the law of oaths

Faust had walked in seeing Annie on the floor with such a wound on her chest and he helt crushed. His body just plummeted and all he could do deep down was blame himself. In rage, frustration and sorrow he punched the wall nearly drilling a hole in it. "It's my fault its my fault if i would have went after you like i wanted to i could have at least.... at least i could have helped prevent some of the damage." Faust walked out holding his head as he felt his emotions waver he needed a walk to clear his head and the dark helped him. Faust felt so useless he just sat by the whole time and watched them get hurt it's as if he had left like he wanted but with being able to see the consequences. He had to make himself more useful or he would just have to leave since it would be no different. Faust punched a tree to let off some steam easily punching a hole through the massive trunk so clean ass if it was drilled out. Faust continued to walk he stayed around the area but he didn't know how long he was going to do that for the feeling on being unwanted glaring throught the forest.

nate after seeing the both of them leave nate knew something was wrong after he heard the words faust said he knew that some of this blood was annies nate then quickly looked around for some herbs he knew frome doing this many times before he saw what was needed "man i hope she dosent get an infection man i wish magick was more helpfull than healing wounds you cant stop geting sick even with magic" as nate said that he acwordly picked up the things he was looking for after that he quickly ran inside "can you please untie this i cant make an antibiotic with my hands like this" as nate said this his resoloution showed trough that if he chouldent save this one persone he was a failure he chouldent save anyone then but now he might be able to acomplich what it meant to be a docter by saving his friend annie.

Shota's eyes glare at Nate while full of anger and hatred. This is the idiot that nearly killed her twice, ruined all their chances of finding out what was going on, and screwed up everything he did. She glares at Nate with full knowledge that those bindings she put on him were only on him for a few minutes and in that time he had tried to plea her for freedom several times. Unable to bare the annoyance that this boy kept pressing on her, Shota stood to her feet and approached Nate. With her right hand, a short edged dagger is pulled from her belt and pressed to Nate's neck. With her left hand, the bindings seal dis-forms and then flashes. The bindings are released. Shota's free hand grasps them and pulls them back before walking around to the side of Nate.

"I don't trust you" she speaks firmly with anger at him. "If she dies, I swear you will go with her. If you run, I swear you will go alone. You try anything funny... look at me funny... say or do anything I don't like, I will paint the floor with your blood. I've lost everything and because of you I don't even know why. She's the only reason I stay with this group. Keep that in mind, idiot boy..."

Annie had blushed when Shota took her hand and any negative thoughts about the green haired girl was dispelled, also all the loneliness in her had vanished... for the time. Annie smiled under her mask and even managed a giggle, "I might have heard that somewhere." This would not last however, Annie noticed Faust walk in and saw his eyes turn to anger and punched the cabin wall, the act of anger made Annie jumped and she felt a pain in her chest. She did not know Faust and did not know if he would attack and was confused as he started shifting the blame for her injuries to himself. Annie was about to explain to Faust what happened and tell him that he had nothing to do with what happened and that if he were here they'd probably be both be dead but before she could the boy stomped out of the cabin.

Annie began to relax with Shota again then Nate walked in and she could feel Shota's anger rise, as the girl gets to her feet and reaches for a weapon Annie tries to get up and is able to but she is slouched over holding onto the wall behind her and with her other hand she holds on to her wound. The young assassin hated the feeling of being vulnerable not able to protect herself and Shota at any given moment, she did not trust anyone but Shota for some odd reason. "Shota," Annie whispered breathing heard.

nate went over towards the cabinets and grabbed a bowel then he put the herbs in it nate then grabbed a second one he then field that one with hot water he then started to boil it he used a beater to start grounding up the herbs it took several minutes in till he finally finished the mashing he the grabbed the boiling water he poured it in the first bowel he then started after that mixing it in till it was paste he slowly walled over to annie and rubbed this paste on her wound that looked infected he finally put on a patch to keep the paste on "well for that if she dies i will definable do suicide i know how much she means to you and that's why i put my life on my line for this patient" nate looked at shota "I'm done you can put back the cuffs on" nate put out his hands so that she chould tie it back on.

Shota moves back to her knees and ignores the boy. So long as he does not do some stupid wannabe hero action, they should be safe... for the most part. Instead, she see's to Annie and takes her hands. Shota's eyes stare over Annie's body observantly. "Are you okay?" She asks the injured girl. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Donny sighed. Looked like he couldn't put off going back any longer. If someone left and didn't return, there might have been trouble. Quietly, Donny crept up to the cabin's entrance and entered carefully, if quickly.

"Didn't see anything out there. If we're lucky, we got away," he said to no one in particular. He wasn't sure if anyone was listening anyway. It looked like something had happened in his absence. Probably had something to do with Nate's binding being removed. Donny cleared his throat awkwardly, as if to get the others' attention.

"Uh, this cabin seems pretty solid. It'd make a nice shelter, don't you think? I vote we stay here tonight."

While on her knees, Shota continues her long stare on Annie. She waits for Annie's answer, to see if she's okay. Her ears twitch.. the sound of Donny's voice reaches her. She tries to remain focused on Annie, but when she seems to remain quiet, Shota silently speaks up. "I second that proposal.." The girl rises to her feet and looks around. "We could probably rest here without any complaints. After all, it's got to be safer then sleeping in the woods. Right?" Shota blinks awkwardly.

Nate puts his arms down " well ill third if my vote counts for anything but first things first we probably should find everyone else so that no one gets lost"Nate said trying to stay awake "we should try to stay a few nights so that Annie and the rest of us can recuperate and since there a river hear that kills 2 birds with one stone but i believe we should leave in around 2 to 3 days so that if there searching for us the don't find us" as Nate said that he passed out.

"Idiot boy.." Shota would quietly whisper. She thought back to her training, what her mother taught her. Then she thought about Annie, laying injured. "2-3 days?" Shota thought. "They wouldn't just find us, they'd kill us with that large of a handicap." Her body would turn, enough for her deep eyes to catch a clear sight of Annie. While she lays onto her side, staring at her injured friend, she thinks about a plan that she might consider logical.

"In 2 - 3 days, they could follow our tracks and do away with us without any problem. A single one could take us all on without problem.
That's based on the guess that they would want us dead, but odds are since we are still alive, their target wasn't us.
Changing the thought, we all seem to have some sort of magic. This large of a concentration of magic can easily make us prey for Mage Hunters. Judging by the bounty for magic users, they wouldn't take pity on us for being kids.
There's also wild animals. The fresh blood will draw them in hordes. In less then a day, they would be on top of us.
We're now on unsafe territory. Things like Bandits and Mercenaries would consider us free game. We can't risk it."

Shota closes her eyes and from her lips she begins to speak words. "I'd say we have about 10 hours of minimum safety or less. If we stay any longer, we need to at least disguise our presence. That will buy us maybe... 24 hours. After that, we will have no choice. We'll have to move."

Annie had no choice but to let Nate rub the crushed herbs on her, it was a little weird having a boy touching her chest but she was in no condition to fight him so she laid there without much of a struggle. Annie looked at Shota's worried eyes, "I'll be okay don't worry, with a little rest I'll be able to heal myself." Annie laid and listened to the two they both had good points, Nate was right with most the group hurt it would be nearly impossible for them to move but Shota was right too, if the band of kids could find this hideout so easily then maybe someone else could too. "I-I agree that we need to rest here for as long as we can but we need to make a plan to leave and one in case we are attacked, besides we would be just as easy targets in the forest then we would be in here. I'll go along with whatever you guys decide...as you can see I'm not in any shape do my own thing." Annie said trying to keep her pain out of her voice.

"That settles it, then" Donny said. "We're resting here tonight, and we move out in the morning."

Donny lowered himself down to the floor, leaning against a wall for support. He was exhausted, for all today had put them through, and he just needed some sleep.

"Then we all agree." Shota rotates her body until her outer hand is placed to the hardened floor. She uses this as support to push herself over to her knees and then onto her feet as she wanders about the worn-down shelter. Her eyes break from point to point as she carefully surveys the area in search of-- located. She finds some clothe, large enough to serve as warmth for someone of their size. It has a few stains on it but one cannot be picky on such a matter. Shota picks up the clothe with both of her hands and carefully walks next to Annie, careful as not to step on her in such a place. She moves onto her knees in front of Annie and pulls the clothe over her to warm her body, stretching it out from her chest to her feet before she sits back on her knees and sighs.

"I'm sorry, this is all I can find." Shota looks down at Annie with a feeling of loss as if she has failed. "It's a little dirty, you definitely deserve better, and I hope it doesn't make your condition worse..." Shota's eyes tremble. She could tell from the look on Annie's face when they regrouped. She knew that Annie had at least for a time turned in some way from Shota's favor. This upset her. With Shota resting her hands together above her lap, she closed her eyes as if to pray over Annie. "Everyone needs to sleep, else we be caught unaware by the waking wolves tomorrow morn~"

"help" nate heard the voices of yesterday in his dream he reviewed the horrible events and suddenly it stopped "hah hah hah" nate heard in a almost familiar voice "did you think that you could beat them without me or are you stupid" he now knew who this voice was it was his "i could of killed everyone there but your to scared of your power your to scared of...." nate woke up his forehead beaded in sweet finally realizing that was a dream he looked around and saw everyone but faust was there "grrr" nate got up at the sound of his stomach growling looking through the shelf he found some eggs nate took a few and a pan and started cooking it with the grill "i guess will be having eggs for breakfast " saying to no one in particular he continued fixing the eggs.

While he continued preparing breakfast from the scavenged foods, Nate looked out the window to see what time of day it was. Still early morning, the bright orb barely rising in the distance but it brings something strange into view. In the great distance beyond the forests trees he saw something where his home town used to be... A figure that he depicts as a castle of some sort; dark as the void itself. Even with his inexperience and the great distance between them, Nate quickly feels a dark pulse surge through his body as if the floating tower were radiating with corruption. It sends a tremble down his spine.

As Nate's eyes come into focus to make out the dark tower in the great distance, he felt the stare bounce back at him and like a piercing blade through his head he was sent back against the wall, knocking the pan to the ground with a loud gasp. He felt the evil from it-- so overwhelming that he his breath had left his chest. It was like the castle itself was alive and staring into his very soul.

At the Tower...

"Why have you called me here... Master.." Black speaks in a disgusted tone. While his hatred of his Master is strong, he cannot help but cower before the power before him. He speaks up, as if to ask a question of the man. "Is it that you want me to dispose of the insignificant annoyances once and for all?" Black spoke, but while his words were still hot from his mouth... Dominus countered with a quick retort.

"No. I think those kids would be rather nice play things... and I cant have my newly bought toys break yet. Not before I can enjoy them a little more." as Dominus spoke these words, he let his evil smirk show through his cloak. The cloak covered part of his face, as if to keep his identity in secret.

Dominus took a long breath "Ah! I always like the smell of decaying bodies and fresh blood..." The wickedness of his words made Black gag-- the sight of Dominus' pets tearing flesh from bone of an unlucky villager did not help to control this. "Well, I cant let those kids leave with out a little present... though you fought them, right?" Dominus said as his smirk turned into a grin.

"Yes, my Lord..." Black spoke with humility. A bored look roams over Dominus' face. Black steps back, as if feeling he has insulted his master.

"We have many useless servants here... We'll find someone who matches there skill." Dominus toys with the idea. "I'm getting a little bored... Yes, what could be better then watching a few lost pups struggling from survival against another pup?" Dominus laughs with a hint of madness in his voice, his gaping eyes open and staring onto Black with a threatening sight. "See to it that I enjoy this, boy!" Dominus shouts at Black with his eyes shaking at the idea. Black moves his right hand to his chest; gripping his heart as he tries to bow, petrified by the fear sent by Dominus.

"Y-Yes... sir." Black finally manages to choke from his throat the words that his master awaited. "I'll send someone with those qualifications right away". Black stands and bows cautiously toward his master before leaning back into a stand, turning from him. Black walks toward the exit of the room with his eyes shaking. The fear still runs through him, but more then fear... Black feels the Oath within him rampaging about as if to tear its way out. How can someone get me so worked up? Black thinks to himself. He disappears into the dark hallway... Preparing for the new days tricks.

"AHHHH!!!"

The crushing of leaves under bare feet can be heard, crackling through the ears of the young lad. His blue eyes peering out, widened, fearful. His long black hair-- shaggy by this point, having been on his own for monthes without proper hair treatment. His body was barely covered; only having what remained of torn orange slacks, made of polyester strings; though they barely held together as they wavered in the wind with each of his movements.

"Not Good! Not good!" the boy yelled, flailing his arms as a wild beast chased him throughout the dense forest. He could not quite remember how he had gotten into this perdictament-- only that he made a wrong turn at the oak tree.

On his back, he would have two bronze weapons holstered; a spear and a shortsword, but he might as well have had nothing equiped-- he had totally forgotten he had weapons on hand the moment he saw the beast.

The beast itself appeared like that of a boar, in size and appearance but its eyes were demonic. Panko was screwed-- and he knew it.

As Panko ran, however, one of the strings of the polyester had came aloose, moving underneath his right foot-- and with a stride, the male slipped onto the string, with such proportion, the male would be flung toward the sky, only to fall down with a loud, crushing thud to the ground.

Panko groaned, his eyes hazy, though he felt like he had a softer landing than he should have. "Panko?" he checked underneath himself-- only to find the being that had once persued him-- now crushed underneath his frail body.

Panko threw his head back, laughing hysterically.
He wasn't too thrilled about having made a kill, but he would finally have something to put in his belly after what seemed to be weeks without food.

With a grunt, he pulled himself onto his feet, and threw the boar over his right shoulder, carrying it to be furthur skinned-- and made into a delicacy for his personal delight.

Annie was sitting against a wall slipping in and out of sleep when Shota began to cover her with a blanket that smelled like dust, Annie's eyes had been closed but she could tell that Shota was upset. "I deserve to be dead so this isn't too bad," Annie said jokingly with a smile attempting to cheer up Shota. Annie couldn't keep her eyes open anymore so she leaned her head back and before she fell asleep she whispered, "Thank you for coming back..."

Morning

Annie woke up with a start hearing Nate moving around in the cabin she reached for her kama's but they were nowhere around her which made her nervous but instead found a sleeping Shota that was under the dirty cloth they used as a blanket and her hand had found its way in Shota's. Annie smiled but was quickly reminded of her wound when a sharp pain came from her chest, Annie groaned and grabbing at it then quickly covered her mouth trying not to wake the sleeping girl. The assassin slowly pulled herself up using the wall and stumbled over to a clay pot that was filled with water that she assumed Nate had filled, Annie put her hand into it, the water was cool and was perfect for healing unlike the boiling water she use last night. Annie swirled the water around before pulling it out of the pot and she slowly pressed the water against her torn flesh, at first it stung but the pain quickly turned to relief as it begun to reverse the damage that was done. Annie sighed in pleasure as her healing magic took effect and she was able to close the wound but it was going to leave a nasty scar, she didn't mind though, after all she was an assassin, scars came with the trade.

"Now, where the hell are my kamas?" she said holding her top together not wanting Nate to have a free peek.

At Dominus' Headquarters

Black walked anxiously through the corridors. He had finally escaped that madman's scowl. His teeth clenched harshly. "Damn him!" Black shouts. The shout echoes through the halls. The anger filled in Black's eyes were clear for the empty minded simpletons who guarded the halls to see. "Who the hell does that Dominus think he is giving me orders!? I am the greatest hunter to ever be birthed from the great mother! I refuse to acknowledge that he has power over me!" These thoughts rampage in Black's mind. He steps past a guard, not paying attention to the area being blocked off.

The guard steps forward and reaches for Black. "Excuse me, sir this way is--" Too late. Black's anger gets a hold of him and he turns violently. His hand raises. From the ground beneath him, the metal rises like a sharp blades tip and penetrates the guards throat. It rushes upward at a swift ascending slant and pins the guard into the ceiling. Blood pours out of the opening and covers both the ground below and the spike that holds him.

"Never question to my actions!" Black shouts angrily with his eyes a flicker. His head turns swiftly, eyes glancing around him to inspect the area. He looks for the man in charge of this area. His hateful eyes glare harshly at the final guard. "Where is Horus!?" He shouts in a demanding voice.

"I-I'm not sure, s--" The guards reply is cut off.

"Not sure!?" Black's hand is thrust with a violent urge as he speaks. His fingers clench tightly around the guards neck. His finger nails penetrate the mans throat, drawing blood. "Then don't you think it would be a good idea to start LOOKING!?" Black pays no attention for the man to reply and instead turns, hurling with a great strength the guard across the hall. The guard hits the ground and spits out blood before bouncing off the ground and rolling across it. With fear, the guard quickly stumbles to his feet and agrees while running off in search of Horus.

Black turns his attention toward a Magic Crystal floating in the center of this section. He approaches it calmly and upon each step toward the center of the room, lines of magic become visible. Black now stands before the crystal and glances around. Images of the night that they attacked the town become visible by mortal eyes. Holographic images of each of the children seen on that night appear. Measurements, names, all recorded data become visible. Black's hand raises with his palm to the crystal. "Awaken pets of the Lord. I have a good meal in store for you..." The hunter begins to laugh... The good little kids below are completely unaware what events are just now beginning to unfold.

Shota's fingers pinch the collar of Annie's top. She was next to Annie, awake. Her eyes only partially open with a smile on her face. Shota moved without warning. She wondered if Annie would feel silly-- ambushed by an amateur like this. Shota's lips pressed casually to the lower spot on Annie's neck. Her lips pull back and the smile shows again.

"You're feeling better then?" Shota smiles to Annie. Her fingers slip from the collar of Annie's top toward her hand, taking it and extending it out toward Shota. Shota's other hand slips a pair of weapons-- the ones that belong to Annie-- back into her opened hand. "I wanted to make sure you didn't run off again, last night."

Shota backs away from Annie and folds her arms behind the back of her head as she walks toward the window and then looks out it toward the sight in the great distance. I knew it. "They weren't after us. But we will be sucked into this thing, because we were there. We need to move soon." Shota waits for the other kids who woke up already to respond. She knew that their time of safety was running out-- quickly.

"The only problem is finding a good place after this were should we look and what do we need," Nate said still feeling shaken but got up "and what are are goals in mind to survive or to kill, to protect or to destroy, to recapture or to rescue, but all of these in mind have something to do with that guy in a black coat I see him as there leader and in order to defeat him we need to get stronger. That's the first problem we don't know anywhere that teaches offensive magic and theirs even fewer that teach the class and level we need. So any suggestions we need to find somewhere and we cant stay here because of that," Nate pointed towards the window showing there problem that castle.