The night air was thick with tension and one didn't need a sixth sense to know that. Anyone with working brain cells and a sense for their surroundings knew that something was very wrong, and there was one benefit from all of the tragedy that seemed to follow him and his family in the past year. It hardened Daran Moreau to the harsh reality that there was more to this city than he thought he knew, and it had nothing to do with the mafiosos and shady criminals that he often hired himself out to. There was something dark and especially sinister about this city that he knew little to nothing about, and it seemed like the city had decided that he was ready to taste more of its secret this evening.
And what better way to clue someone in on the dark secret than to send one of those dark creatures after him? He had suspected he was being followed the moment he set out that evening, feeling the hair on the back of his neck rising and a sudden chill overtaking him, despite the rising temperature with the change of seasons. He often felt this way before but had ignored it, passing it off as nothing more than unfounded paranoia and merely allowing him to walk the city streets with caution. It was why he carried a concealed weapon in his briefcase and thus carried his briefcase ninety percent of the time he was out. Tonight was no different- in his briefcase, he held vital paperwork for keeping the shop's reopening on track, as well as a loaded pistol to calm his mind and protect himself, should anyone ever get any bright ideas. For the most part, people left him alone. Maybe they were put off by his stature- tall and not too thick but definitely muscular and fit, stern looking expression and a rather prickly aura of 'best step off' that others felt when around him. But to those stupid or desperate enough to try, he kept his briefcase at the ready and was never afraid of defending himself.
That was to be tested this evening, it seemed. The moment he locked up Sugar Shanty, he felt someone's eyes upon him, and the sensation lingered. He saw his car parked across the street and on a normal day, he would simply walk to his car and be on his way, giving little time for a thug to try and mess with him, but today, he took a chance. He walked past it. Not because too much was on his mind and he forgot where he parked, but because he had a mission. Tonight, he was going to get to the bottom of whatever darkness was lurking in this city, and what it might have to do with the deaths in his family, as well as the continued deterioration of his brother's mental state. Tonight, he was going to find out the truth. Tonight, he was going to do something incredibly stupid... for Richard's sake.
Whoever followed him was good at their job, he had to admit. Periodically he'd cast a glance over his shoulders and saw no one, but he knew better than to assume he was in the clear. Whoever it was that was stalking him was doing a great job at being hidden, which only seemed to strengthen Daran's resolve of confronting his pursuer and beating an answer out of him. The longer he walked, the more time he had to consider all of the strange events and how they may have been related, and with each tap of his heels to the pavement, he was growing more and more anxious. The one that pursued him, was he responsible for Lucca's death? His mother's? Krishna knew more than he was letting on and had all but confirmed it, and had Daran not seen the kind of suffering that his brother was going through time and time again, he might have waited for an answer to come. He knew Krishna, or thought he did at one point. Krishna would have told him if he felt he was ready to know, but the decision to not tell him likely came from Richard himself, and that only drove the stake deeper and deeper within Daran. Either his brother was too afraid of whatever was attacking him getting to his brother, or he didn't trust him to be able to help him... and that was unacceptable to Daran. He was his brother... how could he trust anyone more than he could trust his own brother?
It did not occur to him at the moment that Richard may have been trying to protect him and by telling him nothing, he was sparing him from whatever trouble he found himself in. Of course, this thought had crossed his mind when he caught a glimpse of whatever was following him, but even then, that would not distract Daran from the desire to seek vengeance for his family right now. Daran didn't need protection and he would not hide from a threat, and that thought came to mind when he felt something... inhuman about that small glimpse he caught of his pursuer. Was it a dog? He came to a full stop and looked behind him, but whatever it was, it was gone from sight.
Krishna had said that there were monsters in this city and Daran foolishly believed the rainbow-haired to merely being metaphorical when he said this to him the night before. Now he wasn't so sure. Whatever he saw was walking on all four and was hunched, and he had done many hunting excursions on his own to recognize most of the animals that resided in the northeast and back in Texas. And what little he did see? Looked like nothing he had seen before.
Still, Daran did not shirk. He looked over his surroundings before continuing his trek, though the moment he started walking, he was moving to open his briefcase as discreetly as possible. Whatever was stalking him would soon learn the difference between the Moreau twins the hard way, and never before was he grateful for his borderline paranoia that at this given moment, as the moment he felt his fingers wrap around the pistol, he could hear whatever it was running directly at him, clawed feet scratching against the sidewalk and giving away its intentions. Anything running at him at that speed couldn't be good, and Daran spun around and took aim, ready to fill it with lead and poke the caucaus for answers later. And yet, not a single bullet flew from the gun- there was no one to stop him but himself, and for a seasoned hunter to find himself frozen with disbelief, that had to say something for the creature that he found approaching him now. It was massive, grotesque, far larger than any dog he had ever see, though it appeared to be missing a face, and in its place was something akin to nightmares. Daran wanted to open fire on the beast, but his hand seemed frozen and the act could not be committed, and he watched in silent horror as whatever the hell it was jumped into the air with a lion-like pounce, dagger like claws extended and face splitting open to reveal a spiral row of teeth. Finally, he moved, but it wasn’t spent firing his gun. No, that would have been smart and heaven forbid he do something sensible. Instead, he lifted his arm to his neck, knowing that whatever it was, it would go straight for the throat, crushing its jaws down on it with the intention of silencing his screams and then blocking the airway. Yes, he had seen enough hunting shows on his own to understand that common predator tactic, and he had survived a cougar attack on more than on occasion to know what to expect. And with his other hand, while the beast would bite down on his hand, he’d use his briefcase to slam against its face, in hopes of freeing himself and getting enough distance to make up for the shot he had yet to fire. Whatever this thing was, he had no intention of just rolling over… not today!
As expected, it tried to close its spiral jaws around Daran's arm and the moment it was close enough, Daran let it have it, smashing his briefcase against its face and managing to hit one of its many eyes. It let out a pained howl, but before the bluenette could even think to celebrate or follow up, one of his six-digit paws came and slammed against his side, sending the 5'11", two-hundred plus pound man flying through the store front window of the antique pottery store as though he were nothing more than a ragdoll. Glass and tempered clay shattered all around him and Daran wasn't sure which of the many shelves he hit had brought the stars to his vision when he finally landed, but it was clear that he wouldn't be moving any time soon, thanks to the assault. Within a matter of seconds, Daran was rendered useless, and suddenly, he realized what Krishna had meant when he said there were monsters in Destiny City.
He was sore, so very sore, and it was his hunter's instincts that told him to not move. Whatever the creature was, there was a chance it would think him dead and leave him be, but there was something that told Daran that it wasn't something to hope for. This wasn't any animal that he knew of... this was something else, something not of this world... and whatever that unearthly abomination was, it was stalking towards him. He could hear its approach by the crunching of of glass and clay beneath its feet, the snuffling of the two holes that he figured were its nose... it was looking for him, and all Daran could do was lay there in the wreckage of the store, surrounded by pottery and destruction.
For a moment, he wondered if this was what happened to his and his brother's store. Was this what happened to Richard and Lucca that night? The decimation of the store, the broken state of shelves, glass and walls, and even more broken state of Richard... had he witnessed such an attack? Was this what happened? He could feel something churning deep within him, something strong and potent, and it caused him to give up his game of playing dead. He moved, starting with his curled fists, and he looked up, but he didn't see the store around him nor the monster that continued its search. He saw a single clay cup before him, clearly visible against a starry night, and a figure masked in multicolored lights standing before him. Daran looked up at the figure and could find no words... what could one say when presented before a sight? Was he dying? Was he already dead? Impossible... his heart still beat furiously within his chest and each beat was fueled by the red hot fire of revenge, for Lucca, for his mother, for Richard. He couldn't be dead.
'What do you desire?'
He wasn't sure if it was the figure before him that asked this, or himself. Things were getting hazy and all Daran could look at was the small, clay cup that was just within arm's reach. What did he want? Revenge. He wanted to find those responsible for the attacks on his family and make them pay.
'What do you truly desire?'
He found himself moving an arm towards the cup, as if it was the right thing to do. He considered the question and once again, the thought of avenging his family came to mind, but it went deeper than that, and he knew it. What he desired, truly desired... "I want my brother to be well again... more than anything. I just want him well..."
'Then take the cup.'
The voice commanded, and Daran obeyed. With shaky hands, he finally reached for the cup, grasping within his fingers and feeling a surge of power rush through his entire body. He wasn't sure what to make of it and he didn't think to fight it. The monster that had been just feet away turned to the sudden flash of light but it was too late to stop it. Daran's body was consumed with the light and at that moment, everything changed. His business suit faded away and gave way to a pastel white and stars adorned him, covering various parts of his form and shining as he found himself standing once again though with little memory of how he managed such a feat. In place of Daran Moreau was Sarras Page of the Cosmos, and to his front, there was a very mystified youma, though it would not remained stunned for long. The man may have changed, but the situation he found himself in? Not in the least.
"... son of a b***h."
(Word Count: 2176)
