Feel free to join at any given time. We can always use new people to keep the game alive. Children of Gods Story Once this world was ours; once it was nice, quiet, peaceful… livable, but then they came and they ruined it all. It’s not true, we never ruined anything. We came here to fix a broken world, we came here to live, but they denied us the gift that was once given to them. They’re dangerous, monsters, murderers. They hunted us down like rabid dogs. They killed our parents and children, imprisoned our friends... They’re heroes, our savior, gifts of God. They turned us against our brothers and sisters; made us track them, betray them. Those who wouldn’t fight were tortured and killed. All they had to do was leave this world to us, but they wouldn’t. Now those vile creatures will suffer the consequences of their choice. They wouldn’t even listen to reason; they nearly destroyed themselves trying to destroy us. We were supposed to prevent this. We have failed… Over a century has passed since the conflict started and things are finally starting to settle down; the demons have not attacked in the past three decades and people are finally getting tired of fighting, they are getting tired of always having to look over their shoulder twice before they can feel safe. As for the angels who form the city guard… they never had much of a say in the matter anyway. If things would have been the way they wanted it to be the fight would never even have started. But not everyone is willing to give up the fight just yet. Although most humans have seen that neither the angels nor the demons are trying to do any harm, some people hold onto different beliefs. A small group of people still remembers stories about a god who has created Eden for mankind and for mankind only and they want the remains of their world –their Eden– for themselves. What no one knows it that those people carry a dark secret with them, a secret that has yet to be discovered… Setting Many years of war have kept people from inventing new technologies. Many old cities were destroyed and the new cities were merely more than large villages –sometimes not even large. The smallest village you will find is home to about 300 people, the continent’s capital city has just over 8000 inhabitants. People hardly ever leave the city they call home. Due to a shortages gas prices have gone up a lot and only the richest can still afford driving a car. And besides, it’s dangerous outside the cities; there are no angels who will protect you if you are attacked, no city guard, no others to help you out and if your car breaks down you are likely to end up all alone in the middle of nowhere. You are free to try it if you feel like it, but don’t expect anyone to help you out if things turn out wrong. Races Demons Although there are many kinds of demons only three of those are known to walk the earth; the Goetic demons (not playable), half-demons (playable) and the touched (not playable). Goetic demons are high ranking demons, usually demons who command their own legions. They are stronger than most of their kind, and therefor able to maintain a physical body. Half demons are the children of a demon and a human, they are slightly stronger and faster than a regular human and they can learn to control dark energy, manipulate life energy and use forms of telekinesis. The term half demon is also used for the grandchildren or great grandchildren of demons. The touched are demons born with a human body; they are extremely rare. They can be of any rank and any strength, depending on who created them. The process of turning a human into a demon can only be done before childbirth or at the moment of a human’s death. All demons are able to change their appearance through shape shifting. For half demons this is limited to changing the color of the hair and eyes, regular demons can change their entire appearance, due to the fact that they don’t look human by nature. Demons can be recognized by their dark hair and grey eyes, but they will mostly cover this up by changing the color of their hair or eyes (or both). Demons are reckless by nature; they will often care very little about rules, if they care at all. Demons can have quite a temper, but they are capable of controlling themselves most of the time. Male demons are known for their superficial charm, which will often help them to get their way, female demons possess an entirely different king of charm, but in the end it has the same effect. Despite their reputation demons are not violent and will not attack unless provoked. Demons won’t trust people right away, but they are loyal to the people they do trust. Angels While archangels (not playable) can walk the earth they don’t often do so, the fact that they are able to do this is only known because there have been records of archangels bringing messages to certain humans. It has been said that angels can have half human children (not playable), just like demons can, but this has never happened before and it is not likely to happen at any time in the close future. Half angels (playable) are created before birth; they are in fact angels with the body of a human. There are not many of those angels, but they exist. The term half angels is also used for children and grandchildren of half angels. Half angels can sense people’s intentions after some practice, some half angels are able to point out liars, murderers and other people who mean to harm someone else by simply seeing a picture of them. Half angels can also manipulate light energy. Angels can be recognized by their blond hair and blue eyes. Children of half angels and their children can have eyes that are partly or entirely hazel instead of blue. Angels are known for their kind and compassionate nature; they would never judge people and they will help others wherever they can. Angels are not violent creatures and while they don’t support violence they are still very much capable of using it when they have to. It is nearly impossible to anger an angel. Humans Despite their lack of magical abilities humans are probably the strongest and most stubborn creatures you’ll ever meet. Some of them would go through hell and back to get what they want, while others don’t mind following someone else’s lead. They can be as kind as angels or as careless as demons, but most important of all: they have survived the curse of mortality. While many animal and plant species –if not all– died out at some point humans survived and even developed over time. They have survived an ice age and they can make a living anywhere from the northern tundra to the desert in the south. They even survived themselves and, believe me, that’s quite something. Note: half angels and half demons are simply referred to as angels and demons, because humans don't know the difference and care very little. Factions City guard Many angels have taken responsibility for the city they live in; they form the city guard. The angels have the task of dealing with violent individuals, street fights, drunken brawls and the occasional wild animal that attacks the city. While their tasks are mostly limited to simple tasks they sometimes have to deal with planned attacks too. The leader of the city guard organization is Matthew, very little is known about him other than that he gets his orders directly from archangel Gabriel... if the rumours are to be believed. Since Matthew only gets involved when things within the city guard are about to go wrong, it is of little importance who he really is. Guardians of Eden A group of people believes that the world was made for humans and is not supposed to be home to any other humanoid creatures, those humans call themselves the Guardians of Eden. Their attitude toward both angels and demons is very hostile. The Guardians of Eden have made their homes, also known as the Sanctuary, in some ruins about 15 miles away from the continent’s capital city. No one knows about their existence or the location of their base, no one other than the Guardians of Eden, that is. Anyone unlucky enough to walk into their territory, though this rarely happens, has disappeared. Although the Guardians of Eden have people who have intergrated into society to keep an eye on how things are going, many of their apprentices come in at a very young age and hardly leave the Sanctuary until they are adults, the only exceptions are made for people with special talents that are needed outside the Sanctuary rather than inside it. This faction owns vehicles and it may very well be the only place where you will find any recent maps of the continent. Rules 1. GM’s word is law. Feel free to point it out if you disagree with a choice though; if we can’t work it out I’ll ask for another player’s opinion on the matter. 2. The only character(s) you can control is/are your own. 3. The maximum amount of characters you can play is 3. 4. Keep discussions in the discussion thread and RP posts in the RP thread. 5. God-playing isn’t allowed. 6. I won’t tell you not to cuss, but keep it down a bit. 7. All other forum rules apply. Your character can die if (s)he decides to mindlessly rush into a battle against too many opponents/a too strong opponent. The same thing happens when you decide to sacrifice yourself, pick a fight with a gang etc. Since a big part of this RP does not revolve around combat this should not be a big problem. Every action has consequences; attacking the city guard can lead to a simple warning, trying to kill them can have the same effect, but it can also lead to an assassination in your sleep (although it’s unlikely). Character Sheet All characters have to be approved by me first, so please send me a PM with your character sheet. You can post the CS in the discussion thread once your character is approved. Name: Gender: Age: Race: Appearance: Faction: Background: Personality (good and bad traits): Additional information: Angel, demon or human will work as a race, because there is only one kind of playable demon and one kind of playable angel. If you want to play another race we can probably arrange something if you work it out well; just send me a message about it if you have an idea and want to know whether it is possible or not. It's not required to fill in the part about personality, but it would be nice to know what the characters are like, whether your character is part of a faction is also optional. Note: angels and demons don't necesserily see each other as enemies (but they don't have to like each other either). Because this RP does not revolve around the two being rivals/enemies I will leave it up to you to decide how your character feels about angels/demons/humans.
Samantha sat on the ground, her legs crossed and her eyes closed. The hot afternoon sun shone down on her without mercy, for the sunlight didn’t care about the young girl’s presence or anyone’s presence for that matter. At this time of the day not even the shadows of trees and buildings could provide shelter for the unnatural heat that would have been unheard of a century ago. The only right place to be at this time of the day would be at home or underground. As for Samantha herself; she was too focused on her surroundings to care about the heat. It was for this reason that she knew someone was looking for her, long before the person had found her. “Samantha,” a man’s voice said. “Yes,” answered Samantha without opening her eyes. “The Redeemer wants to talk to you.” Samantha did not reply to this; if the Redeemer –the leader of the Sanctuary and the Guardians of Eden– demanded your presence this was often bad news. “He wants to talk to you now.” “Tell him I will be there soon.” “I am here to bring you to him. He demands your presence, Samantha, so you will have to come with me. Now,” the man hardly raised his voice, but Samantha was trained to notice the change in emotion. The girl finally opened her eyes. “Fine, take me to him,” she made sure that her voice did not betray how she felt about the Redeemer’s request. Neither the girl, nor the man said anything as they walked through the halls. The silence almost seemed unnatural and Samantha was relieved when they reached a wooden door at the end of one of the Sanctuary’s many halls. “Enter,” a raspy voice said, even before Samantha’s companion had knocked on the door. There was something about the voice that would make any human’s blood run cold. Samantha merely blinked when the person behind the door spoke. The man who had taken Samantha to the Redeemer opened the door and nodded at the girl. She could enter. In the room was only one other person; a man who had to be in his late 80s, if he wasn’t older, was sitting behind his desk. From a distance someone might have thought the man looked weak, but his facial expression said something different: cold, grim, nearly hateful and filled with icy determination. Samantha was not able to name any of the emotions on the man’s face, simply because she was taught that she did not need a name for them. “Samantha, there you are,” the man made a sound that was supposed to resemble a chuckle, the sound sent chills down Samantha’s spine. “The last time I’ve seen you here you were only this tall,” the man lifted his hands; the space between them was roughly the size of a newborn child. “You’ve changed.” “Yes, Redeemer,” Samantha answered. “That is what time does to people.” “It changes and kills them, I know. That is why I asked you to come. One day in the not too distant future my body will fail me. When this day comes it is up to you to lead the Guardians of Eden, child.” “Thank you, Redeemer.” “You do not need to thank me, child; this decision only makes sense.” Samantha nodded. “But that is not all I wanted to say. Tonight you will leave the Sanctuary to fight for us in the capital city, but first I have one last test to see how well your observation skills are. Go to the training fields, someone will be waiting for you there. *** Furcas paced through the room, like he had done for a while now. It’s impossible. It’s supposed to be impossible, they have to be lying. Nothing like this has happened for the past three decades. The demon slammed his hands onto the table, stared at the piece of paper in front of him, ran a hand through his hair and started reading the message once again. As you may or may not know there have been 624 cases of murder in the past 6 months, 397 of the victims were demons. I know you and your kin are not responsible for this, Furcas, but I have to ask you to keep an eye on the others of your kind; they are in danger. I thought you would like to know this. Feel free to do with this message what you see fit. Kind regards, Matthew Furcas grabbed the closest item on his desk and threw it across the room. The glass shattered when it hit the wall, while Furcas studied the shards like they were the most fascinating thing he had ever seen. “What’s the matter?” Furcas turned to the human boy who had entered the room upon hearing the glass shatter. “Humans and dead demons, that’s the matter,” Furcas snapped. “But how do you know humans are responsible? The city guard would have caught them.” “I know it because this,” the demon nearly pressed the piece of paper against the boy’s face, but moved it away before the message could be read, “says murders. It doesn’t say demons who resisted arrest; it says victims and demons don’t attack each other, so it has to be something done by humans. Not people from the city though, you were right when you said they would have been caught, there were others. Maybe those others are still here.” “But…” “Get out. I need to think.” Furcas stared at the door for a while after it had shut behind the boy; the kid was one of the people Furcas had given a job to. He could have said he saved the boy from dying on the streets. He is a good kid, but he doesn’t understand our business. I should find someone who will offer him a safer job. Furcas looked at the paper in his hand once more before he made a final decision: he would make it public. The others should know, they should be ready and able to defend themselves. The demon got up and started walking toward the door of his house. If he wanted to spread this message as quick as possible there was only one right place to start.
Feet pattered over the ground, and several commoners looked up to see a group of kids run around the corner into an alley. Dark cloaks flapped and their cat-calls made some shake there heads, smiling ruefully. Just kids playing. Kinra's breath came hard and fast as she pelted down the hot stones of the road. Terror gripped her heart when she glanced back and saw the three boys behind her, the big one gaining ground. If she didn't do something fast, he'd grab the tail of her cape and yank her to the ground. The alleyway opened up onto another road, the wealthy district she guessed, and Kinra decided to try and lose them in the hedges surrounding one large home. Leaping high, Kinra heard the boy's shout in outrage as she shrank and changed into a black rodent the size of a small dog. Taking several leaping, twisting bounds through the thickest of the hedges while they plowed through behind, Kinra seemed a mere shadow under the relentless heat of the sun. Still, the boys were not deterred, and the girl squeaked in alarm when one of them made a grab for her plumed tail. The door to the house opened, and had Kinra been watching where she was going, she may have been able to avoid the man but as it was, she hadn't. The boys skidded to a halt on the path, watching as she slammed into the man's chest and tumbled to the ground in front of him. Kinra took one look at Furcas and let out a terrified squeak before she curled up into a shivering ball. "Sorry sir, our pet got away and . . .well . . ." the kids were too nervous to go any closer, but Kinra's four blood-red eyes went wide at the thought that the man might just hand her over to them. She was too scared to change back into her human form. What do i do? What do i do? the thought rang in her mind over and over at hyper-speed.
Laoch stood tall on a small bluff, feeling the light wind ruffling his wings. In front of him, there was a small camp of humans armed to the teeth, and behind him sat the demon camp, half the size. If he was honest with himself, all this was grandstanding; posturing made to make them look like they were more fearsome than they were. The demons had been being driven back all that week, and Laoch didn't see any hope for the future. They didn't have enough power. Sure, they could make a human burst into black fire, or throttle him with shadow, but most of the demons were too weak to use their powers more than twice without rest, or at least a strengthening hex. But still, Laoch stood tall, hoping – wishing – that the humans would be frightened off, but knowing they wouldn't. Suddenly, Laoch felt a tugging on his abdomen. He looked behind him to see one of the younger demons – Sionnach, moving his hands in a complicated motion. Even from this far off, Laoch could recognize the curse forming in the air. Sionnach sought to trap him in a human body, the usurper! He obviously wanted power for himself. Laoch fought against the curse, tried to use the anti-spell, but it was no use. He felt himself being dragged backwards, the world receding into the distance until everything went black. In his bed, Cian Caoineadh sat upright suddenly, a clammy sweat across his brow, breathing hard and fast as he tried to rid himself of his own recollections.
Furcas didn’t notice Kinra until she ran into him and fell to the ground with a terrified squeak. “Sorry sir, our pet ran away and… well…” Furcas knew the boy was lying, because he was a terrible liar. He would also have known it if the boy had been a good liar; one tends to learn this kind of things after spending eras between humans. The demon smiled, despite being lied to. “Do you know who I am?” None of the boys answered this question, they simply stood there like they didn’t know what they were supposed to say or do. “Apparently not,” Furcas shrugged. “But you know what I am, don’t you?” The boys still didn’t answer, but they had started to back off slowly. “You do. That’s good, now get away from me and don’t come back here unless you’re sure you want to be enemies with a demon.” As he walked away Furcas neither looked back at the boys, nor at the shivering ball of demon girl until he reached his car. The demon turned around to look at the boys who were running now. Good. That’ll teach them. Then he looked at Kinra. “Of course you’re allowed to lay there if you like, but I don’t think you still want to be here when they return… if they return,” Furcas corrected himself as soon as he realized that the boys probably wouldn’t be coming back anytime soon. “So kid, are you coming or not?”
Kasper sat in his room contemplating many things. His room was cold – in the sense that there was nothing personal. His room was less personal than most prison cells; he had his bed and a closet. His clothes were all suits, this man was all business. He chose not to interact with people another day, it was easier this way. He had recently returned from a patrol around the Guardians area, not that he was required to do a patrol, he chose to keep a watch on this land, and after all he couldn’t trust other people. How was he going to let these… amateurs… protect these people who knew the truth. Kasper had contemplated enough; it was time to return to keeping his body in shape. He would jog a few miles today, not risking even one day without a good workout.
Kinra gulped, forcing herself into human form and clutching at her cloak to hide her face. As a mere half-demon, she dared not disobey Furcas of all people. "Y-yes sir...." she mumbled, taking several timid steps after him.
Kyrun sat on the grass, his hands in his lap. He had been practicing his powers again; anyone could see that due to the scorched grass, blackened shrub and burnt tree in front of him. His power, the ability to control fire, never seemed to want to work for him. Whenever he tried to only increase a flame a tiny bit, he always somehow made the flame swell and grow until it was a roaring blaze. He had destroyed so many items in his home that his guardians, a poor, human couple, had forbidden him to use his powers inside. "I wonder what my real father's power was." He wondered aloud to the sky. Many a time he had imagined his father there by his side, telling him how to control his powers. The humans he lived with could never understand, only an angel with angel's powers could fully understand him. Of course, he reminded himself, he wasn't a real angel. Only the son of a one generation half angel and a human. Sighing, he got to his feet and and held the small candle in on hand. Raising his other hand in front of the candle he prepared the control the flame of the candle. But before he had stared burning another bush, Asnder, his female guardian, called him from the house. "Kyrun! Kyrun stop burning the fields and come in here." Lowering his hand, Kyrun walked as slowly as he could to the house, wishing he could stay out longer. "You might," she said, brushing bits of grass off his tunic, "go and help the men at the farm, instead of wasting your time playing about with this silly fire trick you have. Just because you're a half angel doesn't mean you don't have to work." Kyrun nodded and, leaving his candle on the table, walked out of the house, not intending to go to the farm at all, but not intending to go back to the field either. He walked down the road towards the farm, but as soon as he was out of sight he ran off the road and into a different farmer's field. Keeping in the shadows as best he could, and hoping that the farmer who owned the field wouldn't notice him, he breathed a sigh of relief when he reached the other side. Vaulting over the fence, he walked down the earthen path that ran alongside the field. He walked, and walked, and walked. He kept his eyes fixed ahead, certain he would see something soon.
Nix smiled as the clock tower rung the last bells of the evening, she flicked on the radio and began closing up the shop dancing between the isles, as she pulled the last shutter down she heard Umbra's gravely voice 'Damn girl dance like that I'll have the theater down the road clamoring to steal you away from me'. Nix twirled the panels of her qipao lifting and gliding around her, she came to a halt directly in front of him her tongue stuck out. 'Hush you old letch and get in the back' her tone held laughter in it and genuine affection, Umbra grumbled and moved back to the workshop. Nix skipped to her locker peeling off the oriental dress and replacing it with jeans, a baggy hoodie, scarf and trench coat. she walked into the back finding Umbra bent over a collection of gems and shimmering pieces of metal. 'I'm off for the night don't spend all night fiddling' she kissed him on the head and began to walk away, 'Nix it always depresses me seeing how you are on the floor and then seeing the face you show the world, i told you to hide your charm not to hate yourself because of it'. Nix halted leaning on the door frame with one hand 'You know how i am Umbra, i didn't ask to be demonkin. I'll use my powers when i need to or for you otherwise i prefer to avoid them'. She heard the chair scrape as he turned to her 'You put a beautiful pianist behind a shabby curtain it doesn't stop people hearing girl, same as your cloths they don't hide your charm just makes people look harder. Go on girl get home' Nix sighed with relief and skipped out into the night.
None of the boys looked up when Samantha walked across the training field, but the girl knew they were aware of her presence; those boys had simply been trained to stay focused at all times. Samantha studied the boys. None of them was younger than 12 or older than 16, they were all exceptionally muscled for their age – or for any age, for that matter. Seconds after walking onto the field Samantha had already known which ones of those boys lacked the strength, speed and endurance that were expected from them. “See anything you fancy?” “No, you force them fight with utterly useless weapons, which, by the way, is the only reason I didn’t kill you seconds ago,” Samantha acted like she didn’t realize that the man had been talking about the boys, not the weapons. “Three of them fail to live up to the expectations. What do you expect me to do with them?” Instead of verbally answering the question, the man who was responsible for training the boys handed Samantha two weapons; both were slightly curved and about a foot long, one of them was round with a sharp tip, the other one was a knife. Samantha smiled. “Now we are talking. I assume that means you want me to kill them?” “Get in line,” the man snapped at the boys. He didn’t raise his voice, but the boys reacted immediately, it took them less than half a minute to carry out the order. As they stood in line all of the boys stared straight ahead. Samantha walked past each and every one of them; she could tell they were scared and that pleased her. She knew she was the Redeemer’s favorite and those boys knew it too, but more important than that was for them to know why she was the old man’s most liked apprentice. Samantha had reached the end of the line and she had started to walk back to the other end. The boys were about to sigh in relief, but Samantha made a move before they could do so. The knife cut off the head of one of the boys, while the second weapon pierced the body of the person next to him; it went inside the body just below the ribcage and came out at the neck. No one else reacted to the attack and within a minute the screams of the dying boys had died down. Samantha grinned. She knew she was capable of doing anything inside the sanctuary and, unlike those boys, she would not be punished for it, in fact this behavior had been encouraged for as long as Samantha could remember. There was a third boy, at the end of the line, who could not live up to the expectations, but Samantha didn’t enjoy ending his life half as much as she had enjoyed killing the other boys. The last boy was one of the older ones; he had realized he was falling behind and he had embraced death, like the Guardians of Eden had always been taught. At least he knows how to die with honor, Samantha thought, but she didn’t quite manage to hide her disappointment. Samantha turned around when she heard the sound of slow clapping behind her. “Well done, child. Perfect, absolutely amazing, but of course I didn’t expect anything else from you,” the Redeemer looked even weaker now he wasn’t sitting behind his desk, but despite that he also appeared to be more dangerous than he had ever been before. “You will leave as soon as I can arrange; if everything goes according to plan you will be in the city before sunset.” Samantha nodded at the man. “Thank you, Redeemer.” The city… now she would finally get to see the place that was home to more people than Samantha could imagine, the concept sounded threatening rather than anything else. *** Furcas was quiet for a long time before he finally decided that he had to say something to the demon girl, who would likely be in his company for another few hours. “I don’t have the habit of taking care of every young demon girl I meet, but… things have been different lately. Things have been dangerous lately…” What can one tell a child about murder without scaring her too much? ‘Nothing’ appeared to be the best answer to this question, so instead of continuing about the dangers in the city Furcas changed the subject. “Who were those boys anyway, and what did they want from you?”
"Bullies." she whispered, holding her hood closer to her face as her hands trembled. Even in front of another demon, Kinra refused to reveal why they had teased her. As far as she'd ever seen, all demons could at least look human. Her? She was a freak. Black, crumbling skin and four glowing red eyes and magma for blood? And no ability to mask it? She was the object of scorn for all races. Kinra sniffed and rubbed her nose to keep from crying. A freak. That's all she was. A freak that could turn into a convenient little puff-ball to run away.
Kasper was out jogging when he stopped, Redeemer was out and he wasn't sure why. Kasper would keep watch over him; protect him even if he didn't know he was being protected. He was watching the children training, he remembered this training well, it shaped him into the machine he was today. He crossed his arms watching Redeemer and Samantha watch the training. As soon as Samantha picked up the weapon he knew what was about to happen. It was something Kasper loved, weed out the weak. He was never in threat of being weeded out when he was in training. He continued to watch as she quickly dispatched to weaklings, followed by a third. While watching this thinning of the ranks he continually kept an eye on Redeemer.
The clock tower chimed below him, its vibrations rattling his bones, sending a shiver throughout his body. the warm evening air blew across his face, he opened his eyes, dark hazel, unlike other angels he has seen, much like his hair brown also, his pinkish skin blended into the setting sunlight of red and pink sky and he took a deep breath a took of his hoodie, he was out of sight from humans so he was fine. he unfurled his sliver grey wings, its blue edge feathers fluttered in the wind as they stretched out, 2 meter wingspan out wide, no more than 30 cm furled up. he looked of into the distance, a little series of farm fields that he like to visit, away from the town, away from the polluted and damaged world of synthetics, at the farm stood a large water tower that he could see over the City walls, see the abomination of a world that Everyone seemingly forgotten about by everyone in this dream land, he just wanted to scream at them. 'pop into reality for a minuet and look at what we have done, destroyed and lost' he muttered to himself. he shook his head and jumped off the tower, at first he fell but a warm breeze caught his wings and he was pushed upwards, almost like a glider would be, he steadily altered his direction and glided down to the fields no further than the size of a football field, a decided to carry on gliding a meter of the floor, he did a corkscrew spin and laughed and then he spotted him. he saw a human walking down the path parallel to the field and he quickly dropped to the floor he was gilding over, furled up his wings and put his hoodie back on. he looked at the human, he looked lonely if not confused and hurt. Pit was curious normal he was not interested but this human was different, he had a nagging feeling at the back of his head and decided what to do. at that moment he got up and vaulted over the fence in front of him.
Graham grabbed his jacket and slipped it on, rolling his shoulders back assessing the dull ache from his workout the day before. He'd decided today would be a rest day, he needed to be fresh, ready for tonight. He wasn't sure how well his plan would work or even if it would come to fruition today. It had been a month now without work and he had used the time to fully pursue his training regime. He couldn't remember a day over the last few months where he hadn't woken up with some sort of dull ache from pushing his body the day before. Tonight he would try to reap the benefits he'd set himself the lofty goal of getting onto the city guard. No mean feat since he was just a human and it was an exclusively Angel task force. He'd decided not to share his goal with others after the first person he had told had just laughed it off. He wasn't one for setting easily achievable goals. It had left him with a problem though, this wasn't just a place he could walk upto and apply. He needed to get on their radar, to prove that he could be of use. As such Graham had spent his days training and his evenings scouting out the city and visiting pubs. Now he thought he had a feel for some of the rougher areas and where trouble was likely to kick off. He glanced down at his knuckles looking at the swelling on the right hand and the slice that was still healing along his upper left arm where someone had swung a bottle at him the week before. Naturally this kind of "research" came with it's risks but it had also allowed him to choose where he would head to tonight. The Brownswood Tavern, home to a rougher clientele and avoided by most due to it's attraction with a demon clientele. However that meant it would be perfect for him. If he hung around there for long enough he was sure a fight would kick off resulting in the city guard been called out. Then he just needed to intervene in a way that didn't make himself look like an agitator but that would allow him to show off his prowess. If he could impress the city guard that way maybe they would take his request to join their ranks more seriously. Still that left him with an hour or so to kill yet and he was getting restless sitting inside. He didn't really know quite what he was going to do or where to go but that didn't stop him from stepping out the door.
Hugo hurried himself through the cool alley. The sun was close to completing its descent and the heat of the afternoon was beginning to wear off. Gusts of wind played with his hair, throwing it this way or that. His throat narrowed, his heart drummed against his ribs. This was his most dangerous job by far, but also the most rewarding one. Two grams of a venomous powder, contained in a petite vial, pressed against his chest. He'd pocketed it three hours ago and was to deliver it in five minutes sharp at the tavern. The angels had little authority here, the things that crawled through these streets scared even them, the darkness easily swallowed their bright light of justice. He made a sharp turn to the left and brushed past a group of whispering, conspiring beggars. An inaudible sigh of relief escaped him when the shady strangers failed to notice him. He was almost there now. – Graham shot a glance at the setting sun using it to gauge the time. It might still be a little early yet but he was tired of waiting and wandering around aimlessly. It couldn't hurt to arrive at the place early, he'd be guaranteed a dark seat in a corner somewhere and not worry about anyone sneaking up on him. Besides, it would allow him to survey his opportunities and plan a bit. There were always ways to subtly fuel a situation. And he would emerge as the hero. He began to meander his way down the side streets making his way to the destination. Sometimes he took to the roofs to dodge some of the less savory characters in the area but he decided that it was still too light for that and anyone that was drunk at this time of the day looking to start something probably wouldn't be to much of a threat. That didn't stop him from casually scratching his back checking the small throwing knife taped to his back or pretending to look at his watch for the reassurance of feeling the dagger slipped into the concealed pocket there. You didn't frequent these kind of places without some sort of security. – “Oy!” Hugo kept moving. “Oy, you 'ere!” Hasty footsteps chased him, but he didn't stop. Graham however, did stop. Surely they weren't trying to make move on him this distance, he didn't even need to be fit to outrun them at this point. He shot a glance back and saw a youth trying to get past them. This was the kind of situation that people usually turned a blind eye to. This was exactly the kind of person he strived not to be. He edged down the alleyway quietly conscious to avoid the broken glass and keeping to the shadows. The situation was escalating and they'd gone out of view as they cornered the youth. “Oy!” A dirty hand clasped Hugo's shoulder and forced him to turn around. He was greeted by a hunched figure, dressed in a great-coat which reached almost to his heels and only three brass buttons remained on it. Strands of thin, gray, dingy hair leaked from underneath the man's headgear which, he noticed, was either a nightcap, or an overturned sock. The man revealed a vale, yellow smile. “Whosya walkin away frum?” He hid his fear and returned a smile of his own, “hello me flashmate.” The man hadn't heard him, as was evidence by his next question. “Whasya doing 'ere all alone?” Hugo shrugged, “this and that.” Part of him knew that such an answer was unsatisfactory, but he never stopped trying. “You was spying on us, wasn't you?” The man's claw tightened. Running wasn't an option, nor was fighting. The precious vial he carried would break no doubt, and kill them all. Only one option remained. “I wasn't. Let's talk this unpleasantness through over a drink.” The man chuckled. “Any greens?” He nodded. There was no point in lying, as he had just offered to buy the man a drink. The two green, paper bills in his pocket were intended for food and water, not liquor, but if they could provide him a way to complete his job, he'd still earn some money. Perhaps he could cut on the biscuits and cheese to cover his loss. The stranger had other plans. “Hand 'em over.” He flared his nostrils in defiance, ”no!” Only now did he realize he'd been edging towards a wall, and only now did he realize that the man's companions had formed a secondary wall around him. 'Flashmate' drew a shiv. At the same time, Hugo pulled out the small vial from his coat pocket, and held it high above his head. The powder contained within it radiated eerie strobes of hellishly green light. “Let me go.” The three or four figures slackened to a halt. “Wus that?” Flashmate demanded. “Neurotoxin, and you'd better not come a step closer!” In the distance, Graham paused for a moment wondering just how safe it was to get involved and how innocent this kid really was. Still it piqued his curiosity and he couldn't just walk away from a kid about to be mugged regardless of his background. He slipped his throwing knife out and hid it in his right palm but produced his dagger and left it in show of his left hand. It was a simple small straight blade but it would do the job to intimidate even if there weren't great odds. The boy made eye contact with him and he nodded as he stepped up closer to the group. He stopped a couple of metres away, enough that they couldn't reach him without him having time to react. "I suggest you listen to the kid. My employers won't be happy if you hold him up." He flashed him a sadistic grin and hoped the bluff would be enough to put them off, it wasn't an easy steal anymore. Hugo seized the opportunity, "that's right. You'd better run away now." He could see the consideration on the beggar's face. Flashmate looked at the knive in Graham's hand and decided that it was bigger than his. Hugo prayed Flashmate was the only one with a weapon. The beggar in the over coat spun round bringing his shiv up, so much for intimidating the man. He noted one of the other two tense up, his clothes were patchy and he balled his hands up into fists, the fingerless gloves the man was wearing failed to hide his shaking, but whether that was from nerves or the man needed a fix was unclear. His pupils weren't wide but he kept shooting glances between the vial the boy was holding and the knife Graham was sporting. He made a mental note that this was the man he could prioritize less as a threat, the overcoat was his main target. "Pay and we'll scarce," the third one piped up. It didn't come out as a threat but it wasn't the back down Graham was looking for. He took a step forward but none of the three stepped back from him. "Tick tock, what's it gonna be chaps?" Graham forced out the words and projected an air of confidence, they didn't know that his heart was hammering inside. The last time he'd got involved in a weapons fight hadn't exactly gone well. The leader of the petty thieves waved his shiv about, but stumbled over his own feet. "Curse you! Damn you both!" The beggar continued swearing violently under his breath as he and his companions scattered. Within seconds they had disappeared, leaving only the heavy air of alcohol to testify to their presence. Hugo looked up at Graham, unsure whether he was friend or foe. "Thanks mate," he said as he hid both his hands and the vial behind his back. Graham turned his head away from the retreating beggars, just in time to see the kid slip his vial away. "That's alright. Was you serious just then? That's a hell of a thing for a kid to be walking about with, even if you are in an area like this. "I don't know what you're talking about," Hugo replied as he let the vial drop in his back pocket. He gave Graham a toothy smile, "well, I better be off."
He didn't like the way the kid outright lied to him. It wasn't something you could just cover up but it was clear he didn't want to talk about it. He could see the boy was restless, eager to get somewhere but that wasn't enough reason to cover that up. Before he had been to the side of the alley allowing easy passage but now he stepped more to the center of it. He consciously slipped his dagger back up his sleeve though so the move didn't seem to intimidating, more to just act as a signal that the conversation wasn't done just yet. "You know exactly what I mean, the least you can do is show me a bit of honesty after I put myself in the middle of that." He wasn't expecting an answer really and he'd already made up his mind he wouldn't stop the kid if he tried to bolt past him which he looked like he would. He'd saved a kid he wasn't going to spoil that now by extorting information out of him even if he was involved in something shady.
“Get to the entrance of the Sanctuary, Samantha. One of our men will be with you,” the Redeemer said. Samantha knew it was not a question, but a command and she obeyed, even though she didn’t like the fact that she was being told to find the person “waiting for her” for the second time that day. As soon as Samantha was no longer within hearing distance, the Redeemer turned to the man who had been training the boys. “I know she does her job well, but Samantha is fragile. I want one of our best men to keep an eye on her at all times, but she may not notice him.” *** “Didn’t your parents ever teach you to look people in the eyes if they talk to you?” Furcas quickly glanced at Kinra before focusing his eyes on the road before him again. The demon realized how harsh his comment probably seemed to be and he instantly regretted it. Furcas looked at the girl next to him again when he heard her sniff. Those boys must really have scared the poor thing, although Furcas could have tried to get into Kinra’s mind to find out what was bothering her, he decided not to. “That wasn’t supposed to sound the way it did. Are you okay?” *** Although the shadows had only started to change a little, Samantha knew it would be completely dark within an hour or two, but she cared very little about that. What she did care about was the fact that she was in a car – one of the few the Guardians of Eden owned. Samantha had lived in the Sanctuary all of her life and during her time there she had never heard of the existence of such a thing, nor had she ever seen one. It reminded her of one of the things the Redeemer had told her before they had both gone their separate ways for what would probably be a long time. “This is just one of the many pieces of human technology that you have never seen before. I understand that what I will ask of you is hard, but you have to try to adapt to their society as quickly as possible, do you understand?” “Yes, Redeemer,” Samantha had answered. “I understand.” “Good, then you are now free to go and do as you see fit.” With these words the Redeemer had given Samantha a small bag with anything she would need during the next week; clean clothes for a few days, money, a map of the city and the girl’s weapons.
Kyrun continued to walk as the sun climbed higher in the sky. He ran his hand lightly along the top of the wooden fence that surrounded the fields, and gazed out at the rippling golden squares that were dotted here and there on the hills and valleys that made up his home. He heard the clock chime once...twice...three times. Glancing up at the clock tower, that was surrounded by the walls of the city, he thought for a moment he saw a small figure falling over the edge, but he dismissed it as being a trick of the light. He kicked a small stone and sighed, wishing he had his candle with him so as to practice his power. Leaning his back against the fence, he lifted his face and closed his eyes, letting himself be bathed in the warm gold light. His moment of peace suddenly ended when he heard a soft rustle from the field behind him. He whipped around, and stared hard into the tall wheat. It was probably just a field mouse, or a cat he told himself, combing his fingers through his hair, but he didn't turn around again, and kept his eyes on the wheat. After a few minuets of looking for any kind of creature that could make the rustling sound, he tore his eyes away from the field and continued walking. After he had gone a couple of paces, he heard the rustle again, louder this time. A cat or a mouse couldn't make that much noise, I'm sure! He thought it must have been something bigger. But what? He took a few more wary steps, keeping an eye on the field, occasionally hearing the odd rustle. Then, in a sudden swishing of leaves and shaking of stalks, a boy, about his age, leapt over the fence in front of him. He was taller them Kyrun by about three inches, and had piercing hazel eyes. He was wearing a blue hoody, with a strange lump on his back. He was scrutinising Kyrun all over, and Kyrun wondered if he had guessed he was a half angel, due to his brilliant gold hair and stunningly blue eyes. For a couple of minutes, neither boy spoke, then Kyrun swallowed and said: "Who are you?"
Kinra couldn't help but shake her head. "My parents are both human. My whole family is. No one knows why i look like this. . ." before she could allow her own fear to keep her face hidden again, Kinra snatched off her hood. Four blood-red eyes blinked at Furcas from beneath ragged bangs, and a long, thin crack in her charcoal-black skin revealed a faint trail of glowing magma beneath. She'd been struck in the face recently, or it would have been healed over by now. Before someone else noticed her appearance, Kinra pulled her hood back on just as quickly as she had snatched it off, reassured by the dark cloth that hid her shame. She knew her parents loved her, and none of her relatives seemed to notice that she was different. Well... only having one aunt that lived with the rest of her family probably couldn't count at "relatives". "They just won't leave me alone... what did i ever do to-" Kinra looked up towards the skyline as she spoke, then froze. Smoke billowed from a building several blocks away, and she could hear the faint cries of alarmed citizens as they frantically tried to put out the blaze. It wasn't just a house, it was her house.
"You know exactly what I mean, the least you can do is show me a bit of honesty after I put myself in the middle of that." "I was honest when I said 'thanks'," Hugo replied. He straightened his back, tipped an invisible hat towards Graham and strutted past him. "Tata for now," he called over his shoulder. As soon as he'd past the first corner he began to make a run for it. Wristwatch, five past six. Damn! Chased by trouble, he quadrupled his pace. The wind sliced at his throat and stabbed at his ribs. Puffing and sweating he arrived at the tavern. So this was it then, behind that vale door awaited his client, he could only hope he wasn't too upset.
He couldn't help but smile at the kids comment. He had audacity, but it worked. He let the boy slip by and fiddled about with the throwing dagger still concealed in his palm and reattached it to his back before he exited the alley. The kid was already out of site so he'd leave him be. Perhaps it was something worth investigating in the future though. For now though it seemed like it was time for him to carry on with his nights plans. He picked up the pace noting that it was getting a bit darker now after that altercation and he was planning on finding a fight kick off where help might be called, not another dark alleyway where your only hope was a good Samaritan like him. He reached the tavern and slipped in quietly, the smell of liquor and sweat hit him first, this wasn't the choiciest establishment in town, the liquor was watered down and the standards were low. He passed by a couple getting overly intimate and found himself an empty seat in the corner eyeing a new bloodstain that had seeped into the wooden flooring. He already knew the exits and the best places to look for a weapon, now he just needed to eye up the clientelle and get a feel for what to expect of the night. He waved to one of the serving girls and ordered himself a beer, nothing to strong, he wanted to be at his peak.
Hugo. A set of hastily put together chairs and tables, all of which threatened to collapse if the dust were to be brushed off, filled the inside of the brown, planked tavern. The air was so heavy with liquor that it was easy to forget how much it reeked and easier still to get drunk without flipping a penny. Wide-eyed, Hugo took in the sounds and smells of the place. He looked for a man called Stabman, but almost all the tavern's inhabitants were worthy of that name. A particularly foul odor reached around him from behind. "You're late." The man's voice was deeper and darker than the cellar of the tavern. He was well-rounded and had as much oil on his skin as he had in the cogs of his cold, machine-like heart. Most of his hair had refused to grow on his head, save for a few miserable strands near the back. He rested his chilling gaze on Hugo. "You're late," he repeated. "Follow me." Through the tavern they went, up a set of stairs, past a row of unhinged doors and finally up a ladder into the attic. The air was thick and muggy, but still cleaner than the foul stenches that dominated the lower floor. Hugo hesitantly followed Stabman into the darkness. With jolt he realized he hadn't even asked who the man was. "Are you sta?-" "I am. And you are Hugo, aren't you?" "Yes," he muttered. Stabman lit a candle and scanned Hugo's face with it. "You've grown." Hugo moved a few inches backwards, "pardon me?" Stabman payed him no heed as he closed the trapdoor. Only the eerie, wavering glow of the candle prevented them from being enveloped in utter darkness. "I said you've grown," Stabman huffed. He swatted Hugo's next question away before the boy could ask it. "All that matters now is that you have the powder, and that you weren't followed into here." The man's voice was hushed now, as if the very walls had grown a pair of ears. "Uncle William?" Hugo edged closer now, underneath the coat of filth and grease, there was some still some resemblance to his mother's brother. Stabman sighed. "Always the investigator eh? But be quiet now and listen carefully, we are about to change history forever, you and I."
Graham surveyed the area over his beer and perked up as he watched an old man approach a boy, not just a boy, the boy from earlier. They snuck off round the back of the tavern and disappeared out of sight. They didn't rent any of the rooms out here although from the comings and goings he'd observed previously it was possible to gain short term access to some of the upstairs for conversations and deals a bit more private. It was pointless to try and follow he knew well enough that the barmen monitored who tried to gain access and that he had toughs on hand to ensure that the area remained private. Still that wasn't enough to dissuade him. His return trips in the evenings had taught him that there was more than one way to get where you wanted. He slipped out the front of the building leaving his drink and moved round the side of the building. The tavern itself wasn't possible to scale but the adjacent building would do. He tested the metal drain pipe before he began to shimmy up it as he'd done countless times before around the city. Heights didn't phase him to much and it was only two storeys. When he reached the top he tried the roofing tiles hesitantly with one hand. He knew from first hand experience that sometimes what looked solid wasn't always so reliable. Happy with the test he pulled himself up onto the roof pleased with how easy the process was coming, he still remembered all the tears and scrapes originally across his arms before he'd built the strength and technique to effectively climb up. He crouched on the roof and assessed the next move. Half of the curtains on the upper floor of the pub were drawn and the remaining ones were empty, since there was no way of checking he decided to check the attic of the building. He was lucky that this particular design of pub had one small circular window although he couldn't see particularly well through it from this vantage point and had little hope of hearing. The gap between the roofs was about 4 foot it was a jumpable distance but he'd never tested the building before. Still he wanted to find out just what it was that the boy was carrying. He approached the lip of his building and jumped landing with a small thud on the other side trying to balance himself against the slant of the roof, it had been a passable landing but his footing slid out from him as one of the roofing tiles gave way and slid off the roof shattering at the bottom. Graham managed to regain balance and paused for a moment to slow his breathing as his heart raced from the shock. He didn't particularly fancy sliding off the roof. He kept his profile low and moved slowly across the roof hoping to avoid dislodging any more tiles as he approached above the small attic window. It was a cheap building meaning the window was single glazed and thin, with any luck he'd be able to catch the gist of any conversation below, assuming that the boy was still meeting with the man and that they had indeed gone to the attic.
"Uh my name is pit? UM who are you?" Pit asked awkwardly he had just about hid his wings when this human had saw him, or at least he looked human. "What are you doing walking randomly in this field?" he asked him forgetting the fact he flew over to this stranger and not the other way around. he looked at the field he had landed next to and looked back at him.
