Honura is the second largest safe zone on floor one. It takes up 15% of floor one. Surrounded by large castle walls that are manned by the Jules Guild members, this town is hostile towards shamans, faeries, moroi, and sirens. They have to follow the safe zone rule put in place by the gamemakers, but they will still rough up members of the Paelion Guild who enter the town. This gives the reason to why Paelion members avoid Honura. A large structure near the back of Honura serves as the Jules Guild's floor one HQ. Honura itself is a rather dim place, with quiet streets and shady figures milling about. Inns are sketchy, taverns are hushed, and trade is done in secret. This town is known for its extensive black market deals and the rumors that get spread like a plague within its walls. Honura is surrounded by a thick forest with throngs of thieves and red players lurking about.
Sitting alone in a tavern, Gabriel realized during his fight with the low leveled creatures that his current knowledge of the FAO world was very limited for someone that planned on taking full advantage of it and he was not the type of person to delve into something unprepared. He studied up on his Race and what their advantages were in the world of FAO. Their weakness and what stats someone should invest in if playing as one. He even took up on reading the lore which was very interesting almost a stroke of fate that he chose such a race. Once they were the Moroi a type of vampire class that resides in FAO. They commited the sacrilege of drinking the blood of a fellow Moroi and in doing so were forsaken, losing all magical powers. It was not all bad, however. They gained a new found power that was greater than before. They were ascended. Gabriel could only relate. He too was a human once. Then he was reborn in blood. Now he is a monster.
He'd then move on over to the class section of his character info. He was a rouge. Now the class had that name just for show, but Gabriel took it quite literately. What else was he in this life, but a rouge? He'd thought of joining a party, but the thought of being around other people irritated him and he worried that he might end up killing them. He'd have to walk alone. Occasionally joining a group for either heavily needed assistance or something to gain. He also guessed that boss rooms weren't too easy and doing them alone was virtually impossible at a certain point. He'd need clothing to fit his persona, but at the current moment his wallet was pretty empty. Buying the armor set with the sword included took it's toll.
Then the boy stumbled upon an area of his info that he'd never seen before. "Custom Abilities..." He read silently to himself. There were four empty slots. Clicking on the first one, Gabriel's body began to float and energy exploded from his eyes and mouth. Falling to the ground with a thud "ow" Gabriel grumbled wondering what in the hell had just happened to him. Then that familiar notification icon popped up in front of him. Without much patience he clicked on it revealing his Custom Ability slots except now there were only three for one had an actual ability in it's place. Squinting his eyes, Gabriel read "Essence Reaver..." A technique that allowed him to steal stats from his enemies with his sword. If only his sword was actually good and not made out of wood. The process repeated each time he clicked on a custom ability.
In the end he had "Essence Reaver", "Dark Passenger", "Sated Devourer" and "Ghost In the Shell." He noticed how his name indicator above his head vanishing and being replaced by ???.
After he was done with messing with his stats, Gabriel thought back to a time in his life outside of FAO. What was probably more intense than being stuck in a game forever... Those first few seconds of pure ecstasy. The knife punctures their chest trying to find it's way into your very soul and take it. At that moment he felt alive. More alive then he'd ever felt. For Diz this was his way back into life. Gabriel isn't alive and getting it comes with a price. How can you fee alive when you don't even live. You're not living. You're existing. His dark ritual was his ticket into living even thought he didn't admit to it. Who wants to admit they're dead and need to kill in order to feel something? Which he never did. His denial went deeper than he admited, but it's somewhere deep in there in his subconscious. The boy was in his room. In the house where he lived with his uncle, his wife and their daughter. The door was locked, but the smell would probably seep through the door. No that they would know the smell. Leaning against a barrel filled with quemicals, Gabriel waited for the body inside to decompse. A young school girl by the name Lucy Lu. Twelve years old. The kinds of chemicals in the barrel was so acidic that he only used it if he was in a hurry. It was HIGHLY flammable. He was on the floor with a cellphone and headphones listening to music. A tall mirror in front of him which was also a closet door. His back leaning against the barrel. The music was very soothing. He couldn't remember who or what he was listening to and couldn't be bothered to check. Slowly he got up and dropped the cellphone together with the headphones on the floor without a care. Gabriel started taking off his shirt to reveal his body to himself. Several scars marked his bodies. Results of past mistakes. In the beginning he wasn't very profficient in the subduing aspect and some people fought VICIOUSLY to survive. Other than that his body was your average 16 year old male. There was a hicky on his left breast from Kokoro. He didn't like the way it made him look. Then there was his birth mark. In his right palm it remained ever since he was born. It kind of looked like a poker diamond disfigured by something. The boy hated how ugly it looked. Kokoro loved it. Something that made him special to her sadistic God. Suddenly, everything in the room stood still. The music stopped. All Gabriel could hear was his own breathing. Then his reflection looked at him while he wasn't paying attention. "The body smells bad doesn't it? You think it'll be gone before night time?" The reflection talked like him, but the voice was much deeper and ominous unlike his own monotone. The eyes also changed. They were pitch black now. Nothing, but darkness. "you're slacking. You almost got caught with this one. She's in your room for damn sake." Gabriel looked at the barrell without saying anything. The Dark Passenger was right. "You've got to evolve to survive Gabriel. Otherwise you'll get caught and you won't be able to feed anymore." Gabriel shrugged almost as if he was in a trance like state. Words were not important. The chemical smell was having a weird effect on him where he couldn't really process words. So where he wanted to say You're right...He could not say a thing. The Dark Passenger scoffed. "Get this out of here quick will you? You're uncle never comes in here, but one of these days he will and when he does you will have a lot of explaining to do." The Dark Passenger turned around and walked out into nothing in the reflection of the mirror..
Waking up with cold sweat is an odd feeling. Humid and you feel like you pissed yourself while you slept. His eyes opened up slowly. Adjusting to the bright light coming through his window shades that by a chance of fate hit his eyes directly. It was also day time now so the room was brighter than before since the shades could only do so much. Then there was the knock at his door. "Gaaaaaabe there're people here who want to see yoooooou~" said his cousin from the other side. Always in a bright and happy mood. He could hear her mumbling about the odd smell coming from his room as she walked away. "Slow and steady." He mumbled getting off the ground with the aid of his bed. His eyes were bloodshot and he had dark creases under his eyes. He hadn't slept out of fear of someone coming in his room during the night. "Here we go..." To his surprise when he opened the door there were two men outside waiting for him. Two men in suits to be exact. "Gabriel Dos Santos Malavaes. You're comin' with us." Gabriel's reaction was to fight back or instantly sprint out the front door without looking back, but they weren't your generic men in suits. He could almost feel the killing intent emanating from them. "What took youso long?" He asked with a tired expression.
Gabriel ended up in a police interrogation room. It had the table in the center with a closed folder. Seemingly empty with the one way glass at his left side. One metallic door was at the end of the room in front of him. He'd been there for a while with no sign of life coming from either the glass nor the door. "Hey pollice officers." Gabriel began. "I do not have all day. I have a very, VERY important test to attend! So come on out and please tell me what I did?" He slammed his hands against the table as if he was hand cuffed, but the truth was he wasn't there to be arrested or punished. "I know my rights" No response. After a good half hour of just waiting someone finally entered the room. "Coffee break get extended today?." Gabriel said as a beautiful woman walked into the room. "Is this normal protocol? Taking a guy and putting him in a room without a single word?" He asked with indifference. His mood never changing from his no-nonsense "I got time for your s**t" expression.. He didn't get a response from her or a reaction. She just sat down and opened up the folder which contained a piece of paper with writing on what he assumed was her side otherwise she was reading a blank piece of paper. "Let's cut the bullshit Gabriel." Gabriel's world was about to collapse upon itself and he hadn't a clue.
"I am Lt. Averye Madison. We are aware of your actions. We know what you do in the dark of the night and we must say we are very impressed. We want to put you through a test to see if you skills can be aplicable in other areas for our benefit" That was a lot to just randomly throw onto someone. His secret was no longer a secret. They knew about what he did. What were they going to do with him? His habits were disgusting yet this woman was congratulating him and offering him something more. For a moment he just sat there looking at the woman. Expecting her to say more things that would blow his mind, but all he could end up saying was, "What...What are you talking about...I don't...What?" Diz couldn't talk at all. He was always in control and now he was powerless. The woman was in the room for less than a minute and she had Gabriel under her boot. He had no way out of the situation. In the beginning when he was starting to kill his very first people the thought of taking someone's life was very haunting and he always pushed them away. They were people after all. People that had their own lives, family, people that cared for them. Finally he gave in. Gabriel barely remembers the feeling of remorse now. "I can understand your confusion and trust me all will be explained with some time, but for now just relax." Averye said with a cheery expression. Once again she managed to blow his mind. While Diz was aware he was different from others in terms of the way he acted he never thought about how he could be useful and what use would they have for him?. The visions he had at random of the Dark Passenger were unexplanable. A manifestation of his desires that told him things. Now they were starting to have more meaning. "Well...What do you want me to do?" He inched back into his seat to become more comfortable. He felt more relaxed now "I'd like to know what you want me fore" He expected her to comply it wasn't an odd question or outrageous.He got nothing. Whoever this woman was she was not playing around and had seen some serious things in her life and whatever problem she needed his help with was not worth kidding around over. He scowled at her before sitting forwards in his seat again. He kept his eyes on the one way glass instead of her now. It was no longer patient Gabe or indifferent Gabe in the room. It was the real Gabe. The boy capable of killing random people in the night just to feel some sort of adrenaline. "I know you must have several questions Gabriel and do not worry they will be answered with time, but I can only brief you in on what we need your help with for now." Gabriel sighed returning his attention to her. "We need someone your age to infiltrate a certain place. At the same time we need someone who is not afraid to kill if need be and you WILL have to kill for us. We know what you do Gabriel don't deny it please." That didn't shock him. It was only a matter of time before someone caught on to what he did. There wasn't much evidence incriminating him, but he didn't have any time to clean up. Now his actions were finally catching up to him. "Ok. So what are you gonna do now that you know I kill people. Arrest me? Kill me? No, no I already no the answer, but that same answer confuses me since I'm still a teenager. How in the hell are you gonna use me for whatever it is you and your people are conducting?" He asked crossing his arms with the classic look of indifference smacked across his face. The room suddenly was becoming smaller than before and he wanted desperately to get out. Get away from that woman that new his dark secrets. "As I was saying, your talents are rare and we need to use it for infiltration. A cult more specifically. Now, this in itself is not an issue. People can form cults sure, but they crossed a line the other day." Gabriel stopped listening when he heard her mention his skill set. He wondered what his skill set really was, how they watched him do what he did even though he was maticulously careful. If they would forgive him for his sins if he helped them. "What did they do?" He asked without much enthusiasm. She slipped the document back into the folder and closed it. Adjusting it neatly before speaking. "We don't have proof yet, but we think they are kidnapping innocent teenagers for bizarre rituals." Gabriel couldn't help, but laugh. All this drama for something they had no proof of yet. With that said he got up from the seat and headed for the door. He assumed it wasn't locked since she didn't lock it and no one from outside did either. He would have heard the noise. When his hand reached the handle he felt her hand on his shoulder. Her grip was too strong to be hers. Such a frail body behind such strength. "Get your hands off me m'am. I don't like being touched." She smirked a little and that made him frown. She managed to get past his shell even if by a little. "That's where you come in Gabriel. We need you to infiltrate the cult and find out what they're doing." That was the beginning of it all.
At dinner Gabriel always sat next to his cousin Julia. Being close to her made him feel...Different. It felt strange to love someone after the things he'd done and would continue to do and sometimes he wouldn't admit to his feelings for her. It wasn't anything sexual. At least for him. They were family. She was like his sister at that point. After he left his parents she treated him like someone damaged that lost his parents and witnessed a horrible murder scene. She never stopped to think about what he actually did when he went out at night and so the moment he walked through the door she hugged him and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. Her father, Max wasn't always so loving with him. He and Gabriel's father had a falling out when Max decided to become a painter and break away from the Doctor lifestyle they were used too so when Gabriel entered his life it brought back bitter memories and regret for not being able to say goodbye to your own brother. There was also the fact that he was Gabriel's legal guardian and since the boy managed to constantly irritate him with how perfect he was in every sense of the word. Over the years this started to morph their relationship. He also never liked the way Gabriel acted with his daughter and constantly checked on the two during night time and if they were ever alone together he'd pop up asking for something he didn't really need. To Max's right was his wife, Erica. She was extremely beautiful and was considered one of the most beautiful women in Tokyo, a model to be exact. That embarrassed her a little, but it made her happy to see how jealous Max got when people talked about her on the streets. He knew however that she was forever his. No matter what. She was the reason he lived in Tokyo in the first place. She was visiting Brazil when him and his brother were just kids. She told him she wanted to grow up to become the greatest model to ever live and her conviction baffled him. He never forgot about her after all the years and Gabriel does not have the faintest clue how the two found each other again. The rest is history. Even now after so many years he can see the love surrounding them. He wondered if his parents were like that as well. He couldn't remember. Whenever he thought of them all he saw was arguing. And the beatings. "Sooooooo. What did those guys want with you Gabe?" Julia asked eating her peas one at a time to her father disdain. "Can you eat like a normal human being for once?" He asked with a tired expression. The hospital tasked him with teaching prep students and well. They are very, VERY naive future doctors. "I'll eat however I want, thank you very muuuuuch?" She tilted her head slightly with a smile and eat another pea at the edge of her fork. "Yes, what did those men want with you Gabe?" Erica asked with her silky smooth voice. Gabriel couldn't tell anyone about what he was told in the room. Speaking of which he could only remember the room and nothing else about where he was. Any attempts to bring back memories of the place just led back to the room. Gabriel, however, was a master deceiver. Well, as of late he'd been slacking on account of the fact people found about what he did in the past, but other than that no one saw through his lies. He looked at Erica and sighed. "Well they asked me to do some stupid tests for regional exams since my test scores are so high and I kinda have to do them since I'm getting free credits for it..." Gabriel was the top of his class in highschool a true prodigy. Colleges from all over the world were sending letters to his residence pleading for him to give them a chance, but at the moment college was not on his mind and school was an utter bore. "Good!" Max announced chewing on some meat. "You should start teaching classes I swear to God, Gabriel I don't know what it is you do with all your time, but you should start thinking more about your future. You have a gift people would kill for and you don't even seem to care!" Gabriel ignored his uncle's scolding like he usually did and kept on eating. "Dad! Gabriel already told you he doesn't want to think about it right now! It's his life so stop pressuring him!" Max sighed at his daughters attempt to change his mind about Gabriel's inaptitude. "Well it's better than nothing Gabe. I'm sure you'll end up doing something you like very much." Erica said with a soft smile at him. "Yeah..." Gabriel said looking down at his food. "I bet it will." The next day he would not be there for dinner again. Maybe he'd never see them again. Gabriel simply could not tell.
Averye told Gabriel to meet a contact in the Marketplace alone by 3 AM. The man would know how he looks like and be dressed in a black cloak selling things from inside to people passing by. Now the Marketplace was one of Gabriel's favorite places to be. Not because of the endless variety of people that swarmed the place, but how easy it was to be invisible. Now, he didn't kidnap people broad day light. He liked watching people while being invisible. He wasn't very popular with most chicks, but there was one who loved him dearly. Kokoro loved necklaces and if he could steal one for her he would to make her happy. He'd never fall in love with her, but she was important to him... Love for people like him just was not possible anymore. They were simply too damaged. "Where is he?" Gabriel asked himself amongst the crowd. To his right an old lady trying to sell an ugly blue dress. Or was it gold? Gabriel squinted his eyes to try and tell, but lost interest quickly and saw to small kid playing in wet mud. One was probably two years older than the other and kept throwing mud into the younger boys face. It was obviously bothering him since on multiple occasions he had asked the other boy to stop, but it had no effect. Gabriel decided to intervene since the contact wasn't where he was supposed to be. He walked up to the two with his average student teenager look. Plain people weren't watched or so he thought. Apparently he had been watched the whole damn time so screw it. "Hey you." Now, normally a normal person would typically help the poor child that's getting bullied by his peers, but not Gabriel. No Gabriel would do the opposite. "Hey, you cut it out. Don't let him hit you like that." Obviously the bully stopped thinking Gabriel was talking to him, but that was not the case. "No not you." Gabriel kicked mud into the younger boy's face. "You! Don't just let him mess with you for free Fight back!" The younger boy looked like he was about to cry before saying "Momma says we don't fight fire with fire. Instead we show lo-" Gabriel had to kick the boy in the face before he lost his god damn mind and killed a child in broad daylight. "You. ******** Face #2. Never forget. The strong live and weak die. You're on the strong side. For now." With that little traumatizing life lesson, Gabriel left the two boys to their business. As he walked away he could hear a panicked mother screaming for her bleeding child. He was too busy staring at the Dark Passanger watching him amongst the crowd all creepy like to turn around and look back. "Psst hey." Gabriel could see the man's shadow cast next to his own on the floor. "You the guy?" Gabriel asked still watching the Dark Passenger. It was really starting to bug him. Why was it just watching him "Yes, I'm the 'guy'." Gabriel turned around to face a tall burlly looking man in his thirties looking down at him. He was wearing a suit which made him look more intimidating for some reason. His stature alone sufficed. The people Gabriel was working for had given him all the information he would need for the mission. Including what to say when the two met up. In reality the man was not supposed to be meeting up with Gabriel. The teenager that was supposed to be in Gabriel's place was taken into custody. "Sooo...Let's go?" Gabriel asked waiting for the man to lead. He smiled warmly and patted the boy's shoulder. "Of course young one and do not worry. We are your real family." Gabriel could only follow.
The two left Tokyo. Gabriel was a minor and therefore not allowed to leave without a guardian by his side, but the man had fake credentials so the two slipped out without any issue. Now that he was out, Gabriel realized how long it had been since he last step foot out of Tokyo. His life before the concrete city was just a blur. The urge was gnawing at him already. If only the man guiding him could see it. "You have any hobbies young man?" He asked looking down at the boy. The man was very tall and broad now that Gabriel could see him straight. "Uh...I play tennis for my school's team..." Gabriel replied awkwardly. "Oh golly my neice does tennis. She says it's absolutely exhilerating. The whole duel between two or four. The back and forth until someone breaks." He said with the innonence of a two year old. The man sounded genuinely interested in the boy. "I do it because you know. Fitting in and what now." The man nodded and said nothing else. The two just kept on driving until the town was no longer visible in the distance. They stopped driving once they reached a sign which showed directions to different places. Presumably other smaller towns, but Gabriel wasn't sure. "Our headquarters is based in a small village east of this sign, but we must wait." Gabriel sighed annoyed by the long drive void of any silence. "Wait for what?" Then everything went black. "********......" Gabriel saw a slit of the man he trusted as his eyes shut closed and his body dropped to the ground.
Gabriel had a dream while knocked out. There is a woman in this dream. She beckons for him. He doesn't know who she is, but he wants her. Wants to touch her. Be with her, but the darkness won't let him. It pulls him back with too much strength for him to fight back. Then he wakes up in a bed alone in small room. Everything is quiet. The only thing he hears is the sound of the bed sheets rustling against each other as he gets up. The blankets are thick and the mattress thick which is odd because beds like this are not common in Japan really. The room is beige with little furniture and two doors. One leading to a moderately sized bathroom with a tub, sink and toilet while the other door leads to somewhere Gabriel can't reach since it is locked. There is a small drawer near the bed with a small lamp on top of it. Under this lamp was a small note. Gabriel picked it up and started reading it. Gabriel, we have been waiting a long time for you. I hope you're not upset with the way we brought you here, but Francois had to make sure you didn't discover the location of our HQ before understanding what it is that's truly happening and join us. There is a key that unlocks the door under your pillow. Open it once you have cleared your mind and embrace your new family. -Esther Diz rolled the note up into a ball and threw it to his left side. "I am so out of here." Gabriel found the key exactly where the note said it would be and went towards the door to open it. The key entered the hole. Turned once then twice and that was it.
He was inside of a hotel. That's what he could make out of it. Not only that it didn't seem to have anything to do with the people who said were his "family." Make things worse the little psycopath was in a town he'd only heard of, but never been to and with no money to get back home. Gabriel left the hotel and was greeted by a bustling town filled with people going left and right with their daily lives. While he just stood there wondering what to do with his life. "Maybe those idiots that gave me this stupid mission will come and rescue me." He grumbled without a hint of enthusiasm. Gabriel was about to start walking in what he assumed was the direction to some sort of map somewhere in the ******** when...She came into view. She looked at him with a surprised expression and he looked at her with the same surprise, but both for different reasons. He couldn't stop thinking how beautiful she was. Black hair, lower lip piercing and dark clothing. The basic goth girl attire, but her eyes. He couldn't pull away. She was looking at him, because Gabriel wasn't supposed to be awake for another 24 hours. "Gabriel? What are you doing awake?" She asked as if the two were already acquainted. The boy was in no condition to respond to that question which only made him want answers for several other questions. She knew his name and that he was unconscious. Was she the girl from the note? "Are you Esther?" He asked wanting to know more. "Y-Yes...How...Ugh! Come with me!" She demanded grabbing his right hand to guide him through the crowd. "Where we goin'? Y'know you're a real catch for someone I just met after being in a mini coma!" He shouted amongst the crowd. If she heard him he could not tell. Esther just kept on guiding him through the crowd until the reached an ally way. She brought the two deep within the darkness where the sun didn't reach. It was weird how it was almost like she glowed in the darkness. Now the two were alone in the dark. It was almost like she was pulling him in closer to her. Her hands wrapped around his waist. That sound. Was she crying? "What's goin' on? What happened Esther?!" She just kept crying into his chest. No words only tears. Then before he could ask what was wrong again she kissed him. Not a cute little peck. She kissed him like the two were about to die. "Woah...You're crazy." He tried to push her away, but she was strong. "No, no we don't have time for this right now!" He looked at her with the expression of someone wondering why they started making out in the first place.Suddenly a shockwave of pain went through Gabriel's head and he couldn't understand why. It was just him and Esther. He clutched at his head while screams found their way out of his mouth. Esther tried to help him stand up, but he collapsed before that. "Crap not again..." He grumbled as the pain knocked him out.
He awoke in another bed except this time Esther was with him. Her head against his chest and he could tell she was crying. Who was this girl? Were they lovers and he couldn't remember? His days of getting drunk at parties were over maybe they met there, but why was she with the organization? Did they trick her into joining? The moment he thought about things in general the headache returned, but it was much more tame than the migraine he suffered before. Then again why care about anything when you wake up with something so beautiful by your side. Gabriel was a gentleman and wanted to let her sleep, but..."Hey Esther...Please...wake up..." He said nudging her head a little. Her swelled up eyes opened up slowly as she looked around in confusion only to remember where she is. "Explain all this." He said with a frown. She chuckled putting her head down on his chest only to rest her chin on it to look at him. "We did it raw. Well, I did when I raped your unconscious body." Such a pretty face such a nasty thing. Gabriel was absolutely speechless. "What the ********." He said beginning to feel like he wasn't the messed up one anymore. "So are you gonna tell me what's goin' on oooooor?" His hand reached for her throat and his grip tightened. "Am I gonna have to kill you before I pass out again?" He asked with a completely different attitude from before. Esther looked at him with complete shock, but at the same time her hands weren't moving towards his hands to pry them off. She was reaching for his special place. He raised a brow at her before letting go and jumped off the bed.
Esther. The mystery girl that managed to ruin Gabriel's first major operation lay naked on the bed in front of him. Her motives unknown and her connection to him apparently forgotten. He was trying to figure out if she misinterpreted his threat as a signal for sex or is she knew it was a threat, but didn't care, because she actually thinks she knows him from before. "Back off..." Someone knocked on the door. "Esther? Are you in there? Something serious has happened. Gabriel managed to escape the hotel room and we can't track him without your help. The boy remained silent as he walked towards the door. He leaned his back against the wall and slowly reached for the handled. He pulled the door outward and waited for a reaction. A small frail looking boy stepped in the room. He was observing Esther naked by the looks of it. The thought of why the door opened alone never occurring to him. Until Gabriel got him in an arm lock by the throat. "Shhhh. Shhhh" Gabriel tried to calm the kid down who was thrashing like crazy to break free from his hold. He tried jabbing Gabriel in the stomach, but lacked the strength to back him up. When the lack of oxygen started to get to him the boy quit the struggle and slumped against Gabriel's body. "Ok, now let's just set you down slowly..." Gabriel said as he dropped the boy on the ground. He knelt down next to the boy's face and poked his face with his right index finger. The boy looked terrified. The fear in his eyes was almost dramatic. He crawled backwards in desperation to get away from Gabriel. Gabriel himself looked at the boy in confusion. While he had choked the kid a little bit he didn't actually do anything drastic for that kind of reaction. "Woah, woah. I'm not gonna hurt you kid. Well...I am, but that's only if you don't cooperate...So technically I shouldn't say I won't hurt you and I shouldn't say that I will? Y'know what forget it." Gabriel lost track of what ever it was he was trying to think of and motioned for the door to close it. Esther was moving around in the bed about to wake up and actually give Gabriel answers this time. She looked over at him and then at the cry baby boy on the ground. Her eyes widened when she saw how he was. "James!" She shouted wrapping herself in the thick blanket before getting on the floor to help the boy. "What did you do Gabriel?!" She asked touching the boy in the face. For some reason that sent a wave of anger inside of Gabriel and he couldn't understand why. Nothing was making sense and it was irritating. It was like when someone took your yogurt at lunch at school. It was his yogurt. You can't just take it. "Ok so I'm sick of this s**t Esther. You're gonna tell me what the ******** is goin' on now or I'm killing you both. Beginning with the kid over here." Gabriel walked towards James before Esther jumped up to push him back. The way she was acting with the new guy was starting to really annoy him. "Then tell me what the ******** is happening Esther or I might get you first." Esther looked him in the eyes for a brief moment then looked away. What could she be thinking? Gabriel thought. Nothing was making sense anymore. "Ok. I'll show you and tell you..."
Gabriel returned to Tokyo different. He was inside a different kind of interrogation room. It didn't have the one way glass like the one the special ops group used. Which probably meant they weren't going to cover for him and he'd get arrested for all the murders he commited. A chubby looking man walked into the room with a thick folder under his right arm pit. He didn't greet Gabriel and just threw the folder on the desk in front of Gabriel. After that he walked out the room and shut the door. Gabriel blinked a couple of times before opening it up. Inside was about one hundred and sixty thousand yen. With this money was a note.
Gabriel Dos Santos Malavaes, the first part of our mission against the Cult of Oblivion was a success. While their was in fact one death it was necessary for our much greater goal. You have successfully infiltrated the cult and managed to befriend the leader herself. We will give you a few days to recover before initiating phase two of the operation. Sincerely, Lt. Averye.
Gabriel sighed as he read the note. So little money for putting up with such insanity and who was the casualty? Gabriel didn't kill anyone...
Gabriel left the room and headed back towards his home where his family would probably be worried since he was gone for about 4 days without a single sign of life. Max would probably suspect that Diz was out doing illegal things since he told them all the men wanted him to do were D ranked missions. Those don't take four whole days to finish. But the thought of that wasn't really the thing on his mind. It was what Esther told him.
The night was cool, clear and quiet in the town that lay quietly under the midnight sky. The moon hung over the town in it's crescent phase, it's white light giving the deep black night it's only natural illumination as it combined with the streetlamps that and houselights that littered the beachside town. The soft wind could be heard whirling through the streets along with the soft crashing of waves from the shore, creating a soft beat to the peaceful night. To the human eye and ear, it was a peaceful night of solace but to behind the naked eye and into the soul of the town it was a much different situation. A hunt was going on, and it could be heard entirely throughout the quiet town. "S-stay back please!" cried a little girl as she ran through the forest, tears in her eyes. Behind her, a large eight legged lizard-like monster was chasing her from the walls above her. Its claws were constantly digging into the walls as he chased down the delicious snack that was below it.
"Mommy! Daddy!" cried out the little girl before yelping as she tripped over and hit the ground hard. The monster quickly seized the opportunity before him and scurried down the wall to the ground to catch it's prey, a fresh piece of meat. The little girl whined in pain as she tried to force herself up before screaming in fear as the shadow on the monster loomed over her like the death it portrayed. The monster leaned down close to her small body, it's mouth leaking greenish-yellow saliva while giving out a small hiss of intimidation as it's mask was right in front of her face. The little girl before the monster was trembling with fear, her body not having any drive to run at all. The only thing she could do right now was close her eyes and embrace her fate. The monster reared back and let out a loud roar of success at catching it's kill before quickly moving down to feast on the little girl, but before it could even lay it's appendages on her, a sound of slicing flesh could be heard. The little girl's eyes started to open when she didn't feel any pain from the creatures teeth that lay just above. When she looked up to see the monster, it's body split in half as it dissolved into black dust and floated away in the wind.
The little girl watched the remains of the creature float off before she tried to carefully get up. She sat up and was about to stand before yelping and falling back when another figure jumped in front of her, only this time it wasn't a monster. It looked like a person, and he or she was wearing a long, dark cloak with a officers cap. The little girl blinked in curiosity at the person in front of her, "H-hello…? Are you not a monster…?" she asked and tried to see the person's face. The person scoffed, "Tch, one of those beasts? I wouldn't be caught dead as one of those fiends." He stated with a bit of distaste. His voice sounded rather young though. The little girl blinked when he turned around before her cheeks puffed up, "Hey! You're just a kid! You shouldn't be playing with a sword and fighting monsters! It's dangerous!" she said, completely unaware of what he was capable of. The boy gritted his teeth as an anger mark appeared on the temple of his head, "I'm going to pretend I never heard that…" he growled under his breath. He was very hot headed about people poking fun at or mocking his age, height, or anything about himself really. He calmed down after a few moments and sighed softly before moving over to her and moving his arm outward facing her, "Let's get this over with….I got work to do. Risangetsu (離散月, Scattering Moon - Cherry Blossoms" He said and kneeled down in front of her. The girl blinked at his movements, " What….are you going to do….?" She asked softly before she fell silent and her eyes widened when he patted his palm against her head. The girl sees hundreds of glowing cherry blossoms falling around them. As watches her vision begins to blur and become unfocused, her consciousness becomes muddled, disoriented, and confused. Shortly thereafter, the she blacks out altogether, losing consciousness, only to awaken at an inn with an unclear memory of what occurred.
Rihan hugs the walls of the surrounding buildings, letting the shadows swallow him entirely. His amber eyes dart around , constantly on the lookout for danger. The stars and moon look down upon him curiously, wondering why anyone would be skulking around the city's backstreets at this hour. Well, Rihan was not one to listen or talk to the stars. They are cold and lifeless, and distant. They mean nothing to him. Still, they provide the little light I need to do his job, and that's all he care about.
He comes to the square, near the centre of the city. Usually, during the sunlit hours, this cobblestone plaza would be teeming with all kinds of people; traders, drunks, cripples, blind men, beggars, fishermen, shepherds, iron mongers, thieves...variety, the spice of life. The smells would be overpowering; the nearby port, the smoke, the forge, the horses, alcohol. The noise would be deafening; the yelling, selling, buying, chinking of money in pockets and wallets, cries of "Stop, thief!", usually ignored, laughing children, gossiping, drunken ramblings, wailing beggars. Oh yes. During the day the city was a lively place. Disgusting, filthy, full of lawbreakers, smelly and dangerous,but at night it was quite beautiful and charming in its own way. In the few days he'd been here he came to know the backstreets as well as the builders and architects who made this city brick by brick, timber by timber. He knew how the city moves, how it works. I suppose you could say he can understand the city more than he does people.
---few hours later- Moonlight flooded the earth, dancing through the trees bathing everything in liquid silver. Time had passed since the moon had reached her highest point in the sky but not time enough that her counterpart the sun was still hours away from showing his face. A faint breeze rustled the pond reeds and the willow leaves hanging over them, as a silent Rihan crept out of the the inn toward the city gates. Treading softly, and covered completely in a cloak,Rihan floats quickly towards the cover of the woods.
He not seen by any creature, with the exception a small fox. With bright golden eyes the fox watched Rihan, as he entered a clearing containing a small run-down manor, and stopped. With curiosity, the fox settled down on a low tree root near a window of the house to watch, in an intelligent way, almost as if it were there on more than just instinct or coincidence.
Silently Rihan swung down from the wooden beams of the targets manor. Getting in was the easy part but he had planned for this to be a one-way trip anyway. He landed softly on the dirt floor of an empty annex; just as his informant told him it would be. He stepped forward and slid the thin wooden door open, checking for creatures before he moved into the wood-floored corridor. Candles flickered on their wall fixtures as he crept along, sticking to the shadows when he could find them. Shadow entered the room at the end of the hallway, thus far encountering no obstacles. As he reached the old storeroom Rihan slowed and entered cautiously. One could never be too careful,and he had that feeling, that he was being watched. He knew from experience to trust his feelings. Once again he scanned the room slowly, and saw nothing, and if there had been something or someone, he would have known immediately. The room was completely empty other than an empty sack in the corner, and there were no windows. There wasn't even any dust. But that was mostly due to the fact that other thieves had tried to keep it clean so that there tracks would not show leading to and from the trapdoor. Grinning slightly, Rihan walked over to the far side of the room and crouched down and dug his hands between the floorboards. Feeling the hidden groove, smooth from years of use he pulled up so that an entire section of floor swung up much like a trapdoor. He both swung down gracefully, and using the rung on the bottom, pulled it back into place above his head.
Standing there for a moment and letting his eyes adjust to the complete lack of light. He started to walk slowly and carefully down the tunnel to his destination. As his eyes completely adjusted to the darkness, the walls came into focus,and Rihan continued on with a blank mind, as the tunnel sloped downwards.
After a few minutes, he came to a small opening in the end of the tunnel, where a faint light shone through. Taking a deep breath, like he always did before entering here, Rihan ducked through it. Bringing his head back up he took in the room around him. It was a spacey cavern, naturally made that had a breathtaking air to it. Its walls were made of solid rock, with patches of jewels scattered throughout it. A small hole in the middle of the ceiling, around a hands width in size, let the moonlight shine through to illuminate the entire room with a silver light. From above, it would appear nothing but a rabbit hole. The jeweled patches sparkled brilliantly . On the far side, which was about 15 feet away from the entrance, was a large chest, well out of view from the hole, if someone were to look straight down, with their eye pressed to it. So if someone were to look down in the hole by chance, they would see nothing but darkness. Atop the chest lay a jewel wrapped in black silk.
Walking over to the chest, Rihan lifted the jewel lightly off the top, and placed it on the cold floor beside him. Then kneeling down, he lifted the lid up, which creaked slightly from age, and reaching inside pulled out a small, worn leather bound notebook. He didn't know where the home owner had gotten it, for it contained the ancient secrets of the world. The pages inside were brittle with age, and he handled it with the utmost care. Stroking it lightly he removed the other contents and closed the lid. As he placed the jewel into his coat he studied the other treasures he'd uncovered. The only other items in the chest were black thief armor, a pouch filled with Xing, a belt that would hold all of the weapons with various pouches, two daggers, a few potions, and a dragon-headed pipe.
After placing these items Rihan settled down against the wall beside a large patch of jewels, which glowed as if the light was coming from within it rather than the moon. Opening the book he began to decipher it.
---days later--- Kalian Antiqua sat at his throne the young royal guarded by a wall of soldiers;both hired and personal. How long had it been since his life had been interesting? He was a handsome young man, long, spiky, blue hair and azure eyes.Alas, Kalian's days now consisted of sitting at his throne being waited on hand and foot by his people. He sat bored every day. Even his most recent gift did not please him. It was a large statue of some legendary thief his father had acquired in his youth. A guard stepped up to his throne as he looked out of one of the windows of his throne room. What would it be this time? Would it be that some of the citizens had incited another day of feasting to his name? Would it be that a minor noble had conceived, and wanted his blessing for a strong child? So many of these events happened nowadays that Kalian hardly put any effort into them. Still no such news hit his ears. Instead news of far more interesting origin came up.
Your Highness! There seems to be some kind of commotion outside. Kalian looked down with little interest. I feel not like wasting my time on useless fools. Xerxes and the others can handle it.The guard shook his head frantically, and Kalian wondered for a moment if his neck hurt afterward.
No, your Highness! These assailants are of to great of skill.They are tearing thru our blockade with ease. See for yourself. A Visual Crystal i is placed in front of Kalian allowing him to see what's going on. A black haired warrior orchestrated the slaughter of his foe's, unmoving and detached. Then, at the peak of destruction, he moved with astounding, inhuman speed and grace, swooping unto the battlefield like an messenger of death…a strange pair of daggers in each hand, he danced a foreign dance, uncaring whose blood his weapons tasted. As the guard zoomed in one could see his Amber eyes were distant but hungry for battle all the same,and his hair as she felled his last foe, was perfectly in place. His clothing remained untouched by blood and gore.Only a heavenly creature could be so flawless… or one straight from the pits of hell. Kalian watched as the figure seemed to stare directly at him,the gaze making the prince feel uneasy. Just before they could see Xerxes appear to meet the attacker the screen flicked off.
Excuse this interruption. I'll go fix it. the guards assessment of a fuzzy screen turned out to be a problem with the transmission. As the hazy image of a the assailant reappeared, the screen suddenly achieved a perfect connection, revealing a beat up Xerxes falling to the ground and the black haired intruder looking directly at the screen. After snatching a crystal off Xerxes Rihan speaks over the loud speaker.
Greetings. You may recognize me from my delightful little dance with your princes thugs. As I'm sure the rest of you hiding in the manor have just seen, this is just a small taste of the power I bring! This figure handled himself with admirable pride, and seemed fond of theatrics. Kalian couldn't take his eyes off him as he continued.
Make no mistake. I'm only here for the precious treasure that is hidden here. No harm shall come to anyone who stays out my way. the transmission ends and Kalian's remaining personal guards walk out of the throne room. Kalian stays and prepares himself for a fight.Who did this intruder think he was ? Anyone in the castle answered to the Prince. That was simple knowledge. If they did not, they were considered enemies and struck down with extreme prejudice.
Rihan kept moving. After awhile he'd run into the guards. Rihan smirks as they all try to attack him at once. Without any warning he activates his special technique,and leaves the room as the remaining guards lifeless corpses hit the floor one by one. Soon the doors to the throne room are burst open and Rihan appears to Kalian. Rihan cask his cloak,and hat to the side as Kalian readies his sword. Steel met steel in an instant. The sheer strength of the young thief threatened to make Kalian lose his footing. The grip of his sword was soon soaked with sweat. They met again in a whirling storm of metal. Block, slash, parry, dodge and strike. Again, they spun away from the other. Two skilled warriors locked in combat. They traded not a word. They didn't need to. So skilled in the ways of combat that it was like another language. One spoken through strike and counter-strike. Through thrust and parry.
They met a third time in a trade of blows. This time Kalian didn't play defense and surged forwards; thrusting with the tip of his blade. The black haired demon wove his defense well and avoided his attack. Kalian felt a stab of frustration, but it was only a minor one. This man, this warrior was a mighty foe he thought to himself. When he'd first seen Rihan in action he'd barely believed it,but now he could believe it, oh yes,and he was going to put an end to it.Despite the pain of his overused muscles, his grip on the handle of his blade was sure. Rihan was fast, but he'd overcommitted to the last strike,and wasn't able draw back fast enough. Kalian rose and his blade made an audible sound, as he launched himself at Rihan. Rihan back-peddled, knowing when not to push his luck as Kalian hammered in with a series of rapid jabs; not meant to kill, but to tire, draw blood and to weaken. They were fended off with expert skill by the Rihan via his daggers and Kalian found new-found respect for his opponent growing by the moment.
Respect didn't mean like, for even as he found his respect growing for Rihan's skills, his disgust also grew with the way he had acted. This power, this skill...Turned to a good purpose they could have done wonders.What could he possibly think was worth slaughtering innocent men.... his men. Rihan and Kalian circled each other;the brief activity staled for now. There was silence save for Kalian's ragged breathing. After a brief moment they fought again. Weapons like lightning, moving so fast that to the average eye they could scarcely be seen at all. Slash, strike, dodge. Kalian tumbled to the ground and rolled as an underhanded swipe threatened to slice his chest in two.
Kalian tried to recover, but Rihan was faster and his daggers tore open a gash across the man's chest to join the multiple others that already wept blood across his body. Kalian lunged forwards and swept for Rihan's legs. With a single kick to the chest, the prince was sent spinning away. Rihan chased him;his daggers leaping for the man's back but Kalian regained control and countered with a barrage of swift thrusts. Rihan broke his run just in time, and just barely avoided being run thru.
The two locked eyes again and Rihan smirks triumphantly. Kalian leapt back as the wickedly sharp daggers slashed for his chest. He was fast; but the daggers nevertheless drew a pair of red lines across his skin. Kalian hissed in pain. Before he could recover, the Rihan reacted with a dozen shallow slashes and cuts. The aim was so true and so strong that it was all Kalian could do to parry them. Rihan seemed to posses a speed greater than his. Sweat dripped down his face as the prince realized that he was losing ground.
A crash of steel and the duo's weapons clashed again. Kalian angled it so that Rihan's would be deflected to the side. All he needed was one clean cut, but Rihan was just as skillful and held his position. Kalian's arms ached and for the first time in a while, Kalian got the idea that he was facing someone far above his own level. His arms burned,and his sword was starting to shake. Rihan just wouldn't back off. Was he some kind of Mage? Kalian had seen them before. Warriors who augmented their fighting skills with mystic forces,but a quick glance into his foe's amber eyes killed that thought quickly. No, this was not a warrior who relied on things beyond his own control. This was pure skill alone he was using.Whats more he probably was holding back to make it fair. Kalian felt a shiver across his spine. This was one fight he wasn't entirely certain that he could win. A quick roundhouse kick smashed into his gut and with a surprised exclamation, Kalian fell back into the wall. Instinct took over and he rolled just as Rihan's dagger descended like a guillotine and sliced into where his head would have been.
Kalian couldn't afford to fall here,he needed to avenge his friends. He surged forwards with a renewed offensive, weaving a web of steel about himself as the weapons met again and again. Each of the fighters almost seemed lost to their own minds. Striking so quickly and with such force that even a single error could be the difference between life and death.
This wasn't a fight between amateurs, or even a fight between experienced veterans. This was a battle to the death. This was the kind of battle Kalian had once dared to dream that he might once participate in, to defend his friends and family,but this was no childish daydream. This was real,and he was losing. It was obvious to anyone watching. He was tiring; his strikes were beginning to lack the force required to batter through his enemy's defenses.
Kalian struggled to bring his body back into line. He slipped beneath one of Rihan's swings and his sword licked out. Rihan parried quickly, but not quite fast enough. A red spot fouled his pristine face. Blood. But not enough. The wound was light. He still had victory virtually assured,and he laughed at the wound. An angered Kalian bellowed a battle-cry and charged, letting his calm demeanor slip away as he slipped on the mask of someone enveloped in pure rage. He charged forwards with a wild thrust.
There was a reason why emotions should not enter a battle. The prince had his arm extended, pointing his blade at a location that he used to stand in. Rihan now stood directly in front of the Kalian, on the right side of his blade that was pointed directly out. With his left hand grabbing for the princes forearm to make sure that Kalian couldn't bring the blade back in and stab, Rihan's right hand went for a upwards diagonal swipe from Kalian's right hip to his upper left arm with the sword he wielded. This man fought like someone who didn't know his weapon. He was using a Katana, a weapon crafted for fighters who used both hands on the hilt to deliver devastating, swift strikes. Using one hand to grip it and thrusting it like a rapier would only slow the mans movements, as well as weakening him.
Kalian face gains a startled look of pain as Rihan's free hand brought his elbow hard into his abdomen. The man coughed and his spittle was tinged red. For a fraction of a second, his grip weakened. Anyone else would have missed the chance, but Rihan was in the zone and such a thing wouldn't escape his keen eyes. With his free dagger, Rihan struck upwards and sent the blade flying into the air. This was Kalian's chance - perhaps his only one. With savage swiftness, he leapt high into the air to his catch his blade. He then brought his blade down in a crescent slash. Rihan moved as easily as a ghost, but even he couldn't evade the whole blade. The tip drew a dark line across his shoulder as Kalian landed. Crimson stained him again,but he did not cry out. Kalian followed through, intending to drive the tip through Rihan's heart with a thrust,but the thief stepped aside lightly and wrapped his arm around Kalian's wrist. There was a crack and a flash of pain as Kalian was thrown to the ground.
Kalian rolled again; noting the blinding pain from his arm in an almost absent-minded way. Broken wrist, maybe smashed. Using his sword arm, he pushed himself up again. He'd expected the attack to resume at once, but the Rihan had stalled to let him get to his feet. At times like this, he almost wondered why they fought as they did? What treasure had been brought to the manor,that would warrant such ?Would all this fighting have come to pass if he'd surrendered it ? All this killing and blood shed;could it have been avoided? He soon shook those thoughts away.
Rihan was skilled. Several cuts above the low level thugs and foreign mercenaries Kalian usually faced. As things were going now, he'd probably be the one to be killed. For most of his fights, Kalian could usually rely on his superior skills to see him through. This time however, he had a horrible feeling that he was the one outmatched.
He reached his sword and clenched it in his working hand. With an effort of will, he tried to focus on the fight at hand. It wasn't easy. The agonized throbbing of his broken arm made him feel that a dozen shards had been driven into it. He tested it for a half-second and found it worthless; he'd not be able to fight long like this. A strange feeling stole over him then. Was it...fear? Kalian was not a man used to fear. Oh, he inspired it pretty often that was true, and this wasn't the first fight he had been on the verge of losing. No. He wouldn't think of that. Not now. Especially not now. Spat. Spat .Blood dropped from the tip of his blade and the wounds on his chest. His chest heaved; gasping for air. Spat. Spat. Spat. The sound was all he could focus on. The sound of life itself dripping from the end of his blade. Falling into the spreading pool of crimson at his feet. Spat.
He made one last charge,trying to build up speed as he angled his blade for the next series of thrusts and parries. He only had one arm; he couldn't drag this out any longer. One way or another, this would be over in the next few minutes. Rihan had already taken his stance; arms crossed and body low. Rihan pushed of the ground and sped at Kalian. Rihan performs a quick and powerful cross slash with his daggers in order to cut the Kalian down. His blood sprays out like a geyser and he falls forward defeated,but not dead. Then, as though Kalian meant less than nothing Rihan turns to his opponent and starts to laugh. He flicks his blades to the side,to remove the blood. Rihan then walks up to a giant statue next to the throne that depicts a large beast.
This memory will always haunt you. You will be consumed with hate for me.Your punishment will be living with this defeat,and knowing that you'll explain to the families of the deceased how your weakness is to blame for the events that took place here. Rihan says harshly as Kalian slowly bleeds out. He lets out a breath and bows to the statue. Kalian props himself up to see what his men died for.
Rihan starts pressing secret panels on the statue that give off distinct clicks.The beast mouth opens revealing the treasure inside;a sleek box with a intricate symbol engraved on it. Rihan slashes horizontally and brakes the seal on the box. He then lifts the lid to reveal a sheath sword causing Kalian to speak out.
You killed my men for a stupid sword!! Are you insane? You..... The princes outrage his suddenly cut short as Rihan's dagger lodges itself into his chest causing him to instantly burst into blue shards. Rihan hears the congratulation messages familiar ping,and retrieves his dagger. After accepting the quest rewards,and looting Kalian he puts back on his overcoat and hat.
In this world, winning is everything; winners are validated and losers are denied. If you can't beat the game, if you can't solve the puzzle, you're nothing but a loser.
Total Loot: Daggers x2 Full armor set 10,000 Xing Basic Sword x1 Healing potion x2
Exp Gained: 2618/100=26x5=130XP Leftovers: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- During his time in Honura Rihan been approached by the criminal underground. It seemed his exploits had put him on their radar. They invited him to help them run a small casino in town. The casino was running well,and seemed to be attracting more and people everyday. All of the popular gambling areas were getting a bit more activity than usual since he started working there, and a lot of Xing was rolling in. Before they knew it, they would be able to expand their business to other floors. That would just be the beginning of their conquest. .
Rihan moved to his table. He had a special table that invites the high rollers to play there. His game was a bit harder because of the way he dealt. While he dealt, he could stack the cards he wanted without letting anyone possibly see what he was doing. After he set up his table, he made a motion to the group of high rollers awaiting to play. It was time to make some money for the casino. Three gentlemen sat down at the table, each with a trophy women clinging to their back, eager to watch them play.
"Alright, gentleman. Here's how the game plays. Aces go both ways, call it when showing cards. Minimum bet is five hundred Xing. Let's get this session rolling. Good luck ." Rihan popped out a deck of cards and each man dropped ten thousand dollars for their chips. Each of them got five blue chips, which were worth one thousand each. Each of them then got ten green chips, which were each worth five hundred. Upon receiving their chips, they tossed in their minimum bet. Rihan began to shuffle the deck. He slyly was arranging the cards as they jumps around between his hands. One of his tricks was to squeeze the deck and launch the cards one by one into his other hand about eight inches away. When he did this, he used sleight of hand to rearrange certain cards. After a few shuffles, Rihan slapped the deck to the table, perfectly stacked, and then tossed out two cards to each man and also two to himself. He couldn't start out by winning the game, so he played it out to let them win and get cocky before he cheated most of what they had altogether.
"Place your wagers gentlemen." Though, as he wasn't just a sucker like the people at the table, he smiled and would play this game with them. He would let them have some fun winning before they were robbed.
The player all liked the hands that they were dealt so far. High Roller A, a younger man with jet black hair and was known as the go to merchant , was dealt an eight of hearts and nine of clubs. He had a big grin on his face. He was hoping to be going for a straight with this hand, since he already knew he wouldn't be getting a flush. Rihan noticed this about that man and would use that to his advantage later. He'd be easy to pick on and easy to build up before tearing down. High Roller B was a middle-aged fisherman . He had a scruffy mustache and wore a cowboy hat. He looked like a sheriff at a formal dinner. He had shades on, probably because he didn't have a great poker face, so that he could mask his expression. He was dealt the four of clubs and the ace of hearts. It was a spread around hand, but it could always come back later to help him out. He'd just have to wait and see what was coming next. High Roller C was an elderly eleven gentleman. His white hair might have been seen a symbol of wisdom and experience, but he looked like a humble man. He was there with a nice-looking woman with a wide smile on her face; presumably being his wife since she was hanging over his shoulder and chatting with him cheerily about the card game. They seemed to be a nice couple of folks just looking to have a fun time and maybe go home with some extra cash to fool around with. New luxuries in the household were always a nice treat to get for yourself and a significant other. He was dealt the king of spades and the king of clubs. He was smiling and laughing with his wife about his luck in poker. Rihan placed his hand over the two cards he dealt to himself. He had a pair of tens in the clubs and spades. He wouldn't let himself win right away, but he'd make it look like he was getting good luck.
" Place your bets, gentlemen. Let's start this off slow so we don't lose much right away. Our motto is "High risk, high reward" but you don't have to go out of your comfort zone." Right as Rihan said that, High Roller A laughed and pushed another one thousand into the pot.
"I'm pumping up the stakes! I'm feeling lucky right now!" The man laughed heartily and looked to the other men, who just shook their heads at him and pushed in their bets to call his. They didn't bother raising it any high than it was.
"No more bets. I'm revealing the first three cards." Rihan took the top three cards of the deck and laid them out onto the table in order. Two of clubs, two of hearts, and king and diamonds. Right as this happen, the elderly man pushed in two thousand more. He looked over to the youngest man there and said, "Your move, sonny boy!" The young man called the bet, but High Roller B, the one in the shades and hat, folded and put his cards down.
"No more bets. Drawing next card." Rihan wanted to play the young one even further so he slipped the nine of hearts in there from his sleeve by using illusion power. He managed to slip that card in when he was shuffling just in case this event was happened. High Roller A began to get excited and bet even more into this. He pushed forward another one thousand, five hundred. He brought the wager up to five thousand for each of them. The elderly man called the bet. The pot had grown to a grand total of eleven thousand, five hundred and now was the time for the final card to be revealed. Rihan called for no more bets and then slipped in the nine of diamonds. He knew this would bring a bit more arrogance out of the younger man. He laughed and made an eye at the elderly gentleman. They spoke for a bit, trying to coax the other into raising the bet if they were man enough. Apparently neither of them were man enough to go higher and were ready to show.
"My fellow here wins our pot with a full house, kings over twos, which beats a three of a kind with nines. Better luck next time to you, sir, and congratulations to our winner."" Rihan pushed the pot of cash to the elderly fellow and his wife, who were giddy with excitement. " I recommend you take your winnings and either cash them in or play on a safer game. You seem quite happy with what you've earned and I actually have a meeting to catch. Our next dealer here won't be so forgiving." The couple moved on to their next activity, which was just a game of craps with low stakes. They just wanted to have fun with what they had earned. Rihan called for another dealer after slipping all the right cards back into the deck without allowing anyone to see. Rihan would quickly make his way across the casino to the bar. He'd reach of the edge of the bar and snatch a piece of candy he hidden, which he would then shove into his mouth and suck on for a moment before spitting it out into the garbage can. Without a word being said, he would retrieve his cloak and step out. He made his way into the lower quarters toward a bar. The laughter had long since faded from the bar, signifying the clientele had either packed up and left or had retreated to the apartments located above the business.
Six hours had passed since Rihan had seated himself on the sidewalk a few feet from the entrance, and the only thing that had changed was the amount of sake left in the bottle he'd been given. With a sigh, he tossed the bottle aside, smashing it on the side of the building. As he pushed himself to his feet,his muscles felt stiff from disuse, and his arms broke out in gooseflesh at the slight breeze. He picked up his bag, checking to make sure that nothing had fallen out on his walk there, and made his way to the front entrance. He glanced up once more at the faded red sign that was carved above the front door, before pulling hard on the wooden doors. They were heavy, and creaked loudly at his arrival. A gust of wind blew his unkempt grayish-brown locks around his face, blocking his vision for a moment.
"We're closed" a voice called from its depths, and Rihan pushed his hair out of his eyes with an irritated grumble.
He managed to take two steps inside before another gust of wind swung the door shut behind her with a loud thud. A man with blonde hair and glasses, who was wiping clean a mug behind the bar, seemed to be the owner of the voice he had heard. The rest of the bar was empty, causing his footsteps to echo loudly across the floorboards.The man paused a moment from what he was doing to glance up at the inconsiderate guest, and Rihan could feel his eyes take him in despite the darkness. His hair , still slightly tangled from the wind,his over coat, he even was distinctly aware of the faint scent of sake on his person. His bag bumped uncomfortably against his hip, so he hoisted it higher onto his shoulder.
The man set his mug down and leaned forward on the bar top. "Are one of us? " Rihan nodded his head once,and cloaks himself for a few moments. The bar keep stared at him a moment longer before reaching into his pocket and pulling out lighter. He plucked out a cigarette he had tucked behind his ear, lighting it and inhaling deeply. Rihan hand twitched involuntarily at the sight as he deactivated his cloak.
"You got a name." The orange ash glowed dimly, but illuminated his face enough so Rihan could make out a faint smile.
King of the Night, Nurarihyon. His voice was lax and calm, and yet his eyes never left the bar keeps. This was it. After this, there was no where else to go. His last resort.
The bar keep let out a small "Hmmm. What a fitting name. I'll remember it. " The barkeep said as he glanced up the stairs where a new figure approached. Rihan tightened his grip on the strap of his bag.
" Follow me. "the figure said.
The so-called Goddess of Shadow,Acosta Fendel,sat in a dark windowless room illuminated only by three lit candles. She is a young elven woman with long, light pink hair, and pale aqua-colored eyes. She uncrossed her legs that were propped up on the table in front of her because they were growing stiff from lack of use. With a heavy sigh, covered her face in her hand, sinking deeper into her chair. A knock came at the door behind her. She rolled her eyes and remained silent wondering idly what meaningless treasure they wished to bother her with now.
Boss... this is important. His voice came through the door. Lumina slid the hand on her face through her hair and grunted her response. Yea, it better be.She heard her first in command enter her room. His footsteps ceased several feet behind her.I-It's just like you said, Boss her second in command Takashi spoke. Acosta turned her head to acknowledge his presence, wondering what the breathless excitement in his voice could possibly mean. What? She finally huffed, exasperated. Did he expect her to read his mind. I-It's just like you said, Boss Our lookout just spotted the target at the station. Hair and eyes as black as the abyss,and a cloak to match. As well as the rune on the arm.
Acosta's breath caught in her throat. Shock made her feet fall off the table, her shoes slapping against the sandstone with a sharp crack. Her mouth hung openly as she stared into nothingness, completely stunned. Warmth swelled within her. She blinked a few times and regained her composure and closing her mouth before turning to look her subordinate in the face for the first time.
" Where is he? "Acosta asked. She was clearly interested now.
Upstairs in the bar with Ritcher. He said trying to piece things together. He'd only been with Acosta for a short while,and didn't know much about on a personal level. He had however notice a strange marking on her arm once in battle. Maybe it had something to do with a guild or something,he wasn't sure. Do you want us to prepare for a fight? He asked. No. Acosta said sternly. "He is extremely dangerous.""Then, shall we bring him in?" When Acosta thought of her answer, her lip curled a little to suppress a laugh. " You won't have to. He'll come to me. "Acosta stifled a chuckle. Her second in command opened his mouth to speak again but Acosta held up a finger. The meaning of the gesture was clear,but he was still perplexed by the growing glee on his bosses face. Acosta's heart was already racing to an alarming rate just knowing how close her old friend was and she was confident that in the end she could make him see reason.
".. Are you okay, Boss?"."The subordinate asked tentatively. Acosta cleared her throat. " Of course I am. Now listen, you are not to engage him. Act like you don't even notice him until I look him over. I need to be absolutely sure its him. " Acosta pushes him out and slams the door on his face. She leaned against the door and listened to his footsteps retreat before she covered her mouth with her hand to muffle her own sharp exhale. Her mind was racing.
He's here just like the others. Nurarihyon.... " Acosta shook her head and began to scold herself internally. Don't get your hopes up. Here is a subjective term. That he could be present in FAO would be a better phrase to use for the time being. You don't even know if it's truly him. "She let her eyes fall closed.
What if he doesn't remember you? "
" No. That's impossible. " Acosta muttered out loud.
The real Nura would. I know he would... "she mumbled.
He'll remember you, sure. He'll know what kind of relationship you shared. You'll want him to love you, but he's simply... not capable of feelings like that anymore."She shuts out these thoughts as the door opens.
