Welcome to Gaia! ::

Twi didn't know what to think, he didn't have time. all he knew was that before he could finish what he was doing, a freaking Werewolf (with crosses burned into her flesh) barrelled past him just barely missing him and dissapeared into his Portal; and then silver bullets and flaming arrows pelted the walls all around him.

he ducked through the portal himself and kept running, casting a spell to speed his movement up to double.

Twii had to stop and blink a few times.

"...wait... you're a Werewolf? but something doesn't... add up..." he noted, almost more to hiimself.

"you're skin is smoking a little. come on, let's get you patched up. get out of the sunlight, you stubborn girl."

Twi didn't like his situation. any moment those Kuros could come rushing after him. but he couldn't leave the sewers until the day was over -- and it had only just begun!

he made a mad dash through the sunlit area and beyond, splashing filthy water all over his outfit. the feeling was like walking through fire to him, but it was over quickly. he cast his obfuscation spell again and slipped down a side tunnel to an alcove. he decided to rest there for the day.

when Twi awoke again the next evening, he stretched and checked around the corner. peering around, he saw nobody there. but he knew better than to risk bumping into a random Kuro Gang patrol, so he cast his misdirection spell once again and headed off.

he wandered a bit before he found a manhole. climbing out of it, he dragged himself onto the street and dusted himself off. he smelled horrid and hated it. a couple of demons wandered past him with incredulous looks and he shooed them off with a "what are you looking at?"

he grumbled to himself, walking back towards his mansion. he was all the way on the wrong side of Durem, though.

((this would be a good time for Sakura's character to be introduced.))

Z was resting against the dark alley of a cafe, head back against the cooling stone as she raised her tired eyes at the stars. She was breathing heavier, trying to keep the near-panting quiet as the ache in her jaws slowly slid into actual pain, her fangs out too long denied even after the night before. Stomach grumbling, Z knew she technically felt better and would be okay for another night or two, but her time in the sun had drained her. Pretty much evaporated the reserve of energy she'd gathered from her damned actions. Sh*t... Z thought, eyes unintentionally closed as if to sleep opening as she heard sounds. "Great," the hybrid muttered aloud, seeing dark shapes flit around in the sky. Bats. "Oh Lord, help me," Z murmured in a quiet prayer, sighing as she clenched pale hands around her arms and hurried deeper into the alleyways, at this point not caring if she got lost. Lost and alone would be better than knowing where she was and being surrounding. At least, if she got lost in a dead end, she'd know where the attacks were coming from. She hoped.

Z was indeed soon lost, keeping her face in a passive snarl as she passed straggly people, dark expressions on hard faces glaring at her perfect pale beauty and obviously well-kept appearance despite her mussed hair and shadowy circles under her eyes. She didn't fit in, bedraggled and blood-spattered as she looked, only the harsh anger in her eyes matching the dark mood of this unseen side of Durem. Only the viciousness she showed the world, with the help of her barely-visible fangs through her lips, kept them from attacking an otherwise 'perfect' prey. Everyone was still recovering from the way between the vampires and dark elves, and a bested or cast down vampire was not something most wanted to mess with.

Finally finding an isolated spot, apparently being labeled as being brave and an idiot about this cursed area, Z shrugged and lay back. She closed her eyes, body wanting sleep, needing rest, being alert. Mind active, taking not of everything, but just aching to shut down. I can't, not yet...need to find a place I can sleep during the day the hybrid thought, sending a short prayer up to Heaven for help. For guidance.

Almost as if in immediate answer, Z heard slow footsteps, but kept her impassive position. Knees up, cross-toed boots covering over the almost skinny black jeans to right under the bent knees with the pale wrists resting loosely on them. The black, almost fedora-style hat was covering the face, Z's pointed chin and stubborn jaw framed by the tangled raven-black bangs. A simple black t-shirt, pale, perfectly complexioned skin slightly marred by what would look like a rash in patches, everything slightly pink...her burns sustained from the constant exposure to sunlight that day, blisters present in bunches here and there. In other words, tainted perfection, in some peoples' minds. In others', an oddity, or a threat...but to all, a mystery, Z not reacting even as the person came closer and closer, until the hybrid sighed. "What do you want?" she snapped in a low, growling tone, not caring if she offended some well-meaning person. She was tired, hurt even as the rash slowly disappeared under the moon's soothing light away from the sun, and hungry from using up so much energy recently.

It had taken Sakura a hour to find her way out of the labyrinth of sewers, but eventually she found a manhole and slowly climbed up the ladder, not exactly eager to start her newest task. "Now, what to do first.", she mused softly.
Her stomach growled and she frowned slightly, deciding that food was pretty much the lowest priority considering the Don's ultimatum.
Drawing a deep breath, she focused what energy she had left on finding the escaped prisoner. Taking note of all the places to hide, she sighed and massaged her temples. "This might take more than three days.", she grumbled to herself as she started carefully down the sidewalks.

Roughly two hours later, Sakura was ready to give up and rent a room for the night as hunger and fatigue hit hard. Not to mention she had a strange feeling she was being followed, but she couldn't quite tell whom (or what) it was. As she started towards the inn, her eyes lit up as she picked up a faint and familiar aura.
Slowing her steps, she cautiously walked to the next alleyway. Before she could react, her mind was filled with the pain and bitterness of another being. She scowled darkly as she realized she must be low on energy to feel such things this keenly. Taking a few more steps towards the alleyway, she was surprised to hear a low, growling voice snap. "What do you want?"

Steadying herself, Sakura walked into the alley, aware of the weakened state the strange young woman was in. She held her hand over her sword hilt, just in case, though her voice was soft as she spoke. "I have been sent to take you back to the Kuro Gang's headquarters. However, i don't intend on following that plan if you can help me." Her eyes held a trace of compassion as she made out the still form of the supposed enemy and hoped they could work together to get out of this mess.

Sakura flinched as she saw Z tense at her movement. This was very thin ice both of them were walking on, the war still fresh in every Gaian's mind. However, Sakura should have been able to tell there was no immediate danger, as the poor young woman was extremely weakened. "IF I can help you," The young woman repeated with a snort, sarcasm lacing every word. "Right, and if not I'm dead, yes? Don't bother." Sakura merely frowned at that response. "You could try, but you'd get hurt in the process" 'As if I haven't been hurt already,' the dark elf thought as a scowl replaced her normally gentle features.
It was then she felt the extreme bloodlust radiating from the young woman, and her eyes widened in fear and concern. Fear because she realized she could end up like so many of her co-workers, especially given Z's current thoughts. Concern because she had been in the same situation too many times to count. Sakura was so focused on what to do, she failed to notice Z's muscles tensing as she struggled to control her bloodlust.

Suddenly, Sakura's mind was barraged with Z's memories and it was all she could do to keep herself from crying out, the emotional pain bearing down hard on her soul. Faces she never knew, and so much suffering all around left their marks on the young elf's soul. Mercifully, it was brief and Sakura shakily picked herself up from the ground, wiping away tears as she carefully walked over to where the young woman lay.
Now she had a vague understanding of why Z acted the way she did. Turning towards the hybrid, Sakura gasped as she realized the young woman was in critical danger. Pulling a packet from seemingly out of nowhere, Sakura opened it with difficulty and, as she held Z's head in her lap, she helped the young woman drink. "And I thought my feeding habits were bad." The dark elf muttered. The sun would be rising soon and they needed to find a place to stay. "Now where can we…" Her voice was cut off by footsteps which seemed to stop just outside the alley. As she started to unsheathe her sword, fatigue and hunger overwhelmed Sakura and she slumped to the ground, unaware that her only weapon had fallen just out of reach.

Twi's shower was a long one, and when he was finished he headed to bed. the morning would come soon, and he needed to rest and recover. he knew that he would be ravenously thirsty in the morning, but he didn't have a choice; he would have to contain his hunger as best he could and look for blood.