Welcome to Gaia! ::

~Chapter 1; Blood Journey~

Ryan held a wooden stake and charged forward at the hissing vampire. Her red eyes sparkled in the sunlight and her long brown hair dropped down around her face. An excited look was in her eyes and she held the stake away from her body as she slashed at the demon. Other then the mixed look of excitement and hate in her eyes, she was emotionless. Ryan took a quickly step forward and slashed. The vampire was fast, but Ryan had thrown it off balance a little and that was all she needed to make the kill. She leaped into the vampire, going straight for the heart. Her small body slammed into the vampire and the stake went through cleanly. She wasn't able to yank her stake out quick enough and fell to the ground along with the vampire's body. She parted her pink lips and let out a sigh of frustration before pulling the stake out. She took a step back and gave the vampire a disgusted look. 
"That's what the dirty demon gets. Hpmh. Disgusting creatures. Parasites." Ryan said, shaking her head before putting her stake up calmly and beginning to walk back. She heard the slight rustle of bushes and had her stake back out into her hand in a flicker of one graceful movement. She twirled it once before getting into a low position and scanning the area with her careful eyes. She wanted to make sure there weren't any more vampires around. A lot of vampires like to work in pairs and you had to make sure to not get caught off guard by a attack from the second one. Ryan's body was tense and her senses alert. Her ear twitched slightly, the rustling coming again. She flicked her stake into the bushed and then pulled out her twin daggers right after. Ryan had weapons all over her body so she'd never be without one. She watched the spot and continued to listen. After a few moments of silence, Ryan went in after her stake. 
It was lodged firmly into a tree and Ryan sighed. "I could've sworn there was something there. Oh well. It doesn't matter too much I suppose." Ryan said to herself. She put her twin daggers up and was about to grab the stake when a fist connected to her face, causing her to fall right over. Ryan rolled over, standing up and jumping back as fast as her feet would let her. A vampire had axed kicked right where Ryan's head had been just a second ago. 
"You're a fast little parasite aren't you?" Ryan said calmly. In a flicker of movement, Ryan had one of her twin daggers out. She held it in a backwards fashion where the hilt of the dagger was held by her thumb and index finger and the blade of the dagger was near her pinky finger rather than the other way around. Ryan slashed at the vampire quickly, only to miss. Ryan growled slightly and then continued to attack. The vampire was a lot faster and stronger then Ryan, but Ryan was able to keep the vampire on defense. Ryan moved to the side quickly. She narrowly dodged the vampire's nimble hand. She ducked down and then rolled forward. She rolled right under the vampire who had lunged forward to attack. Ryan quickly kicked the vampire in the back of the leg, just below the knee. The vampire stumbled for a second and that was all Ryan needed to finish it off. She drove the dagger straight through the vampire's heart and then twisted it to make sure the vampire would stay dead. Ryan pulled the dagger out and then jumped back, just in case she had missed. The vampire fell forward, dead. 
Ryan relaxed and put up her dagger. She had never seen vampires living in groups more than three and by the way the two vampires had acted, Ryan was sure there wasn't another one after them. Ryan went to her stake and yanked it out. It was difficult to do because Ryan had lodged it firmly into the tree when she had thrown it. Once she finally had gotten it out of the tree, Ryan's arms hurt from all of the action. She put the stake up and then turned around. She wondered if there was a hunter town around here. Based on the way the vampires had seemed to expect to find humans it would make the most sense. Ryan sighed before choosing a direction and walking towards it. She needed to rest.
Moon stepped out of the shadows a curious look on his pale face. His careful gaze rested on Ryan for a moment before he looked at the body of the vampire. He shook his head and then sighed softly. He had never seen such a young hunter that fierce before. Moon looked at the scar in the tree from Ryan's stake and then shuddered. That had almost been his head. Moon looked at Ryan again, wondering if he should follow her or not. Moon debated for a second before making his decision. 
Moon followed Ryan silently and quickly. His feet gently taped the ground repeatedly as she ran after Ryan quickly. Up ahead, Moon saw Ryan's small and running figure and dropped back a little so he was just barely seeing the back of Ryan. He didn't want Ryan to have any chances of catching him following her. Moon was very good at following people without them knowing and following a hunter as young as Ryan looked was fairly easy for Moon. He wasn't spotted and never lost Ryan. His eyes never left her back.
Moon was surprised when Ryan led him into a hunter town since she looked so much like a vampire herself, but none of the hunters attacked. They just stood there and glared at her coldly for a moment before going back to whatever they were doing. One of Moon's eyebrows rose and he tilted his head to the side, wondering why no one attacked her and called her a vampire. Moon continued following Ryan calmly and out of pure curiosity, but he stayed in the shadows. Moon silently thanked his power to disappear into the shadows that kept him from being noticed. 
Moon had no doubt that he would be able to fend off any and all hunters that attacked him since he had been living for so long. He just didn't want to hurt any of the hunters. Yes, they attacked and killed his kind, but Moon knew that was only in retaliation to everything that the supernatural had done to the humans. That, and the fact that there were so few humans left that Moon really didn't want to hurt or kill more of them since there were so few already. Moon sighed softly after finally shaking himself from his thoughts. He looked over at Ryan noticing how young she looked.
Ryan walked through town calmly. She ignored all of the looks since she got them wherever she went. At least here she wouldn't get attacked unless a new hunter was there because she had been to this town several times even though she still only found it by luck each time she came. Ryan was terrible with directions, but she didn't really care if she ever got lost. Ryan walked along calmly, all of her weapons that she always carried making nearly no noise because of the way she walked. Ryan suddenly heard a loud thud behind her and tilted her head to the side quickly. An arrow flashed by, right where her head had been the moment before. A small cut appeared on her cheek and blood dripped out of it slowly. Ryan touched one of her pale finger to it, wiping away the blood and then licking it off of her finger. Ryan turned around calmly and looked at the boy that stood in front of her.
The boy looked a few years older than her, but was still young for a hunter. Ryan was impressed that this boy was attacking her. Another arrow was shot and Ryan dodged easily before crossing her arms and watching the boy. It was quite obvious to her that he was only trying to get a good reputation with the other hunters. "You must be new. I hope you realize that I'm not a vampire or the others would've attacked. I pretend to be a vampire so other vampires don't expect anything when I attack. My eyes are red because of contacts and my teeth are naturally long. Consider those facts before attacking because I can't guarantee your safety if you fight with me." Ryan said calmly. Just to prove her point Ryan touched her eye with her finger gently and then pulled it away. Ryan held up a red contact. Without that one Ryan's eyes were a dark brown with a tint of red to it. Ryan put the contact back in, her eyes looking a dark red again. Ryan looked at the boy with a smirk and then crouched into a fighting position. Ryan had noted that the boy's expression hadn't changed and got ready for a fight.
Another arrow was shot and Ryan ran towards it. She jumped over it quickly before diving at the boy and punching him in the face. The boy tried to retaliate, but Ryan was too fast and easily jumped back, dodging the boy's wild swing. The boy jumped back as well and notched another arrow. His eyes left Ryan for a moment and that was all the Ryan needed. She sprinted forward quickly and jumped over the boy. By the time he had looked up, Ryan was behind him. She didn't hesitate as she knocked him out cold with a swift blow to the neck. "Easy as always. Might as well take him to the tavern. No need to leave him out here in the middle of the street." Ryan mumbled to herself before slinging the boy over her shoulder and picking up the bow with her hand. She turned around calmly and then walked to the tavern.
Ryan opened the door with her free hand and walked inside. There were mostly men in the tavern, but there were some women. Ryan chuckled as she noted that everyone seemed to be in an agitated mood rather than their typical cheery selves. Ryan liked it better this way because when it was like it normally was Ryan had to dodge people fist fighting. The even more annoying thing was that it normally wasn't over anything in particular. They just simply felt like wasting their time by fighting. Occasionally it was interesting to watch, but Ryan normally just found it annoying.
Ryan walked up to the bartender and owner and then said, "One room please." The man nodded and handed Ryan a key before holding out his hand for money. Ryan shuffled around in her pocket and pulled out some money. She handed it to the man and quietly muttered, "Keep the change." Ryan turned around and then walked upstairs to the inn part of the tavern. She walked up to a room and put the key into the keyhole and turned it. Ryan could clearly hear the click of the lock and pushed open the door before walking inside. She set the boy down on the bed and then put the bow leaning against the wall. It was a pretty big bow for the size of the boy. Ryan sighed softly and then went to take off the rest of the boy's weapons. She didn't want him to accidentally stab himself in his sleep. Ryan turned the boy over and took the arrow container off of his back. Ryan turned the boy back over and then scanned him for more weapons. Ryan was shocked to see that he didn't have any other weapons.
"Only a long range weapon? This guy's gotta be kidding me. A bow and arrows and that's it? He's lucky he attacked me before trying to hunt anything or he would've been toast." Ryan hissed to herself. Ryan shook her head and sighed softly before sitting on the floor calmly and closing her eyes, letting her thoughts take over.
Moon followed Ryan calmly. He thought back to her fighting the boy and muttered, "She's good." Moon followed Ryan into the tavern quietly. He kept his head down and his hood up. He had seen Ryan go upstairs and sat at a table before ordering a drink. He was thankful that the area wasn't loud and annoying. Places like that always annoyed him greatly. Moon watched the stairs calmly from his little corner in the back. He was right near a shadow that would be big enough for him to hide in so just in case a hunter looked over his way and noticed something fishy about him, Moon would be able to hide quickly and easily. Moon felt a few eyes on him, but nothing that would set off any alarms. When Moon got his drink he gulped it down. It was just plain water. It was the best water in his mind since he hadn't had any for a long while. Moon was on the run and had been that way for a while. His existence was a threat to a large company and they didn't want him to get in the way. Moon sighed softly and rested his head on the table before closing his eyes for a moment he also hadn't had every much rest in a long while. It was all starting to get to him. Moon sighed softly and tried to stay awake, but he found himself slowly giving into the beckoning calls of the sleep that awaited him. 
Ryan watched the boy calmly for a long time. After a while she took out the red contacts that made her look very much like a vampire. She sighed softly and glanced at the boy. Memories began to swarm in her head, but she quickly shook them away. "No. That's all in the past. I have to keep moving forward.... even if it kills me." Ryan muttered to herself softly. Her hair blew around a little as she opened the window and looked out at the sky. It had become night time while Ryan waited for the boy to wake up. Ryan stared up at the sky and rested her arm on the window sill. She longed to be out in the forest running around like she normally was at night. Ryan loved the night sky and being out at night. 
Suddenly, Ryan heard shuffling and turned around quickly before jumping to the side. An arrow whizzed past her and Ryan landed on her feet lightly. She looked into the dark blue eyes of the boy with a smile. The boy returned the looked with a glare and notched another arrow. Ryan dodged again before jumping at the boy and knocking the bow out of his hands. The boy slammed his fist into Ryan's stomach as hard as he could. Ryan grimaced and then grabbed both of the boy’s arms with her hands and pinned him against the wall. Ryan, being the stronger of the two, was able to keep the boy pinned. Her smile turned into a frustrated frown. 
The room seemed to be frozen. Even the gentle and nice breeze from the wide-open window had stopped. Ryan was losing her cool and the boy seemed to be very upset. "Why can't you get it through your head that I'm not a vampire? If I was you'd be dead or turned so stand down or I might kill you." Ryan said before shoving the boy to the side and pulling out a knife the she always had on her. She had taken off the rest of her weapons earlier. Ryan never went without a weapon if she could help it. 
"My name is Caine Akuma the Hunter! I swore on my little sister's deathbed that I'd take out all supernatural beings! I won't stop!" Caine growled before attacking again. He didn't have a weapon to use against Ryan's, but that wasn't going to stop him. He took Ryan by surprise and was able to deliver a swift kick to her hand and knock the knife out of it. His feet barely tapped the floor before launching himself at Ryan with his fist curled into a tight ball. Caine missed and got a foot to the face. He stumbled back, stunned.
"I'm Ryan. I follow my own path and hunter all supernatural things." Ryan said with a grin as she jumped back. Her eyes glistened, but she knew if this fight didn't move soon things were going to get broken. Ryan glanced at the window and then looked at Caine with a suggestive smirk. "Shall we take things outside?" Ryan asked before jumping out the window head first. They were two stories up, but that wasn't going to stop Ryan. She had launched herself out of a four story building and had made it away with a bunch of injuries, but nothing too bad. Ryan twisted herself quickly and landed on her feet easily. She waited for Caine to follow. Her eyes were narrowed into slits as she watched the window. 
Caine watched Ryan jump out the window and, for a split second, thought that she had just killed herself before realizing that Ryan wouldn't be stupid enough to kill herself. Dispite the fact that Caine was trying to beat Ryan, he had a small shred of respect for her and was beginning to think that she might not be a vampire and could truely be a hunter. Caine smirked and then ran to the window before jumping out. He pushed off the ledge with his feet at the last second and flipped so he was behind Ryan when he landed. Caine turned around to face Ryan and got in a fighting stance. "You may be a hunter, but you've insulted me by so easily beating me. I won't stop until you prove that you're not just too chicken to fight me." Caine stated calmly before charging at Ryan. Caine dodged a blow to his head and then went to punch Ryan in the gut again. He narrowed his eyes when he missed and then continued to attack fiercly and powerfully. He meant business.
As the stars shone down on the two fighting figures, Moon's head shot up as he heard the sounds of fighting. Moon stood up quickly and looked around, not seeing any signs of fighting. "Where am I?" Moon mumbled before gasping. He looked around and remembered that he had followed Ryan into a hunter town and then to the tavern. Moon looked around and didn't see anyone around. As he looked around he noticed a wall with a bunch of papers posted up on it. Moon looked at it slightly confused. He sighed softly and stretched. He would've loved to be able to go off into the forest and run around in his true form, but Moon knew he had business that he needed to attend to. Moon pulled the hood up on his cloak and kept his face down so no one would notice him. He assumed it was night since no one was around, but Moon was always one to take extra precautions. He walked over to the wall and looked at it. His eyes widened as he realized that it was a wall of bounty posters. He recongized his facce and tore the poster down angrily. Idiots. I'm trying to help and here I am with a bounty on my head. Moon thought. He sighed softly and then walked out of the tavern, trying to hide his annoyance. His fist was clenched into a tight ball as he neared the sounds of fighting. Moon felt that one sensation he always got whenever he was around people fighting or in the middle of fighting. Guilt washed over into Moon's eyes as he walked calmly. When Moon got to the scene of Caine and Ryan fighting he sighed. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, but Moon knew he had to interrupt. This was his chance to grab Ryan and take her to somewhere where she'd have to listen to him. Moon locked his eyes on Caine and got ready. Ryan could possibly be the key to fixing the mistake he had made that changed the world and Moon wasn't going to let her slip out of his grasp. 
Moon looked up at the moonless sky he sighed softly. Moon suddenly howled loudly up at the sky. His dark hair became longer and his human ears disappeared only to be replaced by two furry wolf ears. The back of Moon's pants and cloak ripped open as a puffy wolf tail grew. Moon's fingers turned into fearsome looking claws and his pupils became narrow slits surrounded by deep pools of dark blue. This was his true form.
Caine and Ryan both heard the howl and froze. They turned around quickly and both got into a fighting position. "Lycan. Caine, can you hold him off for a little bit?" Ryan said, her gaze locked on Moon. Ryan glanced at Caine when he nodded and then nodded back to him. Caine charged at Moon bravely with his fists balled up. Caine knew that he had to be careful or he'd get sliced to pieces. Caine jumped back in time to dodge a strike and then rushed forward, punching Moon in the gut. Moon growled in frustration and then wacked Caine as hard as he could with the back of his claws so it wouldn't cut Caine, only hurt him a lot. Ryan quickly started climbing the building up to the open window of the room she and Caine had jumped out of. Caine stumbled to him feet and then charged at Moon again. "Dirty lycan!!" Caine yelled angrily. He knew that he was out matched, but he had to give Ryan time to do whatever she was doing. Caine went to punch Moon again, only for Moon to dive into a shadow and disappear completely. Moon reappeared behind Caine from a shadow a little bit behind him and wacked him on the neck quickly and powerfully. Caine crumpled to the ground as the darkness consumed his mind. 
Ryan nearly made it to the window before a hand grabbed her and pulled her off the ledge. Ryan twisted her head to find Moon right behind her with a tight grip on her shoulder. Fear struck her heart as she looked for Caine. Please, please..... Please let him be alive!!! Ryan thought to herself as she went to attack Moon. Moon dodged the attack by using his other hand to grab the fist that she had tried to use to attack him. Moon quickly let go of Ryan's shoulder and wrapped it around Ryan's neck, cutting off her air. Ryan struggled as much as she could before slowly passing out. Moon landed on the ground gracefully and then sighed, holding Ryan. He looked over at Caine and then sighed again. He only needed Ryan, but he couldn't leave Caine just laying there. If he did, the hunters would get suspicious and try to chase after them. Moon set Ryan down next to Caine and then climbed the building quickly. He used a bag to collect all of Ryan and Caine's stuff before looking for some rope. Moon found some under one of the beds and took it. "Why in the world was there rope under a bed...." Moon said shaking his head. Moon then went out the window by jumping. He turned to Ryan and Caine and walked up to them. He quickly tied them up and then slung them over his shoulder before walking away with Ryan on his shoulder and Caine in his right hand while in his left hand he held all of their stuff. Moon quickly headed off for the woods.
Ryan woke up to someone poking her. Ryan's eyes fluttered open and she looked around with a confused expression on her face. She was still half-asleep. Ryan didn't see anything and closed her eyes, only wishing to go back to sleep. Ryan's eyes flickered open when someone poked her again. "Ryan. Ryan. Pssst. Wake up." Someone growled in Ryan's ear. Ryan recognized the voice and fully woke up. "Wha-" Ryan stuttered out before being silence by the voice saying, "Hush! He'll hear you." Ryan narrowed her eyes and looked into the woods. Memories of the night before flooded into her head and Ryan slammed her head against the tree that she was tied up to. "Caine.... Crap... I can't believe we got caught, but why didn't he just kill us. Most supernatural just kill for fun or kill to eat." Ryan whispered to Caine quietly. 
Caine was tied up to the other side of the tree and then said, "Yeah, I know. I can't get the rope loose either and he took all of our stuff. Dirty lycan." Caine sighed angrily before yelping in surprise. Moon put his face right in front of Caine's face. Moon looked Caine in the eyes calmly. "Just be happy that I didn't leave you to get mocked by the other hunters. I only need her. Anyway, I'll explain everything soon. That's why I tied you two up. I need you to listen to me and I can't do that while you're attacking me. Oh, and by the way, I'm Moon. I already know your names though. I could hear you talking earlier, Ryan and Caine." Moon said with a grin before moving away from Caine's face. Moon walked around the tree and looked at Ryan calmly. 
"Ryan.... hmmm.... You know about the incident of the moon being destroyed correct? Well, I'm sure you have heard. Although, something you don't know is that there's a way to restore it. My sister, a witch, gave me a prophecy a long time ago. It spoke of a girl that lives with one foot in both worlds. Both worlds being the supernatural side and the human side. I think you are this person. I looked through your bag and you have things to make you look like a vampire so supernatural will approach you without worrying that you're a hunter and you spend a lot of your time acting like a supernatural being, but you're a human hunter. If I bring you to my sister she'll tell me for sure if you're the one. I want you to come with me. If you agree I'll give you all your stuff back and your friend can come along too. I mean, what do you have to lose? Two hunters with all their gear against one lycan. You don't need to be afraid and it's just one little trip into the forest. Plus, if you are the one then you have a way to drastically reduce the numbers of the supernatural because reversing the effects means all of the humans that became supernatural would become human again. So... will you joining me?" Moon said as he crossed his arms.
"No wa-" Caine said getting cut off by Ryan saying, "Alright. I'll go with you so you can test your insane theory, but you have to let that bonehead go. He has nothing to do with this and I barely know him." Ryan looked at Moon calmly and then glanced behind her and looked at Caine. "NO WAY! You are not gonna go off with this.... this... lycan without some back up! I'm going if you're going!" Caine shouted at the top of his lungs. Ryan laughed a little and then looked at Moon. "So, we both go. Now get us out of this rope." Ryan snapped at Moon. 
Moon laughed a little and then said, "Alright!"  Moon cut the ropes quickly and then helped Caine and Ryan up. He half expected them to attack, but they didn't. Moon walked over to their stuff and gave it to them. Once they were ready Moon nodded. "Alright then. This is going to be dangerous, so be warned. Now, follow me." Moon said calmly before turning towards the thicker part of the forest. Moon closed his eyes and was for a moment, uncertain that he was doing the right thing. Moon shook his worries away and then head into the woods with Ryan and Caine following after.
A shadowy figure stood off to the side. He was very calm and seemed to be floating in the air. He watched Moon, Ryan, and Caine pass by with a sigh. He looked up to the sky with a longing look. The boy looked kind of faded out, but when he leaned against a tree he remained solid. "I hope they're ready. This truly will be a bloody journey for all involved." The boy said before vanishing from sight.
{End}