Black9

"Oh, I wasn't worried about that," said Inbi. "I'd love to join you for a meal. First, though, we should do something about this fire... I didn't want to use my magic if there was still a chance of keeping it secret." The woman shrugged. "Seeing as how you already know about it, though, it's the best way to do this." She turned to face the area of trees that had been central to the fight, and were still smouldering. She reached out her hands and ice flew from them. Almost as the ice came out, though, it melted, and the result was a jet of cold water that effectively put out the fire on the trees. "Not too much damage done, after all," she stated. Only a few trees had been burned down, although many others were permanently charred. Inbi led Lotus to the trees near her sheets. She reached into one of them, and pulled out frozen rabbit meat, already skinned and ready. "It serves me as a fridge," she laughed, proceeding to melt and cook the animal. As she did so, she spoke. "Since you seem to be willing to help me, I'll tell you what I know. It isn't much. I found this amulet. It started to glow. I could tell that it was magic. I figured it was better to keep it than throw it away, so I put it on. As soon as I did so, the monsters appeared. As you saw, I fought them, and when I took the amulet off, they disappeared - although I gather you can still see them?" Lotus nodded his assent and Inbi finished fixing the meal. She said, "Can you help me find a weapon better than this crowbar? It's all I have right now, but I think perhaps I should be carrying a dagger or something now." ----------------------------------------------------- Lotus flinched somewhere inside himself. Where it was true that he knew a good weapon from a bad one...he knew very little else on the subject. When in doubt...make up a tragedy. Lotus-"Ordinarily, I would make you a weapon of top grade...if it weren't for that unfortunate incident. It was years ago...I was trying to make a weapon of unmatched power. This weapon would blow any other man-made weapon away. Those who couldn't use magic would gain the ability to do so. Mana would be a thing of the past." Lotus went on as they began their meal. It had a great taste to it. Lotus-"I must have tried fifty times. Using fifty different mixtures of steel and magic in combination with each other. I must have mixed the wrong ones...for it exploded in my face. I was later saved by the villagers who lived near by. The very villagers who called me mad for acting so reckless. My shop was in ashes...yet in the very spot of my forge were two daggers. I insisted they were magic, but the villagers would have nothing to do with me. Soon after...I left and never returned." Lotus took off his shades and looked into Inbi's eyes. She reminded him of himself...of himself when he was but a youth. So often people judge those by what they do in life and not even consider the way they were brought up. flashback ------------- Lotus had just gotten home from a trip to the store. He was but a boy and family meant everything to him. The door was open and this started to worry the lad. Lotus-"Mom...Dad...I'm home." Entering, he found his parents dead on the floor and a mean looking man standing over them. The man looked up with an indescribable stare on his face. Lotus fell to the floor in shock. The man started to approach the lad, when out of nowhere...a burning figure slew that man. burning figure-"Are you ok?" ------------------------ Inbi-"Are you ok?" Lotus awoke from a short daze and slid his shades back on. Lotus-"Yes, yes I'm fine. Old memories is all. I'll tell you what. Since I can't make you one, I'll treat you to the finest blade in town. Refuse and I'll consider it an insult." ------------------------------------------------------------- Running from a deomn's limited incarnation, dealing with its worshippers on equal terms, trying to disappear into the populous of a city he used to own. Tamaranis had killed a few demon worshippers in his escpae, but he shouldn't have escaped at all, he should have crushed them... But he couldn't. Tamaranis' detachment from emotion had just come, a result of touching the void. He'd never practiced pushing things like frustration and anger away. Outwardly, he remained as calm as always, but he was angry now, and he wasn't sure how to treat that. Mortals would lash out at what was around them. Tamaranis still had enough magic left to lash out and to kill, but that would draw attention to himself, attention he didn't want. He came to the conclusion that the only thing to do was keep on trying to find a way to restore what he had lost. During the day something had appeared, something dark. He could still feel it, just a little ways outside the city, it was as good a place to look as any, better than most actually. Of course, containing dark energy didn't automatically make a being Tamaranis' ally. He would wait until nightfall to approach whatever it was. It wouldn't do to be trapped into combat outdoors during the daylight hours. ---------------------------------------------------------- Gunther sat there for quite some time, without anything happening. Then there was whispering. At first it was so soft that, had he not extended all of his senses to the utmost, he wouldn't have noticed it. Then it started to become louder, coming from behind him, even though all his other senses told him there was nothing there. "So sweet, blood so sweet, soft flesh to rend, bones to crack, come, join us, jooooiiiinn, darkness so dark, calming, ..." They went on and on like this, threatening to devour him, begging him to join them in the darkness and become more powerful than he could have ever dreamed. And they were closing in, too. Gunther could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, but resisted the urge to turn around. He knew it was nothing more than his imagination, but somehow could not force them away completely. He could barely mute them, as they became stronger and stronger. He could feel them now, something dark inside him, trying to spread, trying to taint his sould. He'd rather die than let them, but as long as he could hold them back, there would be no need for that. The touch of that.. thing must have left something inside him. He hated it already, as it divided his attention between finding the best way to contain it, and keeping his senses extended. Slowly, the sun continued its traject in the sky, coming closer and closer to the horizon... --------------------------------------------------------- Inbi wasn't sure what to say; something was obviously bothering the man. "I don't need much, just something to defend myself with. If you insist on the finest there is, I won't hinder you - just keep in mind I am unskilled with weapons and the quality may go wasted on me... Whatever you decide, I don't think this meal will suffice as ample trade. Is there anything more I can do for you?" --------------------------------------------------------- Tamaranis knew that the demon worshipers knew he would wait until night to try and leave the city. The would hunt for him now, while he was exposed and moving, their master would have told them to do so. Of course, they didn't take into account that their master cared not for their lives, and that at night Tamaranis would be far more dangerous. Tamaranis didn't draw attention to himself. He walked along the street like anyone else might. He didn't pull the darkness around himself in defence, a walking pool of blackness was suspicious, and it would respond to him in seconds anyway. He kept alert, looking across rooftops, into buildings, down alleys, with something that was just a little better than vision. He saw where living things were, regardless of illumination and to a certain degree, obstacles to line of sight. He reached out with his mind, searching for anything with the tangible hatred of hellspawn in addition to holy things, which he was always alert for. Perhaps they simply didn't have the magic needed to located him unless he used magic of his own for them to try and locate. Or maybe the other dark force, which seemed to be getting easier to detect, was overshadowing him. No, they had the skills. It would seem there were at least a few legitimate mages among their number. Tamaranis felt a faint cord of blue magic gently brush against him, then seem to snap tight and disappear. Some one had definately located him. The detection spell had been very weak, Tamaranis hadn't felt it being cast. It had probably been used from nearby, within a few hundred yards. But there was still no indication of hostile magic, so Tamaranis maintained his pace and kept doing as he had been. Then he felt another brush with blue magic, and a moment later, yet another one. It would seem that several persons were closing in on him. Perhaps the demon worshippers had secured the help of another group of magic users, either that or they were rather adept at conventional magic for what they were. Feeling the blue magic twice more, Tamaranis decided that his position was obviously well known to his hunters, and gave up on not drawing their attention, it was obviously already on him. Pulling the darkness to himself he flew straight up until it was impossible that he'd be siloutted by any lights on the ground or in buidings. A black dot in the night sky, even with detection spells reaching for him it would take the searchers a moment to spot him. Inside the protection of darkness a flame formed, not a pure flame, but one much like what the demon worshippers would be familiar with. It was almost alive, it was filled with a mixture of hatred and hunger. It existed both as a physical flame and as an undead spirit. Inside the darkness it danced furiously, reaching downwards rather than up as a normal fire would, trying to get at the life below and destroy it. But Tamaranis had forged the flame, given it the power it had, and it was within his control. Another cord of blue magic touched him, and Tamaranis released the flame, overcoming its will and forcing it into the trail of magic before it could disappear. The flame met the cord of magic, and it became the path of least resistance. Seemed almost to scream as it flew, it followed the magic back to the caster, moving faster than the cord could retract. An archmage would have some sort of false trail, and would be protected, but Tamaranis doubted he was up against quite that calibre of magic. Now that he'd cast the flame he'd be visible, so he moved quickly, flying not quite towards his objective. A bright flash below indicated his spell had found its target, or at least a target. There was another flash, as lightning moved through the spot Tamaranis had been. It had signifigant power behind it, but seemed it wouldn't have been overly dangerous as Tamaranis wasn't concerned about what an electric current would do to his unbeating heart. Dropping back to the street a signifigant distance from where he'd cast the nether fire spell he waited, felt magic, and moved forward, then stopped. He sensed something much similar to the nether fire, a demon had been pulled into the city. Tamarnis assumed that since he could feel the demon's hatred, it could feel his void, and would be reaching him shortly. Hoping to avoid extended combat with a demon, Tamaranis began moving in a semi circle around the area he'd felt the demon appear, intending to attack its summoner before the demon attacked him. Unfortunately because the demon seemed not only to sense his presence but also to possess at least moderate intelligence it intercepted him. The demon, appearing blurred, came through a wall without damaging it. Tamaranis' had came up and black lightning jumped from his fingers to the demon in a spell that was quick and almost reflexive. The lightning passed through the demon without effect and struck the wall it had come through, spreading cold rather than heat and not igniting it. The demon attack, it was too blurred to say exactly with what, but it met the unnatural shadows surrounding Tamaranis as if they were solid, paused for a moment as if puzzled by this, and then heartily tore into them. Tamaranis responded by rapidly varying the shape of his protective darkness, sometimes forming large claws from it to strike back, but the demon seemed stronger, and the shadow-armour began to break up. Momentarily forgetting about trying to overcome the demon, Tamaranis focussed on retreat, and flew to the spot where it had appeared. It was quite a surprise to the patrons of a local pub the demon worshiper was hiding in when what appeared to be a ball of shadows with rapidly changing and shifting borders and a vaguely visible haze entered, apparently engaged in combat of some sort. The ball of shadows made a direct line for the summoner, who in a panicked defence wove his hands in the air, begining to produce a white light. Immediately the demon lost all interest in Tamaranis and lunged at the summoner. Utterly without faith, the demon worshipper's ascendant magic collapsed the instant the demon contacted it, the worshipper opened his mouth, probably to beg forgiveness for contacting ascendant powers, but the haze seemed to flow into him, somehow gutting him as a part of the process. The guard was doubtlessly already aware of the magical battle going on, and soon the main forces of the archmage controlling the area would be as well, if they were not already. Being in a public place and obviously one of the combatents could have been a problem, but a far larger one presented itself. Tamaranis felt something immensely powerful pull at his mind and body, he recognized it, as he had been on the other end of this type of magic before. Some one was attempting to summon him, and thus gain control. Tamaranis threw his mind fully against the attack, but deliberately distanced himself from that particular point in space, allowing the transportation effect of the magic to work more easily. The problem of people knowing his location was solved as he faded from view and the lighting inside the pub returned to normal

If there was one thing that was self evident...it was that she was not running. Maybe her wounds were too much, or was it something else? If he didn't know better...he would have to say she didn't see the danger. The fool had no idea what she was messing with...then again...neither did Lotus. The assassin turned back around to see that the wall had been torn apart and angry eyes stared back at him. Lotus stared back with a mocking glare of his own and unsheathed his daggers from his side. Lotus-"You want to play...let's play!" With a dazzling act of sheer speed and skill, Lotus leapt off the vine with a vengance toward the monter onslaught. The monsters took a defensive position and waited for the assassin to come. Just when Lotus thought it was all over...that the days of the monsters were dead and gone...it happened. He passed right through them without even a scratch. This caught him off guard and made him stumble into a roll upon landing. Lotus-"What the...what was that?" Turning back around, he gave another leaping strike the monsters' way...but ended up the same outcome. Lotus had never seen such trickery...such...he didn't know. Calmly getting to his feet...he walked over to one of the monsters, sheathed his daggers and gave it a punch. Just as he thought. His hand went straight through it. Falling to the ground, Lotus gave a hearty laugh. Lotus-"Ah, yes! This is amusing." ----------------------------------------------------------- IC: Both Tamaranis and the demon were aware of it. Somewhere nearby something was changing its state of being, and becoming a part of Terra. A minute or so later whatever it was changed back to whatever it had been. While such an event might normally interest either party, the matter at hand was more pressing. "Surely we both wish to investigate the cause of that disturbance, if you would finish we would both be free to do so," The demon, of course, feigned a greater interest in an effort to hide something of the contract. "I can think of several likely and unimportant causes for such a thing. These negotiations concern me more," Tamaranis said. "Cease these games! You have read the contract! Accept it!" The demon's 'voice' again filled the room, drawing all attention towards its sound. Tamaranis struggled to bring his attention back to the flowing symbols, "Patience, neither of are susceptible to the killing power of time," He calmly said. Again the demon's impatience would seem to be only a ploy. Its demands seemed to have been an effort to prevent Tamaranis from noticing something. Not directly, but by drawing his scrutiny to the area he'd been examining when the demon spoke. Tamaranis found something that indicated that the portions which would turn a normal being to a puppet were indeed a ruse. A part of the contract made it impossible for him to turn the connection to hell he would gain against hell itself. He hadn't considered doing so, and that in itself didn't concern him. What did concern him was that the failsafe took into account the unnatural structure of his 'soul', the demon was aware of it. Not for one second did Tamaranis consider the possibility that the demon had no intention of turning him into a puppet. It wasn't their way to be honest. Seeing that the demon understood his nature, things had become too dangerous. "Regretfully, I must decline." Tamaranis said as he made for the exit, not wanting to stick around and learn exactly how much influence this particular demon had on the material world. "You are a lesser being who's purpose is servitude to Hell!" This time Tamaranis suspected the anger in the demon's voice was real. As the demon finished its statement the contract shattered, filling the room with blinding light. Quite fortunately it was unlike that light which originated from the sun, otherwise it might have caused problems. Tamaranis had already assessed possible escape routes from the room should the negotiations go bad. Because he was some distance below the actual headquarters of the demon's worshippers going through the ceiling, floor, and walls were all out of the question. The door was the only way out, and an ill boding scraping sound was coming from behind the door. Forgetting the semblance of order and civility with which the negotiations had been taking places Tamaranis covered the distance to the door as quickly as possible, and found it would not open. Whatever direct influence this demon had on the mortal world, it certainly could accomplish things through its followers. A single time Tamaranis drove his fist into the door, hoping to simply reach through it. When his hand struck a few splinters of wood came away, revealing metal beneath. The metal door had been excelently crafted to seem a wooden one, and it was distinctly possible that the demon worshipers had sent him here to be destroyed. Calling on the darkness, and fighting to overcome its reluctance to obey him, Tamaranis caused a large, clawed hand to form from the shadow around him. This hand also struck at the door. While there was a terrific ringing produced by the attack, and several dents and thin lines appeared in the door, nothing else happened. Turning to look at the place where the contract had been, Tamaranis saw it was now replaced with an intense red glow. The glow was unique in that his eyes could not see to its center, despite the fact that they were independant of light. Turning back to the door, Tamaranis chanted, summoning magic, forming it into pure force, and then hurling it at the door blocking his escape. It shook furiously, and bent, but remained in place. Tamaranis repeated the process, further damaging it. It would probably be impossible to open the door from the other side by now, so ruined was its shape, but it seemed a reasonable application of force from this side would bring it down. If whatever this demon was doing was limited to this room, then the demon's worshipers would have a price to pay for this ------------------------------------------------------------ The next morning, Gunther had breakfast in the inn, and then set out in search of his original goal. He knew Drake, an alchemist in this city, but he'd never visited the man, so he wasn't sure whether he'd find the shop today. But he got lucky... he saw a shop that matched the description he'd gotten when he met Drake, so he went in. There was very little light in the small room, barely enough to see. The walls were full of shelves, which, in their turn, were full of bottles and books. Behind a counter, there was a man who appeared to be at least 5 thousand years old. "Good afternoon sir. Is Drake here?" The man came from behind his counter and stood before Gunther, studying him for a few moments. "Drake? No... he's not around right now. He did tell me you'd probably drop by, and left you something. Do follow me." Without so much as another glance, the man turned and went through a curtain hiding a door opening. Gunther, of course, followed, assuming that Drake had left him the reagent he was searching for. After a few stairs and hallways, they came to a small storage room, filled with more shelves and dried herbs. The scent of the herbs masked something else... a bad smell of rotting, faint, but there. The man went to one of the shelves, and started searching something on it. As soon as Gunther entered the room though, the door closed behind him and the man turned around, shifting to match Drake's looks, but with a snake-like body. When it spoke, it was in a smooth voice. "Ahh... Venefyxatu..." He seemed to taste the name on his tongue while pronouncing it. It confused Gunther; why would anyone mistake him with an archmage, great, but all but forgotten? Seeing his confusion, the Drake-thing smiled, and pretended innocence. "What? You didn't expect that nice Drake to be... this? Of course you didn't. When we met, I was still blind. But I have learned, and gained in power. And now, I'm going to use that power. Finally I'll be complete!" With those words, the thing made it's only mistake; it threw itself bodily on Gunther and, as soon as there was contact, started draining his life-force, turning into something even more repulsing. Gunther stood rooted for a moment, then tried fending the thing off, not even realizing that he was still holding his staff. As soon as it touched the Drake-thing, smoke arose, and it stumbled back, a burnmark on the place where the staff had touched it, an expression of utter amazement on it's face. It started screaming at a stunned Gunther. "No... NO! You, .. you... It can't be! It shouldn't have been... AAARRGGHHHHHHHHHH!!" It was starting to fade away already, and Gunther realised that anyone with even the slightest bit of magic ability would have felt this. He had to get out, because he didn't feel like being around to see who... or what would come investigate this. He turned around, somehow managed to get the door open, and ran as fast as he could, which wasn't very fast, after the draining he'd gone through. Wheezing, he reached the shop and, seeing that nobody had arrived yet, quickly walked out, heading for the city gates. That... thing... had left stains on him that'd probably attract lots of bad things. Or worse - good things with good intentions, mistaking him for a bad thing... Knowing that he wouldn't be able to run, he decided to at be alone when whatever was going to come for him would. When he found an empty field, he took a few moments to catch his breath, then sat down, his staff over his knees, his eyes closed, all of his senses, both natural and magical, stretched out in all directions. At least he wouldn't be surprised... ---------------------------------------------------------------- Inbi removed the Amulet, and the monsters vanished. She wondered whether they had ever been real to begin with, or were simply a hallucination of sorts to distract any thiefs, or wear them out from fighting. She looked around, and saw that the forest was still burning, that at least had actually transferred over to the real world. She also saw something she had been too busy to notice before: a sly looking man in dark sunglasses. He called out, "I am the keeper of Terra...the willer of its powers and the seeker of its ways! Let all who come before me, be trapped in its sheer might!" A large wall grew up, and Inbi looked in wonderment. What its purpose was meant to be, she could not discern. Then the man told her to get out of there. Perhaps he had seen the scene of her fighting the monsters that must have been, to him, invisible. He must think she was crazy - but then what was the wall for? The young woman stayed where she was. She saw the man lunge towards nothing, roll and come flying at it again. Then she saw him put away his weapons and take a swing at thin air. But she also saw how behind him, the wall had been ripped partially apart and was being further ripped as the shadow fight took place. It didn't last long, though, for the man laughed suddenly, and said, "Ah, yes! This is amusing." Forgetting any rash ideas about putting the Amulet back on and helping the man to finish the fight - he must still see the monsters? - she instead approached him. She needed to find out what he thought he was doing, and what he thought she had been doing. In short, did he see the monsters she saw, or was there some other reason for his behaviour? It probably wasn't wise for one to admit to a stranger that one hallucinated, but the forest was burning and the wall was torn to shreds all round. Besides, Inbi hated to dodge matters for niceties. "Can you see the monsters," Inbi demanded of him, "and do you know what they are?" ------------------------------------------------------------ Lotus slowly turned a glance Inbi's way. His laughter was starting to subside and strength beginning to return. Lotus-"Monsters? Oh...you mean the ghosts I was playing with just now. They are quite amusing. As for the second question...no...I know nothing of these beasts." Lotus had never had a problem with saying what's on his mind. His life was an open book to any who wanted to hear...but you could never be sure what was true or a lie. Ever since he became an assassin, he took up the habit of lying. His philosophy was simple. Never tell the truth when a lie will do. After all, if no one knows what is true or false...then they can't rat you out. The only ones who knew this, however, were his comrades back at home base. Lotus-"Hi, the name's Lotus...just Lotus. I am a weapons salesman from a neighboring town...or I was. It's a long story. Who might you be?" ---------------------------------------------------------- Inbi, on the other hand, wasn't quite used to lying. She had lived a lonely life, avoiding people for most of it. Being a theif, she was pretty sure she shouldn't be telling strangers all about herself, but she wasn't good at thinking up stories that would do better. She also had no cause to doubt Lotus yet. She ended up, after a pause, by saying simply, "My name is Inbi. My home is just over there. Er.. did you see the whole fight then? ---------------------------------------------------------- Lotus-"Inbi, is it? Well, it's nice to meet you, Inbi. Would it be too much if I troubled you for a meal? I can pay you of course." Lotus reached back and took a rather large bag of gold from his pocket. Placing it back in...he thought about the request for a second and spoke again. Lotus-"Yes, I saw the entire battle. I would be happy to tell you what I know...or anything else you may ask over a meal. Don't worry, if I was some kind of killer...you'd have never seen me coming."

The innkeeper wanted to go to bed. Most of the patrons in the room realized this by now and had left already, but there were still two left. Drunken Laman, as usually, and a stranger who had fallen asleep on his table, his drink barely touched. Leander, the innkeeper, decided to get Laman out first. He'd done this countless times before, it wouldn't be a problem. Then he went to the stranger and watched him for a moment. He appeared to be a man in his early thirties, with thin brown hair cut off just above his shoulders. His dark-red robes were definitely not new, and he looked as if he could use a hearty meal. There was a gnarled piece of wood that was probably supposed to be a staff leaning against the wall next to him. Leander felt uneasy looking at it. He shook the guy, waking him up. "I'd like to go to bed, sir. Would you want a room for the night?" "Ahh, yes... Yes, I'll have a room, please." "Very well. I'd like to ask you to pay immediately, though, as there have been more and more dishonest types over the past few weeks. Taking a room for the night and then somehow leaving without paying. I don't know how they do it, because my dogs put up a good guard. I ask one goldpiece a night, breakfast included." The guy paid and, picking up his staff with a routine gesture, went up to his room. Leander locked up his inn and went to bed also. When he passed the stranger's room, he felt uneasy, just like when he'd looked at that staff. He wondered if he should go in and see if everything was all right, but decided not to. The guy was probably a wizard with a magical staff. "The guy", who was called Gunther, meanwhile, was lying on his bed, sleeping soundly. He'd walked the entire day to get to this city before nightfall, and now he was tired. As long as he had his staff, he didn't mind sleeping along the road, but a bed in an inn was so much more comfortable... --------------------------------------------------------- That night, Inbi is sleeping lightly, her training as a thief enabling her to wake immediately to changes in her surroundings. This time, however, she doesn't detect the gradual shift for quite some time. She wakes slowly, drifting out of sleep in a manner that defies acknowledgement. After a time of lying in deceived wakefullness, she realizes that she is awake. Without moving, her mind begins to work out the possible reasons for this. She is not aware of any immediate danger, and she is loathe to admit that someone could have snuck up on her in so effective a manner. Not taking any chances on her ego, however, she rolls quickly away from the sheets that make up her bed. Grabbing her crowbar and getting herself into a standing position before looking even to see who might be there, she finds herself in a fighting stance before empty air. She shrugs, not feeling ashamed to have not taken the chance. She then looks around, observing her surroundings and ascertaining, finally, the reason for her premature arisal. The amulet she had stolen the day before is glowing, steadily increasing its low but efficient light. Realizing that the pendant must have magical and possibly dangerous properties, she takes it from where it lies on the ground. Weighing her choice of actions, she finally decides that this is a power she should harness if she can, not throw away in a possibly vain attempt to escape whatever danger might ensue. She lifts it up and lets it slip around her neck, hiding it under her shirt. Casting away any thoughts that this amulet might have only the ability to glow, she whirls around to face the monsters that now surround her. No time to experiment with removing the jewel, she ducks an attack and once again lifts her crowbar into her hands. --------------------------------------------------- Finally...after a grand meal, Lotus thought back to a job or two he was on. As an assassin, he made a vow. He vowed that wherever he may be, or trouble he may face, no job will go unfinished. With this in mind, he felt something. It was an odd feeling and he was not sure what it meant. Following that feeling, it quickly led him to a forest. The forest was filled with monsters and one lone person in the middle. Monsters? He remembered a case that was brought to him not too long ago. It had something to do with monsters...but the rest was fuzzy. The fact that a life was in danger worried him not...for in this life,he was not that nice a guy. That is...unless they were friends of his. Why would one put their life on the line for a stranger...for a person that could probably care less about you? It was a rule of thumb. For if one could not defend him or herself in life...why seek others help to do so? With wonder of what was happening, Lotus pulled out a pair of dark sunglasses and put them on in a very sly manner. Taking a stance of 'Joe Cool', he watch for the sequence of the events to come ----------------------------------------------------- Kraw looks at the thief with disgust. She has to be a thief, or else she could not be holding the Amulet that belonged to his Master. He was very angry, as he had been looking for the Amulet all night. It was magic, and he knew very well that he wasn't smart enough to understand such things, but he knew that his Master owned the Amulet and that only he had earned the right to wield it and command the creatures within it. Kraw and his gang belonged to the Amulet. When it was not in use, everything around them became intangible, and the people invisible. When they strayed from it, they became weak. He had woken from slumber beside the bed of his Master to discover that the Amulet was not in its place, and the other creatures of the Amulet were growing restless. They could feel their power waning. Feeling that they could best protect their Master by finding and retrieving the Amulet, they set off towards the direction of its power. Now they had found and surrounded the thief and she was about to put it on. The moment she does so, Kraw lets his anger take him away and he lunges for her. She rolls, grabbing a weapon from the ground, and readies it. Kraw growls, and turns to face the woman once more. He sees that the others are closing in. Falling into line, he advances with them, approaching the woman. One of the beasts becomes impatient and swings his arm towards her. She easily avoids the slow but powerful movement, coming into the creature with her weapon and knocking him back a little. He grows angrier, and another beast jumps forward, preparing an attack. The human slams her metal bar backwards into his stomach and pulls it out, bloody, to use against the first monster. Kraw charges forward, deciding that she doesn't deserve the patient advance that would have taken place. They would have circled closer until she could not struggle, and then they would have held her and brought her back to the Master to deal with. She had earned a beating, though. They could not kill her, because then the Amulet would become intangible to them again. They had to capture her alive if they could, but the magic allowed that she be brutally beaten and taken unconscious to the Master. So Kraw, seeing his friend's blood, chooses to spill some of her own. He rushes forward as she is connecting the weapon with the skull of the first monster. It growls and holds it head, and she turns. Obviously unused to fighting groups, however, she is too slow, and he grabs the bar from her hands, attempting to turn it on her. He finds it to be burning, though, and his strong grip keeps the metal strip in his claws for too long, searing his skin and causing great pain. He howls, advancing again. She rushes to meet an attack in another direction, but fails to counter one to her side. Clutching a gaping wound with her left hand, she throws the weapon into the beast and Kraw smiles at her silly action. Barely dazing the creature, it and another advance upon the weaponless woman. Kraw joins them, swinging his burned fists for her head. She panics, and runs towards Kraw. Expecting an attack, he tries to parry, but there is none. Instead, she clambers up his moving form, freezing his skin where she touches. The ice causes an unexpected sensation, and where it freezes he finds his realm of motion limited. He whirls, but she is already gone. She has reached his broad shoulders and used them to mount a large tree behind him. Just out of his reach, he falls back to allow a larger creature the pleasure of her downfall. Having trapped herself so effectively, the largest of the beasts move forward to knock to her out. Suddenly flame moves out from the trunk and burns the first row of creatures. Howling in pain, many of them dying from the blast, they strike out but reach only burning braches. Kraw sees the thief - she has somehow found a column of ice leading down from her tree to the ground behind them. She is sliding down it, and despite his injuries he goes after her, growling to alert the others. He is met with a fiery blast, singeing his face and chest, and ironically, melting the ice. The heat combine with the freezing water and give Kraw an extremely unpleasant pain. He still moves forward, but only to see the woman running as fast as she can, while he struggles against the flames. She reaches what she must deem a safe distance away, and then pauses to remove the Amulet. Kraw cries in anguish. She can't hear him any longer, however, and hardly comforted by the fact that the fire no longer can add burns to his skin, he turns in his rage to one of the dying beasts behind him, ravaging it with his red and smouldering paws. He looks around, seeing that the death toll of the fight could only be four or five. May more are in great pain, but ten or fifteen stand healthy in the blazing forest. Without a word, those who can move head forward towards the Amulet, stalking its thief with an intensity that could not bode well for her if she were to choose to don it once again. --------------------------------------------------------------- A laugh was heard from the top of a tree branch. Lotus sat on the branch with a cool look. His Shopkeeper outfit played in the wind as the smirk came to his face. Lotus had always enjoyed being overly dramatic and this was the way he tried to look. Lotus-"Your very amusing, friend? Oh, wait, I don't even know you...so how can you be my friend?" Lotus got to his feet with a skilled back roll along the length of the thick branch and with amazing speed, leapt to the branch beside it. Lotus-"You're in a real pickle. Myself...I like pickles...they have a good taste to them." With a wave of his hand, a flower came flying up and with one swift movement...Lotus caught it. He pulled the petals off saying... Lotus-"Help...don't help...help...don't help." Ending on help, Lotus gave a wicked looking smirk at the sight. Leaping off the branch...he landed on a vine that came from the ground below. It was then that he gave his speech. Lotus-"I am the keeper of Terra...the willer of its powers and the seeker of its ways! Let all who come before me, be trapped in its sheer might!" Even an assassin of Lotus's stature was not going to take on these odds. Not that he couldn't do some real damage...but that he felt it not a smart move to make. The next second, large thick vines came from the ground in front of the monsters and formed a wall around them. The wall then grew in size...and before long had surrounded them. Sounds were then heard as the monsters started to break their way through and Lotus knew that it would not hold for long. Turning to the stranger, Lotus spoke. Lotus-"You'd better get out of here...not that I care either way."

The wood creaks slightly as Inbi ascends the dark staircase. Furtively, she glances around and then slows her pace. She knows that she could use her magic to get the job done much more efficiently, but she isn't one to condone pointless use of energy. Besides, it was always possible that the ice she would create to slide her up the stairs would lower the temperature in the house enough that its occupants would wake. She had plenty of experience theifing without her magic; she did not need to rely on it now. The young woman reaches the summit of the staircase and stealthily opened a door. With quick but quiet movements, she relieves the room of many the most expensive of its decorations. Leaving only the bulkiest items, she exits, heading for the next room. As she opens the door, however, she almost gasps in surprise. Instead, trained in not letting her emotions come across as sound, she silently curses her luck. There is a figure in the bed. She had watched this house just enough to know that there shouldn't be. Some random event that would not otherwise have concerned her had caused this room to be occupied on this night. About to leave, she catches sight of a glowing amulet beside the bed. In the faint light it emits, Inbi can see its delicate carvings and can easily guess at the money that could be made from this type of jewelry. Cautiously, she steps towards the thing, her eyes barely moving from its pendant. She reaches down, her fingers clasping the chain, and lifts it just off of its place. In that moment, the person in the bed awakes, and looks at Inbi. The woman, no longer caring for silence, rushes towards the window where, she knows, grows a large tree. Hastily moving the pane out of the way, she leaps at the tree. Not quite making it, she curses, this time aloud. She uses her magic to create a block of ice, growing from the ground up, to catch her fall. She lands, barely pausing before leaping off of her creation, and runs off, using the back of her mind for the task of creating the heat required to melt the block. She knows that there will still be water to indicate her presence, and she hates leaving any sign for her victims. Grateful for the fact that her carelessness has not cost her her freedom, however, she does not think any more of it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- With the whistling of the wind and the light thump of the dirty rocky ground...the showdowy figure landed. He had been running for some time and was hard of breath, but when the time came to run...he had to do so. Lotus looked cautiously from side to side, ever wary of the danger that could come at any moment. It was then seen above him...a burning red figure that stared down at the assassin and laughed. burning figure- "You can run, little Lotus...but you can't hide!" With nothing else said and without hesitation, both men were off once more. The ground was hard as they were gaining in altitude and the feeling of impending doom came over Lotus as he leapt off the seemingly large cliff that was before him. All at once and before you could say 'stop', three large vines came bursting through the rock wall and caught Lotus in the nick of time. When the assassin hit the ground, he gave one last look at the cliff's peak. There, at the top, was seen standing the burning figure. Most of his features were too dark to notice, but his gaze was that of amusement. He seemed to enjoy the chase...get thrills from the the challenge and have an ever gloating attitude about the fact that he was the better. Lotus could feel the strength leaving him. He had never had to run from any foe and it angered him that he did so now. They had been running for miles and they both felt the fatique of the experience. By this time, it way clear that nothing would come of this fruitless endeaver...so the burning figure left with a laugh. With a sigh of relief, Lotus collapsed upon the unforgiving terrain. Dust filled the air as he lay upon the cliffside and he knew that he was in no shape to move on any further. Quite fast and sudden, the assassin fell asleep upon that very spot and hoped that he would awaken ----------------------------------------------------------------- Darker deads than theft and dueling were happening that night. In a city that had once been part of a land called Continicium stood a building of which children told tales, saying it was filled with demons and spirits. On Terra such tales were to be heeded. A year of service to a guild of demon worshipers had afforded a sort of a vampire a chance to negotiate with powers much darker than himself for a few hours. A glowing plane of energy hovered horizontally at waist height. Strange symbols flowed across its surface. Other than the plane of energy, the vampire was the only object of note in the room. The demon worshippers had been terrified of the calm defiance the vampire had displayed towards the beings he was dealing with and had left him to his doom. An ordinary being, or even a person with moderate training in the ways of magic would have found the contract to be gibberish. What was written couldn't have been translated into any spoken language. A mage of moderate skill would either find it immensly confusing or have gone made trying to understand, depeding on the mage. An archmage would find it a needlessly complicated piece of magic which existed more for the sake of its own complexity than any other purpose, and not worth their own time to decipher. A particularly knowledgable archmage might, just might, be able to learn exactly what it was and what it would do in the few hours they had available. Tamaranis almost fell into the last catagory. He had the benefit of over two thousand years of magical study and of using that magic at a very high level. He still possessed all the knowledge of a very powerful archmage, so that he no longer had the strength to use magic as he once had didn't diminish his understanding, much. Tamaranis' mind worked rapidly, but not frantically, as it strove to fully understand the increasingly compicated contract. "Do you accept?" The voice that echoed through the room was not loud, but it would have drowned out any other sound in the room had there been any. It fully absorbed the attention of all who heard it. "Cease your distractions, I am reviewing your terms," Tamaranis replied. The flow of symbols reversed for a second, "These are unacceptable," Tamaranis said as symbols began to alter, apparently in response to a wave of his arm. "You sought us," The voice was slightly louder this time, and had a terrifying angry edge to it, "The terms are not yours to decide." It was just this sort of thing that made Tamaranis dislike working with any being more powerful than himself, especially demons. They had a tendancy to try to control the other partner in the bargain. While demons often used a subtle manipulation and appeared to be servile, this one was not making any effort at such and illusion. Tamaranis ignored the demon's anger, as likely as not it was feigned. Still, these negotiations were becoming more and more dangerous. Tamaranis had spotted several places in the contract that involved a magic that would put a being with a stadard soul into the direct control of hell. Some he had removed, much to the demon's anger, others he pretended not to notice, as the structure of what took the place of his soul was quite unique. However he could not be certain if those parts of the magic were what had been designed to enstare him, or if they were just decoys to distract him from the real trap. The symbols Tamaranis had altered changed again, this time manipulated by the demon on the other end. Now they resembled neither what Tamaranis had created nor the original configuration. Striving to take into account the changes, Tamaranis continued his study of the contract... ---------------------------------------------------- Hours later, Lotus awoke and found that nothing had changed. This is excepting the fact that he was ok and rested up. One thing was bothering him, though, and it bothered him a lot. Why...oh why did the assassin not kill him? He was weak and unable to defend himself. Wait...that was the reason all along. The burning figure did not want an easy kill. What he wanted was a workout and a kill that meant something. Shrugging this topic to the side, Lotus got to his feet and took a good look around. He was alone...or so it seemed. It was then that hunger hit. He had not eaten for some time. His last meal was in home base and that was two or three days ago. During the chase, he had no time to eat...he had no time to hunt...he had no time to think. Without a second thought, Lotus dashed off to the nearest town and before too long, he was there. Once inside, he noticed his outfit was that of an assassin...he would have to change. Entering the shop next to him, he took a look around and was relieved to see that he was the only customer. The shopkeeper looked at Lotus with a stare of dislike. The assassin could feel the shop keeper's glare itching at him, but went on with his business. Taking a shoulder pack and a set of clothing , he walked into the changing room. When he came out...he was dressed as that of an average shopkeeper. His daggers hung from the belt and assassins outfit was placed in the shoulder pack. The shop keeper's eye had not left him as he threw some gold on the table and left the shop.

Surrender? Black knew of the word, but had never acted on it. Being of Fang's mind frame, Black calculated that it would be a far better use of his current troops to see what kind of resistance this...Keep...had to offer. Still, he had not achieved his goal to find out if Anna was inside and would have to do so if he was to keep his head. After all, he was quite the escape artist...that is...if he was caught in the first place. Telling his army to stand down, Black flew closer to the compound and landed on the nearby wall. The first thing he noticed was that weapons were pointed his direction...weapons created by man. These did not concern him as the only power he really feared was magic. Black-"Please, mortal weapons? Thay may affect my troops...I, however...don't give a hoot." This little speech didn't seem to change much as the forces on the wall only grew in number. Black expected this...he would like to say it was what he would have done...but it wasn't. If it were up to him, all interlopers would be put to a swift death! Few...perhaps...not so swift. Guard 1-"Stand down, Vampire!" Guard 2-"Do you surrender?" Black-"Yes, but I demand to speak to someone with authority! I will not carry on this conversation with an underling like you!" 'The fools don't know who they're dealing with! There is only one path to the top...know your enemy...know yourself and you hold the key to victory!' Becoming impatient, Black spoke out to all inhabitants of the Keep. Black-"Is someone going to deal with this situation or not? I refuse to negotiate with your underlings!"

Meanwhile, another soul treked upon the lands somewhat near the city. I say somewhat because he's actually quite far...Lotus was , however, fast. A faint image of a man swooped by the nearby civilizations as Lotus playfully dashed across the landscape. The ground below him was seen as a blur as he leapt from rock to stone and into the treetops. Flipping from branch to severed limb, Lotus's speed gradually diminished...though to the average observer he would still be propelling at quite a momentum. Lotus was known to very little, as he was at heart...a loner. Now, broken off from his usual ties...he was now free to travel the world...to see new places and new civilizations...to seek amusment from where he'd never been before. It went on in this fashion for a about an hour...this was when Lotus was starting to run low on strength and decided to stop off for a rest. Noticing a city in the distance before him, Lotus came to a sudden halt. The ground before him tore asunder as he slid upon it with great ease. Most would describe Lotus as a dashing, yet mysterious man. He donned a black assassin uniform that covered his arms and directly under his neck line. His only weapons to speak of were a pair of vine shaped daggers at either side his waist. His long brown hair played in the wind as he halted his forward momentum and briefly covered his darknened, yet mysterious shades. Seen to most as a...cool guy...Lotus looked upon the city with the williingness of Willy being freed in the final scene of the movie. The wind blew once more, more gently this time...giving Lotus the feeling that he was not alone. Lotus-"A fine night, I must say." Holding a Black Lotus to his nose, Lotus gave a brief whiff of it's fragrant scent. Lotus-"A rose by any other name...as they say...would smell so sweet. Let the petals lay as they may...where nature will finally meet." Ever aware of another presence, Lotus stared the way of the city, wondering who it may be and if the poor soul had heard of his famed reputation.

Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime of travel, a great structure was just coming into view. Black knew not where this was, but he knew one thing and that was the fact that Anna had journeyed this way. It was only logical to suggest that she was hiding out in the community before them. By the time that Black and his little army approached the Keep...the door had just finished being shut and it looked as if they had simply allowed some poor soul to enter their walls. Ordering his army to hold their ground, Black approached the Keep with extreme smugness and spoke with a loud and easily understood voice. Black-"Greetings...I am Black. My master has sent me here on a mission of utmost importance. I am to retrieve a young woman by the name of Anna. If you would be so kind as to bring her to me...willingly...you and your people will be greatly rewarded. If you choose instead to resist...I have orders to get the job done using any means possible. Now...what is your answer?"

Now that I know, I'm going to try another strat...thanks for the help:)

Ah:( That sux:( Oh well:)

I'm not quite sure on what's happening, but I chose to try the game out again...warning...I suck:) I have a new goal in mind...it's more a of a test then a strat. I want to see if I can get enough town and farm to upkeep devils:) I'm under Black just to let ya know:) If anyone knows about how many devils you get with a single summon...I'd be glad to find out:)

Meanwhile, while all this was happening, Black (the name of the commanding vampire...not me) advanced ever closer to the Mighty Pen. Black, noticing that his soldiers were acting strange, called for them to halt, and slowly turned the squad's direction. The look in Black's eye could only be described as deadly serious...it was clear that humor of any kind would be lost to the Commander. Black stared down upon his troops from a few feet in the air...they were looking about...searching for something. Black-"What is the problem, soldier?" Skeleton-"Master, there is something following us." Black-"Do you think I am not already aware of such an occurance? I don't have time for your petty problems and observations! I will tell you right here and now, that if this soul decides to show himself...he will be met with extreme prejudice. After all, I can sense some kind of darkness to this one. A darkness somewhat different to my own. He would be a fool to take us on in such a rash manner." Turning to the surrounding area, Black spoke out to the dark forces he had felt moving about them. Black-"And if you are listening, which I am sure you are...I request you speak up and stop this foolish game of tag. I am on a mission given to me by my master. I am in search of a young lady by the name of Anna. If you have seen her and you deliver her to me as soon as possible...you will be handsomely rewarded. What do you want? Would you like a weapon of unimaginable power...or would you rather have a town of your very own. Perhaps I'm thinking too small...Master Fang will give you an empire for this one simple gesture. What do you say? Think about it...if you decide to cooperate...feel free to speak up...and for (blank) sakes...reveal yourself! I am tired of talking to shadows!"

It didn't take long for the town of Silent Hill to fall to the shadows. Silence filled the streets with the exception of a few high pitched cries and low tempered moans that randomly were heard from various areas of the town. Darkness blanketed the entire area within ten feet of the Silent Hill's borders and the voice of only one vampire ruled the town with an iron fist. Fang inhabited the central most building, as it was the most grandeur and also towered above all others on a hill of grand size. It was said that the dead now ruled this town, as the very thought of a living soul still remaining within the Town walls was now preposturous. Fang sat on his throne with the ego of a dragon upon its lair. Phase one was complete and now is when the fun would truly begin. Fang-"Ha! The inhabitants of this world think they can bring ME down? I have swatted more powerful flies in my sleep. Now that phase one is complete, it's time to put the next piece in place. I will find that little brat if it takes my entire army. You hear me, Anna...your soul will be mine...one way or another! Guards, send me one of our vampire brethren!" The social structure of Fang's army was simple. He was of course their master. Below him were only a few chosen souls that were given the opportunity for advancement. Fang had under him a mere total of ten vampire brethren. These ten were chosen as they were the most deserving of the town's population and therefore the only ones Fang really gave a hoot about. The vampires commanded the remaining legions of the dead in a strict manner. After all, Fang's patience was little to none and that was overstating the matter. The remainder of his army was built of infectious zombies...zombies that if bitten...their foe would quickly fall to the virus and become one them. Wraith, the final component to the force, had the power of a deafening scream and weren't bad wih their bone swords either. It was at this point when one of the ten vampire entered the Great Hall, the main room of the capital building and honored Fang with a bow. vampire-"You called for me, Master?" Fang-"Took you long enough! Yes, I called for you some time ago!" vampire-"But Master Fang...it has only been five minutes...this town is no small area to patrol." Fang-"I don't want to hear your excuses, vampire...just do better next time. Now, it is time to execute phase two of my master plan. I want you to take your minions and find a girl for me." vampire-"A girl, sire? Is this all you ask of me? I have better uses of my time. What possible use can this...GIRL...be to us?" To this, Fang slammed his fist into the floor boards with such force...that they split on contact. The angered glare in Fang's eyes was all but self evident to anyone within his vacinity. Fang-"First of all, YOU are not one to lecture ME! Second, this...GIRL...has everything to do with me...not us! You would do well to remember this! I should have your head on a platter right here and now...but this time and ony this time, I will look the other way! Now, this girl is recognized by the name of Anna and is from an adjacent world to your own. Beware...she way seem helpless at first appearance, but don't underestimate her power. I have already given you the specs on her appearance. Now, go and do my bidding! Oh, and get someone in here to fix this floor." vampire-"But Master, you..." Fang-"What did I just tell you?" vampire-"Yes, sir! Right away sir!" And with that, the vampire left post haste It was just now sinking in that Fang ment business and that could very well bring a damper in his new found undead life. Before the Commander could leave, though, Fang was heard one last time. Fang-"And Commander...don't disappoint me...for I have been known to kill the messenger! Come back empty handed and I will have your head!" vampire-"But master Fang, you only wanted me to locate the girl...did you not?" Fang-"You know very well my orders. Now be gone with you...before I find myself in a bad mood. Trust me...you don't want me to be in a...Bad mood!" Commander-"Aren't you in bad mood already, Sire?" Fang-"THIS IS NOT A BAD MOOD!"

http://crazyclubforum.no-ip.com/viewtopic.php?p=1421#1421

Welcome:)

Later that day, Anna stared at the sky as the sun was slowly replaced by the moon while thoughts of this entire situation came to mind. To tell the truth, Anna knew that the ability to use magic was inherited through her bloodline, yet never had she figured out quite how to conjure it. The fact of the matter was...the power scared her. For most of her life, she was told that she was a being that should have never been born. She was told that her mother and father had far too much power to procreate and that may just spell trouble for the future. Truth is, Anna didn't know what she was. On the outside, she was nothing but a normal girl...that just happen to know how to fight. On the inside...who knew what dwelled within. Anna had always imagined it as a beast...a beast fighting to break out of the cage within her soul. The incident back at the mirror only heightened the fear from within. Fang had all but possessed her for the second time...that was when the beast immerged and showed its ugly face. It fought back with a level of consciousness that would even boggle Fang's mind. Citizen-"So, you coming in or were you planning to sleep on the roof again?" Anna-"Not quite yet. I think I'll go check out the mirror one last time." Citizen-"Alright, I'll see ya later then?" Anna-"Count on it." Slowly making her way back to the mirror, Anna once again entered the temple and almost immediately noticed the citizen was still asleep near her last location. Not wanting to disturb the man...Anna instead focused on the mirror's entrance. She could feel some kind of power eminating from the other side. Was it the people that had saved her before? Better question...how could she feel them? It was the beast...Anna trusted it as far as she could throw it...and that's not very far. How could anyone trust her when there was always the chance that she could lose control? Feeling overwhelmed, Anna turned and retraced her path out of the temple.

Black nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Though getting a bit on the old side. Anything past 4000 seems a bit much."

Black walks into the office...he'd thought he saw an old friend. Quickly searching the room, Black finds Venefyatu in a state of rest and sits in a chair next to him, quietly...so as to not disturb him.

After a brief rest, Anna awoke to find a citizen of the town standing beside her with a concerned look upon his face. It was simple to figure out why...being that she was sleeping on the roof and all. How would one come to any other conclusion? While riseing to her feet, Anna was greeted my a caring voice. Citizen-"Are you alright? The roof of my home is not the best place to be sleeping." It was kind of hard for Anna to answer such a question...ofcourse she wasn't alright...she was alone in a strange world...being hunted at the same time by a Vampire Lord. Was she alright? No! She wasn't...but the fact still remained that she could not let this be known. Anna-"Yes, I'm fine...for the most part. I wouldn't mind a tour of the town, though, I've never been to this place before. For that matter, I haven't eaten a bite for some time. I'm sorry... you don't even know me and I blurt out such requests. I'd understand if you turned me down." Citizen-"By all means, let us hit the market place. After all, I'm not the type to leave someone as yourself alone in her time of need." Anna breathed a sigh of relief...she really was in worse shape than imagined. Then hit her, she had lost all her gold back on Terra and without that...how was she to repay the kind man for his actions. Anna-"I afraid I can't help pay for any act of kindness I may receive. I lost all my gold...let alone worldly possessions back on my home planet." 'That was stupid! Why did you have to go and announce that you were from another world! He's now going to think you're a lunatic...you...lunatic!' "I..." Citizen-"Don't give it a second thought...it's my pleasure." Anna-"Thank you." Citizen-"You're entirely welcome." It didn't take long for the two-some to exit the roof and begin their trek ever deeper into the town. Anna was set back by the number of people willing to help her in this world, but knew...somewhere in the back of her mind...that they would someday lay dead at the hands of Fang. Though Anna tried her best not to think about it...the inescapable conclusion was to swear off friends and forge through life alone. The only thing that bothered her about this decision being...would her father approve? Citizen-"The market place is just up ahead. Pick out anything you like." Anna-"Thank you. it all looks so good...truth is...sand would look appetizing at this point. By the way, you have a beautiful town." The citizen nodded in appreciation as Anna approached a nearby stand. Anna-"This looks just delicious, may I?" Citizen-"By all means." Tossing a few coins the shop owner's way, Anna chose a variety of delicacies and motioned that she'd like to see more of the town. The man, ofcourse, was happy to oblige as Anna began nibbling at her newly acquired treats. She was never one to gulp her food, no matter how hungry she was...it wasn't lady like. Citizen-"Say, if you need somewhere to stay...you can stay with me for a while." Anna-"I suppose it's better than sleeping on your roof. I accept your offer." Citizen-"Think nothing of it." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Meanwhile, back at the town of Silent Hill, trouble was on the rise...for the town had been all but overthrown by the mercilous onslaught of the dead. Fang had systematically taken the town by storm...every area...but one. It was here where the last surviving inhabitants had gathered and where the last stand of the resistance would take place. The small band of soldiers stood their ground as they could clearly hear the moaning of the zombie armies approaching from the north. It was then, not a second later, when the ear piercing screeches of the wraith were heard from the west. This was immediately followed by the swift motions of a small group of vampire coming from the south. They were cornered...trapped from all sides. There was nowhere to flee...no way to make their escape...for them, it would be victory...or defeat. Commander-"Stand tall, my soldiers...for on this day we make our final stand. The enemy may be overwhelming...defeat may be pending...but we will take the day! Our wills...the human will shall strive forth into tomorrow with the clash of thunder in our wake. Are you with me?" A resounding cheer was heard from the soldiers before him, as Fang had just made his entrance upon the scene. Fang-"Inspiring speech...not that it will do you any good. Zombies...wraith...vampire...take them down!" The ground thundered with the footsteps of an army which would even make an emperor jealous. Before the day was over, the battle would be won and Fang would once again have a kingdom of his own. With phase one of his master plan complete...lord only knows what was to follow!

Citizen-"Hello?" The voice seemed to come from the corridor, but who was it? Did it really matter? By this time, Anna had figured she was a danger to any who were willing to take her in...for it was painfully obvious that Fang would stop at nothing to obtain her. It was also clear that he had learned how to track her anywhere she may roam. There was no place to run...no place to hide...the line kept repeating through her mind like the echo that flowed through the temple. 'You can run, little girl...but you can't hide!' It was then that the voice came once again. Citizen-"Hello? Is anyone in there? I heard a scream." Not a moment later, the form of a man came running through the corridor toward her. How many lives would she endanger? How many souls would pass...before Fang was dealt with? No! She could not endanger anymore lives...though she hated to say so...Anna could not let it happen again. "Hey? Are you ok?" Anna-"Yes, I'm fine. Listen, if anyone else comes through that mirror...tell them that I am sorry. Upon my arrival I have brought them nothing but pain and torture. I am a danger to both them and myself. Tell them that I thank them for all they have done...but my family line is over...I am a lost cause. Oh and if you do see them...give them this." Anna carefully unsheathed her mace from its holster on her back and tossed it the citizen's way. "What you hold now is the mace of a Champion of the Light and ...at least on my world...a hero for all that is good. They call this man Joseph, leader of The Slayers." Citizen-"Wait, why are you doing this?" Anna-"I am doing this so that no others die in my name. I will not see anymore friends perish by the hands of that vampire. Now, will you deliver the message or not?" The citizen nodded, as Anna took this opportunity to begin her trek out of the temple. Having regained enough energy to travel, she found her way into the town and on to a nearby roof top. It was there that Anna stopped. Unsure of what to do...she simply stared into the sky and spoke. Anna-"I don't know what to do, Father. Everyone I meet...I simply cause them more problems them they already have. I am sorry that I am not the warrior you thought me to be. You were one-thousand times the warrior I am today...if it were you...Fang would be nothing but a nuisance. I am alone in a strange world, Father. Even if I'm told...I know not where I am. Perhaps I should simply disappear from existance. I can hide for the rest of my life if I so chose...that or be finally tracked down by that blasted vampire. Rest...that's what I need...just a bit of rest." Meanwhile, at the entrance to the mirror...the citizen knew only to wait and see if another came in Anna's place.

Anna awoke once again in a daze. She couldn't make sense of it all. First, the chaos at the gate...then the mirror and now she was in some strange...temple...or at least that's all she could come up with. It was then that the voice came back...that's it...before the mirror incident...there was a voice! The voice was rugged with the sounds of a wicked laugh echoing around it. Fang-"Anna! Anna, can you hear me?" Anna-"Yes...but who are you!?!" Fang-"I am your new master! The name is Fang!" Anna winced at the name as she quickly recognized it and fell to one knee in shock. The strange power eminating from the voice seemed to carry with it some kind of mind control. Anna-"Fang! How can you be accomplishing this? You are no mage! Fang-"Ah, how little you know of me. I am extremely well versed in the arts of magic and you would do well to recognize my true and ultimate power!" It was at this time that the darkness within Anna sprang to life and grew in strength at an extraodinary rate. Anna-"No! I am the Daughter of Joseph, Champion of the Light. I possess, by my birthright the power that dwelled deep within him and I will not be taken advantage of without a fight!" Slowly getting back to her feet and not caring much about anything happening around her...Anna's body started to glow with an outstanding outpour of holy energy. So much in fact, that if someone had been standing in the room with her at the time...the sheer force of it would send them back. Fang-"You can run, little girl...but you can't hide! Your father left you with nothing but a memory!" Anna-"No! My Father was a great hero...and that...memory will send you back to where you came from! Now...Fang...say uncle!"The holy power continued to grow from around her body climbing ever higher with every passing second...and with a mighty scream, the now pulsating holy force sent shock waves down the nearby corridors of the temple and eradicated Fang's control over her actions. This down, however, Anna felt very weak...so weak in fact...that she could barely keep herself on her feet. Anna-"What did I just do? I can't...use magic...can I? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fang ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pushing ever deeper in the town of Silent Hill, Fang's power was all but unstoppable compared to the town's defenses. By this time, however, the very atmosphere of the town had changed. The air was stale. The light that once filled the streets was now shrouded in a blanket of darkness and a slow mist was spreading through the town as if controlled by some form of dark magic. Citizens-"Run for your lives! The Vampire can't be stopped!" A soldier stepped in to take on the beast, but was quickly enveloped in the oncoming mist and vanished. Not a second later, that very same soldier came rushing back out...only...he'd been changed. Fang-"Hahahahaha, fool! Anyone who even touches my mist becomes like me...a new found member of the dead! You will now enjoy the life of a zombie from this day forward!" The soldier, now in the form an infectious zombie...was followed by a massive army of the past citizens that came in contact with the mist. The army of the dead was comprised of mostly virus-carrying zombies and killer wraiths. Only a privileged few were granted the honor of vampire hood. Fang-"Go, my minions! Spread your plague...create more brethren and stomp all forces that would dare to oppose us!" Fang only laughed as his minions took up the strategy of divide and conquer. "Soon, Anna, your soul will be mine...you will serve my bidding and I will show these fools what real power is!

Fang ascended upon the town with the look of vengeance. The time had come to take back what was rightfully his...the land around him would soon be blanketed in darkness...shadowed in fear and torment...in short...chaos! 'The fools don't realize the mistake they made by crossing paths with the likes of me! They may have been able to stop my physical form...but what they fail to realize is that my physical arts of combat are weak.' Unsheathing his sword, Fang flung it aside...treating it as the usless junk it had become. 'The dark arts are my weapon...their power, my skill and with them...I will achieve all my demands! Play time is over.' Guard1-"Halt! State your name and business." Fang-"First things first...I don't take orders from you. Secondly, you will tell me where I am before I show you the way to the afterlife!" Guard2-"You are standing before the town of Silent Hill and this town is very capable of defending itself! Fang-"Where on Terra are we located?" The guards exchanged a quizical look, and turned back to the vampire lord. Guards-"Terra? Where's this?" Fang-"Do I have stupid written on my forehead?" guard1-"You will state your name and business!" Fang-"My deepest apologies...I am Fang and I am here to take over your town and create my new found kingdom of the dead." The look upon the faces of the two guards were pricless as they pulled their weapons and took up battle positions. Fang couldn't help but laugh as he motioned for them to attack. As they did so, however, they both vanished into a tear in the shadows of time and were in seconds sent to a realm Fang liked to call, The Shadow Realm. Upon their entry, they were met by a passing beast of indescribable proportions. The beast's angry cry was even heard through the tear in time as the screams of the guards quickly faded and spewed forth their shattered bones. Fang-"Foolish mortals! You will all fall to my power...muahahahahaha!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The more that happened in this new world...the more Anna felt that Terra had manifested all over again. Thinking back to a time less stressful, Anna could recall when Joseph often sat down and told her stories of the times long passed. Above all, she could remember the endless supply of peril...the danger that manifested itself around the corner and within every nook and cranny. Oddly enough, the sudden quake and thunderstorm combination made her feel a little homesick...though she couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad. Anna-"I suppose the saying's true...things never do change." While saying this, however, Anna couldn't help but shed a tear...would she ever see her old world again? On the other hand...did she truly want to? The truth remained...that Anna didn't know and this frightened her most of all.

I plan to have a great time within the pen:) Maybe bring in a bit of good old healthy chaos and trouble...(caugh)...I mean...insanity, yes that's it. Thinking about what he said, Black spoke again. "I won't take over the pen...really." Black stated as he slowly moved closer to the door.

While all this was happening, Anna knew not what to think...what to do...what to say. Back on Terra, she was known as somewhat of a celebrity. She was the daughter of the great hero Joseph, Champion of the Light. When her father perished, she was given refuge in nearly any home that Joseph had helped to save. The only problem being...Anna was not known there by who she was, but rather what...she was the daughter of Joseph...the daughter of a hero and that was exactly how they addressed her. Around the time of her sleep, Anna had found herself in the world of dreams...or was it? ---------------------------------------------- Anna awoke from her daze, only to find herself laying within a seemingly forgotten meadow. The sight was glorious as the sun could just be seen rising. The array of colors eminating from the experience bathed the meadow with a force that only nature could design and brought with it a state of peace and tranquility. The grass beneath her was soft and lush...the flowers fragrant and delicate. Was this a dream...or was there another solution? Anna-"Am I in the Alician Fields? Is this...Heaven?" It was then that a form came out of the shining array before her. It was the form a man...no...a soldier. The soldier wore a solid white platemail...decorated with a large red cross on the chest and small crosses on the shoulders. The sight of the man sent her back a few steps...as she knew his identity immediately. Anna-"Father? Father, is that really you?" Joseph-"Yes, Anna, it's me. I have been watching over you for some time, but the link we share grows weak given our distance from each other. I have tried my best to keep our link together, but the fact remains that we are worlds apart. If you remember nothing else of what I've taught you, my duaghter, I want you to remember this. Your path is not necessarily mine. You are your own person...with your own goals and your own will. Always remember that your name is Anna and not Joseph's daughter. It was then that Joseph aura started to fade. Anna-"Father! Don't leave me...not now!" Joseph-"My connection to your world grows weak." Gently placing his hand on Anna's shoulder, Joseph continued. "You have grown into a fine woman Anna and though I may not be with you in person...I will always be with you in spirit. There are those in this world that can help you. There are those in your world that may even know of me and my deeds. Seek them out and you will find your answers. I...love you...Anna..." ----------------------------------------------------- With a sudden jolt, Anna awoke from her...dream...and found that they were once again on the go. Motioning that she was ok, Katzaniel lowered her muscular body enough to dismount and Anna took to her feet with as much vigor as ever. Anna knew that her strength was not full quite yet, but preferred to walk on her own power when possible. Anna hit the ground with a soft jolt to her arm and expecting pain, she braced for it. Noticing no pain, however, she glaced over her arm and gave a few tests to see if it had fully healed...or at least regained its function. Passing her tests, Anna once agin turned to the travelers and spoke. Anna-"I wanted to apologise to you for my reactions before now. I don't know about the rest of your world...where ever it may be...but to you, I owe my life and I was brought up to always repay my debts. As I was saying before...my father is...what is that?" (bet you thought I'd say it that time...ha!) Anna said glancing toward the...(I'll let you explain the pen) Elsewhere, however, Fang had just taken in the sight of a large town settled on the outskirts of the forest (not the pen). Fang-"Finally! It took me long enough to find life on this miserable exuse of a...I don't know...place? You know what they say...out with the old kingdom...in with the new!" And with nary a thing left to say and evil laugh later...Fang continued toward his new target...his new victims!

Anna donned a finely knit tank top mid-drift. The pink tank top was bordered in a fine silk both around the neck and naval. She also wore a pair of blue jean cut offs, ending half way down her thigh with a tidy looking fold at the end. The tan moccosins on her feer were of a decorative design and served her greatly in her martial arts maneuvers. Her long brown hair waved wildly in the wind blustering around her, occasionally covering her bright blue eyes. Her magic mace slung behind her glimmered in the fading sun. Before Anna could respond or even grasp the situation, Fang vanished from the spot where he lay just as the two wanderers glanced her way. Pointing behind them with her left arm, she felt a fit of pain and realized she must have broken it in the fall. Nary caring about the pain, however, Anna spoke these words with much haste and fear in her voice. Anna-"I'll explain later! Just watch out behind you!" Just as Yan Yan and Katzaniel noticed this, they turned and were immediatly jumped by the form of a now unsurprised and very angry vampire. Fang, dressed mostly in a pure black uniform and cape much like the one wielded by the Warlord of Death, took to action with a vengence as he rushed forward to strike his mark. Both Yan Yan and Katzaniel leapt out of the way as the sheer power behind the force of Fang's strike struck the ground with great force. The fact that he was taken off guard had simply created a volcano of anger within him...and he did not take losing well! Raising into the air once more, Fang gave out a war cry that could be heard from miles around and almost unsheathing his sword from his side...he decided to take care of this in another fashion. Fang-"I am Fang, the almighty and virtually undisputed vampire lord! You! The one that gave me that beating! You're a skilled soldier for one so young. Next time I won't be caught off guard!" Saying nothing more, Fang swallowed his pride...for the moment...and vanished from their sight. Turning back to Anna, they gave another gaze her way and she knew that it was time to explain herself...or try. Anna had found that her former fear was all but forgotten, but nonetheless, a small bit still lingered. Anna-"Greetings, I am Anna, daughter of..." Thinking about her dilemna, Anna chose not to state her father's name and title. "a Slayer. I wanted to thank you for saving me...though I know very little of the situation at hand. Fang, the vampire you just met, forced me into a set of strange caverns in which I can only describe as...another world. Far within those very caverns, I came across a brilliant light and with no other options available to me...entered its grasps with much haste. Lost and confused on the other side of the...I don't know...portal of some sort...I just ran. If I may ask...where are we?" The pain from Anna's arm seemed minimal at this point in time...as she had literally worlds on her mind and very few answers...for these people seemed well intentioned and generally helpful souls, but one never knows what a person holds lurking inside and Anna chose to holdback...at least until the time was right.

~Black~ --------------------- Race-A Vampire Lord of 4,509 years. Weapons-A vampire slayer's sword; leader class. He also weilds throwing daggers which he wears around his waist. Armor-None, as he possesses great healing and dodging techniques. Magic-Black arts and vampire ways. Attitude-Prideful...too prideful. Black would risk his life for a thrill and/or die for honor. Past, (this is way too long, so I'll be very vague)-Black was first known by the title The Warlord of Death. He had earned this title because his armies of darkness washed over many kingdoms driven by the good and the light. To many, the mere sight of his armies meant it was time for them to join the next dimension. He was later taken over by the mistake of entering a set of mysterious mountains and losing the bulk of his army. Death met up with the remainder of his troops back at his home fortress located in the wastelands. Death was the only one to escape this battle as the power of four holy armies attacked him from all sides. In his mid life, Death went by either title. He was called Black by some and Death by others. At this point in his life, however, he had turned to a more neutral state of thinking. He basically did as he liked...whether it be save the world or doom it. With the absence of his now crumbled kingdom and vanquished armies, Black walked solo along the lonely lands of Terra...meeting up with others as he helped to take on many a quest for amusement or pleasure. Last, he saw Knight, a dominion that he fought against for a large portion of his life...he was deemed to be ok, as he'd risked his life to save a vampiress he'd grown quite fond of over the course of an adventure. The vampiress and Black soon parted ways, as time would have it, and thus he was sent back to his old, crumbled fortress in the lonely wastelands to achieve the goal of finding the Necronomicon, The Book of the Dead. (If you would like to know more, read my story. The link to it is... http://maskedprospect.proboards14.com/inde...&num=1082161599 ...I only want honest feed back...don't worry...I can take it:) I'll post the link in the Library as well for anyone that would like to respond to it.) Appearance-Black has on a blood red tunic and pants for the most part and around him a large black cape able to conceal his entire body from the sun. Circling his waist are a line of throwing daggers and at his side is the sword of a Slayer. Editted by Katz for Search-compliant formatting.