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Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 6:02 pm
Ok, well, for those who know about the bloodmoon rps in the guild, you may recognize some of the characters and pieces in this post. For those who don't, go to the rp forum and start reading Vampire/Werewolf version of bloodmoon first and then read the End of Days one, and if you find any of them to be interesting, please join the End of Days rp! Anyway, as some of you know, I am a writer, and one of the things I do when I'm bored is write these huuuuuuuge long documents that go on for pages and pages for future posts that I'll make. For the ones that are going to be super long [ie a page or more on word with 11pt font], I had the idea of posting the entire thing here, and then when it comes time for it to show up in the rp, writing a smaller version of it for the post along with a link to the full version here. I'll be posting segments similar to this up as I finish them, if none of the other Crew members or our Captain or Vice Captain see a reason for this to be deleted. For those ones, I'll just give them the title of the document I have it saved as plus "[insert appropriate rp] segment" after the title. so for example, I may later change this topic's title to be: Rathe's Past, Bloodmoon EoD segment
Well, without further ado, here's Rathe's past. [ps. I will add pictures in later if possible so people can get a sense of who exactly is talking. it won't be like an rp post though, where in front of every. single. different. character's. dialogue there's another pic. you'll all see what it'll actually be lik if I get around to it.]
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Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 6:24 pm
Rathe sat by the fire Graed had made while the kid tried to get Rafe to turn wolf and give him a ride. The girl Kara sat at the opposite side, watching the two. Rathe stared at her skeptically, every rational and logical fiber said that this wasn’t Kiru, but it was extremely unlikely that he’d meet someone with the same last name who looked exactly as her and acted, spoke, and thought the exact same way. He wasn’t sure he bought the whole amnesia story, but at the same time he couldn’t say for sure that it wasn’t true. “Boss, what are you planning to do? She could be the same girl.” “I saw her die. It can’t be her…” he said in response to his hand’s sudden statement. “As for what I’m planning, as soon as the Damn Pup’s abilities start working again, I’m going to have him take a good hard look in her mind. After that, I’m not sure.” “So, who is this ‘Kiru’ girl you seem so fixated on anyway?” “You’ve met her before.” “I have? Funny, I don’t remember that.” “It was a long time ago…” “So remind me who she is.” Rathe was silent for a while. Finally, he spoke up. “She’s the girl who got me to be what I am today… and the only one I’ve ever cared about…” For the first time in centuries, he allowed himself to look back on the past he so carefully had forgotten. He had been separated from D for a year as the Hunter traveled in search of bigger targets. At 17 he was used to D going off on his own. It suited him better too, while D was gone he worked as a mercenary on the side. Recently, he had been hired for a standard recon job, infiltrate the mansion where his target was, gain some information, and report back to his employer before the main job began. It was easy enough, a simple matter of scaling the wall and avoiding the guards that wandered around. Once he was inside, it was just a small task to map out the entire building, taking note of every possible escape route before going after the target. It took just under an hour to complete the job, and his employer was pleased with the results. That night, he was to go back, eliminate the target, and bring back some valuable trinket that was supposed to be on the premises. As he returned from another successful job, having been paid well, he stopped at one of the black market pubs to see what else he could find. The place was crawling with informants, thieves, mercenaries, bounty hunters (which was what Rathe usually worked as), and the like.“Yo Rathe, haven’t seen you here for a while,” the bartender called out as he came in. “Where’ve you been?”“Doing some side jobs here and there,” he replied, taking a seat at the bar. “Anything new?” “Word around is a big bounty is hanging around Lenor,” the man said, referring to the next town as he grabbed a glass and a bottle of Rathe’s usual poison. “Some feller by the name of Jags.”Rathe’s interest was piqued, Jags Corv, also known as Jag the Shadow Reaper. He had a bounty on his head of 30 mil dead or alive, making him one of the top bounties of the a-class killers. Jags had only had a picture taken once, though it was such poor quality he might as well been a blank sheet like some s-classes. He had a habit of hunting in big areas, somehow coming out of any shadow to slice his prey to pieces, leaving his signature hourglass behind filled with their blood. “Why’s he in Lenor? There’s nothing much there for him to play with, just some small town peasants and a few higher ups.” “Beats me, but there’s more. From some of the reports, he’s taken on a little apprentice, someone named Set Wolfe.”Now Rathe was hanging on to each word. Set was a greenhorn in the underground, a simple 300, the usual price of the e-class. But if he was working with Jags, then he had begun moving up in the world. Rathe got as much information as he could out of the man, paid him well and set off to stake out Lenor. He was stopped at the door as someone said his name. “Rathe Syn, human, usually accompanied by the Dhampir ‘D,’ an ss-class Hunter.”He turned around and saw a girl sitting at a table nearby, she had a small book open in front of her. “Sorry, can I help you?” he said, a little irritated. Half the other bounty hunters in the pub had left as soon as they heard about Jags, intent on claiming the money. If he didn’t want to split the prize he needed to go immediately. The girl raised her head and eyed him. “Not what I had been expecting from someone who’s going to be an s-class bounty hunter soon with a few more captures, or a soon-to-be s-class bounty if he continues being a mercenary,” she said, going back to her book, writing something in it.“Excuse me? Just who the hell do you think you are, spouting off crap like that?” Rathe narrowed his eyes at the girl, placing his hand on his hip. S-class bounty his a**. The girl ignored him, making a few more notes in her book.Rathe slammed his palm onto the table, ticked off at the girl. “I said, who the-.”“I heard you the first time,” the girl interrupted, putting the book down to look at him like he was some guy who wouldn’t stop trying to buy her a drink. “There’s no need to repeat yourself, or do you like the sound of your voice that much?”“Why you little-!”“With a temper like that it’s no surprise why there’s a bounty being built on you.” The girl stood up and put the book into her pocket. “If you must know, my surname’s Eve, that’s all you get to know about me. By the way,” she said, heading to the door, pausing at it. “that story about Jags being in Lenor is false. He’s nowhere near there.”“And how would you know that?” “Because,” she said as she left the pub, “I’m the one who made it up.”Rathe stared after her, a vein throbbing on his head in irritation while his jaw was dropped in disbelief. That was the first time he met Kiru, but it was far from the last. A week later he ran into her again while he was going after a small time d-class no-name. D still hadn’t come back from his job, but Rathe knew that his mentor would find him when he was done. The target had been involved in several minor thefts, but the bounty was 1,000, and that would be enough to get him a new sword, his last one had broken during his last job. He caught the bounty in question and hauled him back to the nearest bounty claim. He had just received his pay when a familiar voice rang out. “We meet again.”Rathe turned around and groaned. “Not you again.” Eve stood in front of him, hauling another bounty that was knocked out and tied up.“So you hunt too? Great,” Rathe groaned again. He eyed her as she collected her pay, able to get a good look at her in the light of the sun. She was the same age as him he guessed, her lightish brown hair had grown a little, reaching down just past her shoulders. She had hazel eyes, which she narrowed when she caught him looking. “See anything you like?” she said tersely. Rathe looked away instantly. “As if.” “You really don’t interact with others that much do you?”“What’s it to you?” Eve turned and waved her hand over her shoulder. “Just an observation. Until next time.”“As if there’ll be a next time,” he huffed and turned. They ran into each other several times over the next two months, and Rathe found himself reluctantly looking forward to their next meeting. About a week after their last encounter, they met again under much different circumstances. Rathe was looking around for information on his latest bounty, an s-class this time, when he heard Eve’s voice followed by a scream. He darted around the corner and saw her slumped against one of the city’s walls, blood staining her shirt, the figure of a man stuck out of the shadows. “Well, well, looks like I get to taste the blood of another morsel. I must admit, the girl’s blood may be sweet, but it did make me thirsty.” The man said, the shadows stretching out farther.Rathe growled and whipped out his sword. “What did you do?!” the shadow figure chuckled. “Well I was about to sign my work, but it seems like I have a hunter to deal with. Tell me, bounty brat, how much am I worth? Last I heard I was at 40 mil-.”Rathe’s blade severed the man’s head off mid-sentence. “I don’t have time to waste on people who love to hear themselves talk. Much less weaklings like you Jags.” He ran forward, ripping his shirt up and tied it tightly over Eve’s wound. “R-Rathe?” she said weakly.“Shut up, you’ve lost a good bit of blood.” Rathe finished tying up her wound and picked her up. “Jeez, you’re heavy.” “Jerk…”Rathe smiled a little. He took her to the local infirmary. He stayed up all night while the doctors treated her. He fell asleep at one point because he woke up to having a glass of water dumped onto his head. “Any reason why you’re using my lap as a pillow?”Rathe sat up instantly, shaking his head dry. “Is that any way to treat the person who saved your damn a**, Eve?” he replied looking at her with skeptical eyes. She looked ok, a little worse for wear but otherwise fine. “How’s your injury?” “Like I asked for your help,” she grumbled and looked away. “I’m fine, he just made a showy cut.”Rathe stood up and turned to leave. “I see, well until next time, Eve.” Eve grabbed his arm. “Wait.”Rathe looked over his shoulder at her, not saying anything. “Riku… My name’s Riku.” She seemed like she wanted to say more, but she didn’t know how to say it. When Rathe pulled his arm away and walked to the door, she looked down at her lap, biting her lip. She didn’t want him to go. “You going to your next hunt?”“Of course. D hasn’t come back so I need to do something with my time, and since I’m not taking mercenary jobs anymore…”“Huh?”Rathe shrugged. “You said I shouldn’t, and it was getting boring anyway.” He stayed at the door in silence. “What about you? Do you have another job to do?” “Yeah, a few b-classes and an a-class.”“I’d stick to the c- and lower classes if I were you, unless-.”“Last night was a fluke! He got the drop on me!” Eve, Riku, interrupted indignantly.“Unless,” Rathe continued, “you happen to have someone to watch your back in case you get in a situation like that again.” Riku blinked. She hadn’t been expecting that. “What,” she said, trying to keep her voice as its usual indifference to him, “and you think that you’re someone I want to-.”Slam! Rathe left the room, the door slamming shut behind him. Of all the damned people in this world, he had to deal with her and her attitude! And after he saved her ungrateful a** too! Why the hell did he even bother wasting his time on the one person who annoyed him more than any other; who infuriated him! It was like every day since he met that girl, he’d turn a corner and there she was! Gah, he couldn’t get her out of his damn head! Everywhere he went, everything he did, always reminded him of her! Dammit, he was getting pissed just thinking about it and he didn’t know why she got under his skin, why he lost it when he saw her like that, why he stayed right there all night instead of dumping her at the medic, paying the fee and leaving right then and there, why he was so worried about her, and it pissed him off! “Rathe!”Rathe whirled around and glared at Riku. “What!” he demanded. “What do you possibly want now! I just saved your sorry a**, offer to help you, and all I get is a name and your damn crap! You want the bounty? I already had word spread that you can claim the price when you get to the next area. You want me to pay for the treatment? Already done! You want me gone? I’m already leav-!”“I want you to go out with me dammit!” she interrupted, cheeks turning red.“I already a-!” Rathe stopped midsentence. “You want me to what?” Riku’s cheeks burned in embarrassment. “I want you to go out with me,” she repeated. “A-as thanks for helping me…”Rathe blinked. Huh? This was not what he had been expecting from her. He was slowly becoming aware of all the people in the ward staring at him. “What?” Riku shook her head, still embarrassed as she walked over so they didn’t have to shout anymore. “I,” she began, pointing at herself, “want you,” she pointed at him, “to go out,” she swirled her hand in a circle, “with me.” She finished by placing her hand on her chest. She was standing a foot or two from Rathe, who stared blankly at her as if he didn’t understand the concept of going out.“What kind of angle are you-?”“None.”“But you-.”“Will you just shut up and say ‘yes’?”“That’s a little counterproductive isn’t it?” Riku smirked. “Well? I’m waiting.”“Yeesh, you’re not really giving me much choice here. Fine, yes I’ll go out with you.” Rathe rubbed the back of his head. “You’re a strange one, you know that?” “I could say the same about you.”After that day, Riku began to travel with Rathe. D came from time to time, but only when Rathe was alone, which was rare as he and Riku were working as a team in the hunter business. Rathe never let Riku work alone, and kept tabs on her at all times, in time growing to love her, or at least to acknowledge that he did. One night, after they had been working together for three months, Rathe and Riku were stretched out on the roof of the inn that they had decided to stay in, gazing at the stars. Rathe never paid them much attention before, but Riku found them fascinating as she began pointing out the different constellations. “… And that’s the wolf, Ourbo, named after one of the bravest warriors in the old stories… And that one’s Ouroboros, the world-eating snake… And that one is Reko, a stubborn boy who did what he wanted and what he had to for the ones he loved, even when he had to side against them in war-.”“Another martyr?” Rathe interrupted. Riku shook her head. “No, not exactly. He didn’t die, but he had to go against his friends to deceive an enemy that threatened them all. To them, he was as good as dead for his supposed betrayal. He died much later, but he never told anyone why he turned against them, why he had to betray the woman he loved. It’s a sad story that my mother used to tell me. She said that my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother had been on the side that Reko joined, and that she learned this while he slept before battle. Apparently he talks in his sleep.” Riku giggled at the thought of it.“If nobody else knew his reason, why is there a constellation named after him?” “The friends he turned against named it after the Reko they used to know. Besides, after they were all dead, the story came out. I feel bad for him. The love of his life died thinking he had betrayed her, never knowing that he had done it to save her…” Riku fell silent.“I think,” Rathe said, “she knew all along, but she chose to act as if she didn’t to help him. War is complicated. If an ally acts as a traitor and you know the truth, you help them with their cover. But when the war is over, neither of you can reveal the truth, especially if it was such a huge betrayal.” “That makes absolutely no sense.”“Neither does war.” Riku looked over at him. “You talk as if you’ve been in a lot of them.”“D tells a lot of stories.” “You really look up to him, don’t you?”“He’s my master. He raised me after my parents left. I don't even remember how old I was at the time.” Rathe watched the sky in silence. Riku never asked much about his childhood, she seemed to know it was something he didn’t like to think about. She had asked once about what his family was like. “Dead, if there’s any luck,” was how he had replied. Not this time though. “What do you remember about them? What was life like?”“Riku, I-.”“Rathe, I’ve been open about my family, hell, my mother’s been trying to get us to stay in one place long enough to meet the guy I’ve been sleeping with! I’ve been patient, hoping that you would eventually let me in, but it’s been two and a half months, and you know how bad I am with waiting for a long time. Now please, at least give me something to go on besides your hoping that they were dead. What about the couple who had raised you after D had left? The ones who gave you their name?”Rathe sighed, she was right, he owed her that much. “My family is… unconventional…”“Unconventional…”“What would you call a family of two who took in a Vampire, half-demon, sorceress, a human, and a Were-child?” Riku said nothing.“It was hard growing up in a family that you had been dumped into. My ‘brother’ never made things easy for me, stole anything that made me happy or feel good. If he were to show up now he’d no doubt try to take you too.” “He could try,” Riku chuckled.“Trust me Kiru, Pryde prides himself on being the best, on making everyone be below him. Whatever he wants, he gets, one way or the other. Damn Vampire has a way of getting inside your head, and pisses me off to no end.” “You called me ‘Kiru’ again,” Riku noted. “How come?”“You know some of the old languages, right?” “Only a little. Like ‘Reko’ means ‘Brave’, ‘Ourbo’ means ‘Warrior’, and ‘Tuura’ means ‘Home’. Why?”“In the Ancient tongue, ‘Kiru’ means ‘Light’ or ‘Protection’, and in some uses means ‘Paradise’. It’s been changed around in spelling over the centuries, so that now it’s spelled as ‘Riku’, but I prefer the old one.” Riku laughed. “So I’m your protection or paradise?”“No, more like my light. My life’s been pretty much darkness the entire time. Meeting D was the first time I’ve ever felt happy, and being with you has shown me what things are supposed to be like.” Kiru kissed his cheek. “You’re sweet.”After that night, Riku let Rathe refer to her as Kiru. Rathe was happy and finally thought that life would be worth all of what he had been through… That all changed the night Pryde showed back up. His brother’s arrival marked the end of Rathe’s happiness, the end of his time with D, and the end of his humanity. Pryde had struck up a deal with Atticus, who had placed a large bounty on D’s head…
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Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 6:25 pm
Pryde had been following the movements of D for several weeks, and to his surprise it seemed that his brother was accompanying the Dhampir, as was a delectable looking human female. The night he showed back up was marked by the moon’s near-full state.Rathe and D had stepped out of the cabin they were staying in. D had allowed him to join him on one of the first Vampire hunts the Dhampir had been on in years, but it seemed like the hunt had turned to taking down the highest bounty class criminal for both Hunters and bounty hunters, Atticus, the king of the northern Werewolves. Atticus had a class in the bounty records reserved just for him, xs-class, or suicide class as bounty hunters referred to it. All who had tried to go after the Werewolf had been Turned, killed, or had been missing for years, no one was crazy enough to go after him. No one except Rathe and D. “Is she asleep?” D said.“You have better hearing, you tell me,” Rathe replied. “You’re certain that she’s safe here?” “As safe as she can be.”“Don’t forget, kid, you asked to be in on this, so your tag-along’s safety is on you,” said that creepy hand D had. “Shut up Damn Hand,” Rathe retorted. “I wasn’t talking to you!” “Cheeky brat, ain’tcha,” the hand snickered. “Enough,” D said. “We have a job to finish.”Rathe said nothing. He and D set off toward Atticus’s castle. Things went like any bounty hunt in Rathe’s opinion, just this time stakes were higher. It started going bad as they grew closer to their target destination. Two klicks from the castle, D grabbed the back of Rathe’s jacket and tossed him backwards just as a stake shot where his head had been. Rathe jumped to his feet as he heard a familiar chuckle. “Well brother, it’s been a long time. You seem to be keeping well.”“Pryde! Show yourself!” Pryde’s chuckle echoed around the area. “And ‘D’, the Vampire Hunter. What brings you to an area so far out of your norm?”“Pryde!” “Quiet,” D said calmly. “He wants you to get riled up. Control your temper.”“Yes, Master,” Rathe replied, forcing himself to calm down. “‘Master’, eh? Never seemed like the type to bend to others’ orders, brother.”“Show yourself.”“Now, why would I ruin the fun? Besides, you’ll come to me soon. I happen to have something that belongs to one of you. I should warn you, I have been given orders by Atticus to do what I see fit when it comes to the two of you. Rathe, dear brother, should know exactly what I see fit.” With that, Pryde’s chuckling faded into the night.Something that belongs to- “Kiru!” Rathe shouted, turning to run back to the cabin, but D grabbed his jacket to stop him. “Dammit D, let me go!” Rathe struggled to break free of his master’s hold, but the Dhampir’s strength stayed strong. “You and she knew the risks of this task. Both of you are just human and let your emotions cloud your judgments. Think, this is what your brother wants, for you to run in with no plan and no clarity in your thoughts. The girl will stay alive because the boy needs to have something as leverage. He’s working with Atticus, so the Wolf wants to distract us so he can come up with a way to kill us. Focus on the job. When we finish, we go after the girl, not before, not after. The full moon is tomorrow, and Atticus will be at his full strength. We stay here and come up with a plan.”“Bite me,” Rathe said. “Hey! Watch it kid, D just got your girl an extra-.” “No, I mean bite me. Make me a Vampire. As I am, I can’t beat Pryde, but as a Vampire, I’ll be on equal footing, more so with the heightened strength and speed.” D looked at Rathe, not saying a word for half a minute. “You’re sure. There will be no turning back when I do. And you will become one of my jobs later on.”“I don’t care! If it means I can save her then I can put up with knowing that you’ll come for my head sometime Master! Besides, since tomorrow will be the full moon, you’ll need the extra help.” Rathe glared defiantly at D. The boy makes a point, my child,” said D’s hand, but in a voice Rathe had never heard before. “He wishes to help the girl, and in sacrificing himself he will prove useful to you. Besides, there comes a time when every student must make the choice to pit himself against his teacher. You know this better than anyone.”Rathe stared at the hand. “Does that thing have multiple personalities?” “For the last time kid, I am not a ‘thing’!”“That was Vladimir, the first Vampire,” D said. He told Rathe how Vladimir had been almost killed, and how the Vampire had chosen to move from body to body until D made him a deal. “If you want to become a Vampire, there’s no better than him. So now choose. Do you stay human, or be Turned and host my greatest enemy.”“I already told you to bite me,” Rathe replied. “From the way it sounds, having Damn Oldie in my head will give me even better odds at finishing Pryde.” “Then it is settled. D, I’m taking over your hand for this.”“Very well. Rathe, from this moment on, you are no longer my student. After we have killed Atticus and saved the girl, you and I will be foes. As a parting gift, you can have half of my hand’s abilities, and you shall be the last Vampire I go after. That should give you and the girl plenty of time together.” “Thank you, Mast-, no, thank you, Vampire Hunter D,” Rathe said, bowing to his mentor. He moved over to D, whose hand was stretched out. The face on the hand looked at him, different than it usually was. It opened its mouth, revealing the fangs of a Vampire. He turned his head so that his neck was bare. He felt a sharp pain there, followed by an intense freezing feeling that quickly turned to burning. He blacked out. The next thing he knew, he was on his back, the full moon shining onto his face. His head hurt, but not as much as the bite on his neck. He winced at the light, it seemed brighter than usual. Then he noticed that he could hear the wind bending each blade of grass, heard the faint heartbeat of D’s heart, and millions of other things he’d never heard before with such clarity. It’s rather an odd feeling isn’t it child. Rathe sat up and looked around for the voice. You won’t find me. I’m in your head, or ‘our’ head to be precise. The transfer was a success. “Mmph, nngh nnnph,”came a muffled voice from Rathe’s left hand, which was pressed into the grass. Rathe lifted his hand and stared at it… and received a face full of dirt and grass, and his hand spat out what it had been forced to take in. “This is what I wake up to? A mouthful of dirt?! I never signed up for this!” the hand shouted. “Wagh!” Rathe cried out, shaking his hand violently. “Get off me!” “S-s-s-s-s-s-to-o-o-o-o-p sh-sh-sh-sh-sha-a-a-a-a-king me-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e!” “What the hell is going on?!” “Rathe, enough. Calm down and remember what happened. You are a Vampire now.”Rathe looked at D, startled by an insane urge to fight the Hunter or run. “How long have I-?” An entire day. I was worried that the sunlight might be a problem, but it seems as if your body is more resilient to the curse than any other newborn I know. Rathe gripped his forehead. “Who the hell is saying that?” I’m hurt, have you forgotten me so quickly Youngling? Memories flashed through Rathe’s head, ones that weren’t his own. He was talking to a young woman who tended the garden at Tuura. He was teaching a young boy about the Ancient text and how to read its natural form. He was meeting with a female Vampire, male human, and two Werewolves of opposite genders. He was dying from the wound inflicted by another Vampire. He was moving from body to body. He met D, his only blood child. He was watching a young boy train with D. “Vladimir.” Correct. Now, I suggest we go and deal with Atticus before the power-hungry b*****d becomes bolder and sends an army to take over where your brother failed. Then we go after the young lady you feel so strongly about. Rathe got to his feet, still trying to get used to the new enhanced senses he had. I’ll take over for you, I’m used to the sensations so your body will adapt faster. You just keep control over your movements and vitals. “Sounds like a plan,” Rathe said, picking up his sword. He had it fashioned after D’s so it was longer than he was tall by about three inches, but its balance and weight were similar to that of a normal sword. Its blade was thinner as a result, but because of this, it was sturdier and sharper than ordinary ones. An interesting choice of weaponry for one so young. “D was, is, my goal, so of course I fight the same way as him.” “Enough talk. We seem to have company.”Rathe looked around, he didn’t see anyone, but his new hearing could hear multiple people breathing. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. “Impressive, though I should expect no less from the legendary ss-class Hunter, D.” A figure slowly emerged from the shadows. Soon the moonlight shined down on the figure of Astura Moonson, Atticus’s right-hand man and personal mass murderer. Astura had a bounty of 20.5 million gold, the third highest bounty in s-class criminals. Always the bloodthirsty one, Astura was having trouble maintaining his human form; his mouth was already starting to turn into a wolf’s snout and was dripping with drool. “I must say, the stories don’t do you justice. I was expecting a practiced fighter with more scars than teeth, not some fragile, pretty human-looking creature. I’m starting to regret having brought so many of my men. Is it true that you killed over a thousand Vampires in ten seconds, without getting so much as a drop of blood on you?”“It was more towards 30 seconds,” D replied, not even bothering to pick up his sword from the tree it was leaning on.“30?” Astura looked honestly surprised.“It was an off day.”Laughter rang through the area, letting Rathe count over 150 different voices. “D,” he muttered, “we don’t have time for this…”“And who’s the brat? Last I heard, Dhampir’s didn’t have children.”“I’m his student!” Rathe shot back, starting to take a step forward until D placed a hand on his shoulder. Astura threw his head back as he roared with laughter. “So the deadly Vampire Hunter has taken an apprentice? Well, boy, how about we test your skill. Let’s say, 10 of my men.”“I can take down all of you without breaking a sweat,” Rathe sneered. “10 of you is child’s play.” Astura laughed again. “This one’s got some ego. Very well then, how about a wager? 50 of my men will humor you. If you can kill them then I’ll let you have the honor of dying at my Master’s feet. Your beloved Master has an appointment at the castle anyway. I may even send word to have Lord Atticus hold off on the death blow until you arrive.”“Make it all of them and you have a deal, but who says that we’ll be the ones dying at your master’s feet?” “Watch what you say, kid. I don’t plan on dying today because of your big mouth,” grumbled Rathe’s hand. “Very well, Mr. D, you’ll stay out of the fight.” Astura looked amused. This brat believed he could kill all of his men? He’d have to get the full report from them later. Unfortunately, Atticus had ordered him to send the men to do the work, he was just to report back as soon as the men were deployed. He was chary to disobey a direct order from Atticus again; the memory of his lord’s wrath was enough to curb his bloodlust.“I had no intention of participating,” D replied, sitting down against the tree. “Your men will be dead either way.”That was all Astura’s lackeys needed to hear. Their howls of bloodlust rang through the night as each of them transformed on the spot. “Better not cry when we rip you apart!” They charged.
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 2:15 pm
Rathe snapped back to the present when the sound of a stick cracking alerted him to movement. The girl had moved to sit next to him. “You haven’t eaten your dinner,” she said, pointing to the cooked meat that had remained untouched on Rathe’s stick. “Something on your mind?”“Leave. Now,” Rathe hissed. Kara blinked at him. “I just-.”“I said LEAVE!” Rathe shouted, shoving her away. Kara fell off the log and landed roughly on the twigs and dirt with an audible THUMP! An object fell out of her pocket as she fell, landing neatly next to her, the moonlight falling onto it.Rathe stared at it. It was a Rosario he had designed himself for Kiru. He had spent weeks perfecting the shape. The gem in the middle was a bright blue, the metal, which had been made into the shape of a sword split along the length of the blade, was made of mostly iridium, but had a titanium base beneath it for strength. It took months of searching to find enough of the raw elements in order to have someone make the Rosario into an actual object. “Where did you get that Rosario?” he said, picking it up, disbelief clear on his face. “Hey! Give that back, it’s mine!” Kara shouted, getting to her feet and held out her hand in expectation.“I said, where did you-.”“I heard you the first time. There’s no need to repeat yourself, or do you like the sound of your voice that much?” Kara replied, narrowing her eyes, sticking her hand out further.“I heard you the first time,” the girl interrupted, putting the book down to look at him like he was some guy who wouldn’t stop trying to buy her a drink. “There’s no need to repeat yourself, or do you like the sound of your voice that much?”Rathe smacked away the girl’s hand. “Don’t repeat her words! It’s bad enough that you’ve stolen her looks and actions, don’t you dare steal her words too!” he shouted. “Now answer me! Where. Did. You. Get. This!” he thrust the Rosario out at her. “I designed it myself; I gathered all of the components myself; and I gave it to Kiru! So how did it end up in your pocket!” Kara yanked her hand back, wincing, some tears coming to her eyes.“Oh no, no, no, no, no! Don’t you dare-,” Rathe began. “Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” Kara flopped onto the ground, crying.Rathe shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. “Geez, stop that will you?” “Rathe, what the hell did you do now?” Rafe said, coming over with Graed on his back.“Butt out,” Rathe replied. “She just started-.”“Rathe was a meanie-pants again!” Graed said from his perch.“That ‘butt out’ applied to you too, Damn Thief!” “Rathe was a meanie-pants! Rathe was a meanie-pants!”“Keep calling me that and I’ll rip your goddam head off!” “Rathe, whatever you did to her, just apologize already so we can get to sleep.”“I don’t need to take orders from you!” Rathe glared at the Pup. “Geez, you’re such a pain,” he sighed, putting a hand on his head. “Just shut the hell up and get this place cleaned up. I’m heading back to the cave.” He set off without another word. Why do I have to put up with this crap?He sighed and sat down when he got to the cave, moving the packs around so that Graed was as far away from anything the kid might find interesting. He didn’t need any more of his stuff winding up in the kid’s seemingly bottomless bag. He held up the Rosario. “How the hell did that Damn Copy get ahold of this?” he murmured. Half an hour later the rest of his motley crew showed up. Graed instantly went pulling through his bag for that junk rock he was so proud of, Rafe went to his spot at the end of the cave, taking out the picture of the Fox, and Kara took her bag and sat at the side of the cave opposite Rathe. “Can I have my pendant back yet?” she said testily.“Can I have the truth about how you came across Kiru’s Rosario?” “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve had that with me as long as I can remember.” “Then no, you can’t have it back.” They glared at each other.“Rathe, stop picking on her. You both have other ways to flirt.”“N-Nobody asked you!” Rathe and Kara shouted. The two looked at each other, then away. “Are you two gonna get a room?” Graed called over, fiddling with yet another shiny object.“Go to bed!” they shouted again. Rathe held up the Rosario again staring at it. “Why does it bother you that I act like this ‘Kiru’ you’ve been talking about?”“She’s someone I…. worked with… a long time ago.” “He was involved with her back when he was human,” Rafe said, lying down with his pack as a pillow. “Can’t tell you much more than that, his mind isn’t always unguarded.”“I thought I warned you about going into my head!” Rathe said through gritted teeth. “Reko’s scarier, and Louve would kill me. You have no idea how frustrating it is to be around those two and not peek when they leave their minds open. So I’m taking it out of you.”“Why you Damn-! When did your abilities come back?” “Never said they did. You also talk in your sleep, you should really do something about that. Now stop talking to me, I’m trying to sleep.”Lousy Damned Pup. “I heard that.”Rathe glared at the Pup. “I also never said they didn’t,” Rafe said, smirking as he fell asleep.“So I make you remember someone that you care for? Why is that a bad thing?” Kara asked.“She was killed,” Rathe said simply, tossing the Rosario to her. “I couldn’t save her…” He lost himself in his thoughts of the past again.
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 2:19 pm
They charged. Rathe pulled his sword out, lopping off two of their heads. He jumped up, swinging his sword to take out another few. He tossed the sword up and whipped his arms out, hundreds of needle-thin stakes shot out of his sleeves, and another twenty fell. “Still think you can take me?” he asked, catching his sword as it fell. Astura’s men looked at each other a little warily. “Are you all spineless puppies!” Astura snarled. “You are Atticus’s loyal wolves! Now show me your fangs or I shall show you mine, and that will be the last thing you ever see!”“Trouble with your men, Astura?”Rathe froze at the voice. The wind picked up as the moon was slowly hidden by clouds, and all in the area turned their attentions to the figure walking out of the trees. “L-lord-.”“Atticus…” Rathe fixed his grip on his sword. “I must say, it seems like your men lack discipline Astura. Spineless cowards need something to whip them back into shape.” Atticus looked at Rathe like he was a fresh steak. “I find that ridding oneself of annoyances can be a first step towards getting them from prey to predator.”In a flash, Rathe was slammed back into a tree. “However, having heard so much about the legendary Vampire Hunter D, I find it insulting that he chooses to have a child fight his battles.”“Your pet made a wager with the boy. I take no interest in his egotistic fights.” D stood up slowly and looked at Atticus. The moon came back into view, the light hit his eyes so that they seemed a deep, blood-red color. “I do, however, take interest in you.”Atticus laughed, “So you care nothing for the boy who thinks the world of you? I never knew Dhampirs to be so… Vampiric in their feelings.” He nodded to the men. “Kill them, or I tear your hides apart and use them to line the walls of the castle. I await the news of your success, or failure.” He turned around and strode back to his castle, Astura following behind him, head bowed in reluctant submission.The men snarled and shifted straight to their wolf forms, rushing at Rathe and D. Rathe got to his feet, his head ringing from Atticus’s blow. The Wolf managed to rush forward, slam him back with an uppercut and a kick to the gut, and move back to where he stood in less than a fraction of a second. Admire the b*****d’s fighting prowess later, for now you need to focus on your own skills. I am too weak from the transfer to fight them. “F-ing useless, that’s what you are,” Rathe groaned. He looked up to see a wolf’s jaw closing in, but before he could move, the top of its head was lopped off, landing next to him as the body crashed into the ground. “Where’s all that big talk you had earlier?” D said, flicking the blood off of his sword. “I thought you could handle them all on your own.Rathe didn’t see the look on D’s face, but he didn’t need to in order to know the rare smile was on his master’s face. “I got distracted, won’t happen again Boss.” He drew his sword and moved so that he and D were back to back, surrounded by the wolves. “Brings back memories. Remember that time in Lora?” “You mean when you got in over your head by flirting with the daughter of the Howitz Pack’s Alpha?”“In my defense, she kissed me first. And how was I supposed to know she was Dregga’s sister? They look nothing alike. Think she’s still upset about the one night stand?” “Do you two have to play memory games while our lives are on the line?” shouted both D’s left hand and Rathe’s own left one. Rathe snorted as he cut down another Wolf. “Please, these guys are all washed up.” Five minutes later he and D flicked the last drops of blood from their swords. “Ready to finish the job once and for all?” Rathe said, sheathing his sword. D nodded and started to walk towards the castle. Rathe stepped to follow him when something burst out of the ground, latching onto his arms and legs. He looked and saw a wolf, its eyes a pale ghostly blue, and decayed. More wolves burst out of the ground and surrounded him, growling low. “W-what the hell?!” Wraith Wolves? But those are only supposed to exist in Tolti’iq. The Wraith Wolves launched themselves at Rathe, clamping their jaws closed on his body. He cried out in pain, struggling to get free. “D! Help!” he shouted, stretching out his arm to his mentor. D looked back at him, his face empty of any emotion, then turned around, walking off towards the castle. “D!” More Wraith Wolves jumped onto Rathe, burying him beneath a pile of the creatures, his body being torn up by their claws and teeth. “Get off me!” He grabbed the closest one and ripped it off his arms, snapping its neck. The creature snarled at him and moved to tear out his throat. “I said get. Off. Me!” Rathe forced himself to push off the ground, slamming into the tree behind him, knocking several of the creatures off of him. He grabbed his sword and whipped it out of the sheath, beheading ten of the wolves. The others howled and leapt at him. “I don’t have time to deal with you!” he shouted, swinging his sword around to slice off the others’ heads. He ran toward the castle, intent on catching of to D before his master fought Atticus alone. More Wraith Wolves shot up around him. He rushed past them, sending their heads flying as he went by. Soon, he reached the castle, the sound of swords clashing was clear from the entrance. Several Wolves jumped off the roof to attack him, but he merely sliced each of them in half, rushing into the castle. D was battling Atticus, who had twin swords that easily parried each of D’s strikes. If that wasn’t bad enough, more Wolves appeared in the room, rushing at D from all sides. D was too focused on Atticus to notice them. “D! Behind you!” Rathe shouted, running towards the Dhampir. The consequence of his warning was never something he’d ever intended nor would ever forget. D’s attention was broken at the sound of Rathe’s voice. He looked away from Atticus for an instant.Atticus smirked, tossing aside the blades and knocked away D’s sword, wrapping a hand around the Dhampir’s throat. He allowed the change to take over enough to strengthen his arms and transform his hands into claws. “You have been a thorn in my side for too long, Dhampir.” With that, he dug his nails into D’s skin and ripped out the Hunter’s jugular, throwing the dying man to the ground and licked his nails clean.Rathe ran forward, tossing his sword like a spear at Atticus’s head. The Werewolf jerked his head back in time to avoid the attack, which was all the time Rathe needed to dive down and grab D’s sword. He swung it in a wide arc, lopping off the bloody claw which landed on the floor at the same time that Rathe’s sword hit the wall, the blade snapping in half, the upper portion of the sword flew past Rathe and stuck itself in D’s hand. “Kid, get that hand!” Rathe’s shouted. “What’s so important about some dumb hand!” Rathe shouted back, getting to his feet, aware that all the eyes of these wolves were on him. “We need to help D.” “D’s gone kid, but that hand is my other half and I don’t really like the idea of being this b*****d’s plaything when he realizes it’s separate from D.” “Like I give a damn what you want,” Rathe retorted, trying to find a way to get out of this mess. Atticus had heard this all and was eyeing the hand in question. Sometimes, child, it is better to retreat and fight another day than to die a hero’s death when no one will call you anything but a fool.
Rathe looked at the figure of his master, dead. “Dammit,” he muttered, shaking his head. He darted to the side, jumping up to one of the windows in the hall and looked back once more. “I’m sorry Master,” he said before jumping out and running off. Later he would learn that Atticus had taken the hand as his own, and had learned all of D’s abilities because of it. What Atticus never knew was that because the two hands were once whole, Rathe could use that link to gain information on the person who was on the top of his kill list. Rathe ran as fast and far as he could, taking shelter in a shed several miles away when daylight came. He didn’t sleep that day, nor the next, nor the day after. He was ashamed at having abandoned D, at having run away from Atticus with his tail between his legs, at having failed D. How long do you plan to sulk, Youngling? You still have someone waiting for you. “Knowing Pryde, he’s already killed her,” Rathe said. Three days had passed since D had died, and Kiru had been alone with Pryde for five nights. “And without D, how am I going to stop him if she’s still alive? Pryde’s always been stronger, faster, better in every way.” “So you’re just going to abandon her? Hpmh, maybe D was wrong to take you in. You don’t have what it takes to succeed him.” “Who said I wanted to succeed him!” “Then why do you have his sword?” “I just grabbed it. It’s the only thing I have left of him… The only thing that I have to remind me what Atticus took from me. I’ll get stronger, stronger than him, stronger than Pryde, stronger than anyone! And when I do, I’ll kill all of them.” The best way to get stronger is to go after the girl. You’d be surprised about how much strength comes when you have something to protect. D would never have lasted as long as he did against Atticus and his men if he didn’t have protecting you on his mind. “How the hell would you know what was on his mind!” He is my son after all, it is a father’s duty to know what’s on his child’s mind. Besides, you can’t stay like this for the rest of your existence. Hasn’t the young lady been waiting long enough? Rathe got to his feet, picking up D’s blade and his cloak. “Where would this Pryde kid be anyway? He never did give a place to show up.” “I know exactly where he is,” Rathe said, swinging his cloak over him and strode out of the cave he had stayed in. He looked at the setting sun and turned north, putting as much speed as possible into his legs, running to the place he never wanted to see again. Before the sun had completely faded, he saw the top of the Syn family house, abandoned since he had been with D. “Well, it’s about time. I had started to think that the girl was the wrong bait for you Brother.”Rathe looked up at the tree where Pryde’s voice came from. “I got delayed. Where is she?” Pryde jumped down from the tree and spread his arms out. “I’m hurt, not even so much as a ‘hello’ from you? We have so much catching up to do.”Quick as a flash, a stake embedded itself in Pryde’s shoulder. “I don’t have time to waste on you, now answer the question!” Pryde narrowed his eyes and yanked out the stake, tossing it aside. “I had hoped you would be reasonable. I have a business proposition for you, Rathe. The girl is merely leverage to make sure you came.”“I have no business with you, nor do I want to have business with you. Answer the question and I’ll consider not killing you.” Pryde raised an eyebrow, he could feel a different aura flowing from his brother than usual. The brat actually believed that he could kill him. Interesting. “That’s a shame, dear Brother. I had truly hoped you would see things my way. I know your dear Kiru would have wanted that.”“WHERE IS SHE!” Pryde smirked. “Up the hill by the tree. I believe you know the one I’m talking about. She’s been so worried about you, won’t stop saying that you’d come and save her. It seems that you’ve come too late though.” He chuckled and jumped back into the tree, vanishing from sight as he jumped from tree to tree up the hill.“Pryde!” Rathe rushed after the sound of his brother’s laughter. He followed the sound all the way to the tree Pryde had mentioned. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw who was there. Kiru was tied to the tree, her face was bloodied and she seemed barely conscious. “Kiru!” “Ah, ah, ah. Not a single step further, Brother.”Rathe froze and glared at Pryde, who walked out from behind the tree. “What did you do to her!” “I? Nothing at all. Now, Set here, that’s a different story.”“Not entirely true, Pryde, you staked her to the tree.”Rathe looked at Set Wolfe, who walked out from the other side of the tree, stopping next to Kiru. “All I did was rough her up a little. Rather boring to be honest.”“Why you-!” Rathe shouted starting to charge forward. Pryde snapped his fingers and Rathe was instantly bound by vines that sprung from the ground. “Dammit, let me go!” “I would, but sadly you refused my generous offer, and now you must face the consequences,” Pryde replied, nodding to Set.Set smiled and grabbed Kiru’s neck, baring his fangs before tearing her throat with his nails. Blood flowed from the wound as he tore into her wrists. Kiru screamed in pain as Set continued to slash her body with his nails. Next, he took out a small dagger and stabbed her chest, piercing her lungs.Rathe struggled against his binds, trying to tear free to stop Set. “Kiru!” he shouted, straining to get free. “Enough, now it’s my turn. You can go now, Marcus already has your payment,” Pryde said, grabbing Set’s shoulder. The other Vampire looked disappointed but nodded and vanished. Pryde pulled out a stake and looked at Rathe. “It didn’t have to come to this, Brother. I do dislike killing such beauty, but you made your decision.”“No!” Pryde smirked and slammed the stake into Kiru’s chest. Her eyes opened wide, her mouth opened in a silent scream before her body went limp. Pryde laughed. “Had you only agreed to join me, she would still be alive. Let you always remember this: the girl’s death is your own fault.” He snapped his fingers, and the vines binding Rathe snapped and fell to the ground. Rathe rushed at Pryde, whipping out D’s sword, bringing his around to behead his brother. Pryde laughed and ducked, grabbing Rathe’s wrist and slammed his palm into his brother’s jaw.Rathe flew back at the force of Pryde’s strike, the sword flying out of his hand to land next to him on the ground. He grunted and sat up just in time to have Pryde’s foot slam into the side of his head, knocking him aside. He slammed into a nearby tree and cried out, feeling two ribs snap. He struggled to his feet, feeling blood run down his forehead. Everything was starting to blur; he could barely make out Pryde’s figure. He saw Pryde rushing at him and turned to the side, letting his brother’s fist slam into the tree. Instantly, he slammed his fist into Pryde’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Rathe followed through by grabbing his brother’s shirt and swung him around, slamming him into the ground and fell down, letting his elbow collide with Pryde’s stomach. Pryde grunted and grabbed Rathe’s neck, tightening his grip as he stood up, lifting him into the air. Rathe struggled to free himself but Pryde had a firm grip on him. He slammed his fist into Rathe’s face before letting go of his neck and grabbed his face, bringing him crashing into the ground before slamming his foot into his brother’s side, sending him flying into the tree wish an audible snap. He waited to see if Rathe moved, but his brother stayed still and limp. “Pitiful. Even after becoming a Vampire, you still think you can pose a challenge to me. As if we could ever be equals. Face it, Brother, no matter how strong you get, I will always be stronger; I will always win and you will always end up the same way.” Disgusted at the waste of time, Pryde turned and left into the woods.Rathe stayed against the tree, bleeding and broken. Dammit! Why was he always so damn weak! He couldn’t save D, he couldn’t beat Pryde, he couldn’t even save Kiru. He’d lost everything, his mentor, his humanity, and the only person he’d ever loved. And for what? What the hell did he have left? He must have blacked out at some point because the when he opened his eyes his clothes were soaked with what he first thought was his blood, but soon realized was rain. He struggled into a sitting position, his whole body felt like it was ready to give out. He looked up at the sky as lightning lit up the night. What was he going to do now? He looked over his shoulder at the tree where Kiru was, he wanted to tell her how sorry he was, only… she wasn’t there. The binds and stakes, everything, any and all evidence of what happened to her, all of it was gone! “What the hell?” he grunted, forcing himself to his feet, using D’s sword as a crutch as he staggered to the tree. All that was left where Kiru had been killed was the ribbon that she always wore, lying in the mud. He picked it up and stared at it. “Kiru……” He gripped it in his fist. “Pryde! You’ll pay for this, you hear me!” he shouted. “I’m going to get stronger, stronger than anyone else in this world, and I’ll wipe out anyone who stands in my way. And the first person I’m going to kill is you!” Three weeks later… Rathe stood in the middle of a field, covered from head to toe with blood, surrounded by a hundred bodies of Werewolves, Vampires and humans. He flicked his sword clean of blood and put it in its sheath. “Any more weaklings that you care to send my way?” he asked a man who stood frozen at the entrance of a city. “Wh-what do you want?” the man stammered. “Information. There are several people that I’m looking for, and I’ve made it my job to know everything that goes on in this world. Agree to give me any information I ask, and that all of those who descend from your bloodline will continue the deal, and I’ll promise to not make your entire city look like this field is right now.” Three years later and Rathe had become famous in the underground. His connections were rivaled by none, and even though he had been placed in ss-class criminal rankings, nobody in the bounty hunting business was stupid enough to chase after the only person to face Atticus and live, and nobody objected to letting him stay as an ss-class hunter. Rathe moved from place to place, getting stronger, and gaining more and more information. Centuries later, on the anniversary of the day he met Kiru, he found himself in a forest in Labrynthia. It was there that he met Rafe, Alexandra, and the others, and it was there that he had returned two years later in order to stop another war, and to end what his brother had started with him…“I’m sorry… do you want to talk to me about-?” Kara began, snapping Rathe out of his thoughts once again.“No,” Rathe interrupted. I don’t know what I want right now… All I know is that I want to forget all of this and just get back to the missions. First the rest of the stones, and then Pryde. I had to let Alexandra and the rest deal with Atticus, but nobody’s going to stop me from getting Pryde.
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