When darkness comes,
Don't suppress it,
Make it yours,
Make it mine,
We'll hide away just you and I.
Within these darkened dreams,
We'll seek the vine,
The vine of hope, the vine of peace, that golden ray of sunlight,
That dims the shadow's feet.
If you search far and wide,
The darkness will subside,
All you need,
Is the temptation,
The will to carry on,
That place of being,
The knowledge of love,
The hope of being there,
Just being noticed,
Without the despair.
Don't suppress it,
Make it yours,
Make it mine,
We'll hide away just you and I.
Within these darkened dreams,
We'll seek the vine,
The vine of hope, the vine of peace, that golden ray of sunlight,
That dims the shadow's feet.
If you search far and wide,
The darkness will subside,
All you need,
Is the temptation,
The will to carry on,
That place of being,
The knowledge of love,
The hope of being there,
Just being noticed,
Without the despair.
During the battle which ragged all over Gaia from the ragged mountains to the thrashing sea, where vampires and humans clashed and innocents were caught in the thick, a human dashed through the streets at night when most places where shut up tight and weapons stood at ready by the beds of every family member while lights were left on for safety.
Her boots padded lightly on cobble stones amongst a small village after twilight hours and the only sound to be heard was from the ghosts who haunted the minds and dreams of the naive mortals. A dark secret was revealing itself in the harshest way possible right under their noses, and they all thought it was the spirits taking back revenge for past errors on the one night that they could cross over... Back into the mortal world. Back from the dead, to feel, touch, scare and scream. All Hollows.
With a set face and dark eyes scanning the surrounding area, she slipped from shadow to shadow avoiding any and all light. No, she was not a vampire, she was human. A human with a curiosity to kill.
Blond coppery hair was twisted back and pinned up with a black clip which hid silver darts while a pale, but human featured face, looked in all directions. The black and indigo corset top which encased her body from the base of the neck down in a tightly woven pattern to the hips held glinting chinks of silver metal indicating a battle ready suit to prevent harsh weaponry damage. The strong metal would help protect against bullets from a range of 25 metres and back, but not from anything closer. It would also act as a strong guard against sword strokes and other sharp weaponry. It would not however, protect against bruising from each and every blow.
Tight base knee-line black pants kept in the warmth and out the chill of the night, while providing support for the constant strained movement of leg and knee muscles.
Weaponry was basic. A short katana not much longer then a wakazashi hooked to her side, and a staff strapped across her back with metal caps. She did not want to bring her glaive; it would only hinder and cause a ruckus. Vampires were cursed fast.
It didn't take her long to bypass the main areas of the village and set out on the open road. A day's journey and no one would even know, or care if she had been found gone. The only lonely faces she would see in her mind would be those of the animals she had become accustomed to nursing for the folk. The folk saw her as a bit of a witch. Her uncanny way of dealing with even the most temperamental animals a gift from heaven, yet thought of it as a curse upon me from some past wrong doing. They saw it as my punishment, to have to heal and look after the animals for them. Beat her how they came to that conclusion. If they found her gone, they'd just think of her punishment as over.
It had been nearly a year since she had left the vicinity of her friend, Miya's, home stead. Or, present place of housing. She had only heard of it recently being abandoned and destroyed. For a brief moment, Ryke wondered if her friend was okay. Then dismissed the thought. Miya could look after herself better than anyone she knew nearly. Save for one. Which wasn't herself inclusive. This was a conclusion drawn from all the trouble Miya got herself into.
Having taken refuge in the village nursing wounds of the body and heart, she had grown accustomed to the life style and had no need to leave. It wasn't till they learnt from an outsider that a huge battle was raging. Curiosity would be her killer one day. She left her sanctuary. She would find another. Once left, she could not go back. She would not be missed...
She kept on going. Passing village after village by night, and camping during the day far from human companionship. Closer and closer she got to the main cities. With each step her unease grew. She was nervous. She liked the open space. What would a city be like to roam in again? She could not imagine the possibilities of the problems she could run into. Moving about in there would be so troublesome.
Eventually she reached the edge of the first city. She had even heard on her journey a new place had arisen, that she was sure was connected to the deceased Oni. Kami no Ashita, or, God of tomorrow. Once in the city, she would seek this place out. It might just be the one place she could rest with ease. Stepping within its borders, she was struck by the elongated shadows and waning light. She could not turn back, she had to find her way around in the depth of the night now. Damn her pre-occupying thoughts.
Trudging down through the dark alleyways off the main roads, she kept only a block down. Her short katana was loose, and her hand always on the guard. Her eyes had accustomed to the tone of light easily, but it was hard to hear in such a devastatingly loud place. Even on the side roads and alleys the sound resonated around corners at a near deafening level at times.
At least she had the company of her lightning and dark static (a result of negative energies passing through her body in a previous battle zone two and a half years back when she was held in a secret base of the enemies. Captured, for her lack of stamina in holding back danger from innocents with lightning. Too much, and she had overcome her boundaries plunging her body into darkness due to the use of part of her life force).
She was wandering around the city centre about midnight some number of hours later having found information about the Kami no Ashita. It was not far out of the area, in a clearing. It was just.... How does she get back out of this dreaded place!?
Turning down into a silent alleyway to the south, fog had begun to rise from vents and the damp night. It was an eerie scene, and she ground her teeth.
Not far from making it to the other end, she heard it. The sound of feet. Soft soles, padding along behind her like a shadow. A follower. But who?
She kept going, turning down two more alleys before heading back out towards a lighter area. It was no good. They were still there... Wait. Gone. Where? If they were gone so abruptly, there was no point acting like she didn't know they were there anymore. Spinning on her heels, she loosened her blade in a flourish of steel. The hissing of the blade was deafening in such a silently ghostly area. Her eyes scanned the darkness. Nothing... Absolutely nothing. Where had they gone. Her eyes flickered to the side and her head turned to look behind her, her blade still held in front like a guard. Nothing... It wasn't right.
Straightening slightly from her fighters pose, she turned to head towards the main street and found herself boxed. How!? How could she have not sensed them? They looked like mere human mortals. Her lips frowned, and she stood straight with her blade held at her side in a loose grip.
"What business do you have here? Do not block my way..." Her voice was calm and collective, with a mix of royalty and power behind it. A command.
One male stepped forward out of the three before her, while two occupied her back. All males. All in darker clothes with grim smiles of satisfaction on their faces.
"We can block whomever we like when they step onto our territory... Why not you come take a drink with us? We'd be happy to... Refresh ourselves..."
A mixture of laughter rippled lightly around the group and they stared each other down like victims of a crime...
Trouble. She knew she was in trouble. Especially when she responded with an unthought-of "No." An instant reaction. These were not humans.
It happened so quickly. They were cursed fast, and seemingly those of top level by the way they moved with the shadows and silent approaches.
One down, then another with her blade stuck in the neck bone. She had to let it go, but it was her un-doing. In that instant, she was defenceless.
Three attacked from all directions in an instantaneous flow. One after the other, by the shadows like flickering images. They were circling. She had to do something, and so she did.
The stolen kiss came too late. Two only got burned... Lightning flickered at the edges of her fingertips targeting the two closest vampires burning their senses with crusting flesh and searing eyes. So much bright light, they could not stand. Only one remained, and it was then that he knew to jump.
Ryke didn't know till she began to fall, her body hitting the ground on the left shoulder sending a sharp pain rocketing up to her brain before the sensation of lips on her neck was registered.
Less than a second gone, and blood began to well. Lightning flickered and died at her finger tips, a dark spark coursing up her arms. Her vision blurred, and her hands twitched. She could feel the pounding at her temples and her neck like a gourmet banquet of life for the leech. Drips and rivers of red stained her neck and she gasped... Darkness.
Her head ached, her neck felt badly bruised, as did her shoulder. She felt sick; her stomach rolling and her body reacting as if something pungent had entered and was trying to consume. A cold feeling pressed against her head helped her keep her gut still. A hand pressed the side of her neck and she reacted. Instantly. Her eyes hadn't even opened before her fingers were groping around the base of someone's neck. More hands gripped her shoulders and pried her fingers open, forcing her to lie once more. She tossed, trying to stand once more as her eyes opened. Red carpet and dark lighting struck her senses and fear crept up her back like a spider trailing a web of silk.
"My dear, I told you to come for a drink..." The same voice, her assailant. She tried to keep her breathing under control, but the feeling of sickness was making her stomach rebel, and the hands on her shoulders let her loose just in time. But she would turn to throw up on the floor? Oh no. She had to get something back. How could she still be alive? Why was she feeling so sick? She threw up right onto the man's torso. His clothes, now a stench of mixed blood and her last meal.
A growl tore his throat, and a searing pain splits her cheek before she was held by the chin with cold finger tips.
"You dare!? When I could have killed you then? Drained your life force? No! I had different plans for such a beauty. She of light turned to darkness. You could lead us to a new era. With you, we might be able to walk more freely in the SUN!" The voice rocketed around in her brain, making her head ache worse. She fainted.
It could have been a day, or a week. Maybe even a month before she was well enough by their standards to be left on the streets where she had fallen to them.
Her mind had gone in and out of consciousness a number of times without any recognition on her part. He had tasted her blood, enjoyed the sensation. She could feed him with her energy for a century before being bleed dry. By exchanging their blood, she had become a descendant of his clan, a new trial. Yet would she be strong enough? It was a question which played on his mind as he had watched her toss and turn in the infirmary for the first two weeks.
Now, with her set loose with mixed memories of what happened, Ryke awoke to blinding light entering the alley where she had fallen. "W-wha...t?" Her first words in three weeks. She had yet to find this out. She would learn later, when she walked among the light and people of the city, a pale ghost that did not matter to them that did not know her. Her cheek was healed as was her shoulder by now, but the headache was still active. A result of the battle raging in her blood.
She headed out of the city. She still had no idea what she was turning into, but she knew where she had been heading before the incident. Her skills had gotten rusty, and she had not even noticed.
Along and alone on the pathways towards the Kami no Ashita, she felt no hunger for an entire day, and stumbled on occasions, figuring she had grown slack in stamina in energy levels for movement over her time in the village. She rested often, with no idea what had passed...
Eventually, she would come across the lights of a building with the sign she was looking for. People she would possibly know.
