Flames

“Kill or be killed spilled the words from you mother.”

--The Light & the Glass: Coheed and Cambria

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Hands flashed up in a sign of power, the pale skin shining out with a glow illuminating over them. I am the fire. I am the chaos. Eyes of hazel flashed with amber tones sparking within them, black hair rising in a wind kicking around the body. A column of energy swept around her, flames beginning to spark in a circle, her cloak swaying in the energy and just barely staying away from the fire. I will be your destruction. She smirked, fingers splaying out over the air as if she were touching out to a wall. I will kill you. The energy seemed to snap, her hands flicking and pulling back slightly as the fire on the ground rose over her, shielding. It twisted in a bewilder motion, forming into the head of a wolf and literally charging at a figure on the tar not too far from her. "Burn," she scowled, no longer surrounded by any sort of power as it all danced around on the figure, biting and scorching him to ashes. The screams filled the air and she smiled, eyes returning to hazel. Her body swept around, cloak clutching to her as she walked away from the scene - the flames dying away with ash.

************************
“So who are you anyway?”

Hazel eyes blinked up at the bartender, lips unmoving. He hesitated slightly and shrugged, “Well, you don’t have to talk or anything. You’re just here a lot. I like to know my regular customers. …Y’know?”

She continued to stare and then looked down, pale fingers curling around a small glass filled with some sort of wine. “Just a name or something…come on, a little identity is nice once in awhile. A nickname?” he edged on, trying to get something out of this stranger, brushing back the shaggy locks of dirty-auburn hair.

“I have no name,” she finally started, voice hauntingly drifting through the air, “Why would I need a name? They’re useless most of the time anyway. After all,” a smile curled over her face. Behind her in a more open, tavern area, the embers in the fireplace sparked more and grew, lighting the darkened room. “I am just a body. A shell, I need no name as far as I can tell.”

“Eh…right then, anyway…anything that I can refer to you as instead of ‘hey, girl over there,’” he paused and glanced over her, quickly correcting himself, “woman, my mistake.” By the look in her eyes, she didn’t seem to be paying attention to him anyway. A shell, hm? Right, he believed that - or at least for now he’d let it slip by for now. She was a peculiar one after all… “Never mind the name thing…I’ll think of someway to refer to you as. But on a change of subject…” he pulled out a newspaper from under the counter, setting it atop for her to see. The front of it held a picture of the city, flames distantly shown. “There was another fire last night, they said the officials found the same pile of decay, ashes. Though this time it was a little different…they found an actual skeleton of someone.”

Her body stiffened, but he didn’t notice. Again her eyes went to the picture, examining and deciphering where the fire was. It’s not my fault, the thought entered her mind quickly, I was tired. I didn’t want to waste that much energy again… Her eyes opened wider and danced with an amber glow, the fireplace in the back began to burn harder and some of the customers moved away uneasily. “Hey, you ok?” the bartender gave her an odd look and she closed her eyes immediately. “Don’t be afraid about it. Probably just some company looking for attention and setting up the flames and all, heh, burning the people instead of firing ’em.”

“I’m fine,” her voice merely murmured. I…why didn’t I burn the skeleton too? God damn it…why didn’t I…I… “I have to go,” she quickly stood, cloak pulling up around her with the swift motion. She slipped a hand in a pocket, pulling it out to toss two coins onto the bar counter.

“Hey, are you sure you’re all right?” when she looked back to him he stumbled back, her eyes had completely changed over to amber. He opened his mouth to speak, but she had turned and stepped out the door. The flames from the fireplace licked out from their chambers in warning, dying down to coals once the door of the tavern slammed shut with her exit. “…Definitely… peculiar…”

************************
The woman heaved in a breath, hands now gloved holding to the side of a wall in a back alley, away from the tavern. “Stay back,” she hissed, hearing footsteps behind her. She turned her head to stare at two men and glared darkly. “Stay away from me,” her eyes jumped alive, but of course they weren't listening. And I call for the fire.

“Hey there,” one of them chuckled, striding slowly towards her.

And I call for the chaos, she spun to fully face them, energy dancing wildly. “I'll give you one warning to turn and run.”

“Now there sweet'ums, we just wanna p -” he went silent, feeling something cold pressing to the side of his head. His eyes shifted to the side, looking to his smirking “friend” with worry. “ 'ey bud, what gives...?” a gun pressed tighter at his words and he shut his mouth.

“You've done your part with tracking her, I don't need you anymore.”

Her power was flustered at the sound of a bang and her eyes returned to their hazel coloring when the man dropped dead and the gun pointed over at her. “I knew I'd find you in time. You've been very bad, but I'll make it right and better for us all.”

She went to try and pull up her power again.

“Now, now, you shouldn't struggle...Rin.”

She froze, eyes widening and becoming very distant, voice ghostly, “What did you call me?”

“Rin. Don't you remember your old name? Or have you really been wandering that long?”

“STOP IT! Go away!”

Rin turned around to stare blankly at a child that seemed to just appear behind her, on the ground with tears streaming from her eyes. The man lowered his gun and sighed, shaking his head, but Rin continued to be as confused as ever.

“Seems I can't kill you now…or yet at least,” the man mumbled with annoyance, watching the child. “You're a thief, Rin. You stole a child's body sixteen years ago to escape fate, but now it seems the child has recovered into her old body...amazing the resemblance, after all...you grew up from that,” he chuckled and turned to walk away.

Rin glared in his direction, “I don't know what you're talking about! I did nothing wrong, NOTHING!”

“Think what you want, I'll be after you later…”

He was gone before Rin could do much more, other then put full attention to the child. She did look...a lot like Rin....same hair (though a bit shorter), same eyes, even an outfit rather close to Rin’s... The girl stood and Rin reached out, the child quickly moving back.

“D-Don't hurt me.…”

“I won't,” she blinked, not understanding the child...but for some reason, she felt responsible.

************************
“Hey, you came back. Though you still look a bit under the weather,” the bartender blinked as Rin walked back into the tavern, the little girl stumbling in after. “Ah, and you brought along a guest. Sister? She looks like it.”

“I don’t know,” Rin whispered, taking her normal seat. The child crawled onto a stool besides her. “It seemed she just....appeared. She won't say anything either…”

“Ah, well I’m pretty good with kids y'know,” he leant towards the child and offered a smile, “How about a nice big glass of milk, hm?”

The dull hazel eyes lit up and she nodded frantically. The tender smiled, “See?”

“I didn't even know you had anything non-alcoholic here other than water,” Rin mumbled as he poured the child a glass. She watched tiredly before speaking quietly, as if raising her voice would kill her, “Oh, by the way...as a real answer to your earlier question....my name is Rin…” she paused, eyes closed while she dug up her last name through memories, “Rin McKenna.”

“Pleasure to mee - well, finally get your name,” he chuckled, leaning back. “Now I have a proposition for you. See, more people are starting to come here during the afternoon for meals and I need someone else to work. Preferably a waitress. Which could be yourself.”

“I don’t think -”

"And I can provide you with a room."

Her thoughts stopped. A room? I...do need a place to actually stay...especially with that man from earlier after me... She sighed, “I’ll work here then.”

"Ah, good! A free glass on me!" he turned away to pour a glass of her normal choice in wine.

She was not going to be hunted so easily.

And this child...the man had said nonsense about her stealing the child's body...But that couldn't be true...Rin had grown up all her life in this body, right? Though the first six years of her life she could hardly even remember...that didn't matter though!

“W-What do you want with me....? Go away, monster!”

“This won't hurt a bit, child, I promise that you will not feel a thing.”

“.....N-No....! Mommy, Mommy hel -”

Silence.

Rin strangled out a gasp, hand guarding her face as she supported her head over the table, body shaking. “What did I do....what did I do....?!”

“Hey, hey, Rin! Snap out of it!” the tender stared over at her in surprise, not expecting to have seen her starting to convulse over the counter. The child hardly noticed, only until Rin finally stopped moving and began to slid back had she paid little attention. The man dropped the glass of wine and reaching out quickly before she was close to falling out of the stool. “....Rin...?”

“That's what monsters get,” the child mumbled and yawned softly, taking a large gulp of her milk.

************************

“You got a new worker girl, Nan?” a customer stepped into the tavern, raising a brow at the young girl who tried to keep the fire going. “Or maybe it’s a long lost daughter, hm?”

“Neither, I guess. Came in with someone else. Who’ll probably become a waitress here,” the tender gave a shrug. If she ever wakes up. “Hey, girl over there!”

She stood up straight up, arms folded behind her back softly and actually spoke, “Yes!”

“Don’t play with the fire, it’s bad for you.”

“But it needs to be fixed!”

“It’s dangerous.”

“I’m not doing anything wrong with it.”

“Hn,” the tender gave a shrug. “Whatever, do what you want,” not like she’s entirely my problem. Still, it was a shock to him that she had spoke to him…she was unusually silent earlier. Must’ve just been scared.

************************

Rin’s form rolled over in the small bed, eyes forced shut in pain. What’s happening to me? Why do I feel so…sick? She groaned, eyes opening slowly to blink at her new surroundings. I remember falling…and… her vision froze over. Him. Her memory flashed back to the man with the gun and she sat up, rubbing a hand at her temples. He's after me…why? I remember, but I don’t…it’s not fair! She gave a growl and clutched a fist, heat flaring in her eyes before she shut them again. “I’m losing control,” she groaned and removed the blanket to stand up. “I don’t know how much more I can keep this up…my power…” Rin glanced around slowly and spotted a door, smoothing out her clothing before walking through it and down a small flight of stares. She came out into the tavern and blinked, the girl still here and seemed to be trying to get a fire to flicker even slightly. At Rin’s presence it returned to life.

The tender glanced over at her and offered a smile, “Good to see you’re alive. Worried me back there.”

“…Sorry. I don’t really know happened…”

“It’s all right, just good to know you’re alive,” he paused and looked over to the child who danced around slightly, happy that the fire started again at last, “the child who came in with you has been a good help. Though, some of my customers not too long ago thought she was my daughter. Heh, they left not too long ago. I told ’em you’d be working for me…assuming you still are?”

It may not be safe, she told herself, but ignored the thought and nodded, “That’s right, I am.”

“Ah, good. I was a bit worried, y’know?”

“Hm, sorry again…I really think I’m fine now,” no I’m not. She stared up at the ceiling, eyes hollowing. The flames need to feed. How can I leave though? But if I don’t…they’ll go hungry…they need to feed… the thought was becoming stronger in her mind, but she forced her voice and thoughts steady. “I have to go out for a little bit…need some air. Do…do you think you could watch the child…?”

“She’s no trouble. Go ahead.”

************************

Engulf me with power…She flicked her hand out, fingertips tapping into the air and she smiled, watching them. “What shall we feed on?” she inquired to no one in particular, getting passing stares from people on the sidewalk where she stood. Rin simply shot them gazes of pity and for the most part no one tried bothering her much more. “Can’t you take the heat?” she whispered to a young boy who walked by, hardly even in his teens it seemed.

“W-What?” he jumped, obviously startled.

“The heat. Can’t you take it?”

“But…it’s not hot out…”

“It will be,” Rin smirked, raising her fingers towards the sky. A light fume wove around them, flickering slightly as her eyes gave a soft glow. The boy stumbled away, yelling and pointing and calling her a freak, a witch, an abomination and that caused her to snap. “And I was thinking about sparing you, too! Rotten boy, this will cause you to think twice!” she yelled, her jacket pulling up behind her as the fume from her hand sparked and formed the flames while her arm pulled back, energy circling it. Feed on the bodies, let the ashes be mine! Her mind internally cried out against her, freezing her body in place. She begged to stop, mentally screaming “not the boy, please not a child!” but she couldn’t hold it back and her eyes glazed over in an orange-toned rage. “Burn you despicable human!” the flames grew around her body before leaping onto the boy who had tried to run.

He fell to the ground, screaming as the fire ran over his body, clawing out at the sidewalk to try and get up. There were witnesses this time…but she hadn’t thought through that part…she just let her body feed - the demon within her. And she wanted it. She wanted to smile while the ashes of the body swarmed around her with a light breeze, despite the fact everyone was staring.

In the back of her mind she saw that child, crying before it too went up in flames.

************************

“Nooo!”

“Eh? What’s with you, kid?” Nan blinked towards the child who collapsed onto her knees while the fire within its cage nipped out towards her wildly. She had kept it so steady…and then it just seemed to explode almost! The child edged away until she was under a table, clinging to a wooden post and trembling. “Hey, ki -”

“Nan! There was another fire victim!” a customer burst in, breathing heavily as he rushed to the counter, sparing the child only a single glance.

“Huh? Really? Figures.”

“But they actually saw a person near this time! Someone got it on camera, they’re going to show it tomorrow afternoon!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. It’s probably just some psycho with a blow torch anyway,” he mumbled, trying to be one of the few in the city to not be caught up with all the assumptions. He gazed at the child from where he sat behind the counter, noting that she was still shaking, but she did seem more stable.

“You’re impossible!” the customer continued, throwing his arms up as he moved for the door.

“Yep.”

“Nan, you -”

“Look, I bet you it’s someone from that newspaper that’s going out of business. Just trying to get full coverage, y’know? I wouldn’t put it past ’em.”

“Hn, I give up with you,” the younger man cursed, opening the door and closing it as he left.

Nan leant forward just the slightest, resting his arms on the countertop, chin falling into his palm lazily. The child still clung to the leg of the table, but she looked exhausted, slumped to the ground even. “Another attack…” he mused aloud, shaking his head slowly. “What a mess this city truly is.”

************************

“Did you see it?”

“What, the fire?”

“Yes…the fire…”

“Well, yeah. It was a bit hard not too…why?”

A man snickered, holding a match between three of his fingers as the two of them stood up on a building, watching wisps of smoke rise into the air every so often. There was a shorter one besides him, jeans and a simple work shirt adorning his body while the one with the match had a thick jacket on around him. “Are you going to answer me?”

“That fire was caused by a demon.”

“Oh, no, not this discussion again,” the boy, barely into the age of eighteen, groaned, turning away as he caught the other’s frown. “Would you just give up on it? There aren’t any demons in this city, ok? Your kind of thinking is too farfetched for this city, it’s sad really.”

“It is sad. Sad that you don’t believe me, that is,” the older man turned his head towards the other, still fumbling with the unlit match to keep himself amused. “How do you know that demons don’t exist here? How do you know that I myself am not a demon, hm, Gene?”

“Because,” Gene paused, trying to think of an excuse, “ah, because you look hu -”

“…Because I look human. Right. Keep to that sort of thinking and you may become a hunter like myself,” he noted the other’s confusion and sighed, pointing out to where the remnants of smoke lifted from. “The demon out there looks human. But she’s not. She’s a rotten old thief that should have been dead a long time ago, but she managed to escape. Now her time of demons were the age where they began to think logically while humans started building their cities. No one lived in dumps like this,” he snorted, almost becoming sidetracked from the original story, but caught himself. “That thief, like many other demons, learned to blend as humans…but no, she was even smarter than that. She knew that hunters like myself could take notice to the illusion, so what did she do? She continued to be a thief and stole a human child’s body and masked herself into the world, hidden from my eyes for so long…”

“You know all this from hunting her so long?”

The man smirked. “Oh, yes, Gene. It’s very good to know your opponent. And I made sure I knew her very well. I do not let my targets get away. Ever. I knew I’d find her again…why? Because she can’t stay human forever, she couldn’t with the fire inside of her needing food, her demon blood boiling and trying to distinguish itself from the human blood. That’s the reason for the attacks lately,” he nearly laughed in amusement. Yes, he was old for these times…mid-thirties, but with the way he constantly moved, he kept in shape….couldn’t let her get away from him, after all.

“I still don’t believe you.”

“Why does that not surprise me?”

Gene glared at him with azure eyes that shone through thin, blond strands. “You never told me your name.”

“Does it matter that much to you?”

“It’s my only assurance of your trust.”

“Fine, fine, fine then. Just call me Michael.”

************************

The pale morning sun crept into the sky hours later, chasing out the last and final remnants of the long night air. Dark undertones clung in its colors, the very presence of them being the reason the city’s citizens used for why the area never seemed to get very bright. A gloomy and morbid city it had always been.

Rin sat at a table of the tavern, arms folded gently in her lap and head bowed, allowing the natural black hair of hers to hide back most of her face. The child kept a distance away from her, sitting in the farthest corner of the tavern, beneath the table that occupied it. Nan simply was casting annoyed glances towards a drunk at his counter. But the man had money, so Nan was not ready to force the man out of his tavern.

“I jus’ ’ant somahtah brandy o’er’a theres!” the man slumped against the once washed counter, waving an arm wildly and pointing towards what he believed to be a bottle of brandy. Nan finally gave him a rather uncertain look. “Wha? Come on, now! I gots soma’ pretty shinyness ’ere in m’pocket!” he cried, almost falling from his chair when he stuck the non-waving hand into a deep pocket, fidgeting around until he pulled it back out and placed a small handful of coins roughly on the countertop, though at the rushed action many managed to roll and spin to the floor.

Nan gave a sigh, “You want that?” he pointed to where the drunk was.

“’ow many times d’a man have’ta tell a ’tender wha ’e wants?!”

“That’s a box of nails.”

Nan looked past the drunk to see Rin’s head held up, speaking her words from sickly lips. “We were adding a shelf on the wall earlier this morning. You want to drink a box of nails?”

“I wants m’brandy!” he cried angrily, hand now pointing towards Nan, who merely shrugged turning around to get a glass from a cabinet and pulling out the brandy bottle to poor the man a glass.

He placed it down before the man, who greedily began to drink. “My god, Pete, don’t you ever fear of dying while you’re this intoxicated?” Nan blinked, crossing his arms loosely. He knew perfectly well that the man sitting before him wasn’t as drunk as he showed himself to be, so he also knew that the man, Pete, could understand him.

“It’d be better than dyin’ sober, I tell ya!”

“What foolish logic,” Rin whispered, lowering her head again to obtain her earlier position. Through her hair, her shifting eyes could make out the child briefly, watching as she seemed to mutter quick and low words. Rin returned her gaze to the floor.

A figure burst into the tavern and Nan recognized him as one of the same from last night. He rolled his eyes and glanced at the clock. Almost noon…hn.

“Nan, I don’t care what the hell you say! You’re putting on that news report!”

Nan sent a gaze to the only television in the entire tavern, hanging in the corner, high over the counter. He gave a shrug and glanced towards the regular customer, “You just want to see it. You don’t have a TV yourself to watch it on, hm?”

“Someone…stole it!”

“I bet you sold it.”

“Dammit, Nan! Just turn it on!” the man shouted, sitting onto one of the stoles as the bartender gave in, turning it on to the appropriate news channel.

“Today’s top story…after the many reports and sightings of fires and burning citizens of this city, at last someone has actually caught a clip of the offender on tape. The clip is without sound, as a small note.” The drunk, and the nearly entered customer watched carefully, Nan lazily watching part of it as the channel flashed over to the clip, a side view of a woman standing with flames flickering up around her form, ashes wavering and curling widely around her body. The clip ended. “There we have it, though the picture is slightly unclear, we do know the culprit of these burnings to be female, dark clothed, with long, black hair. Let me say, it’s only a start. Coming down to find the actual person is going to be difficult.”

Nan only had watched a small amount of the clip before his eyes had looked over to where Rin sat, her head up slightly and saddened eyes staring at the fireplace, reflecting the small and dancing flames. “Both of you, out now,” he spoke clearly, voice directing to the two at the counter. “Wes, drag Pete out for me, just don’t toss him in the garbage bin again,” he clicked off the TV. Ignoring Wes’s angered grunts and agitated eyes as he had to force the half drunk Pete from the stool and out the tavern. Nan looked back to Rin, eyes slightly narrow. “Some ‘shell’ you are.”

“She’s a monster!” the child yelled, having gotten out from under the table when the TV was turned on.

“I’m not a monster…” Rin started, clenching watering eyes shut. “It’s not my fault…I mean…I…” she sighed, silencing herself when it seemed she was going nowhere with her words.

“You’re very lucky Pete was drunk enough to not notice you and that Wes didn’t see you in general,” Nan muttered, walking out from around the counter and over to her. “Now…what exactly…are you then? You don’t exactly seem human, y’know?”

“Yes…and no…” she shook her head, raising a pale hand to brush back her hair. “I don’t…know what I am. I guess I should. I guess that’s why I referred to myself as a shell that needed no name…because that’s what I feel like…you got to believe me, I’m trying to figure this out too! Hell, I didn’t even know my own damn name until some guy showed up to kill me and spoke it…kind of…triggered something in me…and then she showed up,” tiredly, she signaled to the child standing not too far away.

“Monster,” was the only response, sharply from the child’s mouth.

“I’m not!”

“Monster!” she pointed frantically, yelling now, “Monster, monster, monster!”

“No!” Rin shouted back, though more to herself as she brought her hands up over her ears, grasping tightly as if the stronger she held her head, the more the voice of the younger looking version of herself would be drowned out. Her eyes shut as well, and Nan nearly panicked when the flames in the fireplace pulled out, the movements jagged and harsh.

“What the hell…” he breathed, looking over at the two, eyes wild in shock.

“Monster!” the child continued, and Rin countered by trying to negate her, but it just continued.

“Will you shut your mouth already?!” Nan finally burst out, voice directly pointed for the child, who closed her mouth abruptly. “It’s rude to accuse people of something they may or may not be!”

“But I know -”

“- It’s rude to accuse people!”

The child remained silent, leaving the bartender to sigh. Thank god this place was built with no windows on this floor, the upstairs, however, had plenty.

Rin was shaking uncontrollably, half curled into the chair while she calmed herself down. “I can’t help it….I can’t…I need to eat…the fire…it needs to eat…it d-deserves…it…I…” she stopped moving, but Nan could tell she was still conscious, finally making the full connection to her and the flames within the fireplace. They reacted to her emotions.

I just don’t get it, he thought, managing to keep himself calm. How can anyone have that kind of power? It’s unnatural…and the fact that she’s killing people…to what? To feed? This is bloody insane…how the hell did I get myself mixed into this? But the thought of forcing her to leave crossed into his mind. “No. That’s stupid,” he chuckled, only stopping when he noticed the child staring at him. “Do you even have a name?”

“I don’t remember.”

“Why not?”

She pointed to the curled up Rin.

“Excuse me? She’s why you can’t remember?”

The girl nodded.

“This is ridiculous.”

“The mons -”

“If you’re about to say ‘monster’ than you better rethink your words or I’m putting you out on the street.”

She froze with understanding, “The Rin-Rin is the reason I can’t remember, I swear,” she whispered childishly. Though as Nan thought about it…she was a child. How old? Six? That looked about right.

“Whatever…look, you need a name, kid,” he felt a tone of déjà vu to the moment where he was talking to Rin yesterday. She needed a name too…until, as she said, someone spoke it.

“I want a funny name,” she giggled, “like yours.”

“Thanks,” he pulled out a chair from the table Rin was at and sat down, checking over the fireplace as he couldn’t see Rin’s face itself. The coals were sparking, every so often a flap of orange with a bluish tone sunk over them rigidly. “I’ve got one. Sen. It stands for wood, kind of the opposing element to fire, y’know?”

She nodded frantically and danced a moment, “I like it!” she smiled brightly.

“Now then, when she comes fully back to…normal,” he spoke more quiet now, signaling lightly towards Rin, “I want you to be more nice to her, understand, Sen?”

“But -” she stopped herself, staring at the bartender and then over at Rin. She may only be six years old, but she’s been locked back for the last twenty years, allowing her to keep her child nature, but still be more mature than average. It scared her. But…she wasn’t locked away anymore. She could be herself, not Rin. However, no one would understand that. If she told them…if they would only listen…they wouldn’t understand. There was no point of forcing them to hear her out. Slowly, the newly named child, nodded. Sen whispered, “I’ll try to be nicer to Rin-Rin.”

“Good! Now that that’s settled, how about some more milk while I get Rin upstairs again? It’s almost 12:30, that’s when the rush normally comes in for lunch. Can’t let anyone seeing Rin and turning her in now, can we?”

Sen forced a smile.

************************

“Gene, pass me the capsule,” Michael crouched by the corner of a building, holding his gun close to him as he glanced around the other side, smirking at the sight of something.

“That’s a damn cat. You’re not shooting a cat.”

“Give me the bloody capsule!” he snapped, open hand held out towards his comrade, a demanding nature surrounding him.

“What’s this stuff do anyway,” Gene ignored him, holding up a thin, yet bullet length capsule, a cyan colored gel held within it.

“It sends a charge through a demon’s blood that shuts down its access to use whatever unnatural ability it has.”

“…And if it’s not a demon?”

Michael smirked, “A slow death, mixed in with the repeated twitching motions.”

“You’re not using this on that cat,” he sent a glare towards the other, standing up and pulling out a small case from his pocket, ready to put the capsule back into it when he heard a click, glancing back at the older man to see the gun held up, directed at him.

“I’ve already killed one idiot this week, I have full capability to kill another,” he snapped darkly.

“Hey…wait…you wouldn’t… -”

“No, fool, I would not kill you.” Gene let out a sigh of relief, but noticed the gun hadn’t moved. “I would merely injure you very badly, but not kill you. Bloody idiot.” He lowered the gun and looked around the corner again, cursing loudly when the cat was out of sight. “Your damn fault,” he stood and started to walk off.

“Whatever, you’re insane. Everything you do is insane. I’m going to go find a cheap inn and take a nap, you and your stupid stories of demons and that explanation about the fire kept me up too late,” Gene murmured, walking in the opposing directly angrily, putting the case back into his back pocket once the capsule was safely stored in it.

“Poor boy, kept up past his bedtime.”

“Damn that old fool,” Gene said to himself, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He was captured with surprise when a furred claw reached out and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him into a separate alley and throwing him into the ground, the claws drawing out at least a pint of his blood.

“What slow hunterrrs in this city…I like it verrry much….” the being cackled, but Gene maintained his silence, despite the fact he was grasping to his shoulder in searing pain, trying to stop the blood. “I thought you and the elderrr had me corrrnered back there…but no…foolish little boy you arrre, and I thank you verrry much. I like stupid boys. Means I am sparrrred another day.”

Gene watched the creature, standing erect to more than his height, keeping perfectly balanced by a long, thick, black furred tail. The arms were more human than he would like to have believed, claws curving out to a long and dreary length. But it was the head that made him see what it was. A feline shaped head, eyes of a searching and deadly yellow, fixated onto him as if he were the next meal.

“Y-You’re that cat…” he gasped out, vision giving an unhealthy spin. Losing too much blood, need to keep it in…need to…his thoughts broke, unable to keep them coherent. “…But….how…?”

“A Demon Hunterrr like yourrrself can’t even pinpoint…might I darrre say, a demon?”

“Demons aren’t real, they’re nonexistent. Just trash for people to rave about, to act like they have a job. They aren’t real though.”

The creature stalked closer towards him and Gene felt paralyzed to move, “All rrright then, if that is how you see things. You can ponderrr that thought morrre after I’ve devourrrred yourrr soul…I’m awfully hungrrry,” it chuckled, whiskers pulling back as it was suddenly down on all fours, adjusting its body before pouncing straight for him.

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That was interesting. Eheh. Um….yeah…There’s a lot of unexplained things popping in through this entire chapter. Like the child now known by the name of Sen, Rin in general, and the reason Michael is hunting Rin. The main characters have been put out, and to be honest I did not mean for three of them to have, well, three letter names (Rin, Nan, Sen). But it kind of fits. If anyone is following this, please let me know, because I don’t know if it’s possible, heh. It is for me because I know the backgrounds of every character and why certain things are happening.

I kind of like my half-drunkard, Pete. I’m not entirely fond of his name, but I like it better than the name ‘Wes’ which was used for the other named customer. They are regulars at the tavern, so expect to see them again.

I like Gene’s character. I enjoy writing his character. He’s a huge believer that demons do not exist even as he is faced down by one. How fun.

Just…for some aid. I gave out the ages of all the characters (well, except Pete and Wes), but I’ll just outline them here for anyone’s sake.

Rin - 26

Nan - I swear I gave him an age…*can’t find it* Meh…oh well…is about 28/29 ish.

Sen - 6

Michael - 33

Gene - Literally just turned 18

The city is currently nameless, lol. But I meant what I said in the text, it is a very dark one.

The second chapter has been started, but only has about a page or two, which the part that’s there I’ll probably make after another bit…whatever, I’m rambling. Enjoy.

ShadowSpirit ’04