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Dusk: The Return of Caligo Nox.



History is now a myth. A bedtime story that mothers tell their children. But soon it would return to being a reality…

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~One month ago~
“Chrystella Loitsu! Chrystella! Ella! Open the door!” The incessant voice was joined by thundering knocks upon the front door all of which echoed up to the top most room of the tower. Chrystella knew exactly who it was at the door, her young cousin Chryston who was a mix of Rune Wizard and Changed Werewolf. He had been coming over every week for the past few years and spouting on about wanting to find a way to break her immortal rune. But it was impossible and she had come to terms with that. The only thing her cousin was accomplishing was reopening old wounds and pouring salt on them. He thought he was doing her a favour but he was only hurting her. Today she drew a line, enough was enough and it was high time she set things straight. She did not want to hear another word about her cursed immortal rune.

Chrystella took her sweet time in getting to the front door, stopping to straighten crooked paintings and opening closed windows. Not once did she bother saying that she was almost there to let him in and so the knocking and yelling persisted. In what could have very likely been fifteen minutes, Chrystella finally opened the door and watched with a smile as he fell onto the floor by her feet.

“Oh good. I thought you couldn’t hear me. Perhaps you should invest in a door bell?” He suggested as he stood up, dusting away the invisible dirt on his pants. He moved in for a hug but Chrystella was already heading to the living room so he closed the door and followed after her.

“I think I found the answer this time Ella! I found out that Chrystoph Loitsu, your great, great, great, great, great grandfather and founder of the Rune Witch and Wizard line, had a secret study over on the human side of the barrier. If I can find it I am positive that I can also find the way to remove the immortal rune that the old hag gave you.” He exclaimed happily, too excited to sit down on the couch where Chrystella sat, a frown on her face. She gave him a moment to calm down before responding.

“Chryston, I know you mean well, but, I want you to stop this nonsense! There is absolutely nothing that I, you or anyone else can do to remove it. I have accepted this fact, why can’t you? You are my little cousin and I do not want you wasting your life on this stupid-“

“Exactly! I am your little cousin; I am eight years younger than you and already look older than you!” He exploded and grabbed hold of her arms, lifting her up from the couch. Momentarily forgetting his stronger than average strength caused by his half Changed blood. “Everyone else in our family is ignoring you like the plague. They think they are doing you a favour by not coming to visit! Have you even heard from your mother?” He dared to ask, it was a cruel thing to do, but he felt it was necessary. Until he caught sight of her tears and mentally kicked himself. He gently set her back down onto the couch and knelt in front of her.
“Oh Ella… I am sor-“
“… out…”
“What?”
“Get out!” She repeated louder and moved away from him. She didn’t think he could sink to that level, but he just did and it greatly upset her.
“They are doing me a favour! They know how it will break my heart to see them age right before my eyes! But you! You don’t even seem to care that it seems like only yesterday that you barely reached my shoulders and now tower over me! And who knows maybe tomorrow your hair will be greying and you’ll bring along your kids to visit me! You want to go over to the human side? Fine! But do not think that I will let you back! Now show yourself to the door!” She yelled through her tears and ran out of the living room, to the staircase which led to the tower.

Chryston was absolutely ashamed with himself. He had never seen her that upset before and he was the sole cause of it. He clenched his fists and made a decision. He was going to find the secret study and a way to break Chrystella’s immortal rune, even if it was the last thing he did. However before leaving he wrote a letter and placed it on the living room table.

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~Present time~
Chrystella safely placed the letter from Chryston into an inner pocket of her dark navy blue cape as she stood on the towers balcony, ready to leave on her daily barrier maintenance run. From her over-the-shoulder Space Rune bag, she pulled out her handmade Antigravity Flight Rune broom. Once comfortably settled, the broom rose from the balcony and took to the air. The air was cold as it usually was during this early hour but it had a biting chill and carried a dark intent. Something was stirring. Something dangerous.

Still awhile away Chrystella could hear the booming sounds of collision upon the barrier, but even from her vantage point above the tree tops, she could only see the resulting flashes of light as the barrier deterred and not what was making the impact. She wasn’t sure how long it had been going on for but once she returned home she would probably have inquiring guests. As she drew nearer to the barrier whatever it was causing the disturbance seemed to just vanish, that was until further along the barrier the disturbances began to reoccur. Heading over, whatever it was once again vanished only to reappear further along. The process repeated until Chrystella had finally had enough and directed her broom to lower back to the ground. The moment her feet touched the ground she hopped off the broom and carried it over with her to the barrier and pulled her crystal wand from her sleeves. Crouching down right before the barrier she infused the wand with her power, her eyes flashing different colours for each of the elemental runes she wrote onto the barriers surface. Next she wrote a command rune which caused the barrier to release a wave of repelling energy all the way along its length

Over on the other side of the barrier a humanoid form covered in writhing shadows approached. It seemed to be struggling with itself, one part wanting to go forward and the other wanting to go back to way it had come, yet it ever slowly continued forward. Chrystella rose from her crouch and stared curiously at it, her heart thumping loudly in her chest when it raised its hand in her direction as if reaching for her. No, not for her, but the very barrier itself, her eyes widened. Didn’t it know that it would be repelled back? No one or thing could enter the barrier unless they had an Entry Rune and only she provided them. Well, for a price, just as it had always been done by the barrier protectors before her. The Vampires were her biggest buyers and often always got the more expensive, 10 turn pass runes.

She jumped back just as the shadow covered hand touched the barrier. Instantly a light display began in response to a touch without an Entry Rune and tried repelling the intrusion. The shocks which would undoubtedly have been coursing through its form seemingly went unnoticed as its hand stayed flat against the barrier. Amazingly, the longer the hand remained more and more of the shadow was blown back and revealed what was underneath. A young man and as more shadows were removed the man became increasingly familiar.
“Chyston…” She whispered breathlessly and once the name left her lips his eyes darted to her. From sunken, sleep deprived eyes, tears began to form. His skin was chalky white and he looked severally malnourished, it was like the shadows had been draining his very life force. Suddenly things made sense. He did indeed know that the barrier would repel him without an Entry Rune, but it would also repel the shadows and that was what he had been counting on.

When the shadows were completely removed from his body, Chryston finally allowed himself to be blasted away from the barrier in a final flash of light. Chrystella ran after him, right through the barrier and to his side. Checking for injuries she only found a singed palm.

“I Found it… I-it exists and… and the answer is there. B-But, it’s my fault… My fault!” His weak body began to spasm from the strain and grabbing onto Chrystella’s arms he whispered, “He is back… And angry, very angry. With only a taste of my blood he saw my memories. H-he saw… you.” His words sent a shiver down her spine; however she ignored it and tried to calm him down.
“Shh it is alright now. It’s okay. I am here.” She cooed softly and pulled him into her lap, stroking his hair just like she use to when he was much younger. Sleepily he stared up at her and raised a bony, ice cold hand to her cheek.

“At least I didn’t fail my promise. Find the way to break the immortal rune, even if it is the last thing I do, so that Ella doesn’t have to be lonely. I just wish I could be there… to see you happy.” His whispers were getting increasingly harder to hear and his eyes stared at her unseeingly. Another tremor shook his body, yet he continued to speak.
“Flee… Hide... Just try... But your life…” The words faded and with an exhale of breath so too did his life. His arm falling limp. Hugging his body close, tears trailed down her cheeks. The next second she was watching in horror as his body began to blow away into the wind, like ash, catching the particles was futile as it only slipped right through her fingers. Not knowing what else to do, Chrystella threw her head back and screamed.
“Chryston!” She never got the chance to say sorry. Never got the chance to let him know just how much she loved it when he came over and how much he meant to her. And now she would never get the chance. She wouldn’t even get to give him a proper burial and his friends and family wouldn’t get to say their farewells.

Lost in her grief, three disfigured creatures approached from the bushes behind Chrystella. A crack of a branch under a sharply taloned paw finally alerted her to their presence. Looking back she jumped up in shock at what she saw. The creatures were definitely hybrids, but they slowly stalked forward like hungry mindless animals. They were no more than mere beasts and she was their pray. The closest one lashed out at her, its sharp claws slashing three wounds on her upper left arm. Gasping, she spun around and sprinted back to the barrier, hurriedly giving herself the Entry Rune on her palm. She passed though just before the three creatures pounced, their bodies colliding with the barrier and suddenly being thrown back. The shock did not deter them and they continued to throw themselves at the barrier. Wasting no more time she hopped on her broom and took flight back to her home. Her wound seeping blood through her fingers.

Cassandraswas running just about as fast as she could. Her reddy brown fur was covered in dirt, and, she felt herself shudder, some blood. She sniffed the air, panting, which was a challange in itself. Just breathing took a majority of her concentration.

Still being followed. She whined, ears flicking. you don't go out by yourself Cassie her older brother, Lucan s voice echoed in her head, just because hunting should be safe, doesnt mean it is this voice was her brotner Ignatius s.

She howled, long and loud, and heard the answering howls of four normal wolves. Cosmic was nearest, and he was running towards her.

She was running towards the barrier, not caring where she entered just hoping to enter safetly. Her entry rune only had one entry left, so she would have to see about getting anotner. Not that she was going to worry about that now.

Too late, she thought, hearing the thumping footsteps behind her. She didn't slow though. She was pretty darn fast, but she was wearing down. She braced herself for an attack, when there was a growl, the soft sound of a leaping wolf, and Cassandra reached the barrier, not even stopping.

she fell to the ground, panting. Cosmic. Sher pushed nerself, turning, but couldn't see any sign of the wolf, or what had been following her. She collapsed to the ground. She rested for what felt like an hour, but was probably less.

She should tell someone about this, see about hunting it down. She was more than sure it was a changed that had seriously gotten out of control. Not that she had stopped to look.

first though, a new entry rune. She set off for the Rune Witch's house, still in wolf form, limoing now, the cut on her right hind leg taking its toll.

Sighing as she watches the hybrids on the other side of the barrier looking at her, "Well at least they haven't realized I dropped an entry pass out there... Yet," shaking her head she turns to look at the Rune Witch's tower, "Good thing I always carry a back-up just in case. Though it is now out of uses so I should probably go get another one..." she winces as one of them picks up the pass. Before it had a chance to move forward she sends several knives flying at the hybrids killing the one holding the pass on the spot and wounding the other two.

"Well I should probably go get that," She runs out of the barrier as fast as she could collecting the Entry pass and most of her knives before running back through the barrier leaving the hybids in the dust, "Well time to go see the witch," putting her knives away and the pass in her pocket she starts heading towards the tower.

"And stay down!" the young, black-haired man yells at the body of a hybrid after slamming his foot onto the back of its' neck, snapping it beneath his boot. Panting, he looks around for more, but he and the one he just killed were the only ones around, allowing him to rest for a few precious moments. Sitting down, he rests his back against a tree and lets out a relieved sigh.

Ever since Zacary Dualis left his hometown, he's had to deal with these creatures on a near-constant basis. Crossing his arms behind his head, he mutters, "Man, I should just go back and just deal with them. This high-tension lifestyle really isn't for me." But I made a decision, he reminds himself. I can't go back. Even if I wanted to, it's too late, anyway. Suddenly, he hears a loud booming sound, as if someone were hitting a large, hollow object over and over again in a steady pattern. Curiosity winning out over the desire to relax, Zac rises to his feet with a sigh and jogs toward the sound.

Standing at the edge of the forest, Zac looks down into the shallow valley and catches the last of a series of flashes of light on the outside of a barrier surrounding a rather unique-looking building. "Wonder what that was about," he quietly mutters. Hearing a low growl behind him, he sighs and turns to find, surprise, yet another hybrid attempting to sneak up on him. "Alright, now I'm starting to get annoyed," he says.

Suddenly, black fur begins to sprout all over his body as he lowers himself to all fours. His arms and legs begin to lengthen and shorten while his face lengthens into a snout. Inside his mouth, his teeth lengthen and sharpen, becoming a series of fangs while his ears move to the top of his head and take on a triangular shape. Within seconds, standing in his place is a massive black wolf. The hybrid growls at him and lunges. Zac, seemingly lighter on his feet in this form than his human form, leaps out of the way. While still in the air, he turns to face the hybrid. Then, before it could react, he leaps at the hybrid, his mouth closing in on its throat. With a mighty shake of his head, he breaks the creature's neck and tosses the lifeless body aside. Shaking his head as he licks at his teeth and chops, Zac thinks, Oh, yeah, that's why I don't do this. Hybrid blood tastes awful!

Suddenly, a chorus of growls sound from the woods as even more hybrids begin closing in on him. Damn, there're too many, Zac realizes as he looks for a way to escape. Suddenly, he remembers the building within the barrier. Knowing that was his only option, he turns tail and takes off for the only safe haven around for miles.

As he draws nearer to the building and its barrier, he manages to make out a figure walking toward the building. Putting on an extra burst of speed, he runs toward the figure, who he realizes is a woman with long black hair, and leaps...only to be thrown back as he hits the barrier. After skidding across the ground a good couple of yards, he pushes himself to his paws and shakes his head before turning toward the encroaching hybrids.

As they creep closer, Zac backs up, barking threats at them while hoping the barrier wasn't sound-proof. Feeling his tail begin to press against the wall of the barrier, he stops and glares at each hybrid. Oh well, he thinks, a low growl rumbling from his throat. If I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die fighting! Snarling, he leaps forward and clamps his jaws on the nearest hybrid's throat while kicking out with his hind legs at the one to his target's left.

Cassandra was nearing the area around the Rune Witches house, when she heard the growling. Instinctively, she went low, looking about. She saw perhaps the wrost sight she had seen for a while. Hybrids closing in on a retreating werewolf.

Oh, how unlucky it was she didn't have another entry rune. She made a decision, running as fast as she could to the Rune witch, shifting mid stride as she got closer. She dug for her money, taking out enough for the 10 entry rune. She was near enough to see 0drops of blood. She sniffed, her nose not as powerful in humam form. But she knew enough to know it was wolf or vampire. That left human or witch, and given the proximity, she guessed the Rune witch was hurt. Well, she was safe on this sade of the barrier, safe enough. The wolf out there wasn't.

she reqched the house, "I need Entry rune! A wolf is stuck outside with hybrids, and I've run out of trips!" She called out, her voice urgent

The stinging pain was making it difficult for Chrystella to concentrate and so instead of landing on the towers balcony like she usually did, she resorted to entering the normal way. Through the front door.

Landing a little away from the door Chrystella noticed that no one had actually come to investigate what the disturbances were. Not lingering on the thought for long she shifted her grip over her wounded arm which was still slightly dripping blood and dragged her broom with her into the house. Inside she immediately rested her broom on the wall beside the door and went to the kitchen to get medical supplies.

Almost as soon as she finished binding her injury, she heard yells coming from the front door. The voice was urgent, but it wasn’t until she heard that a wolf was stuck on the othersider of the barrier with hybrids that she swiftly made her way over to the door with crystal want in hand. Opening the door she said:
“Show me the way! We can worry about the Entry Rune once we get rid of the hybrids!” She said hurriedly and drew the flight rune onto her shoes so that she would be able to keep up.

"This way" Dassandra said, and shifting again into her own wolf form, shaking herself to rid it of dust and dirt, grimacing at the feel of blood still drying in her fur, she srarted off, making haste. Thank goodness it was close.

She wondered just what was going on. Hybrids. She had been attack, and from the looks of things, so had this wolf. She went faster, remembering how many there had been, hoping it wasn't too late. She circled back around, urging tne rune witch on, going back ahead.

While the girl ran forward, shifting into wolf form. Chrystella, not quite use to flight rune shoes, lagged slightly behind and lost sight of the were-girl. But moments later the wolf reappeared, having probably circled back and Chrystella apologised and got her bearings. Finally following closely behind with feet hovering over the ground due to the flight rune embedded shoes on her feet.

As they got closer to the barrier, Chrystella could see and big black wolf currently facing off against a group of hybrids. There were quite a fair amount of them and so she prepped a Fire Targeting Attack Rune. As soon as she passed through the barrier, she aimed the rune at the hybrid closest to the black wolf and the deformed creature was hit by a fiery laser beam.

-

Cassandra followed, growling and leaping at one, quickly and with a bit of difficulty taking it down. She twisted, leaping on another. How many were there? She didn't stop to count, just attacked and tried not to get herself injured or killed.

She thumped to the ground, scrambled up before the hybrid coukd leap on her, growled baring her teeth and attacked, her jaws bitting oowerfully into its flesh. She grimaced at the taste, but didnt let go

Seeing the battle Say'ri sighs before drawing her sword, "As much as I [i]hate dealing with hybrids I just can't watch someone else do all the fighting plus it looks like the Rune Witch is over there so perfect timing..."[/i] She dashes out cutting two down in quick succession before stopping by the Rune Witch, "Looks like you could use some help!" before dashing off to attack some more hybrids, "This really cant be a good sign... this is the 8th group of hybrids I've seen today..."

Before Zac really knew what was happening, he was suddenly joined by another werewolf, a Rune Witch, and the woman he saw. Turning back to the hybrids, now considerably fewer thanks to the three newcomers and his earlier attack, he lets out a growl, as if acknowledging what the woman said. Then, without wasting another moment, he pounces once more, barreling into a hybrid. Before it could recover, he places a massive paw on its chest and tears its throat out. He then lets out a few challenging barks, as if saying, The odds are even, now. Still wanna go on?

Cassie, already exhausted from her flight from what ever had chased her, She nevertheless fought bravely. How many more? She was injuried, hadn't had a chsnce to look at that.

She leaped back from an attack, then leaped forward again, tearing with her claws, pushing the hybrid down, rolling so she was on top, going for its throat,

she yipped, hoping it was nearly over

Explode and sent the hybrids around her flying back so that she could focus on casting yet another. Quickly she crouched down and wrote the runes Earth and Trap. Once the hybrids shook of the shock of being flung back they ran forward and towards her. As the first two entered into her runes effective radius, the very earth they stood on trapped their feet and the others came to a stop before they met the same fate. The two trapped hybrids received a fiery laser beam. And the others, well, seeing as they were now outnumbered, they backed down yet still growled threateningly before turning tail and darting away with a few of the remaining ones.

“Is everyone alright?” Chrystella asked and looked to everyone.

Cassandra sank to the ground, panting, and spitting out blood, fur and skin. When she could she shifted, I spected the wound along her leg. "Im fine. Just exhausted, and wishing I nad about a river full of water to rid myself of this taste"

She ran her fingers through her nair, breathing iut slowly, "I am Cassandra. You can call me Cassie if you want. I was attacked earlier from something too"

Zac, panting, watches the hybrids run off after realizing they didn't stand a chance. Hearing the Rune Witch speak, Zac looks back at her and opens his mouth to reply, only to stop once he realized he was still in wolf form. Quickly, he shifts back, hampered slightly by his wounds, none of which were too serious, and says, "I'm fine, just a bit scratched and banged up. When those things get into groups like that, it's harder than hell to fight them off alone." Hearing the other werewolf mention the bad taste, he chuckles and says, "Don't worry, you get used to it. It just takes a long, long time." Walking over to her, he holds his hand out to help her to her feet and says to everyone, "I'm Zac. Nice to meet you all."

Sheathing her sword she looks around, "I'm fine but the sheer number of hybrids around can't be a good thing," looking around she notices the other wolfs injury and swallows hard,"I really should have stopped and drank some blood on the way..."

Returning her attention to the Rune Witch, "We should probably get back into the barrier before continuing any discussion and get any wounds treated."

Cassandra smiled, and accepted his hand, getting to her feet, "thanks, but I don't think I will ever get use to it. It really is quite foul" she looked about, wary. "I used my last entry rune, so it would be great to get anotner. I have enough for a ten tripper"

She examined her nails, which had dirt underneath them, her skin was dusty dirt covered, and yes, b, oodied, "I wouldn't say no to a wash either"

"It's nice to meet you Cassie and Zac, I am Chrystella, though Ella is probably easier to remember.” She said and turned to the still unnamed other girl. “Yes that is probably a good idea. Wouldn’t want more of those things appearing. Now who needs an Enty Rune?” She asked and looked back to the two werewolves. Both of which were injured in various places. Then Cassie spoke. “No, no. It’s on me. You don’t need to pay for anything.”

“My house isn’t far from here if you would want to go there. I have medical supplies. Food. Water. And we can discuss things inside. I have much to tell you which could answer a few questions about the hybrids.” She paused and held up her crystal wand. “I’ll give you an entry rune now so that we can head to my house. Just give me your hand.”

Zac, having noticed Cassie's injury on her leg, takes her arm and drapes it over his shoulders, deciding to let her use him as support. "You don't need to put anymore weight on that than necessary," he says with a smile, looking back up at Ella as she asks for their hands. Walking up to her, he holds out his hand and asks the witch, "So, are there any towns or anything nearby? I haven't seen hide nor hair of anyone else after leaving my hometown."