He tugged at his overcoat with his long slender fingers which were concealed behind soft leather gloves, his riding boots made a rhythmic tapping as he rushed along the cobbled streets his long hair bouncing freely with each step having not being bound into a ponytail. His vest and shirt could be seen through the ever decreasing gap of black overcoat. He turned to his right heading away from the gentle candle light of the street lamps and into the darkness, what few houses lie upon this lane were either abandoned or whose occupants had no reason for light invading their homes. Within this darkness lay what he was looking for, and what had found him. Its long scimitar like claws giving off the quietist of sounds to those who heard it could have easily mistaken the being for a small mouse, but this creature was neither a mouse nor small he was a hunter, a hunter of the night that feasted on the thrill of killing and nothing more. The creature had slinked down behind him and had managed to come no more then three foot steps away, his prey wreaked of expensive soaps and cologne causing the creature to crumple his face in disgust.

“Please do not tell me that my scent is not to your tastes Irvin.” The man’s voice was calm and had a melodic sound to it, what he’d said had barely registered to the creature who’d been taken back with the fact that this stranger could see him, there was no candle to provide light and the tiny amount of moon light available was on the verge of a cloud yet he could still see him.

“You be not of human flesh and blood.” Irvin stated whose voice was rough and made a slight hissing sound in the background.

“My flesh is that of human metal Irvin so there be no need for you to threat.” the man smiled as he placed his hand on the guard of his rapier, he drew it slowly allowing Irvin to see what modifications his sword had, made of pure steel the guard itself having been soldered and the sides had been sharpened to perfection, the guard itself was complex entwinement of slender steel strings each dashing around and interlocking each other with a single especially thick piece running down the hilt and over his fingers. He raised his arm placing the tip of his steel blade only inches away from the middle of the creature’s eyes allowing him to see that his sword reached an impressive 5 feet.

“I was lead to believe that you are familiar of this type of sword Irvin, was I informed correctly?” Asked the man with a smile still perched upon his face.

“You were, and though that explains why you know my name and where I am to be found it does not lead to any explanation as to how you can see with such a tiny amount of light.” Irvin hissed through razor teeth.

“No, no it does not now does it?” laughed the man as he stared at Irvin “to be honest with you I’m rather surprised at you Irvin, the few people who know the meaning of this sword and face upon it never really pay much attention to my abilities.”

“The sword has no meaning to me stranger. To me it is nothing more but a tool that brings yet another soul for me to play with.” Irvin smiled his black tongue ripping itself as he forcefully flicked it through his teeth. The man pulled back his weapon and clutched it tightly as he gave his bow to his opponent, the cold starting to bother him and causing him to want to simply begin the fight. With the hopes of battle he thrust at Irvin.

“Ah Vir, you’re back.” Laughed a man dressed in the clothes of a priest while sitting in the comfort of a mahogany chair with red quilted padding.

“Yes Jacob, I’ve returned and do not have time for any games it was a long walk home and my body is in need of the heat of the fire.” Vir stated as he continued to clean his rapier with a blackened handkerchief.

“Yes, yes do not let me stop you, with your condition I should not have sent you out at this time of night.” Jacob smiled as he continued to read the book that had occupied his time while Vir had left. “So Vir, remind me, how much was it for killing this Everto?”

“Three hundred humanus pounds. Jacobs three hundred pounds.” Vir sighed as he repeated the sum that Jacobs wanted to hear.

“Now according to my calculations we’ve made a profit of nearly two hundred and sixty pounds Vir. Two hundred and sixty pounds, do you know what we would be able to do with that amount of money!” Vir smiled at Jacobs and couldn’t help but see how young this man truly was.

“Jacob’s you might be a guías but you are from becoming a dominus, half the money gets sent back to the procurator for both teaching me and assigning you to me by guías, and most of the rest gets spent rather quickly due to the need for us to be on the move a lot.” Vir had made up the last bit one hundred pounds would last well over the next year but there was no need to raise Jacobs hopes unnecessarily. The room was quaint in this firelight, the shadow that remained in the corners out of the reaches of the fire’s glow only added an effect of making the room look cosier, it was equipped with two single beds, a single desk with quill and inkpot as well as two chairs one accompanying the desk while the other -the one Jacob was sitting himself in- stood on its own.

Jacob closed the book he’d been reading taking great care to gently place it in the middle of the desk, “Thanks for letting me read that Vir, it’s amazing I feel as though I have fought the Everto’s head to head. Those picture too, they looked so life like I swear I could see the muscles tense as I learnt their techniques.” Vir smiled at the compliment walking over to the desk, his chair held tightly in his hands.

“Thank you Jacob you’re very kind, but do not be fooled in battle they look far more fierce and I doubt you’d be thinking of what the name of the technique is called once faced with it ‘head to head’.” With that he dipped the tip of the inns quill into the pot and began to write on a new page, taking care and making sure not to make a mistake or an ink blodge. “Jacob you must leave soon, catch the train to my house in Aether, spend the night if you wish but only the night, then you are to continue your journey to the Procurator by dawn Jacob and no later. Once arriving at the Procurator you are to inform the Biblioteca Capitán that Irvin has been slain, that I was the one who defeated him and here is the proof.” Vir paused as he handed Jacob a blackened hooked claw which he quickly tucked into his robes fearful of loosing it. “He will give you a letter with his seal on it. If he does not then you are to continue to pester him until he does, then you are to inform the guardsmen and the Mayor consejo that I shall be arriving in two days, after that you may do as you wish but do not lose that letter Jacob without it we will not be able to receive our payment.”

“My Dios Vir, must so much really be done for your arrival?” Jacob asked slightly taken aback with his instructions.

“Sadly yes Jacob for you see I will be carrying my rapier, stiletto, and pistol now imagine you are the one on the other side of those gates, wouldn’t you like to know who the person carrying these weapons is?” Vir answered a smile still creasing his face.

“Vir but now in the field you have nothing more then your rapier why would you need so much at the Vir?” Jacob asked again rather too naively to Vir’s taste

“Do not be a fool Jacob!” Vir yelled as he pulled his stiletto from his coats sleeve and throwing it towards Jacob missing him by only the gap of two centimetres. “never believe that the weapon that is shown is the only one your opponent has.” Vir pressed is eyes closed with his thumb and index finger adding pressure towards his nose as he remember his joining the Procurator so many years ago.

The complex that stood before him was massive it could in its own right be called a town. The buildings were all black finished with expensive tilled roofs with towers on ever corner of the larger buildings. He continued to walk towards the gates this would soon be his home and compared to the run down wooden bridge he used to sleep under before it was like heaven. As he neared the complex he could see that there were many students and soldiers’ running around alike. It wasn’t long before he reached the gate house found at the bottom of the black stone gates. He approached the hut not surprised with it being black and gently knocked while addressing the woman there.

“Hello.” He said in a hoarse voice

“You a new recruit?” replied the blonde haired woman in a flat tone not really caring much for him while messing around with her nails.

“Yes ma’am.” He answered shyly.

“Fill this in. Then I’ll give you your uniform THEN you can enter the Cruor Cultus.” With that she gave him a sheet and quill and began to fill her nails. He looked down at the sheet and began to fill it in.

Name: Vir

Family Name: Accersitus

Age: 16

Religion: None

Weapon of Choice: None

Previous Combat Training: None

Previous Employment: Beggar

Race: Half Breed (Phasma/Human)

Physical Description: 5 foot 9 inches, black hair, pale skin colour, black eye colour, skinny, black nails.

Able to travel to spirit realm: Yes

If Yes

Spiritual Description: 5 foot 9 inches, black armour, shadow skin, no weapons

Guardian: The white feathered dragon Asharaf.

Vir continued to complete the report saying he had had very little education which was more then many and no living family members with that he handed the parchment and quill back and received a uniform consisting of a white top that clung to his chest, black trousers that looked rather expensive, a black jacket that also looked expansive and had no collar, black shined shoes, and a black leather collar which strapped around his neck. With that he entered the complex and began his new life.