Those in White Hoods (Nyx, and anybody else who wants to joi

"Practice...and improve your reflexes.....think fast!" Gabriel announced as he ducked and swung the sword up, with the speed a human would move at, it was too soon to use his supernatural speed in training here. "But...there is also the option of genetic enhancements or bio machines to enhance you, like bionics..."

It was a lot better, and easier, this way. She could actually see his movements now and mimic them. Or try to mimic them. Was it just her or did they look so much easier than they actually were! Her eyes flickered to his when he started about the mechanical stuff. A fierce no was her answer. She stood right, laying her sword away. "Look", she started, "I do not want any 'enhancements' glued to my body. Turning me in a vampire, okay. Just.. Not now, later, if you really want to do that. But that doesn't mean I want to become half a robot! I'm still human!" She paused, to breath, and then went to sit on the ground, taking her sword, her 'real' one, with her. "Maybe I should become a vampire already", she muttered silently, intensely eyeing the strangely comforting metal, "there's no way I can possibly stay alive. Not even when I have mastered the sword." She lay her head back against the wall, indescisive about what she should do. Suddenly, some faint noises from outside resonated through the church. She looked questioningly at Gabriel, maybe he knew what it was.

Skill continued to run forcing his thought's as loudly as he could (where are you). he pulled the p-90 out from under his arm to re load it the few second's it took his skill hand's to replace the cartridge the beast was gain on him it was now clothed in the darkness of the night it's form had stated to become incorporeal. the heat of the gun had sarted to heat skill's body up, but for the most part he was cold, cold from the night air as it whisped past him in his frantic pace, cold from the liquid's that coved his body not only in sweat but blood, put mostly from the fear of what was behind him. skill did not usually allow him self this privilege but in this case it was healthy for it caused his step's to quicken ad his life's end to slow down.his eye's glanced what appeared to be a town in the distance having no where else to go he ran for it.

"Patience, my Friend," the voice echoed deep within Skill's mind as though it were his own thought, and yet it possessed that alien presence that so many humans find abhorrent. Like the icy talons of a first winter snow it clawed its way in and rested there, chilling to behold. "Keep moving. There is a town nearby. Go to the church," as the words simply came into existence an image formed around them. It was an old building that resembled the dwelling that humans built supposedly for worship. "Inside, there are two persons. Concern yourself only with the girl. Make sure that no harm comes to her. I will deal with our visitor. Oh, and do you still have the book?" the afterthought came a moment later with an almost jovial note to it. Yet, there had been a strange, striking sort of emotion that came with the mention of 'the girl'. It was accompanied by a rapid succession of images that had come and gone so fast that only several things could be defined from them, predominant were the themes of blood, horror, and incredible sorrow.

After that only the blackness of the host mind could be felt, the vampire had retreated to await the advent of his instruction's implementation. Yet, perhaps there was something that had come across just before the connection broke. It had been that grim sort of vile taste in the mouth one receives from nowhere when he realizes that death is necessary, and prepares himself for it. Then there had been for the shortest moment that thrill of power, that revelry in unbound strength brought by darkness. The moon shown down from above, suddenly so like that pale face, watching with narrowed eyes as his prey came closer. The leaves on the trees seemed all to be whispering, warning each other of the dark forces that would soon culminate near the town. The night almost even got lighter for a moment, as though all the darkness were suddenly being absorbed into the center of the town, but then it fell into an even blacker night as clouds delicately swept at the edge of the great lonely lunar disk that so forlornly caught a few last glances of the ground it so loved as the unearthly clouds which had a moment before not been present began to obscure its vision.

The thing that had been chasing Skill now made several noises that could be described as anything but pleasant. It was as if the sudden darkness had empowered it even more for it suddenly appeared to tower among the trees like one of the giants of old. No footsteps from it could be heard, but its movement through in between the limbs was more than evident. Swishes and crackling could be heard, but the greatest indicators of its closeness were the moans, those dreadfully hideous mournful cries like that of a woman whose heart has been broken and who now seeks solace from the damage done to her by that limp dead thing in her chest. They were heart-wrenching and could have made many a man stop to look back and take pity upon the poor wretch who could be so tormented. They would have quickly found their folly however. The being cast completely in shadow was close, and it was ready to devour anything that came between it and its object, an object that was rather conveniently concealed upon Skill's person...

Gabriel's ears twitched as the vibrations pounded off his eardrums. A half smile appeared on his face as he processed what he had heard. Someone was fleeing, from something...something else. Gabriel stood up now, talking a few steps towards the door. "Stay in here, Ilena, i will return momentarily." Gabriel spoke to her, as he opened the door, and stepped outside, with the cover of night.

She nodded absently from where she sat low on the cold churchfloor. Her left hand tightened to a painful extent around the newly forged handle of the onyx and silver coloured blade. It had a strange appearance, the dark metal contrasted acutely with the shiny silver. Ilena wasn't sure if it was that smart to just run out. But then again, it wasn't as if the vampire didn't know what he was doing. Still, the warning of the unknown stranger fleeted back into her mind. '...and I admonish you, if you would wish to avoid turmoil that you stay here, at least for tonight...' At first she had categorized it to be rubbish; what would those dark things seek here anyway? It wasn't as if there was something important kept here, something valuable. Of course, she had no clue about what partiular sort of stuff Gabriel kept in here. Maybe they searched for technology, the machines seemed really advanced.

She shifted uncomfortably, the girl couldn't help but feel slightly worried now, the running, panting noises that entered from the outside nocturnal landscape didn't sound friendly, nor inviting. Not in the least. She trusted that with the sword a much better chance at surviving presented itself, if only Ilena could handle the weapon properly. She rose right; body and blade ready for what ever threat was out there. Yet, her normally determined spirit told a completely different tale, inside her head it nervously screamed to hide as the gruff noises from outside neared the stone building.

Skill continued to fire and run, he had hardly ever run this far and this fast and currently never alone. Luckily the terrain had become slightly sloped, and skill did not have to put as much effort forward, as the in the lands before. His ammo clip had run out again he repeated the process, as he had before this time, would be the last time as he had no more clips left to reload his gun. The creature moved even closer, in these moments if skill had looked back he would have noticed something very strange, that as the being got closer it became harder to tell it's form like a roshake test that takes up too much of the page.

The town was a few meters’ away and not a moment to soon. a steeple was seen in the distance.( ghm and that is where I'm to find sanctuary) Skill thought the irony of the fact that it was not the church, but the devil out side it that would be his safety was not lost on him, it would have been much better for him if he had. SHAWM Skill felt as though a wave had pushed all of its force in to one spot. The creature was all most silent to begin with and it had taken all of skill’s séances to keep track of it, with skill’s mind being slightly distracted the attack caught him off guard. The force of it sent him flying thru the air he amazingly managed to hold on to his gun, in a moment skill turned his free fall, into a skilled dive and landed near the center of town. He managed to fall like a cat, this is not to say he did not with stand injury, but the sudden burst of pain faded in to the rest of the sourness that was his body, like a paint on a paint brush being cleaned in a pool of water the new culler was seen for a moment and then faded in to the brown. Skill picked him self up and ran. the being was gaining on him faster then before with no lead being shot at it but mostly no bright light to hold it back, it whooshed thru the town towards it's pray skill could see the church in the distance and he ran with all of the remaining speed he could rustle up, ran like never before, ran like a men trapped in the desert who finally sights an oasis in the distance and the nectar of the god's it hold's

The giant shapeless, formless mass writhed into the town like a snake in its death throws, thrashing about and slamming itself into houses and buildings with what should have been loud crashes. Instead, dull reverberating noises could be heard and the thing rippled as it impacted, leaving behind it huge black shadows that seemed to cling to whatever they touched. Even so, masonry fell around it, the force not being totally blunted by the creature's nature.

As it passed into the light cast by streetlamps and the windows of some houses, the thing seemed to shrink, diminishing in size as though the form seen in the night was nothing but a great shadow that flowed up from the actually much smaller figure. So it was that one moment it was a giant beast, now taking on a certain amount of form, and the next a humanoid figure walking with all the elegance and grace of a highborn woman.

If one might have seen the face portrayed upon the black mass, they would have found determination, but for what was unclear. Perhaps the thing desired destruction, or the life of the man running from it, or the heavens only knew what, but it was there all the same, determination like that of a woman who has lost her child and seeks to regain it by any means necessary.

It followed, inexorably, unstoppable. Yet, when it had propelled its quarry so forcefully through the air, it had fallen away, out of sight if even for a moment and could no longer be seen behind the houses. Instead, it was traded for the looming figure of the church, still farther away than it ought to be. Yet, before Skill would come to the church, there was a square, rather large and open. In that square stood the sight that he had been waiting to see, a man. Though, perhaps that was the wrong word, for he didn't appear as a human would. There was about him to much assurance, too much confidence, too much death...

Pale, he stood in the moonlight. It wrapped around him its ghostly rays of light, wreathing his head in a kind of halo of ice. Under lit by the lamp lights, the man seemed almost to be on fire from beneath, the yellowy-red coloring his garments so. He stared up at the sky, as if he spoke to someone there, though his lips never moved. Arms hung by his sides, sheathed in his coat, as though weapons ready to be pulled out at a moments notice, dead for but the purpose of killing... The face was more serene however, portraying no violence whatsoever, but instead tranquility and a sort of happiness hidden away. Looking at him, one might have imagined that he were some sort of destroying angel, his voluminous coat the large wings that had brought him down to earth, that waited only for his master's call to bring about that deadly visitor from which there is no escape.

Gabriel stood outside, his superior vision keeping track of the human. Gabriel smiled, as the thought occured to him that the human may seek sanctuary. The beast was obviously a threat to the peaceful town, and so Gabriel decided it time to move. He darted into the town, he moved with such speed it was as if he had teleported. Gabriel stopped abruptly at the side of an unknown figure.
"Identify yourself, are you with the creature that dares disturb the peace of this quiet little town!?" Gabriel asked, in quite a forceful manner, he wanted answers, and he wanted them now...

Most people would be shocked, if some one suddenly appeared in front of them. Most people would be afraid, of the power that that person could wild. Most people would not ignore this person. Most people would not in a split second, think of this person as (punk) and keep running. Most people would not calculate, over one thousand out comes of this choice of action. And know exactly where to shoot three, of there reaming six bullet’s, so that this supper human being would come in direct contact with them when, if, he decided to give chase. Most people would not keep running until the inside of the church and finally most people would not see a girl holding a sword ,and turn there back to them and prepare to defend this person till there last breath.

Skill is not most people.

To say Ilena got enormously surprised by the sudden, unexpected intruder definitely was a huge understatement. Her form stood rigid, she proudly held the shimmering onyx sword high towards the human, ignoring the pain in her arm as her muscles struggled against the so abruptly added weight, and slowly directed the sharp tip towards the stranger. Her body violently shook for a moment and a muffled scream managed to break free from somewhere deep down her chest as the man twirled around, showing his back. A dark frown appeared on her face and the blade slightly lowered down, together with her very annoying puzzlement and tiring muscles. What was he doing? She had been more than sure that he was there to kill her or worse. If this turned uit to be some sort of trap.. Ilena was more than willing to take the risk. Licking her dehydrated lips in anticipation, she carefully stepped somewhat closer to the man, trying to appear unfaltering; albeit this already was more of a lost quest, counting in her first reactions towards his intrusion, nevertheless, she tried to do so. A heated grimace appeared on her features. “Who do you think you are to come here and stride inside as you please?” she hissed angrily, dark metal still directed towards the stranger, not wanting to show any of her surprise.

Gabriel appeared in the doorway in an instant, almost as soon as Skill had turned around.
"You failed to Identify yourself. Identify yourself, or you will be forcefully removed from this sanctuary, now, Identify yourself!" Gabriel had repeated himself in order to make sure it got into this mans head. Gabriel did not like that fact that someone was tearing up this town, and that someone would also have the nerve to just barge into his church.
"Step away from the girl..." Gabriel said, as he stepped into the church.

Before Skill was even given the chance to answer, a near gigantic conflagration exploded onto the screens that had at a time not too long ago been activated by Gabriel. Outside, the acute hearing of any vampire would have picked up the sound of an explosion as a radio would a sudden burst of static interfering with the normal transmission, and if they had been adept in the dark arts of magic, they would have felt a tremor rock the air and shake the very foundations of the earth. Of course, no human could either have heard or seen the explosion unless they too knew something of magic. And only Gabriel could have heard the summons directed towards him.

"Come," the voice called into his mind like the summons of the reaper himself, "And tell the man before you to give you the book." It was that same echoing sound, as if the voice were in the church, all around. The shock waves it produced in the mind rebounded again and again against the walls of Gabriel's cranium. This time, though, it was with force, with power, with all the might that one might imagine as the voice of Thunder pealing out through the sky had not there been words woven into the storm.

At once another voice came into Skill's mind, or rather the same voice but with an entirely different tone effected upon it. "Anthony," dark, cold, a touch of camaraderie, a bit of command, more of a friend sounding the alert that the plan is about to fall together, and predominantly there was that fleeting excitement that came with challenge, "The White Haired One." An image of Gabriel appeared along with an incredibly quick flash of the brief memories that the 'boss' had acquired of the creature which now stood before the former Sunstream agent flashed through Skill's head. "is about to ask you to give him the book that is in your back pocket, the novel I gave you yesterday before we were attacked. You must give it to him. Afterward you must reaffirm that he is to bring it to me immediately. Don't leave the church. You should be safe there, and for the sake of the moon and the stars above, don't let that girl get in the way." The voice started to fade much more quickly for him, leaving only the imprint of its words upon his mind, as though they were written on the walls of the building itself in letters of fire.

The screens again brightened considerably as out, somewhere farther away in the village, another of the magical explosions sent rays of cosmic energy flooding out over the sleeping town that had no idea of the battle that raged within its walls. This one was smaller than the last had been, but was followed by a very real cloud of dust that spouted up into the night air and hung in the moonlight like a great gray beast looming over its prey. Another pillar of pulverized masonry was again thrown up, presumably just a ways down the street from where the first geyser had originated. In its shadow loomed that giant monster, its inky black form billowing up as though it were one with the murky debris which stagnated in the cold nocturnal atmosphere. A sort of howl emitted from it, and that was the sort that human ears could hear, and dogs too for it started them barking in the town. They kept up their noise in answer to dreadful moaning until it suddenly escalated in a brief crescendo and all that could be heard from the animals was a few brief whines or yelps of terror. Then, with a speed unnatural it descended back down into the street like a giant wave composed of tar and sulfur. Even the air seemed to be stained with the darker than night color of the beast, the blackness holding onto the space that should have been illuminated by the rays of light being reflected across the landscape off of the lunar disk that hung above.

Gabriel nodded, as his eyes looked distant. They started to glow red, as he looked at Skill. "The book, give it to me..." Gabriel asked, he was still just as forceful as before, this man had intruded on holy ground. "Don't let him out of your sight, Ilena. I fear this man is dangerous...give Ilena the gun, boy." Gabriel ordered, as h put his hand out to receive the novel.

An instant is longer then most people think, for instance in the instance between the girl’s words, and the vampire showing up this happened. Skill heard the foot steeps of the girl, he realized that they where both pointing towards him as she raised her sword towards him. A quick grin flashed across his face for he now knew how much of an amichur she was, for when he had stepped into this cold sanctum he had seen her, the way she sat on the floor, and the way she gripped the sword so tightly, either said boasted of the ability’s of a grate master to ignore surrtin principal’s or one who had not become one with these law’s of the blade.

Still in this instance Skill made a move and then spoke aloud the ansure to his question. His action was this in one fluid movement his stance changed his right foot moved from a horizontal to a vertical position his with his left hand, for his right still clenched the gun. He pulled out one of the short swords strapped to his left thigh, the other being placed on his right. He then took this blade to collide with the onyx collared weapon, swing in around the girl’s rist and sent it soaring to ward’s the sealing until it imbedded it’s self in the sealing. He then spoke in his raspy voice “I’m here to protect you” nothing more

Then the vampire had shown up screaming his head off a bought something or other again he thought (punk) he prepared to fight mental he prepared for the pain and in his weekend state quite possibly death. But it seemed that there would be no need for this as his head the thought’s not his own echoing thru his mind. With ought a moment’s hesitation he sheathed his weapon fumbled in his back pocket found the book and handed it to the (punk).

He then said with no ill will in his voice “no”.

"I do not trust your word, you give her the gun..." Gabriel assertified himself. He was going to let this man harm Ilena, or do any damage to the ancient architecture of the church that lay on the top of this hill. The technology within this building was too precious to be stolen or destroyed, most of it was unique, not yet developed by the human world, but this white haired vampire had done just that.
Gabriel propelled himself into the air, over both Skill and Ilena, he pounced off the far wall and caught the sword on his way past, landing smoothly on his feet, holding the onyx and silver blade, the eerie glow he had given it still present. Gabriel glared at Skill, his crimson eyes narrowing. Gabriel walked past the rude man, and held the sword out, handle first, to Ilena, so she could re take the unique weapon. "Touch her sword again, and it won't be the only object pinned to the ceiling." Gabriel threatened as he took the novel out of Skills hands. He didn't know what to do with it, but he had been given instructions by a some-what familiar voice to take it, and this man had, even with a large amount of distaste, given it to him. Gabriel shook his head as he stood between this man and Ilena.
"I demand the answers to the questions i asked a minute ago, now..."

A moment, some would say, fleets away in what are merely seconds of years and centuries. It is of utter unimportance, such a short period of time, even more to those who possess all of this peculiar something. More than what they wanted to obtain, because in the end, even though there is no absolute ending of time, every single one of them desires salvation. They all wish to be released of what first seemed a heavenly gift. How terribly misled these beings were, how sorrowing and saddened they had gotten over the years, and more years to come. Centuries start to pass.. Centuries change into millennia, that also come to pass.. Experiences flow into each other, for those beings, time is ultimately destroying itself and its concept. Everything changes, replaces itself. Before you know it, you live in the past. Ceaselessly. Salvation will never come.

Still, in the workings of a moment, some would say, a lot can happen. A moment, perhaps, could contain various courses of actions. But, what value is there in actions if they are so freely cast away, when actually only few of them were carefully calculated? It should make people cherish such instances, moments like this one. But they didn’t. And most of them, most of them would never do so. Ignorant, it is how they are. Yet, maybe.. Maybe it wasn’t ignorance, as you could so easily think, it is more. What joy is there in life when you are constantly reminded of your own end, when you need to cherish every single moment, in fear of dying soon. None, that is the answer, for what is a life in fear; what is a life, that is being lived in the future?

Ilena had swiftly backed off a few meters once her newly forged weapon pierced itself with deafening screeching sounds in the stone ceiling of the church. And there she foolishly thought she had a fierce grip on the sword. But, she was proud she could even hold it for a longer time; never had she suspected metal to be that heavy. A lot of training surely would come in more than quite handy. What surprised her even more; the girl frowningly noticed that was happening a lot to her this evening, were his next words. ‘I’m here to protect you’, irritating confusion twisted and clawed itself further inside her mind. The girl had never seen him before to put it simply. What was it with strangers she didn’t know saving her from certain deaths! Her eyes narrowed angrily at all these complications; Ilena opened her mouth, ready to spat out a scornful reply. “Wha-“

-Gabriel interrupted her small speech-to-be as he effortlessly leapt up towards the ceiling and forced her blade out of the bulky stone. All in sheer seconds. A moment, as some would say. Again, high-pitched screeches erupted through the chamber, causing Ilena to quickly cover her ears in pain and slightly hiss towards its source. Once the piercing sound had toned down, the girl irately watched the two men, Gabriel to be specific, quarrel. The hunter grabbed a novel out of the other man’s hands. A step was taken forward. “Gabriel”, she bit at the white haired one suspiciously; this made no sense. Absolutely not, “what the heck are you doing?” A tress of blond hair fell before her eye, refusing to remain into its place. She angrily glared at the wandering strand.

"This man has intruded on Holy ground and disturbed the peace of this town, even if un-intentionally, and the most i have asked of him is to hand over his weapon and answer to his identity, but even that, a simple task, is too much." Gabriel answered angrily. His eyes were an eerie red colour, and sent out a sort of aura, a scornful visage that was, unintentionally, disturbing and unnerving. Gabriel's grip around Ilena's sword tightened as he waited for her to grip the handle. A thick crimson liquid started to stain the blade of the sword, and drip to the floor, making tiny splashes, spreading microscopic drops of blood into the air.

What is a moment the time in-between the tick and the tock of a clock or is it an amoughnt that can not be measured. For in this moment something was happening to skill this was not something neither spirachul nor mental but purely fiscal. All the adrenalin in his body started to fade all of his energy went with it. He begin how tired he was how hungry how, and how ever part of him hurt, he even realized he was soaking wet from his own blood. This level of discomfort rose to combine with is dislike of this slayer to cause these moments’s to happen.

Such as the moment when the word’s of this Gabriel to echo in his ears he came to a decision. This decision caused him to raise his left and pull the trigger. Then the moment where 3 cylinder shaped pieces of 2 PbO + PbS → 3 Pb + SO2 Flung towards one of the computer’s. (For pissing me off) skill thought.

Then the moment where he opened his mouth “here you go it out of bullet’s any way” handing the gun to Gabriel he paused a for only moment and said in the softest voce that his parch throat “Gabriel I’m here to protect her, and I believe to do the same, so take the book to dies, if you wish to protect her take it NOW or else” as the final words where spoken he pulled both blades out of there sheath’s and adopted a fighting stance “ I WILL TAKE IT BACK AND DELIVER IT MY SELF IF THAT’S WHAT IT TAKES TO SAVE HER!”

Gabriel shook his head, scowling at the destruction of the advanced technology that he had created himself. "You will be paying for that computer when i get back, you understand me!?" Gabriel exclaimed as he went for the door. He stopped before he left, and spoke again. "If any harm befalls her, i have your scent, i will hunt you down, and make you pay." Gabriel said coldly, as he broke into a light dash.
He knew where he was going, but sounds echoed in his ears, the whispers of those since long gone. Telling him things he would have to decypher later, but he was fairly sure he heard one say 'Watch out!?" afterwards he felt a shiver down his spine, but he cast it away as simply nothing. Gabriel knew what he was going to do, and he was interested to find out if this Diaes was the same vampire whom had aided Ilena earlier.
Gabriel arrived in the town square, and saw the figure he seeked, the one named Diaes. "You want to see me, Diaes?" Gabriel asked, as he stepped up to the vampire, he had the novel in his hand, but he kept it by his side. He had only geussed that this man was the one named Diaes, and he wasn't going to hand the novel over to a stranger. Gabriels enhanced eye sight could see clearly, even through the severe lack of light. Gabriel smiled as the realization hit him, this was the vampire from before, he had a familiar scent...

Pale, strained, maybe even angry, that face turned towards Gabriel. The cruel lines of the eyebrows like dark thunderclouds drew together over the eyes aflame. His hair curled about him like wreaths of smoke billowing out around a specter of death. His skin shown white like that of a ghost in the moonlight, but around him the shadows drew so close that he might have been simply that, a faint image cast by a projector on a screen. One might even have believed that if it hadn't been for the eyes. Not like any earthly fire did they burn and yet they burned brightly enough to consume all that came within their reach. And Gabriel had just stepped into the flames. The heat couldn't have been more real if they had been standing in the depths of Hades itself.

Some would say that a vampire is a thing to be frightened of. Others would say that it is nothing, but everyone agrees that a demon is no thing to be trifled with. Even the most devout believers of any faith find a reason to at least respect the creatures. Such a thing stood now, facing the white haired vampire, a creature born in light that has fallen to darkness and revels in its new surroundings. The rumble started low down, as if from the earth shaking, as might happen if Atlas were to grind his teeth. But this Gigas' roar slowly traveled its way up the creature and leaped from the mouth of the vampire, the sound itself like a wild beast intent on tearing the beast hunter limb from limb.

He had stood with his hands clenched and teeth bared... But in the next moment he was gone. The black curled up from behind Gabriel like smokey tendrils which sprang in fear from the fire as it devoured that which was around it. Behind him the sound again of magic spread into reality. Lightning, it smelled of steel and a metallic taste would pervade any near enough to have felt the spine-tingling effects of such a powerful discharge. The noise which answered the static energy burst was not that of the rending tear of thunder's claws, but instead a sickening vile sound somewhere between a screech and a moan.

Somewhere a child set up a cry in the night, and all else fell silent. This had all taken place in the space of what could have been nanoseconds or eternities stacked one upon another. With the same sort of surreal suddenness, Gabriel was forced forward by an incredible blow to his back. There hadn't been even enough time for a creature with such reflexes as his to react, but before he would have the chance to fall or move even the slightest, he was spirited away.

They now stood atop one of the taller roofs of the village, a flat roof that could look down upon the town's whole width and length. The square was some ways off, but already one could hear the creature that had been doing battle with the ageless vampire struggling to close the gap between it and its prey. Those dull slopping noises and sucking sounds, as if it really were just a great mass of sentient tar attempting to swallow up that around it resounded as far up as they were standing.

All Gabriel would have noticed was a sense of vertigo as he suddenly ceased existing in one place and began again his normal life functions in another. That stranger was holding him, the one from the church, the one apparently bore the name Diaes. "That will buy us a little time," the words were hissed through clenched teeth, "The book." his voice had turned into a command that held more force than any human could use, it held such confidence in its own power and the absolute certainty that it would be obeyed. With the words was outstretched that so claw-like hand to receive the article that had been demanded. The voice was angry, but it was heavily layered over by a calm sort of deadly cool which had so suddenly possessed the creature that had only a moment before been like the incarnation of death and ferocity. Now he stood, elegant, refined, though crude in that way that suggested he was not of true nobility, and intelligent with a fierceness in his gleaming eye that spoke of rapid thought whose intricacies could not be explained to a being of any lesser age and wisdom. Those arms that had been sheathed a moment ago now appeared unsheathed, though still wrapped in the dark sleeves of his coat. The claws were ridged with force of will and immense strength. The whole body was primed to kill.

Gabriel smiled, as he handed over the article that Diaes had requested, "There is the novel, given to me by the rather rude lad, now, how do we kill this thing?" Gabriel asked, watching the shadows creep. A maniacle grin appeared across Gabriels face, as dark tendrils started to form on his back, and lashed out. He started to laugh, as another shadow joined, and started to struggle and merge with the creeping dark that seemed so intent on causing the vampire harm.
Gabriel had only just remembered of his abilities to control the darkness, the shadows to Gabriel, were like his beloved siblings, and they were such good ones, they did not interfere, they did not annoy, they were perfect. Gabriel was a creature born of the darkness, and a follower of the light, but the shadows remained loyal to him, but they were not his servants, no, they were a part of him, even though they were, they did not feel to be a seperate entity to the white haired vampire-hunter. Gabriel's smile was still present, as he watched the shadows writhe with each other in the bad air between the two vampires and the unknown foe.

She gravely felt overwhelmed to say it gently. Too many things had happened at the same time, at the same moment. Her brains desperately tried to process the overload of actions and emotions, not succeeding in the least to remove the confusion that had currently wrapped itself skillfully around her mind. What exactly had started now? Gabriel sprinted hastily out of the church with a book. A freaking novel, she irritably thought. Then there still was that screaming lunatic, noisily exclaiming he had arrived there to protect her. Ilena frowned, again, pure annoyance washed over her face; pale fingers pinched her nosebridge in an attempt at ordering everything. She then slowly tilted her head up, towards the other man. An angry scorn appeared on her face, the girl rapidly rose right, letting her sword lay at the ground. She took some determined steps towards the ‘protector’, taking a deep breath whilst trying to cool down. Her mouth sneered as she went to speak, “Now, mister”, she spat fumingly at the still armed man, not that she cared about that. He was there to ‘protect’ her, right. Eyebrows knitted together in her anger, “you”, she paused for a second to put more force in her voice, “You are going to explain exactly what the hell is going on here!” The last part she screamed out, her aggravation obviously very apparent. “Argh!” she finally growled, and threw her arms up in a wild gesture.

Skill turned his head to look straight into the girls blue eyes and as he did his expression changed from announce and anger to all most peace. He then took several moments’ to truly look at her. His gaze was that of one of who was trying to pear into someone’s soul.

He continued to stare into her eyes as he looked at the rest of her. She was a girl of sixteen or seventeen, her long blonde hair was complimented by naturally red highlights. It was somewhat dirty and uncombed this went with the dirtiness of her skin and the stains on her close. She was a vagabond a girl with out a home and he suspected that she liked it that way. He then glanced at the way she held the sword, it was not the first weapon she had held, and it was defiantly one for witched she had the most natural skill no there was another that held that privilege. Skill mused on it a bow is what he came up with finally.

Then he came off the outside and started to past together the inside. Living alone would create walls borne out of survival if you don’t have someone you can not allow yourself to need them. But her hart was good and as much as she would protest it she did care what other’s said.

He then moved back to the eye’s there was something there something that was all to formillur a look he had seen many times a look he should know he racked his brains trying to remember that look. It hit him and the sheer fore of the thought caused him to intake a breath, it had been the same look in his eye’s when he had those first years the look that many people imitate put only a few people have the look of truly not knowing who you are. A new emoshion rose fro skill’s hart something he had not felt in ages, empathy. He quickly suppressed it.

Skill broke the stare and pushed him self on to the open door frame of the church and allowed him self to slide down into a sitting position. He looked out on to the town and say to figures on roof top’s in the distance and new from the hair that raised on the back of his neck that it was the two vampires.
He continued to look out afraid to look back at the girl to afraid of what had felt he could not allow him self to allow any sort goodness or decency into his hart.

His lip’s moved his tongue swirled around his mouth he tried to force him self to speak. When it finally happened it was in a dryness that hid to his relief no emotion. It came out in almost a whisper “what do you want to know” he groped out

The look cast upon the white haired man was one that could have been best described as disgust. Or was it? The lip was pealed back slightly from those pointed teeth on the left side of the mouth, those rose red lips. The brow was slightly wrinkled and the left eyebrow drew downward as if it were trying to meet the lip below it. Even still, the look in those eyes so generally full of hatred and anger or simply peaceful darkness now hosted something like honest curiosity and slight confusion. The fire still raged on, but behind it in the dark depths was a truly impressive desire to discover the depths of this other person. Then again, this thing, this Diaes, had been alive long enough to have learned how to falsify virtually any expression. The veracity could not be known, yet that look still rested on his face as he retracted his arm.

Those eyes lingered a moment more upon Gabriel before turning to observe the book in his hand. "We aren't going to kill it," the voice held in it a bit of that strangeness that an ignorant person puts into his tone when they wish a thing to be explained to him, but overall was a deep kind of emotion that penetrated his words, an emotion that lay well hidden. He flipped through the pages of the small, leather-bound volume. Old yellowed pages spun by like lights in the night as a car speeds past them, blurred and stained. The oddity of the thing was that there was upon those pages a thing missing rather than something found, words... There was no ink absorbed into the paper whatsoever.

Below, the streets echoed with the sound of that creature coming ever closer. One moment, a giant monster breathing in spasmodically, the next a near silent thing that let only the swish of a dress betray its presence. Suddenly, across the street it could be seen, slowly approaching, the lights cast by the lamps kept it diminished in size, or so it appeared. Yet there stretched behind it, all around it, a great black shadow that held a uniform darkness, unlike a natural being would cast. It walked with a slow determined step, as one who knows that its goal has no hope for escape.

The vampiric claw tapped slowly at the book's cover. His eyes had returned to their previous state, the hunter had awoken once again, but now there was more noticeably what had been there before and seemed to be accentuated above all the other feelings, desire for knowledge. With the same lethargy that the inky dark creature moved with, Diaes took several steps back and turned. Around him his coat swooped like abyssal water somehow tied to him, about him, like it had been intended to one day drag him back down to that place where he so belonged. His face was again pale and emotionless. His body seemed to drop that aggressive nature, every muscle suddenly relaxed, and it made him seem even more deadly if that were even possible. He kept walking and as he reached the edge of the building he simply vanished and appeared on the next roof. He was headed back in the direction of the church steeple.

Long strides took him forward, and in equal speed with his own movements, the black creature followed. When it reached the building where Diaes had brought Gabriel, it kept walking as though it would be able to pass through the walls like air. The thing contacted the masonry, but instead of vanishing through it or falling it spread across the surface and began to ascend, a black mass, like nothing more than a shadow, a shadow that left a trail. Behind it, it seemed that the stones were stained with the vilest form of the night's essence, all of the beauty of those hours removed and what was left distilled into a chilling liquid.

As it grew closer one could see that it was wet, almost glistening, and that its forward motion was like that of rainwater in a thin sheet flowing down the street toward the gutter, aided by gravity. The difference was, of course, that this substance was flowing upward. It began moving faster to keep pace with its target, that un-dead thing that held the book. it followed, now more peacefully, causing behind it less destruction than before. Suddenly it reached the top of the roof, and for a moment no light but that of the moon fell upon its surface. In that moment it soared up into the night, a massive creature. It must have been at least a hundred feet tall, and had one been able to weigh it, one would imagine it causing any scale to break instantly, but one that could read it might find there several hundred tons or thousands even. In the darkness it did not appear to take form, even the full moonlight could not make it discernible. Not a second glance was now cast at Gabriel. It moved on, its prey once more in sight.