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Post by Ruko on Nov 7, 2009 10:45:15 GMT -5
As the boy stood up again, Shark grasped Moon's shoulder steadying him. "That's alright. We'll wait for you to get stable before we move." There was no reason for the boy to be embarrassed. After all, it was his former master's fault, not his. Nothing he should have to explain.
Mouse sniffed the air slightly. "Hey, Onii-chan, I smell something funny." She sniffed again. "Can't tell what, though. You check, you've gotta better nose." She cast a sidelong glance at Shark, still steadying the boy.
The man sniffed the air warily. "I smell it, too. I can't tell though. Maybe if I was in my +Anima form..." Shark cast a glance at the still dizzy boy. "Doesn't matter." An idea occurred to him. "Moon, can you tell what it is? Being a leopard and all."
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shadowswolf
Soilder
I'm not evil, just up to no good.
Posts: 217
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Post by shadowswolf on Nov 7, 2009 10:54:42 GMT -5
Ryker blinked, surprised at his request. "Sure, sure." He lifted his head into the air and thingyed his head. Then, he shifted into his snow leopard form. His long graceful tail slid out behind him, his snowy ears rising on top of his head. His claws slid out from his fingers and his hind legs rose from the ground. With his tail to balance him, Ryker could stand on his own.
Ryker frowned. Then, his eyes grew wide. He flashed back into his human form, trembling again, though slightly. He bit his tongue to hold back the curse words that would have escaped from his mouth.
"Plus anima," he growled. "But I don't know if it's friendly."
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Post by Ruko on Nov 7, 2009 11:02:08 GMT -5
Mouse nodded at the boy. "Well, I'll see if I can spot him." She was about to spread her wings, when she glanced at the boy. "Err... Plan B!" She announced, quickly scampering up the stone walls of a building. Once up high, she began to leap from building to building, easily, as they were very closly spaced together.
The corners of Shark's mouth turned upward slightly. "There's a reason she's called Mouse." Releasing Moon's shoulder, Shark pulled off his gloves, revealing once more his fists, with inserted metal rods in the knuckles, finely sharpened at the end. He looked sidewise at Moon. "If you don't think you can control yourself, run. Fast. We'll take care of the +Anima, and then get you. Understand?" His voice was commanding, and somewhat harsh.
Up ahead, Mouse spotted a lone figure walking through the streets. She squealed slightly, as its head turned toward her. Had it seen her? Or was it just looking around?
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shadowswolf
Soilder
I'm not evil, just up to no good.
Posts: 217
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Post by shadowswolf on Nov 7, 2009 14:03:15 GMT -5
Ryker followed Shark's advice and ran. He didn't dare break into his anima, for that would surely make him go into his "Attack". He slipped in between streets, running as fast as he could. But the scent was still fresh as if he was standing right next to the stranger. He growled to himself, trying to concentrate on anything but the scent.
And yet, the scent grew fresher still.
Suddenly a force slammed into him, flinging him into the air. As a reaction, Ryker slid into his anima form with a yowl. He lashed out his tail, sending him into a neat spin as he landed on his feet. His icy blue eyes were a liquid silver as he locked on to his target. Steady, hazel brown eyes met his gaze.
"I've been looking for you, Ryker," laughed the girl mirthlessly.
Ryker snarled, his white fangs snapping in the darkness.
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Post by Ruko on Nov 7, 2009 14:36:43 GMT -5
As soon as Moon had sped off, Shark slid into his +anima form, sniffing the air as his jaw unhinged. As he did, his eyes widened. Moon had run the wrong way! He would run right into the +Anima. With that, Shark sped off in the direction Moon had gone, still in +Anima form.
Mouse, above on the rooftops, saw the girl slam into Moon. Spreading her wings, Mouse swooped down from above, kicking the girl in the back. "Stay away from Moon!" Normally, she would never fight a +Anima, but when they threatened her family... She fell into a ready position behind the girl, with Moon on the other side.
Shark, running up behind the scene, stood behind Moon, ready to, if necessary, knock him out if he looked like he was going nuts. Also, he was ready to give this girl a good pounding. "What do you want with Moon?" His voice grated, sounding rough because of his unhinged jaw and teeth.
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shadowswolf
Soilder
I'm not evil, just up to no good.
Posts: 217
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Post by shadowswolf on Nov 7, 2009 15:06:11 GMT -5
"None of your business," sneered the girl, her hand flexing. Ryker lashed his tail again, agrivated. All he wanted to do was to sink his teeth into her skin, but here she was, talking.
If only she would transform into her anima.
"Stormcrest," Ryker snapped. "Thought you would be dead by now."
"Thought I could say the same about you," Stormcrest growled.
Ryker, unable to reist anymore, jumped at the girl with open jaws. As he sprung, Stormcrest darted to the side. His rage fueled his energy. Mouse and Shark were only blurs around him, the only person he was concentrated on was Stormcrest. Ryker landed where she had stood seconds before, but he was quicker than the Stormcrest. In a split second, he had dug his teeth dug into her skin as she withered in his grasp. Blood trickled into his mouth. The taste was familiar to him, encouraging him to fight to the death.
He flung her against the wall, crushing her.
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Post by Ruko on Nov 7, 2009 15:18:23 GMT -5
Stormcrest. Strange... That was a gang name. A name that someone from their gang would have! But if it were someone in their gang, they would definitely recognize Shark and Mouse. They were, after all, second in command.
Shark pushed Moon off of the girl. "Moon. We don't kill other +Anima." However, he nodded at Mouse, who pulled the girl against her, and lay her two blades across her neck, criss-crossed. "One word from me, and my sister will kill you, +Anima or not." Gripping Moon tightly by the shoulder, so he wouldn't be able to attack her, Shark looked down at him. "Moon. You know her?"
Mouse, grinning, whispered in the girl's ear. "Well, you've certainly made this interesting. It's good to have an adversary. I wish that we were allowed to fight you, cause it'd be more interesting. Too bad it's just freedom or death for you. Personally, I'd like it to be the latter. Then, I could see my two blades slice cleanly through your fragile skin, blood spraying, and see your body fall to the ground, lifeless." That was all said with a smile, and a cheerful whisper. However, Mouse was retching inside her head. A human, yes. +Anima, no.
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shadowswolf
Soilder
I'm not evil, just up to no good.
Posts: 217
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Post by shadowswolf on Nov 7, 2009 15:43:56 GMT -5
Ryker tried to resist Shark, scratching at him as he tried to attack Stormcrest. Stormcrest smiled, watching him as he unsuccessfully tried to escape Shark's hold.
He continued to struggle for a long time. His Attacks always took a lot of energy, and he had two today alone. At last, exhausted, Ryker stopped fighting as he felt a strong wave of dizziness hit him. Shark released Ryker, and he flopped to the ground. Stormcrest laughed.
Ryker wanted to melt into the ground. "I know her," he said between gasps, purposely avoiding looking at her. "I know her."
"Thought you had forgotten about me," Stormcrest said with a hard voice. Ryker, angry, tried to stand up and lung at Sotrmcrest. However, he fell back to the ground.
"I' swear, Stormcrest, I'll rip you to pieces."
Once again, Stormcrest laughed. "Stop bluffing, leopard. We both know you don't have any energy. Two Attacks in one night, getting more frequent, huh?" She felt the blades of the swords touch her skin, but she continued. "I told you I'd hunt you down."
Ryker jerked his chin upwards. "I remember."
"Your master is looking for you, you know," purred Stormcrest. "All over Sailand, has a darn good price on you. Says if you come back on your own free will, he'll help you."
Ryker scrambled to his feet. "Help? When has he ever helped?" He could feel himself shifting back into his Attack.
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Post by Ruko on Nov 8, 2009 9:36:28 GMT -5
Shark and Mouse listened to the conversation with growing interest. Shark stepped forward, around Moon, and displayed his hands with the metal knuckles to her. "Moon may not be able to rip you to pieces, but we can." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Moon's part of our gang, our family. You mess with him, you mess with us. All hundred of us." With that, he stepped back to Moon, offering him a hand up.
Mouse squeezed the blades tighter against the girl's neck, a few drops of blood squeezing out from the indentations. "You." Her knuckles grew white on the handles of her swords. "Why, when you're gone, would you still serve your master? The first thing I did when I had a chance was slaughter him. And I was six." She sighed slightly. "I really want to kill you now, but I don't think my Onii-chan would let me. He wants all the info out of you first. If it were-"
"Mouse." Her brother's voice cut her off.
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shadowswolf
Soilder
I'm not evil, just up to no good.
Posts: 217
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Post by shadowswolf on Nov 8, 2009 11:38:46 GMT -5
Stormcrest continued to ignore the sharp blades digging into her skin. "Continue to serve my master?" Her eyes hardened, concentrating on Ryker. "I serve him only because he can help me. He tells me to go find his precious anima, I go find them. Ryker escapes, I go find him. Except this time, I won't bring back any anima to my master. I'll tell him that Ryker went into one of his Attacks, and I had to kill him to save myself."
She narrowed her eyes. "I've been waiting for Ryker to escape. Waiting. Now here's my chance."
Ryker clenched his fists. "I told you I was sorry, Stormcrest."
"Sorry," growled Stormcrest. "Sorry for killing my family?"
"I was only eight!"
"A killer at eight."
"It was my first mission!" Ryker spat. "I was lucky enough to even be let outdoors!"
"That doesn't justify anything," snapped Stormcrest. "I forgave you, for what you did. I helped you even! But then you broke your promise!" Her eyes softened, and she tore away her gaze.
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Post by Ruko on Nov 8, 2009 22:05:51 GMT -5
Mouse was impressed a bit more now at Moon. Killer at eight? Nice. That was almost as good as her. She was a killer at six, and Shark... Casting the thought from her mind, she nodded slightly at Shark, unnoticable to anyone but her older brother, who had been watching her and the girl out of the corner of his eyes.
Shark pulled Moon to his feet, glaring with open hostility at Stormcrest. Revenge, he approved of. But on a +Anima, under master's orders? No. That was not the way to do it. "Moon, what is she talking about?" he asked the younger boy, flicking his eyes toward the girl.
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shadowswolf
Soilder
I'm not evil, just up to no good.
Posts: 217
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Post by shadowswolf on Nov 8, 2009 23:20:47 GMT -5
Ryker sighed heavily. "What she says is true. My first mission was to kill Stormcrest's family, it was merely a test of my skills. Her family was an easy target, and it would give Stormcrest less reason to try and escape."
He swallowed. "After I had killed Stormcrest's family, that's when my master forced my to kill plus anima. In a way, I lost a part of myself back at that town where I first killed. I was distraught with all the lives I had ruined, the blood that was on my hands. At last, I told Stormcrest of what I had done. Our cages were next to each other by the arena, and I could no longer look her in the face."
"I was angry," recalled Stormcrest in a hard voice. "I wouldn't talk to you for months."
Ryker nodded. "Yes."
She turned her head towards Ryker. "I was more than angry, I was jealous. You were the master's favorite, he would give you special attention. Truthfully, your life was harder then any of us in the arena."
"You changed," Ryker muttered. "I never knew why."
Stormcrest's face fell. "Don't you remember? It was when we were pitted against each other. I had refused to obey master's orders to hunt down an anima, and it was my punishment. By that time, you had killed many anima in the arena, there was no chance. We both fought, I determined to finally rise above you, to humiliate you, get revenge. Then you started to win, you could have killed me. You had me pinned down, everybody was cheering." She took in a staggered breath, for the first time feeling emotion. "But you never did kill me. You got up, helped me up. I had seen the fire in your eyes, your determination. It was almost as if...you weren't human anymore."
"The first time I had ever restrained myself from a killing," said Ryker.
"You knew that I hated you," recalled Stormcrest. "I was your number one enemy. Yet you showed me mercy. That's when I saw that there was still a part of old Ryker left. I opened my eyes. After that, I could see how you suffered day after day."
"Aye, and you forgave me," Ryker said softly. "After every Attack, you would be right there. You helped calm me, you talked to me. The only person that would."
Stormcrest thought for a moment. "We finally escaped together, three years later, after all those nights of plotting and dreaming. We joined a gang."
Ryker gave a sad smile. "That didn't last long, after they figured out they had let a monster in."
"They weren't worth it. If they didn't accept you, then they didn't accept me. We both left," Stormcrest added.
"And then the promise."
Stormcrest frowned. "Yes, the promise."
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Post by Ruko on Nov 10, 2009 20:14:09 GMT -5
Both Mouse's and Shark's eyes widened slightly at the mention of a gang. Not their's, because they would've known, but still... Slowly, Mouse released her grip on Stormcrest, though her hands were ready to grab her again, if needed. She seemed under control, now that they were talking, but the older girl was unsure if she would attack again. "We won't turn you out, Ryker." she piped up, using his actual name. "Either of you." Mouse's eyes flicked to Stormcrest.
Though Shark agreed with Mouse in every word she said, his mind was on other matters. "Promise?" he asked, moving the conversation along. The two siblings were mostly listening, though a few comments seemed to be needed now and again to move it along.
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shadowswolf
Soilder
I'm not evil, just up to no good.
Posts: 217
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Post by shadowswolf on Nov 10, 2009 21:36:53 GMT -5
Ryker glanced at Shark, not sure if he was ready to have this long-awaite conversation in front of his friends.
"Stormcrest and I, after we left, we both made promises to each other." He paused. "Stormcrest promised to help me overcome my Attack."
"I still think it can be overcomed, Ryker," Stormcrest murmurred. "You can't accept yourself as this monster."
"Maybe," his voice was flat. "Maybe not."
"Tell them about your promise," she said in a low growl.
Ryker blinked. "Yeah, that."
Stormcrest rolled her eyes. "I'll tell them. I made Ryker promise that if it ever came down to a situation where he had to choose between my life and his, he would save himself. Same if we ever ran into slave traders."
"You made me promise something else too. You told me to never look ack on my past, to never go back to our master."
Stormcrest narrowed her eyes. "And the we promised to never leave each other, to never seperate unless by death. Yet you both left me and went back to our old master, after everything we had risked."
Ryker clenched his fists. "He was going to hunt us both down, and he would have killed you. I had to go back."
Stormcrest narrowed her eyes. "What do I have to live for? You killed my family, and I'm a mix of human and animal. I've got blood on my hands, same as you."
Ryker turned to Mouse and Shark. "When I told Stormcrest I was leaving and returning back to my master, we argued. And I told her I wasn't guilty for killing her family."
Stormcrest's eye clouded up. "All my pity was wasted on you."
"Truth is, Stormcrest," Ryker said. "That was a lie. I just did it so you wouldn't follow me or stop me."
Stormcrest was silent for a long moment. "I did follow you back, you know. I thought you were lying, you just wanted to get away from me. But when I saw you next to our old master, I knew you would have to be insane to do something like that."
"I know," muttered Ryker. "I'm sorry for all the pain I caused you."
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Post by Ruko on Nov 10, 2009 21:42:55 GMT -5
Shark wanted to speak, but hesitated. He wasn't good in diplomatic situations like this, being quite the devil's advocate. That wouldn't be such a good thing here. Needing help, he cast a glance at his younger sister over the two heads. She was quite the diplomat, when she wanted to be. Perhaps...?
Catching his glance, Mouse nodded slightly. "Ryker, Stormcrest, do you want us to go?" She hesitated slightly, then continued. "You know, if you want to talk privately. We'll go, and come back later, if you want us too." Truth be told, she didn't want to leave, with the curiosity gnawing at her, but if they wanted her to go, so be it.
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