Vates - GUESS WHERE!
His arms and legs frantically jolted around as he tried to swim out of the dark thick blood but it was no use. He was drowning in it, his desperate lungs tried to cough it out with no avail. It filled his nose, eyes and ears too, making his head feel heavy.

With a massive gasp, widen open eyes and a forehead drenched with sweat Vates sprung up into an upright position from his slumber. It took him a few minutes of sitting there in silence to recover. It was early morning now, and despite being asleep for some time he had gotten no rest. “Please tell me you came across something interesting? My heads fucking killing me” said Vates inwardly as he used his thumb and index finger to massage the pressure points at the top of his nose.

“I’m sorry Edward, I couldn’t resist.” Replied the elderly voice within his mind. It was gentle voice, low and soothing, but it carried a certain distinction that suggested wisdom. To Vates the voice had always conjured up visions of an old wizard from the stories he read as a child.

Vates heaved himself out of his bed with the intention of getting dressed. “Janus, did you see anything useful or not?” he asked.

“I’m not sure. There were a few visions: I saw some views from the past; the boat (again); a mansion covered in ice; some flashes, I think from a battle; and the blood…” listed the Kage, the regret clear in his tone. This was not the first time that he had tried to force visions. The forced visions never usually ended well, causing migraines and blackouts, as well as yielding often random sights. Janus had noticed that these forced visions were easier on his host when he was asleep, but even then they took their toll and were often just as random. Worse still perhaps as far as Vates was concerned was that when these visions were forced during his sleep that they were even more dreamlike that usual, and that like a dream he often struggled to remember them and so relied on Janus to retell them. Even the random visions and ‘tears’ as they had come to call them were few and far between and only rarely proved useful. It was perhaps not surprising, as it had only been over the last couple of months that they really begun to grasp the ability – it had only been over the last few months that they had begun talking, with Vates initially going into a mental breakdown whenever Janus would try to communicate. Vates would claw at his skull and try somehow force Janus out, ultimately resulting in Janus hiding away for weeks not wanting his host to hurt himself.

“The blood… what was that?” Vates paused the buttoning of his shirt as he asked, the unpleasant sensation still fresh in his mind.

“I do not know. I do not think that it was any one specific event. It was certainly a vision of death; maybe it was the opening of the gate?” quizzed Janus, still not himself sure of how his powers functioned.

Vates did not want to dwell on anything to do with the event and so quickly moved on, “A mansion? You say it was frozen? Like completely?”

“I believe it was. It was dark and I could not see much in the way of detail, but it was big, frozen, and lacked life.”

Vates’ was dressed now. He walked out of the bedroom and into the open area of his vault. It was perhaps the only place in the entire building, the entire area even, that wasn’t a mess. Around the sides the bookshelves that were not broken in the event were used to store what Vates considered to be important or (now more likely) interesting to him, and those that were broke had since been broken down and used/stored for firewood. His computer and other electrical equipment was now stored beneath the floating half-landing stairs that led to the vault door. In the corner was a very basic kitchen, with a make-shift fire pit situated in the centre as most the equipment was unpowered. In the kitchen was also a fair supply of food/water that Vates had managed to scrounge. “What was the vision from the past? How did you know it was the past?” Asked Vates, not caring to ask about the boat (for he knew the vision already) nor the ‘flashes’.

“It was a group of people here in the city. There was so many people, so much life.” There was a hint of sadness in Janus’ voice, “they were sitting in a restaurant eating ‘squigbombs’”

Vates’ face screwed up as he remembered a horrible taste, “Squigbombs?”

~Ariela~

She was different. He had told her. She...

Had

Seen.

Her eyes would forever remember that day. The day she had been granted the power to change the world. She would watch them burn. Every last soul that stood so proudly behind the protection of the light. Soon they would feel her vengeance..

She walked along the ruined road, alone and abandoned. She smiled at the suffering of any she passed. She, unlike the large majority of Sovereign, had flourished in this new world. For the first time in years she was well fed, well dressed, and able too see. She walked for hours, without a destination, and without a need for one. Ariela lightly stroked the machete she held beneath her robes. It brought her comfort. She continued on her way. She was hunting, hunting for a fresh meal. For Ariela had grown very twisted in the past year. Ariela had become a source of fear for a majority of the city. She was known as the Banshee, and she was, a cannibal.

Before long she came to a tree. An unsuspecting individual lay at this tree. Ariela softened her step, creeping ever closer, she slit his neck. The poor man fell too the ground with a thud. It took quite an effort, but she eventually managed to flip him onto his back. She began a careful and precise cut, beginning with the skin, and then the meat, she made sure not to waste a single piece. It would all be needed. Today was a hunting day.

She paused a moment before packing her meal. The wind had shifted, she suddenly began to feel insecure, almost as if she was being watched.. She quickly packed all of useable meats and began her long walk to the hunting ground. She had tracked her prey for many days. She would not lose it now.

Champagne, banquets, music and dancing. These are the things Mathias Winters dreamed of; they were not sub-conscious hopes for the future, but frail tapestries of the past. With heavy eyes he takes several deep breathes, trying to clutch to the now distant dreams. Turning, he takes comfort in the view of his wife laying next to him, the whole city had fallen, many had lost all they loved, but not Mathias. His empire had gone, his money was worthless, but he had his wife, he had his children and he had his loyal friends.

It took him a while to get out of bed, Sophia helped him up and fetched his cane, she was so very good to him and he was grateful yet that did little to shake the strong hatred he had for his physical form. Dressing in front of the mirror was a ritual bordering on mental self-harm, but nonetheless, everyday at eight, Mathias would stare coldly at his reflection and scorn the hunched shoulder, scarred chest and shattered leg that had seized his body.

By nine Mathias was ready to leave the bedroom, he had breakfast with Sophia, Isabella and James.
After filling up for the long day ahead, Mathias meets Peter, his right hand man, they walk together along the grounds of the estate as they review its defenses. Over the course of a year, the lavish and expansive Winters estate had transformed into a fenced off refuge for the old gang. After what he calls "The Rapture" Mathias had spread the word that any and all loyal to the Winters family were welcome to find sanctuary at the manor. Since then at least twenty have come to make new homes here, all that is asked in return is complete compliance and loyalty. Sometimes, however, loyalty can seem somewhat difficult to give.

Deep within the manor there is a large freezer room, which has come in exceptionally handy over the last year. Not only can the group store their food here, they can also detain their traitors. "He still wont talk Mathias, we`ve tried everything...maybe you could...you know..." Peter hinted as he forced the large metal door open. It was common knowledge to all of Sovereign that somewhere on the outskirts of the city, a man dwelled in a frozen mansion, surrounded by the frozen bodies of his victims, left to forever remain his statues. Mathias was quite flattered by the exaggeration, it certainly kept the riff-raff away from the estate, for fears that they may be the next to succumb to the ice-man. "Leave it to me Pete, give me five minutes and I`ll have what were looking for." Pete nodded, shutting Mathias inside, alone with the traitor.

Sitiing before him, tied to a wooden chair, sat Vinny Malone. Vinny was a rat, in nature and physicality, he was the worst of the worst, promising the lost and lonely Sovereign citizens a sanctuary at the estate, only to steal whatever they had left before they even reached the gates; money, food, virginity. He was scum. Mathias was disappointed that he had not seen Vinnies darker side before welcoming him into his home. He felt repulsed at the revelation that Vinny had sat at the same table as his wife and daughter. It had to stop.

"Oh Vinny. Vinny, Vinny, Vinny. What are we going to do with you..." Mathias circled the trapped rodent. "You`re gonna let me go Winters. I know people, people who still have power in this city!" He squeaked and squealed, it was pathetic. "Vinny, this isnt a city anymore, its a warzone. I could throw you out of here and you could get chopped into little pieces before you even reach these so called people with power...I hear the Banshee was seen a few miles from here last week, you`d be just her type...perhaps a little stringy." Mathias` words flowed from a voice that was deep, crisp and regal, yet calculating and malevolent. "You cant do this too me! I pledge loyalty" As Vinny wriggled Mathias observed his missing forefinger, the very same that months ago Mathias had removed, a sacrifice that all had to make to prove allegiance to the estate. "What did it feel like? To have your finger frozen off? How long did it hurt for?" Their was no response to Mathias` dark questions, in response to silence he grabbed Vinnies face, holding the skull firmly in his hands. "Tell me what i need to know, and the pain will stop."

Mathias channeled his energy into his hands, he could hear Boreas whisper in his mind "Ah yes, i wondered when we`d be devouring this cretin. concentrate Mathias, remember, he is weak, you are strong." Vinny`s face began to grow paler and paler, the color rushing from his cheeks. "Okay, okay. A few people know about this place, only a bunch of people. A thief, some girl and another gang leader. That`s all i swear...The Broker too, the guy you were asking about, he`s held up in the city, he`s still in his old place." Vinny tried desperately to break free, shaking his head from side to side, but as it became heavy, Mathias gained better control. "Thank you Vinny, You`ve earnt your freedom." Vinny attempted a grateful smirk "Now leave this world" With a swift burst of white light Mathias stood before a frozen body, "Join your powerful people." With a push of the chair, it slide along the icy flaw, as it carried its host across the room, the movement sensitive lighting revealed a myriad of figures; politicians, gang leaders, police, killers. All once stood in the way of the Winters family, all victims of the Ice-man.

Julian Drake



Julian looked up at the sky. It was one of those days - one of those rare, once-in-a-blue moon days - where the sun manage to pop through the black clouds that usually loomed over the city. It warmed him and he held out his arms to his sides, taking it in slowly. He was a top a water tower, standing at the roof of the sturdy structure that still functioned - something as rare as the day that embraced Julian with open arms. Julian took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, smiling as he reached for his Lutar. He had gotten it to work, and it kept him sane. He sat down atop the tower and began strumming away.

Funny, eh? The 'pocalypse... it's made me strongah'. I... I feel....

"Always with the day dreaming, Jules."

Julian stirred in his calm, and then smiled as he realized it was his onikage, Senyuko who spoke. "Aye, Senny. It's nice, yuh know? Escapin' the world for a secon'. Let's you... drift off...."

Deep within Julian's spirit, Senyuko rose until he completely filled Julian with his spiritual energy. Julian could feel his presence, but he wasn't worried. He had changed Senyuko - who, according to the onikage lore, was to suck away his free will and use his body as he wished. No, Senyuko and Julian were one. They were a team, and that's how they would live the rest of their years.

"Julian, tell me something. Why do you feel no pain? No sorrow?"
Julian chuckled and continued to strum on his Lutar. "Y'see... I do feel pain. I do feel sorrow. But I simply embrace it, accept it. Once you learn tah love your weaknesses, to let them define you, well... that's when they become your strengths. Y'see, I let my sorrows in, I welcome them. And when they get right at home, right here," Julian smiled and placed one hand on his chest, over his heart, "that's when I say t'em, 'look now, I'm gonna need yeh to work with with me, aye?' And y'know what, brothah? They do. They choose to work with me, and 'fore yeh know it, they become strengths. They become allies."

Senyuko emulated a laugh, and then spoke up once more, "Like me, huh?" Julian smiled, "Aye. Exactly like you."

---

Ishigo

"...and make sure they're trustworthy. No military ties whatsoever, alright, hermano?"
Ishigo was perched up on the tip of a guard tower's peak. From here, he had an amazing view of the fallen structures around him. His holopad was placed in a portable socket located on the strap of his backpack, which single-strapped diagonally along his torso.
"You got it. You guys stay together, and I'll start rounding them up."

He pressed a single button on his Holopad, closing the comm, and began eying his surroundings.

"Rather empty today. Why do you choose to remain in this sector?" said the voice of his Kamikage, Jin.
Ishigo continued looking around, giving a second before replying. "Jin. You're the kage, how come you can't sense it?"
Jin sighed, "I can... but... he's not... He hasn't awakened yet, Ishigo. His host has no idea. It could be messy, we won't be sure."

Ishigo shook his head, "We'll be able to handle it, Jin. That's how we've survived this long." As he spoke, he narrowed his sights on a lone, young man, running across an array of rooftops below him. He seemed carefree and was running without purpose, almost embracing the wind that brushed past him. Well... I'm not one for making assumptions, but... Ishigo relaxed his body, which was tensed in preparation for combat.

Over the year, he had been constantly hunting and searching. He had been hunting the violent conduits who sought the kill other hosts and absorb their power - lowly scum and thugs, really. But at the same time, he aimed to unite those hosts who could keep their kages at bay or cooperate with them. Ishigo was one of the few who can tell, no, he could feel a war coming, and he would need every able hand at his side.

With a quick leap, he jumped off the tower and slid down it's wall until he reached a point at which the sunlight failed to reach the surface. His body seemed to dematerialize, like sand diffusing into the wind, but instead, his body fused with the shadow that was cast along the large wall of the tower. Ishigo felt his body lose mass, and eventually, he reformed at the shadow of a small water tower that stood upon a rooftop that was directly in the boy's path.

Let's see where this goes...

---

Kisheto Yashime

Faster, faster, faster! WOOO!

Kisheto was dashing across the rooftops of... well, he had no idea where he was. All he knew was that he was much stronger, faster, and able. He could leap great distances as if they were mere bunny hops away, and he could run fast enough and with enough force to scale up a wall as if gravity had given up on him. Why? He had no fucking idea.
The last year had gone by rather quickly for him - his constant movement had provided him with a great deal of food and shelter, which he refused to carry. No, he survived using guerrilla tactics, taking temporary shelter in one place, and finding another the next day. Sovereign was large enough for him to do this repeatedly without stumbling upon the same place twice, and it was great for the young lad, who enjoyed the freedom. However, he was plagued by a small bout of amnesia, as he had forgotten the events of the disaster. Or rather, he had forgotten the specifics. What had caused the apocalypse? Why did he suddenly wake up in the rubble of the capitol building floating in floodwater? He refused to ponder it - no, he was simply glad to be alive for so long. He had rarely met anyone, excluding a few families who he managed to lead to shelters he had used previously. Luckily enough, there was no sign of hostility in his path.

And even now, he continued to run about freely, like a child in a playground.

Yeah... Sovereign, you're my playground. Uh-huh, howzzat' feel, yo? Kisheto smiled as he pushed up and leapt from the rooftop of his current building to the next. As he prepared to land, however, his body was met with a large boulder that was hurled toward him. The large piece of metal completely threw him off course, and he crashed into a generator located on the rooftop below him.

"FUCK!" Kisheto exclaimed, slowly pushing the boulder off of him. It had hurt, undoubtedly, but instead of killing him, as it would have naturally, it simply bruised him a bit. Kisheto didn't take a moment to wonder why he was alive. No, he quickly turned to his left and right, looking for the source of the attack, but it was too late. A large man, about 6'4" in height with broad shoulders and a massive structure, flew his way, his fist outstretched. The fist met his face instantly, and threw Kisheto even further back the path from which he came from. He crashed through two layers of walls, and this time, the pain was more noticeable. He groaned as he got up, pushing off debris and bricks. "What the hell is your PROBLEM?!" Kisheto yelled. The man, who seemed to be rather young, was wearing a torn white tanktop and tattered jeans. He stared with icy blue eyes, and instead of replying, he let out an inhuman roar that shook Kisheto's nerve. The roar was loud enough to cause the building that Kisheto was on to rumble, and Kisheto staggered back a bit.

"What... in the name of fuck..."

Sam~

Pain. that was the first this he remembered when he awoke in the forest to what seemed to be the apocalypse. Even though he had undoubtedly been unconscious for some time he felt refreshed, almost as if he had been born anew. He remembered nothing of the past year, in fact the more he thought about his past, the less he seemed to remember. He staggered forward, still attempting to get his bearings as too exactly what had happened. After a few long moments he found himself regaining his senses and truly taking in his surroundings.

He was walking along a wall, he was deep within a forested area that somehow seemed familiar too him. It was then that he realized he was following something, a string of white light. It simple hung in the air, he knew not where it came from, nor did he know where it ended. No matter which way he followed it it seemed to travel forward forever. He decided to continue following it as he had been.

Four three hours he walked, unaware of where he was or what had happened to the beautiful city he had once called home. Nor was he aware of even having a home, in fact all of Samuel's memories had been erased from his mind He knew not who he was, or who had been. He was at a loss and the only feasible choice he could make at the time was to follow this strange glowing string. He eventually arrived at a gate. The gate had the name Winter's plastered above it, and for some reason that name struck a cord of familiarity in Samuel's mind. He stepped forward and pressed a button that he assumed to be a door bell. Samuel did not know how he came to this assumption, or what a doorbell was for that matter. He simply knew that he must ring it, and because of that he did not question him doing so.

"Um.. Hello?" He said questioningly to seemingly no one. "I seem to have lost my way, and I am not quite sure where it was I was headed." He went to scratch his head as he said this, but instead his hand met with a rather stylish top hat. He patted down the rest of himself, realizing that he was dressed in rather fancy clothing. He began to wonder if he was over dressed for the occasion, but then he began to wonder if their was an occasion to be over dressed for at all. Samuel was deeply confused, and all he could do was wonder at the twenty or so strings that led into this mansion from different directions, and hope that these strings had some nice people attached to them.

Thanar stood at the Wall, one hand resting lightly on its surface. His mind was deep, deep inside its structure, flashing through the pathways of the cores inside that sealed off the city. For a year he had struggled against it, forever failing to find a way to open it or even damage it. The cores were powerful, and their very structure protected them from his intrusion.

A gang of thugs crept up behind him. The leader raised a crude axe and brought it down, but Thanar was already moving. The kinetic core he wore in an amulet around his neck flashed, and the axe stopped in midair. From its point of impact, ripples revealed a shield around him. He raised a hand, and a red glow began to burn in his firecore ring. He turned, and his eyes were cold and hard.

"Run."

A tongue of fire lashed out as he moved his hand, turning the man to ash where he stood. The others yelled, screamed and began to sprint away. Surfing on a cushion of air, the Chaneller hunted them down one after another. He spit the first on his staff, the second he froze solid. The third he tore to pieces with a whirlwind, and the fourth he crushed with a boulder. The fifth and final he suffocated.

A bit harsh, don't you think? They were just trying to survive. You could have let them run.

No, I couldn't. I've survived by being unknown. Most of the people who've survived here are common thugs. They don't know who I am or what I can do. And I need it to stay that way. If they come to know of the cores I hold and what I can do with them, they will hunt me for the rest of my days.

He sighed.

I need allies, Sul. I am strong, and together we are stronger, but we cannot hold out forever.

Then find some! There are plenty of people in this city who'd be grateful for someone of your power by their side.

But how do I choose? Most of them would want me for selfish reasons, to kill and steal and become the dominant power.

Don't tell me you can't find anyone. You're sharp enough to easily make a good pick.

A small smile crossed the man's lips as he strode through the streets.

Always so confident, Sul. Do I really deserve that faith? What have I managed to accomplish here? A year's gone by, and I'm no closer to escaping the damn wall.

Not true. You've learnt a lot about its structure and formation. You've certainly learnt a lot about me, and we've managed to develop some pretty good techniques. Without me, you wouldn't be half as strong.

In his head, Sulaan's face grinned. Over the past year, the two had become allies and friends. They had discovered that they were a natural match - Sulaan's ability to intermingle her spirit with that of her host could greatly enhance his already formidable strength. Her awareness let him reach new depths of understanding as he reexamined his cores and threw away half of what he thought he knew. Not only did their powers complement each other, so did their personalities. He was quiet and reserved by nature, but forceful, whereas she was bubbly and excitable but often lacked a bit of confidence. They were the perfect counterpoints to each other, and had developed a rapport that often meant no words were needed.

Perhaps not without more training, but I don't doubt I could have got here on my own. I might have been a wizened old man, but I'd have got here.

This time it's him that grins. By the time their internal conversation is over, they've reached Thanar's main camp, set up on a stable section of a ruined building. Only Thanar could possibly reach it - it was twenty floors above the ground and all the lifts and stairs were gone, collapsed in the quakes. He entered by the open wall, ducking into an alleyway to ensure nobody saw him and summoning a blast of wind to lift him up. The break reached round from the alley to the adjacent wall, granting a magnificent view of the ruined city.

Standing silently, leaning on his staff, he looked out over the desolation he knew he might never escape.

Zachary woke up as a shaft of sunlight shone onto his face. He stirred, but he did not rise, as he was doing some thinking. He was remembering what had happened when the apocalypse had struck a whole year ago. It was that moment his life, and the life of everyone else in Sovereign, had changed. Everyone had been stuck inside an impenetrable wall with nothing but the ruins of the city and whatever the military would spare to survive on. But something else had happened to Zachary that day.

He had passed out from intense pain caused by the merger with the ball of light and metal, and found himself on safe ground when he regained consciousness, which defied his expectations since before he had been thirteen stories up in a burning building. As he had been pondering why, a voice spoke inside his head. Pretty miraculous, huh?

Taken by surprise, Zachary had responded aloud. "What? Where are you?"
I am inside your head. In reflection, the voice had been taunting him, flaunting what he did not know.
"What are you doing in there?"
I am that ball of light you saw earlier, Zachary. My name is Kaa'is, and I am an Onikage.
That the voice had knew his name surprised him at the time, but that was the least of his questions.
"An Onikage? They're just myths, aren't they? Old religious tales?"
Well, for a myth who manifested itself in physical form and then got you down from the skyscraper in one piece I'm doing pretty well. The voice, which named itself Kaa'is, paused before adding, Or you could be mad, if you prefer that option, and my voice is just a delusion, as is the rest of the apocalypse. That last bit was said to spite him, and Zachary knew it.

Zachary had looked around at the desolation surrounding him. The disaster had passed and all that remained was the aftermath, which was not a pretty sight, and the giant tear in space, which was a slightly prettier sight. Kaa'is spoke again. Are we going to stand here moping all day or are we actually going to do something? Come on, let's go! And so they had gone, and found a way to pick a living in this wasteland.

Zachary returned to the present and surveyed his lair. He had set up base in the basement of some crumbled building, which gave him both space and secrecy as the basement was large and the entrance was covered. This secrecy had been essential as in order to help him survive and also to maintain his sanity he did engineering down here. Furnishing the dark rooms, aside from his mattress, were a few crates, a makeshift workshop, a clock and a hand-drawn calendar. Left behind by the disaster were many cores and it only needed someone who knew where to look to find them, so he had been able to build machines to suit his needs. For self-defence he carried around two devices- a wind cannon and a kinetic shield, both of which had been simple enough to make. Kaa'is, forever the voice of mischief and evil in his mind, had wanted him to use a more lethal weapon, but Zachary had refused. Kaa'is would pester him about it whenever he had a chance, but the realistically a weapon which launched your enemies over 10 meters away is pretty effective at making sure you don't get pestered.

The tools he had at hand were crude, but Kaa'is had granted him... powers. He could... read machines at a touch. The pictures he received had been sketchy at first, but over time they became more and more useful, allowing him to detect problems in machines before he even tested them. Kaa'is had told him that this ability relied on him knowing how the machine, or at least the components of the machine, worked, and as Zachary knew a lot about machines this made that ability very potent. Through Kaa'is he could also move metal objects, although this ability is much more difficult to use.

Time for your morning training, Zachary, Kaa'is said. He sighed, looked towards a metal wrench lying on the ground, and projected their energies towards it. After exerting a considerable amount of effort, the wrench slowly rose from the ground then flew towards him. Zachary caught it, and Kaa'is commended him. Our strength is growing. Soon none shall be able to stand in our path. You won't have to fear bandits, or scrounge for food. You shall be able to get all that you need. Who knows, you might even be able to break out of this cage. You want to get home, don't you? Zachary normally tried to ignore Kaa'is and his talk of power, for it made him uncomfortable, but at times the Onikage could be very persuasive in his way.

Zachary went over to a crate and grabbed some of his rations to eat for breakfast. They were the rations the military gave out to the survivors here, and he was running low. While slowly munching on the food and sipping at the bottled water, he inspected his calendar. He had got one in order to keep track of time. The thought of losing track of the weeks was maddening, so he had acquired a calendar to prevent this. When the year had ended, there were no new calendars available, so he had made his own. He checked the calendar's entry for today, and it was labelled 'food'. "Today the army's handing out supplies," Zachary said. They did so at regular intervals, which was why he had been able to mark it on the calendar. Good. You know what to do, Kaa'is replied. Zachary nodded, and after he had finished eating he grabbed his gear and left, making sure the entrance was left looking like a pile of debris.

Arianna absentmindedly kicked aside a small stone, walking along a street in the former middle-class sector. The little noises it made while it skittered away from her was the only sound heard in the now quiet Sovereign streets. It sounded loud and obnoxious to Arianna, but at the moment a little annoying rock wasn’t enough to upset her. No, Arianna had been through too much this past year for a measly stone to upset her.

First, Arianna had felt an intense hunger and feeling of emptiness inside her. Her throat had been dry and her stomach unfilled for many days after the Void Gate had opened. She wasn’t used to scavenging for food, so she starved and thirsted for a long time. In these days Arianna had felt enough pain from starvation to make her wish she had died during the Void Gate opening. It was then that a miracle happened. She remembered the first drop of water and bite of food she had felt after binding with Castiel vividly. Arianna had found an empty water bottle, and had left it out to fill when rain happened to bless the poor desolate city. The way the water had felt and tasted on her tongue was quite like a drop of gold. The food was a small loaf of bread she’d found on the ground after a military troop had moved through. It had tasted like heaven to her. Smartly, Arianna only took small bites. Her stomach wasn’t ready to be completely full, and she needed to make this loaf last as long as she could before she found another source of food. Eventually Arianna became a really good scavenger, and at one point even dared to steal from the military. Fortunately she had gotten away before she was noticed, and had scored a canteen and a few loaves of bread. These she kept in her satchel, which had fortunately survived the Void Gate opening.

Second, Arianna had faced many perils in the past year. When she wasn’t searching for shelter, food, or a drink, she was always hiding from people that came close to her. She had naively run up to the first person she saw alive and nearly gotten herself killed. The person she had run up to had been a Conduit, who was hostile and thirsty for spirit. She didn’t remember how she survived, but she remembered waking up next to the body of the host. Later on, Castiel ashamedly revealed to her that he had taken full control of her body and fought the monster. At first Arianna had been uneasy about how Castiel had controlled her without permission, but she realized that if he hadn’t taken control, she would have died. She agreed with him that he could take control of her whenever she couldn’t fight people off on her own. From this dead conduit, Arianna had found a bloodied rapier. Its blade was long and surprisingly sharp, and the handle was indigo with a gorgeous metal knuckle guard around it. Disgusted by the blood, Arianna had wiped it on the dead host’s body. The rapier was pretty light, so Arianna had no trouble in swinging it around. At first she’d been a little uneasy about how to use it, but Castiel helped her learn the basics. From there, she figured out new techniques and learnt how to fight and defend herself.

The third issue was far more of an issue than the first two. When Arianna had awakened after the terrifying day the Void Gate opened, she’d had a terrible panic attack. The city around her was destroyed, she was all alone and trapped, and she had allowed some strange entity to bind with her soul. The poor girl had collapsed in utter bewilderment and fear. When Castiel had tried to comfort her, he had unfortunately made it worse. Eventually Castiel was able to soothe her, but only after he had explained who he was, what he was, where he was from, and why he was here. Arianna had only felt comfortable with him after he had divulged everything about him and his kind. With this new knowledge of Kages and of Castiel himself, he and Arianna’s relationship began to grow. It was awkward at first. Castiel could feel whatever she was feeling, see whatever she was seeing, and hear every thought inside her head. It wasn’t so comfortable for Castiel, either. The poor kamikage wasn’t used to sharing a body. Sometimes he would find himself accidentally moving her arm or even breathing. He had to get used to letting Arianna take control of this foreign body. He also had to get used to not having wings. In the spiritual part of her mind, Castiel found his wings still remained, but whenever he had to take control of Arianna to get her out of a tough situation, the Kage was uncomfortable with the feeling of a bare back. He was especially uncomfortable with the new body parts. To humans, Castiel was considered a man, but Arianna was anything but a man. In the past year, they had grown quite fond of each other, and were much comfortable with sharing spirit, mind, and body. They had become one, but managed to keep their separate identities. When Castiel had told Arianna of his abilities, she was at first in awe, and in disbelief. After a little demonstrating, Arianna believed him. She was surprised that she could even control them. At first it was just a spark. She could only hold up a pebble for a few seconds before she would feel exhausted, and couldn’t hear any thoughts at all. It was only after they had defended themselves against a few kages and killed them all that Arianna could control the powers more. At this point in time, Arianna could only pick up something as heavy as a hot dog cart without completely draining herself. The telepathy was another thing. The only thoughts she could hear were loud thoughts in a close range. It was like a radio signal. Sometimes it would be clear, and other times it would be fuzzy. She still used it to detect any possible intruders around her.

Arianna paused with a frown as she reached the remains of a building that had fallen down into the street. She quickly found a safe way to walk over it, and began the climb up the pile of rubble. On the other side, it unfortunately dropped off. It was only a few feet high, so Arianna easily jumped down. She winced when she landed, immediately shifting her weight onto her left foot. Her right ankle was sending little jolts of pain up her nerves. After the light pole had crashed onto it, it had never fully healed. She’d tried her best to set it back to its normal position, but the bone had not reconstructed itself fully. Arianna had to learn to deal with the pain, but fortunately the pain faded as the year went on. Now it only hurt her when she twisted it wrong, or jumped onto something. After taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it, the pain faded. She tentatively set her foot down and put weight on it. When it didn’t hurt, Arianna continued on her walk.

She sat on the table, swinging her feet idly in boredom.

Her maid had gone out again, most likely to patrol the area and make sure no idiot come in here. Hayami looked around the place, mildly amused that she would have screamed bloody murder about being forced to live here if she was still the girl she was when she first came to Sovereign. The basement of her father's building, though cracked here and there, still stood strong, with most of the supplies in there intact and unspoiled. It wasn't where they, she and her maid, first took shelter however.

After that light entered her body, causing the most agonizing pain she had ever felt in her life, the ship crash landed somewhere three blocks away. Her maid, Hilda was unscathed in the crash, but she herself had suffered a dislocated arm, and a broken leg. Hayami didn't want to remember how pitiful she must have sounded like, bawling out loudly. She vaguely remembered then that Hilda had taken off most of the things off the dead guards in the downed shuttle, and made shelter in its husk. Though she lamented the absence of many things from her previous life of luxury, she had come to accept that those days were over, and thus she must survive even if she would look like an alley rat. For a while the husk of the shuttle served admirably as their shelter, until some men found out about it. And of course, seeing a lone girl inside, those men surrendered to their baser instinct and tried to... to rape her. Having no means of running away, for her leg was still in the makeshift splint, she was subject to their humiliation and jeers, until one of them gets impatient, and rips her shirt away.

It was then that she heard the voice clearly, feel the fury suppressed in the voice, and its power coursing through her body.

"We kill! Not suffer anymore!"

In that moment of despair, electricity filled the whole area around the shuttle, frying those men to a crisp as she maintained the electricity flowing out, sparking bolts here and there like a Tesla coil. Of course, when Hilda finally returned, the first thing she did was suggest moving to another place.

And thus they moved here after some days of searching, where they stayed to this very day, underneath the remains of her father's building, the rubble around it making a sort of a passageway into the single door leading to the basement, with the basement still intact and furnished with whatever they, or more accurately Hilda, found and brought back. And it was also quite a special day for Hayami for it was the day Hilda decided her leg had healed enough to allow her to walk. Now if only she'd allow her to walk outside and help with the foraging....

"You stay. Gain strength."

And of course, who can forget that maned gorilla in the room. She had thought she was going crazy when she first saw it, and she still does. Hilda doesn't seem to notice it, so it must exist only in her head right? But even so, why a gorilla?

"Why ignore me?"

It shoved its face close to her all of a sudden, eliciting a slight jump from her. For a thing that big, it sure was stealthy. Or was it stealthy because it only exists in her head?

"I'm not. Its just that if I talk to you people are going to think I'm crazy."

As uncomfortable as it was to have a large gorilla peeking over your shoulder whenever you do something, she was quite grateful for the strange power it granted her, though she had no idea what she was going to use it for except for self defense. There was a time when she would have sought out all those bitches in her school, but now they seemed trivial, unworthy of her time.

"Shall we practice some more then?"

"Yes. Practice good. Make strong like Raijin."

It seems all she can do with it was make a long bolt of electricity by shaping her fingers into a gun like a kid playing at policemen. Controlling this sort of power was wicked crazy, but worth it to make her maid, Hilda trust her more.

“What is the order of the day then Edward?” asked Janus as Vates prised open the door to the elevator shaft. The shaft was dimly lit by radioluminescent lights every couple of floors. At the bottom of the shaft light could be seen through the roof of the broken elevator, its doors wide open to the building’s lobby.

“I need to replace these cores” said Vates out-loud, motioning to his gauntlets. He preferred to speak out-loud when he could as it felt more natural, although he had been training himself to speak inwardly more often. “The light core in the right gauntlet seems to be fine, but the kinetic core in the left is basically out as you know. And obviously I’d like to obtain as many spare water cores as possible!” continued Vates. When the small water cores first ran out he had thought little of it, being more focused on finding food and the like. However, these water cores discretely kept the gauntlets and covered skin clean and it only took a couple of days for them to start smelling awful and get itchy. Vates couldn’t remove them either as he would have no way of putting them back on; this was due to both the way they were fastened and the way they were implanted to pick up nerve signals.

“We will take a weapon.” Janus stated in an uncharacteristically firm voice. Janus knew that Vates hated the idea of killing someone and thus saw no need for any lethal weapons.

“No. We’ll exit the building, cross over the street and continue to the old Monument Bank. From there we can take to the roof tops or various routes where I can keep us out of sight. If we do somehow come into trouble on the way to the stockpile then we run.” commanded Vates climbing onto the ladder, unwilling to budge his stance on the weapon. The stockpile they were heading to was a small military one Vates knew about prior to the event; it was well hidden and surprisingly hadn’t (to the best of his knowledge) been used by anyone else since. Perhaps it was due to the proximity of the area from the wall or any other point of interest within the city. Whilst the stockpile had some handy equipment, there was more than a few trips full in carry weight and Vates didn’t like to be weighed down – not wanting to be seen entering the stockpile either, Vates only ventured to it every now and then.

The ladder was never pleasant, regardless of whether one was going up or down, nor how often one used it. One of the things Vates would collect on this trip would be some rope or wire so he could fashion some sort of fireman’s pole. He was half way down at floor 9 of all places when he slipped, causing a loud clang as he managed to regain his hold. The noise caused a stir behind the door beside him, a large scuttering of heavy footsteps and a reverberating growl. Vates quickly carried on his descent not wishing to attract the attention of the beast inside any further. The beast was one of the few things he had even considered killing, but had managed to justify not doing so by telling himself that it made for an excellent guard.

Vates eventually found his way to the large marble lobby, now wide open to the street without the glass windows or doors. The bottom of the building had suffered in the event, with multiple cracks rooting along the walls and pillars. There were many blood stains and pieces of graffiti here and there as well – a gift from some temporary tenants some time back. Vates stopped in his tracks and his heart clenched as his gaze caught a horrifying sight before him: a young child, no older than ten, who could have been a boy or girl, with wide white eyes, sharp teeth upon a vacant smile and a body covered in blood, ran towards him screaming with a long rusty cleaver.
Vates fell back in horror, his body having moved faster than his feet. He looked up to find no sight of the child and sat there with adrenaline pumping and a heavy breath.“Do not worry Edward, it was just a vision. You are fine.”

“Thank fuck!” exclaimed Vates in a high pitched voice as he begun nervously laughing. These little visions were the most annoying but also the most useful (thus far anyway). Having gotten to his feet Vates continued outside. He only took a couple of steps out of the door before hearing a noise to his right, and turning he saw the child standing there for real.

“NOPE!” yelled Vates as he hastily sprinted off in the opposite direction.

*BAM*

The brute of a man had not given Kisheto an ounce of mercy with every blow he launched the boy's way. Now, Kisheto found himself being blasted through multiple walls lining the rooftops as the brute sprinted through them, using Kisheto's back as a battering ram. Kisheto coughed and trembled at the pain, and every attempt to knock the brute's head was futile - he was as tough as he looked. Finally, he stopped his charge and grabbed Kisheto by the ankles, swinging him across the other way and tossing him towards a water tower. Kisheto rag dolled and spun out, hitting the ground and bouncing up a few times before colliding with the towers leg. He simply lay there in pain, feeling his skeleton meet the consistency of glass, as every movement threatened to shatter his frame.

What the hell is with this guy... Kisheto though as he slowly stood up, leaning against the leg of the water tower. He coughed and panted, as he had overexerted himself when trying to defeat the brute with sheer force alone. How the fuck do you fight a living boulder?

=+=+=+=+=+=
=+=+=+=+=+=

Julian's little, temporary throne rumbled as something collided with one of it's supporting legs. The impact traveled through the leg and up to the large, round, water-storing base. Julian felt the rumble and raised a brow, halting his music. He could feel the roar of the brute but chose to ignore it, as he usually did with the day to day anomalies that quickly became routine to encounter. But this was different - this time, they disturbed his peace.

They had killed the vibe. Julian quickly strapped his Lutar onto his back and stood up, running towards the edge of the water tower at a decent speed. As he neared the edge, he pushed off with his legs and leapt into the air, effectively soaring through the sky for a brief moment. In that moment, his entire body began dematerializing into small particles of smoke until his entire entity was exactly that - a thick, black and red smoke that rapidly shot downwards as it changed momentum. Julian's senses all merged when he was in his smoke form. He could not see, hear, smell, taste, our touch. He could simply "feel", or "understand" his surroundings. The smoke quickly reached the ground and came to an abrupt halt near a young lad who was propped up against the leg looking as if he were on the brink of collapsing. After floating in a thick ball of smoke for a brief moment, Julian rematerialized and cocked his head back before speaking.

"In a lil' trouble, brothah'?" he said in his calm voice.

Kisheto flinched at the sight of the smoke at first, but relaxed as it reformed into a human being. "Great. Another whack job, super mutan weirdo. You tryna kill me, too?" Kisheto wiped his mouth and forehead, looking around frantically, as he had lost sight of his pursuer when he was thrown about. Julian chuckled at the sight of the young lad, "Nah listen 'ere, brothah, I don' kill, y'know? I keep the peace." Julian smiled and held out a hand towards Kisheto, but only too soon as a huge roar was heard only a few yards away.

Julian snapped to his right, catching sight of the large freak that charged his way. The man had began to deteriorate a bit more, his face beginning to crack like shatter rocks and his hair beginning to fall, revealing a cracked scalp as well. His mouth foamed and his eyes glowed a faint blue, only to be replaced by a dark red as he continued his rampage. Julian gasped at the sight, "Oh mercé, he's gon', isn't he..."

Kisheto frowned at Julian's small talk, "RUN FOOL!" Kisheto turned to run the other direction but was stopped by Julian's hand, which caught hold of the back of his collar. Kisheto gagged as it pulled at his neck, and before he knew it, he was being lifted off the ground, watching as the roof too seemed to fall away from him. He looked up, only to see the upper left-most quarter of Julian's body ( his arm included) jutting out from a thick trail of smoke that was rapidly ascending. The brute, who had been accelerating uncontrollably, rammed right into the water tower and staggered back as his head rang with the heavy sound of his impact. Kisheto almost chuckled, but realized he was now falling - Julian had let go of him.

He wanted to yell, but only seconds before he hit the ground was he caught again, this time being carried by the trail of smoke itself. The trail gently placed him on the ground and reformed by his side.

"That oughta' have banged the suckah' right good, no?" Julian said chuckling as he observed the brute fall to his knees. "Alright Senny, do yah thing."

Julian smiled and waited, but nothing happened. "Senny? Yah gonna do it or not, brothah?"

Before Senyuko could reply, and before Kisheto could ask who the hell Julian was speaking to, the Brute roared again, this time in pain, as he struggled to get up.

Suddenly, the brute's shadow stirred, and the arm of the shadow extended farther than it would have normally, rapidly rising off the ground and forming into a humanoid figure. The figure, completely cloaked in a black shadow raised it's right hand, which formed into a basic blade, and-

*Shhhhhhck*

-the blade ran clean through the brute's skull, causing the roar to instantly decrescendo into silence. As the brute's body went limp, the shadow withdrew it's arm-blade and took a step out of the shadow of the brute. As a result, the black layer that had cloaked the figure slowly faded away and back into the shadow from which it came, only to reveal a mysterious-looking man in its wake.

"The host has to die before the spirit can be absorbed. As long as the human lives, the kage is safe and sound within," Ishigo said firmly, his voice instantly forcing his audience of two to focus and listen in to his implied authority.

Kisheto raised a brow, still surprised by what had just occurred before him. "Wh-what.. Why the fuck did you kill the poor fool?!"

Julian shook his head, snapping out of the small shock he experienced as a result of the sudden kill. "You.. Um... 'Ah mean... We... You saved us? I think?" Almost out of instinct, Julian held his hand over the brute's corpse, which had fallen to its side on the ground. He could hear his kage snicker as the spirit of the dead host weakened, allowing the spirit of the kage to slip out and into his own.

Ishigo closed his eyes for a second and simply thought about his situation. He turned around and surveyed the empty streets below, before turning back to his two new acquaintances and speaking as firmly as before.

"You two... I want you to follow me. We don't have time for questions. You should know that this water tower is the landmark that the Hellhounds use for getting to their base. You do not want to cross their path," he said as he pointed to the tower.

Kisheto was confused and Julian simply raised a brow and gestured forward. "Aye, well, um-" he looked to Kisheto who simply shrugged and nodded in return, "- go 'head and lead the way, brothah'."

As Weston Meyer crawled through the rubble, rock, and concrete piled and scattered along what was once a back-alley of the city of Sovereign, he couldn't help but blame himself for his current predicament. His breath was becoming shorter with every passing moment and his vision was beginning to blur. Regardless of how hard he tried to slow the bleeding from his left side, his hand was not enough for the job. At this rate, he wasn't going to make it much further before passing out, and eventually dying, from blood loss. He could feel his legs starting to falter and go numb, moving only through sheer will. Despite the impending failure, Weston kept pushing onward, climbing every stack of steel and concrete just trying to get away.

They're probably not even following anymore, he thought. I'm done for and they know it. No point in running any further. Despite himself however, Weston's legs kept moving and his hand continued clutching his side through a bloody uniform. At this point, running made no sense, even for survival since it just expedited the loss of blood. The dark alley became the infamous tunnel with the shining light of death on the other side. However, the beacon never seemed to get any closer, like Weston was running in place. Perhaps this was his punishment for failing to fulfil his uncle's wish: Denial of the light's eternal warmth. This death had no honor to it--bleeding to death in some apocalyptic pile of garbage.

As if finally succumbing to his faltering mind, Weston's legs stopped moving. Surprised by the sudden halting, he tumbled forward into a small hill of brick. The fall would have hurt a lot more if his body weren't in shock from the bullet hole in his side. However, it didn't do much to return his consciousness. The world was blurry, and seemed to be viewed through another person's eyes. The lack of pain made everything surreal, as if he wasn't really there.

"You've fallen far, Weston Meyer," a cold feminine voice called from the other side of the light. "There was a time when I was impressed with you, but now I'm beginning to regret my choice." It was true: Weston was dying a mere shell of the man he had worked to become. Perhaps that's how all death is. Laying there, waiting for the end, he wondered just how he had gotten here. What had gone wrong?

"That's an easy one," the voice answered. "You tried to be the hero. You put those before yourself who wouldn't return the favor, given the chance. You tried to do right in a world of wrong. You were the minority."

---

Four months earlier...

---

"Sir, I beg you to reconsider. These 'Void Hosts' aren't only the thugs and terrorists we've seen, but also men, women, and children who are confused and scared, living every day in fear of those thugs. If we go through with this, we become the ones they fear. If they fear us, the thugs become the new hope. This shithole will become a warzone, no, the site of a massacre once we start killing the ones we've sworn to protect."

"That is enough, Captain! These orders are directly from General Dunverre: There is no 'reconsidering'." Despite Colonel Gremer's rising voice, his posture remained unchanged, contrasting his obviously livid mood. The aging man tired of the continued resistance and disrespect shown by his subordinate officer, and was nearing his limit.

"You are asking me to commit and condone murder, sir!" Captain Weston Meyer very clearly displayed his discontent. Ever since the rest of the military emerged from behind the massive walls encasing Sovereign, he had done nothing but hear of "acceptable loss", "the greater good", and other excuses for injustice. The council would have never allowed the actions the Leginian Army now carried out daily.

"No, your country is asking you to save its people from monsters, as it always has!"

"Last I heard, sir, my country's people are more worried about being saved from us than by us!" Even though Weston hadn't been outside the wall since the quarantine began, rumors had spread like wildfire stemming from the supply platoons that traveled beyond the wall. From what Weston had heard, Sovereign wasn't the only neck the military had their boot on.

"Captain, you will follow orders or be detained for insubordination! Now leave my office!"

The captain fell silent, glaring into his superior officer's eyes, filled to the brim with rage. Without uttering another word, Weston turned and exited the office, slamming the door behind him. Marching angrily, he went straight for his own makeshift office, converted from a cheap two-bed hotel room. He slammed the door behind him again before flipping the one twin bed remaning in the room over, knocking the bedside table next to it over as well. "Dammit!" he yelled furiously, kicking the bed for good measure and snapping it's wooden frame.

---

"I hate that guy. Colonel Reyborn was an asshole, but Gremer defines prick. The military putting him in charge should have been a huge red flag."

"But that was far from the last straw. You were angry, but still wouldn't think of betraying your country."

"No, I wouldn't. Maybe I should have then. Maybe I waited too long?"

"Maybes won't do you much good now."

"I guess not, but there isn't much to lose now, is there?"

Iktomi

Standing out on the balcony, Iktomi gazed out over the ruined city of Sovereign. A year ago the entire world had collapsed in on itself. The violent tremors that racked the city had destroyed more than just the buildings, the whole economic structure fell right alongside the city. Government officials had fled moments before the Gate even opened, leaving Sovereign without any leadership. The standard of life had fallen drastically for the entire city. Well except for Iktomi, he had thrived during the damn near post apocalyptic city. He turned around, leaning casually against the railing as he took in what his mansion had become. Spiderwebs clung to nearly every surface, each one completely unique, designed to direct one's attention to the center of the main lobby. The high back chair that once resided there had been replaced by a true throne constructed entirely of threads, suspended 10 feet off the ground.

”You really are enjoying this aren’t you Iktomi? Everyone around you is struggling to survive, and here you reside in your web of deceit. I must admit, I managed to find myself a more than acceptable host.” Archania’s voice filled Iktomi’s head. After the initial binding she discovered the his will was much too strong to allow her full control, so once he awoke they sorted out what would happen. He had been overwhelmed at first, and it took a month before they made any real progress, but eventually they formed an alliance of sorts.

”You aren’t getting soft on me are you Archania? I must say you really are a poor excuse for an Onikage, you haven’t made an attempt to take control for over a week now. I think you are starting to like me.” A smirk pulled at the corner of his lips as Iktomi spoke within his mind. He loved pushing his kage’s buttons.

Her response was swift, a loud crunch as she slammed her mandibles together. ”You are nothing but an insect to me boy! I am just waiting for the right moment to make your body my own.” After a moment she calmed down, frustrated with herself for taking his bait again. ”Isn’t it about time for you to check in with that Shadow Stepper and the Black Widow you keep around?”

Tilting his head back to catch a glimpse of the position of the sun, Iktomi nodded a bit before placing a hand to his ear, turning on his headset. “Leo I want a progress report. How are the tunnels coming along?”

For a moment all he heard was static, before the stoic voice of Leo filled the void. “Since the last check in there have been thirteen more casualties, all hired workers. The tunnel connecting to the Vault has been completed, and the tunnels to two of our new safe houses have also reached completion. In total six tunnels are finished. Any new orders?”

“No Leo continue to connect the other safe houses. I will check in again in a few days. Focus on the ones near Vate’s establishment, I want an easier method of getting in contact with him.” Pressing a small button on the headset Iktomi switched frequencies. “Hali anything happening on the perimeter? Last couple of days have been quiet, you know how much I hate when things get quiet.”

Static again, before an emotionless, feminine voice came over the speaker. “My men have spotted an Conduit heading towards the estate. He has a weapon and they say that he appears hostile. Should I take care of him?”

Iktomi took only a moment to think, before he pushed off the balcony and headed for his throne. As he reached the steps he began speaking once more. “No Hali, I want you to get him to the lobby. Direct him here by any means necessary, I will be waiting.” Sitting upon the throne, Iktomi casually laid one ankle across his opposite knee, elbow on the arm of the chair and his head resting upon his closed fist.

Halimae

“Understood sir.” In a fluid movement Hali unsheathed the blade strapped to her back and quickly slashed herself across the stomach, tearing the fabric of her black t-shirt. While blood flowed from the shallow wound to her abdomen she brought the tip of the sword up to her cheek creating another small cut there. Tossing the blade and it’s sheath behind a piece of rubble, she tapped her headset. “Where is the Conduit currently?”

She received a swift response from one of her men that had been carefully tracking the host. “He is headed for your position, he should be there within thirty seconds. Should I intercept him?”

“No Iktomi wants to deal with him personally. Go back to your position until further notice.” Counting down in her head, Hali stumbled out from behind the former office building just as the Conduit stepped around the corner, bumping into him. Her hands grabbed onto his shirt as she fell to her knees, tears welling up in her eyes. “You have to help me! I was just trying to get back to my family when this monster of a man attacked me.” Her voice cracked towards the end and she began sobbing, burying her face into the man’s chest.

“Where? Where were you attacked?” The Conduit, who was not a very large man but fairly muscled, laced his fingers with Hali’s hair yanking her head away to look down at her.

For a fraction of a moment the desire to kill this man herself reared up within her stomach as sharp pangs of pain ripped through her as he tugged on her hair, but she quickly repressed it. Shakingly lifting a hand she pointed towards a building not too far away. “Over...over there.”

Releasing her, the man pushed her away from him sprinting in the direction she had pointed. After waiting to make sure he was far enough to be unable to hear her, she tapped her headset again. “He is on his way now, expect him within a couple minutes.”

Iktomi

“Excellent work Hali, keep me updated on any other changes.” Turning his headset off, Iktomi waited patiently for the Conduit to arrive. His patience paid off as the man burst through the only set of doors leading inside the Araneae headquarters.

“You son of a bitch!” The Conduit continued his forward motion, until he found his feet unable to move. Looking down he found his shoes covered in threads, which were slowly crawling up his legs.

“I don’t think my mother has anything to do with this, although I do agree she was a complete bitch. Now tell me why you are here.” Iktomo’s voice remained calm and casual, his free hand lifted at his side controlling the webbing that had made it up to the Conduit’s hips stopping there for the time being.

“You forced my sister out into the streets you bastard! She was killed a day later and it is all your fault! How can you even live with yourself?”

Iktomi lifted his shoulder in a dismissive shrug. “It really isn’t that difficult. I needed a new location to house a portion of my men, and her home was in the perfect spot. She is not the first person that has died due to my actions, and she certainly will not be the last. It is survival of the fittest boy, she would never have made it.”

The Conduit shook with rage before screaming at the top of his lungs. “You are a monster! I am going to-”

“Enough! I grow tired of you and your pathetic attempt at revenge. If you miss your sister so much then I am more than happy to reunite the two of you!” Rising out of his throne Iktomi used the hand he had been resting on to manipulate the more threads. From the ground rose three thread spears, one on each side of the conduit and one behind him. With a quick thrust of his hand Iktomi skewered the man, piercing his left lung, his stomach, and his heart. Sitting back down he turned his head set on again. “Alex I need a cleaning crew in here. We have another body to dispose of.”

”More power for us, I just love how mindless revenge makes people. You don’t even have to hunt for them, they fly right into your web.” Archania’s voice echoed within his head, as a slight smirk appeared on Iktomi’s lips once more.

Ariela~

The wind wrapped itself around her form, causing Ariela's dress to flow slightly away from her body. She stayed up wind from the beast. Making sure it did not catch sent of her as she set her many traps around its current location. She had almost used all of the meat of her previous victim, and almost convinced herself to give it all up. Instead she kept some, and she felt his smile as she put a small portion back into her bag. 'What is this? I thought you were against consuming your own kind?'

Ariela shook her head, his voice annoyed him, he was always judging her, only ever speaking up when he wanted to press her buttons. She sent him a glare and continued on her way. She had things to do and this meat was needed for those things.

She left the hunting grounds. She would return later, hopefully having caught something. For a good hour she walked, a shadow in the streets. Few noticed her, those that did turned the other way. She was an exile, The Banshee. Believed to be a witch and a cannibal by the majority of the city. Artemus was the only one who accepted her, the only one who saw the world as she did. Even if he was getting on her nerves right about now. She growled at him as his consciousness butted up too hers. 'Back off' she thought. 'Now is not a good time to bother me.' She then separated herself from him. She had someone to visit. Someone who frightened even her. Artemus had laughed at her fear, boasting about how she could easily devour that eight legged freak, even within his own web.

The one she was planning to visit was Iktomi, otherwise known as The Widower. (If you don't like this name I can take it out, just thought it suited you)

She prepared herself and hugged the vial of blood she had harvested from her most recent victim. She grew closer to the spiders lair, slipping the piece of human flesh out of its packaging. She swallowed it whole, forcing it down her throat. For a moment her vision left her and then a pulse and it had returned. Before her stood her elf, Matthew, at the moment this was the only way she could summon him, and she hated it. She found a safe place near his lair and layed down. She closed her eyes for a moment and when they lurched open again they had rolled into the back her head.

Matthew's vision was blurry and tinted red, it was almost surreal. She led him into the spiders lair, where she saw Iktomi's guard disposing of another insect who had braved his web. Ariela smiled, this man was a truly frightening creature, she loved it.

For now she simply had her imp watch him, awaiting the moment he would notice her.

Zachary took caution walking through the city, watching to ensure he wasn't ambushed. He had his wind cannon strapped across his back and his kinetic shield under his shirt, both of which had saved his life on numerous occasions. It was not long before he had arrived at where the military delivered its aid. At first the aid they had given out was helpful, feeding and clothing many people. However, they quickly became very stingy to the point where they hand-outs were almost useless and it was little more than to maintain a presence in the people's lives. So Kaa'is suggested, very pointedly, that they would need to take what they needed. Zachary had caved, and they soon became good at this routine.

They were in an open area, and soldiers were on a strong watch to deal with any Conduits who decided to attack, or Guardians for that matter. In fact, at present the military were very antagonistic against anyone with a kage, hostile or not. Crates filled with hand-outs were stacked around the plaza and people lined up for the morsels which they would receive. Zachary nonchalantly surveyed the area and soon spotted a blind-spot in the guard formation. Working his way around via the buildings he slipped in through the blind spot and ducked behind a stack of crates. Let's get to work, Kaa'is said to him. Zachary was, of course, nervous. You know they'll probably kill us if they catch us. Kaa'is gave a mental shrug of indifference. You'll be fine. You're just too much of a coward to get even food.

Looking both ways, Zachary got to work. The crates, he had discovered when he first tried this, were made of wood but held together with metal nails. Placing a finger on the head of one nail, he drew his finger back, taking the nail with it. The extraction of a single nail at contact-range took very little effort, and several nails later he was able to quietly remove one of the planks from the face on his side. Quickly and swiftly he removed as much food and water as he could carry in his bag from the crate. There was a queasy lightness in his stomach from a combination of nervousness and adrenaline. Some people liked that feeling, but not him. He just wanted to get out of there as soon as he could. And so, as soon as he had grabbed what he wanted, he checked to see that his escape was clear and quiet sneaked off.

"Um.. Hello? ...I seem to have lost my way, and I am not quite sure where it was I was headed." Mathias jumped out of a day dream as he heard those words, someone was at the gate, but who? The scavanger team wasn't due back for an hour and he wasn't expecting any new recruits. Staring with cold, grey eyes into the monitor, all Mathias see were swirling blurs and fuzz. The backup generators proved most useful after the rapture, as they now worked as the main source of power for the entire estate. Regardless they were of little use where visual monitors were concerned. With a swift whack of his cane, the screen shook and gave off a crisp image of a well dressed man, he looked nervous and disorientated to say the least. "I don't believe it..." Mathias exclaimed with a smile as he exited the control room and hobbled out of the manor toward the gate. "A new recruit? or a victim perhaps?" Boreas` deep voice turned malevolent with thought of devouring a victim. "No my friend, this ones a good guy...I never thought he, of all people, would make it."
Over the year Boreas and Mathias had come to an agreement, they would only devour those who were traitors to the estate or generally cruel and evil people. Surprisingly Boreas was more than happy with this arrangement, of course he got greedy from time to time and tried to convince Mathias that someone was clearly evil (usually the plumpest person in the room) but it was to no avail. Something told Mathias that this "Devourer" had quite a present good side to him, and that perhaps he was some sort of punished angel as opposed to a deceitful demon. For instance they never devoured in the usual sense, they never ate their victims, instead they gained this great energy from freezing the victims, far less gruesome than the horror stories Mathias had heard about the Banshee, though he wondered if they were all that true.
As Mathias reached the gate he was certain that the man who stood on the other side was an old ally, he may have disguised himself exceptionally well, but as an actor himself, Mathias could always tell truth from lie by looking into the eyes of the "performer", and in that moment he was assured by the eyes that looked back at his. Entering the security key and opening the gate he smiled "Hello Sam...Its been a while."
The two exchanged pleasantries on the walk back to the manor, Mathias was right, Sam was certainly disorientated. Therefore he resolved to lead him into the study, sit him in a comfortable wing-back chair, and pour himself and his friend a glass of Whiskey. They had much to discuss.

Kisheto, Julian, and Ishigo

"Nah, 'tis surely a flower, brothah." Julian smiled as he looked up at the next cloud that Kisheto pointed out as the trio walked down one of the many abandoned main-roads.
"What? You for real? What kinda flower has petals that thin? It's definitely a sun." He smiled, too, walking with a bounce in his step as he light-heartedly trudged alongside the two older men.

Julian chuckled, "Well, 'tis a beauty, no?" Kisheto continued to stare up at the clouds, which were a rare sight at the current time, and nodded before Julian continued, "...and lets not forget: beauty is in the eye of the beholdah." Kisheto chuckled at the comment and looked at the silent man who led the two. "Yo, so tell me somethin'. Do they have like private rooms at the base or is it like... tents and shit?"

Ishigo raised an eyebrow and continued to walk without looking back at his questioner. "They have what we need, and that's shelter. Beggars can't be choosers, y'hear?" Kisheto scoffed at the response and looked to the side, mumbling as they continued to walk, "I'd probably be better off on my own anyway, yo." Julian was about to inquire further, but it wasn't long before Ishigo halted, his head snapping up as if he had heard a cry for help. He held up his right fist and his two followers stopped in response, looking at each other in confusion. Ishigo spoke in a hushed tone, lowering his fist and beginning his trek once more. "You need to learn how to sense them if you're going to survive."

Kisheto chuckled, "Ok, what the fuck are you saying, yo? Like, I understand helping us, and its cool and all, like, for real, yo, I appreciate it, but you haven't answered a single question and I'm starting to think y-" Ishigo whipped around and gave Kisheto a look that caused him so instantly shut up and stop in his path. "Just listen to what I say and you'll stay alive, kid. That IS what you want right?" Kisheto raised a brow and nodded silently. Julian simply looked away, as he was aware that the young boy was getting on the older one's nerves rather quickly. He decided to chime in, turning to face the two, "Well, I'm sure whatever yah need answered, it can be done at the base, aye? And surely, you'd be willing to help this brothah out, no?" He smiled and was reassured by Ishigo's calm demeanor when he faced him. Ishigo nodded, "Right. We need to move fast, however. I'm trying to help you guys, remember that."

Ishigo looked around him, his spirit tingling at the acknowledged presence of both conduits and guardians shuffling about around him. He looked to Kisheto, "You have one, don't you?"

Kisheto raised a brow once more, "Have one what? .....

...

Are you trying to say... WHAT I THINK YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY?!" Kisheto balled up his fist and leaned forward a bit, but Julian quickly stepped forward, "Alright brothahs, peace, peace." He looked to Ishigo with an expression that pleaded for patience and in a low-voice, he mumbled to him, "He's an odd one, just brief him at the base, aye, brothah? Please, now."

Ishigo shook his head and turned back. "Godspeed, you two. Time isn't on our side anymore."

Walking down the streets, Zachary wasn't exactly the most intimidating of people. Sure, he had a reasonable build, but he didn't exert an air of confidence in his strength when he walked. Combined with the large bag stuffed with food, these factors made him a target to opportunistic muggers. As such today one such person stalked him down the streets as Zachary departed from the military-occupied plaza, taking cover behind rubble and in shadows. As Zachary did not possess elite skills in perception, while the mugger did posses skill in stealth, it was not long before he had come up behind Zachary and attempted to lodge a dagger between his shoulder-blades.

Instead of plunging into his back as the thief had expected, it bounced off a rippling layer of solidified air. The thief cursed at his misfortune, and Zachary spun around in reaction to the push he had received. Quickly he used his powers to yank the dagger out of his assailant's hand and caught it in his own. Kaa'is' voice resounded in his head. You have him at your mercy. Kill him now! Zachary to a step back in bewilderment, as the thief saw he was outmatched and turned to flee. "What? No!" Zachary replied out loud. If you shan't then I'll do it for you.

Zachary found that he was pulled forwards by the dagger he held, and he stumbled towards his running assailant and the blade plunged itself into the thief's right shoulder. While Zachary stood there in shock, the dagger pulled itself out of the wound it had made, twisting the thief around as it did so, and stabbed the thief in the chest. Only then did Zachary regain himself enough to let go of the dagger's hilt. He stared at his hand, splattered with blood, in disgust and then at the dying man before him. The thief was no more than 20 years of age, looked undernourished and much like an average person trying to etch out a living in this urban wasteland, save for the two wounds and copious amounts of blood.

"I... I killed him," Zachary stammered, unable to quite come to grips with himself. A wave of anger came over him as he realised, "You killed him!"

No, we killed him, Kaa'is corrected, Although he's not quite dead yet. Zachary watched, unable to peel his eyes from the scene, as the man grew pale. Suddenly he found himself inhaling deeply and felt a strange strength rush into him. This was the man's spirit, although Zachary did not know that. Now he's dead. As I was saying, with my power and your body we killed him together.

Had Zachary's thoughts not been clouded by the emotions of the situation he would have seen that Kaa'is was intentionally trying to get a response out of him. "I had no part in this! It was you who did it! You who moved the knife!" Zachary cried.

But we are intertwined, Zachary, ever since our binding a year ago. We are not as distinct as you think. Onikages corrupt those who they possess. Who are you to say that you did not wish to kill him too, subconsciously? Besides, the blood is on your hands. There is no turning away from it now. Zachary just stood there, shell-shocked, while Kaa'is laughed at the misery he had given his host and victim. We had best get going. You wouldn't want to encounter another thief, now, would you? Speechless, Zachary finally turned from the bloodied corpse in front of him and continued his walk home.

Sam~~

Samuel was now in a study of some sort. He was drinking some sort of beverage, it was pleasing in taste. Tea..

There was that voice again. Who was it? What was it? Samuel shuddered as the sudden feeling of being watched overtook him. Samuel's eyes darted across the room. He studied the interior of the study. It was rather cozy, to his left was a fire place, lit and comforting. To his right a bar with many choices of beverage. For a moment he questioned how he knew the names of these things, he shifted his position in the chair and looked forward. Directly opposite to him was the man who had called himself a friend. Samuel let out a small smile.

Thank him..

"Oh yes.." He mumbled to himself, barely audibly. "Thank you for the tea my dear friend, now I do have a few questions." He raised his cup as he spoke, pausing to take a sip. "First, do you happen to know where I am? I apologize for my rudeness but well I am a little lost at the moment and well..." His mind trailed off. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but it seemed that before each word left his mouth it was said to him. The voice. Yes that was it. A mere moment before he spoke, the voice would tell him what to say. He thanked the voice from within his head. He did not know what he would do without it at this very moment.

"You see," He continued, "I seem to have taken a rather extensive outing, to where I can not say, but I am sure that it begun about a year ago. The problem with this outing is that I have not a clue as too what happened during or before it." He paused a moment, realizing he sounded irrational. "I apologize, I am just a little flustered." He sipped his tea, looking up to continue his sentence. "You see..." He trailed off a look of pure horror overtook him. Behind this friend of his stood a corpse, a sickening smile creased its lips. It hung from the roof by its neck, fresh blood dripped from many places on it. Its dead, piercing eyes stared into his very soul. Samuel let out a ear piercing shriek and fell back in his chair.

The fool known as Samuel had knocked himself out.

Mathias sat and listened, although he was unsure what he was listening too. Sam was odd, he hadn't always been that way; in fact he was once one of the most confident and skillful members of the Winters Family, but in recent years, he was odd. Mathias didnt mind this ofcourse, and to some extenet he could understand why Sam was the way he was. Sudden images of Mathias` sisters sprang to mind- they had left Sovereign with his mother several years ago, this time as wealthy heiresses as opposed to peasants- he wondered if they were safe,or if like Sam he had lost them too.
Mathias was interrupted by an unexpected silence, Sam had stopped his stuttering and spluttering of nonsensical words and frozen solid, as if he`d seen a ghost. "Samuel...Sam? Are you alright?..." The odd visitor slumped in his chair and began to tilt forward, Mathias bolted up and with pain bristling from his leg he rushed forward and intercepted his falling friend whom lay unconscious. "What the hell has happened to you Sam, when will you`re life be fair?"
With Samuel resting in one of the unoccupied bedrooms, Mathias greeted the returned scavengers. "So, i see you`ve got a lot for the family today, well done everyone. Before you go off to dinner, does anyone have any news?" Most shook their heads and moved to the kitchen, they worked out in the wastes in small groups of three, in very different areas. Sure enough three men stayed behind;Dylan, Ben and Cole, the latter stepped forward. "Sir, we`s were scouting out by the old intersection, you know before the flooded part of the city...Well we`s came to this old factory, we`s thought maybe it used to pack food or sumin. We`s took a look inside, theirs a bunch of folks their, at least twenty...We`s spoke to em, we`s didnt say where we`s lived or nothin but we`s did say they could join us. They`s were good people if you ask me boss, they wanna meet ya next week at the factory." With a dismissing nod of thanks Matthias presented them with one chocolate bar each, chocolate had a profound currency in Sovereign these days. Could he trust these factory dwellers? Might it be an ambush? He would have to think about this.