A Mercenary Among Merchants

[Aveilthé]

OOC: Lol awe... understandable... My brain is fried because of SAT's...

Zayn leads them out of there... or if you want I can take over him... *waggles brows*

[Mama Z]

And so the dark-clad figure wound through an underground maze. Every now and again telling them to watch their footing or duck their heads, he was extra sure to tell Fortune for having a fear he may have to carry his brother the rest of the way (Or he could just leave him there and wait for the next night, actually that was a better thought then he orignally thought). But once again he was family and as much as he would now hate to admit it, he adored the little guy. The walls here remained pretty much the same as they had before, dark and dengie and covered with soot, however if one would notice, they were now entering an area more of stone then wood. And besides the fallen sections of the cieling (or what would have been the floor on upper levels) it was indeed all stone.

It couldnt have been more then a twenty minute walk, of the slowly changing scenery when Zayn came to a slow hault. 'Theres a series of stairs here,' He started now being to walk down them. 'Mind your footing, we all dont want to go tumbling down into the dark.' After the stairs there would be a few more turns, a few more stairs, a quick duck behind an otherwise hidden door and they would be home free. Well Zayn would be the others would have to bugger off and find their own way.

[Aveilthé]

OOC: Lmao.

Rosaline would every now and then glance at Fortuné and feel
her heart plummet sadly every time. She didn't understand why
she wouldn't just mosey back to Fortuné and flaunt off her
womanly charms, though she was perfectly devoid of it all; alas,
Fortuné seem to avoid her like the plague. That was a fault on her
part; she avoided him as well. As much as she wanted to be back
with him... oh, his name was Fortuné!... she couldn't bring her
pure heart to approach him like that. She did keep Zayn's hand,
and thought to herself that she would at least be home soon,
with her grandmama and grandpapa. She was gone all night...
undoubtedly, they would be wondering where she was and would
be frightfully worried about her.

But more than worry was bothering her grandmama right now.
Back at the cozy cottage by the sea, Rosaline's grandmother was
agonizing painfully over the loss of her lost husband. Police
were all around the poor woman, calming her and trying to keep
the old lady in control, but the lady was beating her plump fists
into the air. She was screaming nonsense, but the many police
surrounding her were shaking their heads at eachother skeptically.

"The vampire killed my husband!" she wailed, horror borne
through every syllable. "I saw him! A young man with blood
all over his white shirt, and dark-brown hair with green eyes
that shine in the night! My granddaughter is missing! He's... he's
got my granddaughter!"

Thus the party continued through the darkness, and throuhout
the whole time, Fortuné was often commenting upon the layout
of the halls and the crisped walls. He'd fall silent upon intervals
once Zayn would say something.

A thought then struck Fortuné. Once they get out of this place,
they all would have to disperse, and... now that he's found his
brother, he did not want to leave him. In their predicament, they
would be the only company they would ever have, for the world
has always shunned them - Zayn, especially.

"Must we really leave eachother?" he's asked softly, though his
voice may still have been heard over the sound of everyone's
footsteps. "We seem to be outcasts. I can sense it, even from
that urchin girl," said he, stealing December's phrase of what she
called the knife-crazy young girl. "If we all stick together... we may
find reasons to keep living in peace."

Upon saying this, he felt his whole body quiver fervently as he
stepped closer to December, holding her hand still. Fantasies
were beginning to bubble inside his head until the very moment
when he rounded a staircase, the coiled bronze poll sticking out
from the stair railing pummeled straight into an unspeakable area
below the belt.

A quick intake of breath escaped from his lips as if the wind was
knocked out of him, but he held up his posture slightly and gingerly
lumbered down the stairs with his knees glued together and a
genuine pained expression on his face making his eyes fog up and
sweat run down his forehead, holding his breath with puffed
up cheeks all the while so that he wouldn't release a scream.

Nobody saw that, Fortuné thought, screaming in his mind
at the pain.

[Mama Z]

(LMAO! Stop saying that!)

[Aveilthé]

OOC: wtf! Oops! XD Forgot to do Rosaline, because she's an unimportant wench...

[Aveilthé]

OOC: Okay, posted Rosaline's post with a very bizarre flavourful twist to it.

[Felypsa]

oOc| =O I like the bizarre flavorful twist! Very much so! Bwahahaha. -rubs hands together eagerly-

Yeah, sorry, Hikaru, but whenever you have more time, you can pop right in ^_^ I totally understand. School/applying to colleges is eating me alive. Not a pleasant experience.



December was soon grateful for her decision to take hold of Fortuné’s hand, for the way was very tricksome and she would have surely tripped or fallen or gotten lost had Fortuné not been her eyes. Though he almost flubbed up too, and then December had Zayn to thank for leading them so carefully. He was really thoughtful, taking care to make sure they would not get hurt or lost. Both vampires, in fact, were not what December had expected from creatures of the night…creatures she was supposedly sworn enemy of, simply because of her heritage. But she wasn’t. Not of these vamps, anyway.

Now that she thought about it, she couldn’t remember anyone telling her that she was supposed to smite the evil. Though she was taught that evil was wrong and the innocent victims were to be protected from the creatures who followed evil, no one had never ordered her to punish such creatures. She had always believed it was her duty, but was it, really? Surely she had to protect beings like Rosaline—even if she didn’t like that particular example—but did she really have to punish Fortuné or Zayn for what they had done to survive? Briefly, December thought of the old man whom Fortuné had sucked dry, and grimaced. Yet she could not smite Fortuné for it, though not long ago she would have believed it was her duty to do so.

Father, the half-seraph prayed, I think now I understand. Her father never wanted her to being a machine of revenge against the evil creatures of the world. Rather, he would have wanted her to become a vessel of hope for the victimized, and for a possibility of salvation of the immoral. That, she reflected, is much harder than simply punishing the evil. Not that she would ever hesitate to kill a perpetrator—she was a mercenary, after all.

December was thankful when she finally stepped into light, and was able to let go of Fortuné’s hand. She thought she heard a quick intake of breath behind her, and turned around walking in a very strange way, his knees together and his balance off. She lifted an eyebrow, then, guessing what happened, said, “You’d best sit down, Fortuné. We’ve had a long journey.” To preserve what little dignity he had left, she too sat down on the nearest dust-covered couch.

Fortuné’s proposal rang in her mind. Have them all stay together? With the exception of Rosaline, of course, who had to get home. She glanced around at their little group: two vampire brothers, a street urchin, a mercenary. And, of course, a little shape-changing bird. December let out a sigh. As a merc, she had to find work in order to survive. She was a hired sword. If her sword didn’t get hired, she would have no food, no clothes, no shelter. If they lived in this old mansion, she would get shelter, and possibly clothes (if there were any left)—but what of food? She was not a vampire. Fortuné and Zayn fed upon the humanity in the city. But she couldn’t drink blood. She had to purchase normal human food from the market, and in order to do that consistently, she had to have a steady job. And the only job she was suited for was being a mercenary.

“It’s a nice, thoughtful idea, Fortuné,” she said. “But I can’t. It’s not an option for me. I have to keep going until I find someone who would hire me—and then I am their servant, going where they will and doing what they will. It’s just…who I am.” Normally she would have said this with pride, but now she was more demure. She had never thought of the mercenary life as one she had to make sacrifices for, but now…for some reason, she felt different.

[Mama Z]

He had stopped as he heard the unfortunite thud of someone getting hit by something else. He turned, gently watchign his brother stagger and fall slightly. 'Watch out for the railing, Fortune.' He warned even though it was a tad too late. He realesed Rosalines hand, now that they had stopped there was no need for it. A partnership between all of them. The thought was nice but, "No." He tried being with company and they only disgusted him.

[Aveilthé]

OOC: Oh, like totally! I've also had a few ideas, but hee... *zips mouth shut*

Rosaline was glad to enter into the morning light. She smiled
for the first time in a while and circled once in a ray of light like
a spotlight. Her pale dress swooshed about the floor lightly.
It was then that she realized that she left her red dress down
below, but she decided to not mention it - she feared of going
back down once more in that cold and dismal place.

___

Rosaline's grandmother was out early today, holding a few
stacks of parchment in her left hand, and walking about the
cold streets of Escavas with her handsome-looking grandson, aged
twenty-six or so, and wearing a dark coat. They were nailing
the parchments into the lightposts, all of which emitted a soft
hazy glow. In this area, it was slightly foggy out, but it was
quickly dissapating as the morning progressed. These parchments
read:

Needed: Mercenary

A handsome payment indeed will be given to any mercenary

that could find and kill the vampire that had destroyed my loved

ones. Please go to the following address to speak with me first.

Any mercenary that returns first with the vampire's head will

immediately collect the reward of 250,000 Es. Thank you so much

for reading.

Signed, Maralyn Vaux

Find me by the single cottage by the sea, I will await any

presence.

___

Before this post stood a tall, muscled man in dark shades that
wore an attire even darker than the grandmother's grandson.
He looked austere as he read the parchment breifly with his arms
crossed, not paying attention as grandmother and grandson walked
away, despondent. Just as a random person from the street that
bore a cart of smelly fish in it walked past, the dark figure
dissapeared.

Fortuné bit his lower lip and blushed deeply. How can she know
what happened? It wasn't exactly the most dignified thing to run
into stuff like that...

"Ahh, I'm fine, I'm fine," Fortuné flustered, standing next to Zayn
now but shifting his eyes at Rosaline when she wasn't looking.
He listened bitterly to December's next statement, though while
she stood into the light, Fortuné took heed to it's morning rays
and stood jealously into the shadows, grimacing at the light
morning sun through the broken walls with slight despair. He took
notice of the many portraits and the bronze-yellow statues,
slightly charred, about the area. Many were broken and crumbled
upon the lightly dusted tiled floor.

The lad looked to his brother after December spoke. He was
definitely more submissive next to his older brother, and would
almost never defy him. "December and I have only just met
yesterday. She is a wonderful young lass. She could... or perhaps..."
His brother Zayn interjected with a single 'no'. Fortuné frowned
but didn't reply.

He looked to December. "While we rest today, perhaps you could
go find a job. But I wish you would stay with us, December," he
moaned sincerely. "Or perhaps you can stay in the old broken
down house that we stayed in hours ago. I do not care if you would
like to live there." A pause. "Zayn, perhaps you don't want me
here... we've been separated so long; I understand if you are
used to being alone... I will not be offended if you do not want
me to stay with you..."

That now meant that Fortuné would have no where to go. He
gave up his home he rarely went to anyway, and Zayn clearly
didn't like company. More than a lot seem to change about Zayn's
attitude, and this made Fortuné wonder what happened to cause
Zayn change... He remembered Zayn to always be bossy and
a person to prove himself, but Zayn seemed so introvert and
mysterious. It was like a whole new Zayn.

Fortuné had the sudden urge to play a violin.

[Felypsa]

oOc| oh SNAP. The plot thickens...xD



Imi, feeling restless, went for a quick fly around Escavas. She twittered cheerfully before whisking out of the nearest window. December did not look up as her small companion left them. She was staring at the floor, feeling an indescribable sadness. She was overcome with homesickness. She missed her father and her seraphic family, who loved her unconditionally. She missed her mercenary friends, who taught her many things about this world. She missed…she missed simplicity. This situation was too emotionally and mentally taxing for her.

She wished she could just walk away, find a job, and leave all this behind. But she couldn’t. Not now. It was as if she had left a part of her down in the basement of this awful house, and she would never be able to go very far from here. Like she was partly nailed here, and she could never wander or travel carefree again. She couldn’t explain it. She just…had gotten involved, and now could not get uninvolved.

It was illogical and irksome. But it was the truth. She could not walk away from Escavas. She wasn’t sure she could even walk away from this house. But that was preposterous. Of course she could. She would just stand up and leave. With or without Fortuné or Jolene or Zayn. Or Rosaline. She didn’t need these people. She needed only herself. Right?

December let out a stricken sigh. “We’ve clearly overstayed our welcome,” she said, rising. “Come. Let’s get Rosaline home. Where’s Imi?” As if the bird had been waiting for such a cue, she came sweeping in, excitedly chirping to December. The mercenary stood impassively as her companion told her of a job opportunity—and what it entailed. The only indication that she understood the news was her narrowed eyes.

“Whether you like it or not, Zayn, you’re going to have to put up with your brother a little longer. He’s wanted for killing an old man.” December did not look at Fortuné. She could not let him know that she was actually considering taking the job.

[Mama Z]

Eyes flickered over to rest on his brother. Fortune was in a lot of ways more innocent then Zayn, but in some ways more mature. From what he could figure, the lad was just making up for lost childhood, lost time. He watched as Rosaline left, without so much a word goodbye to any of them and gave a half a heart to the bird. Its not that he didnt want to be a group, its just well how long could two humans survive with two hungry vampires near by. Not even love at times was enough to surpress the potent lust for blood. He knew, for he had fed on that of which he loved and soon took her life with one generous sip at a time.

He wanted to stop, wanted so badly to undo what he had did. But time had no rewind button. What was done was done, that is why the place was burnt down, that was why he hid away so often, using the night not just for shadows but to hide his sins to the world. He was blessed and cursed at the same time. Born with a face that only his parents fell in love with, hated by other members of the family. Blessed with the gift of music, cursed with the vampires heart. All this had caused his rise and his immediate fall. His brother he could live with, the others were accidents waiting to happen.

Zayn turned his attention back to December who made a rather odd proclamation. His dearest Fortune was wanted for murder. A brief sigh left his lips, alas she still didnt seem to understand what they were and why they killed. 'Just one man?' He inquired starting to head back away from the deadly rays of the sun. 'One man in the world makes no difference. Since he was old he would have past in a more horrific way im sure.' Another pause and he turned, intending to head deeper into safety. 'Come on Brother, the sun is near.'

[/color]

[Aveilthé]

OOC: Gahahaha... I was jumping up and down on my chair because I am really excited about this plot. It thickens! Bwahaha

The young girl did not leave yet. She was sweeping shyly about
the floor as if she were happily dancing in the light like an elf,
oblivious to everything around her. Upon finishing her dance,
she swept back to Zayn and curtseyed before him.

"Sir, I thank you for leading me out of the darkness," said she.
"I will... go now. Thank you, for everything, and I am very sorry
if I have made a mess of things." Upon saying this, she would blush
a bit, though unknowingly the oddball of the group. If only the
nebulous-brained girl knew! And thus, upon saying farewell to
December and giving Fortuné a sad look indeed, she glided
across the tiled floor until she reached the large charred doors.
Briefly she opened them, and a ray of sunlight spilled through the
place, and then closed behind her.

___

Grandmother Maralyn Vaux was still with her grandson, Gareth,
yet they were back at their cottage - well, Grandmother Vaux's
cottage, anyway. At least, it belonged to her completely now.
Gareth was merely a guest, but nonetheless family.
Grandmother Vaux always treated him as her own son, like
she treated Rosaline her own daughter. Oh, she loved Rosaline so...

___

Rosaline passed through the city of Escavas, carefully avoiding
everyone's gaze as there were tears in her eyes. Her young heart
had felt true love for the first time in her whole life, and like that,
the blasted man rejected her a moment later. Well, he forgot her...
stupid fool! Her eyes strayed about the many light poles and
instantly noticed the parchment nailed to each one. Her curiousity
got the better of her, thus she ambled over to investigate.
It took one look over it to cause her face to change from sadness
to complete and utter shock. Her mouth stood agape and her eyes
became stalks.

"Fortuné... is... is a vampire!"

Fear trickled down all over her young body. She was with a vampire
that whole time and didn't realize it. Brown hair, green eyes... the
description matched him perfectly, and there was blood on his
shirt. With that, the girl ran the rest of the way home, to be greeted
with love and shock by her grandmother who was already burying
a grave for the body that was not there, but more so a eulogy
for her husband. Rosaline, Gareth, and Grandma Vaux all cried
together on their lawn as the ocean breeze fluttered their hair
about.

Fortuné watched with sadness as Rosaline left. He didn't even
have a chance with her. Did he smell bad...? He sniffed his
armpits and withdrew quickly, wrinkling his nose. Yes, he smelt
bad... he hadn't had a shower in a day! And his hair was starting
to become matted also! The nerve!

The vampire issued an amused, jolly laugh once the seraph girl
finished speaking. "Of course. I'm always wanted for murder,
December, that's nothing new! But they never catch me." He
winked, oblivious to what was going through December's
murderous plans. "They never quite know what I look like, anyway,"
he finished conversationally. He didn't think that December would
hurt a hair on his head right now, especially since he hadn't killed
anyone right now. He believed that they were too good of friends
now to be enemies.

"Blasted sun," he added to Zayn's mentioning of the sun. "I used
to love it, you know, December. I wish I can be able to walk in it
once again. But... after a couple of centuries by walking about
the darkness, you get used to it. To be in the sun is torture for
a vampire." A pause. "If there is a way to free this curse, and live
a normal life, I would do it. I would rather be human than be a
vampire. You know... I have searched far and wide for any possible
way to break it, but none worked. I've mentioned before... I've tried
killing myself! Drowning did not work, nor did hanging, or stabbing
myself. I have learned that a vampire's blood never dies out.
I've learned this by bleeding to death... but everytime I released
my own blood, there was always new blood inside of me. I've even
tried starving myself by staying away from humans. I've once even
asked a maiden to... err... chain me to... a bed... so that I could
not give in to the hunger instincts to kill. But strength, December...
strength broke the chains and I fled into the night and killed
a hapless amount of humans until my hunger was allayed. I've
even killed that maiden... Then, I didn't tell her my secret, but
she often kept an eye on me and seemed to know exactly who I
was but never said anything. She even tried stopping me from
killing humans... she figured out what I was in the end... a
monster."

He was not exactly smiling, but there was a small grin upon his
face. It was not because he enjoyed the things he has done, nor
was it because he liked telling the story, but because he was
remembering everything that had happened and was supposedly
done subconsciously. He often did that when he was reminiscing.

"To kill humans... everytime, December, I never forgive myself. It
is the vampiric insticnt to survive, and it always takes over when I am
threatened, or when I am hungry, afraid, angry... it is hard to
control. It is like an addiction that is hard to get rid of. You
understand, though, perhaps... You kill for a living, and I often
wonder why you would do such a thing when you are a child
of the angels. I've prayed to God before, but my answers were
never given. I'll pray to you, December, as you are the closest thing
to Him." And thus, he did, by bowing his head and pressing his
hands together before her. He whispered a few things, and once
he was finished, he looked up.

"Perhaps if you carry that message in your heart, and if you see
Him, give it to him for me. I... I never wish to be condemned
as a vampire." He turned to Zayn. "Unfortunately, being what
we are, we will always be condemned because we are demons,
and are always loathed upon because we are forced to kill humans
for our food."

He paused again for a short while, but he spoke still: "December,
I'll miss you immensely, if you are truly going to leave. I would
like to see you again..." The poor lad's heart was fluttering fast
now, for he suddenly realized that he is in love with the seraph
girl. Perhaps he had loved her since the very beginning they have
met, and the day had been so fleeting, yet so long, it was like
he knew her for many years already. The fool though... he knew
how true he felt for her. Alas, he knew the best thing to do was
to let her go her own way. He hardly knew the girl. She was
so beautiful and mysterious, and a bit introvert with her own
secrets. And most of all... he believed that December did not hold
the same for him. It was obvious. The lad had felt love before, but
in his gut, it was nothing like how he felt now. It seem to cause
a change in him, something that blossomed in his soul that he
didn't realize was there.

[Felypsa]

December chewed her lip, discouraged by the dismissive attitudes of both vampires. Zayn obviously did not care for the loss of the old man’s life. And technically, December didn’t either. It was tragic, but death was always tragic. She wasn’t in the habit of mourning those she killed during her mercenary days. But she was still worried…because, according to Imi, this man was much beloved of someone, someone willing to pay a mercenary handsomely in order to avenge his death. So she worried…but why?

She looked at Fortuné as he talked, hearing his words but not really listening to them. She thought back to that moment in the kitchen of the old abandoned house, when they basically promised each other friendship. She also promised him that she would kill him if she had to. He had agreed, though reluctantly, but only because he was doubtful that anything could kill him. Her hand gripped Seraphim’s hilt tightly. Didn’t this situation count as “having to” kill him?

Then Fortuné’s tone changed, and she winced as she listened to him. I’ll pray to you, December, as you are the closest thing to Him. “Fortuné,” she said softly, wanting to tell him that she wasn’t as close to God as he thought…that she was angelic only by heritage, only in theory, not in practice. She was a mercenary, for God’s sake…she killed people in exchange for a living. Wasn’t it ironic how the words “mercenary” and “mercy” were so similar, and yet the terms so opposite?

Father, what must I do? she asked silently. I have to live, and the sword is the only way of life I know. I must smite the creatures of darkness in order to protect these innocent humans. Yet why should an old man, so close to death, deserve life, and an immortal, so full of life, deserve death? Am I the one to make these judgments? Am I the one to decide who is punished and who is rewarded? I am no God; I am no seraph; I am no angel. I’m only a mercenary. I’m the executioner, not the judge.

“I’m not going anywhere far,” she said to Fortuné, whose speech had moved her, though she didn’t outwardly show it. “I’ll still be in Escavas. Don’t worry, the location of your dwelling will remain a secret. I will not give it away.” This she sincerely promised Zayn and Fortuné both. “But I’m going to look around the city and see what’s there for me…” She gave a strange half-smile to Fortuné. “If I can lay down my sword and still earn a sufficient living, I will gladly do so. I do not enjoy killing. It is merely something I must do. Death is simply a part of life. I am no angel, Fortuné,” she finished softly. “But neither am I human.”

With that, she sheathed Seraphim and beckoned to Imi. The bird made a double-loop around Fortuné’s head, then, more hesitantly, around Zayn’s. It was her way of saying farewell. At last she landed on December’s shoulder. The mercenary bowed her head to both vampires. “This is not goodbye; this is only farewell. I will see you soon.” Hopefully as a friend and not as an executioner, she added silently.

She needed more time to think. Without another word, she whisked out of the house, out into the dawning world of an Escavan morning.

[Mama Z]

'Come on Fortune, I'll show you to your room.' Zayn said moving away from the heated shelter way to down further blow. The vampire was tired, needing sleep to rest and prepare for another hunt soon. (Er...nyah..)

[/color][/center]

[Aveilthé]

OOC: Wheelp. Off to make another RP board. Anyway, Z, we can still continue here with Fortuné and Zayn if you want. Another board will consist of a new character and December. XD And yeah... the new board is here:

shinkou.proboards20.com/index.cgi?board=coastescavas&action=display&thread=1161401228

"Farewell for now, then, December," said he. For a moment he
stood there in the dark, wondering if he would really ever see
that seraph girl again. In truth be told, he felt his whole life change
because of her. After watching her form leave, Fortuné decided
to follow as Zayn directed. The daylight was making his mind drunk
with sleepiness, and he found himself growing grumpier with each
step.

The vampire followed his brother in the darker depths of the opera
house, preparing to do what vampires do best during the day -
sleep, until the cursed night came upon them again.