hadn't exaggerated at all. "This is disgusting."

"If blood makes you queasy, don't look now!" Archie warned Colin as he positioned Brenda over his left palm. Colin looked at Archie alarmed and backed away.

"What do you think you're doing, sir?" He stuttered, eyes widening.

"What I always do," Archie replied grinning, "Something probably completely pointless, but something that also makes me feel like I do have a purpose after all." Brenda's blade dug into Archie's palm and he flinched a little as the first droplet of blood appeared but then numbed the pain from his mind. He grinned a little and removed Brenda, then lifted his bleeding hand out and clenched it into a fist, squeezing. His blood flowed, rich and thick, splattering on the ground. He waited and Colin watched him, confusion on his face. Eventually Archie wiped the blood on his arm and turned back to face Colin. "Okay, all done now."

"Are you going to do something about that?" Colin questioned, gesturing to Archie's bleeding hand. Archie shrugged and laughed.

"We're heading to an Apothecary, right? I think I'll manage."

"That's on the other side of town, but."

"I said I'll manage."

"Whatever you say, mister." Colin sighed, "We better get going, if you don't want to bleed out like Lady Remiella."

"Yeah, just hang on a sec." Archie tilted his head and listened to the dark, "You feel it too, right?"

"Feel what?" Archie looked up at the building that enclosed the area he was standing in. He looked at the peon, who looked back at him perplexed. Colin couldn't feel it, but there was no denying it. The adrenaline bomb ticking in Archie's brain was all that he needed to reach the conclusion that for this entire time, they were being watched. Three guesses who? Archie grinned as he waved Colin away.

"You go on," Archie said, the excited tone in his voice showing, "And remember that if you run I remember how you look, and that I will kill you!" Colin nodded and walked out the alley way, away from the crazy man with the axe. Archie hummed to himself as he sat down on the ground, looking around with with a bright expression on his face. "So are you going to show yourself, or am I going to be sitting here all night?"

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Character Portrait: Archer Trapp Character Portrait: The Crimson Twins
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He watched with interest, following the one with the axe until he and one of Scarlet's "peons" made it to the alleyway where he had slaughtered that group of bar patrons a day or two past. The one with the axe cut his own hand, which was intriguing in a way all its own. But when he told the peon to leave and called out to an invisible person, he couldn't help but smirk.

So he can sense when he's being watched eh? He thought to himself.

He waited a few moments, to see if the axe swinger would give up and leave but he did not. He continued to look left and right, never really bothering to look up. Whether that was because he sensed the presence from above or just didn't think to look up was unclear, but what was clear was that this one had an untapped gift which could easily be exploited later.

With that, he let himself drop off the rooftop, landing squarely on his feet with a slight bend in his knees. The effect was similar to that which he had performed when taking Scarlet away, but did not produce the crater or the dust cloud. Instead, he landed and cracked the cobblestone as before due to the immense weight of his Orichalcum armor. But otherwise, he was unharmed.

He stood up slowly, tall and proud with his eyes gleaming and shining upon this most intriguing man. They were only around one inch apart in height, with the Demon being ever so slightly taller, but the difference between their musculature and potential was quite clear to any discerning eye, not that it mattered much here. This one knew exactly who he was looking at, that much was evident.

But what else did he know, or rather... What did he want? He had tried to talk to him before, after all, when he was taking Scarlet away. So why seek out the Red-Eyed Demon when all others fled?

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Character Portrait: Archer Trapp Character Portrait: The Crimson Twins
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Archie stared at the man in front of him. It really was him. That dark hair, that unreadable expression, those unnaturally red eyes that belonged to a killer, even down to the way he held himself... he was really there. It was actually him. And this time, Archie wasn't just imagining it.

"Huh." Archie's eyes widened and his heart beat faster. When he tried to speak, he squeaked. He cleared his throat and tried again. "You're... you're really him, aren't you?" He asked, and started shifting from foot to foot. "The Red-Eyed Demon?" There was no point in the man even answering, it was so obviously true. Archie smiled, grinning contagiously. "I did it!" He turned his back on the demon for a split second and fist-pumped out of view, then turned back around and started pacing excitedly.

"You're one of the Crimson Twins! You have no idea how long I've been following you! I've heard all the stories and rumours about you and-" Archie covered his mouth when he realised he was babbling. He reached out to touch the man but then drew his hand back in uncertainty, and continued pacing. "I've been wanting to meet you for so long now... I think I was thirteen when I first heard the stories - they're all true, right? Hey, where's your sister? Is she in town too? And... wait, why are you even here?" Archie became guarded, backing away from the deadly figure, "I didn't realise that the Red-Eyed Demon showed his face to strangers, unless they were his prey."

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Character Portrait: Archer Trapp Character Portrait: The Crimson Twins
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Archie choked on his on saliva and looked at the man incredulously.

"I'm sorry, but... did you just call Brenda an oversized hatchet?" He raised an eyebrow at him and brandished Brenda, looking at it fondly. He could not believe that he was talking to the demon himself so casually, when all he wanted to do was tackle him down to the ground and tell him his life story. If it were anyone else, impulse would have taken over by now and he'd have already done it, but the atmosphere around this man was telling Archie, Try it, and you're dead. So Archie contained himself, though for some reason having the Red-Eyed Demon insult Brenda was a bit more offsetting than it usually was.

"Brenda was designed by the finest blacksmith that I know," he started, "She's forged from steel with the slightest touch of tungsten that was added to her later in production, which I had to track down myself. The tungsten is crafted into the tip of her blade. This style of axe was inspired by the axes used by Shaharan army generals to lead the military into war but there were some adjustments to the style to make way for other combat options. As you can see, the bottom of Brenda forms a lance. The length of Brenda and the spear-tip end makes it easier to pole vault over obstacles whenever need be. I also know how to wield her, which comes in handy. So yes," Archie continued on getting more into his rant at every word, "Yes, she does come in use. In fact, if I wasn't carrying her around everywhere I would be dead by now. Does that answer your question, demon?" He finished with a huff and stared straight into the man's glowing eyes. Why aren't I afraid of him...? Archie had to ask himself that question as the man stared back. His heart was thumping so painfully loud he thought that the demon might hear it, and it had forced it's way up his throat. No, he was wrong about not being afraid. He was terrified and he knew it, but the feeling of fear was just too addictive and he couldn't back down now.

"So you said something about me being useful?" He asked, voice crackling. He stood his ground as he waited for the demon to speak again.

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The Demon listened to the tone of his voice as he told of his axe. The different changes in dynamic within his voice and the changes in the pitch and rhythm of his words told the Demon he was telling the truth about that axe, but clearly he overestimated the value of the weapon. He didn't think it would help, but he decided to demonstrate something to him to try and see if he'd catch the message or just see the Demon "showing off."

"Allow me to demonstrate something to you," he said, pulling out one of the Twin daggers from behind his back. Under the light of his red eyes, the green translucent metal with the black core shimmered and shifted in color and outward demeanor as he brought it up horizontal to the ground for Archie to see.

"Observe what happens to this dagger, which weighs over seventy five pounds and is made of the legendary metal Orichalcum," he said.

He dropped the weapon.

The blade fell down to the ground, the blade turning towards the ground and embedding itself in it at a nearly forty-five degree angle in between the two men.

"Did you observe what that blade did when I released it?" He asked.

It was something of a trick question, but it had a relatively simple answer. The blade fell. Plain and simple. But would Archie see it that way? His attachment to his weapon told the Demon that this man viewed almost everything as a living thing in some fashion, and his dropping of the blade may very well spark something of a view of disrespect towards something that demands it otherwise in Archie's eyes.

Basically, the Demon was trying to tell him that his fondness for his blade, while admirable in one respect, was unwarranted and over-exaggerated. A weapon was a weapon, but the weapon's material and craftsmanship wasn't what made it useful nor the feats it accomplished in the hand of the wielder.

But would this young man understand that? Something told the Demon he did not yet understand, but with time he might just come to. Even if he did not understand yet, his usefulness would not falter or diminish in any way. He had more to say to this man, and he had every intention of telling him just how useful he was when the time was right.

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"It fell," Archie replied slowly. He had the urge to lift up Brenda and show how she was chained to himself saying, "I used to have that problem too until I attached her to me - I don't drop her ever anymore!" but he sensed that this wasn't what the demon was getting at. "It fell, just like everything does when you drop it."

He still felt like he had a point to prove. Brenda wasn't just a weapon, she was a companion. The steel she was forged from was the steel he had trained and fought with since he was twelve. They had practically grown up together, so was his connection with her really something to question?

"Humans are stupid that way," Archie finally spoke, "Finding comfort and companionship in inanimate objects. If a girl loved her toy the way I loved my axe, you wouldn't take the toy off her and drop it just to prove, 'Oh hey, it falls. It's just every other toy, so stop loving it so much', would you? Men love their work tools and weapons, women love their pieces of cloth and that necklace given to them by their grandmothers. I wouldn't tell them that it's just a gun or that it's just a piece of jewellery, because it's not. It's their gun, and their piece of jewellery. It isn't about what the object is, it's about time spent with it... no, it's about what you've been through with it. That's where the attachment comes from."

Archie didn't yell, he didn't raise his voice even a little bit. He just talked. Plain and honest, like always.

"That's what I believe in. You don't have to agree with me, but you don't have to try to change my opinions either." Archie lent down and picked up the dagger on the floor. He grunted and struggled slightly to hold it in the one hand, holding it out to the demon. "Take it off me. Seriously, take it off me right now or else I'm going to drop it again!"

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The Demon listened to his response and was slightly disappointed that Archie was so close yet still so far from what he was trying to tell him. He reached out and took the dagger, sheathing it behind his back as he gave Archie an unreadable glare.

"Sadly, you failed that little test. However, you're still useful to me in the abstract. If you have been trailing me for as long as you seem to claim, given the look in your eye, then you'll have no objections to my leaving right now without answering further questions. Just know that when I return to Cre' Est, I will have use of you and your skills."

He turned around and walked out to towards the opening in the alley, preparing to take to the rooftops again before casting a final glance to Archie.

"Do me a favor and try to stay alive until I get back. You and that axe of yours are going to be a prime target for a new enemy the likes of which you've never faced before in your life nor will ever face again. So don't die, and I'll answer whatever questions you have upon my return. Until then, farewell," he said.

He walked around the corner of the building and was gone just like that, leaving Archie alone in the alley to contemplate his warning.

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The Red-Eyed Demon departed Cre' Est midday after meeting Archie in the alleyway. He ran all the way from Cre' Est to the Triveilan border over the course of the next six days. Once he arrived in the capitol city of Triveila, he concluded his deal with Scarlet by killing the Oorodan Family...

... However...

Counter to his deal with Scarlet, he made a rather startling discovery which forced him to go back on his word, partially. He killed the head of the family, his wife, and several extended members whom he knew were corrupt, but the children were not. The eldest son and heir to the family name was unmoved by the corruption within his family and had plans to make positive changes to Triveila and help move it towards a brighter future where the people and the aristocracy worked alongside one another rather than the aristocracy using the people as stepping stones to wealth.

After considering the options, he concluded that it was best to leave him be and allow him the chance to live this dream. The Ruby-Eyed Witch had been in Triveila a day before the Demon, and she agreed with her brother that he should live and that Scarlet's desire for power in this nation would have to be extended... permanently. A small price to pay really, to ensure that Triveila didn't fall into the hands of someone who was just as unstable and power hungry as the previous family.

In the end, Scarlet would have to deal with it. Her family had been cast out long ago, and that was just the way it had to be. She would not have power here, not with such a man in place to make a change which could cripple not only the corruption present in his nation, but corruption elsewhere linked to its growth. With a little behind the scenes reinforcement from the Crimson Twins, the eldest son of the Oorodan family would help this nation break free of the grip of Te'i Sai. That just left the other four nations to break from the grip of that wretched organization.

Once he had a... rather tense conversation with the heir he left him be, ensuring to put measures in place to protect him from Scarlet in the event she tried to finish what the Demon had started. The heir would not die, that was now a certainty. Once that was finished, the Demon moved on to his true business and returned to Cre' Est five days later. He made his way to Roda Valley, a Valley hidden from the rest of the world within the Great Mountain Range which split the continent into two halves. Cre' Est, Triveila, and Veilbrand in the West, Shaharan and Gweynura in the East. The Demon made his way to the mountain fortress where the Assassins of Te'i Sai made their home, and before the day was out there was a large black column of smoke rising out of the mountains beyond the horizon.

Nobody would know what this meant outside of those within Te'i Sai. Several cities, including the capitol city of Cre' Est were attacked by unknown forces and nearly two thirds of the city were in flames by the time night fell.

That evening, the Ruby-Eyed Witch stood guard over the rooftops and watched the panic unfold below her in the streets.

But where was the Red-Eyed Demon?...

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The night is overcome by a sense of overwhelming dread, and I dare not remain out beyond a certain hour. My father says that even in his prime he would not risk the wrath of what lies in the shadows of our world today. I can only pray that the Gods bring a swift end to this nightmare.





Linde was in her Apothecary when everything started completely without warning.

From out of nowhere, Linde was suddenly thrown off her feet as the back side of her Apothecary building exploded. Shrapnel and splinters flew everywhere, including into Linde's back. Two of them were just tiny pieces, no big deal, but the last one was rather large and had come dangerously close to puncturing her liver. The wound was deep, and it hurt instantly but she knew she couldn't, or rather shouldn't, do anything about it just yet. It was best to leave the shrapnel there to block the flow of blood for the time being as the blood would cause the wood to expand from the water content and swell to prevent the blood from leaking.

She got to her feet, but was thrown down again as another explosion nearby shook the ground beneath her. She scrambled for the exit, finding the door blocked from the outside by something. She made it to her feet and took a deep breath as she mustered all her strength and kicked the top half of the door. The wooden door splintered under her kick and flew out into the street, giving her an opening to leave but the sight which awaited her was horrific.

The city was a sea of flame as far as the eye could see. Dozens of buildings had been replaced by heaps of rubble, and as she turned around and backed away her beloved Apothecary was almost completely destroyed. Only the main lobby was still standing, partially, and sending huge waves of flame and smoke into the sky. She was brought to tears as her life came crumbling down in front of her. At that moment, she had a thought and raced through the flaming streets to find her home. It took a few minutes, but as she arrived her house too had been destroyed when a neighboring building collapsed on it. She tried to move some rubble, but it was no use.

Linde ran back to the central square, a short distance from her Apothecary as she tried to make herself useful and help those who had also been injured or affected by the smoke.

All the while, the Ruby-Eyed Witch was watching her and others who began congregating in the central square. It wouldn't be long now before their plans were set in motion. The chaos was but a precursor to an event which would shake the foundation of Cre' Est's future and forever taint the history pages red with blood.

She glanced to the left and saw a gathering of strange men in a group wearing gray robes, and they were now locked in combat with other members of Te'i Sai. The battle was fairly even, but it became clear fairly quickly that these new arrivals were slightly superior to Te'i Sai's own warriors. It was an interesting development, but not one she could worry about just yet. For now, she needed to ensure the safety of those her brother had told her about. Apparently they were "instrumental" to their success, though she still had trouble believing that.

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Character Portrait: Scarlet Remiella Character Portrait: Archer Trapp Character Portrait: Linde Almna Character Portrait: The Crimson Twins Character Portrait: Grey Stone Character Portrait: Z'taro Ignantem
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The night is overcome by a sense of overwhelming dread, and I dare not remain out beyond a certain hour. My father says that even in his prime he would not risk the wrath of what lies in the shadows of our world today. I can only pray that the Gods bring a swift end to this nightmare.





The nightmare got worse as Linde began to grow faint from the inhalation of the smoke and ash. All around her the city was nothing but burned or decimated landscape, with hundreds of people fleeing and screaming for their lives trying to come to some kind of sense of order amidst the chaos. A few brave souls tried to rally everyone together to fight the fires and rescue those trapped or secure the bodies of the dead, but it was no use. There was simply too much going on for any kind of organization to be found.

On the rooftop nearby, the Ruby-Eyed Witch continued her observation of Linde in the streets below as well as taking notice of the other potentials her brother had marked as they arrived on the scene including someone that was now in a runaway carriage. As it entered the square, however, the horses broke free and left the contents and the people behind to their fate.

From behind her, one of the men in gray tried to rush her with a sword, only for her to turn her body sideways and use her elbow to trap the flat of the blade against her side. He tried to strong arm her, but she stood firm against him and didn't budge a single centimeter as he flailed and struggled to free his blade from her grip. She lifted up her left leg and then put it down, and the man slowly slumped to the ground with his hands unconsciously finding their way to his groin as he slowly passed out from shock. Another tried to kill her with a throwing dagger, but she tilted her head to the side and let it sail passed her and down into the streets below. He rushed her as well with two daggers drawn, but again she merely lifted her left leg and set it down as he suddenly passed out on his feet and stumbled forward, unconscious before he hit the ground beside her. She used her foot to shove him over the edge, his neck and back breaking on contact with the ground below.

All the while, she had kept her eyes on Linde... Her brother had not been wrong after all.

Linde was rushing about the flaming streets doing her best to save the people with the most grievous injuries. She didn't wince from the sight of their mangled bodies, she had a steady hand, and all of this with a large piece of shrapnel in her lower back. She had to hand it to Linde, she was much tougher than she looked.

But now there was a larger issue at hand. She looked over her shoulder and saw a small army of the hooded gray robed figures encircling her. It would nothing but an annoyance for her to deal with them, but out of the corner of her eye she saw another small army of them encircling Linde's position on the ground. The other potentials were caught in the crossfire as well, and before she could react to move to their side the men around her all began rushing at once.

She drew her Twin blades, perfect siblings to her brother's own weapons, and let the massacre begin.

Meanwhile, on the ground below, Linde struggled to prevent one of her newest patients from losing the rest of his precious life's blood. He had torn open his radial artery on his underarm, and she had wrapped it tightly to stop the bleeding but there was still a lot coming through. It must have been a clean slice, otherwise the artery would have collapsed on itself a long time ago. Before she could finish, however, a hand was placed on her shoulder. As she looked over at the figure, the last thing she saw was a fist heading directly for her. Without any time to react, Linde was knocked off her feet and to the ground on her side. The blow was powerful, more so than any she'd felt before. Normally when someone punched her she could shake it off quite quickly, but this... This was different. It felt like she'd just been struck with a support beam from a building.

Linde looked up and saw that more of them had descended upon the scene and were setting their sights on Scarlet, whom she only just now realized had arrived, and others too. But why? If this one could punch that hard then clearly these people weren't a threat to them. What in the world was going on?

She didn't have any time to react before she felt the shrapnel ripped from her back, causing her to shriek in agony as she bent backwards in an involuntary muscular spasm response to the sudden departure of the large wooden deathtrap. She felt herself lifted off the ground, and thrown back down on her side once more. The wind was knocked from her lungs, blood seeped from her now open wound, and she was beginning to feel pain like she had not felt in a very, very long time. Not since the earliest days of her training with her father had she felt pain such as this. Two attacks... That's all it was. Two attacks and she was now in intense agony. She couldn't even cry out, but something flashed across her vision before she blacked out and that was the sight of blood pouring off one of the buildings nearby like a crimson waterfall.

All around her, Scarlet and the others who had been visited by the Demon were being attacked. Scarlet herself was thrown through a market stand and kicked in the stomach lifting her up off the ground and through the air for several feet. Her weapons had been taken and tossed to the side leaving her without any way to defend herself as they continued to bat her around like a rag doll. Archie, the one with a Crimson Twin fetish, had similarly been separated from his weapon and was being punched and kicked between three of them like a ball in a children's game of "don't let it touch the ground." The others too received similar beatings, being thrown into walls and other objects in the area, kicked while they were down, and overall manhandled as never before in their lives.

Once the beatings were over, they were all dragged to the center of the charred city square and laid out on the ground before one who obviously held some sort of influential position amongst these mysterious figures.

"Well, this is a fine surprise. Companions of the Red-Eyed Demon. Indeed, this is a most pleasant surprise," he said ominously

He walked over to Linde, who was the only one unconscious and picked her up by her leg, dragging her across the ground back to his original position as he lifted her up with one hand. He was monstrous in size, standing over seven feet in height with a massive musculature. Despite his size he was unbelievably fast, and had done most of the damage to Linde without her ability to combat him.

He lifted her up high enough for her arms to dangle without touching the ground as blood dripped from her back and the corners of her mouth. Her hair fell to the ground as well, gathering beneath her like brown yarn from a knitted blanket being unraveled.

The man took out a dagger from behind his back, lifting her up slightly higher.

"Now then, as a message to the Red-Eyed Demon and his troublesome sister the Ruby-Eyed Witch, all of you are going to die. It will be slow, and painful, save for this one of course as the poor thing passed out before the fun could truly begin. But I digress," he said, looking at Linde as he slowly brought his dagger over.

He began pressing it into her stomach, slowly slicing through her clothing before blood began to gather around the tip of the blade. He pressed a bit harder, the blade disappearing millimeter by millimeter into her body until it had penetrated around an inch. At this moment, the large man holding her received a nasty surprise. A single flash of light sheared across the shoulder of the arm holding Linde aloft, and as he looked to his arm it slowly slid down before falling away from his body entirely. Linde was caught by the Ruby-Eyed Witch as she fell, setting her down gently before slashing across the man's legs and taking everything from below the kneecap off as his body fell backwards. Blood sprayed like fountains from his arms and legs, the clean cuts not allowing the arteries to close off as his heart began pumping blood faster and harder with the adrenaline that now coursed through his veins.

The Ruby-Eyed Witch began tearing through the others as they descended upon her, finishing them off in style as she sheared most of their heads clean off at the shoulder courtesy of her Orichalcum Twin daggers.

She stood there, soaked in blood as she looked to the beaten and battered potentials her brother had chosen for their mission.

"We have almost no time, so get to your feet and follow me. No, you do not have a choice in the matter. You will follow me, or I will kill you. Do not waste my time and do not make me repeat myself." She ordered forcefully.

With that, she picked up Linde's unconscious body and began walking away towards the city's South Gate. Upon arrival, there was a large pair of horse drawn wagons waiting for them. She looked over her shoulder towards the others.

"Linde will board this wagon with me and Scarlet. The rest of you get in the other wagon. The drivers know where to go, so get in and keep quiet until I stop the wagons and tell you that it's safe to speak again."

She climbed into the wagon, carrying Linde over her shoulder and waited for Scarlet and the others to board before giving the signal to the drivers. She set Linde down once the drivers got moving and pressed a few nerve endings in her neck to force her to wake up. Linde gasped, sitting up rapidly only to fall back from being so light headed. The Ruby-Eyed Witch restrained her and informed her of the situation. Linde calmed down almost immediately, especially once she saw that Scarlet was beside her. She offered the redhead a small smile, but something amazing was brought to their attention.

"Linde, I need your medical services. This is why my brother asked you to come here." She said. lifting a blanket revealing the Red-Eyed Demon.

He was in horrible shape. His skin was burned and he had several gashes and stab wounds all across his upper body including one or two on his thighs. He was unconscious, and the Ruby-Eyed Witch explained that he had attacked the mountain headquarters of Te'i Sai. Before he could escape, several explosives around the exit were set off upon his passing, and despite his best efforts he was successfully brought down before she arrived to save him. She managed to get him this far, but she herself only knew how to do so much for him. She treated the pain and disinfected the wounds, but that was it. She had run out of supplies to finish the job, and had managed to procure many of Linde's Apothecary supplies earlier in the day without her knowledge.

With her supplies in hand, Linde got to work leaving everyone to wonder what was going to happen to them in the other wagon.

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Character Portrait: Scarlet Remiella Character Portrait: Linde Almna Character Portrait: The Crimson Twins
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#, as written by Rarikou
It hurt to move at all, but Scarlet was used to dealing with this sort of crap. She had been kicked through a freaking market stand and beaten around like a meat puppet by people she didn't even know. and THAT'S what I get for trying to help people. Me, we are NOT doing that again.' She thought to herself. For once, her emotional side didn't argue back. Seems that she was just as pissed at what happened as her cold hearted side. That couldn't bode well for anyone. Those guys had done far more than knock her around. They had named her as an accomplice of the Red-Eyed Demon. That wasn't going to sit over well with any of the countries, effectively halving her business once others found out. Even if she could dismiss it as a rumor, that was still an unforgivable hit. I don't know how, but I'm going to make them suffer

As she silently watched Linde patch up the Red-Eyed Demon, a flood of thoughts washed over her. Disbelief, Rage, Happiness that Linde wasn't executed by those overpowering freaks. She hid her other feeling well, however, as she knew if she let it show or leak out she was in a position to be killed instantly: murderous intent. These two...I just received the beating of a lifetime for them, and all I did was make a contract to kill that blasted family. Not to mention they'll probably kill me when they've exhausted their use of me... One's down currently, so it's just the other one... she's the only real issue

She felt the weight of the one pistol she managed to grab. One shot. That was all she had to do anything. So, to put it bluntly, she couldn't do crap. If she made a move now, that witch would just kill her... if she somehow shot the girl and succeeded, the guy would probably just wake up and kill her anyway... If only both of them were out cold, or if only Linde felt the same way... she could easily give the man a poision and then later claim the medicine didn't take hold... She thought

Hold up Her logical side, for once, interfered We have those grey robed punks as enemies... we need them to survive right now, invcase they decide they want a round 2

There was silent from her emotional side, and just a quiet anger. She had nothing to cool her thoughts as she watched Linde. Not even a sip of wine. Scarlet needed that fruity flavor now more than ever.

Well, at least she got to make sure Linde was alright. Scarlet had felt terror for the first time, terror that the one positive influence in her life had been about to be sliced dead in front of her. Now, she got to keep a close watch on her. She would protect her, or try to. It was clear she was still hurting, probably far worse than Scarlet herself was.

She sighed as she looked out the window of the carriage, clutching her damaged side. This was going to be an impossibly long trip, she knew. Even if it was just around the corner, it was going to be the longest trip ever.

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Character Portrait: Scarlet Remiella Character Portrait: Archer Trapp Character Portrait: Linde Almna Character Portrait: The Crimson Twins Character Portrait: Grey Stone Character Portrait: Z'taro Ignantem
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The night is overcome by a sense of overwhelming dread, and I dare not remain out beyond a certain hour. My father says that even in his prime he would not risk the wrath of what lies in the shadows of our world today. I can only pray that the Gods bring a swift end to this nightmare.





Linde completed her work on the Red-Eyed Demon. Using all of her knowledge and skill to tend his burns and stitch his gashes. As she was doing this, the Ruby-Eyed Witch helped to stitch the wound on her back under her instruction. The Witch finished before she did, obviously, as she spent over two hours working on the Demon while Scarlet rested nearby. When she finally finished, he looked better. She had cleaned him off and the only thing that was really noticeable now were the burns on his chest. One across his left pectoral muscle just below his collar bone and one across the left side of his abdomen.

Linde sat back, wincing a bit at the pain as she leaned against the side of the wagon to rest her eyes. Her body hurt all over, and her back burned where the stitches had been placed. But she knew that she'd be all right. The Ruby-Eyed Witch had done a good job on her back, she could feel it, but it didn't make it any easier to subdue the pain. She tried to block it out, but there was always a good amount of it left over regardless of her best efforts.

The Ruby-Eyed Witch waited for over four more hours before she seemed to hear something that was a trigger, and ordered the driver to stop.

She looked to both Linde and Scarlet.

"Not a word of his condition to anyone," she warned, her eyes flashing red just as her brother's had before when he approached the two women.

Both wagons came to a halt, and the inhabitants were allowed to walk outside and stretch their legs. Water was provided, along with some general pain killer medicine distributed and applied to all to help manage their beaten and battered bodies. The Ruby-Eyed Witch walked out, leaving her brother sleeping soundly inside the wagon and closed it give him some privacy to sleep while she addressed the others who were gathered "by request" from the drivers.

She walked to the center of their little circle, and took a breath.

"So, I'm sure you are all aware that the men in gray robes who attacked you are no ordinary men. They are members of an Assassin organization from across the ocean from our sister continent of Mar' Valoa. They are called "Roda Ah K'mht," translated in our ancient Assassin language as "River of Blood." They are powerful and ruthless, and they have openly declared war on the continent of Cre' Est itself. Our organization, Te'i Sai, is organizing against them. However, when I say "our" organization, I mean our previous organization. My brother, the Red-Eyed Demon, attacked their mountain headquarters and assassinated the Grand Master and as such Te'i Sai is in shambles as they race to find a new Grandmaster and reorganize their ranks to fight back."

She looked around, making sure everyone was still awake to listen to her.

"Now, many of you were visited by my brother if not all of you, correct? Then you are aware that he had a purpose in mind for you during this time now that his mission is complete. The death of the Grandmaster was part of our plan to liberate this continent from the tyrannical grip of Te'i Sai, as it has corrupted the purpose for which it was founded thousands of years ago and it must be brought to an end. You all have a particular skill that will assist in that effort, and it is for those skills that my brother chose you to accompany us here," she said, gesturing behind her.

There was a forest directly behind her and just beyond the treeline was the faint outline of what appeared to be a cabin.

"That structure is the top floor of what is basically an underground fortress, one which my brother had made as a safe house by the only members of Te'i Sai whom we trust. They are standing behind you," she said, gesturing to the drivers who stood there silently with their hands behind their backs like soldiers.

"Those two built this structure without Te'i Sai's knowledge, and this is the only place where we can go that is anywhere near safe. To anyone else, it's just a cabin on the edge of the woods. But to us, it's a gathering and planning location."

She looked around, checking to make sure they were all on board.

"Any questions so far?" She asked.

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Character Portrait: Scarlet Remiella Character Portrait: Archer Trapp Character Portrait: Linde Almna Character Portrait: The Crimson Twins Character Portrait: Grey Stone Character Portrait: Z'taro Ignantem
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This was wrong. Everything was so, so wrong. Grey wasn't supposed to be here. This wasn't supposed to be happening to her. These twins were not supposed to be real.

Grey hadn't spoke in hours, she had ridden along quietly, fading in and out of consciousness. We they had stopped she allowed the Drivers to assist her from the wagon and even let them take care of her wounds even though every gentle touch had brought on winces and more pain. Grey tried to be stoic or rather she was still in so much shock and bewilderment she didn't know what else she could do. When they offered water, she took it gratuitously, even the paid reducers though skeptic she figured it couldn't get much worse.

The rest she witnessed in a near daze. As the female twin addressed them she couldn't help studying the others in the company. They were tall and strong looking, despite their beaten state. They all had a battle hardened look about them that said they had seen death and even given it. She couldn't help but feel out of place. She felt small and frail and weak compared to the ones that surrounded her. No, she wasn't supposed to be here.

When the girl mentioned the male twin speaking to the others, she then knew for a fact his was a mistake. A strange, twisted slap of coincidence and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or maybe the right place at the right time. Her and Z'taro were, after all, supposed to find the one who killed Mai's father. Though never in a million years did she believe they would actually find them. Or rather, the twins find them. And she certainly didn't truly intend to see out any assassinations.

Her plan had been to stay away for a convincing amount of time. Then someone pay off or convince Z'taro to, well, lie, to put it bluntly. What Mai didn't know wouldn't her, hopefully. Z'taro would have returned, collected his money and been on his creepy way and Mai would be none the wiser and maybe even she would find some peace and go on about her life. As Grey had planned to do. Put the whole mess behind her and tend to her business in peace. Those ideas seemed like wishful thinking now as she stood before the girl with the eerie red eyes.

When asked if there was any questions she felt compelled to speak up, to tell them what she assumed would be obvious. That she, a lowly inn keep from Triveila, was not supposed to here. Had no business what so ever mingling with deadly assassins or working to take down any crazy dangerous group of assassins. She couldn't imagine what skills she might posess that could even remotely assist in that sort of operation and even if asked to help in some way she wouldn't say yet. At least she was fairly certain that she wouldn't say yes. The Stoney from yesterday would have laughed in their face and accused them all of being bitten by the white worm.

But this Stoney, this tired, beaten, bruised, broken Stoney; she wasn't sure what to do. Run? Attempt an escape? A quick look at the female and the so called Drivers confirmed that running was not an option. And if even she did run, what is those others, the freakishly strong roughian that kicked her ass earlier, caught up with her? It was doubtful she would make it back to the border alive if that group was nosing about on their trail. Even if she truly didn't have anything to do with this group or the twins, they didn't know that, or even care, judging from her earlier near death experience with them.

So instead of speaking up, protesting or pleading with them to let her go, take her home, or convince them that she didn't belong, she kept quiet. Grey figured her chances of survival at this current time was best with this group. Perhaps another chance to explain, or better yet, escape would arise later. For now she would bide her time,take some time to heal and do as she was told. And if she ever did make it back to her beloved BBB... She would have one hell of a story to tell Alisador.

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Character Portrait: Scarlet Remiella Character Portrait: The Crimson Twins Character Portrait: Grey Stone
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The Ruby-Eyed Witch looked to Scarlet as she spoke up, giving her a hard glare for even hinting as to her brother's condition but none the less nodded as well.

"Good, we can definitely make use of your connections for supplies. Ours are currently lacking at the moment but we are in the process of procuring more. But whatever assistance your organization can provide will be useful," she said.

Looking at the others, she examined them and someone stuck out more than she should have.

The red eyed warrior walked towards Gray, walking uncomfortably close and leaning in putting their faces mere inches apart as she gave the girl a thorough and hard stare.

"... My brother never recruited you, did he?" She asked in a low and ominous voice.

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Character Portrait: Scarlet Remiella Character Portrait: Archer Trapp Character Portrait: Linde Almna Character Portrait: The Crimson Twins Character Portrait: Grey Stone Character Portrait: Z'taro Ignantem
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Archie cleared his throat nervously and clapped his hands together, stepping forward. He felt all eyes turn to him and the nasty feeling of being looked up and down and judged all over. He looked around at all of the beaten and bruised faces around him and tried to smile back at him, but the rib dug dangerously into his lung as though it was warning him not to mess this up.

"Well, I don't know about you folks, but I have a question or two that need answering." He laughed a little then took a deep breath in, preparing himself. As he spoke, he lifted up his fingers to count up the number of questions he was asking.

"First off, the Red-Eyed Demon specifically said that he would come back and answer my questions - I should know, I have our entire discussion memorised - so where is he right now? Secondly, you're the Ruby-Eyed Witch and that's amazing! !t's a pleasure to meet you and all that - that's not a question so you don't have to answer to that, I just needed to get that out. He ignored the stares he was receiving and continued, "But now, onto the more pressing matters..." he said darkly.

"What skills do you want us for, exactly? Some of us like Linde or Remiella are obvious, but the rest of us are not so much. You saw how useless we are against those "River of Blood" guys, so this definitely can't be about combat. I mean, the most aggressive thing I've ever seen Stoney do is conk some sleazeball over the head with a beer mug!" He glanced in Grey's direction apologetically, then glared at Scarlet, pointing to her with an accusing - and broken - finger. "The last thing is more personal. Whatever happens next is going to be... a 'team activity', is it not? Well, I don't see this working out, and I know that you know why."

He could feel the hostility towards him from the way Scarlet was looking at him. It was bad enough that he was going to have to deal with working with people. Now he had to deal with working with somebody who had ordered the death of a frie- of a girl he knew for a day or so in cold blood? Sure that girl had hit him, force fed him something that later resulted in food poisoning and had stabbed Scarlet, but... she also gave him a ride, was something of a fan and paid for his food. It didn't really matter what she had done to or for him in the short period of time that he knew her, because he knew that she was innocent enough that she didn't deserve what this woman had done to her. She was innocent and she was never prepared for death.

And yet now, he had to work alongside the very woman who gave the word to end her life, among other worse things, no doubt. All she had to do was command it. She never had to do that dirty deed herself. Were her peons that loyal to her, that they would kill an innocent girl just for their boss's own satisfaction? There it was again, that loyalty. Archie gulped as he wondered if he'd ever be asked to do such a deed in the name of the Crimson Twins.

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Character Portrait: Scarlet Remiella Character Portrait: Archer Trapp Character Portrait: Linde Almna Character Portrait: The Crimson Twins Character Portrait: Grey Stone Character Portrait: Z'taro Ignantem
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It had been years since the last time he had been in such agony. To be honest, Z'taro hadn't received such a throughout beating since Alpha had started his training. The long, bumpy trip in the carriage with Grey and that red haired boy hadn't really helped on Z'taro's condition. He was sure his left arm was broken, and his right leg wasn't far from it. On top of it all he had lost his briefcase, so now most of his gear was gone. The vial with his homemade morphine-ish potion was broken, so he couldn't even take the edge of the pain away.

By the time they got to their destination his arm had swelled to twice the normal size and was nothing but pain. The leg wasn't much better, but luckily enough it could support his weight so he was still able to walk with just a small limb. But the pain was so bad that the water and painkillers that they received was accepted with all the gratitude Z'taro could find deep within himself. After the pain was a little bit better Z'taro returned to his cold and reserved self again. The other members of the little group didn't interest Z'taro much, but the woman who had saved him from those hooded brutes she explained was called river of blood.

He had to admit, her costume was rather convincing. She really looked like the infamous Ruby-Eyed witch. Whatever she had used to make her eyes glow like that he had to know. Was it some kind of chemical reaction? or maybe something as simple as colored glass applied directly to the eyes, either way he had to know. When the imposer approached Grey Z'taro realized he would have to interact. Grey was worth 800 platinum after all. Flicking his right wrist as he silently approached the 'witch' one of his daggers fell down into his hand. Under normal conditions she wouldn't have been able to notice him until it was too late, but with the limp Z'taro wasn't sure. So by the time he placed the tip of the dagger under her chin she had probably noticed him already. Not that it mattered though, he wasn't planing on hurting her in any way. Not yet at least.

"As a matter of fact" he started and gently forced (Is that even possible?) her face upwards so she looked up at him instead, "miss Stone and I were never approached by your brother." He twisted his head a little to the side and stared into the glowing red eyes of his savior. "To be fair, we were actually searching for you and your brother" the dagger were removed from her chin and instead pointed at her eye, "but tell me miss, how in the heavens did you pull those eyes of?"

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Character Portrait: Scarlet Remiella Character Portrait: Archer Trapp Character Portrait: Linde Almna Character Portrait: The Crimson Twins Character Portrait: Grey Stone Character Portrait: Z'taro Ignantem
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The Ruby-Eyed Witch turned her head as Archie spoke, protecting the little one from her wrath for now. Given that she could sense this woman's lack of belonging she was not inclined to show her any special treatment. Archie's questions made sense... mostly. The declaration of it being great that she was the Ruby-Eyed Witch was rather odd... She wondered in the back of her mind if he even recognized her face. Sure she had colored her eyes brown with a special blend of chemicals the first time they met, but her facial structure and hair were the same.

Oh well.

But it was at that time that she turned her attention back to the little one, and this time it was the silent warrior who tried to interfere. He put a blade under her throat and she let him guide her face towards his own. He pointed the blade at her eyes, and as he did so she let them glow with all of the fiery rage she could muster.

A nonbeliever eh? She thought angrily.

The light emanating from them grew brighter and brighter until it was no mistake that this was not reflected light or some other conjuring beyond what they were actually putting out.

She stood up straight, not bothering to even acknowledge the blade in his hand. She just glared at him for a moment longer and walked over to a nearby boulder. It was around five feet in height and easily weighed around 400 lb. Under normal circumstances, this man who had pointed the blade at her and Archie perhaps would be able to at least make it roll over...

... But could they do this?

With a single scream of anger and aggression, the Ruby-Eyed Witch raised her right leg above her head and slammed it down on top of the boulder. Her foot smashed clean through as it were nothing, sending hundreds of pieces of rubble in every direction as her foot slammed into the ground creating a crater and a small shock wave that struck all of them square on as well as a large cloud of dust. For most, given that they all had at least a few broken or cracked bones, those areas would instantly have felt the pain of the impact from the shock wave. The dust billowed out and consumed the Ruby-Eyed Witch for almost two minutes before it finally started to clear.

As the dust settled, the Ruby-Eyed Witch was standing over what was one a large proud boulder reduced to hundreds of tiny pieces from a single well placed kick. Four hundred pounds of rock gone in the blink of an eye. Her right foot was still embedded in the ground a good eight inches from how hard she had kicked, and she yanked her foot free with a grunt and stomped it back down causing a much smaller dust cloud and tiny, almost imperceptible tremor beneath their feet. She walked towards the nonbeliever and glared at him, her eyes once again glowing as brightly as they could and in the now fading light of twilight, that was a lot. In fact, it was enough to illuminate her entire face and the top half of her upper torso as well as the nonbelievers own as she moved closer.

"You think I would fake eyes like this?" She growled.

As her eyes flared and flickered, her voice began changing. Instead of the angry growl she had given earlier, it now sounded as if two voices were coming from her mouth. One of them was her own voice, but the other was an eerie, otherworldly, high pitched voice of unknown origin speaking in unison with her. This effect was unique to both her and her brother, as the human vocal chords were incapable of reproducing this effect on their own.

Something else within this woman was now taking charge of what was being said.

"If you seek further proof of my status as the Ruby-Eyed Witch, I can always disembowel you using only my index finger," they said in unison as she held up her right index finger and pointed it at his stomach.

"Your 'average' human fingers are not capable of breaking through the flesh and muscle of another human being's body... But mine, the fingers of a Demon, most certainly are!" They declared.

Her hand shot forward, and in an instant her finger pierced his lower abdomen all the way to the knuckle. His intestines instantly felt the pressure of her finger wrapping around them, and at any moment now she could yank back and show him what he was made of... literally.

She leaned her face in closer until her face was mere inches from his, the light deep within her eyes shining bright enough to hurt his own as if he was looking into a miniature sun. Her left hand was poised and ready to stop him if he tried anything with his blade.

"So, mortal... Do you still doubt who I am, or must I educate you further?" They growled.

This entire time, she had not blinked. Her eyes had been wide open since the moment she smashed the boulder, and they weren't closing or blinking anytime soon. They were wide, aggressive, and aimed right at Z'taro with her finger still coiled like a spring around his intestines.

"That's enough Era," came a masculine and powerful voice from behind the group.

The Witch kept her eye on Z'taro, never budging from her position but she let the others look to see who it was.

Standing there in the clearing just beside the second wagon was the Red-Eyed Demon. He was standing tall, unimpeded by his injuries despite their severity as he walked forward. His steps were clean and unbroken despite his condition. He had no shirt on due to the fact that most of the wounds were on his upper torso, and the burns on his upper left chest and lower right near his waist were still there as were the stitching Linde had applied for his numerous slash wounds. But amazingly, none of these wounds seemed to slow him down. He walked forward and stood beside his sister and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Mi'ik vehn au me' temn. Droln na' om'vik te'ga." (He is not worth the effort. Stay your hand)

The Ruby-Eyed Witch's jaw flexed, clearly not happy with her brother's decision to stop her from teaching this pathetic louse a lesson, but she did as asked. She slowly removed her finger from his stomach, but she kept her eyes on him the whole time nonetheless. He didn't believe they were who they were, and she intended to prove him wrong. If he thought they were just a dream, a legend, a nightmare, then it was more than passed time for him to wake up. She slowly stepped back and away from him to stand beside her brother, but she continued to glare at Z'taro.

The Red-Eyed Demon, in the meantime, turned his head to look at the group. His eyes stopped their scan as they fell on Gray, and then slid to Z'taro, then back to Gray.

"You two do not belong here. You will leave," he said with finality and complete authority.

His sister shot her eyes at him.

"You think I'm letting this one just walk away after questioning who we are?" She yelled, her voice still carrying that doubled voice tone.

Her brother shot her a glare and his eyes glowed to match her own as he too brought forth a doubling to his voice to counter her own, though his doubling was much deeper and was closer to his own voice pitch than hers had been to her.

"Re'ak no Vek'a!" (You will listen!) He yelled back, causing her to flinch.

The Witch, while completely dominant over the others, was displaying subservient behavior to her brother... Or was it the Demon within her that was subservient to the Demon within him? It was impossible to tell as, despite her anger towards Z'taro and his anger the Demon's anger with her, their faces were still completely unreadable except for that one emotion of anger.

The Witch backed off reluctantly, giving her brother some space to speak as the other two, who had been standing silent until that moment, both bowed to him. He returned their bow with a nod of his head and turned so that he could face all of the group before him. Again, his eyes found Gray and Z'taro, giving them both a thorough examination before speaking.

"I heard my sister inform you of what has happened until now, so I will not bother to repeat it. You two, however, do not belong here. These three have skills which I can make use of in our effort to eliminate Te'i Sai and drive Roda Ah K'mht back to the shores of Mar' Valoa, but you two... I see nothing of value in you. Leave," he commanded.

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Character Portrait: Scarlet Remiella Character Portrait: Archer Trapp Character Portrait: Linde Almna Character Portrait: The Crimson Twins Character Portrait: Grey Stone Character Portrait: Z'taro Ignantem
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When Grey had been hashing out her perfectly fine plan of blending in and possible escape at a hopeful opportune moment she had forgot to factor in a couple of things. Rookie move probably. Not like she had done this sort of thing before after all. One, was Red and his big mouth. Two, was that this girl and probably her brother could sense someone out of place a mile away. And three, Z'taro was crazy.

When the Ruby Eyed Witch, as Red had referred to her as, approached her, knots formed in both her stomach and her throat only adding to the discomfort that had already set in from the early beating and unpleasant wagon ride. But even as her throat tightened, she was about to answer the girl. To confess or explain and hope that they wouldn't kill her on the spot. But she never got to utter a syllable before Red stepped in with his big mouth and if him bluntly stating that she was about as harmless as the butterfly clip in her hair, which was miraculously still in tact, was not bad enough, soon after the creepy one had to come to her defense as well.

Did they think they were helping?

Grey trained her eyes on Z'taro's knife and then glanced between it and the girl. The memories of what happened earlier in the city square was blurry and foggy at best, but judging from what little she did remember, this was a bad move. Grey was about to stop him, if you could, but again was cut off by a motion. She watched curiously as the girl, in a rather showy display, obliterated what she assumed was a damn heavy bolder.

As the display continued, Grey couldn't help but feel pinpricks of annoyance. She'd been around braggy drunks enough to know a pissing contest when she saw one. Not to mention bullying. Yeah, clearly, this girl was something unworldly. And possibly even something evil. Under her breath she whispers a vesper to the Goddess of the sea. Sure, they were a long way from the ocean, but it was comforting none the less.

It only continued when the brother showed up. At least he seemed to be more emotionally stable... Maybe. When ordered to leave, Grey didn't have to hear it a second time and would have likely turned on one heal and high tailed it out of there but there was still a finger in Z'taro's stomach. Despite how creepy he was, she didn't feel right leaving him behind to die. In her hesitation the brother seemed to show some type of mercy, insulting mercy, but mercy.

Again he told them to leave. Anxious to obey and to be free, Grey gripped a small hand around Z'taro's forearm as if expecting to have to lead him by force away from these crazy demons before they changed their mind about allowing them to keep their lives. But... Keep your mouth shut, Stoney! Keep it shut and move along... She couldn't of course. Perhaps it was being quiet too long and the annoyance building up in her too much but it all seemed to bubble over now.

In a remarkable show of bravery, or perhaps stupidity depending on how one looked at it, she spoke, "We do not belong here. Yet, here we are. Drug from our carriage, beaten for no apparent reason, other than supposedly being associated with you two and then carted off to the middle of nowhere and now you ask, no, demand, that we leave. To head off into the woods where some River of Blood hooligans are waiting to try to kill us again for helping demons that threw us out of their merry gang? ... That doesn't work for me."

Grey's voice only faltered slightly, but grew stronger as she went, "Your demon eyes might not seen any value in me, but you are wrong. You don't even know me. You have no idea what I'm cable of. Or just how valuable I am. If I was worthless, I'm sure my corpse would be lying back in the city, yet here I am in the company of demons. Apparently someone feels I am of some value."

Stop while you're ahead, Grey, "And are you two really so daft, or rather, full of yourselves, that you think every single person in all the nations believe in the two red eyed demons? Most people are too busy working all day, feeding their hungry children and trying to keep a roof over their heads to worry about some monster creeping through their window and killing them in their sleep. You would think one wouldn't take such offenses to skepticism when your supposed to be mysterious creatures of the night. Isn't that how assassins are supposed to work? Anonymously?"

The whole time she had managed to keep strict eye contact with the boy, sparing an occasional pointed glance to his sister.Maybe she had been spending too much time with overly confident pirates lately, but she was irritated to put it lightly. If she was going to die one way or another, at least she would die with the peace that she spoke her mind and didn't let some ungodly demons push her around. Though they may skip the pushing and get straight to the killing part.

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Character Portrait: Linde Almna Character Portrait: The Crimson Twins Character Portrait: Grey Stone Character Portrait: Z'taro Ignantem
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Linde listened in horror to the words spoken by the girl as she had been ready to walk away. Did she have a death wish? She didn't know much about the two Demons here, but she knew enough to know that even wounded the brother was far more dangerous than his sister. She had only stuck a finger through the other man's flesh, putting pressure on his organs to cause him great discomfort and pain. But... him? No, the Red-Eyed Demon would not have been so gracious.

Sure enough, her worst fears were realized when the Demon began walking towards Gray.

He stopped one pace away from her, looking down at her with a hard glare. His eyes flickered and flared softly like a candle of crimson red light trapped inside a spherical glass. He leaned in closer, taking a look at her face as he walked a circle around her. Archie would immediately recognize the gesture as the same technique the Demon had used to take his measure when they first met. As the Demon finished walking his circle, he stopped in front of Gray and then turned his attention to Z'taro, repeating the action once more.

The Ruby-Eyed Witch was obviously losing her cool and her patience as her brother began analyzing these people. She grit her teeth as she walked forward slightly, stopping only when her brother shot her a glare over his shoulder.

He looked back to Gray, as she had been the one to speak first.

Apparently you are of some value after all, little one. You might not have the body or mind of a warrior, but you do have a mind for something else: business. I can read it in your hands and your posture, as well as your choice of clothing despite how torn and ragged it might be after your beating. Not only that, but you're too innocent to have business with the underground. No, your business is out in public and open to everyone, isn't it?" He asked.

He looked to Z'taro.

"And you... You don't seem to be much for conversation, but it's not required in your line of work is it? It seems I jumped to conclusions about you given your pitiful state. I overlooked something rather important about you: You're like us, a killer. Maybe you fancy yourself one, maybe you don't, but you're a killer all the same. It's written in your very skin, your posture, and your eyes. They might not be red, but they're stained with blood all the same."

The Demon smiled, but the smile was empty of joy and contained only a moderate level of contentment with the situation.

"I did demand that you leave, little one," he said, looking again to Gray.

"However here you are which is the most surprising fact of the day. You are young, you are small, you are weak. Your only redeeming quality right now is your business which could be useful to me in what I plan to do, but I can see the likelihood of you wishing to join our quest is close to zero. After all, we might be able to protect you from Roda Ah K'mht, but we're not your kind of people are we?" He asked, gesturing to himself and his sister in turn.

He looked to Z'taro for a moment and then back to Gray.

"I rephrase the demand to an offer. You may leave if you wish, but as you yourself have come to understand Roda Ah K'mht will never stop hunting you now that it believes you are associated with the two of us. If you do not wish to meet a long and painful end, then I would advise you change your course and remain with us for the time being until we can find a place for you to stay until the conflict is over. It won't be safe to return to your home until this is resolved."

She lost it. The Ruby-Eyed Witch couldn't take it anymore. She growled and dashed at her brother who turned his head sharply to face the oncoming rush. She rammed into him with her right shoulder, knocking him from his feet and sending him sliding over twenty feet across the ground. He slid to a stop with a grunt of pain as she planted her feet and flared her arms down and to the side.

"How many more brother?! How many more can we add to this pathetic band of misfits?! Tell me, when is enough enough?!" She screamed.

The Demon stood up slowly, blood trickling from his wounds slowly as he turned around to face her.

"We might have power yet we are only two, sister. We cannot do this by ourselves. The more assets we acquire, the more prepared and better equipped we are to face the looming threat of Roda Ah K'mht and keep an eye on Te'i Sai as it scrambles to reconstruct its ranks. You know that." He said calmly.

She continued to grind her teeth and glare at him furiously before she rushed him again, screaming in anger. The Demon didn't budge, at least, not right away. As the Witch came in closer he spun with literally blinding speed landing a spinning heel kick into her stomach sending her flying back the opposite direction. The impact of the kick could be felt from a small shock wave similar to the one the Witch had created when she smashed the boulder to pieces. The witch flew back over fifty feet in the opposite direction and crashed into rather large tree trunk about three feet wide. Her body impacted the trunk and cracked it all the way through, causing the tree to list to one side before falling all the way to the ground on top of her.

The dust settled, and the tree was lying flat on the ground with no other movement. Linde began to walk towards it, but the Demon was already beside her holding her back and pushing her to the side. As they looked on, the tree, easily fifty feet in height/length was lifted off the ground. Inch by inch, until it was lifted entirely off the ground and held above the Witch's head. Her eyes were glowing brighter than ever before as she bore her teeth and threw the tree to the side. As it landed, it sent a large tremor through the ground. The Witch ran at her brother as fast as she could, tearing a path through the dirt and causing a wake of dust like a ship does water on the ocean. The Demon himself lunged at her as well, and the two of them collided fists sending a shock wave through the air strong enough to knock all of the spectator's off their feet including the two Te'i Sai allies nearby who were in perfect health and stronger than anyone else present save for the warring siblings.

When the shock wave passed, the two siblings were deadlocked with their hands clasped together. One could almost see the energy radiating from their bodies as they both began drawing more and more on their mostly untapped stores of strength. In the blink of an eye the Demon flipped the Witch over his shoulder slamming her body into the ground hard enough to make a crater and send several feet worth of cracks through the ground. He lifted her up and did so again before spinning her around and tossing her like a rag doll back into the trees. By now, the Demon's eyes were glowing just as brightly as hers, and bother were taken over by whatever horrors were inside them as they struggled for control of the fight. The Witch came back with a vengeance, and managed to do to the Demon what he had done to her.

This went back and forth for nearly five full minutes, with neither sibling taking a true advantage until at last the Demon's body could not hold itself together anymore. The stitching Linde had provided was torn out halfway into the fight, and the Demon began to slow as his body lost more blood. Finally, he had no choice. He had to end this fight now or one of them would get killed. As his sister rushed at him, he used the last of his fading strength to aim a punch directly for a nerve cluster in her lower left jaw using his right fist. The blow landed as he ducked her attack, and it sent her down into the ground creating another crater and cloud of dust. He knew the maneuver had worked when she didn't get up, and when the dust settled she was unconscious and he saw something new now that he had time to look.

She was bleeding. Her stomach was damp and so was her chest just below the collar bone. She had been hiding her own wounds this whole time, which explained her rush to leave and abandon those who seemed useless. She didn't trust them, and she didn't want them around her when she was wounded and vulnerable. It made sense now, but there was no time to waste. He looked to Linde.

"Take her inside, will you? I think we both could use your expertise one more time," he said, looking down to his blood soaked torso.

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Character Portrait: Scarlet Remiella Character Portrait: Archer Trapp Character Portrait: Linde Almna Character Portrait: The Crimson Twins Character Portrait: Grey Stone Character Portrait: Z'taro Ignantem
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#, as written by Beeps
Business? Grey kept her face steady when her chin slightly lifted, though that was mostly due to the fact she had to look up and through her blood matted bangs to meet the Demon's eyes. She wouldn't have exactly labeled herself as a business woman. Sure she ran a tight ship back at the inn, turned a profit and was well known and loved by her clients, but she doubted she would be in the same league of business savvy that would meet their needs. But he seemed to maybe know that as well. She wasn't some seedy dealer of unsavory things hiding under a false pretense of something good.

Grey was as she appeared, to everyone, and more importantly she tired to be honest and fair with her associates. Those were valuable assets to have, though she wasn't going to point that out to this guy. At least not right now. Nor would she express her lack of enthusiasm from the being called 'little one', like somehow she was now seen as the child of the group.

She couldn't have been any younger than the others around her and she had somehow managed to survive that ass kicking but she had no illusions in her head that any of them could out-do her in a show of strength. Yet, she did not feel weak. At least not weak of will. She inwardly doubted any of those would amount to a hill of beans in the eyes of these two, who clearly seemed to mostly revolved around brute, skill and blood.

"It really doesn't matter if you are my type of people. If you can see me, us, safely though this... ordeal then in return I will do what I can to help," she wondered what all exactly she would have to do to help in this endeavor. Lie? Cheat? Steal? ... Kill? "When you ask for it." She added the last part pointedly. Being asked was always more pleasant, not to mention more civil, than being demanded.

At the display of brute, Grey tried to watch passively, though couldn't help being glued to the action. The siblings were a strange pair. The constant fighting and bickering, or at least in the very short time she'd seen them together was interesting. Not unlike any feuding siblings she'd seen before, but with the magnified supernatural powers it was certainly a sight to behold. Perhaps it was no wonder they needed help from lowly humans, they seemed to barely be able to work with each other peacefully.

Tensions were high and they were wounded; everyone was wounded and tried and hungry and sleepy and grumpy. Perhaps they all just needed to relax, eat, drink, sleep. That was likely the inn keep coming out in her thinking but she figured it definitely couldn't hurt. When all was settled, and the girl was out cold, the Demon suggested they go inside, or least the pretty girl who she now assumed was a doctor.

Grey took the time to pull Z'taro aside, which was easy since she hadn't ever let go of his arm from earlier, and whisper in a stern voice, "Look, whatever Mai promised you is now off the table. If you have a problem with that, then you can take it out on me. Leave her out of it. I don't see you carrying out those assignments now, not that I ever did, really. And honestly, even if you do think there's a chance at succeeding, I want no part of it. All I want is to get through this alive and go home... If we both make it out alive, then you can tell Mai what you like to collect your payment. Just... Don't do anything else stupid to put my life in danger."