Claudas Miliae
Claudus arrived in the village as a detour on his way to another village. Traveling made him think of his own village, which was a lot more evolved and modern in relation to most of the other villages. The Substance village was booming. They already had a decent set of technological devices, such as computers, phones, and such. Compared to some of these other villages, they seemed like an advanced people. As he detoured through the village, Claudas reached into his vest and pulled out a small yet thick novel. He figured he would just read during his spare time. He flipped the book open to a book mark where he had left off, and it read...
He was interrupted in his reading due to a rather loud ferry horn. He moved the small head band shaped book mark from its previous place to to the page where he had left off. He would continue his reading once he got to the village he was originally headed off to. He stuck the book back into his pocket and boarded the ship.
Novel
Almost... there... Stretching up as far as the petite woman could manage, Sophia balanced a book on her fingertips,
attempting to slide it up by the other countless documents on a tall bookshelf, on her tiptoes on the top of an
older ladder as it was. She bit her bottom lip as she strained herself, finally feeling the leather-bound journal
fall back into place with the others at the top. Letting out a sigh of relief, she carefully placed her feet flat
again on the ladder, her arms carefully moving to her sides.
Sophia had been spending the better part of the day in her Library, a place she could almost certainly guarantee
solitude. For Sophia, because of the history she kept, it was vital it remained un tampered and unread by those who
weren't of the Balance order. Because of this, she had become endowed with a sort of gift for creating places on
the astral plane, specifically her library. Part of what made it so special was not only how it was created, but
where it was created. It was like a piece of treasure on a map that could only be revealed with the invisible ink.
It made her feel special, knowing she was one of the few that could get here, but knowing now how vital it was.
Part of the reason Sophia had spent so much time in The Library was for Diane. Since Diane had come to know she was
Balance once more, and was beginning to gain back her powers and memories, Sophia had made herself known to the
young woman, aware she would need to help the powerful force and reawaken some of her memories. And so Sophia had
worked, trying to put together a sort of 'crash course' of some more vital memories where her powers had come
forth. Diane was so important, and Sophia knew that. Her own existence depended on her.
Stepping back down the ladder, the woman clad in a plaid, dark blue skirt with a form-fitting grey sweater hurried
down the long hall of the large, elaborate library. The library held such vital memories, moments and years, vital
parts of everyday lives that helped to form and move history to where it was now. All unbiased, and all with Sophia
as its watcher. That was part of what she liked. She had met almost every single person of importance including
Adrian and the Soul maker, but all had been meetings where none knew who Sophia was. Well, mostly. Everyone knew
that Sophia was a watcher of sorts, and mostly expected her presence.
Her black shoes clicked against the floor as she arrived at a large, oak table she'd been using, old parchment and
a few older notebooks scattered around, notes scribbled all over the place, though the handwriting beautiful and
immaculate. Of course, it had to be. Sitting back down at the chair she'd been using, Sophia shut the book she'd
been writing in, sighing as she pushed back her dark brown locks, her soft grey eyes looking out the window,
exhausted. Next stop: The coast.
The Echelon Corporation. Once a simple nobody business firm, in what seems like no time it built its way up into
one of the top three businesses in the entire country, with a hand in just about every conceivable market that you
could think of. No one is really sure how it managed to reach its current status so quickly, but it's clear to
anyone in the know that it required pragmatism, cunning, and utter ruthlessness. All of the qualities held by the
President of Echelon, the mysterious Magnus Rex.
If there is little known about Echelon, then there's nothing that is clear about Magnus. Seeing him is rare;
actually meeting and speaking to him even more so. It is known that he is a man of great wealth and taste, known
for throwing lavish parties at his many estates across the globe, and own the most expensive of possession. Many
competitors have sent investigators to delve into his past, but there is nothing to be found. No family ties, no
friendly contacts...nothing. To the world, Magnus is simply a enigma, another celebrity to spin gossip about. And
to himself, Magnus was simply a mask, the most awesome of facades. Magnus Rex was only a cover.
In truth, this man was the being called Adrian, the Overlord of Dark fire, the Embodiment of Malevolence, opposition
to the Soul maker.
Sitting at his desk, in his office on the top floor of the Echelon Co. headquarters, Adrian gazed out over the city
and the surrounding suburban areas, and the far off coast as he always did. His lips were curled in their almost
ever present, self-satisfied smirk, though his dark eyes watched it all with a loathing so deeply that most cold
not fathom it wholly. Silently, Adrian took a long drag of his cigarette - of which he almost always had on in his
mouth, or a glass of wine in his hand - and continued gazing at the scene below.
"Disgusting, isn't it?" Adrian suddenly called out behind him, into the empty space of his office. "Countless
droves of souls living their lives...believing themselves inherently good and other such drivel." For a moment
nothing happened, as the Overlord spun around in his chair. But in the space before his desk, the air rippled, and
a young man materialized in the air before him, smiling while adjusting his hat. He was stylishly dressed, with
short yet flowing pale blond hair and rather good looks. But his eyes were what drew you in....the left one was a
crystalline blue. The right, a startling shade of red.
"How'd you know I was there?" said the man, before pausing and shaking his head. "Of course, you're all powerful.
Forgive my insolence."
"Of course, Kyosuuri," Adrian replied, voice deep and smooth. Rising from his seat, he walked over to the window, as
a classic villain tends to do. "Tell me, how is everything going?" Kyosuuri furrowed his brow a bit, but quickly
masked it.
"We're still having trouble location Diane...the Balance. Our best Trackers haven't turned up a single clue. We're
not even sure that she's anywhere within miles of this city."
"No," Adrian replied. "No, the Balance is here. I can feel it...sense it." He took another long drag from his
cigarette, and the tossed it aside. Before it could fall to the ground, Adrian's shadow rippled beneath him,
rushing out and rising as numerous spikes, impaling the cigarette. And then, the thing caught fight, the purest of
flames one could ever imagine, burning it until there was nothing left in a matter of moments. Adrian turned to
face Kyosuuri, mouth still smiling, eye still cold and empty. "You’ve done a good job as my Dragon so far, Kyosuuri.
The longest I've ever had. I trust that you won’t fail me in finding the Balance yourself, no?”
“Of course not, Overlord." Kyosuuri replied with a bow. "You'll be the first to know if and when I find something."
The Dragon smiled mischievously, spinning on his heel. With that spin, his clothes changed, into something a little
more casual. A glamour was cast over his right eye, so that anyone viewing it would perceive it as blue. Not only
had he had his fill of being bothered about it, but if any Divines recognized him while he was out, it might ruin
some things. Not that any Divines should know him by his eyes...those that did were all dead by his hands. "You
don't mind if I take your car, do I?"
Kyosuuri laughed, leaping up into the air and fading away, before Adrian could answer. Not that the Overlord cared.
He had the money to buy as many cars as he wanted...besides, the material things of this world held little with
Adrian. "All that matters..." he said to himself as he turned back to look down at the city. "Is plunging this
world into darkness and chaos..."
Diane Baxter peered at herself in the mirror, not sure entirely what she was looking for. It wasn't a very large
mirror; only really big enough to show her from the shoulders up, the way it was hung on the wall, but she didn't
care. She didn't need to see the rest of her body; it was boring enough, wrapped in a tunic-length pale purple
sweater over black leggings. Her feet were bare, toes curling and uncurling to feel the carpet beneath them, but a
pair of flat-soled boots lay near the apartment door, waiting for her to put them on and leave. Of course, she
didn't know exactly when she was going to leave. Maybe when she found what she was looking for.
That wasn't likely to be soon.
She frowned and leaned closer to the mirror, looking for something, anything in her face, her eyes, that might give
her a clue that would help her remember what she had forgotten. She knew that Sophia was trying her hardest, and
really, all of the knowledge she had compiled was a tremendous aid, but there was only so much she could do. Diane
felt that this needed to be her battle, too. There had to be something more that she could do in order to gain back
the memories she had lost, the past that had been taken from her. It was so important that she remember everything
from before, but she just...couldn't. It was like someone had built a wall of black diamond in her mind: opaque and
unbreakable, a wall she couldn't break, scale, or go around.
"I am Balance," she said aloud. It was a ritual for her; every so often, she stopped and attempted to remind
herself of who and what she was. She thought it helped, somewhat. In her mind, it reaffirmed her conviction that
she needed to remember, that she couldn't just walk away, no matter how strongly she might be tempted to do just
that. It reminded her that she couldn't give in to the Divines or Adrian the Dark fire, should they find her. And
she found it hard to believe that they wouldn't find her. After all, without the full scope of her powers, which
she hadn't fully remembered how to use, she couldn't keep running and hiding forever. And sooner or later, she was
going to have to step in just to do her job and prevent the world from tipping to one side or the other.
"Well," she said, running her fingers through her hair to wave it just a bit, "this is as good as it's going to
get." She turned away from the mirror, knowing that there was no clue in her own face that was going to help her
regain the past. She crossed to the window of her apartment, bare feet soundless on the carpeted floor, and looked
out over the city. Somewhere out there were Adrian and the Divines, both forces that wanted to use her for their
own gain. Unfortunately, they both had pieces of something that she wanted: her past.
The only person she could really trust was Sophia, and that scared her more than anything else. She only had one
ally in this war, and if something should happen to Sophia... Well, Diane would be alone.
She drew a deep breath, turned away from the window, and went to the door, carefully pulling on her boots, tugging
her sweater straight, and swinging her bag over her shoulders. She needed to eat, after all, and she didn't have
any food in the apartment; she'd have to venture out and risk being seen by Adrian or the Divines. Licking her lips
and drawing a deep breath for courage, she pushed open her door and exited the apartment, making her way out of the
building and into the city itself.
The sun shone down through the partly cloudy sky. The bright sun rays reflected off the crystal clear glass that
formed the outer shell of buildings. The streets were bustling with hundreds of people, all had unique features
such as skin tones, facial features, clothes. The average person wouldn't appreciate these little things. The
trained assassin however saw these small things in a different perspective. These faces could be the next target,
anyone. Yet, what was the odds of a killer lurking in these very streets?
Very High.
Alyssa walked casually down the streets. Her black stiletto heels clacked loudly as she went. Her deep blue eyes
darted from the large buildings to the people. She stopped outside one of the larger buildings, a large sign was
positioned just above the door; 'Echelon Corporation'. A small smile spread across Alyssa’s rich red lips. Of
course she knew about the fabled 'Magnus Rex'. Taking a quick, short deep breath Alyssa pushed open the large glass
doors.
Straight away the annoying monotone voice of the receptionist was heard. "How may I help you today? If you wish to
request a meeting with Mr. Rex I'll schedule you in for an appointment". The woman paused for a long moment and
flipped through an appointment book. "I can squeeze you in next month on the fifth, that sound good?". Barely
registering the woman's words Alyssa murmured quietly, “Mr. Rex is already expecting me". Turning to the left and
down the hall, Alyssa let out one long sigh. Coming to the elevator Alyssa pressed the 'up' button and waited
patiently. The steel doors fluidly slid open. Walking quietly into the elevator Alyssa pressed the button at the
very top; 13.
Ground...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10...11...12...13.
There was a loud 'Ding!' sound as the elevator reached the desired floor, the doors sliding open again. Alyssa
exited quickly out of the elevator and briskly walked into the presidents office. The office was lavished with
expensive objects. Yet the female assassin saw no value in them. "You know The Dragon won't find what your looking
for. You and I know who will, and that's me. As much as I can tell she's close...very close.". Despite working for
'Magnus Rex' Alyssa felt some form of attraction towards the man. Those feelings were hidden and most likely would
never be shown. Casually sitting down on a leather chair Alyssa let out a yawn. She knew Rex would never harm her.
Purely because she was the one who'd find The Balance and bring her to Magnus Rex, or as Alyssa called
him...'Adrian'.
In reality, Adrian did little in running Echelon. Though he did make big decisions here and there, for the most
part everything was taken care of by highly skilled and well paid workers, ones that didn't care that Magnus
received the credit as long as they got paid the big bucks. Adrian found it both humorous and disgusting at once.
He sensed the Essence long before she even entered the building. He only smirked, not bothering to look up from the
paperback he was reading, sipping from a glass of red wine as Alyssa Jones - The Assassin - took a seat in the
leather chair before his desk.
For a long while, he said nothing, idly turning the page, downing more of the wine. Only after heaving a heavy sigh
did he look up. "This is not race, my Assassin. And there's no doubt in your skills, either. But then, you also
forget your place."
Suddenly, phasing into existence one by one in rapid succession around Alyssa, were a group of Jason Kyosuuris, all
armed with their soul weapons, the cold steel of dual ninjato. None of them were amused, aside from a final one
that seemingly walked in through the closed door, smirking happily. "One: Don't approach the Overlord so easily.
And two: you certainly powerful, but I assure you my powers are greater still." Kyosuuri, back in his normal clothes,
eyes un-glamour, stood beside his master arms folded. "Those things around you, simple illusions. But if I give
them just enough magical energy, they can momentarily become corporeal, and just as deadly as myself. And thinking
about countering with an illusion of your own? Won't work...my eye cannot be deceived. "
Kyosuuri chuckled as he tapped beneath his red colored eye, before dispelling the illusions around the girl. Adrian
watched without comment. As much as he knew that such petty feuds were counter productive...it sure as hell was
interesting to watch. "Kyosuuri, my Dragon, what brings you back here? I though you were going to borrow my car, and
probably getting it totaled."
"I was, but that was before I caught wind of a tiny release of energy somewhere in the city. Right now, we're the
only Dark fire here...so it had to have been a Divine, maybe even the Balance."
"Wonderful!" Adrian breathed, dark smoke roiling from his mouth, flames literally dancing within the black pools of
his eyes. "My Dragon, my Assassin...I wish more of us were here, but two is better than nothing. You know that the
Balance cannot fully align herself with the Divines or Dark fire...however, she has the power to tip things in our
favor. My Dragon, my Assassin, go out into the city and find the source of this magic. It might lead us to what we
need. If it is the Balance, Kyosuuri will deal with it, as per his orders." The Overlord gave Alyssa a knowing look,
wordlessly warning her not to go against his will. "But, if it's the Recorder, or a Divine...I give you leave to
attack. Not kill, but just attack. It's been awhile since we've made a move...the Divines have probably become
complacent. We need to remind them that they're not safe."
Adrian turned around to look out over the city, ignoring the two Essence. Kyosuuri gave his master a little bow,
before heading towards the door, calling back to Alyssa "You heard him, let's get to work...partner." Inwardly, he
couldn't stop laughing. He knew that, for whatever reason, Alyssa disliked him. He though that she wanted the
position of Dragon for herself...but that would never happen. He was the most powerful Essence, otherwise he
wouldn't be the Dragon. Alyssa would have to kill him first. And Adrian probably wouldn't take kindly to that.
Alyssa eased back in the chair, her fingers resting on the luxurious leather. Despite being one of the stronger
essences, she was frowned upon. To add to that Alyssa was target for verbal abuse. Not that it really meant
anything to the Assassin. As if it wasn't enough to be warned by her master. The Dragon just decided chose to visit
Adrian again. The Dragon might have been Adrian's bodyguard, yet it was annoying if one wanted a private
conversation with the Overlord.
Alyssa found herself face to face with a circle of unimpressed illusions of Jason Kyosuuri; oh joy. The female let
out an idle yawn and remained silent. It wasn't worth talking. Alyssa was more of a doer than a sayer. The Assassin
carefully observed every miniscule detail of the conversation. Yet everything was so dull. Yet her eyes widened
when Jason began to speak about the energy, it would of been the Balance. Divines were smart enough to conceal
themselves. This sounded too messy, unless it was a trap.
Only time would tell.
Alyssa slouched in the chair. She grew tired of being ignored, let alone being constantly warned. Though who was
she to oppose the Overlord? The corners of Alyssa’s rich red lips turned up, into a small smile. She paused at the
aspect of 'not killing' just attacking. Where was the fun in that? It dawned on the Assassin, it was impossible to
fight in this damned clothes. Unless she could use the shoes to stab someone...highly unlikely. Pulling out a
compact mirror out of her skinny jean pocket Alyssa briefly checked her make-up then slipped the mirror away back
into her skinny jean pocket.
Her attention shifted back Jason as he walked off. Sliding off the chair Alyssa quickly followed Jason. As the two
piled into the elevator Alyssa asked Jason quietly. "Think you can change the clothes with your glamour?" The
silence was calming to Alyssa. Her eyes darted to Jason, just to observe his features then back to the steel door.
It wasn't that the Assassin disliked the Dragon, but he was good to talk to occasionally. The two worked well
together at least. Alyssa started to feel the pain of the heels, honestly, who chose to wear these type of shoes?
They practically ruined any chances of running let alone walking.
Kyosuuri chuckled as Alyssa asked for a wardrobe chance. He had to admit; he choice of clothing with choice of
profession...Kyosuuri didn't really see it panning out in a significantly helpful way. Without a word, he made a
little circle in the air with a finger, the tip glowing with a brief spark of magical energy; he didn't worry about
the security cameras, all the guards were Essences, to ensure optimum efficiency. The clothes Alyssa wore
seamlessly melted away, transforming from her previous ensemble into form fitting jeans, black boots, a black tank
top that generously showcased some cleavage and a black half jacket.
"You're welcome," Kyosuuri said with a small smile, admiring his work. "If a fight happens, you'll want to avoid
getting those damaged too much. The glamour might disperse, and you'll be back in your real clothes. Or worse, you
might end up completely naked."
Kyosuuri blinked, and then gave Alyssa another once over, deliberately letting his eyes linger a second too long at
her chest. "Of course, I wouldn't really mind that second part." He laughed at that, stepping out of the elevator
when it stopped and opened, into the parking deck. Kyosuuri wasn't truly attracted to Alyssa, despite his rather
convincing mannerisms...but he didn't deny that, given the chance, he'd be up for a one-night stand. He'd never
gotten an affirmative or rejection, as far as he could remember, but he was pretty sure that he'd end up being just
a last resort. Or a 'mistake', if she happened to get rather drunk one night not an easy feat, the magically
inclined tended to have better time with alcohol.
Kyosuuri lead Alyssa over to their ride - a sleek, black Hummer - pulling out the keys to unlock the doors. "I'll
drive," he said, slipping into the driver's seat. He closed his eyes as he started the vehicle, trying to recall
what he had sensed, where he'd sensed it. "The energy signature came from somewhere near the coast, I think...we'll
start around there, hope something'll turn up." Upon opening his eyes - both of them blue once more - Kyosuuri
floored it and peeled out of the parking garage, wanting to waste no time in his search.
It was exhausting. Well, exhausting in a way that she enjoyed. A pen tucked away into her bag, two books sliding
into the beige messenger bag slung around her chest as well. One book, the one with a white cover, was the one she
was almost done preparing for Diane. The second, the one with a blue cover, was the one she was currently working
on. For a long time, Sophia had been focused on numbering her books in progress, thinking to herself that it would
make sense for classification purposes. But it became a fruitless effort, finding that after so long, one could no
longer record the numbers, it became so expansive. And so she kept colors to remind her where she was, always
cycling through them. White had never been used, which was why she chose it for Diane. Grey had seemed too ironic.
Pushing back her hair, she adjusted the strap, carefully letting her shoes click against the marble floors, the
sound echoing softly, the expansive, elaborate library staring back at Sophia as she, the Recorder, eyed it. It
held so many memories, so many vital stories, every weakness, every strength. It identified people, or seemingly
common souls that held a sort of strength within them to change the world, those placed on earth to make a
difference, both good and bad. Sophia had identified a few, Hitler, Handy, Martin Luther King Jr., Mussolini...
sure, their souls had recycled on, and were now in other forms, but those formations had been vital.
Beyond that, she had seen every Essence and every Divine, and knew of each. She had expansive records on each soul,
from their birth to their current status, from their favorite food to their soul weapon. She was a Recorder, and
she was very good at her job.
Standing at the doorway, Sophia looked up, smiling softly as she flicked the lights off, allowing the illusion, or
glamour, to disappear. The library slowly evaporated, leaving behind nothing more than a shadow. In its place was
her real location, the basement of an old, abandoned warehouse deep within the confines of the city. She felt it
was safe here, because even if someone were to go alone, they would ultimately need Sophia to access the records.
It worked.
Exiting the building, she entered the astral plane once more, still wearing the same clothes as before, using the
plane to travel safely to her next destination: the coastline. Sure, it seemed silly, but it had helped her to
focus. It was one of the places that when she decided to intervene, she brought the person there. Diane had been
one of them. That had been one of the most important moments, she knew. It had changed things. Everything was
changed.
Allowing herself to come back into focus, her soft grey eyes opened, immediately feeling the cool, fresh sea air
washing over her. It felt like a rush, closing her eyes and feeling that sudden rush of the wind covering her,
blanketing her in a sort of pureness. She could smell the salt, the overcast sky before her looking inviting,
rather than foreboding, feeling no fear or worry from it. She was standing on a large, eroded and old rock, one
that had probably been there for hundreds, if not thousands of years. It was here she felt the most clarity, able
to access her visions better, seeing everything all at once, and yet everything was perfectly separate in her own
expansive mind. Already she was filing things away.
The sensation of clothes changing was bizarre...to say the least. Alyssa ignored the fact she looked like a hooker
instead of an elite assassin. Wasn't much difference between the two professions sometimes. Alyssa flashed a
confident smile "I'm sure I can handle that does occur, “The elevator rattled as continued it's quick journey as it
passed the floors. She felt a pair of eyes lingering on her cleavage. Alyssa felt no shame, nor embarrassment.
Shrugging off the female spoke. "I'm sure you've got your fingers crossed that we get in a fight now". To be
honest, Alyssa felt nothing for Kyosuuri, only a partnership. Then again, who knows. If the two were drunk. A small
smirk spread across Alyssa’s lips at the dirty thoughts. Quickly brought back to reality as the steel doors open
The Assassin followed the Dragon quietly. The black boots created no noise. Brilliant, great for being subtle and
lethal. As they departed from the building, Alyssa saw the large black Hummer, couldn't have Kyosuuri picked a
more...stylish car?
Getting into the passenger side, Alyssa sat down on the leather chair. Selectively forgetting to put on the
seatbelt, Alyssa gazed outside, watching the changing scenery. "It should be easy to find the source of the
energy."
The sensation of clothes changing was bizarre...to say the least. Alyssa ignored the fact she looked like a hooker
instead of an elite assassin. Wasn't much difference between the two professions sometimes. Alyssa flashed a
confident smile "I'm sure I can handle that does occur, “The elevator rattled as continued it's quick journey as it
passed the floors. She felt a pair of eyes lingering on her cleavage. Alyssa felt no shame, nor embarrassment.
Shrugging off the female spoke. "I'm sure you've got your fingers crossed that we get in a fight now". To be
honest, Alyssa felt nothing for Kyosuuri, only a partnership. Then again, who knows. If the two were drunk. A small
smirk spread across Alyssa’s lips at the dirty thoughts. Quickly brought back to reality as the steel doors open
The Assassin followed the Dragon quietly. The black boots created no noise. Brilliant, great for being subtle and
lethal. As they departed from the building, Alyssa saw the large black Hummer, couldn't have Kyosuuri picked a
more...stylish car?
Getting into the passenger side, Alyssa sat down on the leather chair. Selectively forgetting to put on the
seatbelt, Alyssa gazed outside, watching the changing scenery. "It should be easy to find the source of the
energy."
Orion stood stock still in the basement of his home. Well, one of the many homes he had inhabited during this
lifetime, but it was a home nonetheless. A place supposedly protected by divinity and the Soul maker – who no one
had seen in eons, mind you – but the basement was a place he felt the most comfortable. After all it did house
everything that made Orion... well Orion. The fifty by fifty foot room under his meager house was Spartan in
design, with no wallpaper or decoration on the concrete walls, and only a mildly cushioned mat on the floor for
training purposes. Wooden posts descended from the ceiling to the floor with spinning arms protruding in thick,
painful looking limbs at various heights ranging from the shins to his head. The idea behind the equipment was to
make sure he was adept to dodging and deflecting hits from all sides. His soul weapon, a staff, tended to knock and
spin multiple arms in a single move. And while that meant he was successfully hitting multiple targets, it also
meant that he had twice the movements to dodge, making his training as aggressive as his movements were.
Having started nearly two hours prior, he stood shirtless, covered in a sheen of sweat that glistened under the
fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling in six long equidistant bands throughout the room. His chest, roped
with freshly strained sinew, pushed up and down with his deep breaths. Orion stayed like this for a full two
minutes, regulating his breath quickly before stopping with a deep exhale once he knew his body was cooled down
from the training session. With a quick shake of his head, loosening the black strands of hair plastered to his
head. Even moving idly, Orion's movements were deft and tactful, even with such a mundane task as stooping to pick
up the staff he had let fall to the floor once he had reached the time limit of his training. The movement was
fluid, quick, and impossibly natural to his six-foot-something frame as he swept down, pulled the staff up from the
middle and turned it diagonally against his back as he moved for the staircase, his black sweatpants hardly
rustling at all. Something he had discovered long ago was that by keeping his movements naturally fluid and quick,
when the time came to press himself harder than normal, not only would the output double or triple because the
basic training was now the norm, but his enemies would never expect it. More than his fair share of Adrian's
'creations' had fell under his skill with a bow and staff. If he had to notch his staff for every one, he wouldn't
have had much of a staff left.
As he left the basement he snatched his cell phone up from the small table sitting next to the entrance and shoved
it into his pocket. Just one more thing experience had taught him, new age phones didn't cooperate well with brutal
treatment, so leaving the rather pricey pieces of equipment at the door with the volume turned all the way up was
the best answer during training, even if Adrian's creations didn't care much whether or not his phone survived and
encounter. Orion remained quiet, letting his mind and body rest as he made his way through the single story home
near the coastline of the city and headed for the shower.
Diane. We need to find her...
The thought echoed throughout his mind as he stood outside the shower, pulling fresh clothes on. Of course they
needed to find Diane. She was a Divine that had been lost, a Divine that was particularly important to Soul maker
apparently, as his disembodied orders were nearly constant for her recovery. s**t he was impatient sometimes. Orion
let his eyes roll as he pulled a black dress shirt over his shoulders and did the shirt up and brushed it down over
his dark blue jeans. Black hiking boots awaited him next to the door whenever he decided to leave.
Kyosuuri scoffed at Alyssa comment that it'd be easy. "Says you," he muttered, weaving through traffic with rather
expert skill, going as fast as he could without attracting too much attention. "It was a fluke that I found that
aura signature. I would've missed it had I not given it a second glance. It was so subtle, barely imperceptible."
He pulled off the highway from an exit, now heading towards the coast proper. It was still a while off, but Kyosuuri
knew these roads and where the police would be. He started speeding a little, hoping that know one would play good
Samaritan and call the cops...not like they could do anything, he'd simple magic his way out of the situation.
"You're a little better at the intricate magi’s as I am," he said to Alyssa. "See if you can cast about and sense
anything without being picked up yourself. I have a nagging feeling that we'll definitely find something." Silently
he cursed admitting that fact; as powerful as he was, his skills were less define than most. He was getting better,
no doubt, but it was nowhere up to par with what he could be. Luckily, he made up for that with raw power. He
paused for a moment, changing lanes, before smiling slightly. "And yeah, I'm sure hoping we get into a fight...or
at least, you do. I'm content to sit things out...I've been hunting Divines lately, so I'm a bit bored of the
killing thing."
Not entirely true, but there were time where Kyosuuri became fed up with fighting. He was more inclined to take the
target out swiftly and silently, while they were under the effects of an illusion. As of late Divines had been more
keep to see through them, and fighting outright. Not that Kyosuuri was a pushover, but Kyosuuri hated fighting for the
most part. It was such a chore. It was probably here that Alyssa and he differed so much; where he tried to avoid
fights, she jumped right in.
She glared in childish annoyance at the thing before her, daring it to comment. It didn't matter that said thing
was a cycling machine and therefore was inanimate and couldn't speak to her. The only important thing at the moment
was the pure fact that it, the machine, had made her tired and exhausted in a mere matter of 10 minutes of slow
cycling. It wasn't fair. But then, life was hardly fair.
It would be an easy matter calling a spell and giving herself the momentary energy to be as physically active as
the other Divines, but as the Giver and Holder of Magic for all the Divines, Skye was acutely aware of how
dangerous that could be for her. A selfish wish fulfilled came back thrice fold and more dangerous to the caster.
Sighing, she glanced warily at the exercise machine before shaking her head; it was no use dwelling. Life was the
way it was for a reason, though Skye had yet to figure out what her particular reason was. Strong of magic yet weak
of body. It probably had something to do with balance. Not Balance, Diane, but balance in and of itself. One
positive action equated to one equally negative reaction. That was a very simple, basic law of this world and all
others. There was no contesting that.
Pushing herself carefully to her feet, Skye made sure that she hadn't over done it by testing each of her muscles.
They were sore and tender, just a bit rubbery, but it would be fine for now, so long as she didn't have to do
anything overly active again for a while. And of course her body was covered in sweat even from just that little
bit of exertion. Shaking her head, the young woman slowly made her way to the shower and relaxed as the warm water
pelted her skin in a would-be massage. It was a nice sensation. The shower was quick no matter how long Skye wanted
it to be and she changed her clothes as efficiently as possible. In her hurry, as she was glancing at the watch on
her right wrist while also trying to pull on a boot, Skye went tumbling across the floor. "Dang it," she muttered,
rolling over onto her back and yanking the boot up that way.
Taking another glance at the watch, so that she could actually see the time, she blew a bang out of her face in
annoyance. "Ah crud! I'm going to be late!" If there was one thing Skye was known for by the other Divines, aside from
her magic, it was the fact that she was almost always late, no matter what the occurrence was. It wasn't something
she did on purpose, not by any means, she just tended to...loose track of the time. And they teased her
mercilessly. Not that Skye minded really.
Rolling back over and climbing to her feet, Skye laughed at little at herself as she grabbed her light-weight
jacket, absently thinking how much she was looking forward to winter and the warm winter coat hidden away in her
closet. Grabbing her keys, she closed and locked the door behind her, before making her way down the street.
Yesterday she'd agreed to meet with Theo and Orion for coffee because they all agreed that finding Diane right now
was the most important thing. It was also agreed that they would meet at the CoffeeJo's just a block from Skye's
home because she didn't have a car and such a long walk to either of their places was more than enough to make her
too tired to do anything else.
She was standing on the street corner with a bunch of other people, waiting for the 'Okay to cross' sign to light
up, when something began to niggle at the back of her mind, drawing her attention. Instinctively, Skye cast out her
senses to search the feeling out; a car when speeding by and with it, the odd sensation was gone. It wasn't
something she could identify considering how fast it was going, but she recognized it as something not exactly good
for her health, something she wouldn't be able to handle on her own. Especially since she didn't have her small
sword with her. Drawing her powers back in and mumbling a small spell to hide them from any Essences, Skye crossed
the street with the other humans and entered the small coffee shop, hiding in plan sight.
So caught up in keeping her powers hidden was she, that Skye didn't notice that the guys weren't there yet. Taking
a seat, she chose probably one of the worst possible seats in the small shop. When the waitress came to take her ...
attempting to slide it up by the other countless documents on a tall bookshelf, on her tiptoes on the top of an
older ladder as it was. She bit her bottom lip as she strained herself, finally feeling the leather-bound journal
fall back into place with the others at the top. Letting out a sigh of relief, she carefully placed her feet flat
again on the ladder, her arms carefully moving to her sides.
Sophia had been spending the better part of the day in her Library, a place she could almost certainly guarantee
solitude. For Sophia, because of the history she kept, it was vital it remained un tampered and unread by those who
weren't of the Balance order. Because of this, she had become endowed with a sort of gift for creating places on
the astral plane, specifically her library. Part of what made it so special was not only how it was created, but
where it was created. It was like a piece of treasure on a map that could only be revealed with the invisible ink.
It made her feel special, knowing she was one of the few that could get here, but knowing now how vital it was.
Part of the reason Sophia had spent so much time in The Library was for Diane. Since Diane had come to know she was
Balance once more, and was beginning to gain back her powers and memories, Sophia had made herself known to the
young woman, aware she would need to help the powerful force and reawaken some of her memories. And so Sophia had
worked, trying to put together a sort of 'crash course' of some more vital memories where her powers had come
forth. Diane was so important, and Sophia knew that. Her own existence depended on her.
Stepping back down the ladder, the woman clad in a plaid, dark blue skirt with a form-fitting grey sweater hurried
down the long hall of the large, elaborate library. The library held such vital memories, moments and years, vital
parts of everyday lives that helped to form and move history to where it was now. All unbiased, and all with Sophia
as its watcher. That was part of what she liked. She had met almost every single person of importance including
Adrian and the Soul maker, but all had been meetings where none knew who Sophia was. Well, mostly. Everyone knew
that Sophia was a watcher of sorts, and mostly expected her presence.
Her black shoes clicked against the floor as she arrived at a large, oak table she'd been using, old parchment and
a few older notebooks scattered around, notes scribbled all over the place, though the handwriting beautiful and
immaculate. Of course, it had to be. Sitting back down at the chair she'd been using, Sophia shut the book she'd
been writing in, sighing as she pushed back her dark brown locks, her soft grey eyes looking out the window,
exhausted. Next stop: The coast.
The Echelon Corporation. Once a simple nobody business firm, in what seems like no time it built its way up into
one of the top three businesses in the entire country, with a hand in just about every conceivable market that you
could think of. No one is really sure how it managed to reach its current status so quickly, but it's clear to
anyone in the know that it required pragmatism, cunning, and utter ruthlessness. All of the qualities held by the
President of Echelon, the mysterious Magnus Rex.
If there is little known about Echelon, then there's nothing that is clear about Magnus. Seeing him is rare;
actually meeting and speaking to him even more so. It is known that he is a man of great wealth and taste, known
for throwing lavish parties at his many estates across the globe, and own the most expensive of possession. Many
competitors have sent investigators to delve into his past, but there is nothing to be found. No family ties, no
friendly contacts...nothing. To the world, Magnus is simply a enigma, another celebrity to spin gossip about. And
to himself, Magnus was simply a mask, the most awesome of facades. Magnus Rex was only a cover.
In truth, this man was the being called Adrian, the Overlord of Dark fire, the Embodiment of Malevolence, opposition
to the Soul maker.
Sitting at his desk, in his office on the top floor of the Echelon Co. headquarters, Adrian gazed out over the city
and the surrounding suburban areas, and the far off coast as he always did. His lips were curled in their almost
ever present, self-satisfied smirk, though his dark eyes watched it all with a loathing so deeply that most cold
not fathom it wholly. Silently, Adrian took a long drag of his cigarette - of which he almost always had on in his
mouth, or a glass of wine in his hand - and continued gazing at the scene below.
"Disgusting, isn't it?" Adrian suddenly called out behind him, into the empty space of his office. "Countless
droves of souls living their lives...believing themselves inherently good and other such drivel." For a moment
nothing happened, as the Overlord spun around in his chair. But in the space before his desk, the air rippled, and
a young man materialized in the air before him, smiling while adjusting his hat. He was stylishly dressed, with
short yet flowing pale blond hair and rather good looks. But his eyes were what drew you in....the left one was a
crystalline blue. The right, a startling shade of red.
"How'd you know I was there?" said the man, before pausing and shaking his head. "Of course, you're all powerful.
Forgive my insolence."
"Of course, Kyosuuri," Adrian replied, voice deep and smooth. Rising from his seat, he walked over to the window, as
a classic villain tends to do. "Tell me, how is everything going?" Kyosuuri furrowed his brow a bit, but quickly
masked it.
"We're still having trouble location Diane...the Balance. Our best Trackers haven't turned up a single clue. We're
not even sure that she's anywhere within miles of this city."
"No," Adrian replied. "No, the Balance is here. I can feel it...sense it." He took another long drag from his
cigarette, and the tossed it aside. Before it could fall to the ground, Adrian's shadow rippled beneath him,
rushing out and rising as numerous spikes, impaling the cigarette. And then, the thing caught fight, the purest of
flames one could ever imagine, burning it until there was nothing left in a matter of moments. Adrian turned to
face Kyosuuri, mouth still smiling, eye still cold and empty. "You’ve done a good job as my Dragon so far, Kyosuuri.
The longest I've ever had. I trust that you won’t fail me in finding the Balance yourself, no?”
“Of course not, Overlord." Kyosuuri replied with a bow. "You'll be the first to know if and when I find something."
The Dragon smiled mischievously, spinning on his heel. With that spin, his clothes changed, into something a little
more casual. A glamour was cast over his right eye, so that anyone viewing it would perceive it as blue. Not only
had he had his fill of being bothered about it, but if any Divines recognized him while he was out, it might ruin
some things. Not that any Divines should know him by his eyes...those that did were all dead by his hands. "You
don't mind if I take your car, do I?"
Kyosuuri laughed, leaping up into the air and fading away, before Adrian could answer. Not that the Overlord cared.
He had the money to buy as many cars as he wanted...besides, the material things of this world held little with
Adrian. "All that matters..." he said to himself as he turned back to look down at the city. "Is plunging this
world into darkness and chaos..."
Diane Baxter peered at herself in the mirror, not sure entirely what she was looking for. It wasn't a very large
mirror; only really big enough to show her from the shoulders up, the way it was hung on the wall, but she didn't
care. She didn't need to see the rest of her body; it was boring enough, wrapped in a tunic-length pale purple
sweater over black leggings. Her feet were bare, toes curling and uncurling to feel the carpet beneath them, but a
pair of flat-soled boots lay near the apartment door, waiting for her to put them on and leave. Of course, she
didn't know exactly when she was going to leave. Maybe when she found what she was looking for.
That wasn't likely to be soon.
She frowned and leaned closer to the mirror, looking for something, anything in her face, her eyes, that might give
her a clue that would help her remember what she had forgotten. She knew that Sophia was trying her hardest, and
really, all of the knowledge she had compiled was a tremendous aid, but there was only so much she could do. Diane
felt that this needed to be her battle, too. There had to be something more that she could do in order to gain back
the memories she had lost, the past that had been taken from her. It was so important that she remember everything
from before, but she just...couldn't. It was like someone had built a wall of black diamond in her mind: opaque and
unbreakable, a wall she couldn't break, scale, or go around.
"I am Balance," she said aloud. It was a ritual for her; every so often, she stopped and attempted to remind
herself of who and what she was. She thought it helped, somewhat. In her mind, it reaffirmed her conviction that
she needed to remember, that she couldn't just walk away, no matter how strongly she might be tempted to do just
that. It reminded her that she couldn't give in to the Divines or Adrian the Dark fire, should they find her. And
she found it hard to believe that they wouldn't find her. After all, without the full scope of her powers, which
she hadn't fully remembered how to use, she couldn't keep running and hiding forever. And sooner or later, she was
going to have to step in just to do her job and prevent the world from tipping to one side or the other.
"Well," she said, running her fingers through her hair to wave it just a bit, "this is as good as it's going to
get." She turned away from the mirror, knowing that there was no clue in her own face that was going to help her
regain the past. She crossed to the window of her apartment, bare feet soundless on the carpeted floor, and looked
out over the city. Somewhere out there were Adrian and the Divines, both forces that wanted to use her for their
own gain. Unfortunately, they both had pieces of something that she wanted: her past.
The only person she could really trust was Sophia, and that scared her more than anything else. She only had one
ally in this war, and if something should happen to Sophia... Well, Diane would be alone.
She drew a deep breath, turned away from the window, and went to the door, carefully pulling on her boots, tugging
her sweater straight, and swinging her bag over her shoulders. She needed to eat, after all, and she didn't have
any food in the apartment; she'd have to venture out and risk being seen by Adrian or the Divines. Licking her lips
and drawing a deep breath for courage, she pushed open her door and exited the apartment, making her way out of the
building and into the city itself.
The sun shone down through the partly cloudy sky. The bright sun rays reflected off the crystal clear glass that
formed the outer shell of buildings. The streets were bustling with hundreds of people, all had unique features
such as skin tones, facial features, clothes. The average person wouldn't appreciate these little things. The
trained assassin however saw these small things in a different perspective. These faces could be the next target,
anyone. Yet, what was the odds of a killer lurking in these very streets?
Very High.
Alyssa walked casually down the streets. Her black stiletto heels clacked loudly as she went. Her deep blue eyes
darted from the large buildings to the people. She stopped outside one of the larger buildings, a large sign was
positioned just above the door; 'Echelon Corporation'. A small smile spread across Alyssa’s rich red lips. Of
course she knew about the fabled 'Magnus Rex'. Taking a quick, short deep breath Alyssa pushed open the large glass
doors.
Straight away the annoying monotone voice of the receptionist was heard. "How may I help you today? If you wish to
request a meeting with Mr. Rex I'll schedule you in for an appointment". The woman paused for a long moment and
flipped through an appointment book. "I can squeeze you in next month on the fifth, that sound good?". Barely
registering the woman's words Alyssa murmured quietly, “Mr. Rex is already expecting me". Turning to the left and
down the hall, Alyssa let out one long sigh. Coming to the elevator Alyssa pressed the 'up' button and waited
patiently. The steel doors fluidly slid open. Walking quietly into the elevator Alyssa pressed the button at the
very top; 13.
Ground...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10...11...12...13.
There was a loud 'Ding!' sound as the elevator reached the desired floor, the doors sliding open again. Alyssa
exited quickly out of the elevator and briskly walked into the presidents office. The office was lavished with
expensive objects. Yet the female assassin saw no value in them. "You know The Dragon won't find what your looking
for. You and I know who will, and that's me. As much as I can tell she's close...very close.". Despite working for
'Magnus Rex' Alyssa felt some form of attraction towards the man. Those feelings were hidden and most likely would
never be shown. Casually sitting down on a leather chair Alyssa let out a yawn. She knew Rex would never harm her.
Purely because she was the one who'd find The Balance and bring her to Magnus Rex, or as Alyssa called
him...'Adrian'.
In reality, Adrian did little in running Echelon. Though he did make big decisions here and there, for the most
part everything was taken care of by highly skilled and well paid workers, ones that didn't care that Magnus
received the credit as long as they got paid the big bucks. Adrian found it both humorous and disgusting at once.
He sensed the Essence long before she even entered the building. He only smirked, not bothering to look up from the
paperback he was reading, sipping from a glass of red wine as Alyssa Jones - The Assassin - took a seat in the
leather chair before his desk.
For a long while, he said nothing, idly turning the page, downing more of the wine. Only after heaving a heavy sigh
did he look up. "This is not race, my Assassin. And there's no doubt in your skills, either. But then, you also
forget your place."
Suddenly, phasing into existence one by one in rapid succession around Alyssa, were a group of Jason Kyosuuris, all
armed with their soul weapons, the cold steel of dual ninjato. None of them were amused, aside from a final one
that seemingly walked in through the closed door, smirking happily. "One: Don't approach the Overlord so easily.
And two: you certainly powerful, but I assure you my powers are greater still." Kyosuuri, back in his normal clothes,
eyes un-glamour, stood beside his master arms folded. "Those things around you, simple illusions. But if I give
them just enough magical energy, they can momentarily become corporeal, and just as deadly as myself. And thinking
about countering with an illusion of your own? Won't work...my eye cannot be deceived. "
Kyosuuri chuckled as he tapped beneath his red colored eye, before dispelling the illusions around the girl. Adrian
watched without comment. As much as he knew that such petty feuds were counter productive...it sure as hell was
interesting to watch. "Kyosuuri, my Dragon, what brings you back here? I though you were going to borrow my car, and
probably getting it totaled."
"I was, but that was before I caught wind of a tiny release of energy somewhere in the city. Right now, we're the
only Dark fire here...so it had to have been a Divine, maybe even the Balance."
"Wonderful!" Adrian breathed, dark smoke roiling from his mouth, flames literally dancing within the black pools of
his eyes. "My Dragon, my Assassin...I wish more of us were here, but two is better than nothing. You know that the
Balance cannot fully align herself with the Divines or Dark fire...however, she has the power to tip things in our
favor. My Dragon, my Assassin, go out into the city and find the source of this magic. It might lead us to what we
need. If it is the Balance, Kyosuuri will deal with it, as per his orders." The Overlord gave Alyssa a knowing look,
wordlessly warning her not to go against his will. "But, if it's the Recorder, or a Divine...I give you leave to
attack. Not kill, but just attack. It's been awhile since we've made a move...the Divines have probably become
complacent. We need to remind them that they're not safe."
Adrian turned around to look out over the city, ignoring the two Essence. Kyosuuri gave his master a little bow,
before heading towards the door, calling back to Alyssa "You heard him, let's get to work...partner." Inwardly, he
couldn't stop laughing. He knew that, for whatever reason, Alyssa disliked him. He though that she wanted the
position of Dragon for herself...but that would never happen. He was the most powerful Essence, otherwise he
wouldn't be the Dragon. Alyssa would have to kill him first. And Adrian probably wouldn't take kindly to that.
Alyssa eased back in the chair, her fingers resting on the luxurious leather. Despite being one of the stronger
essences, she was frowned upon. To add to that Alyssa was target for verbal abuse. Not that it really meant
anything to the Assassin. As if it wasn't enough to be warned by her master. The Dragon just decided chose to visit
Adrian again. The Dragon might have been Adrian's bodyguard, yet it was annoying if one wanted a private
conversation with the Overlord.
Alyssa found herself face to face with a circle of unimpressed illusions of Jason Kyosuuri; oh joy. The female let
out an idle yawn and remained silent. It wasn't worth talking. Alyssa was more of a doer than a sayer. The Assassin
carefully observed every miniscule detail of the conversation. Yet everything was so dull. Yet her eyes widened
when Jason began to speak about the energy, it would of been the Balance. Divines were smart enough to conceal
themselves. This sounded too messy, unless it was a trap.
Only time would tell.
Alyssa slouched in the chair. She grew tired of being ignored, let alone being constantly warned. Though who was
she to oppose the Overlord? The corners of Alyssa’s rich red lips turned up, into a small smile. She paused at the
aspect of 'not killing' just attacking. Where was the fun in that? It dawned on the Assassin, it was impossible to
fight in this damned clothes. Unless she could use the shoes to stab someone...highly unlikely. Pulling out a
compact mirror out of her skinny jean pocket Alyssa briefly checked her make-up then slipped the mirror away back
into her skinny jean pocket.
Her attention shifted back Jason as he walked off. Sliding off the chair Alyssa quickly followed Jason. As the two
piled into the elevator Alyssa asked Jason quietly. "Think you can change the clothes with your glamour?" The
silence was calming to Alyssa. Her eyes darted to Jason, just to observe his features then back to the steel door.
It wasn't that the Assassin disliked the Dragon, but he was good to talk to occasionally. The two worked well
together at least. Alyssa started to feel the pain of the heels, honestly, who chose to wear these type of shoes?
They practically ruined any chances of running let alone walking.
Kyosuuri chuckled as Alyssa asked for a wardrobe chance. He had to admit; he choice of clothing with choice of
profession...Kyosuuri didn't really see it panning out in a significantly helpful way. Without a word, he made a
little circle in the air with a finger, the tip glowing with a brief spark of magical energy; he didn't worry about
the security cameras, all the guards were Essences, to ensure optimum efficiency. The clothes Alyssa wore
seamlessly melted away, transforming from her previous ensemble into form fitting jeans, black boots, a black tank
top that generously showcased some cleavage and a black half jacket.
"You're welcome," Kyosuuri said with a small smile, admiring his work. "If a fight happens, you'll want to avoid
getting those damaged too much. The glamour might disperse, and you'll be back in your real clothes. Or worse, you
might end up completely naked."
Kyosuuri blinked, and then gave Alyssa another once over, deliberately letting his eyes linger a second too long at
her chest. "Of course, I wouldn't really mind that second part." He laughed at that, stepping out of the elevator
when it stopped and opened, into the parking deck. Kyosuuri wasn't truly attracted to Alyssa, despite his rather
convincing mannerisms...but he didn't deny that, given the chance, he'd be up for a one-night stand. He'd never
gotten an affirmative or rejection, as far as he could remember, but he was pretty sure that he'd end up being just
a last resort. Or a 'mistake', if she happened to get rather drunk one night not an easy feat, the magically
inclined tended to have better time with alcohol.
Kyosuuri lead Alyssa over to their ride - a sleek, black Hummer - pulling out the keys to unlock the doors. "I'll
drive," he said, slipping into the driver's seat. He closed his eyes as he started the vehicle, trying to recall
what he had sensed, where he'd sensed it. "The energy signature came from somewhere near the coast, I think...we'll
start around there, hope something'll turn up." Upon opening his eyes - both of them blue once more - Kyosuuri
floored it and peeled out of the parking garage, wanting to waste no time in his search.
It was exhausting. Well, exhausting in a way that she enjoyed. A pen tucked away into her bag, two books sliding
into the beige messenger bag slung around her chest as well. One book, the one with a white cover, was the one she
was almost done preparing for Diane. The second, the one with a blue cover, was the one she was currently working
on. For a long time, Sophia had been focused on numbering her books in progress, thinking to herself that it would
make sense for classification purposes. But it became a fruitless effort, finding that after so long, one could no
longer record the numbers, it became so expansive. And so she kept colors to remind her where she was, always
cycling through them. White had never been used, which was why she chose it for Diane. Grey had seemed too ironic.
Pushing back her hair, she adjusted the strap, carefully letting her shoes click against the marble floors, the
sound echoing softly, the expansive, elaborate library staring back at Sophia as she, the Recorder, eyed it. It
held so many memories, so many vital stories, every weakness, every strength. It identified people, or seemingly
common souls that held a sort of strength within them to change the world, those placed on earth to make a
difference, both good and bad. Sophia had identified a few, Hitler, Handy, Martin Luther King Jr., Mussolini...
sure, their souls had recycled on, and were now in other forms, but those formations had been vital.
Beyond that, she had seen every Essence and every Divine, and knew of each. She had expansive records on each soul,
from their birth to their current status, from their favorite food to their soul weapon. She was a Recorder, and
she was very good at her job.
Standing at the doorway, Sophia looked up, smiling softly as she flicked the lights off, allowing the illusion, or
glamour, to disappear. The library slowly evaporated, leaving behind nothing more than a shadow. In its place was
her real location, the basement of an old, abandoned warehouse deep within the confines of the city. She felt it
was safe here, because even if someone were to go alone, they would ultimately need Sophia to access the records.
It worked.
Exiting the building, she entered the astral plane once more, still wearing the same clothes as before, using the
plane to travel safely to her next destination: the coastline. Sure, it seemed silly, but it had helped her to
focus. It was one of the places that when she decided to intervene, she brought the person there. Diane had been
one of them. That had been one of the most important moments, she knew. It had changed things. Everything was
changed.
Allowing herself to come back into focus, her soft grey eyes opened, immediately feeling the cool, fresh sea air
washing over her. It felt like a rush, closing her eyes and feeling that sudden rush of the wind covering her,
blanketing her in a sort of pureness. She could smell the salt, the overcast sky before her looking inviting,
rather than foreboding, feeling no fear or worry from it. She was standing on a large, eroded and old rock, one
that had probably been there for hundreds, if not thousands of years. It was here she felt the most clarity, able
to access her visions better, seeing everything all at once, and yet everything was perfectly separate in her own
expansive mind. Already she was filing things away.
The sensation of clothes changing was bizarre...to say the least. Alyssa ignored the fact she looked like a hooker
instead of an elite assassin. Wasn't much difference between the two professions sometimes. Alyssa flashed a
confident smile "I'm sure I can handle that does occur, “The elevator rattled as continued it's quick journey as it
passed the floors. She felt a pair of eyes lingering on her cleavage. Alyssa felt no shame, nor embarrassment.
Shrugging off the female spoke. "I'm sure you've got your fingers crossed that we get in a fight now". To be
honest, Alyssa felt nothing for Kyosuuri, only a partnership. Then again, who knows. If the two were drunk. A small
smirk spread across Alyssa’s lips at the dirty thoughts. Quickly brought back to reality as the steel doors open
The Assassin followed the Dragon quietly. The black boots created no noise. Brilliant, great for being subtle and
lethal. As they departed from the building, Alyssa saw the large black Hummer, couldn't have Kyosuuri picked a
more...stylish car?
Getting into the passenger side, Alyssa sat down on the leather chair. Selectively forgetting to put on the
seatbelt, Alyssa gazed outside, watching the changing scenery. "It should be easy to find the source of the
energy."
The sensation of clothes changing was bizarre...to say the least. Alyssa ignored the fact she looked like a hooker
instead of an elite assassin. Wasn't much difference between the two professions sometimes. Alyssa flashed a
confident smile "I'm sure I can handle that does occur, “The elevator rattled as continued it's quick journey as it
passed the floors. She felt a pair of eyes lingering on her cleavage. Alyssa felt no shame, nor embarrassment.
Shrugging off the female spoke. "I'm sure you've got your fingers crossed that we get in a fight now". To be
honest, Alyssa felt nothing for Kyosuuri, only a partnership. Then again, who knows. If the two were drunk. A small
smirk spread across Alyssa’s lips at the dirty thoughts. Quickly brought back to reality as the steel doors open
The Assassin followed the Dragon quietly. The black boots created no noise. Brilliant, great for being subtle and
lethal. As they departed from the building, Alyssa saw the large black Hummer, couldn't have Kyosuuri picked a
more...stylish car?
Getting into the passenger side, Alyssa sat down on the leather chair. Selectively forgetting to put on the
seatbelt, Alyssa gazed outside, watching the changing scenery. "It should be easy to find the source of the
energy."
Orion stood stock still in the basement of his home. Well, one of the many homes he had inhabited during this
lifetime, but it was a home nonetheless. A place supposedly protected by divinity and the Soul maker – who no one
had seen in eons, mind you – but the basement was a place he felt the most comfortable. After all it did house
everything that made Orion... well Orion. The fifty by fifty foot room under his meager house was Spartan in
design, with no wallpaper or decoration on the concrete walls, and only a mildly cushioned mat on the floor for
training purposes. Wooden posts descended from the ceiling to the floor with spinning arms protruding in thick,
painful looking limbs at various heights ranging from the shins to his head. The idea behind the equipment was to
make sure he was adept to dodging and deflecting hits from all sides. His soul weapon, a staff, tended to knock and
spin multiple arms in a single move. And while that meant he was successfully hitting multiple targets, it also
meant that he had twice the movements to dodge, making his training as aggressive as his movements were.
Having started nearly two hours prior, he stood shirtless, covered in a sheen of sweat that glistened under the
fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling in six long equidistant bands throughout the room. His chest, roped
with freshly strained sinew, pushed up and down with his deep breaths. Orion stayed like this for a full two
minutes, regulating his breath quickly before stopping with a deep exhale once he knew his body was cooled down
from the training session. With a quick shake of his head, loosening the black strands of hair plastered to his
head. Even moving idly, Orion's movements were deft and tactful, even with such a mundane task as stooping to pick
up the staff he had let fall to the floor once he had reached the time limit of his training. The movement was
fluid, quick, and impossibly natural to his six-foot-something frame as he swept down, pulled the staff up from the
middle and turned it diagonally against his back as he moved for the staircase, his black sweatpants hardly
rustling at all. Something he had discovered long ago was that by keeping his movements naturally fluid and quick,
when the time came to press himself harder than normal, not only would the output double or triple because the
basic training was now the norm, but his enemies would never expect it. More than his fair share of Adrian's
'creations' had fell under his skill with a bow and staff. If he had to notch his staff for every one, he wouldn't
have had much of a staff left.
As he left the basement he snatched his cell phone up from the small table sitting next to the entrance and shoved
it into his pocket. Just one more thing experience had taught him, new age phones didn't cooperate well with brutal
treatment, so leaving the rather pricey pieces of equipment at the door with the volume turned all the way up was
the best answer during training, even if Adrian's creations didn't care much whether or not his phone survived and
encounter. Orion remained quiet, letting his mind and body rest as he made his way through the single story home
near the coastline of the city and headed for the shower.
Diane. We need to find her...
The thought echoed throughout his mind as he stood outside the shower, pulling fresh clothes on. Of course they
needed to find Diane. She was a Divine that had been lost, a Divine that was particularly important to Soul maker
apparently, as his disembodied orders were nearly constant for her recovery. s**t he was impatient sometimes. Orion
let his eyes roll as he pulled a black dress shirt over his shoulders and did the shirt up and brushed it down over
his dark blue jeans. Black hiking boots awaited him next to the door whenever he decided to leave.
Kyosuuri scoffed at Alyssa comment that it'd be easy. "Says you," he muttered, weaving through traffic with rather
expert skill, going as fast as he could without attracting too much attention. "It was a fluke that I found that
aura signature. I would've missed it had I not given it a second glance. It was so subtle, barely imperceptible."
He pulled off the highway from an exit, now heading towards the coast proper. It was still a while off, but Kyosuuri
knew these roads and where the police would be. He started speeding a little, hoping that know one would play good
Samaritan and call the cops...not like they could do anything, he'd simple magic his way out of the situation.
"You're a little better at the intricate magi’s as I am," he said to Alyssa. "See if you can cast about and sense
anything without being picked up yourself. I have a nagging feeling that we'll definitely find something." Silently
he cursed admitting that fact; as powerful as he was, his skills were less define than most. He was getting better,
no doubt, but it was nowhere up to par with what he could be. Luckily, he made up for that with raw power. He
paused for a moment, changing lanes, before smiling slightly. "And yeah, I'm sure hoping we get into a fight...or
at least, you do. I'm content to sit things out...I've been hunting Divines lately, so I'm a bit bored of the
killing thing."
Not entirely true, but there were time where Kyosuuri became fed up with fighting. He was more inclined to take the
target out swiftly and silently, while they were under the effects of an illusion. As of late Divines had been more
keep to see through them, and fighting outright. Not that Kyosuuri was a pushover, but Kyosuuri hated fighting for the
most part. It was such a chore. It was probably here that Alyssa and he differed so much; where he tried to avoid
fights, she jumped right in.
She glared in childish annoyance at the thing before her, daring it to comment. It didn't matter that said thing
was a cycling machine and therefore was inanimate and couldn't speak to her. The only important thing at the moment
was the pure fact that it, the machine, had made her tired and exhausted in a mere matter of 10 minutes of slow
cycling. It wasn't fair. But then, life was hardly fair.
It would be an easy matter calling a spell and giving herself the momentary energy to be as physically active as
the other Divines, but as the Giver and Holder of Magic for all the Divines, Skye was acutely aware of how
dangerous that could be for her. A selfish wish fulfilled came back thrice fold and more dangerous to the caster.
Sighing, she glanced warily at the exercise machine before shaking her head; it was no use dwelling. Life was the
way it was for a reason, though Skye had yet to figure out what her particular reason was. Strong of magic yet weak
of body. It probably had something to do with balance. Not Balance, Diane, but balance in and of itself. One
positive action equated to one equally negative reaction. That was a very simple, basic law of this world and all
others. There was no contesting that.
Pushing herself carefully to her feet, Skye made sure that she hadn't over done it by testing each of her muscles.
They were sore and tender, just a bit rubbery, but it would be fine for now, so long as she didn't have to do
anything overly active again for a while. And of course her body was covered in sweat even from just that little
bit of exertion. Shaking her head, the young woman slowly made her way to the shower and relaxed as the warm water
pelted her skin in a would-be massage. It was a nice sensation. The shower was quick no matter how long Skye wanted
it to be and she changed her clothes as efficiently as possible. In her hurry, as she was glancing at the watch on
her right wrist while also trying to pull on a boot, Skye went tumbling across the floor. "Dang it," she muttered,
rolling over onto her back and yanking the boot up that way.
Taking another glance at the watch, so that she could actually see the time, she blew a bang out of her face in
annoyance. "Ah crud! I'm going to be late!" If there was one thing Skye was known for by the other Divines, aside from
her magic, it was the fact that she was almost always late, no matter what the occurrence was. It wasn't something
she did on purpose, not by any means, she just tended to...loose track of the time. And they teased her
mercilessly. Not that Skye minded really.
Rolling back over and climbing to her feet, Skye laughed at little at herself as she grabbed her light-weight
jacket, absently thinking how much she was looking forward to winter and the warm winter coat hidden away in her
closet. Grabbing her keys, she closed and locked the door behind her, before making her way down the street.
Yesterday she'd agreed to meet with Theo and Orion for coffee because they all agreed that finding Diane right now
was the most important thing. It was also agreed that they would meet at the CoffeeJo's just a block from Skye's
home because she didn't have a car and such a long walk to either of their places was more than enough to make her
too tired to do anything else.
She was standing on the street corner with a bunch of other people, waiting for the 'Okay to cross' sign to light
up, when something began to niggle at the back of her mind, drawing her attention. Instinctively, Skye cast out her
senses to search the feeling out; a car when speeding by and with it, the odd sensation was gone. It wasn't
something she could identify considering how fast it was going, but she recognized it as something not exactly good
for her health, something she wouldn't be able to handle on her own. Especially since she didn't have her small
sword with her. Drawing her powers back in and mumbling a small spell to hide them from any Essences, Skye crossed
the street with the other humans and entered the small coffee shop, hiding in plan sight.
So caught up in keeping her powers hidden was she, that Skye didn't notice that the guys weren't there yet. Taking
a seat, she chose probably one of the worst possible seats in the small shop. When the waitress came to take her ...
He was interrupted in his reading due to a rather loud ferry horn. He moved the small head band shaped book mark from its previous place to to the page where he had left off. He would continue his reading once he got to the village he was originally headed off to. He stuck the book back into his pocket and boarded the ship.
Word Count
13286+6819=20105
