The first thing David smelled was the sea. The soft, gentle winds hit his face like a lazy wakeup call. The smell was almost intoxicating to the man, as if he hadn't smelled it in years. That wouldn't be too far off. Slowly, his eyes opened to reveal a beach. Waves gently rolled in, seagulls called out as they swept across the water. On the beach he could make out umbrellas and towels in the distance, but he was next to an old pier. He had been sitting in a beach chair, and as he rose he could feel the pain in his joints and legs.

My name is David. I live by the sea, completely happy. I'll go to work selling bait to hopeful fishermen, usually close up early to fish myself, and take a nap on the coast with my favorite chair.

His mind spoke as if he reminded himself where he was. Turning around, he could see the skyline of Manhattan, and although he knew it was New York, he wasn't quite sure he had visited. He looked around for a moment, still a little confused on where exactly he had to go. He was dressed in worn jeans, some converse sneakers, and a dark blue flannel. He definitely looked like a fisherman, alright... David noticed then a bag next to the chair, and a rusty looking fishing harpoon. Gently, the man picked it up, and a very eerie feeling swept through him. A large gust of wind flew by him, giving a stronger smell of the sea. He felt like he and this harpoon has seen a lot of things together. David smiled gently, setting it aside for now. Opening the bag, he found a notebook, a few hundred dollars in cash, some water... and an old coin.

David picked up the golden coin, wiping the dirt off the surface to see what it said. It looked foreign... Like, it was written in.

I am Poseidon. God of the Sea.

the voice boomed in his head, causing him to drop the coin. He breathed shakily, picked up the coin, and examined it. It certainly was a Greek coin, with a trident symbol on it as well as words he couldn't necessarily make out. He slid the coin in his pocket, and focused on the notebook within. The book was almost completely empty, except for one page with names:



Eight names... And he had absolutely no correlation he could come up with. He had never heard these names before, but for some reason, he knew they meant something.

"Hey there, Friend!" Someone called out.

David turned to see a rather large man in beach attire, holding a metal detector. He smiled at David warmly. "Hello." David called before turning back to the bag, throwing it around his shoulders, and grabbing the harpoon. "You seem lost. Don't know exactly where you are or where you came from?" He called out. Chills went down David's spine. The man chuckled. "Don't worry. They'll find you, or you'll find them eventually... Hopefully soon."

David had no idea what this man was talking about, but he had a feeling it had to do with the names in the book. "Do you know where I can find them?" He walked closer to the man. "Not necessarily... They're somewhere there." He pointed towards Manhattan's skyline. "That's the problem with treasure hunting. Sometimes you find you find what you're looking for..." The man's smile turned sinister. "And sometimes you find some faulty readings."

In a swift motion the large man swung the metal detector, and in the glint of the sunlight, turned into a large axe. David luckily lifted the harpoon to deflect the blow, but sent him flying backwards. The man laughed. "You reek of the Gods..." He inhaled sharply. "I remember you, Sea God." David fought to get back up, once again holding his harpoon up to stop the blow. This time, it felt like instinct took over. In the same movement David flipped the edge of the harpoon into the man, and sliced the side of his torso. The man gave out a demonic scream, causing David to step back.

David backed up to the ocean, feeling the waves engulf his feet. The man with the metal detector started to get blurry in David's eyes. Blinking a few times, he noticed the man change shape. David was stunned to see the man's lower body stay relatively the same... but his torso and head had turned into a Bull. "The Minotaur." David breathed.

"You remember me." The beast spoke. David felt like the two had had a long history with one another, and it wasn't necessarily a friendly one. "You tricked my mother, tricked me into going into that horrible maze. Now that you are mortal, I can finally exact my revenge!" The minotaur roared and charged at David. He was beyond scared, he tried to dodge but was hit horribly in the side, flying deeper into the sea.

His head hurt, he saw stars, and the side of his torso was absolutely bleeding. He felt like giving up, but then, as he tried to inhale the water to accept defeat... He could breathe? David opened his eyes, not phased by the salty liquid going into his eyes. His clothes were completely dry, and the pain in his side slowly faded. Through his shirt, he saw that the cut had shrunk.

Rise Poseidon, God of the Sea.

David swam back up to the surface, which seemed to surprise the Minotaur. "You're not yet powerful enough to kill me, Poseidon." He bellowed. "No, but I can stop you." A feeling in his guy lurched forward, sending a large wave over the beach, engulfing the creature. As much as he tried to claw at the sand, the Minotaur was dragged into the sea. "You cannot stop us! They will come after all of you! Humanity is lost!" He screamed before being pulled underwater.

David made it back to the shore, and fell to his knees. He was exhausted. The feeling in his gut had disappeared. He panted, shaking slightly at what he had just seen. He looked at his harpoon, hearing a small hum come to it, as if trying to speak to him. He didn't know what all of this meant... but maybe, the people on the list could. Slowly rising to his feet, David placed the harpoon on the side of his backpack, wrapping it tight before he looked for a way into New York City.

The noise was startling as she heard the electronic music announcing some event then there was this rattle accompanied by metallic splashes and when her vision cleared she was puzzled to see a bucket of coins filling before her. Two men in dark suits appeared beside her one looking over each shoulder, the one on her left saying “Miss would you please come with us?''

Still confused and blaming it on her drink she felt like she was floating when in fact the men were carrying her.

“We brung her Boss” they said in chorus

“Set the Lady on the couch and give us some privacy” the big man behind the desk said causing the thugs to retreat

Yawning she heard “Sleepy Miss Omen?”

“Well yes actually, what happened” she answered with a question because she still hadn’t figured it out.
“You just won the $52,745 premium payout slot, earlier you ran a craps table to the tune of $63,219 bucks, I’d say you was cheating but I’ve kept an eye on you since you was up 18,000 at the dice so you’re good there but we have a problem."

“The Dust Bunny doesn’t want your business any more, you’re banned. See the cashier and then check out and don’t even look back” grumbled broke nose Jimmy the operations man here. Inwardly he was cursing because this dame had taken him for $115,964 after only 4 hours in his shop and if the commission wasn’t breathing down his neck he’d have had her tossed out lucky if he left her her shoes.
An hour later Felicity was standing in Valet parking with the two nice gentlemen who’d helped her to their bosses office. She had cashed out and taken the casino up on their offer to pay the taxes leaving her a bit over 72 grand 5 grand in cash and the rest in a cashier’s check.

“Why are we standing here?” she asked still confused

“Your car ya ditzy dame.” chuckled the one she’d heard called Antonio

About that time a car that stood out in the line of expensive machines waiting to advance. It was a 1974 Super Beetle Convertible in perfect condition. The men walked her to ti and the young man who’d been driving it hopped out and offered her the keys which she took and somehow slipped him a C-note in a single smooth motion.

As she drove away the two men nodded to a paid LEO to follow her, the boss wanted that check. She drove down the main drag and as she did she wondered why this town was so familiar and she didn’t know it at the same time.

For 15 minutes the LEO followed her waiting for the opportunity to pull her over and shake her down, the check she had would net him about 7 grand in reward and he needed to get his boat fixed. She drove like grandmother obeying every law and on those roads with the most camera giving him no opening. So intent on following her the LEO ran a red light but being that he was in a cop car it didn’t cross his mind to worry, that’s when a trolley hit him.

Felicity was 3 hours outside Vegas on Route 66 when Brokenose Jimmy heard the cop had lost her because he’d be in an accident, she was sipping a huge lemonade and thinking about horses.

It had been a long day. Daciana was on her way home, walking as quickly as she could with her cane back to her cheap studio apartment on the outskirts of New York City. Well, it was relatively cheap, in comparison to the prices of the other apartments nearby and especially those that lay deeper inside the city limits. Still, $1500 was a lot of money and it didn't make itself, so Dacia had been out and about making her rounds, providing the locals and tourists alike with affordable.... err, prescriptions. She had taken the time to collect on a few debts as well, since she was currently in need of a few extra household items, and she would also have to figure something out in terms of dinner. Since she didn't have a car, Dacia was used to having to do a lot of walking. She was grateful for the pretty excellent physical shape that she was in for it (and also due to the fact that she worked out often, in case she ever needed to handle some 'business matters' or discrepancies), but it was still exhausting, and she definitely felt one hell of a migraine coming on.

By the time that Dacia had nearly reached her apartment, her head was pounding, and she knew that as soon as she got inside, she was going to administer herself a bit of her own medicine. These were the only thoughts that she usually had, really: thoughts of making money, thoughts of keeping herself housed and fed and clean, and thoughts of suffering/pain. She couldn't shake it. In fact, she even tried to physically shake her head back and forth, hoping that the spots in her vision would clear up this way. However, this only seemed to make matters worse. Dacia blinked hard, but the image before her did not dissipate, and she figured she must be hallucinating. Maybe she was dehydrated from being out in the sun all day. Whatever it was, it was concerning, because before her stood a large, stoic grey wolf.

A wolf? Alone on the streets of New York? Impossible. Daciana knew she was mentally ill, but surely she wasn't this crazy? But throughout all of these thoughts and attempts to grasp at a possible explanation, the wolf remained, standing tall but complacent, and making no effort to move toward her or harm her. Then, suddenly, the wolf made a high-pitched whining noise; was it a whimper? Dacia looked at the wolf with narrowed eyes, but as it continued to whine, she approached it cautiously. She had her cane, and a somewhat large knife in the back pocket of the black jean skirt she was wearing, but she didn't know if that would be enough to fend the wolf off were it to attack... As Dacia neared the beast, though, she noticed that it was bleeding, wounded deeply in its left side. Forgetting all thoughts of her own safety, she moved quickly to the creature's side and examined it. When she touched the grey fur, the animal made another sound, but did not move. Dacia met its crystal blue eyes and saw that the animal was afraid, but not aggressive.

When Dacia looked back to the wolf's side is when she became truly flabbergasted. For there where the deep gash and blood had once been remained nothing but perfectly intact, soft fur. There was no sign of the previous mark Dacia had seen, and to her amazement, the wolf gave her one last look and then seemingly disappeared into the background. Stumbling into her apartment, Dacia lit a candle, set up her rig, and took a few hits, making certain her blinds were all closed. Eventually, she passed out, perhaps due to shock, or because she had succumbed to the terrible headache that plagued her that afternoon.

*CHINK* *CHINK* *CHINK*

The soft rhythm of the hammer beating against metal was soothing. He was making.... something, he couldn't remember. He just remembered the tongs in his hand, the heat from the furnace, and the steady rhythm of the swing.

*CHINK* *CHINK* *CHINK*

Working the metal let him forget all of his thoughts, all of his feelings, it was like he was being reborn. But what was he making? His hands seemed to understand the shape, but his mind was blank, like a forgotten dream. The even rhythm of the hammer and the heat of the metal became the only things that existed in the world, and that was fine.

He stopped.

It looked like he was hammering out the rough form of an inch long curved claw. He walked over to the grinder, it needed to be shaped and cleaned up. At the grinder bench he was surprised to see seven other claws, perfectly polished; and there, next to the claws, there were the gauntlets for which they were made. He was fashioning a weapon, why? He didn't let his thoughts interrupt his work and he began to work the thick claw on the grinder. The metal was hard, and getting a good grind was going to take some time.

THUMP-THUMP! There was a heavy bang on the door.

"Come in!" Bob yelled and turned to the door opposite his bench. A child walked in, a boy, maybe ten years old. Bob smiled, "Hello there little one," he said in a gruff voice, "that's an awful big knock you got there. What can I do for you?"

The boy walked towards where Bob was standing, his shoulders and legs seemed to twitch and his jaw was slack. Bob noticed that his eyes were solid black with a small green dot for a pupil. "WhY DId you leT us Die, PaPa!" came a growling voice unnatural to the body from which is came, "whY, WHy!? DoN't you loVe us PaPA?"

"You need to stop there, friend." Bob said, hardness creeping into his voice, "I don't know you."

The boy creature vaulted across the room and with a shriek leapt onto Bob! He grappled the creature whose face had now extended and grown sharp teeth and a probing tongue, green spittle spattered over Bob's face as he grunted in effort. The two spun in circles around the room, crashing into tools and half finished projects hanging along the walls. The boy bit and snapped at Bob's face, "WHY DON'T YOU LOVE US PAPA!?!?!? WHY DID YOU LET THEM ALL DIE??" The voice screeched from the boy creature's face even as its maw tried to bite off Bob's face.

With a grunt of effort Bob lifted the boy-creature into the air, the monster growled and barked and tried to bite into Bob's face, its limbs punching and kicking the older man with no effect. "I. Don't. Know. You. Child!" Bob yelled, and he pitched the monster head first into the hot furnace he used to temper his steel. The monster screamed and flailed as its head melted but soon its kicking stopped and it lay still, the fire popping as its head burned.

Bob walked over to the front door and bolted it shut, upset about the idea of killing a child and disturbed about the fact that he just got attacked by a monster. He went back to his workbench and using the little tools he had he put the elements of the gauntlet together and slipped the completed one onto his right hand, it felt good, natural. He took the glove off and began to work the final claw for the other. He didn't remember when he started this project, but he figured he knew what he needed them for. Curse those beasts for taking the face of a child, curse them!

---

The soft texture of the ball scrapped against her palm as she threw it far down the field. A muscular Rottweiler sprinted from her side after the object. Lilith watched as he skidded over the ball in his excitement and suddenly just disappeared from her view. Springing into action she ran over to were the mutt had gone, the backpack on her back bouncing repetitively on her shoulders. Upon arrival she could see him at the bottom of the hill that connected to the beach. The clumsy dog probably had tumbled down it. The lithe woman bent down and retrieved the tennis ball, dusting it off a bit with her hand.

"Beros, you`re so dum!" She called down to the dog as he was trying to get back up the hill to her.

She looked in front of her and took in the view. The ocean licked the sand and retreated, only to come again. The waves were never completely identical. The New York skyline just over the body of water. It was a view that most people would pay obnoxious amounts of money to see every day. Her ebony hair wisped in the humid wind and she was glad to be wearing a chunky black sweater and jeans. A thought suddenly occurred to her.

She could remember Beros, sorta, and she knew where she was. However how on earth she got here, she couldn't quite recall.

Trying to remember felt like breathing through cloth. It was so muddled and foggy. The more she tried the more it felt like it all was slipping away. "What the hell?" It wasn't like she'd just appeared here! Perhaps thinking too hard on it would only make things worse. "I`ll just go home," she said rubbing her temples, her furry companion had finally managed to drag his chunky body back up the hill to her. "Let's go Beros," turning around she was struck with another question. "Where do I even live?"

A long groan tore from her vocal cords as she turned back around and sat down with her legs laid out down the incline. Beros laid down next to her and laid his head on her lap. Lilith took off her backpack and unzipped it, hoping something in here could give her some kind of clue as to how to get home.

The backpack consisted of a book, some pens, a notebook, a burner phone, and some miscellaneous items. Her ID and about a good bit of money was in her wallet. Although she had no problem knowing who she was, at least she was sure her name was Lilith Henderson. Just incase she took a peak at the ID.

And that would be correct.

Thrilled by the news she wasn't completely insane. She was puzzled by one item in the backpack. A toy pitchfork, colored black with spikes at the ends, totally meant as part of a costume. A strange item but she decided to search through the phone first. It was dead. Alright on to the notebook. It was bound in leather, no doubt on the more expensive end quality wise. As she was going to open it when yelling entered her ears and Beros quickly took off. "Beros!"

Lilith dropped the notebook back in the bag and ran after her dog, putting it back on once it was zipped fully. The last thing she needed was more lost things. The yelling stopped before she got to the scene and Beros had stopped moving but he was staring intently at a stranger walking away from the beach. Against her better instincts she ran after him. "Excuse my sir, I heard screaming are you alright?" As she jogged up and saw his face something stirred in her. A lot of complicated emotions. Anger. Fear. Regret. Abandonment. Distrust.

"Brother," a single word left her pale lips.

What did she just say! She did not just call this random guy that she for sure has never met, brother! "I`m sorry, I don't know why I said that. I heard yelling and my dog ran over here and he seems interested in you. You don't seem hurt though." Lilith rambled wishing the ground would consume her.

Earlier, in a small town in Maine...

Several dead bodies lay on the floor of a local restaurant. The slender young man was dressed in a pink jacket, with white dress pants. He stroked his spiky, blonde hair and giggled as he peaked at the still crawling fifth man, who stretched his hand out for mercy. This plea for mercy would be ignored as Harry simply flicked his index finger in a magical gesture, poking the man's right eye out. This man, covered from head to toe in lacerations, seemingly from a very sharp knife or other bladed weapon, finally died of blood loss.

Harry giggled again. "It's true what they say. Blondes do have more fun."

The manager hid behind the counter, shivering in fear at the supernatural spectacle that had just occurred. It was around five minutes ago, and Seven sleazy jerks, who had routinely harassed and terrorized some of the inhabitants of town had just been massacred. Seeing that Harry really liked to "stand out", the gang had gotten the idea to take him away, "have some fun with him", then murder him somewhere outside town limits.

Unfortunately for them, their "target" was none other than the reincarnation of Hecate, goddess of witchcraft. The first man, a young looking, handsome, but still evil jerk, forced Harry out of his seat and pressed his mouth against Harry's. Harry quickly responded by knocking him across the face with his fist, causing teeth to fly. By now all the customers of the restaurant had left.

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Leave me alone. I'm in a good mood. So if you go away and leave me alone, I'll leave you alone. If you press me any further, you'll regret it." The other men laughed, as the restaurant manager took out his shot gun, pointing it behind one of the thugs. "Get out of my restaurant!" He demanded. "Fred", the heavy set, taller man, with very prominent muscles would respond to this by snatching the manager's weapon from his hands, and aiming it at the man's groin.

Harry smiled, as if bearing a set of fangs. "That wasn't nice." The lights of the restaurant would all shatter, and suddenly this local eatery would be pitch black inside, at High Noon, as if it were Midnight. Sitting down back for his meal, the first man's throat would be slashed open, four of the other men would feel cuts suddenly slicing across their whole bodies, from head to toe, with two of the men suddenly bursting out of the double doors as if in sheer terror. It was a miracle they didn't stumble or run into the walls in absolute panic.

Vanessa Onasis
Bryant Park - New York

A strawberry blonde woman sat front row at a fashion show. She was Vanessa Onasis, one of biggest names in fashion, ever. She was the editor in chef of the most influential fashion magazines. In the fashion show, her word was law. While she was taking notes on the lovely designer fashions that walked down the runway, she also took notice of the handsome male models that also took the stage. One of them would be fun boy toy to play with for the night.

After the show, Vanessa went backstage where the models were changing. She was easily able to do that with a flash of her press pass to the security guard. For some reason, men always seemed to fall over themselves when ever she spoke to them. Backstage, Vanessa approached the first male model she saw. “Well hello there handsome. Vanessa Onasis, Couture Magazine. You were wonderful in that show. You really pulled off those stylish clothes.” Then she grabbed him by his tie, and pulled the man close to her face “But what I really want to see is you out of those clothes. If you catch my drift. How about the two of us head back to my house and have a little fun together, hm? I promise, I’ll make it worth your while.”

The male model stuttered trying to find the answer. Then he was interrupted by the sound of an obviously female voice. “Back off bitch, he doesn’t belong to you.”

Vanessa rolled her eyes. Someone was being territorial it seemed. She looked to see an angry looking woman with pale skin and dark hair. “Well, I don’t see your name on him honey.”

Then the woman screamed as she grew bat wings, her hands and feet turned into black claws and talons, and her dark hair turned into angry hissing snakes, Then, the woman charged at Vanessa claws unfurled. The woman barely managed to dodge, though her good clothes got damaged in the process. At this point, everyone in the room panicked, and started to run and scream.

Vanessa ran away herself, but that... creature whatever it was still chased her. She approached that security guard she saw earlier. “You, you’re a big strong man. Do something!” She exclaimed as she pointed to the demon bat that was now chasing her.

But before the man could do anything, the bat demoness tore the poor man apart with her claws. She slashed up his entire body, and stabbed him in his heart. This left bloody entrails all over the floor. It was quite gruesome. “You’re next harlot!”

---

Asha look angrily at her phone while waiting for her morning coffee, she got up around 8:00 and now teacher is telling everyone that class is cancel, it seem like this message have been sent a minute ago You could have sent this like hours ago Asha thought angrily "Latte for Asha.....Jazz, Asha Jazz" Asha sigh, of course they can't read her last name right "Here and it's Asha Jaziri. Jaziri" Asha say to barista "Oh! Sorry about that and I'm sorry that your coffee may be cold, we are just busy today" And of course there is that, today to not Asha day.

Asha sat under the tree at Central Park while her mind is still sleeping and barista is right, her latte is cold. Her mind have been stressful lately, at first it was easy but lately, the questions are becoming harder and harder, maybe this was a mistake, Asha knew that she couldn't handle getting a bachelor degree. Is it too late to drop out? How will her parents react? Will they see Asha as a failu- "Aaah! Son of a bitch!" Asha say out loud, her Latte has become extremely hot, even though it was cold for minute ago. And for some reason, Asha didn't feel pain for the burn on her lips, it was gone away all of sudden, what the hell is going on?

While to progress is going on, Asha spot something up in the air, at first glance, it looks like birds...Big birds....Birds that have bat wings and bat features....And the bats look demon-like....And it seems that they are flying toward Asha....I knows that this was already say this but...today to not Asha day.

David

A reply to @Smystar99

There was a lot to unpack in those fifteen minutes. His head swirled with information, memories coming and going as he desperately tried to find out what the hell just happened. That couldn't have been real, that was just some stupid prank that his boss pulled on him, right? Wait... did he even have a boss? David put a hand to his head and closed his eyes, desperately trying to remember. He couldn't even remember if he had a last name! He took a deep breath, and listened to the ocean. It was rather clear that he and the beach had some sort of connection. He at first thought he was a lowlife fisherman, but it seemed he was much more. He looked back at the waters, seeing if there was any sign of that beast that attacked him. Nothing. He felt the pull within his stomach again, though, as he watched the waves. He thought back to the voice that boomed in his head, calling him--what was it?

Poseidon.

The name felt familiar... Almost soothing in a sense. Slowly he turned back to Manhattan. The answers to all of this was in that city. He just needed to find the names on the list, hopefully they can give him more answers than the beast.

Suddenly, he heard a dark bark, and it made his skin crawl. A Rottweiler came storming at him, and as it got closer, a sense of dread washed over him. Guardian. Hell. Death. He stepped back as the dog approached. It wasn't hostile, but it definitely gave David an uneasy feeling, as if it was speaking to him through his eyes. He knew this dog, but how was that even possible--

"Beros!" A female voice screamed. The figure ran up to him, and just the sight of her gave him a wave of nausea. He almost fell to his knees, but the sea air gave him a boost of confidence. His dark green eyes surveyed her features, and the whispering in his head got louder, reciting the words "Death" and--

"Brother." He muttered almost at the exact same time as she did. He looked away embarrassingly. Why on earth did he just say that? It was confusing to say the least, but there was something very familiar about her... He coughed slightly, looking at her, and the dog before slowly nodding, giving a weak smile. "Yeah, no. I'm completely fine just... Some excited tourists on a treasure hunt." He tried to explain the situation without sounding crazy. The dog Beros sniffed at David intensely, but he backed up hesitantly, as if knowing it would do something if he didn't keep his guard up. "I..." He started, looking at her with curiosity. "I'm sorry. Have we-have we met, before? It's just... I am have a really hard time remembering things lately, and you look very familiar." He tried to explain, but not necessarily knowing how to. He couldn't really say that a Minotaur attacked him after he woke up, and he dragged the beast into the sea.

Vincent Spinilli had worked VIP Parking at Belmont track’s Empire club 15 years and seen it all that was till today. She drove up in a 59 Edsel Corsair white with blue trim and wheels in perfect condition, a car she won off Jay Leno in Las Vegas.

She was more noticeable than the car as she stepped out, tall with pale skin, green eyes and hair shimmering platinum silk that caught and trapped nearby colors as highlights. She was an easy 6 foot tall and slender without being skinny and when she smiled he was a deer in the headlights then she flashed her club card and he felt his blood race. It was Miss Omen and the smart guys would follow her around matching her, she was after only a year a legend in the racing world with an eye for winners hitting the triple crown stakes last year while turning at least a trifecta in each race. He rushed to park her car and as he did he called his boss telling him Omen was here today and soon the buzz was everywhere.

Felicity couldn’t help but smile as she enter her temple as she liked to think of several tracks having no recognized religion except gambling.

On her body she was adorned with charms of luck that she believed completely and strangely for some reason did bring her good fortune. Besides they were beautiful to her, some even making her strangely sentimental her eyes moist and a breath away from tears.

She was greeted like a queen by those members of the Track club many she’d never met because of her being here when she took the triple crown.

“So lovely to finally meet you Miss Omen, Rutherford Mills at your service” said a friendly and wealthy man about 60 with a bow to her making her feel gloriously worshiped.

Ford as his friends called him was stunned to find the stories about her were true, she was tall and ghostly with a childlike face and eyes that were older than time. There was something about her that told him to seek only her favor.

Marcus Cook watched as Ford got to her first and hoped he’d not be stingy with her then laughed into his sleeve when the Track officials dropped by and asked her if she’d allow them to offer her a private booth compt. Bastards wanted her to bet for herself and not see the crowd sway to her bets so he went over to console Ford and see if she gave a little hint.

Once in a private booth complete with service from drinks to taking bets the later she did none of just enjoying free snacks and drinks. She didn’t bet because she knew some would ride her choices and if too many did swing her odds so her payout was smaller later down the line. Felicity didn’t need to bet because she already had staking 6 intelligent yet homeless people she’d picked who'd get 20% for acting as proxy.

Something in the shadows was stalking Felicity and it was mad with frustration because of how she’d dodged every attack all the while acting as if she were oblivious

When Daciana awoke later that evening, it was beginning to get dark outside of her apartment. She thought that this was strange, because it seemed a little bit to early to be so dark at this time of year, but she sat up, rubbed her eyes, and shrugged it off. After all, Dacia had encountered stranger things than an ominous sky before her nap; or alternatively, maybe the wolf she had seen was simply a dream, all in her head... Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that the wolf had been all-to-real, and that it had meant something. Upon standing, she felt a cold chill run through her body also, so she decided to change her clothes, donning a white cotton tank-top and leggings, and then pulling a heavy black sweater on over that, paired with some converse. Before walking outside onto her apartment balcony, Dacia pulled out one of her favorite scales, a shiny silver on matte black, and weighed out a bit of something to perk her up. As usual, Dacia had put the exact amount that she had planned to onto the scale, and it read even without her having to adjust it whatsoever. She never had any issue with eyeballing the stuff, and she only measured it in order to make sure that she wasn't cutting into her customers' stash. As she thought more on this, she realized that she wasn't exactly sure how many customers she currently had, or even how she had met any of them...

Feeling a bit queasy now and with a rush of anxiety pulsing through her, Dacia stepped out onto the balcony, picked up one of her best pieces and loaded it swiftly. Taking a lighter to the piece, she inhaled deeply, attempting to get rid of all of the bad, uneasy thoughts and emotions that had been running through her mind, body, and spirit since she finished working that afternoon. She observed a few passers-by walking the city streets below her, and chuckled to herself, knowing that she was mostly shielded by a large overhanging tree branch, but also not really caring about whether or not she was seen. She would simply have to pay a small fine if she was apprehended, and that amount of money was nothing in comparison to what she would make back the next day. In this moment, all was finally serene. As the plant overtook her, she began to relax, breathing in slowly before a few harsh coughs racked her ribs, and then she once again felt peaceful. Her eyes started to glaze over after a few more hits, and she was feeling much more in touch with herself, her wants, her needs, her essence...

Suddenly, as if a volt of electricity had hit her, Dacia snapped out of her dreamy haze and her sharp green eyes flew open, her breathing rugged. "Daciana Adomi" she thought, but the name suddenly felt as foreign to her as it was familiar. She was remembering something, dim, confusing flashes of another life playing before her eyes (but in all actuality, inside her own mind) and yet she couldn't fully understand what was going on, or what it meant. Dacia tried to really concentrate, but she couldn't get any more out of the onslaught of memories at this time. All her thoughts were now of the underworld, and the name "Anubis" continually repeated itself in her head. Dacia sat there and pondered all of this, for how long she was unsure, setting her glass piece and lighter down on a little wooden dresser beside her.

---

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Asha say to herself while demon bats are hovering over her. This can't be real, right?! This has to be a dream! Asha is still sleeping in her apartment and just late to class or something! Sophia would knock on her door and tell Asha to wake up and there will be no flying demon bats chasing her! The demon bats are coming at Asha, she need to hide, fast! While running, Asha rest past a group of people running away in a panic, are they also seeing flying bats? Well, at least Asha is not the only one having a bad day. Without having a second thought, Asha rush towards a alleyway and run in the back door of some building and close the door. Asha lungs are already giving out and her forehand is sweaty "Huff...Huff...Ok...Ok...I'm going to wait until everything calm down....Then everything will be......Oh, fuck off, universe." Asha finally understand why everyone was running away panicking, not because of the demon bats, it was because of a lady with some huge ass bat wings.

Asha look on in horror of a another monster, she looks almost human but her human parts were replace with bats features. Her claws were covering in blood, the floor is full of some guy remains, Asha body is shaking and frozen in fear, her mind went blank by this point, she stares at the bat lady, who is about to kill her next victim, Asha needs to get out of here and don't look back and ignore the model cries of help, that is what her mind is telling.....But her heart says save that lady.

Then all sudden, her body starts moving on it own, running toward the bat lady, Asha mind is telling the body to stop and run away but her body is not listen! Asha grab the model wrist and throw her into the floor behind her, just as the bat claws about slash Asha into bits.....Asha raise her hand at the bat lady....Then a fire ball came out.

Bat lady screams in pain as the fire is melting her body, Asha look at her hand where the fire came out, it was smokey….What the hell just happen? Asha then look at the model on the floor "What the hell are you still laying down for?! Let's get the fuck out of here!" Asha then grab the model wrist with her non-smokey hand and then run outside, hoping no demon bats and bat lady is chasing them.

---

This was some kind of weird joke right? He didn't just utter the same word as her, right? I mean obviously she was a woman, not a man, right? A pulse of dull pain seemed to course through her head. This was all bizarre and confusing. She couldn't just tell people she couldn't remember a god damn thing about her life. They would lock her in a mental institute.

"Well I`m glad you're alright," she replied awkwardly, noting mentally that she had not seen a single person while running over to him.

Lilith noticed Beros sniffing him with more seriousness than she thought necessary. "καθίστε μπερο!" She told the dog and he immediately walked over next to her and sat down. Keeping his gaze straight ahead, appearing to be a well trained dog. However his owner was even more confused as to what language she had just spoken in. Was that Greek?!

Eventually she met his eyes again trying not to look too jumpy or weirded out due to how her day was playing out. Her pupils turned small as a weird expression crossed her face at his question. "I don't-," she froze for a moment before taking a deep breath and trying again. "I don't know, it feels like we have, but I don't recall ever knowing you." Lilith's fingers interlocked in front of her, trying to get her nervous energy out some how. This was all overwhelming.

"I've also been having a really hard time remembering things." She said quietly green eyes flicking to the ground before looking back into his. "My name is Lilith Henderson," there was no way she could know how much this information could effect the man she was speaking with. Simply giving her name was a clue to what the hell was going on to both of them. "Your name?"

A thought crossed through her mind, Hades.

Lilith took a step back from him her boot crunching the ground beneath her. "I`m sorry if I seem jumpy, everything today just feels like it's not making sense anymore. You're a complete stranger and I shouldn't unload this on you nor should I probably be doing it anyway, but I can't remember anything. Not in terms of knowledge, I have no shortage of common sense or skills, however I don't have any memories? I`m sorry if I`m overstepping my boundaries, but this all feels really weird."

"There's a dead phone in my bag, and items that I don't remember putting in there. I was out here throwing a ball for my dog and the next thing I know nothing is making sense." Everything in her was hoping he didn't think she was absolutely batshit crazy. Any normal person would, but for some reason there was something about him that she felt like she wanted to trust. If she was crazy than maybe being forced to seek help wasn't a complete waste, better than wondering the streets of the city she guessed.

"Do they always... fight... back?" Blake was still on the ground, holding her wrists now, and it was obvious that the girl was both surprised and in pain. "This is so confusing." She didn't make an effort to move toward Dacia, but she looked to her now, almost seeming as if she were annoyed with Dacia. "I answered your question, child. Now answer me mine so I may rid me of this curiosity and return to what I must do." Blake muttered this as she slowly began to pull herself to her feet using the couch nearby. What an ugly couch, Dacia thought, confused as to why she would purchase such a thing. Despite Dacia's own annoyance with the confrontation posed by the woman, she was also sort of amused, as well as concerned. So, she humored her. "You want to know where I got the scales?" She sighed. I don't recall where I got the scales. I've got a few different ones... But I imagine, likely some small shop somewhere. They're all around town." She watched as Blake slowly made an attempt to stand, with her cane raised in front of her as she did. Dacia also remained minorly aware of the small, yet sharp dagger in a hilt that was attached to her leggings underneath the large sweater she wore.

"Y-you have a few? Multiple? For what?" Blake looked surprised still at both the pain from the cane, and also about the scales. Dacia supposed that her explanation hadn’t been enough, but she didn’t have a great one for this question either. “Umm, I’m not really sure why. I suppose one would do the trick in terms of measuring... certain product. But for some reason, I just really like them. They feel as though they... mean something to... me?” Now it was Dacia's turn to sound strange. "My people made use of such an item..." Blake finally, albeit slowly, began to straighten herself out, "But there was one who lorded over such things. A being who belonged to another peoples that were not my own." Dacia certainly didn't feel like an overlord. "Does the name Anubis mean anything to you?" At the mention of this name, Dacia was stunned. This was the exact name that had flown through her mind while she was smoking on her balcony earlier, and hearing it again now caused a few more flashes to come. Darkness, balance, souls, the Underworld, light... Daciana shook her head back and forth violently, as if trying to wake up from a bad dream. But alas, she was still here, and so was this Blake character... If that was even her name at all. Dacia was unsure of how to proceed. "Yes, actually... Strangely, this name does sound.... familiar, to me. But I know it sounds ridiculous for me to say that I'm not sure why it does." With a puzzled expression on her face, Dacia simply stared at Blake, now also completely befuddled.

"It seems I was meant to arrive here, and not just for the want of Blake." She placed a hand on her chest. "I am Nyx, a deity and... I suspect you may be one yourself. We have been returned to the land of mortals for reasons I know not." Her face twisted up at this, and then she began once more with the strange, self-talk. "I never said I was an angel, little one." Meanwhile, Dacia's jaw dropped nearly to the point of hitting the floor. "A... deity...?" It came out slowly, as Dacia really wasn't sure what to say. This odd woman had to be pulling her leg. But at the same time, Daciana knew that she was, well, not exactly "Daciana", and she could pinpoint somewhere inside of her mind that Anubis had also been a deity... A sort of guarder of the underworld. She didn't know if she was pulling this knowledge from Dacia's brain, or someone else's, when she thought about it more. All of this was strange enough, and all the while Blake/Nyx continued to talk to herself the way she had been in between their current dialogue. "Well, as strange as this sounds, I don't NOT believe you... I've been having a lot of trouble with my memory lately, and I suppose it would explain the scales... Anubis was a god of balance, and the afterlife, so." She tried to puzzle it together bit by bit. "But if what you say is true, what on earth are we doing here?"

"That... I do not yet know. I... I awoke in the body of this Blake and have taken to helping her finish the task that I interrupted but even then, by some mystery I was led to you all the same. Led to another god..." Blake, or Nyx, rather, stared at the wall now. "Yes. I am a god, child and so is she and I don't think 'teaching her a lesson' is as possible as you think. She has a cane... I suspect there may be others and that we must find them though I would not know where to start. This one doesn't seem to know either as her one task was to have you beaten." She then placed a hand gingerly back onto her chest, and as if gesturing to something... inside, she corrected herself, "I'm sorry. Her task is to spread the word and punish the sinful in the name of protecting her sister... You have a sister?" She turned her attention back to the wall. Dacia swallowed awkwardly. "Well, I'm certainly glad then, for your interference. I don't desire to be 'taught a lesson'.... This is just what I do for work, I guess. Or, rather, what Daciana does to make ends meet." Oh no, now she was speaking in the third person too. Whatever spiritual awakening was happening now, for lack of a better description, Dacia wasn't quite sure she liked it. She held her head with her hands, as she felt another pounding headache coming on.

"Ugh! Blasted headaches." She tried to talk through it as her peer continued to speak to... herself? All the while staring at the wall as she did so. "Yes, it must be fate that's brought us together, one way or another... I have no association with this church you speak of, I mean, I don't think either of me does..." This was getting more confusing by the second, but Daciana couldn't come up with any other valid explanation as to why all of these strange occurrences had taken place today, so she decided to play along, in hopes of getting more answers. "I think you're right about there being other gods or deities; if what you say is true, and there are two of us so close in proximity already, then there must be more. But where to start..." Dacia gazed out the window absently as Blake and Nyx continued their more private discussion, and as she did, she gasped. "Blake, err, Nyx, do you see that?" She pointed out the window to reveal what seemed to be a massive storm brewing in the distance, near the inner city. Blake moved to the window where Dacia was, as they were met with unfurling dark clouds and a slowly fading sun as the sky began to thicken. What was turning into a warm afternoon was quickly becoming cool and there was the faintest hint of ocean water in the air." Do tempest clouds form with such speed in this age? This was not the norm in... our time. Unless by divine hand." Nyx breathed as she squinted toward the horizon, and Dacia could only shake her head. Following suit, Dacia began to squint as well, trying to peer further into the distance and to get a better look at the storm ahead. "No, no they do not." She thought to herself for a moment, and then, realizing that she truly had nowhere else to go or be, she made a suggestion to her new frenemy. "What say you, to the idea of the two - err, four? - of us heading toward the storm to investigate?" Her eyebrow arched as she turned her attention to Blake/Nyx.

"I believe we must. I do not know what to expect but such drastic change in the forces of nature usually begets malevolence." "I am privy to agree with you there," Dacia started, as Blake picked up her axe case after securing the latches again, but what she (or more likely, Nyx herself) did next startled her to no end. "Do you have a weapon? If you're in need of one, Blake has this tied around her thigh." Nyx suddenly lifted up the dress she was wearing to show Dacia the gun that had been strapped to her leg indeterminately near her pelvic region, and aimed it at Dacia but with no finger on the trigger. "You may use this awkwardly shaped knife." Blake shook her head. "She has named it Agun."

"Jesus Christ!..." Saying these words now felt more ironic than ever. "That's not a knife, it's a different kind of weapon, and in all honesty, a much more dangerous one..." Dacia only hoped that revealing this information wouldn't cause it to be used against her. "You... Err, Blake, should probably hold on to that... And don't let anyone you don't trust know you have it. But thank you for the offer. I have a dagger, actually, and I'll bring my cane. A walk as long as this one is likely to stir up some trouble for me." Flashes of pain and confusion crossed her mind once more, and Dacia couldn't tell if they were from this life, or another... Maybe Anubis'? This felt ridiculous to think, but was it really? At this point, she was either completely delusional, or this was real, so Daciana figured that she might as well continue to treat it as if it was. After all, that gun definitely looked real. "Anyway, I suppose we should get started. I feel like this journey is going to be a rather long and strange one." Dacia slowly began to gather her scales, being the only things she felt were truly worthy of bringing with her on the trek, as well as a few different 'medicinal' substances, and the clothes she had changed out of earlier, stuffing all of it into a black backpack that hung off of a chair by the desk - also ugly. Then, she waltzed over to the front door, opened it, and, key in hand, gestured toward the girl/deity, and then to the outside. "Are you ready?"

Blake slipped the gun back under her dress, gave Dacia a nod and followed her out of the apartment. Dacia then swiftly shut and locked the door as the other girl prodded. "You will have to tell me about the stick on the way."