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nate looked around the vilage he used to call home the bulidings were burning and monsters kiling his friends and family nate ran towrds an enemy carying his sword not kowing what was happining nate kiled one after the other but soon became outnumberd at that moment nate was about to be kiled his dad came and took the blow "run" my dad said as he died nate in fear ran to the gates of the town crying at the death of his parent and the confusion suronding him as he found the gate he ran to the woods seeing many outhers following him he had no clue if they were enemys or friends but his legs just whouldent stop he didnt know what to think any more evreything he had known was burning down and he had no way to stop it at that moment he swore that he whould kill the one who did this.

Annie sat on a roof top starring at the chaos below, death and violence wasn't something she enjoyed but something she was accustom to. The assassin had no ties to these people she had no reason to help them so she sat and watched as families were slaughtered by these monstrous creatures. "And even if I did help I couldn't keep them safe, they would just die off anyways, because they are weak..." Annie's words did not bring her comfort but her mind was not changed, so she sat and continued to watch.

"Run!" a sudden voice cried through the smoke. Creatures snarled loudly while they tore deep into the bodies of the dead, leaving none left standing in their path. A girl with hair of green and eyes filled with determination lunged herself from the fire and tackled a monster. Together, the two fell through the picket fence laid out before a home and the wood snapped under their combined weight; *CRACK!* The monster scurries out from beneath the girls body and quickly follows off in the direction of more evacuating villagers. The girl lays on the ground with splintered wood pieces inside her arm, the smell of blood comes from her. "D-Damn it.." she trembles with pain filling her body. "Mo-Mom.. Da-Dad..?" she raises to her feet slowly and in pain, looking quickly from one direction to another. Her face covered with smut from the smoke that fills the air, she coughs heavily while stumbling toward the exit of the village.
"Help me!" a young voice cries out quickly and a little boy runs into her view. "Shota!" he screams.
"Ethan!" the girl looks at him in desperation, she raises her hand-- but she is too late. The boy is grabbed by his arm and picked up into the air, the monsters right arm skewers the boy harshly; blood bursts from his chest and scatters on the ground. The girl covers her eyes quickly with her arm, shaking her head. "This... This is insanity..." her body continues trembling. She stands and begins to move on toward the exit. The monsters seem distracted by the dead bodies. Quietly, Shota exits the village with blood dripping from her body... she is worn from the use of magic. *splash, splash* the sounds of her feet drag across the dampened ground, mud and blood spread thin across it.
"Can't... Can't breath.." The woman begins gasping, taking step after step, her right hand raises. She tightly clenches her throat and feels the smoke still within her choking the bit of oxygen from her body. In her free arm, she holds a book close to her stomach. Upon it, she falls forward and hits the ground. *SPLASH* She goes quiet. Silently awaiting her end.

nate chouldent take it anymore and turned around now seing the the peopole who where flowing him were monsters nate kiled them all and ran back to the vilige right before entering he saw a girl laying on the floor barley breathing nate new that he chouldent leave her and she chouldent take her back into the vilage to save more pepole nate knew all this and put her on his back nate ran back to the forest so that he chould save the girl nate lafed at himself he wanted to become a docter but yet he chould only save one persone when he finaly got to the forest he set he under a tree nate used his magick to heal the mortal wounds useing the bandages in his pouch nate exausted nate pased out a few minutes after finishing the surgery

Annie had about enough death and destruction for today, "These poeple are not my people, I don't owe them a damn thing." Again her words did not bring her comfort she decided it was time to leave, there was nothing here for her anymore, she gets up and leaps roof to roof and finds no problem. After all she has been trained to not be heard, not to be seen and it looked like today it saved her life.

It wasn't long before she reached the edge of the village, there seemed to be no monsters around but Annie noticed a girl laying in the middle of the rode. The assassin was going to leave her where she lay but something tugged at her, she couldn't explain what it was but for some reason she walked over to investigate. Annie nudged the girl with her foot, "Yo kid, you still alive?" When there was no answer she bent over and checked for a pulse, when she found one she felt excited but didn't know why. Upon closer inspection the girl was about her age and had weird green hair and covered with blood, "Guess you'll die here if I just leave you..." Annie sighed and picked Shota's arm up and tossed it over her shoulder and left herself and the girl up , "Damn your a lot heavier then you look." Annie then noticed a book clutched in the girls hand and was surprised that she was able to hold onto it as badly as she was injured.

Annie slowly made it to the cover of the forest and carefully set the girl with green hair down and propped her head on the pack she carried, she took out a satchel of water from one of the side pockets and poured it on her hands. The water seemed to cycle around her hand and glow bright, "guess your lucky I have some healing abilities but don't get too excited I really suck at it," Annie said to the unconscious girl then found the wound most life threatening and begun to heal it.

(Sorry Nate...I ninja'd Phoe away from you but we had this planed. >< )

Donny ran, while around him the world seemed to go insane. In the space of a heartbeat, a normal day of deliveries turned into a living nightmare. It was a routine trip to the merchant district, selling his catches to shops, when some strange creatures began swarming everywhere. Things like this just didn't happen. Not in Zerab, the arcane center of the world. Yet there they were, big as life, and as terrifying as death itself. Whatever they were, they were big, they were fast, and they didn't like people. Donny risked a look over his shoulder, hoping for a better look, and caught an image of claws, teeth, and blood before turning back and putting on more speed than ever.

There was only one place Donny knew he'd have a chance: the harbor. That's where his father would go, and that's where the boats were. There, in the water, he could escape. Donny turned a corner, and nearly stopped in his tracks. The monsters were there, too, crawling all over the piers and vessels in the water. As Donny watched, a man was torn apart in a flurry of claws, while another, younger man was dragged into an alley by something unseen. The only thing keeping them from noticing Donny was the mist. Part of Zerab's magic, Donny had some affinity for water and the dark, affording a quick difficult to notice escape in the mist. Again, Donny started running, trying to ignore the chaos around him. This wasn't some scuffle in a bar, it was a massacre. There were too many of the things to fight, and they seemed to be aiming for the destruction of the city itself. And they would only be fooled by the magick of the mist for so long.

After several panicked seconds, Donny reached a suitable ship. Quickly checking behind himself for more of the creatures, and spotting one, Donny drew his skinning knife and hacked at the boat's mooring line with all his strength. It split after a few tries, and Donny leaped onto the boat, feeling the swish of a claw narrowly missing his back. He landed roughly, but sprang back up in a defensive stance with his knife, waiting for what he knew was coming. Donny was no knife fighter, but he did know a few things about combat.The monster leaped toward the ship, all muscle and bone and teeth flying through the air. With no way to change direction. Donny took a step forward, drew back his arm, and planted his fist squarely in what passed for the creature's jaw. There was a snap, and the monster abruptly stopped in mid air, then flew backwards into the water. Donny shook his hand a few times, put away his knife, and too a few seconds to rest. The running had been exhausting. Once his breathing returned to normal, Donny turned to try and take control of the now drifting vessel.

"Oh," he said to himself as he turned around, "you've gotta be kidding me."

It was on fire. The door to the cabin was open, and more of the creatures were pouring out of it. One of them seemed to have knocked over a lamp the previous occupants had been using, starting the fire. Or maybe someone had been trying to kill them with it. Either way, Donny counted 12 of them altogether, and judging by the wind, the ship was getting further and further from the city. Before the things could pounce, Donny stepped back, off the ship, and into the water.

Donny emerged on the beach some time later. He knew vaguely where he was, outside the city but not much beyond that. It seemed the monster hadn't followed him. If they had, it might have turned out differently. In the water, Donny was the monster. The beach was clear of anything threatening, so Donny began to walk. Towards the forest? Somewhere else? All Donny could do for now was walk, and hope to find shelter.

when nate awoke nate saw whoever the girl was ran mabye scared of who i was or saw something firghtining not knowing what to do know nate started traning thinking of the monsters who kiled his father the blood in the city he didnt know what hapend to his sister and mother but it seemed that who ever was there was dead and that thought started the proces of his arm transforming nate hit a tree and knoced over a whole line of trees after that "why cant i controll this power im lucky i can even make it this far but why chouldent i use it i a battle " nate started crying after he decided hed done enough of that he went to the sea so he chould make some whater but while he was stroling he saw somebudy at that moment he unsheted his sword" who are you did you come to kill me to" nate yeld in anger at donny geting ready for a fight.

Donny lifted his head when he heard the voice. It was angry, and when he looked up saw that the voice belonged to a younger boy. Seemed like he wanted to know who Donny was, and was more than ready to fight if the sword he held was any indication. Donny took up his own fighting stance. After those monsters, he was relieved to be back to fighting a human opponent. On the other hand, there was a thought scratching at the back of his mind: those monsters were too organized not to have a leader of some.

"Name's Donovan," Donny said, shelving his fear for later. "You gonna tell me your name, kid, or are we gonna have to throw down first?"

Donny's fists began to glow with a faint purple light, the manifestation of his second Element. Aside from water, Donny also had an affinity for darkness, and his strikes could drain the strength of anyone he hit. He figured the fight would be pretty quick, and then maybe he'd get some answers.

"my names nate" said nate still enraged " and even though you kiled my father you wont kill me" as nate said that his sword was engulfud in elctricity "now its time for reveng" as nate said that he ran towards donny with bloodlust in his eyes at this moment he chouldent tell between left and right but he knew one thing he wanted to kill the person infront of him " you willnot walk on this earth for much longer" as nate said this he slashed without a moment of regreat

The splinters still embedded into the girls arm, she awakens at the sight of the other girl in a freight. Her body launches itself upward and with fierce reflexes, Shota clenches Annie's throat with her left hand and sits upon her body; quickly turning the tables as she seems to pin the other girl to the ground.

"Who are you!?" Shota screams, frightfully while she holds onto Annie's throat. She takes the time while she holds onto the other girls throat to study her features. She is not normal, not to say like the other children she encounter of the town. What was she? Magic, this much was obvious. She stared at Annie's eyes and seem drawn. Her head begins pounding, the feeling so overwhelming that she rocks her body forth and back again, her heart begins racing. Quickly, she gasps and her hand moves from Annie's throat and instead her arms find themselves holding onto the girl. As if... to cling to the last sign of life that she is to know. She lay there still holding onto the mysterious girl as long as she be given seconds to do so. Finally... she speaks again.

"I-I.." She stumbles with her words. Shy at the sight of this girl, she backs away from her and stands to her feet then as quick as she backed away, she offered a hand of friendship to help Annie up. "I'm sorry. My... My name is Shota. What is your name, are you from the town as well?" Her words come calmly from her lips while she offers a hand of kinship to this new girl. Each word carries its own weight, as if her now showing confidence speaks truths to bolster her belief in herself. Why is she suddenly so interested in helping this girl that she only moments ago tried to kill? Why would this girl try to help her, was there reason? Only a slight look of blush upon her cheeks gives hint.

"What? I didn't..." Donny blinked in surprise and confusion at the kid, at Nate's, words. He saw the electricity coursing through Nate's blade, and realized the boy must have had an energy element. Even if he was human, Donny knew he couldn't afford to be careless, and there was no longer time to talk. Donny leaped to the right, dodging the blade itself, but he couldn't quite clear the electricity. He grunted in pain, but lashed out with his fist, aiming a punch at Nate's stomach.

nate quickly side steped completly avading the move but after that he almost colapsed at the power of the darkness elemental that stole his energy "so your a darkness elemental this should be fun" nate lafed so that he almost enjoyed himself the anger a few minutes ago he had disapeard nate felt no harmfull arora around this person he seemed almost confused but nate whouldent let this stop him nate qucily grabed his short dager and thrown it at him after he doged nate charged energy into his feat making his pownce 3 times more efective nate some how knew he wasent evil but he needed to make sure like his dad alwaysed said you chould always fell the nature of your enemy in a fight "if you whant to survive show me that your not the one who started all of this" nate yeld so that donny chould be ready to fight

An explosion is heard booming through the fiery village monsters rampaging everywhere, the sounds of dying screams piercing the sky, and the smell of death on the breeze. The Star family stood in the middle of the mess trying their best to protect other's while fending off the creatures. Faust stood right beside his parents, two siblings, and grandparents fighting the creatures with little as no fear in their heart. Faust's father and him simultaneously shot light element charged fist in one of the monsters making it cough out blood then collapsing to the floor dead. They then spotted themselves surrounded each of them taking out two monsters with ease but more and more kept coming. They where cornered till with a yell shouted "Rapier" and four airborne kicks flew in from behind the monsters smashing their faces into the ground. The four kicks were none other then his mother, sister and grandparents to their rescue. Faust's father knew they couldn't win this even a man whose killed a whole army by himself couldn't kill all those monsters which where way stronger then humans.

Faust's father asked him to leave, but he refused. Finally however, he had not asked but commanded Faust to leave. He did not have to do as asked but he would do as he was told. So Faust bowed to his family and ran off he then turned back just in time to see his mother getting slashed across her chest. Faust yelled out, the sight distracted him enough to catch a punch from one of the monsters to his right arm sending him through a wall. Faust got up dusting himself off then quickly rushed the monster he hopped a little into the air spinning his body and feet at extreme speed yelling "Shadow skills Chainsaw". his body looked like a buzz saw as he flew at the monster slicing it in two landing behind it. Faust needed to hurry up in his escape attempt. His arm was in pain and he knew why the hit from the monster dislocated his arm. Faust had finally made it out of the village but he knew he couldn't stop just yet. He kept going till he was sure he was out of danger as he slowed down and sat under a tree panting heavily.

Faust looked at his arm it was lifeless he was lucky it wasn't broken after doing such a rookie mistake. He gritted his teeth took hold of his arm and popped it back in place which was follwed by a loud grunt of pain. Faust drifted off for a bit but in his fading into sleep in the corner of his eye he had faintly spotted two girls in the distance.

Annie was still healing the girl and it seemed that her life was not in danger anymore but still, she had a long way to go until she was done. Suddenly the girl burst to life knocking Annie to the ground and pinning her down then threaten to strangle her, the assassin reached for her kama that was sheath behind her but she looked into the girls eyes and saw something she had never saw before, her own cold gray eyes locked to hers and she could not act. When the girl let go of her throat and embraced her she laid there frozen, either unable or unwilling to move.

The girl gets off of Annie and she backs away, Annie looks at Shota's hand as it is offered then into her eyes again and for some reason she felt she could trust this girl.The assassin takes the hand of the girl and gets to her feet but in one quick motion Annie pulls herself into Shota and puts her leg behind the girls knees and throws her down but before she hits the ground Annie catches her so she doesn't get farther injured. "Stay down, I'm still not done healing you..." Annie crouches down and poured more water then began working on the wounds on the girls arm. "My name is Annie. You have strange eyes and weird green hair" she says bluntly as she works the water into the wounds taking out the splinters and hints at a blush.

A smile forms over her face as her hand is grabbed and she helps Annie up but in a heartbeat, she gasps as her hold on the ground is broken and she falls. Her eyes close quickly as she was preparing to descend, only to hesitate at opening them to see that she was saved from the slight fall. She exhales her breath once... then thinks to herself. "Weird eyes?" she stares into the girl who heals her and then... she lets out a light giggle before commenting back "and you have pretty eyes." The comment was made to be teasing. After speaking, she lets out another exhale of breath while the healing continues.

Relaxing now that she is in the hands of Annie's healing power, Shota begins to think back to the town. She thinks of the people who died, she fears what happened to her parents, she thinks of... The book! Her eyes open widely quickly and she lets out another gasp, sitting up quickly and looking for the book that she grabbed before running from her house. She see's nothing at her stomach where she had it after escaping. "Excuse me, A-Annie? Have you seen a book- one of old fabric upon the cover with the words in a luminescent color titling it Tome of Lyrical Magicka?"

Annie didn't say anything back when Shota complemented her eyes but her red cheeks said it all she had no idea how to respond to something like that. When the girl began to question about the book she was holding when Annie found her she simply reached underneath the pack the Shota's head was laying on and slid the book out, "you mean this, you were holding it so tight I figured it was something important." Annie hands her the book not really knowing what it is, she then began to wrap the girls wounds with bandages doing all she could with her healing magic.

A sound could be heard from the distant causing Annie to focus on her hearing, it was foot steps that belonged to a human, upon farther investigation she could hear who ever it was was in pain from the sound he was making. Annie pulled up her mask over her mouth that was around her neck and readied herself to get a closer look. "Be ready to fight or flee," Annie said standing up and taking her kama's out from behind her. The assassin quickly and silently starts moving to the sound, if it was a threat she would eliminate it without question but what she found was not a threat but a boy. Annie did not feel the same way about this boy as she did for Shota, she could easily leave him to die out here but as she turned away she could see those woman's strange eyes what would she think if she just left this boy. Annie sighed, "Why the hell do I suddenly care what people think..." The assassin cut a branch off a tree and begun poking Faust, "Yo kid, you still alive?" Annie questioned staying as much away as possible.

Originally posted by nate9939
nate quickly side steped completly avading the move but after that he almost colapsed at the power of the darkness elemental that stole his energy "so your a darkness elemental this should be fun" nate lafed so that he almost enjoyed himself the anger a few minutes ago he had disapeard nate felt no harmfull arora around this person he seemed almost confused but nate whouldent let this stop him nate qucily grabed his short dager and thrown it at him after he doged nate charged energy into his feat making his pownce 3 times more efective nate some how knew he wasent evil but he needed to make sure like his dad alwaysed said you chould always fell the nature of your enemy in a fight "if you whant to survive show me that your not the one who started all of this" nate yeld so that donny chould be ready to fight

Donny shifted his weight to his right side, holding his burned left arm. The energy crackling on the kid's sword had hurt more than he thought it would, leaving a patch of blackened skin. For a water element, Donny wasn't any good at healing magick, so the wound was going to have to stay for now. Donny tensed, bringing up his other fist. Nate was a powerful one, and fast, too. Donny wasn't sure why the kid thought he was the source of the monsters, but he could see he wanted a fight, so why not? It wasn't too different from most nights at the tavern, after all.

When Nate threw the dagger, Donny lunged forward, twisting his body to avoid the projectile. As he did, he noticed the energy building in Nate's feet. Donny went low, dropping onto his uninjured hand and swept his legs under the boy's feet. With the rest of his momentum, Donny continued the motion until his legs were once again under him and stood up.

"The one who started this?" Donny asked seriously, raising his fist as the dark element faded. "You attacked me! Do I look like a monster to you?"

Faust's reflexes went off using his hand to grab the branch. Faust opened his eyes getting on guard quickly standing up. He readied himself for a fight surveying the area studying the two girls before him. Faust was confused on who these women were, where they came from and what they wanted with him. "Who are you?.... Are you witht hose things that attacked my village?" Just from looking he could determine that these girls where capable of something but he did also notice that one of them had a fresh injury so their was less of a chance of then teaming up on him.

"sory" nate said droping his sword " eh i was just stresed i saw my dad killed infront of me and well that i chouldent think strate its quite funny actualy im a realy good docter but i can kill esaly" nate looked at donnys arm "let me heal that" nate grabed some whater in his pouch and coverd it in donnys arm and heald it after he was done he heard a sound in the town and desided to go over there "well im going back to town to see if anyone is alive that i can heal" nate sproted wings and flew to the vilage.

Shota moves her body with only a slight tense pull on her muscles from the injury. Her right arm drags over her torso and touches her left arm, before she pulls herself into the sitting position. She begins to flex her individual fingers in order to test their ability to still properly move, as she continues along the joints of her body. She checks her hands, fine. Her arms are damaged, she checks them again, they work. With this single area of her body confirmed well, she nods. Shota then begins checking along the rest of her body; her torso, her hips, her thighs, her knees, her feet, her neck... Injuries present but... she confirms she is in decent enough condition to properly move. She nods to her confirmation and slaps her right palm to the ground as a sudden force of magical expulsion in short amount sends her launching upward onto her feet with her book in her other hand. With this in mind, she pulls unbuckles a belt loop behind her waist and safeties the book within its hold.

With everything now confirmed working and her book secure, Shota begins to take notice of the two nearby. The girl, Annie, who saved her.. and the boy, Faust... who is now picking up a stick as a weapon against her new friend. She smiles as an idea pops into her mind and playfully she moves in behind Annie and with a quick movement of her arms, she moves them beneath the arms of Annie and captures her chest with her palms beginning to grope. She looks over Annie's shoulder at the boy, Faust, upon the ground and begins speaking while she attempts to tease and bother her female friend.

"Well hi there," Shota speaks aloud to Faust. "My name is Shota, just Shota." Her eyes study the distance between herself and the boy, subtracting the distance of the weapon, then adding possible variables. Her smile is playful and can easily be seen as not harmful though the likeliness of such a thing being true after such an event is unlikely.

Fixing...))

Annie lets go of the branch and with her other hand she raised her kama, the boy seemed delirious and asking stupid questions. Annie sheathed her kama and found this boy not to be a threat, she turns her head back toward Faust, "If I wanted to kill you, you'd be died." Annie then hears the foot steps of the green haired girl coming she took a quick glance of the girl as she cupped her breast with her hands. Annie quickly covers her chest and stumbles back a bit more into Shota's arms. "W-What is the meaning of this Shota?" she says surprised and completely red in the face under her mask.

Despite the covering of her breasts, Shota continues the fondling with a playful smile, her face-- almost catlike playfulness in it. "They called to me, Annie-chan~" Shota smiles teasingly while her eyes glance between Annie and Faust. While she seems playful, her ulterior motives impossible to be seen by the mundane. While she shows a display of affection on Annie, her eyes study and test Faust. Her positioning and hold on Annie gives her the tactical advantage.

Faust didn't know what was wrong with these two girls, but his mind was clear now he just needed a few seconds to remember everything. Faust then moved out of fighting stance ready to move on from today. "Is that so you shouldn't doubt ones skills so highly Assassin." He could tell just by the way she held out her weapon when she did and her form all screamed assassin. Then the other girl grabbed the assassins breast Faust turned his head his face slightly red. "I see your busy let me not bother you" Faust turned and walked away from the two girls he had more important things to do then play friendly with a bunch of girls. While he walked away he said " The names Faust Star remember it I will be one of the best soon. Besides I don't have time to play you guys girl games at the moment."

nate looked around of hi once amazing vilage it semmed as most of the monster were gone but nate felt sick at looking at the bloody ground nate almost wanted to cry but he had already did enough of that he saw that almost no one was aliveand the pepole that were alive there injurys were to much for him to handel and whould be dead in minuts he finaly found 2 girls and a boy walking away nate decided if nothing he chould chec there wounds and landed inbeetwen them

"Nyah?" the sound lightly escapes Shota's lips as her hands release Annie's breasts. She casually walks around Annie to get a look at Faust who appears to be walking away in what he may call a... cool manner. Shota's eyes are filled with her curiosity so much so that it shows upon her slightly red face. To fix her curiosity, she leans over and bends her knees to get reach of the ground, where she grasps a stick. Standing back up, Shota takes a step back. She thinks to herself... 1.. 2.. 3... and she throws the stick through the air.

*swish* *swish* *swish* *CRACK!*

The stick strikes into the back of Faust's head and in a moment of comic relief, he is propelled forward onto his face. Shota makes a light giggling sound while her hips curve, she jogs to the boy who lays on the ground. Her knees bend again and she crouches. Her arms press onto her legs so she can get a close look at Faust.
"What are you deciding on your own?" she questions him while studying his face carefully. "Our home was just destroyed and now you're walking off. We should see who else survived." she smiles and then her eyes glance toward Annie.

"Annie-chan?" The assassin said still being groped, she felt light headed and a bit weak in the knees she couldn't think straight for some reason all she could feel was Shota's hands on her breast and not knowing if this was a good or bad thing. When Shota released her breast she almost fell over, what the hell is going on why am I acting so weird she thought. She could hear Shota and the boy talk but she wasn't paying attention and as the boy started to walk away Annie heard something being thrown and hitting, the assassin quickly looked up and saw that Faust was on the ground and Shota was over him. Annie's senses were back and she quickly drew her kama ready for Faust to retaliate, *this girl is going to get herself killed or even me,* she thought to herself and everything was telling her to leave but when Shota's smile met Annie those thoughts were dispelled. *This girl is going to be the death of me but I'm intrigued,* Annie thought and for the first time she smiled back although it was bring covered with her mask.

Faust hit the ground his anger grew towards Shota as he lifted his head in her direction looking up at her he yelled. "What the hell is your problem." At that moment he looked into her eyes and they reminded him of two emeralds or jades shining in the sun. He had heard what she said about going back and in truth he didn't really want to go back. He was forced to leave even though he didn't want to end it seemed like he was being forced back in a mundane voice he said. "There isn't really anything back there for me now" "Besides why
do you need me to go back with you." Faust stood up and dusted himself off the branch didn't really do anything to him as his body was used to way much more amounts pain. "Howevere if you really want me to go then I'll think about it."

Originally posted by nate9939
"sory" nate said droping his sword " eh i was just stresed i saw my dad killed infront of me and well that i chouldent think strate its quite funny actualy im a realy good docter but i can kill esaly" nate looked at donnys arm "let me heal that" nate grabed some whater in his pouch and coverd it in donnys arm and heald it after he was done he heard a sound in the town and desided to go over there "well im going back to town to see if anyone is alive that i can heal" nate sproted wings and flew to the vilage.

Once Nate was gone, Donny slid to the ground and decided that a rest sounded reasonable. After a sprint through the city, a swim through the ocean, and a fight with a hyperactive kid, exhaustion was beginning to set in. Donny examined his arm, where he had been burned. The cracked, flaking flesh was gone, leaving only smooth skin. Seemed Nate was a pretty good healer. The kid had mentioned a dad, and while he was trying not to think about it, Donny still hadn't seen his own father yet. He should have been at the harbor, but he wasn't. Donny had to escape alone.

With the thought still fresh in his mind, Donny stood up. If he'd escaped, there had to be more survivors. Right now, with the city in ruins, survival was the first priority. Food, shelter, rest, he needed all of it. Donny set off, looking for anyone else to survive the night.

when nate reached the gap inbetwen these two pepole he noticed that both of the were seriously injured but were quiet ready to fight they were staring nate down to make sure they got the first move "hey im not an enemy im just here to help heal you pepole im a great docter if anyones intrested" as nate said that they lightend up a bit but sudenly geting back into stanc not knowing if they could trust him

Based purely on the appearance of Nate suddenly landing in the gap between where Shota and Annie were, she quickly became on edge. Oh great, another guy who wants to jump in and act the hero. she would think to herself. Devising a plan, Shota quickly cons a smile and raises herself up to Faust. Her palms already near enough to him, she strokes her palms down from his shoulders to his chest and delicately yet forcefully pushes Faust back. At the moment that Nate would finish his sentence to try and declare himself friendly, Shota would have succeeded in pushing Faust into Nate's arms. Quickly then, Shota raises her right hand while her left arm goes to her side. Magic... begins to fill the air around her.
"I summon the power of Lightning!" she shouts. A darkened cloud above summons the force of a lightning bolt and seems to send a streak of lightning toward the ground though it actually rises. In that moment, Shota's hand becomes consumed in a static. She brings her arm, that now wields the lightning element in what appears to be the form of a blade, back and then swings it forward. With her distance from the two boys this element does not come in contact with them but instead points at them only a few feet from Faust's body. Shota does not attack, but she is now armed.
"Start talking!" she demands. "Our city was laid to waste by monsters. I've never seen any of you before and quite frankly the only one I trust at all is that girl over there who actually healed me." Her eyes remain unflinching. All of Shota's rage begins to come into view. Her hatred for whoever claimed her home and maybe even.. her family. "If you had anything to do with the destruction of my home! I WILL KILL--" Shota's voice suddenly cuts off in the middle of her sentence. A strong power is felt radiating from the city. A dark power. This is no mere creature like the things that she fought on her way out, this was much more powerful.


In the city. A few minutes ago...

Monsters appear laid out across the empty streets, along with the dead residents that used to inhabit them. The peaceful streets of the city of magic is now paved in blood. So much destruction and death.

"N-No!" a males voice whimpers, begging. "Pl-Please, don't--!" his voice is cut off and instead a gagging noise can be heard. Two shadows, the man cowering and another approaching him. At the moment of the gagging a long sharp shadow can be seen piercing the back of the cowering mans skull. He falls to the ground and blood pours out of his head. He continues to gargle blood even after death. View slowly sets onto two men. One of them, cloaked completely in black. He appears the superior. The other is a man, the one who wielded the sharp object that pierced the now dead mans skull. He is a remotely skinny man with dark clothe covering most of the flesh on his body, save his face. He wears a purple armor that appears fragmented in several places.. perhaps a battle wound from the destruction of the town or a time before. His hair goes down below his chest. It is a silver-tone of blue. Across his outfit, few skulls can be seen. Their very presence upon his attire is an omen of death. In his right hand he wields a weapon, a sword with a black handle and golden hilt. A red gem is centered on this hilt. The blade itself appears of steel, but its design is not that of a smooth warriors blade. It has unique edging at variable points and it seems to put off a dark aura as if the element of darkness itself resides within it. With his left hand.. he cleans the blade of the blood from the now dead mans skull before he turns to face the other more superior being.
"We have claimed the city, my Master.." the sword wielding man speaks. The superior being looks at him. No words are said, but a feeling goes through his mind. It's as if without saying a word, the sword wielding man gains the message. He then turns and looks at several people, torn and weak, tied arms behind their backs as they sit knees to the ground. "We are to execute them then, to make an example. I understand... my master." And understand, he did. The man wielding the sword turns and begins to walk away from the people tied and the superior cloaked man. His body begins to tremble but... not in fear. As he stops his gentle walk away, his body begins to levitate from the ground. A red glow, very faint as if the evaporated fumes of blood, rises from his body. Pulses of dark energy echo out into the wind-- powerful so that even those for miles beyond the cities walls can feel its tingle.

Annie is on edge as the boy with wings lands suddenly near them, she studies the boy and finds that he lacks the eyes of a killer and there was no way this guy could be the one that summoned all those creatures. Annie watched as Shota summoned her lightning blade it was quite an amazing sight one that she hadn't seen before, so this is what she can do shes not as helpless as she looks, she thought. Annie moved close to Shota but still kept a safe distant and if any of the two boys moved aggressively toward them she would not hesitate to bury her kama into their chest.

Out of nowhere a wicked power could be felt emanating from the village they used to call home. "If you are truly curious as to what happened to the village I believe that if we go there now we will find out. I personally give two shits about what happened but I guess I can tag along and see what horrors come forth," Annie said jaded but her eyes told another story. It was true she hadn't cared that the village was destroyed although a small part of her felt angry that someone could commit mass murder so easily, she was of a murdering clan but they always had reasons for killing, this however just seemed unnecessary.

nate looked in that direction and felt a chill down his spine he was frightend for a seconed but then he realised somone with that much power most of done this but then he realised he chouldent beadt him alone "hey you guys i dont know if you trust me or not but i think the person who did this is up ahead so i think we should see whats hapining i dont know if i will die his power i realy strong so i think your group should help me fight him well if you want revenge " as nate said that he ran off not looking behind him so that he chould not fell afaid if he had to fight alone

Black turns as his feet slowly descend to the ground. He takes it slow, step by step, as he approaches one of the tied up victims. Slowly from his side, Black begins to raise his arm. It is covered in a black cloth. His entire body is outlined by a dark aura. His eyes cut back and glance at his master. His master, cloaked in black, nods to him. Black's eyes widen a little as a smile cuts across one side of his face.
"I understand!" He seems excited. Black thrusts his hand onto the neck of the first woman and he licks his lips. She lets out a loud scream. "Scream as loud as you wish, they will be the last sounds you make!" Black takes a step back, and with incredible power, he hurls the woman into the sky.

From outside of the village, those looking in can see a woman launched into the air. She has fine attire of expensive fabric. A teacher to those training in the magical arts. She screams as she is air bound, her back toward the ground... she is upside down. Her eyes catch the sight of the children just outside of the city-- she prepares to call to them, in hopes they might hear. Too late. *SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEK!* from the ground below, a spire of sharp dense rock extended from the ground. It reaches higher then two houses stacked, and when it reaches the woman... the tip tears through her chest, impaling her upon it. Blood spurts out of her wound and the loud scream quickly silences as she chokes on blood from her throat. Her eyes appear as if they are prepared to push themselves from her skull. The spire itself.. stained with her blood.
Soon after, mere seconds, others begin to experience this same pain. Spires varying in size shooting upward and impaling them all. Shop Keepers, Neighbors, Parents, all being impaled by the same attack. There is little time however for the children to study those who were impaled, the spires ran through buildings and trees within the city. For every spire that went up, another structure was torn apart. A portion of the debris from the spires begins to rain down through and outside of the village. Chunks of homes and shops hit the ground, reaching as far as the children have gotten from the city.
All but one of the captives have been executed. The last one.. the mayor of the city. No matter who lived within the city and no matter where they did, all knew this man. He had affected each of them in one way or another. Black was given his orders. He approaches the mayor who begins to tremble at the approach. The mayor was blinded, he could not see what was happening to the others but he could hear their screams and feel the drops of blood on his skin from when they were killed. He could not help but think what these mad men would do t-- GUH! the mayor grunted as a knee met his face. He was struck and sent onto his back on the ground, by Black.
"Beg for your life." Black speaks to the mayor on the ground. A wide grin over his face. "Beg Master Dominus to spare you, worm."

Outside of the Village~ As the Executions Began

Shota's eyes were wide as she watched in horror at the sight of such things. How could anyone be so cruel? She thought to herself. Her eyes shot to Faust and then to Annie. Acknowledgment that this event had nothing to do with them was clear. She brought her hand back and the sword of lightning had shattered from her hand. Shota turned and faced Nate who she saw began obnoxiously run off. "Baka!" Shota would shout, before her feet pressed against the ground and she too went off in a sprint behind Nate to get close enough to see what was happening. She had doubts of everyone. But it was clear whoever was responsible for all of this destruction was still inside of the village.
"LOOK OUT!" Shota screams to Nate as he ignored the skies and ran on to the village. Her feet pressed to the ground and she launched herself forward, her lightning enhanced her speed and jump, and she managed to catch him. Her palm pressed to his back and her right foot to the ground... MOVE! she would scream in her mind as her foot pushed from the ground and with a sudden jolt of speed, she pushed Nate and herself clear of falling debris. Her hand pulled back quickly and she followed behind him to keep up with his speed. Whether she wanted to go or not, she did not want someone to die because of her.. and it was clear this reckless boy would die if she did not help him. Along their way, she glanced back at Annie to see if she was following. Then she glanced back into the skies to see more spires rising. Several people were already impaled by whatever was causing this. What madness could drive someone so far?

nate was so enraged even though he chould here her he chould camprehend what she was saying he chould barley get out that speach back there because he knew the one who was ahead of them was the killer the one there was going to pay as nate though this the balde in his hand was ignited in red elctrcity sa if all the rage in his boody was muster into his sword as nate finaly found the guy that killed all these pepole nate lunged his sword with a power that not only came from his own soul but the soul of the dragon that slept within him.

Time seems to slow down as it becomes inevitable. His approach is too rash.. Black's eyes notice him. Behind Nate, Shota follows with her right hand reaching out. Unlike Nate, Shota notices the two men and can feel their overwhelming power flowing from them. She cannot even begin to judge the limits of their power. Her hand draws forth and she tries to grab at him to stop him. As if reaching for a never slowing target, Shota continues to fall short of him. The words escape her lips.. but she feels heavy, slow. A fatal moment feels as if it approaches.
"Wait, don't--!" Shota lets out a scream as Nate lunges toward the armed man. She is... too late.
The sound of flesh tearing echos out. Nate's blade is struck to the side and his arm is held by Black's free hand. Black then pulled Nate into him, where Black's blade pierced the torso of Nate's body. Blood is sent flying back from him and onto Shota's face. She trembles at the sight of it. Before her very eyes, she failed to stop him. Black lifts Nate into the air, making him gasp for air but only gag upon his own blood. With a strong swing, Black throws the boy from his sword and into the wall of a destroyed building. The impalement upon his sword has left Nate drained.. unable to move. Shota continued forward, the move taking but a second to have executed. Before she can stop, she is in his range but his sword was used to throw Nate. Her fists tighten... again she is too slow. Black's free hand again thrusts forward and he shouts. The very overwhelming force of his magic seems to echo through the air and torment it. Shota is sent flying back by the shout with such great force, that when she strikes the ground, blood is drawn and smears the path from her skull. Her body then hits it and her old injuries open back up quickly. Both Shota and Nate are left in a fatal condition. Black raises his head and looks down the path that they ran, searching to see for anyone else who may attempt to rush him. Shota's palms touch the ground and her body continues trembling. She is unable to stand.. she too feels drained of her energy. How powerful is he. she thinks. To knock her clean without so much as a shout. Such terrifying power this man has.

nate after feling alot of pain by that strike almost pased out nate then sudenly heard another smash near him nate craled toard this nate saw shota "im sor-ry sh-o-ta" nate said as he started barley healing shota with as much energy as he chould muster nate knew that he chould not battle him without geting stonger but he knew that he chouldent let anyone get hurt in his reveng before nate pased out on shotas lap he saw two shadowy figures not knowing if they chould help him nate said "go-od lu-ck"

Donny's mind wandered as he walked. It was starting to dawn on him just how much everything had changed over the course of mere minutes. So many people dead, or worse, that Donny could barely conceive of it. How many had he known, or just simply seen, that were now gone? The scale and speed of the invasion was incredible, and had seemingly come from nowhere. Had no one seen it coming? Donny shook his head. His mind always went back to his father, and the kid. Donny had no idea where his father was, or if he'd even gotten out of the city. He should have been at the harbor. Then there was the kid, Nate. Donny had seen him fight and the kid could hold his own, but fending for himself in the wilderness was another matter.

At some point, Donny found he'd wandered back near the city, whether hoping to find something alive or just to see what remained he didn't know. He nearly turned around when a chill ran down his spine. Donny could feel it, a dark, crushing power that reminded him of the deepest ocean trench. Slowly, Sonny leaned past the ruined city wall for a closer look. He felt, more than saw, the horrific display. Bodies. Blood. Two dark figures. That was all Donny was willing remember, but something else caught his eye. There was a girl, roughly his age, who was still alive in the veritable sea of corpses. Almost on her lap was the boy he had seen earlier, Nate. Both of them were gravely injured, and Donny could see the two figures responsible for the bloodbath.

Donny ducked behind the wall to gather himself. He could still feel the darkness element drawing in everything around the two men, and he knew that strength overpowered his own element a hundred times over. Donny had gotten lucky that neither man had seen him, and hoped his luck would hold out. It was suicide and he knew it, but Donny was just too cold and tired to care. He was just a fisherman's son, what was that against a power that could wipe out a city? Donny smiled grimly as he reached for his element. His clothes were still wet from his swim earlier, and that helped a bit. Fog began to swirl around Donny, and with a silent breath descended into Zerab. It wasn't a huge cloud by any means, just enough to obscure the immediate area. Donny stood up, and quietly crept into the ruined city. He couldn't see more than a few feet and was thankful for it. He couldn't see the bodies and, thanks to a bit of extra mist around his body, no one could see him. Donny crept forward, reaching the girl first.

"Shh," he whispered, putting a finger to his lips. He took a handful of his cloak and twisted it, squeezing salt water onto the girl's wounds. Donny was still no healer, but he could at least stop a wound from bleeding. He just hoped it wouldn't sting badly enough to cause a cry of pain. Then, he moved on to Nate, and repeated the process of not-quite-healing. Donny noticed the boy was unconscious, and carefully lifted him up and over one shoulder. The kid was surprisingly light, and that made the next step easier. Donny put out a hand to girl, hoping she could at least limp out of the city.

While watching the path, Black noticed the mist begin to form that covered the two fallen prey. "Interesting", he comments as he takes a single step toward it. Black maintains a distance, as if to protect himself. However, he does not fear being attacked by anyone... his purpose for keeping a distance is to keep his plan, enjoyable. His mind flickers with the feeling of an approaching prey. This is the same way he noticed Nate and Shota. Someone else is coming.

Black could not see anything within the mist, it blinded him. But he could feel it.. the presence of the two magical forces inside. This was the two people who he had fallen already, Nate and Shota. Then there was a third, a new one approaching. The fool hadn't learned how conceal his magic yet. It was clear to Black that like the two before, this one was also a child. A newbie in the art of magic. Indeed, physically he was hidden and this would caught a slight problem. But only slight, Black would think as he raised his left hand once again. His magic was directed through this arm and a hint of the darkness element came apparent at his palm. "A Game." A smile forms on his face and as it does, the darkness element grazes Donny's cheek to leave a slight scratch. The corruption and decay that the element itself would bring would later show. The game... had begun.

Another few shots of the darkness element pass by Donny harmlessly... as if he were missing on purpose. Black snickers as he fires his darkness element into the mist. It would seem that he could not easily find Donny, whether this was true not was not in question. His first attack hit the mark. His strategy was firing his attacks into the mist to cause pain to Donny, to get his own screams to reveal himself. The idea of causing the prey so much pain that it he would have no choice but to fight or flee was an enjoyable sentiment to Black. Something that he remembered from his old life.

Dominus, the powerful being standing just nearby, did nothing about this. He turned his back on them and began walking away. Black hardly notices his master walking away, the grin of pleasure over his face while he torments his prey.

nate woke up as a pin like item interd his hand not screaming as a habit he looked around and saw the face of the man donny that he fought earlyer in the forest holding me and shota trying to escape then nate took a clooser look through the fog and saw somone throwing dome type of dark projectiel nate new these might be a problem so he grabed the water bottel and started healing his wonds still weak from the battle he chould only heal the wounds the scrapes and scratches whould have to stay next he looked at shota "you two go into that ally way or we might get hit more by these things" as nate said that donny seamed to understand and went twoards there nate started to heal both of them his magick seamed to be recovering nicely but that was noware true to his body the pain evreywere simpley edmighting his magick made him whant to scream but he holded it in as he finished healing theam he tired his best to put a field that whould stop anoyone frome the outside to feal there magical presionces because he knew he chould barley feal it that a higly trained swordsman like that guy whould find them with barley any work if they where reclisly throwing the magick everyware "we need to find the outher two" nate said as they started walking agine

The laughter, the wretched laughter. All hunters gain this pleasure during the hunt. But it is short lived... Black's eyes suddenly narrow. He notices the foolish boy who charged at him first who begins to move again. Fool. "You should have stayed down.." Black whispered. As the darkness flares continue to fire, Shota's leg is hit by one of the flares and she lets out a loud scream of pain before falling over to the ground against a wall. Her body trembles.

Almost a second after, Donny is also is struck by the darkness. The powerful magic struck his side and began burning across his flesh painful. The high level of magic that struck him causes him too to fall against the ground. Though he is damaged, Donny withstands the force. Thankfully it was not a fatal blow.

Nate's however... is not. Due to Nate's voice, there was a clear indicator of his current location. Black could take no more of this foolishness. This boy was no longer interesting to him. The attacks give him no means of escape. His already injured body makes him begin to fall. Had he not tried to play the hero, perhaps... But there was no room in Black's mind for "chances". Finally, one of the darkness flares strikes across a rib of Nate's, sending him into immense pain. Another then quickly across the neck, spurting blood onto the ground from him. Several other shots pierce through his body, drawing immense amounts of blood and corrupting the flesh making it difficult to heal. "No more.." the darkness element begins to build at the tips of Black's fingers. A high concentration of darkness magic is now singled in for one attack. This next blow would be fatal. No more.. The words echo through his mind as he pulls the element into the air, catching it like a baseball. He then hurls it through the mist like a sharp object and it quickly approaches on Nate. Blood splashes across the ground, making a clear indication that his attack was successful.

Nate falls back and hits the ground.. a hole through his left eye and burning through the back of his head. His eyes were a clear target while he was looking through the mist. Black lets out a heavy sigh before turning around. The girl, injured. Unable to move. She would soon die. The mist user, injured. He would die soon as well. Nate, the boy who thought to stand up and be a hero; if not dead already, was directly on the border. The wounds he succumbed would cripple him should have survived. The darkness flare through his eye.. ensured he would never see again. The corruption was too strong. If not treated immediately, his entire face would become corrupted.

Blacks enjoyment of these children is at an end. "Fools.." he whispers one last time before he fades into the shadows, disappearing from the streets of the city. The capture of Zerod was complete. The monsters would soon be let out to devour the dead.

Annie watched from the shadows as everyone dropped like flies and she to had to suppress the urge to jump into save Shota again, instead she kept herself concealed and unlike the fools below she was trained to erase her presence. The assassin moved quickly and silently making use of the mist, Annie was able to get close enough to Black without him noticing, "Oath of the Ice-Phoenix: Ice prison..." Annie whispered her oath then Black would be in case in a block of ice, she was sure that a man as powerful as him would not be held for too long but it would give her enough time to get the others out. Annie quickly ran to the fallen three and she had to get them out all at once. The assassin closed her eyes and raised her right index and middle fingers up to eye level, "Assassin art: Wind relocation." Suddenly a strong gust of wind enveloped the group of kids and moments later they vanished.

Appearing back in the forest the winds would disappear and the group would be on the forest floor, Annie collapse joining the others on the ground having expended a lot of energy transporting them away from the village. Annie looks at the wounded and sees that Nate is very close to death, without any time to think she summoned water to her hand and began to heal him first. His wounds would become less critical but he was a long way from completely healed. Annie turned her attention to Shota and focused her healing on her head wound and hopefully she would wake soon, doing all she could for the green haired girl she turns to Donny and begins to heal but having used to much energy getting them out of the village and healing the other two she faints.

nate awoke a few hours later in amense pain but he knew he whould survive having a full take of magic he chould finish of annies healing he sudenly put his hand on his eye the skin qucikly reformed useing the speacil teacneak that had saved his live tons of times he knew it whould take atleast a good weak to full heal but he chould atleast get it functioning in a hour or so as nate finished healing it was dawn of the new day it was a butifull moment but he knew that all this butiy whould fade away like his once peacfull town nate saw the outher two there injurys werent as survier but if they were not treated soon the whould die nate went to a nerby rive and purifed the water so he chould use it for treatment like he did when he treated his patient if he hadent work at the clinic with his father he knew he whould of died but that was a thing that chould not be changed he quickly went back ans started healing the rest of them with ease not thinking nate said "im sorry if i was stronger i whouldent of let you get hurt if i were a better leader i whouldent have goten inraged but I did im so sorry" after he said that he walked away and started his trasfomation in his hands so that he chould learn how to beter controll this power.

after nate walked a few steps nate already felt sick his whole body felt numb and only his sheer willpower kept him frome pasing out nate then felt the pain in his eye returning nate knew that this was some side efect of the magic that was delt to him as soon as he touched the still decaying skin nate knew if he didnt find atleast a temperary cure to this he whould die in the mater of seconds he looked back in panic as he new that the outhers were struck by this two he new that if he chouldent find a cure soon that the pepole who had tried to help him whould die he quicly thought of a solution if only temperarey he quicly looked through the bag he had been carying all day "this should work" as nate said that he heald the wound agine and took out a cloth and made an eye patch out of it ( this cloth is made out of specail materails that can slow down the proces of most magic for a certaint amount of time) as nate put it on he felt as though the cloth had taken away most of the pain and nate looked at them as wounds started reopining he new that he whould be staying up all night so he made a fire and started healing and wraping there wonds

Donny woke up, and immediately regretted it. Pain flooded his senses, and his face and most of his left side felt as if they were exploding. Donny had once gotten a fishhook stuck through his cheek, but the pain there now made that feel like a tickle, and every movement he made wracked his chest and ribs. Somehow, though, the sensation was familiar, and it took a while for Donny to place it. It was darkness. Cursed wounds, the same as inflicted by the darkness element that Donny possessed, but much stronger. It didn't simply weaken the body, but actively harmed it and prevented most healing.

With effort, Donny sat up, looking around. He vaguely remembered being transported to the forest, and it seemed his memory hadn't failed him. The trees overhead prevented him from judging the sun's exact position, but he could tell it was at least close to morning. Which meant it had been close to a day and a half since Donny had eaten anything. It hurt, but Donny managed to stand up and catch his breath. There were three other people with him, the first being Nate, and the other two girls that Donny didn't know the names of. He recognized one as the girl he'd tried to help in the city, and the other as the one who saved him. Time for introductions, then.

"Hey all," Donny said to whoever was listening. "I'm Donny. You lot got names?"

"Here," Shota had smiled and stood at the sight of Donny awakening. She did not know him-- from his name to his reason for being there, but she knew that he wasn't a foe. He did save her after all. She walked toward him-- a wince. Pain could be seen in her eyes at the step. A hot red mark burned across the flesh of her leg. The wound on her head was healed, but this corruption at her leg still caused great pain. She had managed to hold it off with chemicals. "So your name is Donny?" Her head tilts with a smile as she crouches near him, a small bottle and a few leaves in her hands as she moves near his injured side. The black taint can be seen in his flesh. Not concerned for how he might react but rather what might happen should this be left unchecked, she gently pours some of the bottle onto the wound. This would have a strong sting, something like putting your hand into boiling water. His skin might bubble from the mixture between the taint and the fluids that Shota poured, then she quickly places the leaves to Donny's flesh and presses onto it. The leaves stick to his body. Her eyes glance across to his eyes, to catch a reaction. Perhaps he was afraid because she just caused him pain or perhaps he enjoyed it. She was curious to find out. "My name is Shota" she giggles lightly, with a hint of curiosity in her tone. "Just... Shota."

Donny winced at the pain, but he knew medicine when he saw it. When the substance touched his flesh, Donny gritted his teeth and gave a few involuntary twitches. It hurt at first, but the sharp burning was already beginning to fade into a dull ache. Once Shota was finished, Donny gave the leaves an exploratory poke, flinching at the pain's sudden return. After a few more tries, Donny found he could stand without much trouble.

"Thanks," he manage, smiling faintly. After a moment, he added, "Shota." He looked around, eyeing the fire Nate had made. "Uh, I'll go look for, uh, something to eat."

Shota sticks her tongue out. She is playful toward him. What a silly boy, it's as if he were embarrassed by talking to her. After Donny stands, Shota pushes herself onto her feet and gives a nod of acknowledgment to him. Afterward, she turns from him and walks toward the center of the camp, near the fire. Her hands move onto her hips and her eyes glance from left to right. Shota isn't wearing her typical clothes right now as they were torn up in the escape. Instead, she wears bandages around her chest where a few bloody splotches show through. Her leg is also bandaged where the dark scratches were made. Covering her legs, she wears a clothe with a symbol on it. While she looks around, she begins to question... "Where is Annie, she should have been back by now."

Shota sighs. Since they made camp, Shota barely saw Annie, and she was so planning to tease the girl more. Instead, she heads near the fire where her torn clothes are and pulls up her shirt into her arms. She has a needle and thread within her fingertips in the opposing hand, which she uses to string the clothe together. While she ties, she lightly hums though.. it is clear she is not singing for enjoyment and more to express her disdain for fixing clothe. "Sowing, Sowing, Oh how I hate sowing <3 Sowing~ Sowing, my god this just blows~" Shota lets out a light giggle.

nate woke up at the singing "wow how are you guys so cherfull after that" as nate said that he got up with a simile and yawned "well im going to look for some food" as nate siad that his sotmach rumbled "what do you want " as nate said that he un did the eypatch and reheald the wond and puting it back on nate then got ready to look for some food.

"Actually.." Shota blinks as she sits back in her place, her eyes glancing toward the boy who nearly got her killed. "That cute boy over there said he was going hunting, you should stay at camp, since your wounds are the worst." Shota closes her eyes and then turns her head back to her work. While her eyes are closed, her hand weaves the thread through the cloth as she closes the holes in her shirt. The idea of the boy going out to hunt was not a positive one for her. It was his fault that they were in this mess in the first place, after all. Had he not been so rash, perhaps they could have gotten the drop on those two powerful beings and at least managed to find something out. Shota held a grudge on this boy and despite him apparently appearing friendly... she would not hesitate to kill someone that might endanger them once again.

Just as Shota begins to sow Annie drops down from a tree and lands nearby she carries a fistful of nuts and berries and walks to the green haired girl. "Hey, I found some stuff you could eat...if you want. I couldn't find much but here," Annie said setting down the food on a cloth and avoiding eye contact. "I better get back to patrolling," she says starting to head back for the trees. Annie decided it was best for her not to get to close to Shota, that girl made her feel weird and made Annie think with her emotions and not with her head, if she were to survive this she would have to distance herself from the group and only be around when needed.

"k but im atleast geting some water were going to need some fresh and i have some botels in here and theres just a lake over there so im not going to far im not that dangerous i just needed to see how strong they were i didnt want you flowing me anyway" nate sighed "if you think im to dangerous just say so ill leave if you want me to atleast after thoughs wounds are gone i never leave a patient behind"

Donny felt at peace when he was in the water. He stood knee deep in the lake, a makeshift spear in hand. The skinning knife wasn't the best tool for sharpening a stick, but at least the end result was functional. Donny was used to net fishing in the ocean, but that didn't mean it was all he could do. Whether it was salt water or fresh, or fishing with a rod or a spear, Donny prided himself in his ability. He waited for his chance, and struck quickly , impaling a fish. He heaved a sigh of relief. Finally, he was back in his element, and a sliver of normalcy seemed to have returned to Donny's life. Here, nothing else mattered; there was only him, the water, and the fish.

Faust had followed behind Annie as she watched from the tree tops looking down at the fight between the others. Faust had hid his killing intent along with his magik energy knowing that would be the simplest thing others could use to find him. At a young age he was taught how to hide his killing intent and his magik energy, in his family it was mandatory in order to survive. Faust observed everyone around him but mainly their enemy Black he could see instantly just from the movement of their body they where no match for him. He seemed too skilled to easily take damage from such attemps. The man thing that Faust observed was Black magik it was the dark element and judging from it's use he could tell he was strong in it. The could feel the thing that Black had that separated him from the others it was the heart of the beast, something all to knowledgeable to Faust. Faust watched Annie use her oath and it seemed strong but it was easy to tell Faust was way too strong for that. How ever way he thought he followed behind leaving his presence at low, following her into a the gust of wind.

After they relocated Faust was first on the scene to establish a perimeter around the camp walking off from the group knowing they would be in safe hands with Annie. Faust could sense the dark energy coming off the others body he could cure most of the curses on their bodies but not all. after setting up a perimeter he knew the other would need food so he walked off in search of some kind of food coming back with dead lizards to eat. This was something normal to Faust but maybe not to others so much.

Faust had headed back towards the other's setting down a dozen and a half dead lizards and tons of sticks. "Well It seems we'll be roasting lizard tonight." Faust had said with a mundane voice pleased but with too much on his mind. Faust was impressed with the use of everyone's powers and abilities in battle but more less Nate. His charging in could have easily costed him and the others around him their lives. It seemed like a miracle that everyone survived this not that Faust felt in concerns. He then sat down next to Shota saying in a caring voice. " Are you alright would you mind if I helped you out."

The thread is delicately woven through her shirt and finally all of the patches are made. Shota pulls her clothing over her shoulders and her arms slide gracefully through the holes meant for that are meant for them. Shota looks at her pants, specifically at the hole that was made that damaged her leg. Her eyes begin to wince. She can feel it... as if it were happening again. Her leg suddenly pulses with the taint. Damn it! she thinks, the pain is great. Shota lets out a short sigh, then she pulls her pants up, preparing to fix them.

Just as Shota prepares to begin on her pants, she notices Faust taking a seat next to her. Her eyes don't turn from her clothing and instead she speaks words directed to him. "We're all roughly the same age but none of you know the smallest thing about survival, do you?" Shota whispers. Irritation could be seen in her eyes. Shota was not the best fighter, nor was she the best at many other things. She begins to think back... remembering her parents.

A Mage for a Mother and a Mage Hunter for a Father... It's not hard to understand why they taught her the things they did. Teaching her how to decide on a safe camp, how to hunt, how to survive. Survival was her skill, because at anytime her family might have to pick up and leave. Mages might have been powerful, but they were also feared, and as any other public fear the community created positions for dealing with such things. Mages were 2nd class citizens. How quickly people forgot this...

"The first thing that any of you think is to fill your stomach. That kid wants to find food, you want to find food, you know there's more to survival then food!" Shota shouts in an angry tone. She calms back down quickly before she strokes her fist past her eyes to wipe away a tear. "Arrogance.." She whispers. "It's so sad that when pressed to a corner like we are, the first thing that most of us think of us to satisfy our hunger. Doesn't it mean anything to you that there are people out there who want us dead and we don't even know why?" Shota's eyes glare steadily at Faust. "No, I suppose not."

Shota ignores the multiple tears in her pants and instead, she stands up. After discarding the cloth from around her waist which allows her undergarments to be viewed for a brief second, she slips her pants over her legs and claps her hands together. She turns from the fire and grabs onto her Tome, wrapping it in the cloth she had to cover her waist. After slipping on her shoes and pulling cloth to keep her arms warm, she begins to walk toward the edge of the campsite. She stops and glances back. "I don't know any of you, and my first attempt to save one of you ended in an injury I can't heal and a headache. I can tell now.. it'll be more safe to go on my own then stay around you lot." Shota claims, before she turns and disappears into the forest. She is sure to leave no trace to be followed, her lightning element enhances her body to allow her to move at a great speed.

nate looked in that direction as he knew she was about to leave well if you whant to leave go but hre you will always belong but in the short period of time weve become friends how little or how grate its up to you just make sure your safe and if you ever need help just call"nate said that and sighed picking up a couple of the lizards that were done " well if you guys want me to track her just ask i know this forest in and out because i went here to get herbs evrey outher day"

Running. Running...just running. No time to stop, no time to think.

RUN!

Legs burning, chest heaving, eyes watering. Had to keep going.

Look out!

Stumbling. The ground rushing upward. Into the brush, fighting a losing battle to succumb to exhaustion. "Just let me rest. Just for a moment."

Get up, young Lucas!

He groaned, but obeyed, hands gripping a broken branch, propping himself up with it. Growling reached his ears as he opened his eyes. "By the Old Shell," he muttered, spotting three wolves watching him among the trees. He didn't even remember entering the forest.

RUN!

He pushed off with the stick, rushing between the trees and trying to ignore the growling and snarling at his back. He had to keep running. Had to keep going, or he was going to die. Branches scratched his face, tore at his robes. He yelped as one of the wolves managed to clamp down, pulling him backwards. He took the stick in both hands and swung around wildly, forcing the wolves back, though they only circled, watching the manic display. He was at his wits end, he could not fight off these animals.

"Jicotea...help me..."

I will protect you, Hatchling.

With a gasp of surprise and a snarl of uncertainty from the wolves, a sphere surrounded him, all aglow. He stood there for a moment, looking out at the world, saturated in the light. One of the wolves saw an opportunity, and leaped for the boy's throat. He threw up his hands, but a yelp made him lower his hands to look. The wolf was on its back, scrambling upright and snarling at him.

Run, young Lucas! Run!

He nodded to himself, turning away from the wolves and moving as fast as his aching limbs cold carry him, pushing himself along with the stick while the animals stalked him from behind. He had to find the forest's edge, there he might be able to find help...to find someone...

"GET DOWN!" a voice suddenly calls out to Avon. A chilling breeze brushes passed his cheek. Twas not a wind, yet a person passing quickly by him.

Strike! A loud whine echos from one of the pursuing wolves. Between the pursuing stalkers and the fleeing prey, Shota now makes a stand.

"I'm not used to playing the heroine..." She whispers, holding in both hands a large branch like a sword. "But I'm also not used to letting someone else get hurt, when I still draw breath!"

Little is seen but a sudden fury of fur and claw, clashing with the armed girl. Loud yelps are heard from the creatures and as quickly as it began, the three creatures can be seen fleeing from the scene. Shota is crouched over the ground heavy a breath, one palm to her chest with the other grasping the stick which is pressed to the ground. The stick is broken and she has multiple scratches over her body. Yet...

Shota turns herself around enough to look at the male, then she smiles and raises her fist to give a thumbs up to him with a confident smile. "Shota came to save the day!"

After speaking, she presses her stick to the ground and works her body to a standing position. She approaches the male but stays back a fair distance. She dropped the stick after standing to show that she was not hostile. "My name is Shota, if that wasn't obvious. Are you okay? What's... your name and what are you doing here?"

He must have been tired. He had barely heard the words and dropped, then he was looking up as the stranger called out victory. Her features we're colored by the light of the sphere around him. As she stepped closer, he shrunk back somewhat. If she could fight off the wolves, what might she do to him? The answer, it would appear, would be nothing as the stick was dropped to the ground. He looked at Shota for a moment, then used his own stick to push himself up, leaning heavily on it.

"My name is Avon," he replied in between deep, agonizingly wonderful breaths, "Avon Lucas. I was running..." As he finished the sentence, the glow around him faded, and he wobbled on the stick, which broke with a loud crack. He collapsed on the ground, still breathing heavily while muttering.

"Enough, Old Shell...please...no more..."

Soon, Hatchling...but not yet. Get up.

With a small whimper, Avon pushed himself into a sitting position, looking up at Shota with half-lidded eyes.

Annie had her back turned to Shota and the others and as the green haired girl talked she felt an unknown pain in her chest and she tears rolled down her cheek. Annie caught the tear with her finger and looked at it confused then the pain turned to anger, "Who needs this shit anyways," Annie said in nearly a whisper then using her wind element she jumped into the trees and took off in to the forest.

The young assassin stopped after awhile of jumping through trees and sat on one of the sturdy branches with her back against its trunk, she used this time to go through her thoughts. "I knew it, she was just like everyone else. Why did I think she could be different? I should have just left them all to die along with that village." Annie felt alone again, it was a terrible feeling that she hated but it was something she was getting used to. She remembered the girls eyes that gave her a strange feeling that she liked better then this alone feeling, the young assassin shook her head, "No that was a lie! I am alone in this world now and I can only rely on myself," she whispered to convince herself.

"man were is this going are you two going to leave to" nate sighed "well if you are the same speach aplies to you" nate took some more lizards "man these are actualy realy good but now if you are staying here were going to need to be stronger if we are going to survive so we need a plan of attack so anyone got any ideas the best one i can come up with is go and find a new city and find a master each to teach us the ropes eh but its up to you" nate sighed agine

Shota tilts her head and she smiles. Her body is injured, quite a bit. She knew it was a stupid idea to jump into a confrontation when she was already injured, but like she said, she never could deal with letting others get hurt when she has the chance to stop it.

She walks toward Avon and nods, extending her right hand toward him. Her palm is turned up. She offers a hand to help Avon up.

"I'm not much of a healer." She speaks to him calmly. "You look like you need some help.. I have some.. er.. friends, who set up camp nearby. They can take you to a town if you're lost."

"Okay," Avon nods, taking her hand with his left and standing shakily, "thank you." As he held her hand, his eyes ran over her body, making a mental note of the wounds he could see in the shadow of the dark woods. He could heal the girl, he was certain of that, but as exhausted as he currently was, any immediate attempt would likely result in him fainting. Instead he would simply accept her generous offer, and hope that the others would be accommodating to his presence.

"Perhaps after I've had some sleep, I can find some way to repay you for saving my life." He turns and begins walking, only to stop and look over his shoulder, rubbing his head. "...Where did you say the campsite was, again?"

In an instant, Donny's muscles locked up and a flashing shard of agony shot through his system. He dropped his spear and fell, stumbling into the lake he stood in. The world went dark, and Donny's vision blurred in the water. It was shallow, but it didn't need depth to drown him. Then, he felt something. It was as if the water itself was pulling him down, towards the low bottom. Donny's face hit the sandy floor, forced against it by a shapeless pressure, and his cheek again erupted into itching, burning pain. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move.

As Donny struggled, pressed flat, a purple light caught his eye, shining brightly even under the water. Donny recognized it as his own hand, engulfed in the shadowed illumination of the dark element. Sure enough, he couldn't feel his arms anymore. He watched, and the light grew into something solid, growing darker as it did. Donny didn't even remember reaching for his power, and tried to stop it, turn it off, anything. The solid darkness began to fade, and as suddenly as it appeared, the force holding Donny vanished. In a moment, he broke the surface and gasped, coughing as he tried to inhale. His chest was on fire, but Donny made his way back to the lakeside and collapsed onto the grass.

He lay there for a while, just breathing. When he felt it had passed, Donny got up, and stared at his hands, opening and closing each a few times to make sure they still worked. They seemed fine. He reached up to inspect his face, where the cut on his cheek stayed open and raw. The wound felt different, so Donny peeked into the reflective surface on the lake, long since gone still. It reflected his face, and for the first time Donny saw the wound on his face. No longer a single line, the slice broke into hundreds of small cracks, creeping across Donny's face. Each one was either an inflamed red or black line, sweeping downwards to his neck. Donny recoiled, and quickly stood up, retreating into the forest.

Later, Donny returned to the camp, dropping of the few fish he'd caught before the incident, as well as a bundle of branches. He stayed silent, and made several trips, retrieving more wood and leaves each time. Shelter was the next step, anything to avoid thinking about what was wrong with him. He went slowly, building a small lean-to of sticks and other castoffs. Eventually, he was finished, and dropped himself near the fire, to finally eat something.

Shota shows a smile of teasing. The boy had tried to walk off randomly without any knowledge of where he was going. That reminded of her at a younger age. Shota approached Avon and turned her body so that she would face the direction back toward camp. Shota raised her arm and signaled for Avon to follow her. With a light laughter escaping her lips, she begins to lead him on the path back toward the camp. "It won't be a long trip, I actually had just left the camp a little bit ago."

Avon smiled for the first time what seemed an age. The girl's laughter was reminder that he still lived, and could enjoy all the pleasures of life. Tired as he was, he looked forward to seeing people safe again.

What will you tell them, young Lucas?

He shook his head and shrugged, a silent admonition of his uncertainty. It could wait. Everything could wait until he had finally gotten some sleep.

After walking for a short time, Shota's eyes finally catch the sight of smoke. The camp. Her mind is sure of it. This was the direction she came from, but she felt something was wrong. Without thinking, she takes a quick sprint back into camp. Her feet touch the ground only barely as she nears the site, when suddenly-- Her body is thrown downward as her foot hooks a tree root.

"OUCH!" Shota suddenly shouts out, while she sits up on her hands and knees. A large red mark could be seen on her face, from where it impacted the ground. She moves her body around to sit with her legs crossed while her palms press to her cheeks. She rubs her cheeks firmly, trying to shake off the now pulsing pain on the front of her face. "Stupid tree..."

"whats that sound" nate said "im going to investigate the area you two stay here ill be raight back" as nate said that he ran torads the area not knowing if it was a friend or foe.

Faust was ready to leave just like the other's did but he knew he couldn't leave people like Nate around with his personality and skill, he would most likely get everyone killed. How Faust was he had to do something about that , the kid even had delusions of being a leader not with his skills. Faust couldn't eat after what he had seen back there but he didn't judge anyone else if they could. He sat against a tree keeping his guard up as he watched Donny walk past him soaking wet dropping fish for the others.

Faust had fallen into a deep meditation thinking on his past the knowledge that had been beaten into his head since he was five. The training he was a natrual at learning but still had so far to go. Faust had broke from his meditation when he heard a noise making him open his eyes. Faust had heard Nate say he was going to check it out and he knew that was dumb. "No Wait" Faust had yelled out then foorcing himself to his feet ran after the boy so as to not let him die from danger.

Avon followed Shota, attempting to let his mind rest as much as it could now that he was no longer in immediate danger. Her sudden rushing forward snaps him out of his stupor, and he hobbles after, wincing at the aches of his muscles the burning of his scrapes. The thoughts of pain vanish as he sees her pitch forward and hears her cry, however, rushing forward with determination and immediately crouches down beside her as she sits up.

"Let me see your ankle," he says, concern clear in his voice, taking on a tone of a practiced healer looking to ply his trade. He'd always found it something of an odd question to ask "Are you alright", since it did nothing to explain where one might be injured. Instead, he'd learned to observe, and thus could look to the most immediate potential injury on anyone he intended to work on.

Annie found the river that ran through the forest if she followed it she would find a hidden cabin that her clan members had used to stash things or lay low after a hit in the village. She was going to suggest going there to the group but everyone wanted to do their own thing, with too many leaders there is chaos she thought back to her mother's words. Annie felt alone again missing her mother, they weren't close like other mother and daughters but her mom had gave her knowledge, strength, and she was always someone she could rely on but now she was dead, they were all died.

After a bit of walking Annie was able to find the hidden cabin quite easily, she had been here before after her first assignment, she could remember it like it was yesterday. The target had been a merchant in town but his real occupation was human tracking, the clan did not have a problem with him until he refused to pay for a job that he had requested so a hit was ordered and Annie was the one that carried it out. It was so easy to take this man's life he was arrogant which made him a fool, his men were easy to get passed and he left himself defenseless so even a novice could sneak in and slit his throat, yes it was easy to take this man's life but after your hand's are stained with blood it never washed off. No one told her that the hard part about killing someone was living with yourself afterward, living as a murder was the hardest part but it was expected so she ignored that disgusting feeling she got after a kill until she became numb and didn't feel anything at all.

Annie got closer to the cabin but something was off, the sign that hung over the door was straight this was a sign that a member was occupying the cabin, the young assassin hid behind a bush her thoughts racing. Had another member actually escaped that night when everyone else died, it was very well possible after all she was still alive. After a few minutes of hiding a man dressed in a black robe came out of the cabin, "A hungry rabbit jumps," he pronounced loud enough so she could hear. Annie stood up from her hiding place and spoke, "But it dies from the corruption it's feed." The man looked toward Annie and lowered his hood, he's a bearded man with a scar over his left eye, he's tall and looks to be in peek physical shape. Annie walks cautiously toward him, "Uncle Vincent it is good to see your still alive," Annie says slowly watching that man's eyes looking for any signs of aggregation. Vincent half smiles, "yes it is good to see you well too Annie." The man's voice was off and his eyes gave away his murderous intent, which makes Annie reach for her kama.

"So what do you plan on doing, Uncle?"

"Oh, maybe some slicing and a bit of dicing...come on kiddo you were supposed to die with my sister and her fool of a husband but I guess I must finish what I've started."

"It was you who started the fighting, you bastard! Everyone is dead cause of you!"

"Come now baby girl, an assassin should not show emotion especially when she's about to die, you can try to put up a fight if you want but you know as well as I do you don't stand a chance..."

Annie pulled her kama's out just as Vincent vanished in a cloud of shadows, Annie felt the cold steel of the man's swords cut the skin on her cheek then another across her arm and leg. Laughter could be heard from the trees, "Come on baby girl you were supposed to be the next in line to lead the clan, where's that prodigy your mother was always going on about, died with her huh?" Annie stayed calm not letting the man's taunts get to her, she focused on the air around her, she could feel it being disturbed as the man moved through the shadow's, she quickly swung her blade to the right of her and heard the cling of her kama meeting with Vince's kodachi. "Very nice you might actually live for a few more seconds," the man teased before stabbing with his other sword. Annie used her element to push herself back avoiding the blade completely, she reversed the wind and came at the older assassin with exceptional speed, their blades met again but wind from Annie's kama's slash forward cutting into the man's shoulders. Vincent stumbled back wincing from the pain, "Nice but play time is over kid!" he yelled becoming unnerved. The man disappeared in the shadows again Annie closed her eyes and focused on the air around her again, she felt that Vincent was trying to confuse her by reappearing then vanishing again at random. Annie opened her eyes and spun just as she done so Vincent appeared and she hooked her kama into his side and punctured his lung. "That was close *****..." The man smiled as blood begun to fall from his mouth then he collapsed to the ground.

Annie felt an immense pain and saw a gash coming from the bottom of her rib and crossing her chest, blood was gushing out and she was becoming light headed and knew she too would die if she couldn't stop the bleeding. Annie stumbled to the cabin and quickly looked for any water, she found a pot of boiling water that Vincent was going to cook with, she quickly pulled the water out of the pot and cooled it some using her magic. The water wrapped around Annie's hands and burnt her as it did, she fell onto the floor not able to stand anymore then pressed the scolding water to her wound. Annie screamed in pain and thrashed around but as her magic took effect she could feel the water cool and begin to heal. Annie struggled to stay conscious long enough to stop the bleeding, if she could do that then she would have a better chance of surviving. "I wont die, I wont..." she said weakly as she passed out.

"hey faust that scream was annie im going to her aid something might of hapend you go to that outher noise i think its shota but im not sure since i didnt hear the vioce but i belive its he magic but i also feal another one so dont let your own gaurd down" as nate said that he charged energy into his legs doing a giga arora ignite so that he chould travel at a higer speed "even though are first impresion was a bad start im not so stupid i even had an escape plan if shota didnt mess it up by folowing me" as nate said that he jumped in a speed that made it look like he telaported.

Shota smiles as she notices the boy she found try to comfort her. Her face has cleared up from having hit the ground. "It's okay friend," Shota says to Avon while looking at his face. Her body leans toward him. With one hand, she presses to the ground to lift herself, with the other, she holds onto her own body as if to help pull herself up. Once onto her feet, she brushes herself off. She can feel something chill in her-- it's as if something tugged on her very soul. She was preparing to head in the direction she felt pulled when suddenly she could feel a very familiar action. The kid was running off in that direction!

Shota's fists become tightened and her teeth grind. Suddenly, without notice, Shota's body is thrown into Nate's way just as he passes by and her arms wrap around him. With all of her force thrown into it, Shota uses her own enhanced speed to intercept Nate and tackle him onto the ground. Once hitting the ground, ignoring her own injuries, she rolls over him to sit above him. Her palms press firm to his shoulders and pin him to the ground. "IDIOT BOY!" She shouts out in an anger. She glares down at the boy. "Does this scene not look familiar to you!? You're rushing off again, alone!"

Though the tugging on her soul feels stronger as she waits, she knows this problem is a priority. If the boy didn't learn to control his need to run off into trouble, it was going to get people killed. Knowing that it was in the direction that she was preparing to head.. Shota refused to risk this again.

Avon frowned slightly at Shota's response. He hesitated as the girl suddenly leaned towards him, and he felt warmth across his cheeks. Grateful for the dark hiding his blushing, he saw her beginning to rise without more complications, which assuaged his concerns. Before he could speak again, however, the girl was gone, and the sound of a brief struggle could be heard. He looked around frantically, then spotted Shota sitting atop a new person, a boy.

"Energy," he muttered to himself, recognizing the effects of empowered speed that caused Shota to disappear. Pushing himself to his feet, he walked towards the two of them, standing a few feet away and listening quietly to Shota's scolding tone.

"hey im not alone im going to annie which means two pepole" nate said as he grew wings frome his back "but if you want to go two hold on tight" as nate said that he used an giga arora ignite on the area around his back to shout himself tworads the same direction like a canon "well this is in its experimental stages cause i just thought of it i dont know where we will land but i gusse my wings will atleast intercept most of the dameg on me" as nate said that they enterd the river were the cabin was "well i guse we should get going now annie might still be in trouble but im amazed that even work that stupid dragon dose come up with good ideas so i gusse i shouldent complain"

Shota's eyes suddenly widen. "What the...?" As they suddenly are sent flying off with a sudden burst, Shota's hands tighten onto Nate's shoulders, digging her fingertips into him. She lets out a loud scream. IDIOT BOY!!! she thinks in her mind. As they are shot through the air, away from the others, Shota's fear suddenly kicked in. This idiot nearly got them killed last time that he ran off. Now not only is he an idiot, but he has a dragon oath! Shota's energy element shot through her arms and through her fingertips. With a sudden jolt, she sent a high voltage electrical current through her body and into Nates. The sudden shock to his body would cripple his ability to fly and as they near the cabin, this causes his body to be thrown off course. They are flung into a tree where they both impact it with such impact that the tree breaks in two before they are thrown at the ground. Shota's hands gripping onto him still.

"Ugh..." Just after impact, Shota tries to keep herself awake, having been damaged even more by this impact. Her head throbs. Her body becomes heated with anger. Without a second thought, suddenly, she swings her arms down while holding onto Nate still. She slams his body hard into the ground with incredible physical strength. Her nails begin to feel like claws. "IDIOT!! YOU STUPID IDIOT!!" Shota shouts angrily. Her face has cracks across it from which a siring red light shows. Her eyes themselves seem to have dilated a partial amount. Her teeth become more fang like, sharper. Traces of blood from where they were biting the inside of her mouth could be seen at a glance. She has Nate now pinned to the ground nearby the cabin where the scream came from, but the pull on her soul no longer has any affect on her. She is now overcome by the anger of her oath showing.

"Again!" She shouts with more fury, her pressure on his body begins to sink him into the ground. "Again you stupid idiot, your irrational actions are getting us into such deep trouble!" Her claws dug into his shoulders pierce his flesh. Blood draws out and begins to color the dirt beneath him.

"WHY!? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME!?" Shota screams with irrational anger. "All I try to do is keep you out of trouble, I barely even know you! AND AGAIN AND AGAIN YOU GET ME SO CLOSE TO DEATH! Why don't I just kill you and be done with it!?" Drool drips from her mouth onto Nate's chest. Anger fills her body, such rage built up from her oath. She couldn't stand this boys actions anymore.

"well even though i do get you into trouble havent we always made it out i always have a counter mesure in plan there just to complex for you to understand if you didnt know my abilitys i had away to escape frome that guy but you almost got me kiled because i didnt think you were going to come" said nate as he smiled "but dont worry no mater how many times you get introbel i would rather die than let you get hurt just next time dont mess with my brilance and lets look for annie" as nate said that he laid there waiting there for a change in expresion

Shota's blood boils. It's easy to see in her eyes now, she has an overwhelming urge to kill Nate. It is no sign of playfulness or any friendly joke. She has nothing more then a pure hatred for this boy now. Yet... She slowly calms her oath to the state where her body returns to normal. The cracks in her face where a bright red glow had formed were now simply cuts that were bleeding. Still, she was unwilling to let this idiot boy run around as he willed.

"Get up!" She growled in anger. Shota held onto Nate's arms and she backed herself up, standing to her feet while at the same time, pulling him onto his. Without releasing him, Shota pulls Nate onto his feet. She closes her eyes. "There is no pride I take in what I'm about to do, but I can't trust you." Shota whispers. As she pulls Nate's arms behind his back, his wrists would become connected with a strap around them. His body would now feel different. Weaker. As Shota pulled Nate's arms behind his back, she pulled a binding clothe from the pouch around her waist. She now had this tied tightly to his arms. "My father... is a Mage Hunter." She whispers before she turns Nate around quickly and grabs onto his shoulder tightly with her left hand. Her eyes glare at him.

"Ex-Mage Hunter, I should say". She acknowledges her past but keeps it at a distance. "These bindings will ensure you cannot use your powers. Until I remove them... You are nothing but a normal boy." Shota sighs before pushing Nate gently onto the ground on his bottom. She then moves her hands up, one after another to check her body for any serious injuries. "Those bindings were meant for an enemy. Until you show that you can be trusted... You are my enemy. Understand?"

"sure" nate smiled "but is there a way to get it untied frome a distant dont you mind i like being normal i still have most of my power without magic since i dont use it much but just incase were atacked and you need my help but you cant untie it" nate looked around and he saw foot prints that looked like annies "well anyway i think we should go in there to make sure annie is safe this is were i felt her last so she might still be in there"

Avon stood in place, dumbfounded. One moment, Shota had been on the ground, yelling at the boy. The next, they were both gone, and he could hear her screams fading into the distance. He wanted to run in the direction of her screams, but his body was still exhausted, and he was unsure he could make it so far without aid.

"I hope the others will believe me," he said quietly as he turned and rushed as fast as his aching body would allow toward the smoke that signaled where the rest of the refugees had made camp. He was in such a hurry, he didn't care that he was making so much noise, crushing dried leaves and pushing aside branches. Finally he broke the treeline, looking around to see who he could alert of the situation at hand.

Donny groggily opened eyes at the sound. He'd fallen asleep, it seemed, after eating something. It hadn't been very restful on the ground, but Donny pushed himself up anyway, hissing at the pain in his side as he moved. The leaves and medicine had at least dulled it to a manageable degree. He sat up, and eyed the treeline where he'd thought the noise, a slight rustling sound, had originated. Idly, Donny noticed that everyone who'd been at the camp was gone, leaving the him alone, asleep, with an unattended fire. There were going to be words about that at some point, Donny knew.

A movement caught Donny's eye, and he stood quickly. Too quickly, ouch. Someone was approaching.

"Hold it," Donny said, extending a hand and trying his best to look intimidating while holding an injury. He thought he pulled off the 'cornered' look rather well. "Who's there?"

Whatever Donny might have been expecting, it certainly couldn't have been the dirty, short-haired, robe wearing boy that burst from the woods. Leaves decorated his brown, disheveled hair, and the pale skin of his face was colored by dirt and blood, streaking scratches running along his cheeks and somewhat large ears. His robes, gray in color with blue trimming, was torn and running behind him in tatters, revealing simple underclothes that covered a rather thin frame. The boy's eyes were wide, and bright blue, standing out on his filthy face, and his chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Shota," he finally managed to gasp out, pointing in the direction that the two Energizers had vanished, addding with another gasp, "help."

Donny blinked. He'd hoped the sound had been one of their group coming back, or at least a small animal he could scare off. A bloodstained, lost boy, while not good by any means, was better than most of the alternatives he'd feared to even think about. Still, it was good to be a little cautious. Donny stepped forward to grab the boy, but stopped when he heard Shota's name. That meant a few things, some good, some bad. Good for the kid, at least.

Donny looked in the direction the boy pointed, then back to the camp. If Shota gave told him her name, that was a good enough reason for now.

"Stay here," Donny said quickly. He began a sprint for the woods, then stopped and turned around. "Uh," he started again, "there's some food on the fire, be sure to watch it." Immediately, Donny took off at a brisk walk, trying to not to sprint again lest his side and chest explode. He ducked through the trees, looking for any sign of Shota. In moments, Donny noticed a tree on the horizon at an odd angle, as if it had fallen rather forcefully. That way, then.

Avon nearly collapsed after relaying his message to the other boy. Only hindsight did he realize just how unexpected and possibly threatening his entrance had been, but thankfully he'd been able to get his warning out before he'd been assaulted, but no sooner was the boy gone than he realized that he did not wish to sit idly by while Shota was still possibly in danger. He noticed the food that had been mentioned and pulled them carefully as he could out of the fire, though one of the fish fell directly into the flames. The remainder he placed aside, only partially caring about being scolded for leaving the food on the ground. With that done, he turned and followed after the boy, barely able to follow the sound of his movements.

He was almost certain he'd gotten lost again when he also spotted the silhouette of the broken tree. It seemed the only thing truly out of place in the area, and it was his best lead, so Avon headed towards it, panting heavily as he forced his tired body onward.

Faust Looked up as he seen Nate and Shota take off and he knew it couldn't be good he needed to scold that boy and he knew just how. Faust didn't notice Avon go on past him towards the camp site his mind slightly clouded of the torture he wanted Nate to go through. Faust had stopped day dreaming when he had heard a commotion come from the camp, and he raced off to see what it was remembering he left Donny their to fend for himself, which wasn't good not sure how he would fair against anyone in his condition.

Faust had made it to the camp and no one was there he got a little worried looking down he could see the food moved from the flame and some dropped. From how things where moved and placed as if in a hurry he could tell they went in the same direction as Annie did earlier. Faust dashed off in hopes of finding his new acquaintances. Faust Ran till he came near a broken tree and in the distance he could spot an unfamiliar appearance. Faust didn't know who it was and if it was some bad guy he need to get the drop on him before he tried to hurt anyone. Faust dashed off shooting through bushes knocking Avon to the ground sitting in his chest with a fist cocked back ready to punch his face in. "Who are you and what are you doing here!." The killing intent showed in his eyes glaring down at Avon and ready to draw blood.

Avon's lung felt as if they were about to collapse. Never before had he been forced to move so far, so fast, and his young body was on the verge of collapse. His own determination to make sure Shota was safe kept his mind from succumbing to exhaustion. He barely was able to hear the warning in his mind.

Look out!

He was thrown to the ground, his breath escaping and a great pressure falling on his chest, keeping him from taking a desperately needed gulp of air. As black oblivion crept at the edge of his vision, his final conscious sight was of an older boy over him, arm pulled back with fist clenched. Old Shell, he thought as his mind finally slipped free of the waking world, Help Shota.

...Rest, Hatchling...

Faust had looked down at the boy he had thought was a threat still not sure if he was one but stayed cautious. The the boy drifted off Faust lowered his fist to check his pulse but kept his guard up. The boys breathing was not so great , he then check his eyes and they where dilated. "Damn!" Faust shouted knowng that the boy was unconscious getting up off of him. Faust then picked up the boy and placed him by a tree not too sure what he should do with him. He had not just yet confirmed his identity or intuitions but he couldn't just leave him their. If the boy was actually really hurt he would be no match for the animals out their. A sigh of annoyance flew from Faust's mouth he was ready to pee a circle around the boy the urine would keep the animals away but only small things like wolves at the most. So Faust picked up the boy carrying him in his arm if he could trust him he would put him on his back. He still had to stay cautious he wasn't trying to die from stupid things before he fought the man who was responsible for attacking his village. Faust looked down and noticed a couple sets of foot prints curious he followed them seeing as they seemed so familiar. He wanted to know what happened to everyone and he wanted to make sure everyone was safe. Faust walked off following the tracks with Avon under his arm hoping the tracks would ledad him to the others safely.

"Idiot boy!" Shota let out a loud shout again toward Nate. Mistakenly, she shouted loud enough to reach on for a great distance. This could attract a whole bunch of negative attention. Annoyance had never left her eyes. She walked toward him with anger causing her eyes to tremble; a sign of rage reaching its peek. She thrust her hand out and grasped hold of his shoulder, while she pulled him onto his feet. Quickly, she turned to direct him toward the cabin but didn't walk toward it. With her hand that was not upon Nate, she pointed.

"You saw footprints..." She spoke in a concerned voice with a great deal of hatred toward Nate. "but you can't see that?" Shota points toward something, nearby the cabin. The body of a man laying in blood. She then turns to face the boy again. "What if it's a trap?" Her eyes can be seen with obvious concern, but her rationality remains stern. "Of course, I want to save her too. Idiot boy. I want to make sure she's okay, but if you run in there and she's in trouble; your actions could get her killed. We need to be / rational / about this, and not just try to rush in like a hero." Her irritation with him finally causes her to swing her palm and slap Nate. The force of this slap sends him back into a broken tree stumble.

"You have a plan of escape..." She whispers. The thoughts already come to her. Though the doubts that any escape plan would work, were clearly in her mind, it was another thing that troubled her. "And what if you ran in there, something bad happened, and you did escape? What happens to Annie?" She glares at Nate. "We wait for help. We wait for the others to get here, I'm sure they'll follow. If you want to die, be my guest..." Her body trembles with her eyes now. Her anger tingles from her skin. "But I won't let your actions cause the death of anyone else. Understood?"

Donny heard a shout, from a voice that sounded very much like Shota's, and turned towards it. The words "idiot boy" gave a few indications of who else was there, though Donny wasn't sure what the danger could be. He ran, dodging branches and smaller trees until he reached where he thought Shota. When he got close enough, he stopped, and ducked behind a tree, peeking out to see the commotion. Shota and Nate talking, it looked like.

"Shota," Donny said as he stepped from behind his hiding place. "You..." he hooked a thumb back towards the camp, "there's another kid..." Donny trailed off, glancing from Shota to Nate, and finally noticing the look in Shota's eyes.

"Uh, what's going on?"

Faust walked with Avon under his arm for a while till he heard a loud yell of "idiot boy" echo through the woods the voice sounded kind of familiar to Faust so he headed towards it. He approached with caution towards the area with Avon luged up in his arm. Faust hide behind trees till he got into view of the the people. His eyes started channeling the power of the dark element itself allowing him to see in the dark letting him fully identify the people in front of him, who turned out to be friendlys. faust came out of the bushes and made himself known. 'hey guys you okay.. I found this guy around the area not sure what to do with him or who he even is. you guys got any ideas.'' he dropped avon to the ground he didn't know if he was friend or enemy so he didn't know if he could actually trust him.

Shota turns from Nate and looks at the newly arrived Faust and Donny. She moves her arms inward to cross them. "We suspect Annie might be inside, but we don't know what to expect." Shota whispers toward the two of them, as if to keep her voice down in a stealth attempt; having forgotten about the loud scream she let out only moments ago. "This idiot thought it would be strategic to rush inside... but we've seen how his plans go. I'll follow any plan worth its salt." She looks at Donny as she focuses on him for a moment, before her eyes glance toward the sleeping Avon.

"That's a friend of mine, I found him in the woods." She mentions. "He's safe."

Donny glanced at the boy on the ground and shrugged. He seemed okay, if a little beat up. Donny briefly wondered why he had left the camp in the that condition, but waved the thought away. He probably didn't want to be alone or something. Donny turned his attention to Shota, then Nate and the cabin in turn. Annie, huh? That must have been the quieter girl that never introduced herself back at the camp.

"I didn't even know there was cabin here," Donny whispered absently, if only because Shota was whispering. "Well," he said, "we could check the windows or something." Donny moved closer to the house, looking for a window to peak through.

When Donny moves closer to the cabin he would notice that front door was wide open and just inside Annie was laying in her own blood and a large laceration ran down her chest. Annie twitched back to consciousness and tried to sit up but the sudden movement caused her pain and let out a grunt. The girl pressed her hand gently on her wound and raised it to her eyes, when she was able to focus her sight she found fresh blood. "Shit," she whispered weakly. Annie knew that if she didn't get help soon she would be in big trouble.

Faust didn't trust Shota's friend, he didn't trust people too easy so Avon's presence was suspect to him. It was more suspect seeing as they just escaped from a bunch of evil nobodies. Faust was a little curious of how they knew where Annie was but he didn't want to question the details too much. Faust surveyed the area trying to help find ways in and ways out along with ways of escaping the area. He had noticed Donny move over to the window to check out what was going on inside. Faust whispered over to Shota. "Be careful I don't trust your new friend." After those words he silently made his way over to Donny when he heard a grunt of pain and it was surely a females voice he could tell that easy. Faust then gave Donny the go to head around the other side of the Cabin to try to go in from the other side while he was going in through the door. He had a lot of experience in fighting being trained since he was 5 so he trusted Donny enough to back him up.

"Damn it.." Shota whispers to herself. She see's the two males move to the cabin to investigate it. She takes a few steps closer to investigate it herself. As Shota approaches the wall, she reaches a hand out to touch it-- but her hand doesn't stop. She finds a door way. It is dark around it. Shota takes a step back and raises her right hand to eye level. She looks into the cabin... but see's nothing through the darkness. She would be looking directly at Annie and can feel a presence, but her eyes can only see so much.

"Spirits hear me..." Shota whispers. Her fingertips trace the air. "Bring unto me the fury of fire and let its blaze light my way. Summoning Flamberge!" Her voice calls out and wisps of fire encircle her hand until at her palm forms a powerful fire in the form of a sword. Shota holds the weapon forward and its fire lights the room.

"Ann-chan!" Shota shouts as her eyes catch glimpse of Annie. Quickly, her feet carry her into the cabin and she loses touch with the ground. Onto her knees she falls, after crossing into the cabin, she slides next to Annie's body to her left. Her right hand holds the sword up while her left hand moves near Annie's body. Her fingertips touch the hot liquid. The texture is familiar to her. "She's hurt, badly.." Shota's eyes glance between the door and back to Annie.

"Healer! We need a Healer!" Shota calls back quickly while she checks on Annie.

"Ann-chan," she whispers to Annie. "Can you hear me?"

"Not good," Donny breathed as looked over Annie's wounds. One of them was definitely from a knife, but she was also covered in burns. The wounds were oddly misshapen, seemingly scarring in some areas but fresh in others. It looked as though she had tried to heal herself, but it hadn't worked very well. Donny looked around, noting the water all over the floor of the cabin. That could have been the source of the burns, he supposed. The other thing Donny noticed was the body in the corner, clutching a bloody knife. Grimacing, Donny sidestepped it, positioning himself closer to Annie. He was still no healer, but Annie had already laid the groundwork on herself.

"I don't know what I can do, but..." Donny trailed off, splashing a little bit of the water onto the wounds. It was warm, but no longer hot enough to burn, at the very least. Donny put his hand on the gash, willing it to close further, or at least stop the bleeding. It seemed to be working a bit better, but Donny began grow tired quickly. Through the exhaustion, Donny thought he saw his hand glow purple for a split second. He recoiled, grasping his hand, and stepped back.

"That's," he started, "that's all I can do."

Annie's heart almost jumped through the wound when Shota appeared she was the last person she'd expect to see. Annie tried to sit up again but the pain was too much, "I thought you said you'd be better off on your own..." she whispered. The wounded girl saw Donny walk in from the corner of her eye and nods to him when he says he'll do the best he could. Annie could feel the warm water wash over her wound and began to heal but it felt different then when she or other water bearers healed, it felt forced. When Donny did all he could Annie felt able to move again so she slid over to the wall that was just behind her and sat up, "Thank you..." she said sounding younger then she usually did.

nate layed there thinking he knew that he was good at a lot of things but thinking like a hero wasent good in a time and place like this he knew that if he wanted to become a leader he would have to put them first and him last and that's what he tried to do but he was just some hero that couldn't do anything right he laffed a pathetic laff that was fit for him he then started to get up he thought about all those things he knew that if he interrupted he would of been in more trouble so he didn't say anything he sat there and waited he had a good idea but there were always half backed and he knew those weren't good enough in a battle of life and death and it wasent a kiddy fight like the sparing time he had with his dad he knew that a fight or two could make a man tough but to be strong know he needed to make sure he won without them getting hurt they might not think it yet or might not for a will but they were his precious friends knowing someone for a day or two and saying that is hard but he knew that that was it he finally got up after a few minutes after noticing everyone was gone there was no noise so he thought it was over if it even had begun "are you guys alright" Nate yelled to the shack and slowly walking to it his mind on the one thing that everyone told him to do grow up.

Shota had leaned in toward Annie. Her right hand takes Annie's hand within it, whilst her left hand comforts Annie's shoulder. Shota's body rests over Annie's to keep her company. "I was angry at that kid, at the people who destroyed my family.. I wasn't angry at you." She whispers to Annie with her eyes shaking. Fear at the sight of her loss and relief at the sight of her being saved. "Besides.." Shota would smile, her head would tilt in the slightest. "Haven't you ever heard, you shouldn't leave a cute girl alone?" Shota teases Annie while keeping close to her, so she does not feel alone.

Donny looked around, occasionally glancing back at his hand. There was something wrong with it, he was sure. His element had never acted on its own before, and it very nearly made the girl, made Annie, worse than before. Donny thought it could be the exhaustion messing with him, but the constant ache of eye every time he blinked kept him concerned. He shoo his head, and took a few steps backward, towards the door of the cabin.

"I'm going out," he said. "Circle the cabin again, make sure nothing else is out there."

As soon as he made it out the door, Donny remembered the corpse. He gingerly sidestepped it without looking, and made his way around, trying not to think about it. He just needed to be alone for a moment, then he'd go back in. It was a lucky break, he thought, finding the place. On the other hand, Annie was pretty badly hurt. At the very least, it seemed a safe enough place to rest, and then maybe Donny would have enough strength to do a little healing. He sighed, reaching the back of the place. Just a little longer, then he'd go back.

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.

Shota sits back for a few minutes while Nate speaks. She lets him go on while she teasingly touches Annie's cheek. Soon though, after he's spoken more then enough words, Shota turns from Annie and starts walking toward Nate. By the time he says the words 'and in order to defeat', Shota has reached him and brings her fist down onto his head with enough force to close his mouth shut. "Shut up!" Shota shouts loudly with an irritated face. She turns from the little yappy boy and crosses her arms as she thinks carefully. "When everyone gets up, we'll head in the opposite way we came." She nods as she continues thinking to herself. "We need to get out of the forest and find a city first. When we do that, we can gather information on where to go from there". Her eyes glare back at Nate, as if having been waiting for him to shout out a pointless comment. "We might not know where to find a 'Teacher' as you call it, but I guarantee there are people who would know." Shota turns from the group and walks to the window. She places her hand onto the wall next to the window and stares at the castle. "It's the logical thing to do. Besides, you're deciding things for people too often. Right now, getting out of this dangerous place is priority for everyone. After that though, everyone might not want to recapture or to learn. So here's the plan..."

Shota turns from the window and walks toward the center of the room with her arms crossed again. She calls out to everyone so that she can get their attention and hopefully awaken a few people. "We head the opposite direction and exit the forest. We find the nearest city which we should be able to see from there. We go by ear from there!" Her eyes glance back at Nate with annoyance again. "What the hell is the point of recapturing a city that's destroyed when everything we know and loved there is probably gone? This isn't about retaking our home. For the people who want to fight, this is about making sure that what happened to our home doesn't happen to anyone else!" Shota suddenly falls onto her bottom and crosses her legs to sit with a stern look on her face. "QUESTIONS!?"

"Eh it almost fells like you love to hit me it always happens more and more often," Nate laughed "well I'm just saying that that's the leader and theirs no way we can beat him now and I was just saying theirs many goals we can pursue now ." Nate sighed felling at ease for some reason "Well for me my dad said revenge isn't a reason to fight so I'm not going after there leader ... yet i just want to beat that other guy he humiliated me and didn't even have the courtesy to give me his name and that scared my pride as a swordsmen so you know i have to pay him back and then since the leader didn't have any common sense to instal some decency into him ill have to make sure he remembers in the next life so and in order for me to do that i need to get stronger if you want to join me you can if you don't you don't but ill stay for know as it would be easier to get information in a group and sorry i talk a lot it might be a birth defect," Nate smiled and laughed.

Annie holds her weapons in each hand and gives Shota the slightest of smiles and blushed as Shota touched her cheeks, "I'm not planning on leaving so don't worry." Annie then turns to the dark castle that must have been raised over night and the sight of it sent shivers down the assassin's spine. The city was lost and there wasn't a thing they could do about it, at least not by themselves, Nate spoke like an idiot hero and it was cute at times but mostly annoying so she didn't blame Shota for hitting him every time he spoke. As Nate spoke again about his pride Annie felt the need to hit him as well but it wasn't her place to correct the overly confident boy.

"Putting your pride before your life is a fool's errand and I wont be a part of it. If you want to get yourself killed then go ahead train, get stronger but a word of advice all the training in the world wont help you against a guy like that." Annie said with stone like emotions. The assassin turned to Shota and her expression soften, "I agree with you, warning other villages and possibly gain support to rise against this evil is our best bet but we'll wait for the others before we decided anything." Annie looks down at Shota and couldn't help but smile at her cuteness.

"Well ill try my best to kill them its not like I know were my mom or my younger sister are so I can't warn them," Nate sighed looking through his backpack "its not like I even know what they look like and the only thing I know about them is this weird pendent they gave me," Nate pulled out a pendent with 3 slots with one of them field in with a red gem having a lonely look on his face and then he put it back "So the only way to protect them is to fight him and stop him before he can get the chance to kill them," Nate's lonely look turned serious "any way I don't recommend staying with me for that long or he might regain form now that my dads gone not many people could suppress him after hes gotten control of my body anyone around me is as good as dead," Nate looked sad saying this to a few of the few friends he had ever made "so I'll stay with you in till the next town but then that's when I must part make sure if I act weird and you will know when it happens to get away from me cause I will not be in control for to long," Nate's serious look turned very sad "and make sure to stay safe."

Shota had pulled Annie aside as Nate had begun talking so now they stand a distance away from Nate, speaking as if he does not exist. "I can deal with the pride before life part," Shota claims while she continues in a mocking manner. "But this kid keeps talking about his plans. He humiliated me, so I'll make sure he pays. I don't like these guys other, but that's because they might have killed my family. If anything, that's why I'd fight them. He's talking about how he'll Kill them for his pride. That's selfish and pathetic. He won't succeed if that is the fuel that drives him." Shota smiles and looks at Annie. She then glances about the room at the other kids, to see who is awake or asleep. She nods as if agreeing to something in her own mind as she looks back at Annie.

"We need someone good with direction." Shota thinks carefully about the events that have already unfolded. This cabin... "Annie?" Shota suddenly comes across a thought. "This forest is dangerous, but you knew about this cabin. That means you must know your way around the forest. If my words holds true, could you perhaps lead us out of these woods and toward the nearest town?"

While waiting for an answer, and keeping her eyes on Annie to hold true to that wait, Shota moves about the cabins floor in search of a parchment. Finding some, Perhaps left over from whoever resided here before them, she raised it up and lifted her opposing hand to it. The tip of her index finger began to glow with a light magical scent. She pressed her finger to the parchment and began drawing. The places where her finger stroked across left marks of a magical nature.

Running again. Into the woods, shadowy figures flitting past at the corners of his eyes. So familiar, and so terrifying.

...Lucas...

Stumbling, and the breath rushes out of him as he's slammed to the ground, a shadow pinning him down, it's voice low but growing, the words distorted. It raises a dark appendage, and smothers him into black.

...Wake up...

The boy stirs, slowly opening his eyes before wincing them shut again. His body ached terribly, and his left side feels numb and stiff, somehow at the same time. He is, however, very much awake, and could hear a number of voices, reminding him that the terror of recent hours was not simply of the night. "Old Shell," he mutters quietly, placing his right hand to his face, "if you are with me...then my father..."

You are Head of House Lucas now...I am sorry, Hatchling...

Lucas does not reply outwardly to the group or to his Oath. He fights the swelling in his throat, and silent sobs wrack his body while tears stained the cabin floor. He had a great responsibility now, this was a fact he could not turn away from. For a moment, however, a son mourn the death of his father, and likely the rest of his family...

Annie sighed at Nate then was pulled a side by Shota so she could make fun of the ignorant boy which made her feel somewhat awkward so she just stayed silent. When Shota asked her if she could guide them to the next town she hesitated for a second, "Yeah I know this part of the forest pretty well and the next town is a day and a half away by foot." Annie said already plotting a course.

"Good". Shota nods to Annie before turning away, walking around if for nothing more then to move her feet. She completes the map drawing and turns back around to face her. "After everyone awakens, we'll move."

"well i need to meditate and practice my basic swordsmanship before we leave so I'll be in the forest training a little just call out when there up," Nate carelessly walked out through the door "don't worry I'll make sure to hide my presence as best as i can so no one finds us I'll be back in an half or 2 i can't skip it if i want to realize my goal ," Nate flashed steeped so no one could flow him and or stop him stooping in a small clearing so he could start his training.

The man on the ground gasped as he regained consciousness, then sucked in another breath as the pain restored his memory. Vincent reached gingerly to touch his wound, wincing and growling quietly, "Damn that brat. I will make her pay for this." Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself onto his feet, slouching over from the pain and waiting for the worst of it to subside. He slowly limped off under the night sky, away from the cabin where he'd been lying in wait for his niece.

Once past the treeline and into the woods, he finally allowed himself to slump down against a trunk, coughing up blood. His breath was shallow and a cold sweat broke out on his skin. He didn't have much time, not with all the blood he lost. He hadn't come unprepared for this outcome, however. Annie was, after all, the daughter of his accursed brother, and even at her young age her skill was extraordinary. Reaching into a hidden pocket, Vincent pulled out an ornate flask, lifting it up to his lips to bite the cover off. Before it could reach, however, his arm went limp and dropped, the flask scattering out of his hand.

"Ah! So that's where it went off to," a quiet voice says as a man walks up, stooping down and picking up the flask in long, slender fingers. He straightened up, pocketing the flask before looking over to the dying assassin and grinning wide. "Vincent, how nice to see you again." The man's grin fades as Vincent coughs up more blood, tsking quietly and saying, "You don't look so good. Your usurpation of the family line didn't take?"

"Damn you, Horus," he gasps between coughs, covering his mouth with his remaining arm, "give me my arm back, and give me that flask!"

"Flask?" the man Horus questions, a look of incredulity on his face for a moment which slowly becomes one of realization, "Oh, you mean my elixir which you stole from my study after our last conversation. Is that what you are referring to?" He waits for the assassin to cease another coughing fit before continuing, "I'll take that as a yes. You do know that it's considered rude to take things that don't belong to you, hmm? I am simply exacting out proper punishment." As he says this, he gestures in the air and then points at the dying man.

Vincent's other arm shudders, and suddenly goes limp as well, falling roughly on the stab wound which causes the man to groan in pain with eyes shut tight. After a moment he growls at Horus, "We had a deal! I would get the army out of the city for your master to attack, and in return I would be allowed to kill my wretched brother and his line to rule the clan! Argh!" A sharp blow to his forehead causes Vincent to stop talking as he falls into another fit of coughing. Horus stands over the man, casually wiping the top of the scepter which he'd smacked him with, the beak of the bird-headed figure red, as if it'd been devouring a meal before being cleaned up.

"Oh, Dominus knows of the deal all too well, Vincent," he replies casually, crouching down to look at the man as he speaks, "and you certainly did hold up your end of the bargain. Instilling that little invasion on the far side of the continent was rather cunning. He also held true to his word. You were left alone to pursue your coup. That you failed is of no fault on our part." Horus shakes his head slowly before continuing, "in truth, Dominus never needed your assistance. In fact, it was I who convinced him to accept your offer, if only so that he would not be left wanting after taking the city. Whether you succeeded or failed did not matter. However, you took something of mine, and that's not nice." He frowns, making a sad face at the man as says this.

Vincent spits at Horus's feet in response, which causes him to sigh. "Well, I suppose I'll just let you die, then," he says, moving stand up. He stops, however, and lowers himself back down, an odd grin on his face. "You know," he says, his free hand gesturing slowly, which causes Vincent's eyes to widen, his already shallow breath coming faster, "I've always wondered if this spell could actually do more than just hinder...what do you say we find out?" His hand finishes gesturing and raises up, pointing at Vincent's head. His face contorts for a moment, before going slack, his head lolling on his neck. Horus watches on, slowly rising to his feet after the assassin's demise.

The sun filters through the treetops weakly as morning settles around the two figures, when suddenly Horus raises his head, sensing a generous flow of power coming from a clearing he could just make out in the distance. "Well well," he says with a cheery grin, "let's go see what this is all about." With that, he walks forward, humming brightly to himself.

Shota's head raised quickly to look around. She had dozed off for a little while waiting. She looked down to her feet where a map was drawn. Her eyes widened. How long had it been? She raised her hand to look at her shaking palm. She saw the lines of magics run through her flesh. If they waited any longer... Who knew what would happen to them. Shota pushed to her feet and grabbed the map then made for the door. Her hand pressed to it and pushed open the cabin to let the light tear in and shine over those inside. She turned to face them with a quick shout. "Get up!" Shota shouted to all those inside. "We're leaving, now! No more waiting!" she proclaimed. Her body was trembling, something wasn't right. Danger would be near; she knew it. Magic always brought danger and with them as they were. They couldn't wait.

"I'm leaving now," Shota claimed with a stern look. She looked over those there. She knew that if something like what happened before came at them, they would be sitting ducks. It didn't matter who was skilled or how much they might have learned in the magical artes, they were outnumbered and outclassed. Someone slaughtered everyone in their hometown. There were thousands of people out there who would slaughter them for much less then where they came from. Without another second of hesitation, Shota's hands pressed at the door frame and she exited the cabin. She stumbled at first; still tired. After gaining a bit of balance, she began to venture away from it going to the North. She didn't know the forests well, only knew survival. If someone didn't join her; someone like Annie, she would get lost. But even if it meant getting lost, she couldn't risk it. Staying in one place is dangerous. Far more dangerous then the shaken Shota could handle.

Annie had awaken to Shota's call and stood up slowly avoiding any pain but with a lot of healing and a little rest she was feeling better. The young assassin gathered her things preparing to leave but as she looked down she remembered that her clothes were torn and bloodied, she looks down at the gray blanket that she and Shota shared, she picked it up and wrapped it around her body and used it as a cloak. Annie noticed that some of the group was still sleeping and felt a bit crossed about leaving them but the only reason why she had join them was because Shota so she would follow her, with one last look at the others she left the cabin.

A small gust of wind would be felt by Shota then Annie would be to her side keeping pace, she hadn't said anything to the girl and she was going the path that had been planned so there was no reason to instead she looked forward and kept alert for any signs of hostiles, if they were lucky they would not run into any.

_____________________

Riven had been traveling for days helping many people along the way and brought justice to the guilty that prayed on the weak but last night she had a horrible feeling of dread and the wolf spirit seemed to react to feeling as well. The guardian spirit was guiding her closer and closer to the city that was destroyed by the wicked one but suddenly the spirit had told Riven to stop and wait, so she waited in the middle of the forest, the young warrior trusted the guardian with her life because with out the spirit she would not have one.

Avon had eventually rose from his place on the floor after hearing Shota and some of the others converse. He hadn't spoken to them, instead taking a deep breath and closing his eyes while focusing inward, searching for the inner warmth that represented his magical strength. It trickled to him slowly, then faster as he felt it flow through him. He could tell he was not fully recovered, his night had not be very restful, but he should be able to make due with what was available. He opened his eyes then, and saw the boy from the fireside. In the light of the morning, he could see that he had been injured as well, and his limited magical sense told him that his body had felt the corruption of another Shadow...or perhaps a Dark One.

Without hesitation, he moved over to the boy as he slept, holding his hand up and waving it through the air while muttering quietly. Around his fingers formed droplets of water, growing with each wave until he brought both hands forward, cupping the liquid carefully. He whispered into his hands. The water suddenly flashed, glowing with light before he reached out and let the water trickle over sleeping boy's obvious injuries, watching them shrink and heal, purifying the darkness within them. He hoped it would be enough. Then he heard Shota say she was leaving, and saw another follow her.

"H-hey! Wait for me!" Avon shouted as he rushed out of the cabin after the two girls.

The group walked together now. There were less of them then when they began. Only Shota, Annie, and Avon would get away. She didn't know what it was, but something was coming for them. It always was. Shota's paranoia drove her wild. Keep moving, Keep moving, Keep moving! She thought to herself. The others, what would happen to them? Would they die? Would they never see the others again? Shota didn't like the idea of course. She didn't like the idea of abandoning fellow mages to the horrors of the world. She was happy that at least two people had come with her. She was also a little irritated. She spoke under her breath, unaware if the others could hear her.

"Of all the good people that we might lose, why couldn't that idiot boy be at the cabin." Her teeth began to grind. She thought about how the boy left to train. Shota's paranoia made her wonder about that. If that idiot boy survived and the others died... How could such a thing be allowed.

Suddenly, something in the bushes moving. Shota's eyes became wide. Her arms reached out to stop both Annie and Avon's walk. She backed away for a moment. Her magic began to run wildly through her veins. S-Something's here!? Shota thought, her mind going wild with thoughts of paranoia. A demon, a mage hunter, one of those men from earlier? Shota's head shook quickly and she glanced at the two at her side. "Be ready for anything, I'll hold them off while you two get away, don't go until I say." Her eyes watched the bush intently, her body trembling in fear. She wouldn't be able to handle it if it was a mage hunter nor could she handle someone like the ones that attacked the town.

"Of all the good people that we might lose, why couldn't that idiot boy be at the cabin."

"Huh?" Avon asks in confusion. He'd been lost in his own thoughts for a moment, but her mentioning one of the others reminded him to speak. "Umm, Shota," he says hesitantly, "if you're worried about them, shouldn't we go back? I know the person I saw by the fireplace you sent me to last night didn't look too well. I did what I could for him this morning, but then you two left. Why did w-" His voice stopped short as the brush shook, and he stepped back behind Shota. It wasn't that he wouldn't be willing to put himself in harm's way, but he remembered last night how the girl had fought off the wolves. She was capable of protecting herself. He wasn't so sure about himself, but he was confident in one thing. If they were about to fight, he would be able to help the girls recover. So he watches carefully as the bush shudders and gives way...

_____________________

"Ah, what have we here?"

Horus stepped through into view, smiling wide as he looked out. "Well, isn't this a nice surprise," he said to himself, raising an arm and pointing...

_____________________

Avon lets out a sigh of relief as a family of skunks waddle out and mosey along their way, glancing at the trio as they pass by but otherwise unfazed by their presence. The scene puts a small smile on Avon's face.

_____________________

at a young boy training in the middle of the forest. The boy's legs give out under him as they are rendered inert through Sullivan's spell, followed by his arms. "Aren't you just a treat?" he says with glee, promptly stooping down and cracking the boy across the temple to render him unonscious. He looks around for a moment and spots a cabin not too far off. "That must be the place," he says as he walks towards it. He glances in a window briefly before striding in. The moment he passes the threshold his arms reach out, binding the other children as they sleep. He pauses, admiring his own work for a moment, then turns and steps out of the cabin. "I suppose I'll have to let someone know about these little deilinquents," he muses aloud while walking off into the forest again, "Now where did I see that last patrol..."

Skunks waddle out of the bushes

Avon sighed in relief

As Avon seemed to smile in relief to the situation, Shota was standing in front of them with a shaking body. Though at first, she may appear to just be slightly startled, the truth comes with a glance at her face. Her mouth is wide open and jar dropped, eyes huge and pupils faded to make for pure white eyes that are shaking like trembling pools of water.

"Bah-ah-ah-ah-ah...." Shota stuttered over her words, trying to make a coherent sentence. She seemed utterly and completely shocked, having gone into fight at the thought of suddenly being jumped. Aside from her shaking and whimpering, she appears to be frozen solid.

Avon's smile fades as he hears Shota stuttering, and he steps towards the girl. "Shota," he calls out to her gently, "What are y-" his question hangs half finished as he sees the look on her face. "What's wrong?" he asks the girl, face straightening and brows knitting together in concern. Was she afraid of skunks? He wasn't sure, but he wanted to try and snap her out of it, so he reaches over and touches her shoulder gently. "...Shota?"

"B-B-B-BAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!" Shota screamed loud suddenly as she felt Avon's hand on her shoulder. She was unsure if it was one of her friends, one of those monsters, a mage hunter, what if it was all of them!? All of them banning together, working against her! The others betrayed her, the hunters were after her! Shota's hands flailed about with her arms pushing everything away from her. Her eyes remained the same but her mouth was wide open with lips whaling. "HELP!! HELPP!!! MAGE HUNTER!!! TRAITORS!! AAAAAAHHH!!!!"

Suddenly an outline of Shota was standing where she was and shota herself was hugging a tree as well as half way up it. After a few minutes, she finally looks down. Her eyes stopped trembling but now a bead of sweat ran down the side of her face as she looked down embarrassed at Annie and Avon.

"Wh-Where did the mage hunters go?" Shota shuddered while looking down at the two. It was clear she had a problem. She looked around frantically for any sign of attackers.

Annie steadied herself and her hands on her kama's, at the moment Shota took point but Annie would be at the enemies throat before anything could happen to the girl. The sight of the skunks calmed her, she never thought she'd be happy to the smelly creatures. The young assassin breath a sigh of relief but quickly gripped her weapons again when Shota began to freak out. Annie looks at Avon then up the tree, "uhh there's no hunters...are you going to be okay?" She says blankly.

"No!" Shota shouted in a rather stubborn way. Her voice at that moment didn't sound like her usual voice. It sounded more childish, like a little kid who didn't get their way. It was easy to see that Shota had a childish side to her. Why not, she is a child after all. Of course, the group did not need it right now. Before the two could say another word to Shota; a loud CLUNK! is heard as a coconut -- seeming to have come out of nowhere as the trees have no such thing on them -- strikes Avon upon the head and bounces off to the ground. Shota clung tightly to the tree, refusing to come down.

"O-ow!" Avon yelps out, clutching the top of his head and gritting his teeth as he stumbles back. His heel catches in the back of his robes, and with another cry of surprise, he falls onto his back, leaving him staring up at Shota from below as spots dance in front of his eyes. "Wha," he murmurs while trying to clear his head, "what was that?"

Annie picked up the coconut that fell on Avon's head then looked up at the trees, they were in the middle of the forest and never seen the palm tree that bared this fruit in the forest.

"Guys, where did this come from?" She questioned the coconuts existence, surely a five ounce bird couldn't have held a one pound coconut then suddenly dropped it on Avon's head.

Shota slid down the tree and landed aside the two, taking the coconut with one hand before chucking it over her shoulder. "There's no time for that! We have more important things to worry about." Amazingly, the girl seemed to have quickly adjusted and recovered to the situation. She walked past Annie and Avon, then a few steps beyond, before coming to a stop. She at first seemed to have been frozen-- not in fear but with a serious face. But after a few seconds....

Shota turned and rubbed the back of her head "So uh... which way were we going again?"

"I was hoping you knew," Avon admits after a moment, still rubbing his head, "I just wanted to keep everyone together, but I don't know if that's possible now. Maybe Annie can lead us back to the cabin?"

"Going back to the cabin at this point would be a bad idea" Shota remarked. She grabbed the arms of both Annie and Avon and without a word or a hint of hesitation, she stormed off in a mad dash through the forest. She had no idea where she was going or what she might find when she got there. Through fear out the window, just roll with it she thought to herself over and over. It wasn't working. A clear bead of sweat was easily viewable going down the side of her face and even worse... her eyes were closed and her face was red in embarrassment. She was running in a direction she didn't know, in a forest she'd never been in, with people she never met, with the hopes of... She didn't know! She just wanted to get out of there and hopefully find some civilizations that didn't want to kill them.

"H-hey! Shota, slow down!" Avon said in surprise as they suddenly started barreling through the forest, "we're gonna get lost!"

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Meanwhile...

"One, two, three, fo-no wait, only three."

Sullivan paced back and fourth before the three children he'd found in the cabin. Two of them were still unconscious, which made immobilizing them much simpler. The other, however, seemed to have woken up. That, or the older mage had hit him harder than intended and accidentally killed him. No, no, wait, he was still breathing. Certainly not dead, so just awake.

"Well how do you do there?" he asks the boy jovially as the patrol he'd searched for stepped into the cabin behind him, fanning out to watch over the three of them, his mouth widening into a mirthless smile, "What's your name, hmm?"

"Hmmm so who do we have here a little mage with no real power I'm sorry that you saw that poor act earlier that was the guy who normally inhabits this body he is dreadfully weak so he probably wasn't that much fun," Nate said as he walked in the room his voice darker and the aurora around him that was normally weak and yellow was full blown and pure black. "Well I hope you entertain me I haven't be out in a while and i like blood first thing in the morning, my name is drake tell the soul reaper that takes your soul that I sent you he should give you a discount on the ride through the river sticks." Drake raised his arm as a dark blade with a sinister aurora appeared in it stepping forward the temperature in the room suddenly fell and all that one could hear was the screams of spirits that have lost there lives return to torture "let this battle begin,"
(well since it was an issue before everyone left I decided that aurora is the thing that one can feel to sense someone. the larger it is the more powerful the opponent and the color also depicts its element. finally everyone's aurora is different so someone highly trained can track someone with it)

Horus's smile melted into a concerned frown while the patrol whirled around to face the sudden threat. The squad of four warriors stood at angles around the boy, their breath misting due to the sudden drop in temperature, but their steely gaze remaining otherwise unfazed. Two of them wield spears, while the other two hold swords in front of them. Suddenly each warrior lets out a sharp shout, their own auroras exploding with power. The screams of Drake's dark aurora were challenged by twin snarls of flame, the crackle of lightning, and the roar of surging water.

The Stormer acts first, surging forward with incredible speed and bringing his charged blade down at the head of the boy. Horus, meanwhile, had crouched low, examining Vincent's blank staring eyes from where his body sat before him. "Now, how did I make that mistake?" he muses, apparently oblivious to the battle just starting.

"Lets the gods have mercy on your souls cause I defiantly won't " Drake said as he spun around the opponent touching the back of his head "eternal rest" Nate said in a playful manner as his opponent mummified "so whos next...." Drake looked around him "actually none of you look strong why don't you all come at me at once,'
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Where am I as Nate said that he looked around seeing a desert surrounded by broken pillars and an opening to a tomb "so you're finally awake," Drake said as he stood there. "Who are you....."Nate said looking at the man who looked like him beside he had black eyes with red pupil " wait it can't be dose this mean your free." "Only for about 15 minutes...," Drake said as a screen appeared showing the battle " I really hate to do this but I guess I will have to see those colors around those men those are there spirits projected into the physical plain," drake sighed as he thought why he was teaching the one he wanted to defeat "One can tell many things like through the size, density, and the darker the color all say the persons magic power while color tells elements." So how do I see them," Nate said interested while still on guard. "I will tell you that when I'm ready, next if your spirit is a great deal stronger than your opponents you can use it to ko your opponent with ease," drake said as the picture flashed to the sword that drake was carrying "finally this sword is a physical manifestation of our spirit its highly advanced and if broken the same happens to our soul, but I think I've talked enough its time to fight."

The remaining soldiers hesitate as their comrade is desiccated before their very eyes, withering to a dried husk. The fire users then take action, pulling back their spears. The tips flared as flames spawned, shooting out as the soldiers thrust at Drake to scorch him. The water user hung back, touching the tip of his sword with the cabin floor. Liquid bubbled up from the floorboards, traveling up the steel.

Horus had pushed over Vincent's corpse, and was not poking and prodding it like some mad experiment. "You know, I was sure I had a reason for counting you here. Yes, there was that reason, of course," he said, like a doctor explaining something to his patient, "but something else. That doesn't explain why you tried to fool me, though."