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Post by seraph_phoenix on Oct 22, 2006 2:43:47 GMT -5
The view of Aya's room was still the same as before, with Oren and Aya in a dead sleep, near the fire.
Aya opens her eyes at a metallic sound. She stirs a bit, barely able to open her eyes at all. Oren flinches slightly, Aya's face turns red as she realizes that Oren had been holding her as she slept. She looked down at her wound, it had completely healed. Being close to the descendant of a God had its benefits. She brushed a small bit of hair from his face and smiled. Aya stopped and remembered that she was woken up by something, and looked over toward her things. One of her rings was on the floor. She squinted her eyes quite hard to see what it was. It was a silver ring with a red gem. It was the ring Shinjo gave to her about a year after they had been traveling together.
He said "I thought you'd like this. It matches your armor..." She was a bit confused by his actions on that day.
Aya stared at the ring for a moment. Her eyes widened as she fully awoke.
"Shinjo." Aya said, startled. She immediately found strength and rummaged over to the ring. She slid it on her left ring finger and grabbed one of her swords. Aya made a dash over to the small window in the room and pushed it open. The dead silence of the room was frightening, there were barely any noises from insects outside, this worried Aya more. Oren blinked just as Aya opened the window.
"Aya....?" Oren managed to mumble out of his sleep. Aya quickly dropped down and crouched in front of him. Oren barely opened his eyes, and he reached up to her wound.
"It healed......I'm glad you're okay....I was...worried about you..." He said, still very sleepy. He studies Aya for a moment, noticing she was carrying her sword, he widened his eyes slightly, "Aya, you're too weak to go out...what are you doing??" Oren said as he began to sit up. He would surely stop her from leaving if he fully woke up. Aya grabbed the sides of his face, her soft touch was enough to stop him in his tracks.
"I'm sorry..." She whispered as she brought her lips very close to his. Oren's eyes widened and his heart raced. He had never been this close to Aya before. Aya breathed a strange red aura from her mouth to his, and his eyes suddenly dragged back down.
"Ay......" Oren said very softly as he slipped back into sleep. Aya gently rested him against the wall. She made her way to the window and hopped directly off the second story of the inn.
Aya swiftly landed on her feet, in a crouch.
"I can smell the Stalkers......" Aya said very softly to herself.
With that, Aya spread her wings and flew directly upward. She hovered above the inn, looking over the city. Aya extended her left arm outward, the silver and red ring glistening in the moonlight, on her ring finger. She closed her eyes and gently moved her hand like air. It came to an abrupt stop to the north east. Aya gripped her single sword and flew in that direction, without hesitation. Surely, that was where she would find Shinjo.
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Post by kenshin075 on Oct 22, 2006 5:25:02 GMT -5
Kenshin had been resting on his bed, looking at the moon through the window. As he laid on the bed, he wondered what he should do, since he no longer had his master ordering him around. He spaced out while looking at the night sky.
The soft creaking of wood interrupts the silence.
He heard the slight sound of a window being opened. Kenshin moved toward his window to investigate. He looked around, but didn't see anything except an open window, a few rooms away from his. He went back to the bed and laid there once again, looking out the window.
A human silhouette with wings appeared, as it moved in front of the moon.
"A giant chicken...wait, what am I thinking? Theres a better chance that it's an angel, than a giant chicken." He thought. Kenshin turned to his side and began to fall asleep.
"A giant chicken...that's a good one." He said, letting out a small chuckle before drifting to sleep.
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Post by Dragin "Hiku" Hikari on Oct 22, 2006 12:57:46 GMT -5
Mai blinked, snapping out of sleep suddenly. She nudged Hiku in his bed, "Hiku, Hiku!"
Hiku groaned a little, "What is it Mai?"
"Aya has left."
Hiku sat up quickly, "How do you know that?"
Mai frowned, "When I was treating her, I placed the Defender's mark on her clothes..."
Hiku quickly stood up, rushing through the den, then peeking into Aya's room, finding Oren there by himself. "Oh son of a..."
Mai interrupted quickly, bringing Hiku the Defender. "We have to go after her! She's fought off the poison, but she's still in no condition to fight."
Hiku sighed, "You're coming whether I tell you to stay or not?"
Mai frowned, "You don't have the choice, you've already overused the Defender. You won't have a chance without me. Besides, I have track on the Defender's mark, you don't"
Hiku nodded, "Let's move then. You lead the way."
Hiku and Mai quickly exited the inn, following the trail left by Mai's magic.
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Post by seraph_phoenix on Oct 22, 2006 14:48:13 GMT -5
Aya flew slowly over the alleyways, looking for Shinjo. She noticed several of the higher ranking stalkers wandering around, they appeared to be searching for something.
"Great, that's all we need..."
Aya had flown quite a ways to the northeast, thinking she may have flown a bit too far, she stops and waits for a moment. She hears footsteps almost directly below her. Aya spun around to see Blade carrying Shinjo, jogging back toward the inn. She could smell blood, but it was from several people. Aya flew directly over them and retracted her wings. She landed swiftly on the ground right in front of Blade, who nearly skid to a stop.
"Geez kitten! Where'd you come from? And hey, why aren't you resting?" Blade asked her, somewhat confused by her appearance.
"I'll let you in on it later, put Shinjo down, I need to help him." Aya said.
"Alright, but you'd better hurry, Stalkers are everywhere." Blade said to her, looking down the alleyway to make sure they were unseen.
"You know about them?" Aya said as she leaned Shinjo against the alley wall.
"I've been tracking you for a little while now, and part of tracking someone is asking around, and getting to know you before I've confronted you. I've had a few run-ins with them myself." He said while rubbing his chin.
Aya looked at Shinjo's wound, touching it lightly with her finger. Shinjo's muscles flinch quite a bit and as he grabbed Aya's hand instinctively.
"His wound is very deep...." Aya said as she looked at the painful expression on his face. "All of this blood isn't his...he must've done it again..." Aya said while taking her sword out of the sheath.
"...He does this often...?" Blade asked, recalling what he'd seen.
Aya says nothing, slitting her own wrist with her sword.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Blade said, somewhat startled.
"I'm trying to save his life." Aya said. She touched one hand to Shinjo's face. "Hey, can you hear me?" Aya said, but Shinjo did not stir. His eyes were open very little, but they were blank, empty and cold. "Shinjo, please acknowledge me! You have an internal wound, you are bleeding to death. If you want to live, you'll have to ingest a little of my blood. Don't you remember?" She said, with a concerned tone.
Shinjo still didn't move, he barely muttered out, "I'm sorry..."
"What?" Aya said, confused.
"I let her die." Shinjo said, with a coldness to his voice.
"Damn it." Aya said, irritated. His wound was pulsating more blood with every heartbeat. She stared at his gushing wound for a moment before deciding what to do. Aya then licked a small amount of blood from her wrist and pressed her lips against Shinjo's. He sat there, unaffected, with a blank expression on his face, his eyes still vacant. He finally parted his lips and Aya gently ran her tongue across his, giving him her blood. She does so again, but out of instinct of being in an intimate position, she wasn't use to such things. Blade bites his lip as he watches.
Aya feels her heart racing, opening her eyes, she stops herself. She quickly pulls her lips away from his, lingering for just a moment and takes off her undershirt, revealing that she's actually been wearing a bra this entire time. Blade arches his brow and quietly snickers to himself. Aya tears the cloth into a few long strips, and wraps it around Shinjo's stomach. She gently pushes it onto his wound as he winces.
"I'm sorry..." Aya said to Shinjo, without facing him. Aya looks up at Blade, "Come on, we should get..." Aya's words were cut off by a large Stalker's appearance at the end of the alley.
"Fucking wonderful." Blade says, as he readies his scythe.
"No!" Aya says to him. "You have to take Shinjo to the inn...I can't carry him on my own, so I'll stay here while you go on ahead." Aya said to Blade and she picked up her sword, the blade still having her own blood on it.
"Now I'm sorry kitten, but I can't do that. I'm suppose to make sure you're alive, remember." Blade said.
"I said go." She snapped at him. Aya ran toward the Stalker, hopping onto a small crate on the left, then up into the air as the Stalker swipes and crushes the crate with his giant broadsword. Aya rams her sword into the Stalker's body, between his collarbone and neck. She flips over him, twisting her body around 360 degrees, her hand still on her sword. She lands, pulling down on the sword, splitting the Stalker's upper torso in two. He falls to the ground with a loud thud.
Aya turns around to see Blade still standing in her wake, carrying Shinjo. "You don't listen very well..."
"Heh, never been one of my best qualities. Should we make our escape before more arrive, love?" Blade says with a smirk.
"Yes." Aya says as both she and Blade turn and run down the alleyway.
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Post by HunterColt22 on Oct 22, 2006 15:13:32 GMT -5
A lone figure stands atop a roof, above the alley way that Aya and Blade just stood in. He saw Aya's victim as she cut him down, its blood spilling to the ground. The two figures took off, their feet chattering against the cobblestone alley way. The figure, wrapped in a black cloak and green hood looks after them, a curious smile plays on his face.
"Well, well, I did come at an odd time now didn't I. Hmm, I wonder what's changed in these past few years..."
The figure twirls to the right, as a huge long sword crashes into the roof, splintering its shingles into tooth picks and saw dust. The figure rights himself and stares at the attacker, unsure of what to make of it. It looked like the creature down in the alley way, though in one piece instead of two.
"What are you exactly? I heard that you were called a Stalker?"
The creature simply stands there, its blade remounted onto its shoulder, readying for another strike.
"Heh, not talkative I see..."
The Stalker strikes toward the person, shrouded in darkness. The figure side jumps to his right, the blade crashing into the roof, with a sick thud of wet wood caving in. The Stalker rips the blade from the drenched wood, as if a knife through paper. The shadowed one weaves just barley, the Stalker's blade slicing the air over the man's body, with the metallic sound of anger.
The figure rights himself quickly, his hood falling back. It reveals a young man, between eighteen and twenty-one, he was always mistaken for being older then he really was. His head is covered by a short crop of dark brown hair, his eyes a light piercing blue, flickering toward his opponent.
"Are you ready...?"
The young man pulls two twin daggers from his cloak, more elongated than normal, almost the same length as a short sword. He twirls them in his hands, as they generate a sonic whine through the air, shrill and ice cold. He brings them to bear at his opponent, in an X shape. He smirks, his eyes flicker with excitement.
"Well, time to dance..."
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Post by shinjoyoshida on Oct 22, 2006 15:31:38 GMT -5
As the wind blew over the plains, Shinjo only felt bliss. He was laying in a grassy field, admiring the deep blue sky.
"Thirsty?" A small girl sat next to Shinjo. She had a neat set of glasses and cups laid out on a tray.
"You know mom gets angry when you use her nice dishes." Shinjo doted. The girl didn't seem to care as she poured him a glass of lemonade.
"Here." She handed him the drink while she poured herself some. Shinjo gulped the drink all at once and almost choked.
"Idiot, you know you're not supposed to drink while laying down." She threw a small cloth on his face as he began to sit up. The whole day had been perfect so far. He had all of his chores done, no academics to worry about, and the weather was as hospitable is it had ever been.
"Yeah well, you know you're not supposed to ever let your guard down." He tipped her glass up while she was drinking and the cool liquid ran all down her clothes. Snickering, Shinjo hopped to his feet and ran off down a hill.
"Shinjo, I'm gonna get you!" She took off after him like a lightning bolt. The pair ran through the field with an airy spirit around them. The days drew long this time of year, and they had to do everything they could to avoid boredom. Shinjo and the girl made their way near a shallow pond of water, a small creek just to their north emptied out here. The water was so fresh, anyone could drink from it and never get sick.
As Shinjo ran around the pool, the little girl stopped for a second remembering her mother's words.
"Shinjo you better not get wet, you know mom will tan your hide if you do!" Shinjo didn't care, this day was so perfect for him, he couldn't do anything to mess it up. He climbed up a tree and sat on a branch, chiding his sister.
"Come on Ella, don't you want to catch me?" Ella stared at the ground and fiddled with her dress.
"You know I can't climb trees Shinjo. That's no fair." Shinjo frowned. He knew he got carried away sometimes in his fun, but he hated seeing his sister with the slightest bit of sadness.
"Sorry Ella, I'll come down in a second." She looked up at him and smiled. Shinjo began to make his way back across the branch, overlooking the pond, but the tree had other plans. The branch that Shinjo was crawling upon began to crack. As he scrambled to get to the trunk of the tree, the branch lost its integrity. While he was falling, Shinjo could only think of his previous statement.
"Nothing would happen..."
Shinjo fell into the pond and smacked his head against a small rock. His head began to throb. The pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Ella ran into the pond and pulled him to the water's edge.
"Shinjo!" She cried. But his eyes were glazed over, he could barely hear her at all. A loud crash made its way into his ears. It sounded like someone had fallen into a bunch of boxes.
"Shinjo!"
A crunching sound. "Is it a bone?" Shinjo wanted desperately to wake up. What if his sister was in trouble? Minutes turned to hours, as the strange noises grew dim. Shinjo thought he was going to die.
"Shinjo!"
A door had just closed. He was warm now. Someone touched his cheek.
"There you are, thank god you're okay."
"Ella?" Shinjo couldn't focus. His thoughts were mixing with what he was really hearing. Mai tucked him in as she left his room. She stared at his head bandage one last time before leaving the room.
Aya walked into the den area where Oren and Hiku had been waiting.
"So he's going to be okay?" asked Oren.
"Yes. He won't fully recover until a few days have passed. But he's not in critical danger either." She explained. Mai closed Shinjo's door and sat next to Hiku on the ground.
"So we're all here now." she said. Hiku squinted his eyes and looked at Mai.
"Good one, Sherlock." Mai stuck her tongue out at him and moved toward Oren.
"What's that? Hiku doesn't need me anymore? Fine." Mai said in a joking manner. Hiku seemed displeased. After all, he wasn't the one who misread the runes she had put on Aya's clothing.
"Whatever, Clue Master, it's a good thing Aya and Blade brought Shinjo home. Because if they weren't there, he'd be dead, seeing as we would have found him in a city jail somewhere." Hiku got up and left the room. He was so hungry, all he could think of was the smell coming up from the kitchen down stairs.
Blade returned from the bathroom and looked at Aya. She had crossed her arms and was staring at the ground.
"So kitten, I asked earlier, does he do that often?"
Aya didn't respond. She kept replaying the events of the evening over in her head. Did she really enjoy helping Shinjo like that? It was necessary, but what was this feeling? She shrugged it off and looked up at Blade.
"No." She stated. "As long as Oren and I have known Shinjo he has only..." Aya paused. The correct word for Shinjo's behavior escaped her. There were very few people in history with Shinjo's ability.
Blade tried finishing Aya's sentence,"...gone on a killing spree since his inception into this world?" His humor was not well received.
"I'm kidding. So kitten, please continue."
"He's a Berserker. One might think that he loses it every time someone gives him a wry glance, but that's far from the truth. As I was saying earlier, we've only seen him do this twice before. This night being his third." Aya shuddered a bit, rubbing the chill from her arm. "It takes a lot to get a rise out of him. I saw him take a beating from two men once. He'd made a deal with them, if they would leave a little boy alone. They broke his left arm in two places." Aya began to walk downstairs.
"I'm hungry, I'll get some food and we'll talk more later." She exited the room. At the same time, Kenshin walked out of his.
"May I join you miss? I haven't eaten in a while myself." Kenshin asked.
Aya looked at him oddly and simply shook her head in a positive manner. The pair headed to where Hiku was standing, and chatted whilst the cook prepared their orders.
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Post by Dragin "Hiku" Hikari on Oct 22, 2006 16:44:53 GMT -5
Hiku looks at Mai, merely saying, "How long before the Defender is fully charged again?"
Mai blinked, crossing her arms, "Um...it's nearly half charged already, another day or so maybe."
Hiku sighs, "I see."
Mai rolled her eyes, "You've used it too many times in the last few days, that your own fault buddy."
Hiku growled at her comment and boinked her on the head again. Mai whimpered, "Ow!"
Of course, without their knowing it, most of the group had noticed Hiku and Mai's bickering. Oddly enough, no one ever really said anything about it. Mai growled back at him and merely walked away, to where Aya was sitting. Playing the 'ignoring game', whenever she was mad at him for one thing or another.
"Boys!" She exclaimed.
Aya glanced at her, "I know this is really none of my business, but why do you two fight so much?"
Mai huffed, "Because he's stupid and stubborn! Sometimes I don't know what Eliza saw in him!" Mai's eyes widen, realizing what she had said. She turned back to Hiku and saw the nasty glare on his face...everyone who saw him at that moment would probably freeze, as if he was going explode.
Hiku turned and walked outside. Mai tried to talk to him, "Wait! Hiku I didn't mean it!" But stops following once he left the room.
Aya watched silently as Hiku left. All she could figure was that it brought up bad memories, it was best to leave him. Oren joined them at the table, just as Mai sat back down silently.
Oren frowned, "Do you want one of us to talk to him?"
Mai shook her head, "He'll be okay, he just gets mad about that."
Aya looks at her, "Who is Eliza, exactly?"
Mai sighs, "I didn't want to have to tell you guys...but I feel safe telling you two. Eliza... was my older sister, she died four years ago. She was also Hiku's fiance at the time, before the incident."
Aya just went quiet as he listened, Oren just asked, "Incident?"
Mai sighed, "In our...Hiku's and my...hometown was a quiet, isolated village on the outskirts of the territory. Life there was rather peaceful, undisturbed by the more populated regions. Then, about four years ago, we came under attack by some kind of giant creature. It covered itself completely within shadow, it's true form hidden from all, other than the enormous golden eyes that still haunt me. The creature was taller than anything I have ever seen in my life. It ravaged and tore our village apart, it's goal seemed to be the village treasure...the weapon referred to simply as the Defender."
Kenshin silently listened...he had overheard most of the conversation. The unknown weapon Hiku had used probably raised some curiosity in Kenshin's thoughts.
Oren nods and asks, "What exactly was it?"
Mai sighs, "The Defender is a divine weapon, dating back several thousand years. It's power is a magic that is difficult to defend against. Weaker-minded creatures and creatures of pure evil cannot withstand the energy this weapon emits, which is why there are no remains of the Savangers that attacked."
Oren blinked, "Why does he get so weak like that? From what it sounded like, Hiku didn't take a hit."
Mai sighed, "The weapon is one of the most powerful in the world, however, it has a severe flaw. The sword's sheath is more than it appears, you see, the weapon can only contain so much power. And because of the pure power it uses, the charge doesn't last for very long, but it depends upon the user. When that charge is used up, the sword will begin drawing the needed power from a person's vital life force...which means using it for too long after the charge is gone, is suicide. So we use the case to charge the sword's power for use."
Aya looks at Mai, "Why use such a dangerous weapon then? Hiku is advanced at his sword skills, so why not use a different weapon?"
Mai looked at her, "It's complicated...first of all, when I said I support Hiku, I wasn't lying. Normally, a life force is needed to fuel the Defender, but my energy, for some reason, never drains. Just by focusing my power, I can give the Defender a near infinite power-source, without putting Hiku in danger. It's strange because I can't actually wield the weapon, just provide the power source."
Aya listened quietly, Mai's statement proved Aya's observations of the sword to be correct.
Mai looked up, "Next is because of Hiku's anger. You see, he was one of the few survivors of that incident in our village. He was the only one that had the guts to break the village taboo and use the Defender, in the midst of a crisis. Though it held up for a while, Hiku eventually discovered the flaw and grew weak...then my sister...she took a blast for Hiku."
Oren frowned as she continued, "I've never seen such a look of horror in Hiku's eyes...before she died, she begged him to look after me. Then she died right there...not even in his arms. After using the Defender, Hiku didn't even have the strength to reach out to her. Something snapped in both Hiku and myself that day, I discovered my link to the Defender and in the moment Hiku's rage over my sister's death hit him, we managed to unlock the complete power of the Defender for merely a moment. It allowed him to unleash a massive energy at the creature, wounding it. Though it survived, it disappeared and we haven't seen it since."
Aya looked at Mai, "Hiku wants revenge..."
Mai sighed, "To be honest, I'm not sure anymore. All I've ever heard him say, is that he failed. He blames himself for something no human or god could have stopped. The Defender was a risky move, but it was the only way. If he hadn't, both he and I would have died that day as well...but all I can do is stand by and watch...and hope he knows what he has to do..."
Hiku looked into the night sky.
"Eliza, your sister is still safe...but can I keep this up?"
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Post by seraph_phoenix on Oct 22, 2006 21:43:40 GMT -5
Aya sat next to Kenshin and bit on her lower lip as she stared off into nothing out the window. What had she been doing this night? She was not acting in her normal manner, she let things get in the way, this was not like her. Oren stretched and folded his arms onto the table, resting his head on them. Aya looked over at him for a moment.
"I never noticed before, Oren's eyes...are a similar green to Shinjo's sword.......Shinjo..."
Oren instinctively realized Aya was looking at him strangely, as he looks over to her and smiles. Aya's face turns somewhat red as she glances off in the other direction quickly.
"What's wrong with me? I'm...such a girl sometimes. Oren has been rather affectionate toward me, since Blade brought me to Valencia. I guess he missed me...? Probably not. But then again, he keeps smiling. Maybe things are fine this way, he should at least try to live a little. If he even gets the chance....I should explain his situation to Hiku and Mai sometime soon. I hope Shinjo's okay...if he dies even after I tried to help him...I don't know what I'd do..."
Aya looked back to Oren with a saddened face.
"What's wrong Aya?" Oren asked.
"Huh? Nothing, just thinking." Aya said as she stretched.
"Ey! Yer meals' up, me lady!" The barkeep yelled to Aya. Mai quickly ran over and grabbed one of the trays, as Oren walked over and took the other. Kenshin walked to the counter with Aya.
"Oh! Hey Aya, could you tell that stubborn idiot to come eat?" Mai said, sticking her nose in the air and stomping up the stairs.
"Kenshin, is it?" Aya said to Kenshin. "You are welcome to eat with us, just follow Mai and Oren to our room. If the perverted red-head with the big scythe gives you hell, tell him I'll kick his ass."
Kenshin snickered a bit under his breath, saying, "Thanks." and followed the two upstairs. Aya walked outside to find Hiku resting his back on the side of the inn.
"Hey, the food is ready, you should come upstairs..." Aya said to him calmly.
"Hmm...alright." Hiku said as he walked with Aya back up to their rooms.
Blade gave Kenshin a funny look as they entered the room.
"Hey! I saw that!" Aya snapped at him, Blade just snuffed it off. Hiku brushed passed Aya, she looked up at him as he passed by, her concern for his mental state grew. He looked so sad and empty. He only seemed the slightest bit happy when he was around Mai. Aya smiled as Mai took Hiku a bowl of food.
Oren brought Aya some food and sat with her. After a while, everyone managed to finish eating, Aya hadn't eaten very much. Oren gave her a funny look. Aya caught his gaze and snuffed her nose into the air. She got up and walked outside to the balcony.
Aya stood there, staring at the fiery torches of the main city gates. Oren stepped outside with her.
"Aya...you don't seem like yourself...I'm worried about you." He said to her, his gaze set upon the city.
"I'm fine...and what's with you? You've been...I don't know, very caring toward me since earlier this evening. Did something happen?" Aya asked him quickly.
"Uh.." Oren was at a loss for words. "Mai said that I was...dense...but I'm not sure what she means." Oren said, a bit confused.
Aya looked at him for a moment, then burst into laughter. Oren looked at her funny, his pride a little hurt by her laughter.
"You really are dense." Aya said. Oren twitched at her comment. Aya's hand gently touched the side of his face as she kissed his forehead. Oren looked a bit disappointed, as Aya turns to walk back inside.
"Oh, Oren.......thank you for, um.....staying with me tonight." Aya said before heading back into the den. Oren smirked a little before following her back inside.
Blade had been resting against the wall just inside the den, near the balcony door. The moment Oren walked in, Blade said, "If you care, then why don't you say something?"
Oren says nothing.
"She'll wander to someone else she cares about if you don't say or do anything about it." Blade said, as he watched Aya enter Shinjo's room.
"The reason.....I haven't said anything to her...." Oren started.
Blade looked at him, waiting for a response.
"...is because she is probably going to be the one to kill me." Oren said with a sadness washing over him.
Blade looked at him, a bit confused, "She'll kill you?" He asked.
"I'm the 50th born from Denethor's bloodline. The reason the Stalkers are following me... it's said that the 50th born will be the reincarnation of Denethor himself, without an awakened spirit. But a group, "The Vainians", as they're called, will have to perform a ritual on me called "The Awakening", before Denethor's spirit is awakened within me. They need to perform the ritual at the Alter in Faradin, but they need a key, which has been lost for at least 50 years. Another problem in their way is that they cannot perform The Awakening if I have his spirit exorcised out of me. There is a high chance that the exorcism will kill me."
Blade was surprised by Oren's response.
"Make no mistake, I am Denethor, reincarnated. Aya is my Guardian, to prevent the awakening ritual from being performed. She is trying to have the spirit exorcised, but it must take place by someone with the will of a Saint, at the same altar as The Awakening would have to take place."
"But can't Aya do that? She's an angel..." Blade asked.
"No...Aya has experienced bloodshed by her own hands. We need someone who is at least 14 years of age, one who has taken no evil unto them. Aya has slain many to protect me. And she had orders to kill me if it means stopping The Awakening from being performed." Oren said without changing expression.
Blade uneasily looked at him, wondering what could possibly be going on in his head. Unknowingly, Kenshin heard every word.
"I love her, she is everything I have. But how in the hell can you tell that to the person who will most likely have to kill you with their own hands? I would rather her be with someone else, if it means sparing her a broken heart." Oren said before walking over to the other side of the room.
Aya sat on the edge of Shinjo's bed, resting the back of her hand on his forehead. He didn't have a fever, so she checked his pulse, which was still relatively low. Aya recalled what she had done earlier that evening and shook her head a bit.
"He would have died..."
Aya stood up, putting some bread and a glass of water on a small table. She walks back to his bedside and leans down to check the injury to his head, he flinches as she lifts up the bandages. Aya pauses for a moment, closes her eyes and kisses his forehead. She walks over to the door and enters the den with the others. She may soon have to explain things to the rest of the group.
Aya walks over and sits next to Oren, but she does not rest against him like she normally does. Aya pulls her knees to her chest and folds her arms, resting them atop her knees. She sighs and rests her head on her arms, as Oren looks over and notices her in deep thought. Aya stretches and relaxes her legs back down, crossing her ankles. Oren has a disappointed look on his face when Aya does not make any contact with him, so he turns around, with his back to her, and rests his head in her lap. Aya is a bit surprised, but smiles as she runs her fingers through his hair.
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Post by kenshin075 on Oct 22, 2006 23:52:43 GMT -5
After eating his food, Kenshin moved to where Hiku and Mai where eating. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, the effects of the sword are only temporary." Hiku said, despite still being upset from what Mai said earlier.
Kenshin said nothing.
"My name is Hiku," he said, not knowing that his name had been said a number of times during his recovery.
"Kenshin."
"Thanks for helping me out yesterday Kenshin."
He nodded. Hiku was finally able to take a good look at Kenshin. He had rectangular shaped glasses on, they were well maintained it seemed. His eyes were gray, they were not evil eyes, but they seemed to be missing something. His hair, a jet black color and longer than most men would want, covered his ears and most of his forehead. As usual for men with long hair, he had it tied in a ponytail to prevent it from getting in the way during battle. He wore black gi-style pants, and a red cloth to fasten them in place. He had a very tight fitting black shirt on, which covered his arms all the way to his wrists, and rose halfway up his neck, tucked into his pants. On top of that, he had an untied white kendo jacket, that reached a few inches above his knees. On his feet he wore a pair of sandals that looked worn out. His build was smaller than most of the men in the group, but it was apparent that he was not weak. His weapon was an oriental one; wooden sheath, wooden handle, no hilt.
Kenshin started to walk back to where he had been eating when Hiku noticed a black marking, perfectly centered, in the back of Kenshin's neck.
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Post by seraph_phoenix on Oct 23, 2006 1:50:07 GMT -5
"We had better get some rest. We've all had a long night, and we'll need to keep quiet so we don't draw out more Stalkers. I also don't want any of the other guests to notice us around..." Aya said, while Oren sat up from her lap.
"Until morning." Kenshin said as he walked out of the room. Aya felt slightly intimidated by him, but not in a bad way.
Aya walked over to her room and bowed to the group. "Goodnight. I will see you in the morning." Aya turned and walked in the room without closing the door.
Oren tried to follow Aya into the room, but Mai suddenly darted in his way.
"What do you think YOU'RE doing??" Mai snapped at him.
"I uhh, well I was...gonna go to sleep....." He said, as sweat drops formed on his forehead.
"With Aya??" Mai yelled. "I don't think so, you pervert!", slamming the door.
Blade erupts into laughter at the bewildered look on Oren's face, due to Mai's actions. Mai climbed into the bed and Aya made sure to lock the window. Aya climbed into bed next to Mai and fell asleep easily.
"I am perfectly content sleeping out here on a cot." Blade said.
"What, so you can sneak in on Aya and Mai?" Oren said defensively to Blade.
"You two have fun duking it out in here...I'm getting some sleep..." Hiku said as he went into the room where Shinjo rested, and closed the door.
Blade and Oren snuffed at each other. Oren pulled his cot next to the bedroom in which Aya and Mai were sleeping, to ensure Blade didn't try to sneak a peek at the ladies.
Blade huffed, his cot by the main door. "Boy ruins all my fun. Phsst."
Morning came more quickly than expected. Aya woke up fairly early, leaving the sleeping Mai in bed to rest. Aya was standing outside of the inn, just observing the bustling city when Hiku and Oren join her.
"Where's Blade?" She asked them.
"He should be down in a moment..." Oren said.
"Oh, how is Shinjo?" She asked, looking to Hiku.
"He slept rather well for someone with such a bad injury. He's recovering better than Mai had expected." Hiku said, while folding his arms.
Blade came rushing outside.
"Ah! There you are kitten! I's afraid ya left without me." Blade said, he seemed in a fairly playful mood.
"Ah, how...unfortunate..." Aya said.
"We need to get a few things for Mai's medicine bag, she reminded me of it last night." Hiku said, while rummaging for a list in his pocket. "Ah, here it is." He said as he handed the list to Aya.
"Hmm, well, we're in the right place. Valencia should have everything she needs, and then some." Aya said as she handed the list back to Hiku.
"Ken, you're welcome to join us if you want." Aya said in a standard tone, as if he was right next to her. The three men looked a bit confused, just as Kenshin leaped down from the second story window.
"Nice entrance there." Oren said.
"Thank you." Kenshin said as he bowed. Blade felt a little upstaged.
The group wandered about the city for a few hours, locating several of the items Mai needed. Blade noticed a man ahead, mopping up blood.
"Hey.." He said as he pointed to the man. "...apparently more Stalkers attacked civilians last night. That's not like them...they usually just scare them off. I wonder why they're doing that..."
"They must be trying to draw us out, on the fact that we try to not involve innocent people..."
"Oh, there it is." Oren said, interrupting Aya's thoughts. He pointed to a specific shop they had been looking for. The group headed inside the shop and picked up a few things before leaving.
"Well, there's really only two things left. The shop keep here said to find a shop called "Ghaleon's", about a quarter mile ahead. What a stupid name for a magic and medicine shop." Hiku said.
"Yeah, what kind of magician is called Ghaleon?" Blade mocked.
The group finally made it to the shop, which was rather small, but had very rare finds.
"Ah, welcome to Ghaleons!" The shop keep said. He was a tall, thin man with very pale skin, strange pointed ears and long white hair. Hiku asked the man for a few materials, as the man rummaged through a few boxes for the items. Oren got bored looking around the shop and wandered into the next shop over. He had grown tired looking at strange powders and mixes all day, and didn't even realize he'd wandered into a jewelry store.
"Why'd I walk in here?" Oren said to himself as he made for the door. Aya had wandered out of the magic and medicine shop as well, catching Oren's eye as she walked by the window and glanced down at a ring on display. Aya stopped for a moment and leaned down to look at it, Kenshin leaned down near her to view the ring as well.
"That's a Blood Sapphire." He said.
"Oh, it is? I've never seen one before, I've only heard about them since they're pretty rare." Aya said.
"Yes, they're rare, even in the area they are mined. They sell quickly." Kenshin said before standing upright and walking forward to view the next shop's window.
Aya looked back at the ring, Blood Sapphires were incredibly rare, but if any city was to have them, it would be Valencia. The stone was the deepest red, cut like a five-pointed star, and set in silver. The ring changed hues in the light, it truly was brilliant. Aya smiled and ran next to Kenshin, in front of the next shop.
Oren went to walk out of the jewelry store, but Blade brushed by him, his arms stretched behind his head, saying, "Big mistake..." in a mocking tone.
Oren stopped and arched an eyebrow at Blade's comment. Oren smirked and said "Not really," walking out the door, ahead of Blade.
Blade looked at Oren, as to wonder what he meant. Then Blade had a change in his eyes, "Oh, so the pretty boy finally listened."
Hiku came out of Ghaleon's Shop. "That guy was weird..." He said with a funny expression on his face. "Well, that's everything guys. If you all are done, we can head back to the inn." Hiku said while stuffing the small bag into his pocket.
The group turned and headed back the way they came. They passed by the alley in which Shinjo had been injured, it had been cleaned spotless. Valencia was really something to see. Many of the upper-class citizens were out and around, flaunting their clothes and jewels. Several of the young bar maids giggled and smiled when Oren walked passed. He just smiled back.
Aya turned her attention away, "Hmph." As she gazes off to the shops on her left.
Hiku looks ahead and sees a whorehouse on the right. "Oh boy.." He said with a sarcastic tone, waiting for Aya to get pissy about it.
"Alright, women!!" Blade said with excitement. The girls were hanging out of the doorway and flaunting themselves all over any man that walked passed the shop. Blade rushed over, as a horde of the women latched onto his arms.
"Wow, what a large weapon you have there..." One girl said to him. Blade gave the cheesiest of grins.
"That man really has no shame..." Aya says in disgust.
A very pretty, younger girl stumbles over to Kenshin. She was somewhat clumsy, not crossing her legs as she walked, like the other girls. Apparently she was new. Her shoulder length platinum blond hair was slightly wavy, bouncing gracefully as she walked. Her eyes were a piercing light blue, much like the mysterious man surveying Aya and blade from the rooftops the night before. She appears to be about seventeen, her tiny frame was well filled out, but her dress was not nearly as daring as the other girls.
"Hi, kind sir..." the girl said with a curtsy. Kenshin stopped and bowed at the girl's greeting. "I, I um...was wondering if you were free...I can treat you to a...good time..." she said. She looked so uncomfortable and fumbled over her words. Her approach was so different from the other girls, she hadn't even touched Kenshin.
He smiled at her and began to pass her by, but he handed her a small bag and said very softly to her, "Take this and find a job that better suits your beautiful face." The girl's face lit up a bright red, she bowed to him immediately, clenching the small bag tightly, as she disappears into the crowd of people.
Another younger girl manages to swipe Oren's arm from beside him and pull it against her breasts. Oren looks estranged at the woman. "Aw, you're pretty handsome, come on! Let's go have a good time..."
Oren just smiles and plays off the woman in a gentle manner. "No, I'm sorry ma'am, I'm a priest, I couldn't possibly." He lies, but the girl does not question him, since he wears priest-style robes and pants. The girl just nods and heads off to find her next victim.
Aya's eyes flare, as she turns and puts her hand on one hip. A man walks over to Aya and slides his arm around her waist. "You must be new, I've never seen you before..." The man said to her. Aya was ready to elbow him in the face, but realized he was mistaken. He was a single man, in his late twenties, rather attractive actually. He had long dark hair and blue-green eyes. He smiled at Aya and said "Well, are you free?" Aya instinctively blushes at the man's natural charm.
"I...um, believe you are mistaken, sir..." Aya manages to mumble out. The man brushes Aya's hair off of her shoulder, as he leans his lips close to her neck. A chill runs up her spine as she can feel the man's breath upon her skin.
Just as Aya is about to rear back and punch the man, a male voice says, in a very intimidating voice, "She's not available."
Aya looks up and much to her surprise, sees Hiku standing in front of her. Aya gives a funny look, and the man slowly steps away from Aya at the sight of Hiku's rather intimidating sword. "I'm terribly sorry miss. I can see your boyfriend here is rather protective. Gees, does he have to carry a sword..." He mumbles before hurrying off.
"Thank you." Aya said to Hiku.
"It's no problem." Hiku said.
Aya's eyes widened a bit. "Oh...I forgot! Shinjo's sword!" Aya said before darting off through the crowd.
"Aya!" Hiku yelled to her as he lost sight of her in the mass of people. "Damn it."
"I know where she's headed, follow me." Blade said, as the group followed him to the spot at which Shinjo had been fighting.
Aya could still smell the faint scent of Shinjo's blood and managed to find the alley where he'd fought earlier, which had been cleaned up. The sword, amazingly, was still in it's place. Aya ran up, wrapping her hand in a cloth, and grabbed the handle of the sword. A man appeared on the other side of the alley from Aya, she looks up, surprised.
The four men hurried over to the alleyway, not quite there yet. The man was very old, probably in his eighties. His eyes widened, he stopped at the very sight of Aya.
"Arianna..." The old man said. Aya looked at him, a bit puzzled.
"What..?" She says softly.
"Oh....it is you..." he says as he walks over to her, teary-eyed. He took her hand gently into his. "I....can't believe it's you..." He says.
Hiku, Oren, Blade and Kenshin finally got to the alleyway. "Hey!" Blade yelled out, "Get away from her!"
Aya turned her head around to see the four men, standing rather uneasily. Aya waved her other hand in a motion to calm the men. She stood up, breaking free of the feeble man's grasp, holding Shinjo's sword.
"I'm sorry....do I know you?" Aya said to him, rather confused.
"He must be senile or something..."
"I don't understand how you're here..." The old man said. "...What? Do you know me? .....You don't remember..?"
"I'm sorry, but we've never met. You must have me confused with someone else, sir. My name is Aya."
"No...there is no mistake. I might be old, but I'd never forget you." He said to her. "You, really don't remember me, do you?" He asked.
"No...I'm sorry." Aya said. She felt at ease near this man, but she wasn't sure why.
"I have seen this man before....only, not now."
"You...seem familiar to me somehow." Aya said, while narrowing her eyes a bit.
The four men stood there, confused by what was going on.
"You...must have been reborn like in legends..." The old man said. "You have the same face as my late wife."
Aya's heart sank. She never recalled having a childhood, she barely knew the life she currently has, for about four years now. He must've been right.
"Your name was Arianna, you and I lived together in a small town not far from here, called Olanther. You were killed almost 50 years ago when Denethor's followers scorched our town. They killed you because you would not go with them to appease that demonic creature... They took your life right in front of me." The old man said while clenching his frail fists.
Aya's eyes began to tear up, she was beginning to understand.
"These must be your friends..." The old man says, as he glances behind Aya and smiles. "At least you have people to protect you." The old man took a small handle from his side. It was a whip, the ends being twisted around the handle. "I want you to have this.." He said to her, handing her the whip. Her eyes immediately moved to the design on the handle of the weapon. It was the of same language written on her dual swords, but this text is different.
"Hibushira...." Aya whispers out.
"Wall of Fire.." Kenshin says, as the group turns to him as they hear his response.
"You are Arianna....I knew you'd remember." The old man patted her hand. "I am just glad that I was able to see you again. I will not bother you any longer...please, take care of yourself...Aya." The old man turns and walks back out of the alleyway.
Aya stands there, unable to move. She was never told that she was the reincarnation of someone who was so recently deceased... She knew the Guardians that gave her life said her body was that of her own, but she would not remember herself. Aya looks down at her whip with a horribly blank stare.
Kenshin steps over to Aya and places a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, let's go." He says as he walks her out of the alleyway, back toward the inn.
Aya felt cold and empty. She found her former life, but knew nothing about it. How did that old man feel, to have seen the woman he loved, fifty years after her death? Aya did not feel well. She knew that she would never see that man again.
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Post by Dragin "Hiku" Hikari on Oct 23, 2006 10:17:50 GMT -5
Hiku glanced at Aya as they headed back to the inn. The look on her face was all too familiar to him. After all, it was the type of cold, empty look that he'd expressed himself. Did he really look like that all the time, he wondered...but he wouldn't ask.
Back in the room, Mai was humming as she changed the dressing on Shinjo's injuries. "Very odd...I've never seen anyone recover so quickly from a injury like this."
As the group arrived back inside, Aya plopped down in a chair, Oren tried to ask her something but Hiku put his hand on his shoulder. "Leave her be. In this case, the best thing is to just leave her alone."
Oren turns to him, "How can you expect me to do that?"
Hiku just crossed his arms, "Because I'm telling you to." Oren was a little surprised...he couldn't tell if that was a threat or a warning. Hiku looks at him, "Why don't you check on Shinjo or something like that?"
Oren grunted, he probably wasn't used to being given orders by someone he barely knows, but he did what Hiku asked.
Hiku walked over to Aya and simply said to her, "The past can be a haunting thing, and I cannot tell you to get over it because I would be a hypocrite in doing so. You're stronger emotionally than I am Aya...don't let it eat you like it has done to me. You deserve better than the fate I've created for myself."
Aya looked at him, slightly surprised by his sudden words. Her expression was still blank, however. Aya thought it was his way of trying to comfort her. Hiku merely retreated to a corner of the room, sitting down. For now, there was nothing more to do, other than wait. Mai had overheard what Hiku said, surprised by his words, she went back into the room.
Oren looked at her, "What is he doing?" He asked rather hastily. What Hiku did back at the whorehouse earlier had concerned him slightly.
Mai rolled her eyes, "Oh calm down, I know you're dense, but you can't be stupid too. Hiku is just trying to help her, that's all."
Oren looked at her, "I don't understand why, he barely says a word to anyone, but he will talk to Aya straight out."
Mai crosses her arms, "Well...I noticed it the first time I saw her. She looks quite a bit like my sister...her hair was a different color and she was a little taller then Aya, but she's a lot like her."
Of course that didn't help Oren's nervousness toward the idea. Mai sighed, "Don't worry about it. Hiku doesn't like her in that way, he knows very well Eliza is gone and Aya isn't Eliza. Besides, I don't think Hiku knows how to love someone like that anymore." Mai said sadly, she was obviously too young to have that kind of feeling, but it still made her sad.
Mai looked up again, "I hate to see Hiku tear himself up like he has...but there's little I can do." She continued to work on Shinjo's dressing, "Well, at this rate, Shinjo should be ready to go in a day or so, tops."
Oren didn't answer any further, but let go of the momentary jealous that was crossing his mind. Other matters concerning Hiku raced through his head anyway. For some reason, out of the others, Oren didn't seem to fully trust Hiku, more so that he was fairly unstable emotionally with a weapon. Unlike Shinjo's curse, Hiku could control the weapon, which is extremely dangerous to everything around it. Mai seemed to be the only factor keeping Hiku sane...if anything happened to her...what the hell would Hiku do?
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Post by seraph_phoenix on Oct 23, 2006 13:12:16 GMT -5
Aya sat in the chair, as she scratched the top of one of her finger nails. She hadn't said a word in the last four hours, and the sun was starting to set. Aya stood up and walked into Shinjo's room. Oren quickly glanced up from helping Mai mix medicine to see Aya. He still felt a bit uneasy.
Aya sat on the edge of Shinjo's bed, checking the wound on his stomach. It's healed a lot faster than Aya figured, given the small amount of blood she gave to him. She took a warmed cloth and dipped it in some water, and cleaned some of the dried blood from around his wounds. Shinjo began to flinch in his sleep. Aya stopped what she was doing, thinking that she was causing him pain, but she was not. Aya frowned and set the cloth on the night stand, taking his hand in hers for a moment, until he stopped flinching so restlessly. Aya smiled as he rested more peacefully again, she stood up and headed to the door.
"It's just a dream, Shinjo." She said before entering the den.
"I need....some fresh air." Aya muttered out softly. By her even speaking, Hiku, Mai and Oren all looked up at her. Aya just slid out the door and exited the inn. Outside, she glanced up, then hopped up onto the roof to find Kenshin standing there. She walked up next to him and sat down.
"You've had a rough day." Kenshin said. Aya just looked out over the city.
"I haven't seen Blade for about an hour. His presence still slightly bothers me. Though I know he won't harm me right now, his new orders might change that. I wonder where he's been."
Kenshin simply pointed out into the city at a slightly taller building. It was the whorehouse.
"Why am I not surprised..." Aya says as she pulls her knees to her chest, resting her head on the tops of her knees.
Blade was enjoying himself with one of the girls from the whorehouse. She was rather beautiful, tall, with an average sized body. Her hair was a dark blonde color, her skin tan and her eyes a deep blue. As Blade laid there momentarily, he felt exhausted and weak. The girl was sitting on top of him, as he glanced up at the girl's neck, he could literally see her veins. He grabbed the girl by the shoulders and pulled her upper body down to him, kissing the girl's neck. His eyes had changed a bit and he was fighting back his extending fangs. He stops himself and pushes the girl off of him, sitting up and grabbing his forehead.
"What's wrong??" The girl said to him. She was actually slightly concerned for him. She crawled up and put her hand on his shoulder.
"I...am not a normal man...." He began to say.
The girl chimed in, "Yes, I know!" with a cheesy grin on her face.
Blade smirked at her comment. "No, really...I have to drink small amounts of blood every so often in order to live."
The girl kind of snickered a bit at his comment. "Well with how much you paid me, you can have anything you want." The girl said.
Blade turned around and grabbed the girl by the waist and neck. Apparently, she was really okay with this. Blade gently sunk his teeth into her neck, and the girl let out a soft moan as Blade got his fill from her.
Oren had come outside looking for Aya. Oren heard something to his right and saw a dark green cloak run in the alleyway a few shops down from the inn. Oren followed. He turned the corner and saw Aya sitting on a crate. Oren walked up and rested with his back on the wall next to her. He said nothing to her, like Hiku said, but he wanted to be near her. Aya grabbed his hand with both of hers, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb.
Oren leaned off of the wall, a bit bewildered by her actions, "Aya, what are you -----" but his words were cut off, as she yanks him down to her by his arm, kissing him quite passionately. Oren's eyes are widened, he's in shock by Aya's actions, but he felt at ease with her. He put his knee atop the crate, his left hand behind her neck, pushing her back against the alleyway wall forcefully. He had never known Aya to act like this, nor to show any affection in such a quick, almost lustful manner. Oren just indulged her as his heart raced. Her smell and the softness of her lips were intoxicating.
Footsteps were heading in their direction, but he didn't care. He was with her. The world could fall around him, but he would not move, nor would he care. The footsteps became ever closer, if anyone was to pass them by, they would surely be heard. The footsteps stop right in the alleyway opening. Oren ignores the person, wrapping his fingers between Aya's. As she moves her other hand, pulling the neck of his shirt down, she kisses his collar. Oren's head tips back as he breathes heavily a few times, barely opening his eyes to glance at who has stopped to gawk.
Aya stands in the entrance to the alleyway with a bewildered look on her face. "....Oren...?" She says.
Oren pulls himself up from the girl and says, "What...Aya??" with a horrible look of confusion on his face, he looks back down to the girl. The girl sitting before him is identical to Aya, she smirks and literally shape-shifts right before their eyes. Her hair turned to a jet black, her eyes almond shaped, and her body was not nearly as curvaceous as Aya's. The girl laughed incessantly, rearing her right arm back. Her hand began to glow with a dark energy as she plunged it directly into Oren's chest, just above his heart, and out his back.
"NO!" Aya yelled as she started to run to him.
The girl retracted her arm and jumped off of the wall, high into the air. "The Awakening will take place soon, Guardian!" She says, disappearing over the rooftops.
Oren had a very blank look in his eyes as he hit the ground, on his left side. He was breathing heavily, his wound bleeding profusely. Aya could not get to him fast enough. She ran to him, dropped to her knees, lifting him up. Oren placed his right arm over Aya's shoulder and pulled her to him, resting his head on her chest.
"I'm sorry.......Aya. I was stupid to think........that she......was you...." Oren said very softly before letting out a final breath of air, slipping into unconsciousness. Aya felt the wound on his back. It had pierced clean through him. She felt herself looking around as it began to rain.
"Someone help!" She yelled. Why was she yelling? She should just carrying him back into the inn and let Mai treat him, it wasn't but about forty feet away. But she held him close to her and screamed for help. She felt at a loss, she felt so helpless to him.
Aya stopped herself from becoming anymore panicked. She drew a small symbol on his back with her fingertips, over the wound, and then pressed her hand down into it, pushing on the wound.
"Why would the succubus try to kill him if they want The Awakening to take place?? Would she really kill him? No...she must've needed his blood. She knew I'd heal him."
Aya held him close, still pushing on the wound. A few minutes later, Oren grunts a tiny bit. Aya suddenly looks down to him, his wound is completely healed. It was partially due to Oren's strange abilities as well.
Oren looked up and grabbed Aya by the shoulders, embracing her tightly, "I'm so sorry Aya. She was you.....please forgive me......." Oren said with great remorse in his heart.
"It's..............alright." Aya muttered.
Oren felt something wet on his hand. He pulled his hand away from Aya's back and looked at it. His hand was covered in blood.
Oren pushed Aya away from him, her head fell limp, backward, as he pushed her away. Aya had absorbed his wound. Oren scooped Aya up and ran to the inn. He knew Aya could just heal herself, but it was still stupid of her to do that with such a horrible wound, she's lucky it didn't kill her right away. Oren slammed open the door to the room with his shoulder. Hiku and Mai jumped as the door violently swung open. Mai had helped Shinjo out of bed for the first time since his injury, his arm was over Mai's shoulder. They all stared, both Aya and Oren were covered with blood.
Oren ran for the room and laid Aya in the bed, checking her wound as he called out to Mai. "Mai, please hurry!" She sat Shinjo down and ran into the room with Aya, not bothering to close the door behind her.
"Oh my god!!" Mai yelled out. "How did this happen???" She asked Oren, quite loud.
"She absorbed my injury, it's one of her abilities. I can't believe she took on such a fatal wound like that." Oren said while watching Mai rub a solution onto Aya's wound.
"She's your Guardian, isn't that her job?" Mai asked.
"Well...yeah but I...never expected her to....." Oren trailed off. He never thought a situation would arise where Aya would die for him. Oren and Mai left the room, closing the door.
"She should be fine in a few hours or so. Since she absorbed Oren's wound, she absorbed a bit of his healing abilities as well..." Mai said as she cleaned herself up.
Oren sat down on a cot. He felt so tired. "Shinjo." He said.
Shinjo looked up at him, still weak.
"Are you feeling a bit better..?" Oren asked.
"Yeah..." Shinjo said.
"Aya will be fine...she's already started healing...." Oren said, laying down, as he drifted into sleep.
Shinjo gave an off look in his direction, he wondered how Oren could sleep so easily, knowing that Aya could die. And for him. Shinjo had a sour look on his face as turned away from Oren.
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Post by shinjoyoshida on Oct 23, 2006 14:21:02 GMT -5
Celeste returned to her employer's chambers. The whole room glittered with fine jewels and metals, it was as if she had walked into a rainbow.
"Were you successful?" Jensen asked. She produced a small vial for her master to see.
"Wonderful, though I must ask how did you get so close to him without alarming anyone else?" An Asian woman walked into the room. She stood by Celeste's side as she held out her hands. Celeste took them and started to chant. The woman suddenly disappeared and a small cloud of black dust was sucked into a pendant on Celeste's chest.
"Interesting." Jensen figured the demon had done the work for Celeste. He had better watch his back around her, lest he himself face her wrath.
"Well then, with this blood we're that much closer to The Awakening." A small cloud of smoke began to billow in a corner of the chamber. Alarmed, Jensen moved toward Celeste as she started to chuckle to herself.
"My my, Lord Tremere. Look at yourself, do you not trust your own mansion to be secure under my watch?" Celeste lowered her laughter to a sly smile, as her sister materialized. She walked across the chamber and stopped in front of Jensen.
"The Stalkers have been making their rounds." Selene explained. Jensen tried to play it cool, as he began to understand the situation more.
"Ah, so you were the one working with Celeste." Jensen began to circle her.
"I'm glad that your plans have gone well so far. But I do have another objective for you. I'd like you to retrieve the man guarding Denethor's bitch." Jensen smiled as the sister's eyes lit up. A true test of their abilities was about to come full circle, though it was too bad they could only toy with her more. However, their time would come. Celeste flinched a little, holding her head, she fell to the floor.
"Celeste?" asked Selene. Though they were sisters, they both shared a common hatred for weakness. They had sworn never to help each other and always strive to accomplish things by themselves whenever possible. As Celeste fought with the pain in her head, so did Aya.
Back at the inn, Mai was working furiously to stem her flow of blood. Though the wound was severe, the trauma in her head was worse. All Aya could think about was her origin. She was a person within what might be an already used vessel. How could she live with herself like that? The emptiness grew.
Celeste managed to stop the memories. As a demon, she and her sister shared the same fate as Aya, their bodies were recycled, just like hers. Celeste got to her feet and composed herself.
"Did the succubus do something to you?" Jensen asked sheepishly. Though he was a well learned man and by no means dumb, his magical knowledge was less than respectable. Celeste gave him a sideways glance and simply shook her head. Jensen took the response in stride and moved toward his throne to sit down.
"Well then, with that out of your way I don't see any reason for you two to waste away here with nothing to do. I shall leave you to your devices." Jensen resumed a lazy position on his throne and watched the two sisters exit. His plans were working well, he now had the blood he needed. A simple spell here and there would produce a tainted substance unique to Denethor and Denethor alone.
"Reverse engineering." Whispered Jensen. He looked with amazement at the vial, its red hue spilled across the room as the brilliant lights hit it.
Shinjo sat in a dazed state as sounds drifted through the inn. He could make out Oren in front of him, but not much else. He was so hungry, his blood sugar had dropped immensely since his last meal.
"Give me that bag!" Shouted Mai. Her emergency was silenced as Hiku handed her the bag in question. She began to mix, smash, and combine several powders and liquids, the concoction smelled like roses. As Aya stared at the ceiling, she picked up on the smell. Her thoughts turned to a rose garden, the man who she had seen in the alley was there watering it.
"Hello Arianna!" He sat the watering can down and ran to hug her. As he held her, Aya began to cry. While Hiku was observing Mai's work, he noticed her tears. As soon as he brushed them away, the man did so as well. In her confusion, she tried getting up from the bed, spilling Mai's rose scented medicine on the floor.
"Stop it!" Aya screamed. Oren got up and moved into the room just as Aya spread her wings. She was caged, physically and mentally. All she wanted to do was get out of the room and out of her head. Oren put his hands on her shoulders and slowly chanted a hymn. Aya's eyes stopped watering, as her wings slowly retracted. She focused on the sound of his voice as the pain in her subdued.
Mai laid her down again as she began to mix another batch of the medicine. Oren looked at Aya with distress, as Hiku moved him out of the room. He looked at him with an emptiness that Oren had known to be within Aya all along. Understanding his intentions, he had sat down on a cot and stared out a window.
As Oren lost himself in thought, so did Shinjo. He felt a dull pain in his stomach still, but it wasn't as bad as he had expected. He faintly recalled Aya kissing him. He closed his eyes and tried to clear his thoughts. He wasn't meant for her, Oren was, but with the current state of things, he wasn't sure where to go. His wounds wouldn't let him physically move anywhere without help, but he wondered how the group would carry on. Valencia was tearing them apart.
He thought of home as he fell asleep, sitting up. The rose scent reached him and he fell deeper into his slumber. Ella sat next to him as the wind in the inn hit his skin. The tranquility he was feeling was so calming, he wanted so dearly to see her again.
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Post by seraph_phoenix on Oct 23, 2006 15:12:20 GMT -5
The den was quiet, everyone had managed to fall asleep, they were exhausted.
Blade entered the room quietly, the door lightly squeaked upon closing. Hiku woke up for a moment and saw that it was Blade entering the room. He waited for Blade to make his bed and stop moving. Blade went to Aya's room first, leaving left the door open.
He saw that she was injured again, but that Oren had blood on the same spot on his body. "You saved him didn't you?" He said as he checked her wound. It was completely healed, thanks to Mai's medicine. Blade had a bad feeling when he looked out the window. He shrugged it off and went back out to the den and laid down. Aya opened her eyes and checked her wound. The smell of the booze from Blade's breath disrupted Aya's sleeping to the smell of roses.
She got up and moved her left shoulder and arm, it felt fine. Aya put on some spare clothes; tighter black pants, a white sleeveless undershirt and a large black shirt with lengthened sleeves. Aya's fingers barely came out from under them, but it was cute. The straps of the white shirt could be seen on her shoulders, the over-shirt was so large that the neck of it exposed them. Aya slid on her armor boots and sneaked out of her room. In the den, everyone seemed to be sleeping peacefully, as Aya quietly crept out the door.
She recalled the name of the town that the old man mentioned, Olanther. Aya leaned on the bar and spoke to the keep.
"I wanted to know if you have a map..." She asked him.
"Oh, yes I do miss." He said, as he slid her a worn map. Aya opened it and found Olanther right outside of Valencia. She never even knew it was there.
"Thanks.." She says as she starts to get up, but she stops as the keep speaks to her again.
"I'm glad to see you're doing better miss." He said as he poured her a shot of whiskey. "After I saw your boyfriend bring you in here with all that blood, I was afraid you might've died in the night."
"Boyfriend?? Pfft." Aya said as she snatched up the shot. "I'm just his Guardian, thats all." Aya said with an irritated look on her face. She slams the shot glass down and leaves the old man with a small bag of gold.
"Thanks, old man." Aya says as she leaves the inn, and goes into a small dark alley. Kenshin is seen sitting atop the roof of the inn. Aya flies up, out of the alley, toward Olanther.
Morning breaks, Mai wakes up first and goes to check on Aya to see that she is not in her room. Mai rushes out and shakes Hiku.
"Aya is gone again." She said. Hiku and Shinjo wake up due to the commotion.
"She's gone?" Shinjo asked as he sat up.
Kenshin entered the room, "She took off to see him in the middle of the night."
"See who?" Hiku asked, rubbing the side of his face.
"That old man, in Olanther." Kenshin said.
Shinjo quickly got up, grabbing his sword, and started to get dressed. Mai walked over to the doorway.
"What are you doing?" She asked him.
"I'm going to get Aya." He said while adjusting his clothes. "I'm better now, thanks to her. And if last night is any indication, whoever is after Oren will make their move here soon, I can feel it." He said, while exiting his room, back into the den.
"I will go with you." Hiku said.
"Well, you're not going anywhere without me.." Mai said to Hiku.
"Kenshin, will you stay here with these two...? Make sure they don't break anything..." Hiku said to Kenshin.
"I don't mind." Kenshin said as he took a seat.
The three went downstairs and borrowed the map from the old man. Mai noticed it smelled like roses, like Aya.
They traveled on foot to the small town of Olanther, it was only about an hour outside of Valencia. As they walked, Shinjo wondered if Oren would be mad at him for not waking him to accompany them. Shinjo just shrugged it off and figured Oren would get over it.
"Why would Aya leave to go to Olanther in the middle of the night?" Mai asked.
"Yesterday...she went to get Shinjo's sword while we were picking up your medicine, Mai." Hiku said to her. "And an old man spoke to her in the alley. He knew Aya before she died, her name was Arianna. She's distraught because she doesn't remember her life. She may not be able to continue being Oren's Guardian and traveling with us..."
Mai looked a bit saddened by what he said.
"Aya...will not give up fulfilling her duties." Shinjo said. "If she says she is going to do something, she does it." Shinjo seemed deep in thought. Mai took notice, but just turned her attention back to the road before them.
It wasn't before long that they reached Olanther. The town was very small, it appeared like only a gathering of houses and a few family-run shops. A beautiful house sat atop a hill on the outer edge of the town, it had rose bushes around the side and back.
Mai's eye lit up, "Oh, can I go ask for a flower?" Mai exclaimed.
"Mai, we need to find Aya." Hiku said.
"Awww, please?" Mai said with big eyes.
"Oh, fine." He said to her. Mai darted off toward the house with a smile.
"Well, that house is on the back end of town, so we could start looking from there and work our way back up here." Shinjo said.
"Sounds good to me." Hiku replied.
A few minutes later, they were on the steps of the house. It was relatively older, with little bits of stone eroded from the rain, some of them were a bit charred. Hiku recalled his own town engulfed in flames when he saw the charred stone, and soon turned away. He figured with what the old man said, that it must've suffered a similar fate at the hands of the followers of Denethor. Mai darted around the porch, peeking in the windows.
"I don't see anyone.." Mai said with a sullen expression.
"I'll check around back..." Shinjo said.
Shinjo walked around the edge of a partially torn down small gate. It was probably in a state similar to Hiku's home town, only this house was able to survive. Shinjo walked around the gate, the smell of the roses reminded him of Mai running around mixing the concoction for Aya's wounds last night. Shinjo closed his eyes and thought about his sister, as the sweet smell filled his lungs.
"Ella..." He said to himself. A soft hum makes its way into his ears. Shinjo opens his eyes, looking to the right at the sound. Aya is sitting in the middle of the flower field. Some of the flowers are quite tall, and she is sitting further out in the center of them, it looks very serene and peaceful.
"Aya.." Shinjo said, jogging over to her. Hiku and Mai, hearing his exclamation, follow behind him. Shinjo reaches Aya, who stops humming the moment he's near.
"I'm glad your wound healed so quickly." She said softly.
"Yours healed much faster." He says. Aya looks to the top of the surrounding tree line, just as the sun breaks over them. The sunlight, hitting her hair, turns it to gold. She looks back down.
Shinjo steps forward to see an old man laying on the ground, his head resting on Aya's legs.
"I remembered..." Aya said. "I was married to this man....for three years...I was 20. The Vainians arrived and tried to take me as a sacrifice to Denethor's throne, but I wouldn't go. They slit my throat right in front of him, he had to watch me die. I can only imagine the terrible wrench his heart felt when he saw me in Valencia." Aya said, as Hiku and Mai moved closer to them.
"I spoke with him about things...it feels so different to have a past, but it really isn't mine to have now. He died in his sleep an hour ago." Aya said, as she moved the old man's body over to the side, so she could stand up.
"He told me to leave him here, like this." Aya said as she looked back to the rising sun. Aya spun around to face her three friends, the sunlight lit up her silhouette like fire. She went to say something, but stopped. She looked to be finding the words as she looked off to the ground. Aya looks back up and rushes into Shinjo, throwing her arms around his neck.
Shinjo is caught off guard by her, the only move he made was his arms retracted back, in a bit of surprise from her actions.
"I...want to stay with you. I don't want to give up, I can't now. I hope you all forgive me for leaving last night, but this was something I had to do." Aya said as she closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. Shinjo did not move to hold or comfort her, he only looked into the rising sun.
Aya felt renewed after speaking with the old man. She had to continue on, because she was given her new life for a purpose.
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Post by HunterColt22 on Oct 23, 2006 18:41:47 GMT -5
The figure comes to a stop in an alley way, his back to a wooden and brick wall. Six figures trail behind him, their forms teeter on the edge of shadows and moonlight in the alleyway. His brow is soaked with sweat, the hood of his green cloak is down around his neck, his blue eyes show a fire in them, even though his body staggers and sags against the wall. His free hand falls to the left side of his body, below the rib cage. He pulls it up, his dark colored glove is a darker hue with tints of red.
"Heh, damn...you don't give up easily do you?"
The Savangers just stare at their cornered prey. The young figure pushes himself from the wall and readies his twin daggers again. His breathing heavies, and his body sags from the weight and strain he now puts on it, his mind travels back to events taking place a few days before. These enemies were not the same, these were more intelligent.
The figure looks down at the dead Savanger. A sound catches his attention behind him, he turns, his cloak swishing in a small cross breeze. Another Savanger appears, it readies its sword for a strike, lunging for the cloaked figure. The figure dodges to the right, spinning around to face the back of the Savanger, the shadowed figure grabbing the creature's head with both hands. With a tremendous amount of strength, he breaks the creature's neck, with a sickening crack of bone and muscle.
The Savanger drops its weapon to the ground below its feet and slumps over, blood begins to slowly seep from its ears and mouth. The young drifter turns, a whistle enters his hearing, he swerves to the right, the blade barely missing his head. He turns and slams his twin daggers into the base of his adversary's neck. The young traveler's hood falls, it reveals a short crop of dark brown hair and robin's egg blue eyes. It is a male, between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one, people always mistook him for something other then his real age. This was the same man as before.
Foot steps sound behind the young man again, he turns, his eyes sparkle with the small tinders of battle blazing in them. Six more Savangers appear upon the roof top with him.
'Heh, even more company...lovely."
He smirks to himself and readies his twin daggers once again. The young man sighs and figures it couldn't hurt to try.
"I am known as Hunter Colt, most people who know me call me Colt for short. I am sorry, but your friends forced it upon themselves by attacking me first."
The Savangers do not say a word, the rings of their blades being drawn forth is their answer.
"Well, that failed...horridly."
Colt jumps off the roof, his feet land in a small puddle just as a light rain began to fall. He stands up from his crouched landing, taking off down the alleyway, his feet softly clicking the cobblestone and mud underneath them. The Savangers follow silently upon the roof tops.
The young man's thoughts traveled back to him, bringing him back to reality. He had been running, trailing the woman and men he had seen earlier that very evening. Questions plauged him. What were these things following behind him? Why did they posses such inhuman abilities, and the biggest question of all... Why the hell were there so many!?!
He had finally trailed them to a small village. When he first entered the town, he had hoped these freaks had lost him, that he had gotten away. Sadly, he hadn't. They suddenly swarmed him, overpowering him within mere moments, sending him on the run again. They had him cornered, up against the wall of a small home.
The first of the six charges Colt, he twirls past the initial thrust, bending and weaving to strike his target below the rib cage, only to be met with the Savanger's huge broad sword blocking him. A sudden noise catches the young man's attention, his head spins, but only in time to see a second Savanger slam it's foot directly into the side of his chest. Colt flies toward the wall, his body crashes through it with a shattering of wood, motor, mud, straw and brick.
Colt lands in the den of a small solitary home, his body aches, his head spins. He opens his eyes to stare around the room he had just crashed into. It appeared to be abandoned, the house littered with cobwebs, dust, eroded wood and stone. His lungs burn, his eyes begin to fill with hot tears of pain, as he feels his chest. He can only feel a few of his ribs, as two are most likely broken. He gasps in slow shallow breaths, his breathing uneven and labored.
"D..Damn it...I, I-I can't die... Not here...not yet..."
Colt's vision goes black, but before he looses all consciousness, he hears a woman yelling to someone.
"Hiku! What was tha...."
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