Deals in the Dark

[Requiem of Insanity]

Tension inside the steel room was thick. Two men stood looming in the shadows with weapons drawn, another man sitting at a solid wood table, it’s timbers old and faded and frail. A bright blond youth sat with his legs crossed over the table, eyes shut as he leaned back in his chair as he let out a long drag of a deep sigh. He wore a simple short sleeved black tunic with the sleeves easily cut off. His legs were covered in a white pair of fighting pants, loose enough to allow him free mobility.

There was but one light on in the room, it’s gleaming light shining downwards upon the table. It illuminated nothing of the smaller room, as if the darkness was an impenetrable wall of shadows. The youth wasn’t even sure how he got inside the room, for as far as he could tell there was no door, no windows. It was darkness and that was that. While he remained calm, the youth was a bit unsettled in the manner he was placed inside the room. Waking up to find yourself locked up in a place like this with two goons hiding in the shadows wasn’t the best way to wake up.

At long last the sound of something moving in the darkness forced the youth’s eyes to open as he peered into the void, seeing the silhouette of a man discuss something in private before the two guards turned and walked out from whatever hole the man entered. There was a soft pause before footsteps echoed in the dark, then before long his assailant revealed himself to the youth, a face alight with joy as he peered into the prisoners eyes. He wore a simple button up long sleeve shirt, a dark colored brown vest, a loose tie that was black, the same color as his short unkempt hair. He wasn’t clean shaven, a dark shadow across his face from one who hadn’t shaved in days.

“Took a long time to nab you Othneil,” The man said earnestly chuckling as he twirled a seat from the darkness forwards, sitting in it backwards as the two eyed each other like wolves. A soft nod came from the prisoner as he lowered one foot slowly off the table, followed by the other. Ever so cautiously he moved his seat inwards to the table, resting his hands on the wooden surface as if he was in a bank asking for a loan.

“I’m not one who likes to be stuck in places for long,” Othneil admitted, his humor dry as he waited for the man to make the next move. With a smirk of amusement he offered his hand out to the youth.

“Name’s Cody,” He spoke gently. “I’m the man who’s been following you for quite a while, Othneil. I admire your work, one of the few true demon hunters left in the world,” Cody relaxed as he retracted his hand, seeing Othneil had no inclination to take the proffered gesture of greeting. “And for one so young!” He faked his enthusiasm. “You just had one teensy little problem with how you worked, Othneil,” The youth smiled.

“Didn’t like the collateral damage, did you?” Othneil felt his shoulders ease he pushed back into his seat, feeling the wood creak and echo in the room. Cody feigned a disinterested shrug.

“It’s not really my cup of tea, I’ll admit.” Cody looked Othneil in the eyes and with a glint of a smile in his white teeth the youth began to ponder something before he came to a wild conclusion. Unsure why he felt this way he realized that Cody wasn’t going to be giving him a life sentence or some sort of great government pardon for his crimes. He saw in Cody’s smile the horrible fakeness he had usually found in life, the layers of lies and deceit coming to the fore. Cody wanted something, that much Othneil was sure. Now what was it became the new question in Othneil’s mind.

“So then, aside from collateral damage, why have you imprisoned me? I made some mistakes but this sort of treatment is really unfitting the crime. I mean-” Othneil felt his heart jump as Cody’s fists slammed the table, both reaching out and snatching Othneil’s hands and dragging him in so his chest caved into the wooden desk, his wind being knocked out as he let out a gasp of shock.

“Okay you little shit,” Cody said in his pleasant tone. “Try this then since you want to play smart ass. I got a paper trail of your deeds that’s as long as a roll of toilet paper. You don’t just hunt demons, you hunt people too. Some for information about where your sister is, and some because you just got to get that sick twisted need out of your system.” Cody released the demon hunter with a shunt, the youth flailing as he nearly tipped over his seat.

“Well then what do you want?” Othneil breathed, his voice raspy as he fought to regain his breath. Cody nodded to the demon hunter, fixing his shirt that had ruffled in the scuffle. Once everything was in place he smiled again.

“Perceptive for a twenty two year old,” The man admitted. “You already know I wanted something, so let’s go ahead and start the lesson for today.” He lifted his hand under the table, fidgeted with something before he pulled out a plain crème colored folder with the words ‘Top Priority’ written all over it. There was an official seal on the paper, one Othneil had come to know very well in his line of work. The seal of Knife’s Edge, the Salvarian mega city. Now that Othneil knew where he was the sudden realization of how deep in trouble he was began to sink in.

“This here, this right here, is a folder of one of the most wanted Serial Killers in all the land,” COdy said factually. He lifted the folder up for the youth to see, patting it like a proud father. “Care to guess what we’ll find in here?” Othneil kept his silence on the matter, already feeling he knew the answer. Cody’s smile dropped as he swiped the folder on the table. A few pictures and documents fell out, mostly blood splatter and the names of people Othneil didn’t know or care to learn. “Nothing!” Cody said angrily. “Nada, zilch!” Cody ran a hand through his hair, tugging the black strands in frustration.

“I spent three years on this case, and I haven’t been able to turn up a single thing! I went outwards to Emprea, Carthage, Corone, Black Isle, Revan, Lavinya for gods fucking sake!” Cody looked possessed as he flipped the folder open. He pointed to different crime scenes, and Othneil felt his stomach churn to see the disgusting bodies that had been mutilated beyond recognition. Cody looked up to the youth and snarled. “It’s nothing worse than what you have done!” He chided.

“I don’t exactly take my time to cut them into pretty pieces either!” Othneil said defending himself. Cody took in a large sigh before he inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. In a matter of seconds he regained his composure, smiling again as he closed the file shut with a light flick of his finger.

“Trivial nonsense,” Cody said waving the hostility aside like it were real and tangible. “The point is, while you may have a dirt rap that’s as long as a roll of toilet paper, this crazy bitch of a woman uses your achievements to wipe her ass.” Othneil looked again to the pictures and concluded that Cody wasn’t lying.

He observed them and then looked to the coroners reports, reading the facts quickly with a trained eye. Brutally tortured, each one, and the vocal chords were always left un-maimed. He quickly concluded that this psycho wanted to hear them scream. He took that bit of information and began thinking of people who could fit the bill. There was really only one that stood out, but he hated to even think it.

“What does this have to do with me?” The demon hunter asked. Cody looked behind him before leaning in closer, his voice low so only the two could hear. Othneil leaned in as well, his curiosity begging him to listen to what the man had to say.

“I lost someone dear to me, someone I loved to that crazy bitch. Three years with an empty hole in my heart doesn’t let me sleep at night. She has to pay, she just has to,” Cody’s tone sounded like he was pleading. “The ‘feds are getting worried I’m putting to much energy on a ghost that can’t be found. They want to pull me from her case. Close it up and leave it the unresolved section of archives.” The way he worded the thought made it sound like it was a fate worse than death, and Cody despised the very idea.

“So I started looking for other serial killers. I arrested several, but in the end they were ’caught’ only because I didn’t have a use for them. Those people I arrested were just something to keep me in the my cushy position so I can utilize the office for my personal pursuit. At last I think I found the team that can kill this psycho. I found some woman by the name Claudette who uses various poisons and potions to kill her prey. There’s a ghost that runs the streets of the dark side of Alerar called Ravager, who kills his prey in brutal fashion. Then of course there’s one last person I needed…”

“Me, a demon hunter,” Othneil finished. “The question is…why us? Why this crack team of killers, who by the way, have no reason to follow you unto death.” Cody lifted a hesitating finger, slowing down Othneil before he got ahead of the big picture.

“Give me a little credit, boy. You think I’d go after the most notorious serial killer with a half baked idea. I love the woman she killed, so I’ll make sure I do it right! The target is known for using poisons, so Claudette is needed to understand and counter the effects. Ravager is known to be able to see in the shadows, his eyes not working quite right by some strange birth quirk. This is useful because the bitch has allegedly been known to have a sneaking suit that can bend light around itself. The last reason I need you is because she apparently has this creepy aura of dread that seems to be able to manifest and hold her targets at bay. Like a demon. Each person on this team nullifies one of her strengths. That’s the mission!”

Othneil lifted his hands behind his head as he propped his feet on the table, deliberately placing his dirty boots on the pictures. With a yawn that was over exaggerated he turned to look at the surrounding darkness.

“Still haven’t given me a reason why anyone on this stupid suicide team is going to want to cooperate.” Cody looked to Othneil, his smile still wide on his face before he flipped the desk upwards standing upright. Othneil fell onto his back, a shooting pain running down his spine as he felt Cody’s foot stamp onto his chest just before his wind pipe. He leaned over the youth pushing the picture of some woman in front of his eyes, peering next to it.

“I’d appreciate it, buddy, if you’d not put your disgusting feet on the woman I love.” Cody lowered the picture down and turned the image until it showed another fully. It was a still frame, a picture of a picture. Yet Othneil couldn’t move his face away from it as he was lost for words. “I know where your sister is. Get me what I want, and I’ll clear your name and let you go see her. Hell I may feel so damn skippy that I’ll even help you spring her out of the loony bin she’s trapped in!” Cody smiled vilely as he looked to Othneil.

“I’m a practical man, Othneil,” Cody said earnestly. “I know what I want, I know how to get what I want from others. Each one of you serial killers have a sob story that quite frankly makes me want to gag. It’s so insanely stupid how such a little thing in life like your sister getting raped before your eyes and dragged away while you were stuck helpless covered in blood turns you into a homicidal psycho.” The way Cody dismissed Othneil’s past like it were nothing brought a rage inside the belly of the demon hunter, and he snarled lifting his hands up to rip his face off, but all his energy was lost as he felt a stiff punch to his face.

“No, no need to thank me, really,” Cody insisted. “In the end I know the chink in the armor of each and every one of you serial killers.” Cody shrugged indifferently before he removed his boot from Othneil’s chest. “Personally if the situation were different I’d throw you into the slammer and let you get raped by a beef necked fatso named Bubba, but if you paid attention than you would remember I have need for you.” Cody offered his hand again, lowering it to help the youth up.

“So let’s just agree to be comrades in arms for a greater good. You help me find the other two of our team and track down the notorious murderer Cassandra Remi, and I’ll help you find your sister.” Cody’s teeth all flashed to the demon hunter. “Do we have a deal?”

[Requiem of Insanity]

Othneil kept at least four paces between himself and Cody whenever possible. Though the man knew of where his sister allegedly was it didn’t make him a friend. If anything, that made Cody more dangerous to the demon hunter. This was a bad cop, a detective that went over the edge and lost his self control in his desire to see the one who got away behind bars, or in the extreme case, see them dead. Othneil was positive the man was no longer all together there, but he figured that was the only thing the two had in common.

His fists had instinctively clenched again for the third time in the same hour as the youth looked back to Cody. Yes, he knew the corrupt cop was just as off his rocker as Othneil was.

His thoughts drifted to his sister, a fair beautiful girl the last time he saw her. She was twelve and Othneil was ten when the events that took place left a hole in his chest. This hole that it made turned into a pit of loathing, of hatred and anger that spurned him down the road he walked. The demon hunter was constantly filled with mixed emotions of loss and rage all of his waking life, and the dreams he had were never a place he could escape the reality of his sins. Othneil eventually became a walking time bomb, one moment solemn and calm, the next a wild tornado of wrath and scorn as he fought in a frenzy.

Cody's tempting offer to find his sister was much to tempting for Othneil to pass up. He could ill afford to run away. He entertained the idea of blasting two shots into Cody's body, turn and leave, but that would be shooting his sister int he face as well. To run away and leave behind the chance to see her again was an act worthy only of a coward. Grudgingly he admitted he needed Cody, so he played ball with the cop.

“Claudette is located in the town we’re coming up on. She’s currently in the middle of getting ready to release a batch of her newest poison into the water well, letting it filter through the system. She likes to take her time when getting ready to kill. Haste makes waste and all that garbage,” Cody said dismissively. “Might I advise you don’t drink anything or eat anything around her,” Cody added with a smile.

“Good advice,” The demon hunter mumbled. He looked up at the town ahead, feeling a wave of recognition in his mind. He had been here before, two summers ago on a mission. A particular demon had infested the priest of the local church and began doing nightly rituals. Standard ploy for power that ended with Othneil’s sword lodged down the beasts throat. His hand reached up to touch the pommel of his blade, Absolute Zero, a broadsword made in Fallien. He patted his trusty six shooter on the edge of his belt, feeling its weight as a comfort. Sometimes a sword was just not enough, he smiled. There were several times he pulled out Ignorant’s Kiss and pulled the trigger to stop a foe from escaping. And when negotiations started going south it was never a bad feeling to pull out the weapon and even the odds.

The settlement they entered was a small township, a community of farmers all based around the central town hall. For sake of space of the good farming land they attached the blacksmith to the town hall, and kept the library within the building where the archives were located. Most of the buildings in the area were very small, with nothing esoteric in the shopping network. Essentials and restaurants it seemed ruled this land of farmers. Why the hell Claudette felt the need to kill them all baffled the demon hunter. Then again, he figured with a snort of mirth that she probably wasn’t all together there as well.

“Ah Shelby Town,” Cody said taking in a deep breath of air. “The Thayne’s gift to the smell of crap! No place in the world smells as rotten as this dump, a feeling like you literally crawled into a cow’s anus and took nest there.” Cody looked to Othneil. “I’m sure it’s all in their brochure.”

The youth ignored the implied jocularity, scanning out for the woman they were searching for. Cody planted his arm on Othneil’s shoulder, dragging him towards a plant shop in the corner of the town shopping square. The demon hunter tried to escape his grip but found it was rather difficult. He accepted he wasn’t going to escape the grip and stepped forwards in time with Cody.

“You need to relax, Othneil, stop and smell the roses!” Cody lingered in front of the plant store, noting a rarity in the coloration of the roses all arrayed in front of the door. “In life you can miss the most beautiful details by sticking your nose in the clouds.” He lifted his fingers to pluck at a dual colored rose, it’s blue and red colors mixing in a swirl at the center. Othneil wasn’t much for the beauty of life, but he had to admit that this one flower moved even him.

Before the cop’s fingers could pick the rose, the door swung open and Othneil turned to look at a woman with long, wavy red hair. She was young, very young. He wondered if she was younger than even he, but her eyes showed the wisdom of age and experience. Her orbs were a copper color, and her skin was fair like a summer peach, clothed in a simple white summer dress that was just within the lines of good taste and dirty teasing. She flashed a dazzling set of teeth to both men, stopping low to lift a batch of flowers up to her face and sniff gently.

“I assume you are madam Claudette?” Cody spoke bowing to her. The woman nodded, a soft giggle coming out as she offered her hand forwards. Othneil was about to take the proffered greeting, but Cody instead stood up to her. “Great! Mind if we come in for a bit? I’d like to discuss the arrangements for flowers for a wedding between me and my life partner, Othneil!”

The demon hunter shot Cody a dark look, but turned back to the girl with a hesitant nod. She eyed them both, shrugged and offered them inside. As Othneil stepped up next to Cody the cop shot him a dangerous look.

“You shut up, and do exactly as I say,” He whispered. Othneil nodded his head.

“Sure thing, snookums…” He mumbled.

[Requiem of Insanity]

The inside of the flower shop was a living jungle of plants. The inner doorway was covered from head to toe in ivy and other esoteric flower plants. It was thick, creating a small walkway that was lined by large pots with small bushes of her eccentric colored roses. Her steps had a special grace to them, like she had been trained in professional dancing. Each stride of her feet barely touched the floor as she moved her hand out gingerly to push aside a wayward leaf from a plant.

Cody took in his surroundings quickly, looking to the taller plants and noting the areas where the windows were located. A large opened hole in the roof shined light over the center of the building, where all forms of plants were growing. The wooden floorboards were riddled with fragments of dirt and other fertilizer and Othneil had a hard time taking a breath without being invaded by some intoxicating smell.

“Shall the ceremony be a large one, or a small one?” Claudette asked as she bent at the knees to lift up a small pale. She tipped it and began to sprinkle water over the plants in the middle, the care she did it with almost seemed to make the growing plants sigh in pleasure. For the briefest of moments Othneil felt like he wanted to be one of those flowers, lost within her careful embrace. He glanced at Cody, and the cop didn’t even seemed phased.

“Actually, I was thinking of a small little batch for a funeral,” Cody joked when he did one final twirl ensuring that nobody else was in the shop. To this Claudette merely turned her head and cocked it to the side like a confused feline. Her hair easily parted to adjust for her new angle, showing off every sultry angle of her perfect face.

“I was told by you that I was to arrange things for a wedding between you and your partner,” Cody merely chuckled before lifting up a small dagger in his hand, twirling it lazily like it were a drum stick. As his fingers moved the weapon from finger to finger he gave her a sick smile and Othneil felt an urge to draw up his sword and stab the man there and then. He kept his emotions in check however, as they were in the lair of a serial killer. He slowly and gently moved his hand to the gun, just in case.

“My my,” Claudette spoke, feigning fear as she turned to drop the pale gently on the ground. “I’m in so much trouble now.” with a girlish giggle she moved towards the edge of the room where she reached for an old wooden box. As her hand’s began to lift up the knife in Cody’s hand landed within inches of her fingers. She turned her head back to Cody, who was twirling another blade in his hand.

“Lady Claudette Du’galle, poisons expert and servicewoman of the nation of Denier. You had a marvelous history for using your skills in alchemy to aid the local law force in gathering information and clues to solving rather difficult cases. Not a serial killer could escape your wrath, well, except for maybe one…” Cody chuckled.

“That is a life I no longer live,” Claudette spoke darkly. “Be wise and ignore the past, and let the demons that live in those time sleep.”

“Sure, I’d do that, but you see, that one that got away,” Cody said, his tone hammering the words about the elusive one. “That target was so smart! Key witnesses died, your alchemy meant nothing, no clues left behind. Everything you touched began to fall about. At last this one escaped, and you never had the chance to find them. Distraught, you retired from the force to search for this person on your own.” Claudette narrowed her eyes.

“Well, history is taught in school so we won’t be doomed to repeat it, or make the mistakes that our ancestors did. Yet to Claudette Du’galle, she would take history and repeat it a thousand times! Your alchemy turned to darker sciences. To find the killer, you became a killer! You immersed yourself in the mindset of a killer for the sake of understanding their motives and how they worked. The first kill let out a euphoric rush. It took many long nights and days, after all those hours of planning you were prepped. It started with a simple crook. He deserved it, right? Once he was dead you got a tingling sensation that was indescribable in between your toes and down your spine.” Cody pressed on and Othneil looked to see how the woman responded. She just remained quiet and calm.

“Then the next one you killed, that was a SHIT STORM of a mess. You learned a killer’s panic real fast, the thrill of knowing ’holy shit I’m going to be caught!’ Several more died, and at last you were able to escape. Phew!” Cody wiped a hand across his forehead, mocking her life story. “The third one, this one had to be done properly. Poison. That was what the killer used, right? So you used a pretty potent poison. The victim died, but it offered nothing to you, did it? No, this didn’t have the elation of the first kill, and it didn’t have any effect on your mind. Something was wrong. You soon learned what it was! You weren’t having any FUN!” He lowered his tone, drawing out the words like he were talking in a pouty manner.

“So you took your science and tweaked the poison. And you know what?” He waited a moment to get his dramatic effect. “BINGO! The fourth kill was exciting as all hell, wasn’t it? The way they spaszed out and shook all violently as they foamed at the mouth like a dog with rabies! YEAH, THAT’S THE RUSH!” Cody clapped for her, making sport of her life the same way he made sport of Othneil’s. The man’s methods were cruel, far too cruel for even his standards, but they were softly working on the woman as she began to lower her gaze. What were once great accomplishments were nothing more than a joke now.

“Now you had the feel of being a psychopathic killer! The rush, it was amazing! But there was one teensy weensy, itty bitty, little problem,” He upped his tone to a crescendo, drawing in Othneil with his oration of Claudette’s life story. “It didn’t last. The rush ended, and you weren’t ready to lose the buzz. So you went to the local bar in Radansath, met up with a guy who started hitting on you, invited him to your room, and poisoned him. His gurgles and cries of pain became a form of pleasure for you. Nothing could ever satisfy that feeling anymore. Sex, Masturbation, shoving donuts up your fucking pie hole and watching bad theatre as you cry your stupid eyes out! No, it was NOTHING! You needed the kill, the experiment was over. You now knew how the mind of Serial Killer worked! It was time!”

“That one who got away, you found them eventually, didn’t you Claudette? You left a bloody trail of bodies in your wake to find the killer, but you DID it! You got the prize! In your hands was the cold corpse of a man you poisoned to death with a concoction that would make the gods blush! The one who got away was dead!”

“How do you know all this,” Claudette said, her tone confused as she took a fearful step back.

“Trust me, he’s obsessive for the same reasons,” Othneil mumbled. Cody shot him a shut up or die glare before smiling back to Claudette.

“There is a tale to the story that very, very few people know, Claudette.” Her eyes widened in surprise. “That one you at long last killed, he wasn’t the one, was he?” Cody smiled. To this Claudette turned her head and looked away as she began eyeing something out to her left side. Cody had flung another knife that impaled the shelf wood just in front of her nose. Already a third knife was twirling in his hands.

“I’d like all attention on me please,” Cody joked. “I’m a bit of an attention whore. Now, I asked you a question, Claudette.” The woman took a moment before she turned to him, crossing her arms over her chest.

“No…” She admitted. Cody let out a laugh as he walked forward, like a priest in the middle of a sermon. He lifted his hands to her, offering himself to her.

“I know who the real killer is,” Cody whispered, his tone light and filled with heavy truth. “The one who got away. You know her name, don’t you?” Claudette began to shake violently before she screamed in rage slamming her hand out in a wide arc, shattering a pot off a shelf and spreading the dirt and debris across the floor. Fuming she reached for her red hair and began to pull at it, seething in anger as she began to take sharp breaths of calming. Cody and Othneil watched her as she steadied herself, then with a vengeful eye she looked to Cody.

“Cassandra Remi,” She whispered the name as if it was a poison unto itself. “She was the one who got away…”

“Welcome to the club,” Cody said in a very friendly manner. He lifted up the folder with all his information on the Gisela Reaper. “I got what you want, Claudette. I got what you crave! I know where Cassandra is, but I’m no fool. She’s a top notch huntress. To attack her on my own would be a death wish. I am assembling a team of people to take her out, kill her at her own game. You see for me, she took my love. The woman who I was going to marry. She did it such a fashion that gripped me into a frenzy. I can’t rest until she’s dead, Claudette. But you see, I’m also a cop. I have a certain level of conduct that I can’t let go of.”

“So what I’m offering you, Claudette, is the opportunity of a lifetime. I’m going to let you be the one who kills her, and I get to be the one who watches…” He lifted his hand out to the woman. “Join us, Claudette, and get the one who got away.”

[Requiem of Insanity]

The rain slammed the streets of Alerar’s main port, the boats rocking up and down in their sanctioned loading zones. Several banners had fluttered at the whimsy of the winds, flapping loudly and snapping like wet towels in the breeze. Despite the torrential storm hitting the port the moon shone through a small crack. Like a tiny hole in the ceiling of an underground tomb, it stood sentinel over the wooden planks of the docks.. Noise was mostly drowned by the howling of the wind as the rain never let up its relentless pursuit of chaos.

Othneil breathed heavily as he slid on the wooden ramp down towards a set of cargo boxes that had yet to be boarded on the accompanying warship. With the slippery wood he was able to slide around and zip from cover to cover, but in all his years of Demon Hunting he had never felt such a thrill of panic before. The Ravager was quite the adversary. He strained to listen to the howling wind, attempting to discern some form of noise that didn’t belong to the howling gale. He pressed his body against the wooden crate and waited, eyes cast down as he focused.

He heard a soft thumping sound; boots running. They were heavy and flat, not agile in the least. It had to be Cody lumbering around above him. He peaked out the side of the cargo box, looking upwards to the northwestern portion of the dock to see Cody sprinting into his own hideout. He silently wished Claudette joined them, for another set of eyes would have been helpful in this near invisible situation. However she demanded not to be apart of the operation as her skills were better suited to non combat. Cody mocked her, Othneil didn’t begrudge her. He didn’t even want to do this.

The Ravager was a legend in this part of the town. A wild looking elf of six feet with mangy hair and piercing eyes. At least that’s what the survivors mentioned. Cody assured Othneil the beast looked different. He had hunted shadow demons before, their agility and ability to hide a near constant pain in his ass, but something was off about this particular elf. He had a cunning that put him a few leagues ahead of the game the demon hunter was used to.

The two men had been hunting the killer for two hours now. They managed to flush him out of the slums of the local trade city and chased him down to the sea port inside the docks. That was when the Ravager struck back. He attacked them with swift strikes from seemingly nowhere, diving in like a bat and scurrying away like a rat. He never stayed to fight. He would attack, harass the opponent, and retreat when they got back to their feet. He was at one moment sneaking up on Cody on the top level, and then the next blink of an eye he was on the lower level hitting Othneil in a blind spot to his right. The only defense the two could come up with is to run, find heavy cover, and then run some more. They noticed the Ravager was having difficulties attacking them as they ran.

The youth charged down the center of the lower level, his left side soaked as a wave of water managed to splash on the deck. He ignored the icy feeling as he gripped his sword by the pommel tightly, making sure not to loosen his grip for a second. One wrong twist and the slippery fingers would lose their ability to grip the weapon. He looked up to see Cody hop over the railing to the mid level of the docks, a splash of water accompanying him. His face was soaked to the bone, his hair draped over his face like a soggy mop. He observed the corrupted cop moving towards a set of boxes and Othneil broke left to join him.

His back lit up, a flaring sensation of sudden pain erupting his nerves like spreading fire as he let out a grunt of pain. Instantly he twisted, sword flying outwards in his spin. The wooden floor squeaked and he lost his footing, tripping on his feet and losing his balance as he felt his body suspended in the air. He landed hard on his hip, rolling to his back as the Ravager was off, leaping upon a box and jumping out of sight. Othneil sighed heavily as he picked himself up with a bit of effort, cringing as he felt his body protesting to the number of wounds he had. The bastard was using a form of claw like weapon, shaped like long talons. Yet Othneil had felt actual talons cut his flesh. These cuts were cleaner, more precise. In other words, the word of craftsmanship.

When he was on his feet he looked up to see Cody thrust his baton forwards to block an incoming swipe. The beast snarled as it turned, using one hand to grip a rope and swing to the other side of the open gangplank, boarding a cargo vessel and disappearing. Othneil shook his head in frustration, lifting the sword up and placing it upon his back. They weren’t getting anywhere with this guy. Irritably he adjusted his jacket, zipping up the metal hook to keep the warmth he had. His pants were so soggy he felt them weigh him down. One hand wiped through his hair and he was positive he had rung out enough water to have a small glass to drink.

He moved over to the ramp way that led to the mid level and he looked up to see Cody grumbling loudly as he pocketed his own sword. The two met halfway down the plank and Othneil spoke first.

“He’s a coward,” The demon hunter stated. “He’s playing games and won’t commit. It’s only a matter of time before he gets bored with us and wonders off.” Cody for once said nothing, instead merely nodding in agreement.

“Then I propose gentlemen,” A voice cut through the wind with clarity and both men turned to look up at Claudette, wearing a white long sleeved jacket and flowing black skirt that bent to the whims of the wind. Her red hair was bound in a tight ponytail that was left to the mercy of the storm, and her umbrella looked like it wanted nothing more than to be free of her grasp. She eloquently stepped forwards as she continued on. “That if the Rabbit wants to hide in the hole, you simply destroy the hole it wants to run to.”

“Jee, did you come all the way to say that?” Cody mumbled angrily. “What do you think we’ve been trying to do?” Claudette merely shrugged as she smiled.

“I simply saw you both acting like imbeciles. However, while you played with that creature you did allow me time to study his patterns. I have set up a complex series of traps, but I need one of you to play the role of the rabbit, and the other the role of the hunter. Our dear friend the Ravager shall play wolf.” Othneil nodded to her to continue.

“The eastern ship section is the most complex series of ramps, and the Ravager has slowly led you towards that location. In a matter of moments you both will begin chasing him around until you get so lost in his web he’ll either kill you, or by lucky chance you don’t succumb, escape down his rabbit hole. There is but one ramp he can take that will loop him back to the rest of the shipyard, and I have taken the measures to trap him for good.” Othneil nodded to the plan as did Cody. Claudette merely turned back the way she came, a whimsy smile on her face as if she was strolling through a summer field of flowers.

“Do take care gentlemen, the plan will mean nothing if you both die,” She reminded them. Cody shook his head irritably as the demon hunter stalked forwards towards the eastern section of the docks. The cop lifted his hand and plucked Ignorant’s Kiss from his hip with a smile, cocking the weapon and taking a shudder of pleasure to hear the hammer position itself. Othneil didn’t bother to argue with the deranged corrupted officer. He just wanted to get back to the hotel and dry off.

The eastern section looked far different then the docks of the other compass points. In this section of the trade town the ships for vessel trade were to dock here. The different tiered levels and network ramps allowed cargo to be traded from ship to ship without it having to bother touching land. Efficient, quick, and probably the source of much drug trafficking. Still, it was also one hell of a confusing network of gangplanks, ramps, catwalks, and makeshift shortcuts. It was like a tiny ant colony, and in the breeze of the storm the abandoned cranes and cargo made the place more terrible to navigate.

Cody lifted the gun up and pointed muzzle first towards Ravager, his face leering with snide arrogance as he taunted them forward with one talon like finger. Othneil unsheathed his sword and charged forwards down into the depth of the maze. Cody did likewise, his feet taking him to the central deck and crane operations center. The demon hunter caught a glimpse of the elf moving down towards his location, his body getting lost in the breeze and noise. The youth placed his back up against a crate, listening to his whereabouts. He heard the yawning of a crane, the shaking of wood, the pitter of rain on the cargo. There was shift in the noise, a distortion that was subtle, but still enough to be obvious to his trained ears. Without much to think about the youth turned and lifted his sword out before him in a ready position, holding the pommel near his waist. A violent force hit the side of his weapon and he spun with it, such was the velocity of what hit it. He noticed a large rock, about the size of his hand rolling on the ground and the demon hunter instinctively kicked behind him.

Flesh was hit and loud muffled grunt escaped Ravager’s lips, the elf beast hunching over. Othneil turned on him, slamming his sword down in a violent arc. The elf lifted his hand sup, revealing two mechanical talons that rested over his usual hands. The weapon clashed against the metal, and he wrapped his steel fingers over the blade holding it down.

“All things freeze!” Othneil said in a command activation. Absolute Zero‘s pommel shined a deep glacier blue and the weapon started to crunch with the sound of ice snapping and forming. The choice was obvious for the Ravager, drop the weapon, or lose his weapons to the ice enchantment. The elf pushed the weapon aside, stabbing it deep into the wooden crate that Othneil used for cover, and sprinted in the other direction.

Before he got far the loud thunderclap of a gun blasting off in the storm echoed throughout the dock. Ravager’s left side was showered in a debris of splinters and quickly he turned and ran in the opposite direction. Othneil ripped Absolute Zero out from its prison and gave chase. The elf was nimble and his feet broke the distance quickly as Othneil panted to keep up. His soaked pants weighed him down with every step, the sloshing sound of his feet pounding his boots made him feel like he was walking through mud. Cody was blasting off shot after shot, the echo ringing in the air as the elf gave flight. He jumped over a large cargo box, landing square on his haunches darting down a covered pathway.

Othneil cursed loudly lifting himself up and jumping up, his feet scramblig the wall of the crate as he pushe himself up. With a grunt of effort he fell to the ground, feeling pain wrack his knees as he seethed silently. Cody landed next to him, sprawling on the floor and losing his gripping as he rolled on his shoulder back to his feet and slamming into the railing. Ignorant’s Kiss slipped out of his hands onto the floor before Othneil. He lifted the revolver up and chased after Ravager, feeling fatigue and exertion of energy taking its toll. He stumbled forwards, watching as Ravager was heading down a path he hadn’t seen before. The hidden path.

He lifted his gun to aim, but a curt slap pushed the weapon astray . Irritably he looked up to see Claudette scowling in irritation as she watched. Ravager’s form moved across the plank ways when suddenly his feet stopped moving and he stumbled. He clawed one hand out and began to scream in confusion, snarling as he collapsed onto his face. Not a part of his body twitched as if an invisible rope had caught him.

“Like a charm,” she whispered daintily as she lifted up a perfume bottle kissing it. The words Umbra were written in scratchy ink across the fat round base.

[Requiem of Insanity]

Up and down the vessel went across the sea towards the island of Corone. The moon shone through the clouds as the storm from a few nights prior had passed, but still left a growling threat to return when they least expected it. Cody was downstairs with the rest of the shipmates of the boat they traveled upon, gambling with them and learning things about some group called the Ixian Knights. Othneil left him to do whatever he wanted, so long as the guy was out of his hair.

Ravager was sitting in the lower decks, being a recluse to the world as he sat in the pit darkness of the cargo hold. Othneil didn’t say much to the elf, keeping his distance from him. Given the chance he would have killed the beast and be done with him, but Cody insisted they needed him. The creature was Six foot four, mangy black hair like a wet dogs, and he was blindfolded almost all the time by a thin silk cloth. You could see his eyes shifting behind the fold, his nose flaring as he sniffed the air. He wore a strange looking poncho like cloak that covered him down to his waist, where he wore a rather odd looking pair of pants, each one three different shades of black, if such a thing were even possible. Why he agreed to join the team was a secret the elf only shared with Cody.

As Othneil guessed, the man didn’t have long razor talons or demonic powers. He was naturally gifted for the Elven race, and his weapons were a pair of steel gauntlets with retractable claws. Claudette had attended to Othneil’s wounds, the only person on the team the demon hunter cared for.

She sat next to him in the ships mess hall as he looked out to the ocean. Her eyes were locked inside a book and she rarely poked her nose out of it for any reason. Othneil looked at the clock, sighed seeing it was only ten at night, and looked back to Claudette noticing her eyes were observing the deck over the bridge of her book.

He took a quick glance a his surroundings, for the mess hall wasn’t large. It was the size of a welcoming room in any home, with four circular tables strewn about in a haphazard, afterthought sort of way. She placed her book gently down on the table and began to pull out something from her purse next to her. Long lengths of bandages came out and she looked to Othneil with a smile.

“Time to change the dressings,” She said happily. Othneil grunted her away.

“I’ll be fine without you touching me, thanks,” Othneil said looking back out the window. Claudette merely shrugged as she wiped the hair out of her face. She looked out the sea and then when she was sure nobody was watching, she moved her chair closer to Othneil’s.

“May I ask you something personal?” The demon hunter gave her a wary look, but nodded to her. She smiled silently thanking him before she proceeded. “Why does Cody treat you like a dog? He has more profound respect for that…thing,” She had to close her eyes to speak of Ravager. “Than he does for you. He treats me well enough, but to you he’s just god awful.” Othenil was expecting some other type of question, this one catching him completely off guard. He had no answer for her and turned his head back out the view port.

“Because the manling and the boss are both the same,” Came a dark, raspy voice with a bitter edge to it. It was followed up by a cruel chuckle as Ravager stepped into the light of the lantern, sitting at their table. Claudette merely turned her attentions back to her book as Othneil gave him a surprised look. “What, can a beast not eat? Can things not want the company of like minded individuals?” He glared to Claudette, who merely turned her page in annoyance.

Ravager lowered a flask from his poncho and slid it the youth. “Lavinian Ale,” The elf said. “It’s got the force of a full ox herd charging down your throat and stampeding your stomach. Bitter as all hell. Drink up, boy, I don’t break bread and share ale with anyone.” Ravager’s tone was haughty, as if he saw himself the superior man in the room and that his presence was actually a blessing to those around him.

Othneil lifted the flask to his lips and smelled the concotion. It was terribly bitter, and the demon hunter took a swig without letting it spend to much time on his tongue. He coughed, deeply, tossing it back as Ravager laughed. With a mild amount of ease he grabbed the flask and took a long drought.

“What did you mean by we are alike?” Othneil said. “I’m nothing like that corrupt fool!” Ravager lifted one hand to steady Othneil’s mounting anger.

“Look, Cody sees a lot in you, boy,” Ravager stressed his youth. “A lot of things you can only see in a mirror reflecting yourself. You kill, just like me, don’t lie about it. You don’t kill just demons, you kill humans. Claudette does too,” Ravager taunted. She merely turned another page ignoring him. “Yet you do it like good old Cody does,” Ravager leaned in close. “See, Cody isn’t playing ball either. He’s killed a few people to learn where Cassandra Remi is…That little folder is the information he tortured and raped to get. Remind us of anybody?” Ravager laughed leaning back in the seat, the wood creaking from his weight. Claudette looked to Othneil in such a manner to suggest the youth dismiss his claims, but he shook his head.

“We got a difference there, Elf,” Othneil said dryly. “I’m looking for family. I’ll kill anyone to get the information of where my sister is. The reason I haven’t killed Cody is because I’m sure he wouldn’t tell me even if I did torture him. He’s more whacked out than I am over his stupid dead girlfriend.” Ravager merely pursed his lips out in a cruel grin.

“Who says your pretty little sister ain’t dead either?” Othneil lifted the barrel of Ignorant’s Kiss up to the face of the elf, and he merely laughed pushing it aside. “Come now!” The elf said. “We’re all friends here! Each one of us is our own sick psycho waiting to get a piece of the kill. Who doesn‘t want to go down in the history of this miserable planet as the person who killed Cassandra Remi, right?” Othneil looked to Claudette, seeing for the first time a hint of actual anger in her eyes. She lowered her book down to glare at Ravager.

“You would do well, beast, to let her be mine in the end. That was my promise, from Cody, that I would get to end her!” Ravager merely looked to her, his blindfolded eyes shifting to look at Othneil.

“That so?” Ravager said in a challenging tone. He lifted a hand up to touch the book, pushing it down so she was forced to reveal her full face to him. What he saw was a charming smile of pure hate. Othneil looked down and saw the dust rub off of the book, and quickly he lifted his shirt over his face. Ravager brought his hand back and took a sniff. “What the hell is this garbage?” He suddenly felt his body shivering, and gripped the table looking to her with deadly intent. When he tried to rise he instead continued to shiver, like an overwhelming sense of frost bite had effected him.

“You shouldn’t touch a ladies things,” Claudette taunted. Ravager tried to retort, but he collapsed onto the floor curling into a ball for warmth. Othneil looked to her and she waved him a cautionary have alerting him that he could lower his shirt. The youth did so, but with careful concern and slowly.

“What did you do to him?” Othneil asked. Claudette shut the book lightly looking to the demon hunter with a smile. She had a very charming smile, the youth concluded.

“It’s called Gelidness,” Claudette stated as fact looking down upon the elf killer. “The beast is now feeling all his nerves freeze over, as if he was stuck in the middle of a blistery gale in the frozen tundra of Berevar. It’s activated by smell at extremely close range or taste. Oh well, he’ll probably freeze to death,” Claudette giggled to that, Othneil shrugging as he looked back out the port window while Ravager froze.

“Can I not leave you kids alone?” Cody asked stepping into the room. Angrily he pointed to Ravager. “Cure him, now, or you won’t get your wish.” Claudette looked to Cody with anger, but with a reluctant huff of air she lifted herself up, picking out a small pill from her purse. She placed it in the chattering mouth of Ravager, forcing it down his throat. Slowly the elf stopped freezing, his body no longer chilling unaccountably.

“Ever pull crap like that on my team again, and it’s curtains for you. I know a few places in Corone where they treat pretty ladies like you with the amount of respect you deserve. Othneil, stop staring out the window while thinking about how sexy I am and listen up. Ravager, I know you can’t stop chattering your teeth, but can you keep it down a notch?” The elf gave him a death threat in his native tongue.

“That must be Dark Elven for ‘Sure thing boss, god you’re the best!’ All flattery aside guys, I love yo all equally, honestly,” He panned his hands to each of them. “You are like my little family,” he pretended to tear up as he flipped a chair and sat in it backwards.

“Shut up and listen well, killers,” Cody said. “It took me a long ass time to set this up, and if any of you fuck this up I’ll swear to god the things I’ll do to you will make Cassandra Remi blush! Got that?” Othneil merely nodded his head as did Claudette, Ravager still cursing out in druhir.

“Good, now the plan is simple boys and lady. We are going to join the Ixian Knights…” He said mysteriously as he began to explain his plans.

[Silence Sei]

It was three o clock in the morning. Did he really have to deal with this now?

Sei's eyes shot open from unnatural feelings around his lips. Grabbing the object, Sei felt the string, and the poisons attempting to be dropped into his mouth from the thread. The mute tossed the string with all of his might, throwing the body dripping the liquid down it into his bed. A swift knee was brought up to the face of the woman. As she fell over backwards, Sei could hear the sounds of a gun being cocked.

Focusing on the sound, the telepath reached to the night stand beside his bed, and threw the glass of room temperature milk towards the would be attacker. A sound of frustration echoed throughout the cave as Sei Orlouge sat up in his bed and got to his feet.

Sei threw his elbow behind him, finding a home for the body part in the crotch of Ravager. Though the Mystic youth hated to use his telepathy without permission, he had to be aware of just how many would be assassins were in the room. Sei winced as he came to the realization that one of the three had recovered from their 'injuries'. The gun barrel was placed against the temple of the Hero of Radasanth.

"Easy big guy," the shadowy voice said, the gun being cocked once more. Sei could feel the milk he had just recently thrown dripping off of the tip of the gun, rolling down his cheek. "We just heard that you were accepting people into your little club. Of course, we didn't think that you'd welcome people with our unique abilities into your group. You see our predicament."

"Indeed." Sei said, placing his hands on his bed. This was bad for poor Othneil, who found Ignorant's Kiss[/i wrapped around by a strange white cloth. Sei always slept with 'Jomil's Touch', just in case a situation like this happened. The bullets to the gun quickly dropped to the ground and the materials that made up the firearm rusted and withered.

Sei stood up, Othneil seeming distraught over his weapon being decomposed. "[i]It'll be fine by the morning, just take all your parts with you." Sei began to walk out of the room, his white t-shirt and blue butterfly pajama pants flapping in the breeze the open entrance to his room created. Just before Sei stepped out of the vision of the three warriors (Ravager and Claudette still recovering from their wounds), he turned to them.

"Be at Cassandra Remi's quarters by five. If you can't find her, then you don't deserve the jobs." Sei then left to go pour himself another glass of milk.

[Requiem of Insanity]

“We all ready?” Othneil asked. Claudette patted his arm gently, and Ravager gave him a guttural throaty response for what he could assume was a yes. The demon hunter turned to the door, lifted his hand up and was about to wrap his knuckles against the steel portal when he felt his veins turning to ice. A powerful rush of wind seemed to push down upon him, and when he looked to Claudette he saw that she too was being afflicted by this presence. Ravager grinned like a possessed man, feeling the weight with a keen interest.

The door crept open, groaning ominously as the steel portal swung wide. Standing in the darkness was a set of Hazel eyes, piercing deep into their very souls and Othneil felt he was looking into the eyes of death itself. Without even realizing it Claudette’s hand had grabbed his and squeezed tight, her own eyes open wide with excitement. He could feel her heart racing to be with the one who got away. Ravager seemed to be echoing similar emotions, his fingers curling into his fist as he went white knuckled, his lower lip curving in deadly intent.

“Five in the morning,” The voice spoke with a hint of mirth, a honey sweet tone to it that made Othneil drink in every word. “I had to rush killing someone for this little meeting.” She stepped forward, and Othneil was taken over by the image he saw. Shoulder length black hair fanned out behind her arms, ruby red lips parting in a smile that was both wholesome, warm and inviting, but at the same time vile, cold, and repulsing. Her body was dressed in perfect darkness, a sneaking suit that seemed to bend the light around her and completely immerse her in the shadows. A slender hand rose up to her face, revealing a dagger- no a kitchen utensil- that dripped a crimson colored liquid from it. In fact, Othneil was too consumed with looking at her beautiful face to realize she was covered in blood!

She tapped that sensual finger upon her chin, looking them each up and down. A shiver of fear washed down the Demon Hunter’s spine. He knew it was silly, but to him, being able to fear something wasn’t weakness, it meant he wouldn’t underestimate them. She glanced at the weapons they each had, noting everything into her labyrinth like mind that only a serial killer could posses. He had to assume she was smart, or she would have been dead by now.

“I have a mangy elf, a Demon Hunting puppet, and a fair maiden who makes watered down concoctions she refers to as Poison. The great Sei Orlouge spares no expense for his Nine generals.” Cassandra rolled her eyes and turned, inviting them into her midst. Otheniel let Ravager step forwards first, knowing if he got between them he would be a stain on the wall. Claudette still held his hand, and for the first time he noticed it. He looked down upon the grip, and with rosy cheeks and soft apology she removed her hand. Othneil felt a little embarrassed by the act as she walked forwards ahead of him, looking back with a side ways glance and a warming smile. Othneil was next to walk in as he stepped and gazed upon the room of Cassandra Remi.

For a serial killer who was never caught, the first thing he noticed was clutter. Lot’s of clutter. An ’L’ shaped table made it’s home in the left corner, dozens of bubbling and stewing vats of poisons all in different stages of development made the air smell heavy with humidity. He observed one that was titled Blood Sire, the burner set to a low simmer that even the gentlest breeze would snuff out the light. The other side of the room had a few bookshelves and a table with several books scattered upon it. Most were opened, and many had parchments leafed inside with delicate notes scribbled about various things. Off the other side of the wall was her closet, which was held wide open showing she had about four sets of clothing, and two evening gown dresses. Her floor was covered in bloody clothing that mixed with the aroma of the poisons, making his head feel light.

“You are my new team of assassins,” Cassandra said lowering her sneaking suit to her waist, revealing her chest, covered by a tight black shirt that held her breasts in place. Her curves were all the right proportions, nothing to huge and out of place, and the sight made his skin crawl to witness such beauty on such an ugly monster. “I will make this meeting short and simple. I don’t trust you, and if you trust me, you are stupid to do so. I’ll assign you missions I feel you are capable of, and if you disagree with such orders then you can leave at anytime, but be sure to know I have all the information on you, and you can expect a visit from me in the future.” She flashed her teeth, a dazzling white that was so hard to achieve these days. Othneil leaned against the back of the door, feeling the coldness of the steel as a comfort. Ravager cracked his knuckles and looked to her, and Othneil could tell the beast was thinking he was just going to end her now. Othneil would have thought the same thing, but their was a flaw to his plan that the Drow didn’t know. Othniel hadn’t mentioned it, but he could feel something dark and sinister in the air around Cassandra Remi. Othneil hadn’t the time to voice his concern, so he watched Ravager with a studious eye, taking in all accounts of what would transpire.

As he expected, Ravager made the first move, walking over to her and lifting his talons up and extending them, getting ready to rip her apart. With a flourish of her eyes the Elf’s movements were haltered, and his eyes bulged behind his silk blindfold. He was chocking. Othneil felt Claudette’s fingers grip his again, though this time she was noticeably afraid in her body language. Ravager was held in place and the room seemed to lose its humidity level quickly as a powerful cold feeling rushed over them again. A dark ominous chuckle filled the void, and Ravager began to gurgle and a bit of drool escaped out the side of his lips. Cassandra looked to him like a cat observing a dying mouse. She leaned heavily on one leg, her hands pushed back on a table as she leaned, yawning loudly to show that Ravager’s fate meant nothing to the killer.

With a gasp and a thud Ravager was on the floor, breathing deeply to put air into his lungs. His talons retracted and he clawed the floor, as if the motion would put more air into his body. Cassandra merely walked over to him with two graceful steps, and then stomped her boot onto Ravager’s head grinding it against his ear.

“I wouldn’t suggest ever trifling with me,” Cassandra said cruelly. “I would normally kill you, but since you jumped the gun in my orientation speech I suppose a warning will have to do. If any of you come for my life, I’ll kill you. If I’m feeling particularly bad that day, I will kill you all. Let it be known I am usually in a bad mood.” Cassandra lifted her heel up and shoved Ravager’s head aside. He rolled to his feet and stood up again, eyes scanning the room for something. Othneil didn’t know what the elf was up to, but he looked to the Gisela Reaper and shrugged. Claudette didn’t say anything, her fingers still gripped tightly around the demon hunter’s hand as Cassandra waved them off in a rude manner.

As they filed out the door slammed behind them, and Othneil at last gently released Claudette’s hand. She smiled to him again, thanking him, and she looked to Ravager with a disgusted look. The beast turned back to them, and with the softest of whispers he spoke, a tremor of fear coming out of his voice. “I don’t think we can stop her…” The words coming from Ravager’s mouth were profound, as the elf was so sure of himself not moments before. Now, after being humiliated in Cassandra’s room, they all looked down.

“Now, now, now,” A friendly tone lifted all the way fro the end of the hallway. “Look at you sad sack of shits,” The voice lifted it’s pitch but kept it mockingly deep. “Time to turn those frowns upside down!” Othneil grunted in annoyance as Cody stepped forward, tilting his hat the to the side to get a good look at them all. “This is just the beginning folks. I didn’t expect us to kill her on the first shot,” Cody looked to the door and smiled as he turned away and looked to them all. “No, what we have to do is be patient! Can you do that Ravager, can you be a good boy and be Pai-tent,” He lifted his fingers and emphasized the word. With a growl of irritation the elf’s hand rose to back hand Cody, but with one flick of his wrist a knife was in his hands, Ravager slicing the side of his hand in the motion. He cringed in anger as he backed away.

“Seriously bro, your making the team look bad,” Cody mumbled wiping the blood off onto Othneil’s shirt. “Can’t fight, can’t intimidate, what can you do?” He pocketed the weapon. Ravager gave him a broken look, his face contorted in confusion. The beast was way out of his element and Othneil felt his guts telling him the beast was onto something. They were all out of their element. Cody however just smiled as he stepped forward to Ravager.

“Don’t worry guys, your daddy Cody has everything figured out…”

[Requiem of Insanity]

Othneil ran with a few Ixian Knights at his back, Cody in tow as they swerved into a corner of the darker parts of the cavern to Sei’s tomb. It was by chance Cassandra had found a band of bandits in the hole and decided that would be a good test of Othneil’s talents. Along with a few soldiers he was tasked with removing the filth from Sei’s caves, and he decided that in order to get closer to Cassandra he would have to do a good job. With gun and blade in hand he ran, stopping low as he slid to the corner of another bend and peaked over the side.

“Hole! They got four archers,” Othneil said to his men. The soldiers all nodded as they fanned behind him, and with careful, steadying breaths he moved to take another peak before a man with a long coat pushed him back.

“I got this one,” He said in a cocky manner, his brown hair flourishing as he cast a grin back to everyone. He pulled a weapon from his side, a long blade with the top covered by a revolver barrel, a gunblade he realized quickly enough. The black weapon shined in the dim light, and with a couple bounces he darted into the hall with a half twirl, firing off the bullets of his sword gun. Two screams of pain echoed in the hallway and Othneil angrily let Cody grab his gun and take aim shooting another one down. The last archer took his final shot before the gun wielder took his life with a well placed shot between the eyes. Cody chuckled tossing the gun back to him as Othneil darted out around the corner.

“Whoa, we got a glory hog,” The man said.

“Not enjoying how you aren’t in the lime light, Ambrose?” Cody taunted back, the two’s egos going to blows. Not the first time Othneil witnessed it, but whenever Cody seemed to piss of Jensen Ambrose, he took it out on Othneil.

“Oh by all means, go ahead and lead the charge, Cody,” The name oozed off the tongue and Cody smiled, looking back to Othneil. Jensen’s gaze managed to land on him and he shook his head in apology, not sure why he was doing so. “You’re a nut case,” He whispered to the demon hunter. He sighed, knowing he had to play along to Cody’s whims as the corrupt cop began to urge the soldiers forwards. They all shrugged, rushing ahead as they ran, the bandits giving chase.

“Hey,” Jensen said running next to Othneil. “I don’t know what game you are playing, but it seems to me you need to get that shit checked out. I’d suggest reporting to Aislinn Orlouge when you get the chance,” Jensen gave him an authoritative look, glaring at the boy as he ran ahead, ordering the men back. Othneil had no clue what he meant by that, but in the end he just nodded all the same.

The rest of the bandit round up was a simple matter, they had holed in deep, but they weren’t intricate with the caves like the Ixian Knights were. The few places they did hide were easily exploited by secret tunnels and hiding holes that Jensen had known. The bandits swiftly surrendered when the immortal gave them the chance, and they cuffed them and brought them back to the main base where they would be taken by Taka’s mercenary team to receive their rewards for capturing them.

Like a good worker, Othneil slipped into the shadows and stalked off towards Cassandra’s bedroom, knocking on the steel frame. When the door opened it was Claudette who answered, her eyes opening wide in happiness to see Othneil, before she lowered her gaze.

“Cody isn’t with you, he is?” She asked in a whisper. Othneil shook his head. Come to think of it, after the whole events took place he hadn’t seen the man at all. She opened the door wider and the youth stepped into the room. Cassandra looked to him from a chair before her podium of books, glancing at him with a silent threat in her eyes. He didn’t speak until she spoke to him, and that suited him just fine. He rarely had anything to say to the Gisela Reaper.

“Did you win us glory and accolades on the field of battle,” She at last said, a frustrated sigh escaping her lips as she pushed a very warn out diary to the side. She moved one closer and looked to it, then checked a bottle of a serum before she placed it on the burner again. Othneil merely nodded, not wanting to speak to her. Words around the woman were easily dissected and manipulated to mean other things, so he kept his sentences short if he had to speak, and kept to body language when he could get away with it.

“Good, puppet,” She cooed. Her affection made his skin crawl and he noticed the dark presence of her companion near by her, looking to Othneil just over his shoulder with a vile grin. The demon hunter was sure that what followed Cassandra Remi was ethereal and otherworldly, but demonic in nature he couldn’t put his finger on. The beast was somewhat attached to her, and she had been known to communicate with him often. Claudette and Ravager had no clue what she was doing, but when they looked to Othneil for guidance he merely shrugged.

Cassandra waited a few moments, stirring her finger in circles on the top of her book as she read it. There was another soft rap of knuckles on her door and Claudette made a move to answer it. Angrily Cassandra motioned for her to sit and for Othneil to open the door. He bowed to her lightly, turned and opened the door. He was greeted by Ravager, who looked into the room with a bemused smile as he stepped into the sanctum of his mistress.

In the following weeks the dark elf had been battered and broken, but from that desolate place Cassandra rebuilt him. His terror that he once caused was now palpable, and his movements were more sure. He bowed lowly to Cassandra like she were a god, holding his reverent position until she gave him leave to stand. Claudette also seemed to have lost her edge towards Cassandra, but he wasn’t sure if that was an act or not. The few times they got to meet with Cody they both seemed rather entertained by the corrupt cop’s words. He gave them orders to continue on his grand plan. One day she would have a mission that would require them all, and that would be when they all would attack.

Othneil looked back to Ravager and pondered how long it would be until he cracked and gave up the information to Cassandra, assuming he already hadn’t. The Moonlight Monster gave no indication she was onto Cody’s plan, so he kept his profile low. At last Cassandra managed to find the time to break her eyes from the book as she stretched, the small black shirt she wore over her vlince pants raising to show her exotic stomach.

Her hand covered her mouth as she yawned, and lazily she purred as she leaned in her chair looking to all three of them.

“Sei Orlouge has given me a mission that I will need you all on to aid me with,” Othneil didn’t show any signs of it, but his heart raced. It was at last time to finish his mission and find his sister. The only ray of hope in this whole scenario. All the verbal bashing, all the hateful feelings he felt towards Cody. Now it was time for it all to come to the head.

“There is a traitor in our midst, currently working undercover for the Salvarian government, going by the name Cody,” She smiled to Othneil, then to Ravager as the dark elf growled hearing the name, but Cassandra didn’t seem to take it as anything noteworthy. Anyone who dared wish his mistress harm was worthy of his talons.

“Tonight we will simply flush him out and kill him. The joy of our trade is we do not need to wait for proper government channels. So get ready you simpletons. We’ll be going out the route the bandits hid in.” Othneil nodded to her plan, now realizing why she was so intent to make sure the job was done. “I have little doubt once I tell Jensen he did me a favor that foolish immortal dog will bark until his face turns blue.” She added as an afterthought of joy. She dismissed them with a wave of her hand, turning to her books again as she studied them. Ravager was the first to rise, turning and looking to Othneil with a vile grin. His white silk blindfold was replaced by a pure black one, making his pale, almost albino face stark and ghostly in comparison. Claudette stepped next to Othneil, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder leading him out.

“I hope we are ready for this,” She said sagely. Othneil placed his hand on hers, feeling a primal connection as the two looked to each other.

“If it means I find my sister,” Othneil said. “Then I’ll get the job done.” Claudette smiled to him, but something in that smile wasn’t inviting.

[Requiem of Insanity]

The wind of the upper Radansathian Docks was a blistering gale, sending leaves and other garbage floating in a tornado down the stairs and into the green grass of the forested area. Cassandra was hiding in her sneak suit, her body nearly invisible save her face which she hadn’t revealed. Ravager was cloaked in the darkest of colors, his camouflage jeans, his poncho like cloak flapping in the breeze behind him as he tied his hair into a tight pony tail, making sure the wrap it all the way down to keep it from fanning out.

Claudette was dressed in a hand me down sneaking suit from Cassandra, the burlap smell tainting the air. He watched her check her vials of poisons, nodding that they were all held in place and ready to go. Othneil looked down to his own outfit. Normally for these missions he didn’t dress up in sneaking attire or drab dark cloaks. No, he wore his usual get up of pants and vest, button up shirt and tie. Yes, this was his usual accustomed outfit, no need to change it at all.

“Okay, everyone fan out and begin the mission. Find Cody and take him down, but not out. I get to play with him when he’s captured!” Cassandra ordered, lifting one finger outwards. With a cruel chuckle Ravager ran outwards, lifting himself up to a crate and darting out of site. Claudette merely stuck to the shadows and began to walk into the trade port. Othneil looked to Cassandra, but noticed he already lost track of her. Not wanting to be the odd man out, he began moving forwards, hands held tightly on the grip of his cherished revolver.

He lifted his hand to his fedora hat, tilting it to the side as he observed the scene with a keen interest. His eyes made out the movements of the creatures that were common in trade ports; rats, bats, the occasional shifting shadow. He moved silently as he kept his eyes out for Cody, making sure to find him first so he could see how the plan would unfold.

He stepped down into a pit of some kind, probably the place most commonly traveled as there were several boards and planks to move stuff around. He looked up to see the crane silently still in the shifting breeze, a bundle of barrels tied into a net resting its clutches. A fresh wave of sea air filed his nostrils, his tongue darting out to taste the cool salty tang. Another step and he heard a snap, something breaking and he turned, weapon raised to find Ravager flying down from the crane’s arm.

The two landed in a tumble, both rolling as he pushed Ravager away. The elf rolled back into a low crouch, a cruel smile on his face as he lifted the blindfold from his eyes. The unmasked elf had two milk white colored eyes, his iris the shade of a grey sword. He saw exactly where Othneil was, and he moved swiftly. His hands dropped low and he scooped up a piece of wood. Othneil hadn’t seen it at first in the dark, in fact, it was what he stepped on.

“What are you doing, Ravager?” Othneil called to him. Before the elf could answer he felt something tug on his hands and the revolver lifted up and shot twice. The beast grunted in a whine like a dog, twirling as he dropped the makeshift weapon and collapsed, breathing heavily. Othenil turned to see Cody looking at him, a wide smile on his face.

“Well things went to hell in a hand basket,” Cody joked as he stepped forward looking down at Ravager and clucking his tongue. “I guess you can’t teach an old mutt new tricks unless you got a killer body and a nice rack.” He shrugged as Othneil stepped closer to Cody, looking over his shoulder to see Ravager contort his face in a snarl. “Ya ya, the human’s are talking, you stupid mutt, so do me a favor and just die, you mangy creature.” He leveled the gun and shot emptying the rest of the chamber into the Dark Elf’s face. Blood splattered upwards all over Othneil’s vest and he sighed reaching into his pocket pulling out his butterfly knife and holding it one hand with a smile. He had always loved Absolute Zero’s simplicity, the small dagger saving his ass more times than he could count. Another go into his pocket produced a small handkerchief that he wiped the elf’s blood with.

“Was it necessary to be so excessive.” Cody turned to him tossing the gun back.

“One of us has to watch your back,” He replied. Othneil gave him a confused look, but he just smiled in his cruel way as he walked forwards, Othneil in tow.

“So long, Ravager,” Cody mocked a salute to him. “You just didn’t seem to get the job done,” Othneil remained quiet on the matter as he twirled the butterfly knife in his hands.

As they walked up to towards a flight of stairs they felt the sound of something landing behind them. They both turned to find Claudette glaring daggers at Othneil, but he was sure she was looking to Cody who stood behind him with a Cheshire like grin. The two locked eyes and the woman lifted up a vial from her belt, but before it could be of any use a throwing knife hit the concoction out of her hands.

“It took me awhile to learn about what was going on, but now it all makes sense. Cassandra really is a smart one,” She kept her hand hovering near her belt. “It seemed strange to listen to her at first, but after time the pieces fell into place. The puppet met the master, at long last like she said it would.”

“What are you bitching about?” Cody asked cockily. “That bitch doesn’t know shit about us! Cute how she thinks she does, but in the end I will see her die.” Another knife flew out and Claudette almost didn’t dodge it. “I guess this means another pawn isn’t going to play ball. I thought you wanted to get the one who got away,” He trailed the taunt off and Claudette managed to scream in hatred as she lifted four vials up from her belt and tossed them all forwards.

Othneil rolled forwards, a loud pop echoing in the air as the poison filtered the area in a pink mist. He kept his mouth shut and held his breath as he ran to Claudette, shoulder tackling her to the floor. Cody was just at his heels as he placed a dagger right to her eye. Before he could implant the weapon into her skull Othneil nudged the weapon aside.

“She’s trying to kill you!” Cody shouted in shock. Othneil merely turned back to Claudette, mumbled his apologies and knocked her out with the butt of Ignorant’s Kiss. “Oh come on, Othneil, you gotta be SHITTING ME!” He whistled lowly as they both stood up. “You got a boner for the girl or something?” Othneil shook his head, feeling a headache build up between his eyes. Angrily he rubbed the bridge of his nose as Cody merely shrugged turning to look outwards.

“What’s going on,” Othneil asked angrily to Cody. “Why am I being attacked by our comrades, and what the hell does Claudette mean by the puppet meeting the master? I don’t get it! I want answers Cody!” The corrupt cop turned to Othneil and his eyes went wide, Othneil turned only to feel something heavy and dark push him down. A powerful wave of dread exuded from the shadows and the most sensuous chuckles filled the void.

Cassandra Remi stepped out of the shadows lowering her hood as she lifted a small syringe upwards and into Othneil’s neck. “The answers are coming, Othneil,” She whispered as he felt his world growing black. The last thing he saw was Cody’s face screaming as something evil pushed it’s talons into his chest.

[Requiem of Insanity]

“You are probably wondering why you are here,” A sensuous voice spoke from the shadows. Othneil’s eyes fluttered in response, finding himself tied to a child’s bed, naked. The world spun into place slowly, and he gulped loudly as he groaned. His headache was killing him now, but he felt a freeing form of relief from it as well.

“Wh-Where am I?” He whispered into the darkness. A light shined on directly above him and his world was temporarily blinded. He shied away from the light, feeling a fear build up in his chest as he looked to the shadows. At last something stalked forward, the darkness hiding her - no, it was forming with her movements!- until she stepped into the light. Cassandra Remi smiled to him, a sultry look on her face as she held onto a large fillet knife.

“This room not familiar to you?” Cassandra asked as if she was hurt by his inability to remember it. “I would think you would,” She continued on. A dark chuckle escaped into his ears, sending shivers down his spine. He focused as hard as he could into the darkness, trying to make out the room he was in. The first things he began noticing were child’s drawings, and a poster. The poster had some valiant hero who wielded two swords. It was familiar to him, but something about it still seemed off. He looked to the other side of the room, finding another poster, but this was of a sinister being, something cruel and hate filled.

“Kai Atari was in the first poster, do you remember him, Othneil?” Cassandra asked, sitting on the bed at his hip, tapping her blade on the soft part of his pelvic area. It tickled and he squirmed, the cold metal making him uncomfortable. He fought to answer her question. The longer she talked, the longer he had to think of a way out.

“Yes, I do,” He said after a moment. “That was the Saint of Swords last I heard. A children’s dream though, just a book legend, nothing more.” She pointed to the darker portrait. He got her hint and peered to it, but he couldn’t figure it out. Dumbly he shook his head. With a soft giggle she looked to his face and affectionately, like a mother would touch a son, stroked his face.

“Try asking Cody,” She suggested. The demon hunter made a strange face to her, and she laughed again, this time far more cruel as she slapped his face twice standing up. “You know how utterly entertaining this is for me, Othneil? The prey usually have a clue as to why I cut into them, and they need to fit a criteria before I sink my knives into them. You do fit that criteria, Othneil, but not for the reasons you think.”

Her feet walked across the wooden floor, the heels of her boots clicking on the ground. She stepped towards the portrait and pretend to appraise it. “Seth Dahlios was in this picture, Othneil,”

“Ya I know that,” The youth said angrily. “Stop yapping about things I already know, bimbo!” Cassandra merely let out a soft laugh.

“Good to see you arrived, Cody,” Cassandra taunted. “I was starting to think you weren’t going to come and rescue yourself from my clutches.”

“You knew I would be here, you crazy bitch,” Cody said darkly. Othneil watched him, seeing him tied to the bed, naked as well. He glared at Cassandra, but he made no motion to try and escape. Othneil felt his head begin to shift again as the pain took over his vision.

“Othneil, are you alright, is something the matter?” Cassandra asked, her tone sweet as honey as she glided over to him, placing the knife on the bed. “Is it your head?” She asked. Othneil felt his forehead sweating and he could tell his heart was racing. Cassandra merely traced her finger along his cheek line.

“Do you know what this room is, Othneil, or do you need Cody to answer that?” She looked to Othneil, and he shook his head, unable to figure out what the hell was going on. He looked to the room again, and for the life of him he couldn’t figure it out. Angrily he turned to Cody.

“Clever little serial killer,” Cody whispered darkly. “It’s your room Othneil,” The demon hunter’s eyes shot wide open in alarm.

“My what?” Cassandra merely stood again, looking to Cody.

“Now let’s not be hiding things anymore. Tell him the full truth, Cody,” She spoke firmly in a motherly way. The corrupt cop gave her a dirty stare, but he turned to Othneil with a colder glare, making the youth feel cold.

“It’s our room. The one we shared as a kid.” Cassandra laughed, this time fully as she lifted her head back, laughing hysterically. She moved towards the edge of the shadows as she watched the two look at each other. After a moment of recognition Othneil felt a violent storm of memories begin to flood into his mind like a river breaking through a damn. The images burned away had come back, and he began to silently scream in agony. The feeling made Cassandra lean over in lust, her breaths becoming ragged as she thoroughly enjoyed the scene.

“Oh my god,” Othneil whispered. “This is the room where Aerith was raped,” He began to shake his head violently, as if the action would push away the painful presence of his past bearing down on his soul. Cody looked to Cassandra, and with a violent bark he spoke to her.

“How did you find this room!” Cassandra merely smiled, vilely as she moved an inch or so the left. Out of the corner of the room the red headed poison killer stepped forward. Her face was covered in a scowl of barely contained rage, and Othneil noticed it was Claudette. Cody On the other hand merely snorted in mirth, as if the final piece of the puzzle fell into place.

“Hi, little brother,” Claudette whispered to both men, her hands white as marble as she clenched the butterfly knife Othneil carried around with him since he was a kid. The memories showed Othneil watching, unable to stop someone from raping his sister. He began to cry as he willed the powerful memories from claiming his mind.

“Othneil, there’s still more to this than you realize,” Cassandra mused. “Perhaps your sister Aerith can shed light?” Aerith nodded as she stepped before the bed. She glared at Othneil, ignoring Cody completely.

“Sis-ter?” Othneil whispered. Now that his memories were unlocked he could see her red hair, see the joy of her once beautiful smile. Everything stepped into place, the familiar feeling he had when being around her. Claudette was his missing sister, the one he had searched all his life for. The one he would kill for.

“Shut up,” Aerith said coldly. “You no longer have that right to call me that, little brother,” She spit at him, the mucus landing on his chest. “Not after what you had done to me.” Othneil’s face crumbled in confusion and sadness, tears streaming down his face.

“Why are you so confused brother! Why don’t you go ask Cody!” She bellowed, pointing at his chest. Othneil looked to Cody, the cop’s face full of a scowl. Othneil looked back to his sister, and she sighed angrily. “So useless, little brother. I guess you want me to explain this then, huh Cody?” The cop merely shrugged.

“You piss me off, little brother,” She said as her opening to her story. “There was a time, a time long ago little brother where I once said the words I love you. That was back when we were just kids. I loved you, Othneil, but not Cody. Because Cody was always mean to us, always getting you into trouble. Mom and Dad never understood what to do, and they had their positions on the city council to think of. So they just did whatever you wanted to shut him up. One day though, Cody wouldn’t shut up. He hated us, because I loved you, and I hated him. I never stopped letting him know that too. One day you and I were playing in your room, and then it happened. Do you remember, little brother?” Aerith’s tone was cold. With a whimper he shook his head.

“Yes, somebody came in, pushed me over and told me to just watch. I couldn’t move, something was holding me down. And the man who pushed me…he…he…” Othneil couldn’t bring himself to speak of the tragedy. Aerith merely shook her head.

“No, that’s not what happened! You want to know what happened?” She was near hysterics at this point, her anger coming to the fore. Othneil shook his head, and the action of denial set her over the edge as she gripped his cheeks in her hand and squeezed hard. “YOU BASTARD! CODY RAPED ME! YOU LET HIM FUCKING RAPE ME!” She shoved his head aside and slapped him hard. Othneil shook his head in disbelief. He turned his head to look at Cody, but the corrupt cop wasn’t there. Feebly the demon hunter looked to Aerith.

“Please, Sister,” He begged. Aerith slapped him hard again, and Othneil’s head was in agony that he couldn’t suppress. He now began to scream in the pain from his migraine. It felt as if the world was splitting within his mind.

“Stop putting your filthy hands on me!” Cody shouted.

“Wake up, little brother, you can’t hide behind him forever!” Her hand hit him again, this time punching him in the jaw.

“Stop it, your hurting me!” Othneil let out a boyish scream. Aerith laughed in glee as she took pleasure in causing him pain. At last she let off the pain as her hand was clasped into Cassandra Remi’s. The older woman smiled to Othneil as her hand gingerly went to his blood, taking a bit on the edge of her finger and tasting it like one would taste wine. With a happy flutter of her eyes she moved Aerith to the edge of the bed.

“Do you want this all to make sense, Othneil?” Cassandra asked lightly. Othneil whimpered and cried, never before ever dealing with something like this. His world was shattered into a thousand pieces. How could he let his brother Cody do this? How could he forget about Cody? Something in the puzzle wasn’t complete. He looked to the bed where Cody was, but still he wasn’t there! Cody wasn’t where he was supposed to be! Othneil cried out in frustration as he tried to figure it out, and at last he nodded, accepting Cassandra Remi’s help. With a mere glance she pointed to Aerith and with a sick smile she held up a mirror.

Othneil looked into the mirror and saw Cody looking back. There was a moment of reflection, and then with a half cry of laughter, half cry of suffering Othneil realized what the hell was going on. Cody was Othneil, and Othneil was Cody.

The meeting in the black room, that was all a one man act. The actions, the conversation was in his head. The meeting with Aerith was another solo act, Othneil merely had observed the whole thing as if from Cody’s perspective. Ravager’s arrogance was of a man who was amused at watching a mad man in motion. Jensen Ambrose’s confusion, all of it suddenly made sense! The raping of his sister was Othneil’s doing, he held her down, he laughed as thrust himself into her. He watched it with his own eyes, he was his own culprit.

The one who got away, that whole time was not some petty crime spree, but a carefully conceived lie in his mind. Perhaps in the end there was truth to his sister’s downfall, becoming a serial killer to learn about the one who got away. But that person was never Cassandra Remi, it was Othneil the whole time. He was the criminal who she couldn’t catch.

The puppet and the master. The puppet Othneil, and the master Cody. The puzzle was at long last complete and with it’s clarity the youth let out a long, harrowing scream.

“FUCK YOU, FUCK YOU!” Othneil shouted to his sister in spite.

“I’m so sorry!” Cody whimpered.

“All this time I was searching for you, and you were there!” Othneil shed some tears at the revelation.

“I should have fucking killed you!” Cody spat. He kept shifting from one personality into the other, until eventually they melded as one. Aerith and Cassandra watched like two spectators, Aerith feeling vindicated that at long last her brother would pay.

“In the end, Othneil, Cody, whoever you are, it’s all trivial,” Cassandra said brandishing her knives. “For you will scream for me like everyone else, but I will enjoy this, because now you will scream twice as loud…”

And into the night of the empty house, the man screamed, his wails piercing the walls and echoing into the night stirring the wildlife into flight. A cruel chuckle permeated outwards towards the moon, and watching it all with a quiet satisfaction was Aertih.

[Requiem of Insanity]

The girl looked to her brother’s mutilated corpse, not wincing once through the whole ordeal. He begged, cried for her to save him, but she let his cries fall on deaf ears. They all meant nothing to her now. She got the one who got away. It wasn’t easy, for the spilt personalities were hard to fight with. First she had to change her name to Claudette just to make sure that Cody wouldn’t remember her. He was slowly starting to catch on to her, but thankfully they had reached Cassandra’s lair by that time. The time away allowed Aerith the breathing room she needed to lower the ego’s suspicions.

Othneil was clueless the whole time, a mere puppet on Cody’s strings. In some way, she felt that it was Cody who should be the personality to suffer, but Othneil did just watch, not stopping the act. In fact, he seemed rather to be enjoying himself. His death was sweet to her.

She looked to Cassandra as she cleaned up her tools, wiping her blades clean with a delicate cloth she carried. The woman had said nothing the entire time, her face covered in a soft smile like a woman being talked to with sweet nothings into her ear. She took a risk asking for help from the Gisela Reaper, but thankfully the payout had exceeded the dark mistresses wishes.

She had happened to cross her in Gisela, copying her style of killing to gain her attentions. That in itself was almost a close call, her death nearly given by a score of people, but she survived long enough to convince Cassandra to help her. The woman came up with a plan, telling her that she needed to merely wait and bide her time in Salvar. She had done so, and after time she was beginning to think the plan wouldn’t come to a head. Then it all started to fall into place.

Othneil came to town, and Aerith slipped him the poison that would awaken the dormant part of his mind. Cody slowly began to awaken again, and with each kill that Cody had dealt he began to grow more confident. Cassandra had carefully placed a few documents about Aerith’s location, knowing full well the man hated her. It all came together when Cody made his power play, starting to control Othneil’s actions for longer periods of time. He went to Knife’s Edge, became a cop and tried to live a double life, slowly building up information on finding his sister. Killing became a sort of hobby for Cody, and each kill was slowly giving him more power. Then Cassandra killed a playmate who Cody was going to off, eliciting his wrath. He met in a dark room with himself and made the power play to control Othneil, and the pieces all fell into place.

He traveled the land to gain what he needed for a team he could think would kill Cassandra Remi, but his clients he picked were all carefully manipulated by Aerith and Cassandra well ahead of time. Ravager was an easy choice to pick as prey, for the mangy mongrel was easily swayed. His death, his roll in the plan was never set in stone. He was merely there, and when he was killed Aerith was happy to be rid of the Dark Elf. A pawn that lived and died by her whims. She smiled thinking of how easy it was to confuse him.

Now that it was all over, now that her deal was done she didn’t know what to do. There was a void in her soul that was at long last filled, but a new void was created in its place. She had nowhere to go, her life of killing her brother was satisfied. She heard a zipper move upwards and she glanced at Cassandra as she lifted her back pack up over her shoulder.

“Two years,” Cassandra said in a lustful voice. “Two years for such heavenly sounds. Did they make you feel good, Aerith, or now do you feel empty?” She leaned heavily on her hip and Aertih felt her cheeks flush. Cassandra Remi was curvy and sultry and now that she was in a good mood her already impressive traits were magnified. The woman’s genuine smile was more charming than a suave prince. Yet that dark companion’s presence seemed to destroy the mood.

“I do feel empty, Lady Remi, but it's not for the reasons you may think,” Aerith replied. “I simply do not know where to go now.” Aerith looked to her dead brother, lifting up the gun and the knife, and with a flick of her wrist she tossed the revolver against the wall. The knife however she twirled in her hand expertly before lifting it to gaze at the inscribed letters. She ran her finger over the text, feeling a soft weight lift from her soul. The blade of her brother offered no nostalgia in her heart, which she was happy to know. She turned the weapon and put it handle first towards Cassandra. Cassandra took the proffered weapon with a grin.

“A token of your gratitude, I suppose?” Aerith shrugged indifferently.

“I no longer need it. It’s just a useless toy. My brother Othneil always thought he was some Sword Saint, and well, Cody worshipped Seth Dahlios. I suppose this was some sort of compromise in his mind. Othneil always thought it was a broadsword, though. Funny that.” Cassandra nodded.

“So what will you do now, then?” Cassandra flashed her smile. “Revenge is a fine dish to eat from, but after that, what more is there to eat from? Your palette will never be quenched again.” Aerith nodded knowingly. She gave no answer and Cassandra seemed to tilt her head back as if talking with something. The wave of dread that accompanied Cassandra seemed to vanish, and the woman stepped forward.

“You been alone for a long time, haven’t you?” Aerith nodded again, looking into Cassandra’s hazel orbs and being lost in them. “Would you like me to be your guide?” She lowered her hand and Aerith gave her a shocked expression. Was she getting an invitation to join the Midnight Monster? She was confused and she turned to look at her as she swished her hips.

“I have found a great value in you, Aertih. This past two years you have been a willing pawn, but you didn’t demand of me. You were able to think, feel, be yourself. Something within you desires to be with me, and I feel that same desire as well. But in the end, I cannot force your hand. Do you wish to join me, or do you wish to wander the world, alone and never being fulfilled?” Cassandra turned the corner.

She waited a moment before she answered, but then with hurried steps she followed in line behind Cassandra Remi. The woman nodded her head as she walked back towards her home in Sei’s tomb.

“The fate’s blew me into Sei’s hell hole, but I see now that you are one of the many tools for my grand vision. If you trust me whole body and mind, then I will teach you to be like me, but do not expect me to coddle you. I will not tolerate weakness in you, Aerith.” She nodded quickly. Cassandra smiled again.

“Can-Can I ask a simple question?” Aerith pleaded. Cassandra stopped turning to her. “May I, if it’s alright with you, consider you my family?" The request seemed so odd for Aerith to make, but the girl was still seventeen. A large portion of her life was empty, and all she wanted was a family. "As you can tell, my last one wasn’t worth my love, but…” She trailed her thoughts as she hesitantly looked to Cassandra, expecting her to glare at her or offer her a stiff backhand, but what Cassandra did took her by surprise.

“Of course, my child, I will happily be your new family,” Cassandra whispered cupping her face in her hand, running her other hand through her red locks. Aerith felt her heart swell and she moved in on Cassandra, hugging her tightly. She sniffled, giving her thanks to her as she whispered how happy she was to have a mother.

“I love you, mom,” Aerith whispered. Cassandra merely smiled as she held her, her lips parting in the most vilest of grins.

[Requiem of Insanity]

Cassandra Remi Requests the following spoils!

Aerith Remi: Cassandra Remi has now adopted a new family member, her daughter Aerith. In the starting stages of this walk in life Aerith is always with her mother, and she gains the same privileges that would befit her mothers station as one of the nine generals of the Ixian Knights, save certain privileges. Aerith is 100% devoted to Cassandra, and such is her love for her that she can find no room in her heart for anyone else. This means Aerith cannot be affected by love potions, spells, or other abilities that attempt to seduce her. (Though she will have her own separate entity as a familiar, she is basically going to have Cassandra's Level 1 profile.)

A new Mythril Butterfly Knife, Absolute Zero- The weapon’s blade feels like it is constantly stuck in a vat of ice, and the merest touch will send shivers down anyone’s spine. However, outside this it does nothing else fancy.

Poison- Duality: The poison begins to enhance the dormant mind of people with split personality disorder, bringing the personality(s) into the front of the person’s mind. The effects of what this does differs to the person in question: The effects are completely based on the PC who is being afflicted by it.
^- This is a liquid based poison that must be drunk in order to work.

[Revenant]

Condensed Rubric requested.

STORY: 16 – Straightforward story, though your decision to write it from a reverse point of view hindered your continuity score down to average. Settings were blasé, I liked the rain on the docks scene but was confused by your description of everything going on around him/them. I’m not entirely sure how ‘ramps’ equate to ‘maze.’ In my mind, I think of a bunch of ramps and see a pyramid type structure. Adding Ravager to your story slowed it down, as he only seemed to be there to growl a little, as did explaining the entire affair in detail at the end. To improve, you should have hinted at other bits of the back story throughout the entire thread, perhaps in a discussion while they were on the ferry to Corone of something similar.

CHARACTER: 17 – Dialogue was decent but nothing spectacular. Your action was nice, though the cameo with Jensen was muddled and left me confused as to who was exactly doing what.

WRITING STYLE: 17 – Your foreshadowing worked as I figured the main plot twist out by Jensen’s cameo. Mechanically, you had numerous errors throughout the thread, though your grammar was passing. Revise and proofread, you know the drill. Finally, as I mentioned before, there were enough areas that were confusing enough that you only get an average clarity rating.

WILD CARD: 4

TOTAL: 54

Requiem of Insanity receives 1984 exp and 120 gp.
Silence Sei, for a short cameo in which he proves to be cooler than anyone else in the thread, receives 500 exp and 20 gp from Cassandra.

Spoils:
Absolute Zero – Drop the quality to Damascus and you’ve got yourself a frozen treat.
Duality – Sure, why the hell not.
Aerith Remi – Again, why the hell not. It’ll be worth it to see the look on Jensen’s face when there are two Remi’s running around.

[Silence Sei]

GP-EXP added.