Dante sat calmly in the room him and his friends had made the library. He picked up one book, looked at it for a little bit, and took it with him walking out of the room.
The phantom walked over to the Alter area of the abandoned cathedral, no- this was not the name of their home. This was the Shadow Gallery.
Dante opened the book and started reading lightly, looking up occasionally, at the paintings hung across the walls. The benches were still here, they were all just chopped up in one pile for firewood incase they needed it.
He sighed heavily while reading, and started quoting something, which he was infact reading: "MIDWAY upon the journey of our life
I found myself within a forest dark,
For the straightforward pathway had been lost. Ah me! how hard a thing it is to say
What was this forest savage, rough, and stern,
Which in the very thought renews the fear.
So bitter is it, death is little more;
But of the good to treat, which there I found,
Speak will I of the other things I saw there." Dante paused for a moment, listening to his own voice echoeing in the wall,s he decided, instead, to continue this poem, in Latin: "Io non so ben ridir com'i' v'intrai,
tant'era pien di sonno a quel punto
che la verace via abbandonai." He then stopped, shutting it, eve though the poem was far from over, he stared at the statue he had stolen, small, but there, in fresh condition. He smiled at the man in the statue, "You really were considered a Heretic for this work, eh Aligherri?" He chuckled lightly, and looked around, it seemed his friends were elsewhere in the large Gallery. The place was huge after all.
"Look at me talking to a statue." he said, smiling at it, "I'm as crazy as you!" He then looked down at the book, and continued reading it, in English though:
"I cannot well repeat how there I entered,
So full was I of slumber at the moment
In which I had abandoned the true way..." He then slipped off, and continued reading in his head instead. He was curious, did anyone hear him? He thought it was more than possible.
He decided to stalk over to the window, though slightly shattered, to look outside. While doing this, he smiled under his garb, gripping the book as he brooded. "In which I had abandoned the 'true way'..." He sighed, shoving the thick book in his cloak. "What true way?" He said, more to himself. With that, he stared into the long plains, wondering what was outside.

“Ky, get over here!” He growled. She didn’t need to see him to know his eyes were filled with rage. She huddled under her bed, feeling foolish and alone. Dear god, she just wished she could be anywhere else but here.
She pretended she was back home, before he mother had died, playing in the fields with Jeremiah, a neighbor boy. He’d taught her how to ride her very horse. She could still remember the field… the sweet smell of honeysuckle in the wee hours of the morning.

“Where’s Kytal?” He continued, muted now that he was out of her room and back into the stairwell. The wench that was his wife replied meekly that she didn’t know and Ky imagined her cowering, as was her usual position. He sneered at her, telling her she’d have to be Kytal’s substitute for the night. Ky cringed in her hiding place. She could hear him beating and taking her over and over again. She was too afraid to move, lest he find her and wreck the same vengeance on her that he did the week before.
She’d never chosen to come here. It had been thrust upon her, she thought, laughing to herself at the sick irony. Foster care didn’t care about her, just about the dollar signs and that they were rid of her. Tears began to boil over her dark lashes and she quickly brushed them away. When all was quiet again, her “father’s” lust and hatred satisfied she decided to take the step she should have taken months ago. She unlatched the window and climbed through, out into the night.

It was cold, but she had a hooded sweater wrapped squarely around her shoulders. It was two sizes too big and made her look small and weak in comparison. She started down the street, headed nowhere in particular as long as it was away…

---

Kytal awoke from her dream. She usual dreamt of her past even now when she’d been on her own for over 3 months, and tonight was no different. She got up from her mat on the floor of an abandoned car garage and stretched her lean muscles. Her back ached, so she took time to work out the knots before slowly peeling back the drapery that sheltered her hide away from prying eyes. The sun was just beginning to peak up over the horizon. Shops would just be opening, setting out the merchandise for the day in the square.

She picked up her backpack, her only real possession other than the essentials; clothing, her bow and dagger, and her toiletries. Her stomach grumbled angrily and she scratched her abdomen absentmindedly. She headed to the back door that headed out into the alley at a leisurely pace. She worked on her own schedule, made her own plans.

She shoved the plank that secured the broken, rusty wooden door aside and stepped out into the morning fog. The streets were empty, an eerie stillness making her feel restless and out of place. She walked through the square and headed into the first shop she came to. It was an herbal shop, where they sold remedies for the skin and the bowels, with the promise of good health. She pretended to be interested, before moving on. Nothing here would satisfy her hunger.

Then she made it to the food stands. There were a few early morning shoppers rifling through the under or over ripe food. Since the latest government had made it into full swing she hadn’t had a good peach, and it was making her irritable. She headed to the produce stall and hurriedly shoved a bagel into her bag. She’d have to make that last. Then she turned, grabbing a small pint of orange juice out of the cooler at the end of the isle. An employee eyed her so she pretended to read the nutrition facts until they turned away. Then it was in her bag with that, and to the other end of the line up. She eyed some apples that actually looked ripe and smiled, salivation already beginning to tickle the corners of her lips.
She grabbed three, stuffing them in. She’d gotten what would last her, it was out of there for her. But she didn’t make it.

“Miss, I expect you’ll be paying for that!” One of the stall men shouted, and she took off like lightening. She had been stupid to shop at this time of day, when she was too out in the open, not lost in the crowd… she’d been blinded by the need to eat. She hadn’t done so in a few days. She heard footsteps behind her, and picked up the pace.
She chanced a glance behind her and saw that the man had found a guardian, the new world’s policeman, and they were making a swift pursuit. Luckily she was petite and out maneuvered the men easily. She headed down through a back alley, losing sight of them. She would lose them. She looked back again, making sure they had fallen back.
That’s when she collided with something warm and solid. Her legs seemed to fall over her head as she went tumbling onto the pavement, hitting the brick wall of the alley on her way down.
“Omph!” She breathed, as the wind fell from her lungs, and the world went black. So much for losing them…

STRANGHILL OLGANIS:

Stranghill stared out the window of the run-down shack that was currently his home. There were plenty of abandoned places that could be used as his headquarters, and he had used up only two so far. Outside, there was the usual activity in the cities. Almost as if they don't know they're imprisoned... Stranghill thought to himself, shaking his head and sighing. But this is why I fight... Isn't it? He walked to a shelf that was barely still standing and pulled down an apple. He bit into it, tearing off the chunk and chewing hard. The apple was very hard, but Stranghill didn't waste too much money on food. He spent most of his money buying herbs and flowers, little did the store-owners know that he was using these 'decorations' to create his poisons.

People knew very little about what uses certain plants had. His family had taught him secrets of many plants, and Stranghill now used them for his wide array of tools to bring down God's Mercy. Just the other day he had planted and successfully detonated several explosives in a God's Mercy armory. He couldn't get away with stealing the weapons, as he would rarely get a chance to use them. He could only carry weapons that were easily concealed, and God's Mercy did not have any intention on using stealth, so their weapons were, for the most part, quite noticeable. Stranghill didn't know if the blow had been a decent one, but decided to find out. He opened the door and left the shack, going out to eavesdrop on any rumors of how noticed the attack was.

GALTHRAN REDRAN:

"So no luck on finding out who planted the bombs?" Galthran asked the head inspector. The inspector, a lycan, shook his head, and Galthran sighed. "Well, it could have been worse, I suppose. You're sure nobody was injured?" The inspector nodded, and Galthran sighed again, but this time out of relief. "You should get going, Redran. You're patrol is up soon," The inspector told Galthran, and Galthran nodded and headed out to the city. Two days ago an explosive of unknown origin had detonated in their armory, destroying several weapons a small chunk of the wall they had been near. It hadn't injured any God's Mercy members, but it was a pain to repair.

Galthran shielded his eyes as the sunlight hit him directly. He waited outside the doors until the other two members of his patrol arrived. Since the rise in terrorist attacks, the number of men in a patrol increased from two to three during short-rounds. The two members of his patrol were Calvis and Marrick. Calvis was a friend of Galthran's, and they got along well. Calvis had been with Galthran when he lost his hand and eye. Marrick, however, was on worse terms with him. Marrick hated him because of his prosthetics, believing he was an 'abomination of nature', and wanted him demoted in rank.

"Another day with the cyborg," Marrick said, putting truck-loads of scorn into the word 'cyborg'. "Back off, Marrick. It's hot, and I'm tired. I really don't feel like kicking your ass right now," Galthran answered. They had gotten into two fistfights, both of which had been broken up by Calvis, but Marrick was always the only one bleeding. Every week, each group of soldiers within their own barracks-room (there were usually six to twelve soldiers in each 'room') would hold contests to test their strength against each other, mental or physical. Most of the time it was simple card games, but other times it would be arm-wrestling, pull-up contests, etc... Galthran, while not always coming in first, always came ahead of Marrick.

With a final exchange of hateful glances, they began making their rounds.

Whoosh.

Something whizzed by Dante's left ear as he gazed dreamily out the window of the Shadow Gallery, in what had been deemed the library. There was a cheerful whooping from outside, as if a small victory had been won. It soon faded, along with a neon orange ball of fur.

About five feet back was a small card, resting on the floor. The Joker. Scribbled over it messily was a small message. "Gone to town. Back soon." A smiley face took up the corner. Parr. She'd been getting even better at throwing cards, without letting them get caught by the wind. In her hands, they might as well be shuriken. She was quick to leave, though, and outside the window, she was no where to be found.

---

It wasn't until later that Parr could be found roaming the rooftops of the Rapture, innocently exploring every nook and cranny there was, peeking over the edge to spy on early morning commuters. It was good no one ever really looked up anymore. She was enjoying herself, and she wasn't quite ready to come down.

Her tail wagged behind her, poking out underneath her furred coat, which was probably about three sizes too big for her. Dante said her tail could blend in with the end. And she agreed. Anything from Dante was special.

She had, however, forgotten the hat he'd given her to hide her ears, poking out from the sides of her head. She disliked the hat. Her ears were always sore after.

So, on this magnificently sunny day, she decided not to wear it, leaping happily from rooftop to rooftop and throwing caution to the wind. She would enjoy herself that day. And she might pick up a bit of cheese later.

Humming a tune to herself, she just happened to look down over a roof into an alley before she leapt. And there, sprawled along the ground, was what looked like a child. She stopped, gazing down at it's still form in curiousity. She frowned, ears dropping. "This can't be good .." the kitsune mused to herself. She'd have to investigate.

Scrambling down to the ground, she crouched before what she thought was a child in the middle of the narrow alleyway. She had been wrong, though. It was a girl with an incredibly big sweater. Just like her! She smiled a little at that thought, then knelt on all fours so she could stick her nose in her face, eyes peering at her innocently. "'Scuse me," she said, prodding her with her forefinger. When she got no response, she prodded her again, speaking a little more loudly and in her ear this time. "Excuuuuse me! Are you okay? You shouldn't sleep out here. You'll catch a cold!" She was oblivious to the fact that, if anyone saw her, she'd probably be forcibly dragged away. She was confident in her evasion tactics, though.

And so she knelt.

And waited.

And prodded the girl again.

"Please wake up."

She heard the words on the edge of her mind, but everything was hazy.
She'd run into a dark figure, coming towards her. She didn't know who it'd been but he hadn't stuck around to help her, so he probably wasn't a friend.

Everything within her screamed for her to get up, but her muscles wouldn't budge. She must have hit that wall hard. Perhaps she was shoved. She shifted, murmuring something incoherent, moving so her face was facing up towards the sky. She opened her eyes and was blinded by light and two big shining eyes.

She struck out, her palm hitting the girl in the jaw, thinking it was a guard. She heard a muffled yelp, as her 'attacker' stumbled back.
Her eyes focused and she swore. "Oh shit, I'm sorry... I thought you were..." She trailed off as she searched the alley for her pursuers. "I have to get out of here."

She went to move and her head swam, blood coursed down the right side of her face, from a cut just above her eyebrow. She cursed again and braced herself against the wall. She breathed slowly, trying to steady herself. She had to get out of here before they came this way, and found her here. She'd be taken to the local jail for sure, and she'd never survive it.

He turned, checking the note on the card behind him. Dante sighed, pocketing it. Staring around the entire library, he sighed very heavily, "Why am I still in this place?" He thought to himself, Right, because I have to be... He shrugged.
He was more like a father to any of them than anything else. And yet, he had an attraction to Parr, something no one knew. Flipping through the Divine Comedies again, he sighed. Reading one small passage to himself, he decided to put it down. He left a note on it, the note was telling everyone a simple peice of information.

Going into my room to sleep. If there's anything at all you think I should know of, wake me up. But, I warn you. Bring me something to drink, coffee or tea, before you come in. I'll kill you if I don't have a pick me up.

- Dante.

He used humour with his 'family' sometimes. Not much, but, ocassionally. He seemed to love them all more than anything, they were his lifeline. They were exactly who he was. They were lonely souls.
Trodding into his room, Dante almost slammed the door. He was in no mood to be held back. Though, all of them knew. No matter how bad of a mood he was in. He was always in the mood to help them, even with the smallest of things. Like any 'father', he was up and ready to help should the need arise itself.
Slipping into his bed, he slipped his shirt off, his hood. However, he kept his scarf on, which covered his collar bone area, a bit over his chest, and his lower jaw completely. It was more like a shawl, in his eyes. Sighing, he slipped off his socks, boots, and smothered the covers over him. He wished he had the ability to acquire a fan. He loved white noise to lull him to sleep... It was all he ever had as a child, was noise... But he also loved the quiet, it was the only thing that kept the noise away....

"Dante, go and get some sleep..." This was the advice Malachai had given him. Malachai was a man in a brown garb, part of the secret group in the under ground mines, the 'Templars'. They were the ones keeping all of the slaves willing to do what they needed to.
This was all back at the beginning of the God's Mercy, mines had been made to get ore, steel, and other materials from the rocks in them. And the mines were, simply, called Tartarus. Or, in the Greek, or Latin Mythology, Dante never remembed: Hell. The Tartarus mines took the 'In-Betweens', the races which no one could decide if they were Holy. And they also were fit to work. So, Dante was born here, in the mines of Tartarus. He couldn't remember the times before God's Mercy, he wasn't born. He heard tales though, of how the City of Rapture used to be. It was once a normal city, some crime, but that was about it. A prosperous town, and the mainstream religion was Catholicism. Though, Dante had never really believed in Catholicism, he was still always able to find comfort speaking to God. Whether the entity he spoke to was real, he was never sure. But he always had that small comfort.
"Malachai, I'm fine to work..." He said, Malachai glared at him. "No, Dante. You're not. What would your father say?" He didn't know, his father had died only three years ago, when Dante was only 9. At 11 now, he didn't really remember his father too well. His mind pushed memories back. "He would tell me to keep working, that I'd be flogged if not." Malachai sighed heavily. "I'll take over for you. One of the guards stationed in our mine quarter is an old friend of mine. He did love children. You'll be fine. Go on into the rest room. You'll be fine." Ironically, the rest room, was quite literally a rest room. People came in to sleep, and just to sit once in a while. He sighed and walked over to the area, as he did however, he slipped, and his ring finger went in the way of a pick axe.
Screaming in pain, Dante gripped his finger. Malachai rushed over, scolding the slave that had caused the accident. Apologizing the slave stayed with Dante until he was recovered from the wound.
However, Dante heard Malachai talking with a man, everyone called him Salem. "I think he's ready, Salem..."
"You really think so?"
"Yes."
"... I hope you're right."
"He will become one of us soon." A pause, Salem seemed to sigh. "No, he will not. We will train him in our ways, of escape, combat, evasion, disguise and even stealth..." Malachai seemed curious. "Oh?"
"Yes, we'll train him until he's 12..."
"That's another year."
"I know. As soon as he's twelve, he'll be trained enough,"
"What are you planning, Salem?" Malachai asked angrily. "I'm planning," Salem said, "To help the boy escape. Lord knows, he's one of the Indigo children." The Indigo Children. Dante had heard little speak of the legend. Apparently, a couple of children were to find a teacher. This teacher would train them on how to bring down God's Mercy.
This however, was folklore. It would never happen. His father said that people were only trying to gain hope. And Dante thought the reason he would be chosen as an 'Indigo' Child, was so that the people here would have hope. Though, Dante was only 11 now.
He didn't know then, he was fighting now so that they could all gain hope.

Dante awoke, not to the sounds of drills or axes or people screaming or crying, as he did when he was a child. But he awoke to something simple: Silence. Tears seemed to well up in his eyes, and he shut them back. He turned himself over and took a sleeping pill, and took something from the drawer he rarely took.
Whiskey. He had hidden it from everyone, it was a simple drug, more or less, he had gained to like in the mines of his childhood. Sicknesses were common, and stress was common. So people used it. He put both in his mouth and downed them happily. With that, he turned over, blinked away more tears, enjoyed the burning of the whiskey, and slept.
He knew now, he could sleep dreamlessly. The only way he could nowadays.

The girl stirred at her feet. Parr grinned, looking down at her expectantly, her large orange eyes gazing down at her with a familiarity of an old friend. Something that Parr had always possessed.

"Good morning, sleepy he--" thwap.

She slapped her.

The girl had actually slapped her.

More startled than hurt, the kitsune fell back onto her bosom, tears welling up at the corners of her eyes. She wasn't crying. That just stung.

For a moment, she just sat there, still as a board, her hand half raised to her cheek, which was growing rapidly red. Then her brain started working again, followed by her gros motor skills, and then followed by her fine motor skills. She smiled, shrugging it off, sitting and watching her scurry about. "Oh, it's okay. I'm all right. What's your name? What's your hurry?"

The stranger girl had stumbled. Frowning, concern etched into her features, she stood and offered a hand to steady her. "Hey, are you okay? You don't look so good ..." She seemed completely oblivious to the fact that they were out in the open, and her ears were blatantly obvious, and at that moment, so was her tail, and they were in no small amount of trouble with Dante when she got home for not wearing her hat.

((Somewhere in the forest))

Faren traveled along an old hunting trail keeping his eyes and ears open to the area around him. He had only been to this area once before and much had changed since then. He noticed that this part of the forest was rather quite, almost dead; this bothered him a little and put him a bit on edge. Stopping a moment he noticed an old sign not too far ahead of him, however he couldn’t quite make out what it said. As he moved closer her could see it was pointing north east, by the looks of what visible writings that were left it sounded as if there was a town of some sort in that direction.

“Bah, bloody hunters can’t even manage to take care of there own signs.” He grumbled to himself as he pondered the sign a moment more. His sapphire cloak ruffled around him catching what little wind there was, his matching eyes scanned the forest as he decided his course. “Humph, I guess this ways as good as any other.” He moved his fingers through his hair absently as he moved forward in the direction the sign pointed.

Faren had been on the road for weeks it seemed and was growing tired of chasing fairy tales. However, something about the story he had heard caught his attention and he felt compelled to search for more information about it. In the city before and old merchant had told him that there was a city to the east that was having some problems with what seemed like anarchists. After thanking the man he had set out for the city but weeks later had found no sign of it.

“That old man gypped me…” he grumbled to himself as the treetops blew in the wind. “…he could have at least mentioned this blasted forest.” He stopped suddenly a sound catching his ears “Damn, leave it to me to stumble into a patrol.” He muttered under his breath as four guardians stepped forth from the brush around him.

“You there, what are you doing so far out into the forest?” one asked, his apparel making him out to be the leader.

Faren was quick to put up his merchant facade “Ah thanks goodness you found me; I’ve been traveling this bloody forest for days trying to get to the city and it seems I got myself lost.” His tone was casual and business like with a hint of worry.

The man was gave him a curious look “What purpose have you with the city?” He replied in a gruff voice.

Faren granted the man an innocent smile and bowed slightly “I am but a lowly merchant, and word had come to me that your fair city has some very interesting wares that might be worth my coin.” He absently nudged his bag making the money with in chime.

His eyes narrowed as he examined Faren’s person, on of his other men spoke before he could “You call yourself a merchant yet you bare nothing to sell.” The leader struck his man across the face for speaking out of line.

As he stood straight again Faren made a slight gesture with his hand to the leader. “There is no need to strike him for a simple question; he perhaps did not understand my words. I come to buy friend not to sell; does that help?” His voice had taken a more serious business tone but his eyes showed his obvious frustration with stupidity.

The man grumble to himself as he rubbed this face, the man in charge straightened and waved him on. “I see, Well you may pass; the city lies just up ahead just follow the trail your on. Be warned merchant; don’t start any trouble I would hate to have to regret your passing.” His tone was casual but stern as he moved back along the trail.

“Many thanks and I don’t expect to start any trouble not regrets.” Faren turned and continued walking his smile fading quickly as the guardians faded into the distance. “Well at least not yet…” He mumbled to himself as the city walls came into view.

In Pathos thoughts, there was pain, and a lot of it. Pathos, a man who could feel the emotions of others, unfortunately, was susceptible to a great deal of this pain. Every person in existance hid some sortof pain, and making contact with pathos would allow that pain to be his. However, his power was not a complete curse. There was also the capability of happiness in each person, as he had seen since he had enterred the shadow gallery, but the world did not seem to always possess this happiness. The main feeling, the feeling he seemed to glimpse with eveyr single person was fear. Why fear? What had made this world to be one of fear? What was there to be so afraid of?

The answer to that question was simple, god's Mercy. And what a shockingly unfunny pun the very name was. Pathos knew of god, he had read it's book, but God had alkways been used as a symbol of hope, something that every man or woman could trust, even ind ark hours. Now, the word meant something far different, something to be feared, hated.

pathos walked out of his room, past the various sculptures and paintings, all stolen and collected for the shadow Gallery. His hair shown a slightly sad color of blue as he walked, sunglasses on his face. He scarcely took them off, as he found light damaging to his eyes. He soon saw the note left by Parr, followed by the one left by Dante. Pathos couldn't help but chuckle, his light blue hair turning a small shade of blonde. At least here was a place where the fear was just a bit less. This was a family. An odd family, but a family.

Pathos went into the library, his wonderful little sanctuary. Pathos had lived in a library for the longest time before it had been burned to the ground, and when he found out the shadow Gallery had one, he had been extatic. Pathos grabbed himself a few books, and was soon lost within the pages.

He awoke simply, again, it may have been midnight in his mind. It certainly felt late. He didn't know what it was that was going on, but something in his body willed him to awake. Slipping out from his bed, Dante took his scarf off and walked into his shower. Taking his clothes in with him, keeping the brown scarf, but making the other clothes a mix of dark blues and blacks, he smiled. Stepping into the shower, he let the slightly hot water run over him.
How long did it take him to gain the shower again? He thought, he didn't remember, he just remembered how difficult it was to gain this small necessity...

"Spread out, Delta Formation," Dante hissed into his neck-comm. The comm hooked around his neck, to his ear, he could whisper as silently as a mouse, and all of this friends would hear him crystal clear as if he was standing next to them.
They obeyed, and all spread their forms. There weren't as much then as there were now. He forgot which ones were there, he knew Parr was there... Were any of the others? No, that was impossible. This was years ago, only he and Parr survived now that he remembered.
Slipping into the trees, Dante skidded to a halt, crouching. "Parr, get a good shot on that guard, the neck's uncovered." He smiled, seeing an orange blur rush past the guard, and jump behind a large pipe of the facility, the guard coughed, fell to his knees, and dropped. Dante grinned, "Nice. Cranzor," He said, still smiling, "Get that door down."
He saw another figure, large and burly though, rush to the facilities door. Knocking at it, well, banging, really, for a minute at least he knocked it down. "Good, I'll take point, follow after me." He'd taught them a lot about military commands and codes and things of the sort. He hoped the planning, and things like it, helped them all in times like these.
Dante rushed in, he noticed a guard turn the corner, unsheathing his fairbairn sykes dagger, he jumped. His acrobatic abilities were far more than an average human- of an average phantom -and he gripped the guard's shoulder, plunging the dagger into his throat about three times as he and the guard fell back. Landing on the guard, he smiled and put his hands up. About three guards surrounded him.
Getting on his knees, obeying them, he coughed into the comm, "Sorry, something in my throat..." A little code they used if one of them were about to be captured. One of the guards walked near him, and he quickly pushed the rifle aside, gripping it. Getting up, he spun himself next to the guard, and forced the guard down, breaking his arm while taking the rifle. He aimed at one guard, and was about to shoot. The guard dropped, and he saw the kitsune girl he lived with smiling and sitting on the dying guard's shoulders.
Spinning to face the next guard, he saw the other figure drop, with a man holding his neck, snapping it. "Fall out, let's go, double time. Where's Bravo?" He heard Parr pipe up, "They're on the East wing, they should meet us in the center soon."
"Good."
"Yup, all thanks to you," Dante shrugged off the comment as he ran down the corridors. Stopping in the middle of a large room, he smiled, "Good, Cranzor, reroute that console and get some water towards our area. Don't make it noticable though." Cranzor, a large man, smiled, nodding. "Sure," Walking into the middle of the room, he started rerouting it.
Bravo, another team of three Orphans in the Shadow Gallery, all rushed in, aiming their weapons. "Phew. Okay," The leader, Kohaku, started, "All we need to do is cover Cranzor?" Dante nodded, "Will do." All of them aimed in different directions.
It took minutes it seemed.
"I got it!" Cranzor said happily. Suddenly, panels on the wall lifted up, chain gunners all aiming at him, and the others. Dante didn't think, he knew Cranzor was a dead man. He and Parr however... He wouldn't let it happen. He cursed loudly, and grabbed the kitsune's wrist.
Running, he noticed an area blocked off with guards, Dante sighed, and looked about. A large pipe was there, leading over the cliff he knew, and into waters below. "... Fuck it," He said, and ran to it, opening it quickly, he shoved Parr inside, hearing her curse his name, and he too dove inside.
A slippery, very wet, damp, uncomfortable ride. And very crammed, too, now that he'd thought about it, after what seemed like hours, though was only two minutes, he fell into nothingness.
Just night air. He knew Parr was ahead, and he knew she'd all ready landed, probably in a lot of pain, on the water. He did the same. Resurfacing, they both swam over to the shore. Sitting on the sand, he sighed. The guards would think them dead anyway. He looked at the girl, and noticed she too had tears in her eyes. Hugging her tightly, he decided to talk. "It'll be all right Parr... We can still take revenge..." He said, the others were certainly dead.
"It'll be all right..." And with that said, he kissed her cheek comfortingly.
It was the only intimacy they'd ever had like that, even though it seemed more paternal. He wasn't even sure if she remembered that night. She probably blocked it out, as he had for years.

Sighing heavily, he shut off the shower, letting the last drops of water slip down his form. Stepping out from the shower, he changed. He walked out of his room, secretly taking the whiskey with him. Downing some, he hid it in his garb, and looked over in the library, putting 'The Divine Comedies' away.
Sneaking up behind Pathos, he smiled, "Hey there. What book're ya reading?" He asked, deciding to take a seat next to the boy.

"Ky.." She murmured her name in response, stumbling down the alley. "I need to get out of here, there are... men following me." She added, quickly, leaving no room for a load of questions

She could only imagine. All the color had faded from her face, leaving her feeling cold and shaky. She wiped at the blood, steaming from her head with one of her hands. she faltered, and grabbed out at air, only to grasp the girls shoulders.

"Please, help me..." She said hesitantly. She didn't know this girl from Eve, and she didn't know if she could trust her... but what other options did she have? She couldn't very well hang out in the alley and wait to be nabbed by a guardian now could she? She searched down the alley and heard a shout.

"Over there!" A masculine voice shouted from about 50 yards down the street. "She's with a feline! Get them!"

Shoot, time was up. She started for the end of the alley, running as far as her dizzy skull would allow.

"Hurry. We need to find somewhere to hide." She urged her new companion, her eyes pleading.

GALTHRAN:

His patrol was walking, with obvious tension, when he got a call from another patrol. "This is wood-watch 01, we spotted a man claiming to be a merchant enter the city. He seemed to be fine, but I'm not quite sure I trust him. Just be on the alert, he may be planning something. Don't go after him unless he presents a real threat though..." Galthran concurred and closed the communication. "You all heard that, I assume?" Galthran asked, and his two squad-mates nodded.

"Well, today might be interesting after all," Marrick said. Calvis made no gesture, and Galthran glared angrily. He didn't like the idea of having to be ready to shoot anyone who was new. "Come on, let's keep moving then..." Galthran said, and they began walking, probably less alert than before, despite the warning.

STRANGHILL:

Stranghill was walking the path when he noticed a three-man patrol walking his way. He slowly turned away from them, hoping to avoid their attention. He couldn't afford to let any member of God's Mercy get a good look at his face, lest they see it at some other time and suspect him of something. Stranghill disliked the idea of being in the open, and noticed a bar nearby. He walked in. It was pretty empty, as few people want to drink during the current time of day, but it provided him cover from the patrol.

Parr's fluffy ears twitched in response to a voice she knew all too well. Not because she knew the man or had heard it somewhere before - but because she was so used to having big burly men shouting at her with that same tone of voice, demanding her peaceful surrender and cooperation.

Unfortunately, they were never given either of those. She just nodded, her bright orange eyes that could only be described as miniature sunsets sparkling with delight. A little bit of excitement never hurt every now and then. Even though she was easy to recognize, and such things could cause a problem.

Grabbing Ky's forgotten rucksack, she dashed around the corner with speed not-so-surprising among her race, and she crouched down to a manhole, where she lifted the cover off with little difficulty. She beckoned to the brunette with a nod of her head, nose crinkling in discomfort from the smell the sewers produced. "C'mon," she urged in a hushed whisper. "I know it stinks, but it's quick. I promise I know where I'm going!"

The fierce look in the girls eyes made Ky do a double take and she smiled. Maybe they'd get along after all. She let her pull ahead and lead the way. She wasn't very fast being so dizzy anyhow. Thank god the girl had grabbed her bag because she wasn't quite sure she could manage it. She felt drunk, unable to run a straight line.

She heaved a sigh of relief as they shot out of site of the men and reached a manhole. She wrinkled her nose, confirming the other girls disgust.
With one big breath she started her decent, taking the ladder runs two at a time, and almost landing on her butt in the murkiness below.

Her army boots splashed in the water, if you could call it that. The muck seeped into in through to her socks and she grumbled her discomfort before heading forward, after the other girl, and deeper into the sewers. She made a mental note to charge this girl for a new pair of boots, ones that didn't smell like fecal matter.

They weaved in and out of different sections of the sewer system, turning this way and that. She said she knew where she was going, but god it was taking a long time. Or at least it felt like it. In reality it had probably only been a few moments. She pressed a hand to her forehead, and her fingers came back crusty crimson. Well, at least it was clotting...

A rat skittered past her toes, half running, half swimming in the ankle deep water.
"Urgh!" She murmured, quickening the pace despite her feelings of nausea, and catching up to the other girl. She had a million questions. Where we going? What's your name? How did you survive this long? Yet, none of those quandaries felt right. They all seemed stale, just on the tip of her tongue.

Perhaps it was because she hadn't talked to anyone in a very long time, but whatever the reason, she held quiet. She didn't make friends easily, and she wasn't sure if she wanted any. An old man on the street had once compared her to a kicked pup, and she guessed he was right. They bite, and they certainly don't get cuddly with strangers.

Parr had waited until her new partner in crime had descended into the murky depths of the sewer. She'd been more than happy to make sure she got down the ladder safely. It bought her a few more seconds with sweet, fresh air. But then the tell-tale slosh of the sewer water announced that Ky had touched the bottom, and it was time for her to follow.

She took a deep breath, and then gently slid the manhole back into place. And then all was dark.

Almost immediately, the kitsune's senses were clouded by the God awful scent of God knew what. But at least now that she'd been down there so many times, it didn't hit her as hard as it used to. She climbed down about half way, then leapt from the rungs of the ladder into the shin deep water. Remembering Ky, she quickly apologized. "I'm sorry if I got you wet!" she whispered, so anyone above didn't hear her. She could just make out Ky's form in front of her. Quickly, she grabbed her hand and lead her forward.

When Parr was sure they were far enough away from their persuers, no doubt scratching their heads and trying to figure out where they were, she let go of the other girl's hand and held her clawed hand in front of her. A small will 'o' wisp of pale blue fire danced about just over her palm. "There, now we can see! Don't worry, it's not far from here. So, where do you come from? Far? I don't know why you'd want to come here, it's so oppresive, and the people here are so mean. But I guess they can't help it, huh?"

She kept going on like that for a while. She could do enough talking for the both of them. Ky could just concentrate on not slipping on the wet stone beneath the waste.

Soon enough, after many turns and twists, Parr stopped in front of a ladder. "This is it, I think. Hold on, let me make sure." With the backpack resting against her back, and the will 'o' wisp drifting around them lethargically, she climbed the ladder and peeked out the manhole. "Yep, we're here! C'mon, we're outside the city gates now. The Shadow Gallery's just over here! You get to meet everyone now! They'll be so happy! Except for Dante, he might scold me, but that's not the point. I didn't tell you about Dante, did I ..." and again, she kept rambling, as she scrambled out of the sewer and sucked in the sweet summer air like she'd never tasted anything so delicious in her entire life.

Dante sighed, he didn't get much of a response from the boy. Not surprising, he was always absorbed in a book. So, he didn't mind. Suddenly, one of the orphans- Dante couldn't remember his name, and knew the boy would not last long once Dante would set him a task. (which is something that saddened him greatly, because he knew he'd need to do it that night) -Rushed over, and looked a little panicked. "Sir-"
"Don't call me sir."
"Dante!"
"Yes?"
"Two figures from the North approaching."
"Pack up kiddo, you're going into the city tonight." Dante said simply, hands shoved in his pockets. "What?" The boy asked, he was eager to be part of something. Dante knew he was sending him to his death by asking it though. "Go into the town. Get some food from the local market."
"And the intruders?"
"I have a surprise for 'em..." He said darkly, the kid rushed off. Dante felt sorry for him. He wasn't skilled, he was a liability, alive only because Parr and he had saved him. As a liability- as much as Dante hated it -he was also too unskilled to be of any help whatsoever. He'd be dead, and not come back. Dante knew this.


He sighed heavily, creeping in the underbrush. Camouflaged perfectly, his knife ready. He couldn't really see who was there, but he tackled them from behind, knife at the back of their neck- maybe painfully -hearing a familiar yelp he was shocked. Getting off, he helped up Parr, "Shit. I knew that damn kid was a liability," He mumbled, "Sorry. You know to warn me," Tapping his neck comm he winked, "Before you head on back. Anyone else sees you and mistakes you, we attack. You know that." He said it simply.


Leading them back inside, he warded them into the chapel's undercroft. Some buried corpses of people he could gather from past times were inside. But there were also empty beds. "She can sleep in here," He said simply.
Looking to Parr, he sighed, "Parr, head on upstairs and get our... Guest something to eat and drink will you?" Letting her rush off in haste, he turned to the newcomer. "... Ya look pretty fit," He said, walking around her for a moment, eyeing her form. His mouth obviously hidden by the garb, it also hid his smile... And something else. "Good at fighting I assume if you're this old and still alive... I think I may be able to make you part of the team..." He thought for a moment,


One dead, and One Newcomer,


It'd have to do. "All right..." He said, after some thought. Extending his hand, he smiled, he'd never been this quick to initiate someone other than Parr. "Welcome to fight the good fight. And welcome to the Freedom of Expression." They were known, very little, by some in the city. Only their team, not the location of their HQ. He smiled, about to walk out, "Think it over, though. If you want to join... I'll be in my room- Ask Parr where it is -and we'll talk more about you becoming a full member." Winking, he walked out, almost bumping into Parr on the way out, he chuckled. "I'd slow down a bit if I were you, girl..." Suddenly changing his mind, he smiled, "Tell the visitor I'm in Eden if anyone wants me- Same goes to you." Nodding quickly, he walked off.


Eden was the name for the Garden. An old room, which was originally meant for an unknown purpose. Full of exotic, rare plants, there were holes in the roof, and some in the walls, which let in nothing but sunlight or moonlight. Kneeling there in the middle of the garden, moonlight illuminating his pale figure, he silently spoke in 'The Old Tongue' as some would call it now.
"Ourfiathere, Who-ert InHeafen, Hallowed bethyname. Thykingdom come, thywillbe done. On Earth, as it is inHeafen. Giveoos thiis day, ourdaily bread. Undforgiif oos ourtrespasses, as we forgiif thoose, who tresphass against us. Leadusnot, into temptation. But deilverus from Evil."
The reason it was called the old tongue is that it was very old English. Some words attatched, making them sound different, and were usually said with an Irish or Scottish accent.

He smiled, knowing His true will be done on this Earth, by Dante and his family.
Or by no one else at all.

Faren entered the city with ease and proceeded to the market square. As he walked he made mental notes of his surroundings, as well as the number of guards. He must have showed up during a shift change as there were a good many guards every where. This was a fortunate thing as he noted the time of day and the guards numbers. "Well, well... 15 thus far and ive only been here 5 minutes. And by the looks of things this is only the second shift. So 15 going and 15 replacing... hmmm at a max of 4 shifts thats at least 90 troops. quite the army for such a peaceful place... and this is just the market... interesting..." he murmured to himself as he passed by a set of guards. he moved swiftly through the crowed his sights focused on a high spot he had noticed was unguarded during the switch. He slipped in the building quickly and quietly melding with the shadows and headed for the stairs.

Faren climbed nimbly up the old stairs his elven blood seemed to silence any board that might speak out of place. as he reached the second floor he heard voices from below. "sounds like the guards are back..." he thought to himself as he continued up to the third floor. He came to an instant stop as he reached the top and damn near came face to face with 4 others. if not for the dark shadows around him he would be a dead man right now, and then he noticed something. A faint sound emanated from the depths of the armor... "SNORES!?!" he gasped quietly to himself. "Leave it to me to stumble across a sleeping dragon..." he thought to himself as he edged farther up the stairs. there was a window on the far end the was open, he prayed it had access to the roof.

The guards were seated comfortably across the room but he knew from experience that no suit of armor was suitable for sleep, at least not for too long and he had now idea how long they'd been here. "bah, well no time like the present..." he took a deep breath as he prepared to creep across the room. he set his path and moved silently as fast as his body would allow without noise. as he passed the second guard the sound of voices grew louder form the stairs. "damn it! the new shift is coming..." he murmured under his breath and not a moment later the bodies around him started to stir. "O to hell with this..." he mouthed and bolted for the window, axes clanking under his cloak. he hit the window just as a guards head topped the stairs. He shouted at the sleeping guards and Faren leaped out the window and clutched the roof ledge and swung onto the roof and waited to make sure he wasn't spotted.
When he was sure it was clear he moved to a dark spot by the chimney and over look the city... "where to begin my search..." was his last thought as the guards beneath him argued.

At the site of Parr being attacked she tensed. He had come out of the bushes so fast, it seemed her sense of time blurred all together. She barely had time to advance towards him when he was releasing her. She wondered why he'd jumped her, but then looking down at her seemingly frail body she knew the answer. He saw Parr as the bigger threat. Her eyes narrowed, a little put off by his assessment of her. She crossed her arms in defiance and watched their interchange as he lead them to their hideaway.

He lead them into a colossal building with carvings in the ancient wood, and doors with rusty hinges. The air smelt of old food, books, and most of all people. This was one of the first places she would enter for any period of time that felt 'lived in'. That was a rarity these days, when you were always on the run. She had only lived in the abandoned car garage for about four days, and it was only her, no people to make it fell loved and appreciated for the cover it provided.

She passed through the hall, surveying rooms upon rooms that seemed touched by the same presence. She glimpsed stacks of books in a library, the stone floors of a great room, the unkept beds adorning other, smaller quarters. She watched it all in silence, wondering just exactly lay in store. Dante, hadn't made the best impression, threatening the life of her rescuer and all... but as they walked into his home his shoulders seemed to relax and the hard lines of his face became less apparent.

He took them down into a lower chamber of the church. The ground was dirt, as if this had been nothing more than a cellar for holding supplies back when the place was operational. Ky glanced down at the upturned earth in the back corner, and shivered. Sleeping next to the dead wasn't exactly something that would produce the most pleasant of dreams.

And this is where he wanted her to sleep? Quite accommodating, this one. She mentally gave her eyes a roll and sighed. It was better than laying in a cell tonight.

Her body tensed again as he asked Parr to leave and bring her nurishment. She would be alone with this man, and she wasn't sure it was a good idea. Parr moved all too quickly to obey him. Looks like she knew who wore the pants around here.
She eyed him warily. His dark hair was a misshapen mop atop his head, through which light eyes glimmered. He assessed her, scrutinizing her ever muscle like a heffer that was being sold at auction.

Again, she assumed the pose of crossed arms over her chest, which felt even more insignificantly smaller than usual. Her knees felt weak as his eyes shimmered down her body. It reminded her of the way her foster father looked at her before she went to bed at night, and she felt a wave of nausea rise within her. These were not the same people, she told herself. She was in no danger here.

Her spoke, and her mouth curved up into a small smirk.
"Good at fighting, or perhaps just good at hiding and damn near hard to kill." She muttered, mostly to herself.

He continued on, ignoring her mutterings, not really paying any attention to her at all. He didn't even pause long enough for her to speak.
He spoke of the Freedom of Expression. From what she could gather that's what this little band here called themselves. She had been alone for so long now, a few months at least, that the idea of joining up and having teammates almost seemed comical. A few months on your own in this day and age was like a few months int he bush. It did strange things to a persons psyche, and she wasn't sure how great she'd be at functioning in a 'community'.

He must have seen the hesitation on her face, because he told her to think it over, before winking and stepping out into the hall. Her jaw dropped. His whole assessment, the tension of an auction, and the talk of initiation... and then that? God, he was aggravating. She blushed slightly as she replayed the thought of that wink over in her head. It'd been a while since she'd met a boy her age, let alone had him wink at her. Her mind raced, but she beat her sudden excitement back down with a mental sledgehammer. People don't get close anymore. It's too dangerous. A wink is utterly insignificant you silly girl. You're letting your hormones get the best of you. She told herself, in disgust, sitting down on one of the makeshift beds which was more fit to be called a cot than anything else.

Then Parr was back, moving past him in the hall. Kytal could hear her just around the corner, because the sound echoed of the walls in muffled vibrations. His tone was so different then, as if they were schoolmates from older times, when things were peaceful, and jokes were common.

When she walked in, Ky looked up and smiled politely. She probably looked a mess, with dried blood caked on the side of her face, and sewage water drenched into her jeans. She suddenly took stock of herself and realized that wink was most definitely a joke. She needed a shower, and quick. Hopefully there was running water nearby.

First things first, eat, drink, and take care of ones hygiene. Then go find Dante.

"See, that's the Shadow Gallery there. I know, it's HUGE, bu-- EEP!" And in the middle of Parr's explanation of their home, she was tackled from behind and sent sprawling in the middle of the road. That wasn't all, though, oh no. She felt the sharp edge of a knife push gently against the back of her neck, and she yelped in pain. That got his attention. She didn't seem angry at all, though. She just turned and grinned happily at Dante, her tail swishing from side to side. "I know, I'm sorry. I'll remember next time!" Yay, he hadn't noticed her ears were exposed for all the world to see! Thank God. She scampered off ahead of the two, leading the way back to the Shadow Gallery.

Of course, the kitsune was more than happy to oblige, dashing upstairs to fetch whatever she figured their new guest would need or want. On her way, she passed the library, and, oblivious to the fact that Pathos was absorbed in a book, she poked her head in and waved. "Hi Pathos! Bye Pathos!"

And she was off again.

In the kitchen, she rummaged around the various cupboards and drawers. There wasn't much, but there was enough to keep them going. She grabbed two loaves of bread, cheese, two apples, and two bottles of water. They were deprived, not primitive, of course. Bottled water was very convenient.

Next she scampered off to her room. It was small, but, it did the trick. She dumped the load onto her sheet, then grabbed what little extra clothes she had to Ky, while she, herself, changed into a grungy, baggy t-shirt so big it could be considered a dress. In fact, she did consider a dress, and she hummed a tune as she hung her shoes and socks up to dry, changing into a new pair and slipping into a comfortable pair of sandals. Then she gathered up everything in the sheet and crept back downstairs, where she almost ran into Dante.

"M'kay, I'll come say hi later!" she assured him, before meeting Ky in the cellar, alone. "Boy, it's dusty down here, isn't it? We really should fix that. But I brought you some stuff! And you can even have my bed if you want, Dante's so suspicious of everyone." Well, yes, he had a right to be. But Parr was blissfully ignorant. Or, at least, acted like it.

Placing the contents of the sheet carefully on the bed, she picked up an apple and bit into it. "So," she said through a mouthful of fruit. "What do you think of the place?" She swallowed. "It's big, huh?"

Ky just rolled her eyes. Obviously this one knew Dante well.

She snatched an apple from Parr's awaiting grasp and dug her teeth into the side of it. The juice flowed into her mouth, and after days of eating nothing but old bread and not ripe enough vegetables it was like tasting heaven.

She nodded her thanks and replied, "Yes, it's lovely. Lot's of character. Although, I could do without sleeping with the corpses. Does he think keeping me down her will ensure that I don't kill you in the night?" She rolled her eyes again. "Great plan." She added, barely audibly. Then she took to looking around the room. The cavern was dark, but she could see from the lamp that hung on the wall that there were pathways throughout, as if this room went farther, twisting and turning underneath the dwelling.

She listened, and the soft bubbling sounds of a stream could be heard farther into the passageways. She raised an eyebrow at Parr, and made her way along the wall. Once she was out of the room it was much too dark to see and she motioned for Parr to hand her her pack.

She unzipped the front panel, and the retracted a flash light, that she used to illuminate the way before her. She could see a light at the end of the tunnel, and giggled to herself at the irony. Once she was through the doorway, it opened into another, bigger room. Through it ran a small stream and her heart leapt into her throat with excitement. This room was lit with natural light that came streaming in from an entrance to the outside world.
The church was probably built on a hill, facing a wooded area because the faint smell of rotting wood and grass came through the tunnel, to her senses.

"Wow, you certainly found the perfect place here. Fresh streams and everything." She took off her shoes, one by one, placing them on the dirt floor beside her. "Do you mind if I wash up?" Not waiting for an answer, she jumped in, clothes and all, letting the frigid water caress her skin. "God it's cold!" She complained halfheartedly, too content to work up much complaint.

"Traitor!" The footsteps grew more rapid and brushed more across the grass. "Conspirator!" Dante yelled again, as he paced the garden, he wasn't actually talking to anyone. Just reciting a poem he wrote. "Lover, and savior." He said more calmly, "I am all, and I am nothing. He is mine, and I and His. Despite the Heretic's grasp, his love stretches to mine own family through me. Without Him, could I see?" He smiled lightly under his garb. Humming, and then lightly singing, In a sweater poorly knit, an unsuspecting smile. Little Moses dirfts, downstream from the Nile. a fumbling reply, an awkward rigid laugh
I'm carried helpless by my floating basket raft
your flavor in my mind swings back and forth between
sweet rhan any wine and bitter as mustard greens
light and dark as honeydew and pumpernickel bread
the trap I set for you seems to have caught my leg instead! He smiled a little, remembering the old tale. Though, he thought maybe Moses was slightly like him. Freedom fighters technically.
He shrugged. Dante sighed, remembering another song he had once heard, one so much more dark. Humming it and lightly singing it, this time his voice took on a lighter, more calm tone. Though also a more tough tone, almost like a priest would have calming a child. "Imagine a place where every horror comes to life
Where every torture is real and time stands still
Eight fiery steps and we're closer to the end." Dante sighed heavily, remembering the Mines of Tartarus as he sang. "In a cold and timeless grave buried head first in shit. Praying all the while for a quick & painless death. Scratching furiously at scabbed and oozing wounds..." Now he remembered slaves. And he remembered finally, the one traitor, the traitor of his father. Magnus. "Lucifer ... angel of light.
Cast below god of ice.
Ruling hell unholy trinity.
The traitors freeze for all eternity.
Lucifer ... betrayer of god.
Tormentor ruthless and cold.
Judas' screaming here in agony.
The traitors freeze for all eternity." And with all these things sang to himself, he sighed very heavily and whispered, though it was audible to any who would enter at that time.
"Vae Victus."- Latin saying: Woe to the Conquered, or Suffering to the Conquered.


Clack! The thick black wooden cane hit the ground loudly. Every soldier in the chamber was forced to look at him. Some whispered as he approached. A black pinstripe like business suit and tie, earrings along his left ear. His eyes were a midnight blue, which pierced every soul as he looked at the people he passed. He smiled cruelly, whipeing a stray strand of black hair from his eyes. Though one thick streak was a silvery-grey, it was merely a side effect.
Well, that was a side effect, and so was his right hand. A pentagram carved into it which glowed an eerie red. This made his hand look almost dried, cracked, but his nails had turned into claws. His right eye was a treat too, it had a slit-like pupil, not a normal one. And in the middle was a glow of red as well, though extremely dim it was barely noticable.
His teeth were the last oddity about the man's appearance. The teeth were all sharp on the right side. He smiled again cruelly. He bowed lightly as he got to his Lord and Master, Ajex. "You called me, My Lord?" He asked. His voice was a mixture of a calm, intelligent charm with a slight slyness about it.
He looked down, gripping his cane with his right hand. This man was the right hand man of Ajex.
This man was Evan Magnus, a notorious alchemist, demonologist, and worst of all, very esteemed Black Mage, or Warlocke if you preferred that term.

(I'm grabbing a lead here, Apoc, hope you don't mind)
GALTHRAN:

Galthran was still walking the streets as he entered the heart of the market district and noticed a mere child creeping towards the stands. He seemed to think he was still unseen. "Should we take him down?" Calvis asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"Wait for him to make a move, we'll go if we have to," Galthran said, and Marrick scowled.

"Why not take him now? He's clearly a thief?" Marrick said, and Galthran elbowed him in the side.

"Hush yourself, Marrick, don't alert him, you fool," Galthran said, and Marrick turned his head aside, fists clenched and near his plasma-based handgun.

"Both of you, enough! He's attempting something..." Calvis said, and Galthran turned to see the boy approaching a fruit-stand from the side. He reached his hand out and quickly snatched a couple of apples and pears, but even the busy stand owner noticed.

"HEY, KID! GET BACK HERE!" The kid panicked, and Marrick pulled his handgun out and rushed in.

"GOD'S MERCY! IT'S OVER!" Marrick shouted, and the boy froze in place, fear in his eyes. Marrick raised his gun,

"NO!" Galthran shouted, and rushed at Marrick to stop him from killing the boy, but knew he wouldn't reach him in time.

"Ungh!" Marrick said, his voice low and somewhat muffled, and he put a hand to his thigh, where a syringe in one of the few unarmored spots of a God's Mercy soldier. He attempted to raise his gun once more, and then fell to the ground. The boy was still frozen.

"What the hell, Marrick?!" Calvis rushed over to him, and Galthran turned around to see a speeding figure rush by.

"HALT!" Galthran shouted, pulling out his own gun, but the figure had already ran past Calvis and Marrick, and was now carrying the boy. "Damn he's fast..." Galthran said, stunned. His eye began zooming in, but the figure turned a corner and was gone. 'Is Marrick alright?" Galthran asked, truly concerned. He didn't like Marrick, but he didn't want him dead either.

"I can't tell, but he does still have a pulse, and he doesn't seem to be experiencing anything worse than a loss of consciousness. We'll get him to the infirmary... A little fruit isn't worth a lost man. Come on," Calvis answered, and Galthran helped carry him over to the infirmary. Using a free hand, Galthran contacted patrol HQ.

"We had a thief trying to steal some fruit, patrol officer Marrick went after him and got hit by a syringe. It emptied into his bloodstream completely, so we don't have a pure sample, and we're not yet sure what it did, but he's currently unconscious. We lost the thief and the figure that we believe attacked him. We're reporting to the infirmary now," Galthran reported, occasionally pausing to re-establish his hold on Marrick.

"Alright, report and we'll try to examine his blood and determine the substance. Stay safe, Galthran," The Patrol Captain said, and turned off the com-link.

STRANGHILL:

"HEY KID, GET BACK HERE!" Stranghill heard a shout, and he looked out the window of the bar to see a child standing with some fruit, looking panicked.

"GOD'S MERCY! IT'S OVER!" Stranghill heard another shout, and saw a God's Mercy soldier, the one he had dove into the bar to retreat from, raise his gun and point it at the thief. Stranghill shoved open the door to the bar and dashed forward, tossing a knock-out poison at the break in the soldier's armor near his thigh. As the soldier fell, Stranghill dashed towards the panicked child and grabbed him. The child began to move again as Stranghill turned the corner, and was running on his own soon enough. Stranghill turned into an alley, the kid followed. Stranghill grabbed the child by the shoulders and shook him.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed, boy? Who sent you?" Stranghill said, in a harsh but whispered tone. The child remained silent, still somewhat fear-stricken, and clearly hiding something. "Well, who?!" Stranghill said, louder this time. He had just risked his life to save this kid because he couldn't stand to let a mere child die, but he still wanted answers.

"I... He woul-" The boy stopped again, his eyes dropped.

"You're not cut out for this yet, kid... You just can't take this... You have a place you can go back to?" Stranghill asked, letting go of the kid. He nodded, hesitantly, and Stranghill sighed. "So... Are you the only one doing this?" His eyes shifted, which gave Stranghill the answer. "Tell them Stranghill is on your side. I develop poisons and explosives from the simplest ingredients available, and I'm skilled in marksmanship and dagger use. If there are more people trying to take down God's Mercy, I'm willing to help. Now get back to them," Stranghill said, and gave the child a light push. He quickly nodded and ran off, still holding onto the stolen fruit.

Some time after the man entered the city another more ominous figure walked his way down the forest path. If the fact that he wore in the black and red robes of a High Priest of God’s Mercy was not enough to give the soldiers hiding in the bushes pause, the fact that he was nearly seven feet tall and had a wingspan of nearly fifteen feet would. It told them that he was an archangel, one of the Holy Races, and he more then likely had imperative business in the city.

Still, there was something suspicious about him… aside from the fact that he kept the hood of his robes pulled tightly over his face hiding it completely,that was. The figure carried a rather large package wrapped in black cloth across his broad shoulders. That was probably why they approached him despite his apparent race and position. “You there,” the leader of the guardians demanded boldly, though there was a slight hesitance in his step. It was the same man who had been so bold before. “What business have you in the city?"

The figure turned his head to the one who spoke, and though the guardian could not see his eyes the fact that he swallowed loudly told the angel he could feel his icy gaze rather well. “Since when is the Order of God’s Mercy ever questioned? Stand down, mortal, and I may let you live.”

The guardian could not help but take a small step back as he felt more then heard the angel’s menacing tone but though his men were now more then willing to let him pass he still he stood his ground. Rumours that a large figure clad in black priest robes had reached his ears and he had to be sure. “You are more then welcome to pass, but only once I’ve seen your face and what’s in your package,” the guardian demanded.

The figure chuckled, a sound that send shivers down the spine of all those there to hear it. “As you wish…” he said and brought the end of the package up and over his head. All eyes were on it when one end hit the ground hard, a metallic ring filling the air as the cloth fell away to reveal a sword taller then each of them. Their eyes already wide with fear grew wider when they met his face. The short white hair… The icy blue eyes… The three scars… And the smoke gray wings… It could only be Rain Sypress, The Murk Fiend of Battle.

And a deserter to God’s Mercy’s army.

One of the guardians had just regained his wits enough to reach for the plasma rifle at his side, and was about to demand that Rainn surrender, but it was too late. With one powerful sweep of mighty Stromesonge, the archangel of death felled each of them where they stood, his face a stony mask of apathy. He had warned them… and they had stood in his way. They paid for it with their lives. Still, he could leave without a proper sending and so he took the time and knelt in prayer, asking that God take each their souls if he so saw fit.

He was about to walk away when he heard the familiar scratching of a radio. Somebody must have pressed their radio button before he had a chance to get cut the four of them down. “THI_ __ AN ALL CAL_... THIS IS A_ ALL CALL… ALL WO_D-WAT__ PATRO__ PLEASE RESPO__.” Rainn turned back to the bodies, looking them over for the radio as he waited for the responses but when none came he knew he had just killed Wood-Watch one. “THIS I_ _N ALL CALL…. _HIS I_ __ ALL CALL… AL_ WOO_-WATCH PATROLS PLEA__ RESPOND.” This time it was more urgent, and it allowed Rainn to find the radio more easily.

Picking up the radio he responded, “Wood-Watch 01, 10-4.”

There was a short pause as each of the remaining Wood-Watched responded. “BRAV_ TO WO_D-WA_CH 01, AN_ _ARTICU__R REAS__ _OR THE DELA_ __ RESPO__E TO THE A__ CALL?”

“Wood-Watch 01 to Bravo, 10-4. We’d spotted a suspicious figure and were just in the process of initiating an investigating when the All Call came in,” Rainn replied. “The radio caused the figure to flee and we gave chase. We were unable to apprehend the suspect.”

There was a long pause before the response. “10-4.” Rainn was not sure how well he had done to convince them he was Wood-Watch 01 so he decided to keep moving. With any luck they would not discover the bodies and raise the alarm for a couple more hours but it was hard to say. Tossing the radio into the brush he rewrapped his sword and pulled the hood back over his face before continuing on into the city. He was getting closer… He could feel it.

"Uhm ..." There was a shower upstairs with hot water. The temperature flucuated rather frequently, but it was still warm. However, as Ky rushed into the water without a second thought, she decided to keep her mouth shut. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

Parr hovered in the doorway, having finished up her apple in a hurry. Now she munched on bread and a piece of cheese, looking quite satisfied after a long day's work. Her tail swished. Her ears twitched. And she gave a small humm of contentment.

Though she didn't go all the way in, she did dip her feet into the water, letting it lap at her ankles while shivers rocketed up her spine. "Whoa, it is cold! Don't stay too long in here, you'll get sick."

She ripped off some of her bread and offered it to her new friend. At least, she thought they were friends. She hoped so. "You can take my room upstairs. You really will get sick if you stay down here - it's too cold. But I've got nothing to worry about, 'cause I don't get sick!" That was a lie. But it made for a good argument! "Besides, maybe Dante will visit you." Her tone held a teasing note too it, and she grinned a foxy grin, mischievious.

Ky leaned back into the murky water, letting it support her weight as she floated along. The stream was deep and slow, and despite the cool temperature it felt extremely good. The garage she'd been living in didn't have any running water so she hadn't showered other than a few times when she'd snuck into a home while someone was at work.

Ky just rolled her eyes at the mention of the temperature and envied the girl for the accommodations she'd been enjoying. She was glad the water was murky and the lights dim so she didn't have to feel self-conscious when she began to remove her garments.
She peeled them off one by one, drenched with dirt, sweat, and the water of the stream. She wrung them out in her hands, cleaning them as best she could.

Then she swam back to the edge of the bank, resting her bare chest against the side, hiding her indecency from view. She grabbed the offered bread and nodded.

"Thanks." She smiled and enjoyed the softness between her lips. "Mmm..." She murmured before turning her attention back to Parr, who she liked more and more by the minute. Perhaps it was the fact that she was feeding her, or maybe more. She wasn't quite sure.

"Are those for me?" She questioned, wringing out her dark locks and motioning to the clothes Parr had brought with her. She really was feeling the effects of the cold water now and her teeth were chattering within her jaw.

Parr smiled again, swallowing the remainder of her mozzarella and sourdough dinner. "Yep! Thought you might need 'em." She waded back to the makeshift bedroom and gathered up a thick woolen sweater and some shapeless jeans, scurrying back to Ky with those and the spare bedsheet. "You can use that to dry off," she explained.

To give her some privacy [hey, the surroundings weren't luxurious, but they were still girls], she turned and let her change, blinking up mesmerized at a few will 'o' wisps of foxfire she'd conjured. The soft blue light bounced against the walls, taking on an almost serene affect.

"... are you doing to stay with us?" She asked all of a sudden, her voice more solemn and serious than it had been for the past hour or so. She had been the only girl in the group for a long time now. Some female company would be appreciated. "I mean, I know it isn't much, but it's still better than some warehouse. And Dante's really nice once you get to know him, really. You don't have to if you don't want to, but, we can be friends ... right?" Her ears drooped, her tail had stopped swishing. She was ... pleading? Sad? Whatever it was, she was serious.

((OOC: hey m sorry i havnt posted ive been stuck at work >.< but ill post later today ^_^ for now im going to sleep its been a horrible night...u.u))

She took the items as Parr turned her back, and hoisted herself out of the stream onto the soggy ground. She unfolded the bed sheet, wrapping it around her form. It was thin and not very absorbent, but it would have to do. She padded it over her body and squeezed out her damp hair into it.

She moved away from the waters edge, to a drier surface and slipped her feet into the jeans. They were easily a few sizes too big but she hoisted them over her hips and ripped off a bit of the blanket to use as a belt, hoping these sheets weren't too important. They probably weren't for in these ages you used what you had for that you needed. Period.

Stay? Well she hadn't really come up with a better plan.
"For now." She agreed, her voice quiet and soft, so exhausted from life itself.

The next question made her back go rigid. Friends? She didn't really have friends. Not now, and not even in times of peace. She was a loner in every right. But Parr was a nice girl and she could hear the sorrow in her words.
She shrugged the thick sweater over her shoulders and concluded her clothing.

"I think there's a possibility we could be good friends." Kytal said, hoping that would appease her. She didn't make friends easily so that response had been quite hard for her to make. She grabbed the straps of her pack from Parr's shoulders and hoisted it off her.

"Thanks. It would have sucked to have done all that thievery for naught." She said, placing the bag on her shoulders. Then she walked past Parr.

"And the offer of your room seems nice. I won't take up much room, I promise. Plus, I never snore. So I'll be a better roomie than many I'm sure." She called back. "I'll meet you there after I talk with Dante."

She paused at the exit to the cavern. "And I appreciate you bringing me home. I wouldn't have lasted much longer if you hadn't." Then she ducked out of the room. It had been to personal an encounter in her opinion and she was happy to be putting distance between them. She didn't do emotions anymore.

She'd rather be cold, because friends didn't last long these days. And those you come to trust will almost certainly betray you. She padded up the steps, to the main level of the building. It was quiet but she could hear the sound of birds to her right. There had to be an exit that way. He'd said the garden right?

She found she was excited to get the chance to explore these halls. She passed many rooms and corridors until she finally made it to the garden. Great vines covered the courtyard and birds played in the ancient fountain that no longer pumped water, but stayed stagnant. She wondered what it was like before this place had become little more than ruins.

She walked forward, feeling Dante's presence and yet... She paused, listening to the breeze. She could hear rough, warm tones from beyond this patch of trees. It was a willow and she brushed the dangling strands out of the way. Her eyes widened as he stood before her, looking away. He seemed to be talking to himself. But then he began to sing and she couldn't help but giggle.

She through her hands over her mouth to stop, but she was too late. She let them drop and raised her eyebrow questioningly.

"The great Dante...sings?" She asked, a smug expression flirting with her features.

"Yes," Dante replied, chuckling at Ky's question. "he does indeed." He turned to face her, outstretching his arm to offer her to stand next to him. "So, have you thought about my offer?" He asked gently, bowing lightly to her. He seemed a lot less hostile than he was before. At least, he thought he was, and he hoped he was being as kind as he'd wanted. Than again, he was being a lot more hospitable than when Parr had first came into the Shadow Gallery.

"No," He'd said, Parr was throwing up a storm of argument, "But, you can't just throw me out!" She had become almost furious, "I'm just like you!"
"No, no you're really not."
"Yes, I am!"
"How?"
"What?"
"How're you like me?" His question was simple enough. Parr sighed heavily, thinking, shuffling her feet, her tail twitching nervously, "I'm an orphan too."
"But you're not like me, one common trait is nothing for me to let you live here."
"But you need me."
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He had become angry at the outsider, "I don't need you. I'm perfectly happy living on my own."
"You do need me."
"What makes you say that?" There was silence in the lobby-like area, Parr smiled smugly, "You're lonely." Okay, he thought, I have to admit that, I am lonely. "Fine."
"What?"
"You can stay."
"Yay! Thank you!" And with that she'd tried to hug him, sidestepping the hug, he tripped her though. "But," He said, "If I catch you doing anything I don't like, you're out of here faster than you can say 'oops', got it?"
"Ow... Yeah, whatever Mr. High-And-Mighty. You got it."
"Good. Now get up, we need to make ourselves some dinner."
"How?"
"G.M. has a cargo train passing by in about an hour, if we plan well we can get some good food off of it before it reaches the fortress." Dante spoke hurriedly, pacing as he did so, smiling a little. Parr just looked shocked, "... You're insane."
"And you're helping me."
"... Why am I doing this?" She'd asked, walking towards what was now her room. Dante called in reply, "Because you've nowhere else to go, foxie."

And it was true. She didn't have anywhere else, and inside Dante wanted the company. He shrugged, "I hope you know the dangers of living with us. And the small rules..." He said. The rules were easy enough to figure out. They usually did something together or not at all. Depending on the situation.


The young boy, who Dante had sent out hours before, ran into the garden hurriedly. "Sir!" Dante turned, looking at the boy in a mildly surprised expression. In some ways, he wanted the boy dead, he was a liability. "Don't call me that. What's wrong?"
"Someone wanted me to send you a message." There was silence, Dante walked over to the boy, and put his hand softly on his throat. "You told people who you were working for...?"
"H-He seemed trustworthy..."
"Almost no one is, kid. Learn that. Hint, that was your last mission. Now, who was it you spoke to?"
"Stranghill Olganis. Some sort of freedom fighter."
"Did he say to meet him somewhere?"
"No..." Dante sighed, "Probably one of the bars." He thought for a moment and then patted the kids shoulder. "Go to your room for now. I'll finish up here and then I'll talk to this Stranghill fellow." The boy nodded and smiled. "Yes Sir!"
"Don't call me that!"
"Sorry Dante..." With that the boy ran off, Dante sighed again and looked at Ky, "Sorry about that."

(OoC: Finally, I get around to my post.)

Emperor Ajex sat on his throne, one hand tapping a beat on the arm of the throne, the other supporting his chin. "Yes, Evan. I would like you to do something for me." The Emperor rose, his consort rising from the seat behind him.

Taking her hand in his, Emperor Cunningway stepped down from the raised platform the thrones rested upon. "Walk with me, Magnus." The mage stood and fell into step behind the Emperor as the three walked into back passage, leading to the library. Here was Ajax's refuge, where he was a simple man, or as much of a man as one of his species could be. Seating himself in one of the chairs here, he relaxed. Smiling, his second wife perched on the arm next to him. Ajax waved to a seat across from him, and Magnus sat.

"I hate that throne, it's so uncomfortable to sit on." he said, stretching. Then he turned back to the matter at hand.

"Evan Magnus, your knowledge of poisons has continuously amazed me. Now, I have a task for that knowledge. I wish to purify the heretics from this land, and bring the true believers under my wing. For this end, I need a poison, airborne, undetectable. When we are sure that everyone has become infected, we shall announce to the world that an accident has occurred in one of our laboratories, and this poison has been released into the world. We will tell them we are frantically working for a cure, which you shall make before hand. From carefully chosen places, we will distribute the antidote to those who wish it. Free of charge. But we will also be doing checks, as a census. Truthfully...We will be looking for those blasted Freedom of Expression brats."

The Emperor leaned back in the chair, his plan told. Doing this horrible act to his subjects made him feel horrible, but it was necessary.

STRANGHILL OLGANIS:

"Alright... Now, I wait..." Stranghill said, sitting in the alley he had pushed the kid from. He hadn't given a specific meeting place. It was painfully obvious that the child was not the best at avoiding detection or interrogation, so he made sure that the worst that could happen was that he told authorities about a man named Stranghill Olganis. They'd possibly recognize the name, but he could deal with that. If they knew where he would meet these other freedom fighters, they could both be killed or captured, and he couldn't let that happen. He hoped the kid would send someone to the fruit stands where he found Stranghill and then he could approach from the alley. The soldiers had abandoned their search in the fruit stands by now, and were looking around the district Stranghill had been headed towards during his rescue. One did decide to check the alley, but Stranghill simply removes the majority of his clothes, huddled into a ball, grabbed an empty bottle of beer, and pretended to be a hobo of sorts, sleeping. The soldier ignored him, although was slightly confused that there were still homeless in the city, as most people without homes were people the soldiers had killed.

GALTHRAN REDRAN:

"Marrick, how are you doing?" Galthran asked Marrick, sitting down next to him.

"Of what concern is it to you, cyborg?" Marrick responded, but it was forced, he coughed and shook his head out, clearly not in the condition to put up much of an argument. He didn't seem hurt in any way, but very groggy.

"You freaked us out there, Mar. I thought we were gonna need a new squad annoyance," Calvis joked, and Marrick actually chuckled slightly.

"Did you find the bastard who did this to me?" Marrick asked, and Galthran shook his head sullenly. "Damn... Well, he seemed nice enough. I doubt I'd be alive if he wanted me dead..." Marrick said, which was quite clear thinking all things considered.

"True... Perhaps that same terrorist who's been causing those recent non-lethal attacks... But you're alright, and that's the immediate cause of worry. We sent search teams, and they're still looking. We can assume he had a connection with the boy, otherwise I doubt he would have risked so much to save him... Perhaps he is not alone?" Galthran said, and Marrick and Calvis nodded. "Well, perhaps we'll find out, and perhaps we won't. Let's just focus on keeping you alive. You've been given a short leave for the troubles, only three days, but it's a leave nonetheless. We've been given today and tomorrow off, we'll merge with the two man patrol of Ralbus and Larke for the next two days of your leave." Iren Ralbus and Kreal Larke are one of the few two-man squads. They are incredibly compatible together, practically like brothers, except they get along more often than brothers do.

"Alright then... Hopefully I'll be up and ready by tomorrow," Marrick paused, hesitant to say something, and then continued, "Thanks.... Galthran. I was.... Surprised, that you bothered to check to see if I was still alive," Marrick said, and Galthran chuckled.

"If you died, who would I fight with?" Galthran joked, and they both laughed. "Well, we're gonna be going to enjoy our leave. We'll tell you if we find anything on the guy who attacked you. Later."

Bloody guards! Again they had followed him around all day, watching him as a eager wolf would watch her pup. Everyone watched him though. Everyone concerned themselves with his well being, and it made him feel as if he was a babe; small and fragile and helpless. But he was far from it. Not only did he carry a wide array of armament but he was also highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat, something he had proven time and again in practice. So why did they all feel the need to watch him so closely? Did they not realize how confining it was?

Of course not… They’re all too caught up in what his Father would think if anything would happen to him that they had not even began to stop and consider his feelings. Being the son of Emperor Ajax Cunningway had its perks, but it also had its head aches as well. This was one of them. When he was younger he had hardly noticed the constant supervision. Now that he was older though, the lack of privacy was becoming more aggravating. He was a teenage boy and teenage boys had certain… requirements and these requirements that was hard to meet when you had eyes on you nearly every second of every day.

He sighed, his lack of a personal life getting to him once again. Beyond audiences, training, and what little bonding time his Father was able to set aside for him Jesse really had nothing else. He’d learned long ago trying to form friendships with the other boys his age was useless. Of the ones who hadn’t been shipped off to become soldiers, most were either too afraid of his position to even get close to him unless he ordered it, or they were too unintelligible to be worth anything more then the simple tasks they were assigned. So unless he was antagonizing one of those boys until they either got tired of it and started to fight back, or they broke down and cried, Jalsiton was pretty much on his own.

He supposed that was why he found himself sneaking out again tonight. Not only did he need some time away from those constantly prying eyes, but at least out here he was not restricted to the boundaries of his station. No one watched him with the same hawking gaze they did when he was home nor did they track his every movement. No one needed to. They did not know who he was nor did they care.

Well, he was certain there would be those who would care if they found out. Jalsiton was well informed of the terrorist groups that have been attacking his Father’s men and kept anything that would identify himself at a glance at home when he went into the City. About the only things he could not leave behind were his orange eyes and crimson hair so he wore dark sunglasses and a baseball cap with a large hooded sweater that kept his belt hidden as well. He did nothing to conceal his bowie knife though. He did not want to give the impression he was completely harmless.

He passed by a fruit stand, absentmindedly reaching out and grabbing one of the apples there. It wasn’t that he was trying to steal… Rather, he was too caught up in his thoughts that he had forgotten where he was. Being far to used to taking what he wanted when he wanted it he’d hardly given the motion a second thought and so when the stand owner called out he all but ignored the man.

“You better be willing to pay for that, boy” he heard as a hand came down hard on his shoulders, grabbing him and stopping him in his place. It almost came as a surprise, but Jalsition supposed that his knife did not appear at threatening when strapped to someone of his young age and smaller size. “Or be willing to put it back, at least. I do not take well to thievery, and neither do the Guardians, but I’m willing to at least give you this one chance to correct your mistake.”

Jalsiton grinned, taking a bite from the apple and making it impossible to return now. He tried his best to ignore the fact that it was far from ripe and closer to beginning to rot now. “Go ahead and call the Guardians, but I suggest you remove your hand from my shoulder. I do not take kindly to people trying to intimidate me.”

Snickering as the stand owner seemed completely flabbergasted at his daring retort Jess reached up, grabbing the man’s hand and twisting it and his arm as he spun to face him. The owner called out as he moved to avoid the pain and dropped to his knees. “You little BASTARD! GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME THIS INSTANT! HELP! I’M BEING ATTACKED!! Theif! THIEF!!”

“As you wish, Sir,” Jalsiton said, letting go of the man. At that point four Guardians ran up, two of which getting were getting a little closer to him then he felt comfortable. He put his arms up defensively, an apologetic grin on his face. He could feel all their eyes rest on his knife momentarily before finding his face again. “Whoa, whoa… No need to get hasty there. It was just a bit of a misunderstanding.”

The chief officer all but ignored him as he turned to the stand owner. “Just what the hell is going on here?”

“That boy stole from me and then attacked me! Arrest him!”

“Stole from you?” Jalsiton said, taking on an offended tone. Secretly though he was laughing at the situation. “Attacked you? Do I look like the common riffraff that normally crawl these streets? Is my smell really that offensive? Let me ask you, if I were a criminal then why did I not run? I touch one apple and he leapt out at me as if I’m going to vanish any second, threatening me as if I’m some sort of criminal. I didn’t even have a chance to pay him before he placed his hands on me. I merely returned the favour… Believe me, Officer, If I wanted to attack him he would have ended up with a hell of a lot more then a twisted arm.”

He felt their eyes go once again to his knife, but did not outwardly acknowledge their stares. His focus was on four dark shapes hidden in the shadows. “Lies!” the stand owner called out and the Guardians attention were once again on the man. “He lies officers! He had no intentions in paying. He ignored me when I requested payment.”

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to take you in for question,” the chief officer told him, apparently not believing his side of the story. Jalsiton laughed. “This is not a laughing matter son… Thievery is a serious offence in this city.” The other three guards moved on him, ready to arrest him.

‘Huh… wha…” Jesse said, as if he was distracted. “Oh, right. The apple…” He reached for his right pocket, the Guardians obviously thinking he was going for his knife as they moved in on him all the faster. “Whoa! Hey! Chill chill, guys…” he said defensively but allowing himself to show some amusement. “… I’m just getting the man some money.” When everyone seemed to relax some he reached into his pocket, pulling out enough money to cover the cost of the apple several times over and tossing it to the man who was on the ground. “There we are… Happy now? We got everything squared away?”

The stand owner glared at Jalsiton, but could not deny that the amount sitting at his feet was more then enough. “Fine!” the man said grudgingly, getting to his feet. “Let the boy go free. But if I ever see you near my stand again…”

But Jalsiton cut him off. “Well, as happy as I am that we got that all settled why don’t you four earn the tax payers money and go take care of the real criminals. You got four vultures raiding your fruit stand now and by the looks of things they’re pretty hungry. If you hurry you might even be able to catch them all.”

“WHAT!!!! The man turned in rage, looking to see his words were indeed true. Apparently only Jalsiton had noticed the four figures skulk their way from the shadows and converge on the fruit stand; everyone else had been too busy watching the drama unfold before them. “STOP! THIEVES!!!” He chuckled in amusement as he was all but forgotten by the stand owner who charged in after the fleeing forms. The Guardians hesitated a moment, trying to figure out what they should do before deciding the other four were more important. The stand owner had agreed to let him off the hook after all.

He let out a hearty laugh, taking a bit of his apple but was once again reminded of its rotting state. “Bleh!” he said, spitting it out of his mouth. Looking around he spotted a child that looked like he probably needed it more then him watching it hungrily. “Here you go, kid,” Jesse said, tossing it his way. “Enjoy.”

He walked away, continuing on down the street as his mind once again got lost in thought. These common folk… They really were rather amusing, weren’t they?

Faren sat leaned against the chimney of the three story building watching the market square. He knew that people had to eat and according to the stories there was a group fighting from the shadows in the city. So he waited, and watched the people go about there simple lives. He had hoped that someone would stick out to him, and sure enough a shop keeper started shouting about a thief and the guards started to give chase. To his surprise it was a small boy, and yet the guards chased him as if he was some mass murderer. "A sad day when you can't even trust an innocent boy..." he muttered to himself as he rose and swiftly followed along the rooftops.

"Heh, this kid may not be bright but hes quick, but perhaps thats only his size." he noted as the child out ran the guards easily. Suddenly out of the blue the kid vanished leaving the guards as bewildered as he was. Faren held his position waiting for the guards to disperse and look about before climbing down into a back alley. He walked out into the crowd of people to where the boy had vanished and stopped not sure of what to make of it. A fruit stand was along the wall to his right and a few other random shops, but where to go except the alley on the opposite side. "Why not I might as well have a look..."

He moved quietly into the alley absorbing all that he saw. There was a dumpster on the left side where a child could easily hide. As he approached he found nothing but a lowly hobo huddled in a ball. Faren shrugged it off letting the man sleep in peace. As he went to turn however he caught a glimpse of what the man was laying on. "Those are some pretty clothes for a hobo..." His voice was curious as he directed the mans attention. "perhaps you could tell me why you hide them instead of wearing them." he casually pointed at the pieces hidden beneath the man.

((OOC: Tag Stranghill ^_^))

Stranghill had listened to the commotion that had gone on in the market square, and was still waiting for someone from the other freedom fighters when the newcomer noticed him. Realizing he had been discovered, but not knowing by whom, he quickly reached into the pocket of his currently removed jacket and brought out an amnesia-syringe. It was only short term memory loss, but very useful for certain cases. However, it was very difficult to find the necessary ingredients for the poison, and he used it sparingly. In this case, it had only been a coincidence that it was the one he pulled out. He had his syringes organized within his jacket, but didn't have time to think about the system he was using.

"Are you who they sent?" Stranghill asked, knowing that it was possible this was who the freedom fighters had sent. "And if so, how did you know to come to this alley?" He didn't enjoy being in a fighting stance while practically naked, as it was an odd feeling, but he didn't let it distract him. "And if you aren't who they sent, why are you here?"

Faren stepped back as the man stood, he had seen him reach for something and wasn't about to stay but so close. As the man spoke a curious looked crossed his face, "They? O I see, so you are the one that rescued the boy the guards were chasing. I was wondering how he just suddenly vanished." he relaxed a little relieved that he wasn't completely loosing his mind. "Perhaps its fortunate that we have met then friend. However, If you don't mind I would rather talk to a fully clothed person. Its just a bit uncomfortable if you get my meaning, you being a man and all." His voice was polite, and despite the barely naked man very courteous.

Faren walked backwards slowly as he spoke and only turned slightly when he had to. "When your dressed again Ill be by the fruit stand. I have a feeling you can help me find the ones I seek, or in the very least point me in the right direction." With that he slipped into the crowd and away from the man. He hoped this strange man wouldn't run off due to his curiosity. He would hate to have to track him down amongst all these people and possibly catch the attention of the guards. He walked over to the fruit stand and waited against the wall.

"Hey you!" A voice came from his right. And an older man stood there glaring at him. "Yeah Im talkin to ya." he growled.

"Yes good sir? How is it I can help you?" Faren's voice was slightly annoyed at his thoughts being interrupted but remained polite. He shifted his cloak to cover his right arm.

"You can't just stand there by my store boy. If ya aint goin to buy somthin then be off wit ya." The man was slightly irritated and shooed him away from the stall with one hand and gestured to him fruit with the other.

Faren smiled weakly as his stomach suddenly let out an agreeable growl to the mans attempts at selling him fruit. "My apologize sir I was simply trying to decide which of your delicious looking fruits would best suit me today." his voice was pleasant and had a business air to it. "You look like a good judge of character sir perhaps you could help me."

The man immediately changed his posture and tone of voice now seeing himself as a master salesmen. "I see boy, well why didn't you say so in the first place instead of just stanin there." the man stopped a moment and too a good look at Faren and then shuffled off into the back of the store mumbling to himself. Moments later he reappeared with a small bag in his hands.

"And what have you there, sir?" he leaned closer to try and get a better look at the contents of the bag.

The old man smiled widely as he opened the small bag revealing the fruit within. "A rare treat in my opinion boy, Kiwi's. Most of the folks around here don't take a liking to them but I think you rather enjoy them."

Faren face seemed to light up a bit as the man revealed the fruit. "Indeed sir, kiwi is hard to come by out here. Its been ages since I've had one... I'll take all of them if you don't mind." Faren reached his hand over to take the fruit but the old man pulled back. "Something wrong?"

"And what exactly to you think this is? A free sample? You have to pay first boy." the old mans voice was gruff as he spoke.

"O but of course, Im just so use to seeing what I buy first. How Much will it be sir?" Faren smiled widely at the old man his voice slightly annoyed at having to wait.

"500..." the old man said shortly.

Farens eyes widened in surprise. "500 sir? surely you jest."

"No not at all, you said you want ALL of them. Thats 3 crates plus this little bag here." the old man said slyly a small glint in his eye. "If you cant pay the price, however, then I guess ill have to leave them to rot."

Faren sighed heavily and shook his head. "Well played old man, but I can pay your price but you'll have to deliver those crates to my home." Faren slipped his hand into his cloak and pulled out a small bag and placed it in the man's hands and took the small bag.

"You have yourself a deal boy, now where is it you live?" He smiled widely as he took the money.

It was Faren's turn to con the old man. "On the other side of the continent Old man. You see im not from around here. Many thanks for the fruit and I hope you can deliver those to me before the rot other wise I'll have to come get my money back." With that Faren went back to his spot on the wall and took a bit of his newly bought fruit.

"Well played indeed..." The old man sighed to himself. as he went to write up the order.

((OOC: ^_^ I love fruit vendors XD))[COLOR=yellow]

STRANGHILL:

Sighing with relief, Stranghill began putting his clothes on, hoping that by now the guards would not be looking for him here again. He put his syringe back in the correct pocket, and then re-acquainted himself with the position of each poison type, just in case.

Confident that he would not be killed if this was a trap or if the guards noticed him, Stranghill proceeded outside the alley. He looked around, and saw the mysterious boy near the fruit stand, making a purchase of some sort. Focusing his ears, Stranghill could make out that they were having a sort of argument, in a way. It was a battle of wits, and by the end of it, the boy had won.

As he walked away from the fruit stand, Stranghill approached him and grabbed his arm. "Follow me to the bar," He said, and immediately let go of his arm and started walking towards the bar he had hidden in before. Once inside, he turned to the bartender. "You, how much is your most expensive drink?" He asked, and the bartender looked up from cleaning his glass, surprised.

"Sorry, we don't have much of a selection. Our most expensive is only 100. Most of the other bars around here can manage a drink people would pay 250 for. I'm out of practice..." The bartender chuckled, but was clearly somewhat depressed.

"I'll take it. I also have a request. I'm going to be meeting someone in here soon. I'll pay you an extra fifty if you walk into the back room when he does, understand?" Stranghill told the man, handing over a bag of coins worth 100 in one pile and a bag of 50 in another.

"You some criminal? One of those freedom fighters?" He asked, and Stranghill grabbed both bags and started to leave. "Whoa, whoa! Alright, I won't ask no questions. 'sides, I'm on their side. Damnedable lot, those God's Mercy folks are. Alwyas coming in here saying that we're 'impure' for selling these drinks, taking my customers, and my employees," Stranghill nodded, and put the coins back on the table. "Anyway... Don't worry, the drink is worth the 100 it costs. And I'll be out of your way when your friend comes,"

"Thanks," Stranghill said, and took the glass of the drink and pushed the coins further twoards the bartender. He took them and leaned back against a wall. There wasn't anyone else inside the bar, and if he hadn't discouraged him from asking any questions, the bartender probably would have wondered why he wanted a drink this early in the day. Stranghill didn't plan on drinking it, though. The most expensive drink is almost always the strongest they have, and if it isn't, then it's the most complex. Stranghill always liked to have a few syringes loaded with alchohol. He may slip it into somehting someone was eating or drinking, just to buzz their head a little.

Kytal's eyebrows furrowed. "What if I say yes?" she asked, her voice barely audible. "I haven't lived with anyone I've ever considered... companions. And rules are... not exactly something I enjoy. What kind of rules are we talking about?"

She eyed him up and down, the subtle muscles of his forearms taunt as they crossed over his chest. She wondered what it was like living with that, with a testosterone charged man as your leader. God she knew she'd had enough of males to last her a lifetime. She quickly looked away as images of her foster father flashed past her vision. She wanted to smack herself. Did he really have to influence the rest of her life? She asked herself angrily.

There was a chill in the air so she rubbed her arms, trying to keep it at bay. She went to one of the little willow trees and sank down beneath it, not far from him. She could feel that this would lead to a talk, but she didn't know quite where it would begin.

"How did you all even find each other?" She asked, throwing something else at him before he could even conquer her first question. The wind tussled his hair, sending the scent of dust and evergreens wafting lightly her way. She leaned her head back, stressed and confused. she really didn't have any other options, but she needed to learn all she could before she committed herself to their cause... whatever it was.

Rainn was utterly confused by now… Since entering the city he was feeling as if he felt it everywhere, that strange compulsion that drove him to find his next ward was pulling him from all directions. Every time he thought he’d pinpointed the source of his obsession he would find that it would fade and a new source would emerge. He’d already passed by more Guardians then was reasonably comfortable, in many cases more then a handful of times. Though on of his apparent stature normally wasn’t approached he knew he stood out and it was only a matter of time before the Guardians got overly suspicious. He needed a distraction, and then he needed to disappear…

“YOU!” he called out suddenly, causing the scraggily boy he pointed at to jump. He then pointed at a couple of his friends, the group of them having been playing a simple game to keep them from realizing their misery. “You... and you… You who are Unholy have been chosen to serve in God’s Mercy. Congratulations. It is quite the honour I bestow on you…” It wasn’t a lot, but it seemed to draw the guard’s attention from away from him and onto the young boys.

“NO!!!” he heard the sudden shriek, a woman running from one of the buildings and proceeded to pound on his chest. “You can’t take him! You can’t take my boy!! He’s all I have!!!”

Rainn stared down at her, unmoved by her feeble pleas. Had he been of a more compassionate type he might have proceeded to remind her that in being in the army her son would not have to worry about food, something it would appear by the boy’s scrawny frame they were struggling with. He however did not understand the complexities of human emotion and so he merely stared. “To serve God is an honour, especially among you scum. These three have been chosen specifically, an even greater honour.”

“I don’t care! I DON’T CARE!!” the woman screamed, near hysterics. “I will not have my son serve in your hypocritical heap!! Damn you… damn God’s Mercy… and damn AJAX CUNNINGWAY!!! We will be free! My son will be free!! He will not join you!! Over my dead body!!!”

Rainn sneared, the dark aura around him growing all the more apparent. “That is easy enough to arrange.” Rainn reached down, wrapping his free hand around the now stunned woman’s throat. Her son shrieked, running toward them both screaming at him to let her go. Luckily for her though, human nature was so predictable. That would have truly been the end for her had the Guardians not rushed in to pry her from his grasp, ordering her immediate release. After a short time he finally complied, of course.

”What the hell do you…” one of them started to round on him but found only empty space. While everyone’s attention had been on the woman he had taken the moment to slip away surprisingly silent for his side before anyone could notice. He knew it wouldn’t take long for the Guardians to radio in his description and so he knew he needed a place to hide. As much as he hated to halt his activity so close to finding his ward a break in his search and some meditation on his goal might help him focus and find the true source of his inclination. The only thing he needed now was a secure spot to stay, somewhere he could focus his energies and concentrate on the task at hand.


This evening’s wanderings seemed to have brought Jalsiton farther from his fortress then he’d ever been for. He found himself on the very outskirts of town, looking up through the trees he could spot the silhouette of an old manse the likes he had never seen before. His head cocked slightly he studied it. From a distance it looked abandoned, but every so often he saw an orange or yellow glow move across a window. Curious, he took a step forward into the forest.

Suddenly, that orange glow dropped from a tree but a few inches from Jalsiton's face, large orange eyes blinking at him curiously. Parr's knees remained secure on the tree branch she hung from, and her hands kept her furry coat from falling into her face.

"Who're you? Another orphan? You're pretty fit for an orphan ..." she noted innocently, her head cocked to the side in curiousity. "Did you wander out here all by yourself?"

Parr had grown bored of hanging about the Shadow Gallery. Ky was off with Dante, Pathos was reading again, and no one was really paying any mind to the poor, over-energetic kitsune. So she changed into some dry clothes and went off exploring again. That's when she found Jalsiton, and decided to pay him a visit.

Upside-down.

Her flaming, neon orange hair fell about her face messily, blood slowly rushing to her face. Her ears twitched involuntarily under her fallen hood, which hid them slightly, seeing as she neglected to wear her hat. Again. Her tail hund limply against her back, swaying slightly, for the moment left unseen.

Then Parr smiled. "You know, you shouldn't be out so late all alone. It gets kinda dangerous, y'know? But I could keep you company! Oh, but if you promise not to tell. People tend not to like me very much. What's your name?" Her ramblings stopped just long enough for her to flash him a fanged grin, friendly and inviting. Maybe too much so.

What kind of rules, indeed? He noticed she was reluctant and sighed heavily at the fact. "We're talking about simple rules. Tell me when you're going out. And follow my orders. I don't give orders much, but mostly