A day in the life of four psychopaths

[The Guile Family]

Repetition is intended.
Darkness swirled around the mind of Lucien Guile, eldest son of the great Lucien Guile Sr, a famous ex-assassin. In his dream he was in a barren cityscape, skyscrapers pierced into the horizon like harpoons into a whale. Lucien found himself standing at the top of the tallest. All around him he saw the strife which he would later learn was his mind. Undead lurched in mobs below him. The sky was gray, covered with clouds. To most the scene would be a groggy, and dull, and painful day.

Lucien himself was looking odd. He wore a black cloak that clung to his body tightly. His whole figure was slim, his body was slender, with a slight hint of muscle. He was about as strong as your average fighter, but looked extraordinary. To most he would be considered someone you would write your folks about sleeping with. His silver hair hung slightly over his sapphire eyes. His face was hairless and free of any blemishes. At this moment it held a look one would wear when having an epiphany.

Something drew him from his thoughts, he looked up, to another building. On it stood his father, who was wearing a pale white cloak with the hood up to conceal most of his face. He said something undistinguished. Lucien leaned forward to try and hear what his father was saying. The man spoke again, and Lucien caught part of it. "...my son..." the man had said. Lucien leaned forward to listen more, and found himself falling. the air rushed past him as he gasped in breath and began to scream. He continued to plummet, and fell into the clawing arms of the undead.

He woke up with a yelp and gasped for air. He could have sworn he had felt the undead claw at him, hungering for his flesh. He could feel the pull of the monster. He was hungry for blood. He felt the weight on the other side of the bed shift. He turned to see his paternal twin Lucia rolling over to cast him a worried glance. The two shared a bond more intimate then most lovers did. The two had decided they were each others missing half. In doing so they had developed an almost... inappropriate level of love. They could finish the others sentences, tell when something was wrong. They could even tell if the other was hungry of lying. They even slept together.

So naturally Lucia would wake up if he had a bad dream. He could see her blondish silver hair hang over her pale skin. He felt her place a hand on his shoulder, lifting herself to a position where she could embrace him. "Whats wrong?" she asked, her tone obviously one of concern. "I had a bad dream." he said softly. She sighed and lied back down. "Go back to sleep then." she replied lying back down. Lucien sighed and returned to a lying position. The day had yet to begin and it was off to a bad start.

[The Guile Family]

Sleep did not return to Lucien. Instead he lied in bed next to his sister in a strange sort of trance. His mind a fog of confusion. He decided to think to kill the time. he thought of his first time..wielding a dagger. His first kill, a frenzy of blood and gore outside of town. The thought brought forth urges that he felt the need to squelch. Urges like blood lust and the urge to kill. He sat and recalled what he remebered of perhaps the most important day of his life. The day his parents disappeared.

It had been a drizzly day, his little brother Venn had contracted the flu, so Lucien had been taking care of him. Lucia had been in the library with the large horde of stray cats their mother had taken in. His younger sister Drana was in the kitchen cooking a stew for the youngest Guile when the constable had arrived. Mr and Mrs Guile had been reported missing. Which was odd because none of the kids had done so.

The next day no word had been received from either parent, who had yet to return. Venn had refused to speak a word, Drana had decided to retreat to the library. Lucia and Lucien tried to remain calm. Slowly all three Guiles began to break down. Soon Venn had completely cut ties to everyone else. Drana withdrew and rarely spoke. Lucia kept up the appearance that she had yet to break, but sobbed profusely when she thought she was alone. Two weeks later Lucien made his first kill. The passion and power of killing one man gave him an intense rush. It also kept his min off of his parents. Soon he heard rumors of another killer, and managed to catch Lucia in the act of killing.

Soon the search was called off, and the Guile parents were declared dead.....

The smell of bacon snapped Lucien out of his trance. He sat up and saw Venn peek his head into the door. He had yet to speak, but Lucien had learned to read his face. Breakfast is ready his face said simply. Lucien crawled out of bed and opened his closet. He grabbed a pair of black leather slacks and a trench coat. Under the coat he wore a simple black shirt. He walked down the long winding spiral staircase of Guile mansion. On the walls hung portraits of Guiles past.

His hand slid down the golden handrail delicately. When he reached the bottom floor her approached a simple wooden door. He could smell bacon and pancakes waft through the door. He yawned and opened the door.....

[The Guile Family]

Lucien stepped into the kitchen, his bare feet conducted the frigidness of the tile straight to his brain, forcing him to shiver slightly. Before Lord and Lady Guile had disappeared the kitchen would be a bustling place, full of servants. Now most of facilities had fallen into disuse. It was an eerie sight to see so many stoves and ovens unused. Pots were scattered across the various counters and stoves. The dinning hall was way too big, and empty. So the Guile children had decided to start eating in the kitchen.

He found Drana, Venn, and Lucia sitting at large round table that the servants used to eat at, Lucien had fired them all. The four had retreated to the closest thing they could to total seclusion. Drana had set the table and was currently serving everyone. Lucien quickly did his normal morning greeting. He gave Drana a quick peck on the cheek, Venn a hair ruffle, and finally kissed Lucia as he took his seat at the table.

He took this moment to look around. Venn wore a black sleeveless shirt and jeans. He looked quite handsome, but Lucien could not help but frown. He himself had worn that outfit yesterday. He was flattered his brother liked his style, but such adoration could quickly turn into idolization. Which concerned Lucien deeply. Drana had chosen her usual ensemble. A black dress that showcased her lack of curves with black flat footed shoes.. Her black hair hung shoulder length, framing her sapphire eyes and pale face.

Lucien wouldn't mind her lack of care towards looking beautiful, but she also didn't have much of a personality either. Then his sapphire eyes found their way to his sister. Lucia had lots of...quirks, but she was definitely one of the most attractive women of Althanas. Her silver hair streaked with blond hung shoulder length. Her face was attractive and clear of blemishes. She wore a silver dress that Lord Guile wouldn't have approved of. It hung about four inches above her her knees, and clung to her body accentuating her gorgeous body.

Lucien turned his eyes to his plate, which was now full. Drana sat to his left, and Venn sat to Drana's left. The four made a semi-circle around the table. The smell forced itself into his nose, and his mouth began to water. Drana had one good point about her, she was an excellent cook. The four exchanged looks, and then wolfed down their breakfast. The bacon was delicious and greasy, with a slightly charred taste. The pancakes were fluffy and buttery. Before Lucien knew it his plate was clear. He sighed contently and stood up. "Thanks Drana, if any of you need me I will be retiring to my study," he said leaving the room. Venn stood up next and left the room as well, heading to the Library where he liked to dwell.

Lucia stood next and smiled. "Drana I have some money, maybe we could go to town and buy you some fabulous clothes?" she asked. Of course she knew the answer already, she asked her sister this question every day. Drana would say no, and retreat to her room where she would draw all day. Lucia would then proceed to ambush Lucien in the study. Just your everyday life of four sociopaths.

[The Guile Family]

The Guile library was extensive to say the least. It was the largest room in the manor, holding hundreds of bookshelves full of novels and tomes. When Lord and Lady Guile had disappeared, Venn had come here to drown his sorrows. He hadn't been very social when his parents were around, and cut himself off completely when they died.

He found himself reading more and more. Few knew it but Venn was incredibly smart. He had memorized most written languages, but speaking was the hard part. Because of his incredible amount of free time he read constantly. He enjoyed escaping the cold reality of life, and then he slowly began to lose his mind.

At first he called it his imagination, but he slowly began to start hearing voices. Soon he began to establish who was who. He had one voice who was fiery and hot headed. It had a trenchant tongue and sometimes got on his nerves. He quickly named this voice Vulcan, he assumed Vulcan was male. Vulcan had a nemesis who Venn had dubbed Demetri. Demetri was calm and rational. When they reared their heads Venn typically got a headache, due to their constant arguing.

Sometimes he thought he saw Vulcan or Demetri in the library. Vulcan was a fiery bird with crimson wings. Demetri was a silver wolf who reminded Venn of Lucien. Venn was currently reading a mystery novel. In it a handsome young man helps a young girl find her mothers killer. Surprise surprise it was the father, who did it for her money. The young detective caught the killer and turned him in to the authorities. Then the young detective and the woman got married and had kids and lived happily ever after.

Venn sighed and tossed the book onto a stack he had set up. That stack was the 'I liked most of it, but the ending was crap' pile. He looked up and scanned the library. The bookcases were set up in rows, and divided by section. Between the gaps there were a few comfortable chairs and tables to read on. Then he saw Demetri stalking over towards him from one of the aisles. Then Vulcan soared overhead. He could hear the two arguing over something trivial, and no doubt he would have to get involved. Another typical day.

[The Guile Family]

To cope with the death of Lord and Lady Guile Drana had taken up drawing everyday. She first started drawing whatever came to mind. Bunnies, dogs, cats, lots of animals at first. Lots of people liked her work, and she sold the ones she wasn't particularly fond of. Then she put more thought into her work, she began to draw dark dreary landscapes, gothic style buildings, graveyards, and then she started drawing monsters.

At first they were simple creatures, dragons, orcs, stuff she had heard stories about. Then she started to create her own creatures. Her first creation was a woman with eight spider-like arms jutting from her back. The next thing she drew was a man with no face, who wore a white robe whit a hood concealing his head. Both of which were posted on her wall.

Various critters of all shapes and assortments now decorated her wall. The simplest was a mouse with a grain of rice. The most complicated was a dragon with millions of heads. When she was really bored, she would stare at some of them, and imagine meeting them in person. The thought scared her, but she assumed most of her creatures wouldn't judge her on her appearances. Then the mouse spoke to her. It's voice was whiny and high pitched. "Drana." it spoke. This spooked her, and she turned to the pictures. It was strange, it seemed like the pictures were alive!

Each critter traversed through the pages. Dragons soared through the pages and roared at her. She gasped and passed out. One thought crossing her mind, "Whats happening?"

As she slumbered one dark cloud seemed to leak out of the paintings. From it formed a cold, sinister form. This being seemed to be made of jet black ink, and cast a sightless gaze upon Drana. It let out a soft, gurgling chuckle. Things were going to get interesting.

[The Guile Family]

Lucien ascended the majestic stairway, climbing up it's marble steps. His hand brushed up the golden handrail. Up and up he climbed, passing several Guile portraits. The stairway continued to rise, and he continued to climb. at the very top of the staircase he reached a dark corridor, lit only by the light that seeped in from the other room.

He strode forward, his feet gently rubbing against the polished wood flooring. Ahead of him was a black door that was very plain. He quickly reached his right hand and turned the nob. He pushed the door forward and stepped into a large room. The floor was a dark polished wood. to his left grand fireplace stood unused for months. To his right was a large bookcase with many tomes on the art of killing.

He stepped forward, striding towards a desk. Several papers were scrawled across it. He found himself sitting down. He could feel his mind begin to shut down. His pupils dilated, and his breathing grew slow. He felt as if he was falling, then blackness. He awoke on top of a large skyscraper, lying down.

He sighed and rose to his feet, again wearing the strange black robe he had been in his last dream. He could hear the moaning of the undead beneath. He could hear the unsheathing of a sword, he turned quickly to see a strange scene. Floating over the world he was in were two figures. His father, cloaked in white, and a strange man who seemed to lack a face. Both had swords drawn and poised to strike. The two sprinted incredibly fast at each other, and swung.

The world shook, then buildings began to topple, his included. Lucien began to plummet to the mob of undead. Al around him buildings turned to dust. He felt the chill of the air as it rushed past him. He let loose a scream, and plummet into the horde.

He jolted forward, a cold sweat crept down his forehead and neck. In front of him was a strange book, bound in black. He leaned forward and flipped the cover open. On the front page was a simple message.

You fate hangs in the balance,
Choose the path you shall take,
Shall the urges you partake?
Or will you deny your inheritance?
Arm thyself the time is upon you,
your life is not yours, nor is mine,
pray that the fates will be pleasent,
or else you shall find yourself a peasant

[The Guile Family]

Lucia found herself in the busy market street. Lucien had been sleeping, so she had let him be for today. It was strange to be out of her home, almost surreal. All around her were several people whom she had never met. So many strangers, so many people who she did not know. So much blood. It was a strange, she never got urges to kill around her siblings. The moment she left them she was a walking time bomb. She carried a purse, just in case, that held several kitchen knives.

These knives had been taken from the kitchen, and were very effective in cutting food for cooking. Lucia used them for a darker purpose. It started ten years ago, when both Lucien and Lucia were around the age of ten. It was at this age they found out the truth about their mother. Lucien and Lucia had sneaked out of bed in the middle of the night, and heard screams coming from their basement.

Given the somewhat distant proximity of the house to the city Lucien was naturally curious. The two twins opened the door, and silently crept down the stairs. Once at the bottom they watched their mother slice a man to ribbons. Lucien Senor caught the two as his wife cleaned up. He told his kids about their mother, and what he used to do. At the end of his story he told both of the Guile twins to never take the life of another sentient being.

As fate would have it, his words went unheeded. Although the Guile twins had one thing their parents didn't. A cause. Lucia studied the victims of Cassandra Remi, and were one of the first people to assume the deaths were caused by one person. Then her mother disclosed the identity of the killer to her. Lucia soon began to obsess over the woman her mother told her about. She would talk non-stop about certain nuances in the latest death. Lucian would indulge her fantasies, and they often play acted how they thought the latest kill went.

Soon after their parents died Lucia began to mimic Cassandras early kills, deviating each with a sick symbolism. She targeted one specific type of person though. The ones who beat their wives, or raped women. In Lucias eyes they were no longer people. Her brother Lucien was more of a vigilante than a killer. He found those who plotted treason and slit their throats. He cut thieves hands off. He was a dark superhero of sorts. Even as they advanced to the stage of killing, they indulged in each others fancies. Even trained each other. Taking turns being the "killer" and hunting the other down.

Then she heard words that would change her life. "Dreaded killer working for Ixian knights." She turned and looked at the crier and listened intently. She was ready to meet her hero.

[The Guile Family]

Lucien quickly scrambled through several books. Just hours before Lucia had returned asking about the Ixian knights. The problem was Lucien didn't know anything about them. He scrambled through text after text, but due to his lack of care. his library hadn't been updated in the past few years. He had nothing on the Ixian knights. Nada, Zilch, Zip. Lucia had said something about a man named Sei..... Where had he heard that name. His brow furrowed in concentration, Sei Sei Sei Sei Sei, the name tore through his mind. Then something popped into his mind. Mr. Orluge.

He had met Sei once. It had been a long time ago, when he was still little. Some mean men were picking on him and Mr Orluge stepped in. He remembered the man speaking in his head, he was some sort of mystic. Then something else hit him. What if Venn wasn't voluntarily mute? What if he had lost the ability, no, the memory of how to speak?

This man, whom Lucien hardly remembered, could be the key to him solving the mystery behind his brother. He dashed out the door of his study, opening his stride to allow his legs to propel him farther forward with each step. With practiced grace he leaped and turned his body, landing butt first on the golden rail. With a quick kick of his right foot he found himself sliding downwards. He looked down and spotted his mute brother just outside the kitchen, the smells of Lunch now wafting through the house.

Lucien gave a quick whistle to signal his arrival, and then was launched into his unsuspecting younger brother. The two slammed into the door, forcing it open. They then tumbled into the kitchen, where Drana yelped and leaped out of the way. When they stopped rolling Lucien had his younger brother pinned top the ground. "Were taking you to get help." He stated plainly. He watched Venn think it over, and then his face formed one response. NO.