Private 1x1

[Spaniard The Last Angel]

Israel follwed Ceres obediently out of the room and into the one next to it, closing the door behind him as he watched Ceres go to stare out of the window once again, pondering. Israel was pondering as well. As he sat on the edge of the bed to remove his boots, he could not help but wonder what happened between him and Ceres. After they were reuntied with Adrian and Theia, Israel and Ceres had not had much time to themselves so in a sense, Israel had not broken his promise, had he?

Adrian lay down on the bed, Theia finally deciding to rest against her chest, but Adrian did not sleep yet. Instead, she listened to Theia think outloud, glad that for once, all was quiet and safe around them. "None of that matters now..." Adrian spoke loudly at first, but then remember Pharos sleeping so she softened her voice to a whisper. "What's done is done. You have your son, your sister, and me. No matter what happenes, no matter how you hurt, you will always have me, and nothing will change that, just like nothing can change the past."  

[Akira.S]

"My nephew...." Ceres started out before turning to Israel, "does bring out a good point...we still never found out who killed those women and that figure in red and blue..." she walked towards her guardian and put a hand on his cheek, caressing it gently with her warm hand. She looked awfully calm yet wondered very deeply about why all of a sudden Jackel and Elizabeth appeared before the group many years since they last met in that forest, it was all too strange. "Do you remember nothing of Jackal and Elizabeth?...obviously your sister proves to be no use to us and I can only wonder why...those two feel they have business with us here and now in this village." Ceres asked her guardian quietly before lying on the bed, her head against his chest, "well, it's late and I would like to sleep without this matter clouding my thoughts, you should sleep as well. If we are to see Jackal and Elizabeth again I don't want you to hold back." and with that Ceres drifted to sleep as any other Spirit who needed to rest and regain her strenght.

Of course, Adrian spoke of the pack, the contract...and yet the bond they had created with each other over the past many centuries. The bond meant much to Theia as it probably did to Adrian but she still wondered at times if there was nothing she could do to end her suffering.
"I may have those things Adrian...I had just hoped that man would accept us as Spirits and not as creatures to be hunted. I thought that maybe I could share our world with Michael and Pharos but I guess all I can do is dream..." she said softly and closed her eyes, just before pulling the sheets up, "dream about the love I once had..." she muttered the last part with her eyes closed, drifting to sleep. Obviously talking about her past only made her more hurt.

In the clear dark streets, two figures walked about the alleys, both cloaked. Like some foolish women who wandered around, ending up in the alleys, they met a cruel and terrible fate left by the two figures.
Two young girls, left for dead one left to have her blood drain in the river and the other left in a large apply tree outside town. Being satisfied the figures retreated for the night and awaited  

[Spaniard The Last Angel]

There was nothing more for the two Guardian's to say about any of the matters that concerned thier Spirit masters. It was all too clear that ever since Adrian transitioned into a Guardian that her memory began to fade, remembering only the important aspects of life that would benefit the life and saftey of Theia and Pharos. And poor Israel; though he never showed that he had emotions, much less a heart, he was still slightl hurt at Ceres' cruel behavior; how she brandished him like a toy during the day and at night saw him as a diary for her to write in, a punching bag to release her fustration and thoughts. But the fact remained: They were Guardians, and Guardians they would be forever, even in death. With nothing else to do for the night, the two drifted off to sleep, each craddling thier respective other during the night with more emotion than the other knew. But as dawn began to break the horizon, there was a soft vibrating sound echoing in both rooms. The Guardians were no longer sleeping; Adrian slept the least, for during the night, an odd series of events startled them from thier slumber and called them to crouch low at the base of the windows, staring out into the darkened town. Adrian heard everything. Israel was fortunate to see only glimpses of the event, but neither chose to leave thier post in fear of danger coming to thier Spirits. And so, subconciously together, they waited for the sun to rise and for thier partners to wake so that; if t'was the case, the event could be dealt with accordingly.  

[Akira.S]

Acquiring the most amount of sleep Pharos was one of the first awake an hour or two before dawn. His light blue eyes shined like sapphires as he noticed his mother's guardian acting rather strange by the window. He sat up quietly, letting his mother sleep and crept off the bed standing beside Adrian, looking out to the empty streets that began to fill.
"Adrian, what's the matter?" the young halfling asked, noticing her serious facade.

At first light when the sun blazed within the room, Ceres awoke to have her powers fully refreshed by the sun's rays of light, seeing Israel at the window. The smell of blood was evident from far away, this she knew of, she only wondered if Theia was awake and aware of the situation as well.
"Come, we must see my sister, something is definately wrong here...something that should have been prevented..." she muttered while rising and walking to the next room to see if her sister had awoken, only seeing her nephew and sister's guardian by the window as Israel was.
"Obviously...you two know something that we don't." she continued, walking to her sister and shaking her to wake her.

"Hmm..." Theia moaned slightly as her eyes slowly opened, feeling somewhat ill as she sat in bed, her colour much paler as were her eyes. "Something's wrong...I can sense blood, it's poisoned the waters near the village causing me illness..." she muttered holding her head steady. "Someone has died, and their blood leaks in the river..."

"Died mother?" Pharos approached his mother and embraced her, hiding in her arms as she looked ill, being so close to a body of water she could sense and feel its impurities and was affected by it. It was not a simple task to filter out human blood, and especially during the daylight when there were humans around. "Who died?"

"That's what'd I'd like to know..." Ceres growled slightly and transformed into a human, before turning to Israel, "we'll go investigate, something tells me our hunt isn't over yet." with that said she and Israel left to investigate the river as Theia noted. However as they walked, Ceres lead him into an alleyway, using the back to get to the river. "You haven't said much since we got back last night, obviously something is bothering you Israel and I want to know what it is before we continue onlike this, I do not feel comfortable knowing you keep secrets from me." she almost demanded him to tell her as they strolled through the alley.

Pharos watched his aunt and her guardian leave before grabbing his cloak ready to follow.
"I will go too mother." he said beginning to put his cloak on.  

[Spaniard The Last Angel]

As Israel and Ceres headed for the door, Adrian moved quickly and quietly to hold Pharos by his shoulder until they were gone. "No, it is too dangerous young master. You're mother is already ill and I don't think it wise that you be gone from her side as well." She looked down at Pharos' blue orbs with a calm, demanding voice, her expression soft to show that she was only trying to think in Theia's good interest. Turning quickly to face Theia, Adrian moved even quicker to her bed side, kneeling so that she was eye level with Theia. "This area is too infected for you, you'll grow sicker as the day grows hotter and the river stains. Let me take you somewhere else, where there is pure water for you to thrive on." She took Theia's pale hands in her own, her amber eyes pleading with Theia to command something, anything, that would increase her health.

Israel remained quiet the entire time, trying to concentrate on who and what exactly he and Ceres were after when his thoughts became distracted by Ceres. "Nothing is the matter. I am quiet? Because I am concentrating on the task ahead so that I may please you." He said this matter-of-factly, though it seemed more routine, as if he told this to Ceres everyday. "I wish as much as you do to finally solve this mystery so that we may carry on with our lives..."  

[Akira.S]

Pharos stopped as Adrian asked and turned to his sickly mother, still not fully understanding the complex connection between Spirits and the Elements they guarded. He still wanted to learn more about the mysterious deaths and their part in plaguing his mother but decided to cease, turning back to aid Adrian in taking her someplace else in the hopes of healing.

Adrian was right, and it was only a matter of time before the sun's heat spread the blood cells deeper into the water, purging it of it's purity. "Very well Adrian, I see your point...please take me to a pure source of water and bring my son as well, but when we arrive, rejoin my sister and your brother and see what you can find out. Hopefully...by nightfall I will have enough strenght to restore that river to it's pure form." smiling gently she lifted Pharos and placed him in her lap, holding on tightly as he did her.

"Please me?" Ceres continued on through the back alley, only listening to Israel's rebuttle, "Is this what this is about Israel? Pleasing me as my Guardian? and not as my lover as you promised so many years ago?" she was becoming furious again but kept her cool under the flaming sun to try and understand him better in the hopes of having him cool down. In some ways, Ceres envied the relationship of her sister and her guardian as opposed to her own and wondered if it was something she did in the past that could have changed him.  

[Spaniard The Last Angel]

Adrian nodded to Theia and picked her up bridal style so that she had a good hold on her and Pharos as well. The wieght of the two was fairly noticable as she began to walk to the open window and leaped down, landing in the shadow of another building on the dirt road. She did not worry about being cautious of the waking humans; she was too quick to be caught. Several leaps later, Adrian finally stopped and let Theia and Pharos down on the bank of a small pond about five or so miles from thier original destination. The water clearly untainted, Adrian moved the weakened Theia so that she sat at the waters edge, not minding that she was getting rather wet herself as she carefully put Theia's feet into the water. "There, that should do it..." Giving a satisfied smile, Adrian went to sit a few meters away from Theia and Pharos, leaning against a tree trunk. Hopefully, Theia would not remember her previous command and send Adrian away.

Israel cocked his head to the side as he looked now at Ceres, stopping in his tracks so that he was now concentrated on her. "I, don't understand. How am I not keeping my promise? I love you, do I not? Protect you? Obey you? Forgive me, but I don't know what more I can do with what little time we have to ourselves... I have never had to be a lover before." That was probably the most Israel had sincerly spoken about himself to Ceres, and it may have been out of guilt and a feeling of unaccomplishment. Ceres' words, to him, seemed to say that he had failed her.  

[Akira.S]

Once the three of them were back at the pond, Theia seemed more relaxed and cleared once her bare feet were dipped in the small pond. "Thank you Adrian..I feel so much more relieved." she smiled while Pharos put his feet in the water as well, maybe not appreciating the feel of it as much as his mother did but he still liked the cool feeling. He just couldn't understand why his mother all of a sudden seemed ill and now she was completely better.

"Adrian..." Theia called with her back to her guardian, "rejoin my sister and your brother in the village please, I wish to know why blood had to be poisoning one of my rivers.." she ordered softly while Pharos splashed around slightly, leaning on his mother's shoulder while also watching Adrian a few feet away. "I would much rather prefer it if you went so I am assured they don't do anything stupid."

Looking away for a moment before she looked at him Ceres gazed into his eyes seriously yet...in a way softly.
"But that's just it Israel...an order is an order, but can only be accomplished if you fully mean it. You may do all those things as my Guardian, but it means nothing if your heart is not in it....maybe that concept is something too difficult for you to understand and in a way...it was probably because I failed you." with that Ceres continued on to the scene of the crime, ending up by the river bend where many villagers were watching some men carry the body under a tarp out of the river along with other dismembered body parts. No doubt all the blood of the victim had already leaked into the river but still, to kill someone and leave them in water then another in an apple orchard, who's attention were they trying to grab.

"Sad isn't it?" Elizabeth suddenly appeared beside Ceres and Israel watching the men take the body away. "For such a delicate little thing like that to be murdered." It was definately Elizabeth but she was hiding under her cloak as usual and Jackal was no where around. "I hope your sister is well...I know how she can be around bodies of water..."  

[Spaniard The Last Angel]

Israel seemed a bit confused yet again by Ceres' words, but she seemed to want to drop the subject as she picked up her pace to the scene of the crimes. There before them, the townsfolk were gathering the two bodies, trying to get a better understand of what happened. Only a few women and children seemed to be upset, the men seemed either angry or curios. Suddenly, there was a familuar voice beside him, the scent too obvious for even his nostrils, as Israel moved to stand between Ceres and Elizabeth. "She is fine with my sister, safer than the sun from a human." He glanced around the crowd, but saw no sign of Jackel anywhere, causing him to let his guard down a little since Elizabeth would be stupid to attempt something right then and there. "Where is your master? I don't suspect you know something about this, incident do you?"

Adrian gave a frown when Theia commanded her to go back to the town, and she did not like the idea very much. "But I can not risk to leave ou here alone, my lady. I'd be too far from you to even help them in the first place... there is no point."  

[Akira.S]

Shaking her head softly she kept it hidden under her cloak, away from the humans and any watchful eye. "I know nothing, and Master Jackal is resting in the woods, he does not like human company. All I know is neither of the girls had connection with another, they were just simply killed." Elizabeth turned and had her back to the two, "besides...what does it matter anyway, this is a human affair and it does not concern us." she almost sounded a bit proud when she was usually very simplistic or didn't say anything was up.
"Then again.." she turned her back around to face the two and smirked under her cloak, "you have that halfling boy with you..."

All things considered, Adrian was right and Theia could not cleanse the river without having her health fully restored, and Adrian would not be able to use her powers fully with the distance she put between the groups.
"Very well....we shall stay here until my sister and your brother return with some sefficiant information..."

While Theia gently swayed her feet back and forth in the water she took the time to amuse her son, splashing him from time to time. She played with him as she sat on the edge of the pond as he got up and ran around slightly, splashing her with water and laughing as any child should. Naturally, this was a facade, only through Theia's obsession with her son to provide him with the life she could never have being a full Spirit. However, the more time she spent with Pharos the softer in heart she became.  

[Spaniard The Last Angel]

Israel made a frown at Elizabeth's words, but decided to hold his tounge against some of her comments. "That boy, has no affiliation with me, nor Ceres, so if you have nothing more to say to us, then I suggest you return to your oh so humble master. No doubt he will have you doing nothing but petty work for his entertainment."

Adrian, now satisfied at Theia's choice of actions, sighed and went to sit at the waters edge, putting her head in the cool water so that she was now fully awake and alert. Combing her hands through her hair, Adrian took the opportunity to rest at Theia's side, laying down on her back as she watched Pharos play, amused with the gift he mother could wield. After a while, Adrian thought she heard something in the woods, but it was faint, and too far to pose any threat, but still, she kept her senses alert for anything and tried instead, to concentrate on the rather nice afternoon, considering the nights events.  

[Akira.S]

"As you were then." Elizabeth answered before beginning to walk away from the heavy crowd back into the forest.
"What simple fools..." she muttered as she exited the village.

Ceres didn't trust her, or Jackal one bit and these myterious deaths were catching up to them but why now? After years of being on hiatus why kill now? Things have been peaceful among the humans for years...
"We're leaving." she instructed while turning around to leave the crowd, "I wish to see the undertaker, I want you to inspect the body for me, see if there's anything you can find that may link this death to the many others we've seen." she began weaving him down the many streets just to make sure they weren't followed.

Walking to the edge of the pond, trying to control his laughter, Pharos almost heard something...maybe rustle in the bushes close by but he wasn't too sure. He stared off into the distant woods, wondering what - if anything was there.

"Pharos?" Theia stood and approached her son, wrapping her arms around him from behind, "Does something trouble you?"

He was probably wrong about the feeling, so he shook it off and hugged his mother and smiled, "Nothing mother." he didn't like lying but whatever he sensed was probably long gone.

Turning to Adrian, Theia made it gently rain just over her head to keep her awake with a smile, "You seem so peaceful all of a sudden even though we have a case of two human girls being brutally murdered...does this not concern you?"  

[Spaniard The Last Angel]

Israel nodded at Ceres commands, but kept an eye on Elizabeth as they left the crowd, noting which way she was headed. Following Ceres quietly through the streets, the pair found themselves at the local undertaker's home, a few townsfolk carrying the two bodies inside just as they turned the corner. Leading Ceres, Israel went into the small home, finding that breathing through his mouth was best to not become overwhelmed by all of the natural smells that signified a hunt, and let Ceres do most of the talking so that she could sway the others into letting them see the bodies.

Adrian opened her eyes quickly as the raindrops fell quiet soothingly on her head as she turned to face Theia. "Why should I be? Pharos is safe, you are safe, I am safe. We are all here together, safe. That's all that, in the end, really matters." Turning back so that she could rest again, the hairs on the back of Adrian's neck began to rise, and her amber eyes glowed dangerously. Kicking both feet into the air, Adrian flipped up off of the ground to stand in a crouching position, hiding Theia and Pharos behind her as she growled at something the other two could not see in the woods. The scent was familuar, and even though Adrian's memor had been washed, she still knew clearly who it was. "Jackel..." Though, it was not much his scent that she picked up on, but more of Elizabeth's scent on him- though this she did not know.  

[Akira.S]

The only reason why she prefered for Israel to search the bodies was because she had been too terrified to really look at another dead body since that first time back so many years ago.
The undertaker was a strange middle aged man who was kind of creepy wearing all black and a strange top hat.
He laughed oddly and kept Ceres preoccupied while Israel searched the body. Many things seemed out of place like the death many years ago but one very obvious similarity was that the uterus for both girls was once again missing.
"Two bodies here...but three were killed..." Said the undertaker to Ceres, "I hope this helps you.." he laughed menacingly.

"Jackel..." Pharos hid behind his mother's dress and looked out into the forest while Theia kept him behind her.

"Show yourself your cretan!" she declared as the bushes rustled and trees blew suddenly.

Jackel appeared, hanging upside down from a tree before swinging on the branch and landing across the pond from the trio with a smirk, pushing his glasses up the rim of his face. "How it seems I run into all of you once again I do not know..." he shrugged and sigh with an evil smirk, baring his teeth. "Is the little one well?" he suddenly flashed and appeared behind Pharos, holding him up in the air. "Have the events in town been unfolding well?"

Alarmed as Adrian was, Theia thwarted her hand towards Jackel to hit him with a whip of water, dropping Pharos before she was able to take a hold of her son and safeguard him in her arms. "What events..." Theia asked, glaring while her son cowered in her arms. He could smell blood...but he didn't know where it was coming from and neither of them were injured so what was it?

"Wouldn't you like to know...." The Spirit grinned.

"I've had enough of this foolishness Jackel! You've threatened my family enough! Adrian!" she called forward while Elizabeth appeared out of the forest, standing in front of Jackel without her cloak, dressed in that strange short blue dress, blue boots and small blue hat.  

[Spaniard The Last Angel]

Israel searched the body carefully, still holding his breath for the most part until he was done and went to Ceres side. She chatted with the undertaker for a bit, but it was obvious to Israel that she was slightly uneasy around him, holding onto Israel's arm when he returned to her side. When they were done, they left the small building and made a turn left, towards the forest. "Everything is oddly the same as the attacks from years ago... but why are they appearing again? What did that man mean by 'three were killed'?."

Adrian barked when Jackel appeared by her side and she felt small when her sight failed to see his movements. Still, as quickly as she barked, Theia was on the offense, and drove Jackel away. The angry and upset aura put off by Theia caused Adrian to give an unvoluntary growl, and she instinctivly crouched down low, bent at her knees, her hands curled and nails digging into the dirt beneath her as her bare feet felt the cool water behind her. Just as she was to pounce, Adrian heard Elizabeth move to defend Jackel and so Adrian changed her angle of attack. Giving a leap forward, Adrian and Elizabeth clashed, a loud booming sound ensuing the collision and they both fell to the ground, though Adrian was faster and landed on her feet just to leap again when Elizabeth wasn't aware to attack Jackel straight ahead.