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[Ken the Wandering Soul]

~'Wake up little one!'~ a voice pleaded

~"Huh? Who's there?"~ Ken's voice asked

~'Wake up, for one from your past has returned!'~ the same voice from spoke.

~"Wait! What do you mean? Who are you?"~ the boy again asked.

~'Wake up little one!'~

"What?"

Raiyu snarled.

'What's happening Raiyu?'



Ken did as he was told. His eye's widened when he saw the cat-like being pouncing at Dante. The boy had to a lesser degree the sense of smell Raiyu had, and smelled demon mixed in with some other smells.

Even though Ken knew a majority of anything demon related wasen't the best, he knew from Raiyu that some demons were like humans; just trying to live. The boy felt an immediate connection to this half-demonic being.

Ken for the first time in a long time felt he knew exactly what he should do.

Running towards where the battle was starting, Ken cried out.

"Please stop! Dante, don't hurt her!!!"

[Phoenix Reborn]

With a very graceful backflip in mid air, Dante used a tree for leverage on a counter attack. He thrust from the tree trunk, flying back towards the cat-like demon that would have laccerated him if he had not moved quickly.

He flung his hand up and he moved back towards the being with lightning speed. He suddenly stopped in mid-flight. He used telekinetic powers to hold the creature before him suspended in mid-air.

While floating in front of the suspended and immobile creature, he eyed it intently.

"I mean you no harm, stranger. Who are you and what do you want with us?" Dante asked, as his hair began to whip like the flames in a fire. His aura became brighter, which illuminated the immediate areas.

Dante had a smirk that was a victorious one. He continued staring at the creature, awaiting an answer. He would not release his hold on her until she regained proper composure. He could not allow a hostile creature near the temporarily helpless Ken.

He then heard the resounding voice coming from not too far away. Ken had awoken.

"I don't intend on harming her at all. I just want to know her reason for spying on us, that is all." Dante replied, still smirking.

[Phoenix Reborn]

Kain grinned. He looked at the bird again before jumping down to join the commotion below.

"Don't be such a loner. Next time, I might mistake you for food!" Kain snarled at the bird, only joking though.

He stepped backwards to an empty area in the tree and fell straight down towards the ground. He tucked his arms around his chest to avoid any branches that might come in contact with him. He hit that ground, bringing himself to a kneel to lessen the recoil.

He stood up and walked over to were the noise from just moments ago was going on.

"Well, what seems to be happening here?" Kain joked, not knowing of the attempted attack that had just actually happened.

[Goose]

George just gave Kain one long stare. He was starting to understand why people didn't much like vampires. George was tempted to change into his human form so he could talk to the beast that had appeared, but he didn't. He could understand what was going on from hear, because he could lip-read. That was one of the advantages of growing up half deaf, he learnt how to lip read. And the eyes of a hawk dont miss much.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Ken continued on.

"Just set her down! Don't treat her as an enemy!"

Raiyu wished he knew why Ken was so eager to see this cat-like being. He knew Ken always trusted his instincts. Perhaps he felt that this person was someone who could be trusted. Then, Raiyu began to realize that the half-demon seemed familier to Ken, and that Raiyu himself began to feel that same feeling.

[Phoenix Reborn]

"I will release her when she has calmed. Until then, she shall remain like this." Dante said, as he began to float down towards the ground, but the stranger remained immobile in air. He stared at it, keeping it in a telekinetic grip in mid-air.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Ken's eyes spotted the object that fell from the half-demon. Running over to inspect it, he looked it over. The string was a bit curled at the tips, a knot was probably undone. It looked like just a simple, wooden, disk-shaped pendent. When he turned it over, his eyes widened.

"Hey, d-did you carve this?!" Ken asked, looking up.

However, the half demon didn't seem to care, and kept giving the others that same bloodthirsty look.

'Damnit, how am I going to get her attention?' the boy wondered.

center of her attention.> Raiyu stated.

Ken realized what Raiyu meant.

Quickly, his eyes scanned for anything to use as a boost. Right next to him, Raiyu appeared.

"Don't worry, you won't be doing this alone." Raiyu assured with a fanged smile.

The wolf demon picked up the child and set him on his shoulders. There was some trouble balancing, but Raiyu managed to get Ken in between the sight of the half demon and the others.

Breathing hard, Ken held up the necklace.

"Pardon... pardon me cat demon-sama, but did you make this?" the boy asked. Deep in his heart, he hoped she would listen. Ken's eyes sparkled with hope that she would say yes, that he would have finally met someone more than just Raiyu who he could share the good memories with, the memories from times of peace and childhood.

[Phoenix Reborn]

Dante began to lower the stranger to the ground. As she neared the ground, he began to release his telekinetic bind on on.

He set her upright on her feet. He released his grip on her, but kept his hand up in case her hostility returned.

[Goose]

George was laughing inside his head, although hestill had the same guarded look on the outside. All this fuss over pendants, what was the world coming to?

[Phoenix Reborn]

Kain heard almost a low grumble inside his mind. He couldn't interpret it at first but then he realized what the noise was. It was a laugh. Someone was laughing at them.

Kain had almost already forgotten about there telepathic friend in the tree above them. He then glared up at the trees.

Kain used the telepathic all vampires had built in an birth to communicate to the bird, the whisper.

"If you choose to laugh and gawk at us, then you may leave. There is obviously some signifigance between them. Shut up or come down and join, one of the two." Kain 'whispered' to the bird. The whisper was like a telepathic message that could only be heard by sender and the reciever.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Ken's eyes lit up, and was quickly let down onto the ground by Raiyu.

"I know that only a few individuals know how to make these correctly."

Ken remembered the necklace he bought. Taking it off he showed to to the half-demon. The art and style was identical. The one Ken had must have been made by her, then taken awhile ago.

"I believe this is yours as well, I bought it at a town a day or so from here. If you can make these pendents, then you know the symbol represents the sun rising over the eastern mountains?" Ken asked.

The boy felt light and happy.

He might have found another of Taiyo, Village of the Rising Sun.

[Goose]

George heard the whisper that the vampire gave him, and it gave him an idea. He might just leave, and scout for a while. He needed to stretch his wings and go find some food, a nice juicy bush rat would do the job. So he told everybody what he was doing, and took off into the sky.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Raiyu was feeling slightly ticked with the look the half demon was giving him. He wished Ken didn't feel so connected her. Otherwise, he'd be attacking her right now.

Ken on the other hand, felt over-joyed.

"Then that means your from Taiyo as well! You also survived the attack!" the boy spoke with much happiness. "I think I remember you now, you were the half demon who lived at the temple!"

Raiyu's pupils dilated as realized what Ken thought to be true. He seen her during the times Ken had, and this being standing before them looked much like an older version of her.

[Phoenix Reborn]

Dante spoke up after the prolonged dialogue between the two. As he spoke, he had an eerie spark in his eye that was comforting and strong at the same time.

"You do not have to hide your feelings here, Katsumi. We are all here for a reason. That one reason unites us. Even though we are all strangers here, we must fight like friends."

He looked at everyone that was around: Raiyu, Ken, Kain, and Katsumi.

"We must be honest to each other. We must know each of us well enough to be able to protect one another." He finished, letting his gaze finally fall to Katsumi.

"Express your true thoughts and feelings. We are all on the same side here, and even though you have yet to join our quest, I know you will. Let your heart open and lead you in the right direction."

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

"I am Ken Amasimay. My father was the village smithy. I think I remember doing some errands to the temple, those were the times I saw you." Ken told Katsumi.

He then turned to Raiyu.

"This is Raiyu, a wolf demon. He's been with me since birth."

Raiyu in truth felt rather odd that Ken was giving out this information so freely. Then again, Katsumi was the only other person that survived the attack from several years ago. Raiyu supposed he should give the half-demon a greeting.

"Hello."

ooc: I've decided to post a pencil drawing of Ken and Raiyu, for other's to get an idea as well of what they look like.

[Phoenix Reborn]

"I am a vampire, an extraordinarily powerful vampire at that." Kain said, almost uninterested in the conversation. Kain did not like to repeat himself so he usually had a small pout like this when he had to introduce himself more than once, even if it was to new people.

--------

"And I am Dante, a being of the flame. The god of fire from a different realm." He said, smiling soothingly towards Katsumi. He did not want the being to be mad with him. He simply wanted her to understand him and why he kept her at bay earlier, despite the fact she wanted to tear him apart.

[Goose]

George had a nice feed on bush rats, and then he flew back tot he tree. There wasn't much going on in the skies, so he didn't have naything to report. He had heard what this demon had called herself, and alredy didn't like it. She was a cat, and he was a bird, by nature, she would try to eat him before this adventure was over. George might just keep his distance for a while, from her anyway.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Ken turned back to Katsumi.

"You have no idea how happy I am for seeing you Katsumi-san! I've been hoping for such a long time that someone... had..." the boy started. As his speaking stopped, his eyes fluttered a few times before closing.

As Ken starting falling back, he was quickly caught in the arms of Raiyu. The wolf demon's eyes showed concern, but then he realized what happened.

"Of course... He still hasen't had enough sleep." Raiyu reasoned, "He was probably awake only so long becuase he was excited..."

Raiyu then picked up Ken and walked back to the small fire that was still burning, finding that same spot the boy had fallen asleep at earlier.

[Phoenix Reborn]

Kain spoke up, not liking the feeling he was getting from Katsumi.

"You should listen to Dante and let your guard down around us. All of us standing together is our only chance of survival. If we cannot trust one another, then this journey is pointless." He sneered, already not liking Katsumi from her attitude.

Kain never liked arrogant people, especially ones he had to work with.

--------------

Dante looked at Kain and leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"Go back to the tree and keep a watch over the area, make sure the grounds are clear." He mumbled, but pleasantly. Kain complied and leaped up high, landing on the tree he was in earlier.

Dante turned to Katsumi.

"He's right, you know. We are all in this together. If we are united as one, we shall fall. If you cannot trust us, then you cannot function with us. You would be a great asset to us, but that is only if you are willing to trust and cooperate with each of us, not just Ken." He said calmly, but strongly.

He turned, letting his coat flare with the brisk wind of his twirl. He started back towards the fire when he came to a halt and looked back.

"I do know more about you than you think anyone here does. But I do wonder when you will reveal it to us all." He started to turn back around and head towards the fire again, but looked back once more.

"Oh, and I am a God of fire, not an inferno demon. You shouldn't assume things."

He then disappeared in a orange flash. He reappeared smirking in the tree beside Kain's. He stared down at the half demon, then down at Ken, and thought silently to himself.

'Maybe he can get her to open up. He might be our only chance at that.'

[Phoenix Reborn]

Dante began to settle in as everyone began to relax. It was a perfect scene for a nap. Dante felt one coming on as he began to close his eyes and let him self fall into the dark depths of sleep.

------------

Kain, who was driven by the night, was wide awake, despite several of the others' snores and grunts while sleeping. He thrived on the night's darkness. He was more alive than he had been since he came to this world.

He took another look at those below, some sleeping and some fighting their heavy eyes. He looked up at the crescent moon and grinned satisfactorily. He leapt to the top of the tree where he jumped from tree top to tree top like a cat, with amazing agility.

He landed softly on each treetop, almost as if gliding on the air. He was more content than he had been in years. Feeling so free in this forest, and no real threat so far. He was in utter bliss.

As he came to land on a small Ash tree, he heard something in the distance. He stopped his pouncing and became rigid as he strained to hear whatever was so far off.

Suddenly, with a whiz of air and sharp pain on the side of his forearm, an arrow zipped past him. He was hit by an arrow. He immediately took better cover inside the tree. He used his telescopic vision to see into the dark forest, but it didn't take long at all for him to see what he did not want to. The bandits were there, on their way into the forest.

It did not seem like many at all, but apparently this was another scouting party. That obviously meant that the others were at the city, or almost there.

"Shit, not already!" Kain whispered out loud. The bandits were scuffling through the woods, some with bows raised high and strings reared back. They were prepared for anything.

Kain closed his eyes as he heard them getting closer. He knew he could warn the others faster by flying to them. His body disappeared and thousand of bats took its place as he soared through the sky back to the fire. He did not realize how far he had traveled until he saw the glow of the fire through the canopy.

He headed back down to the ground and reassembled himself beside the fire on front of the others. Ken was still sleeping.

"Wake up! Everyone, WAKE UP! They are on their way here!" He shouted, not so loud as to carry back to the party of bandits though.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Raiyu haden't yet disapeared into Ken. He preferred to watch over the child. The boy's head rested comfortably on the wolf demon's lap.

Raiyu felt that it all was so ironic. He remembered when he took the child's body before it was born, he planned to use it to meet his own ends. And yet, here he was, keeping watch over Ken like a father.

"Wake up! Everyone, WAKE UP! They are on their way here!"

When the wolf demon heard Kain, his head shot up.

"What do you mean vampire? Whose on their way here?"

[Phoenix Reborn]

Kain thought the label 'vampire' was disdainful to him since he was so much more volved than a typical vampire, but now was not the time to discuss it.

"More bandits, it looks like another scouting party. Hurry, they are expecting us. They are armed." He said with half a breath. He looked at his arm, which was not bleeding anymore. The arrow had just grazed his arm.

He heard them approaching and his head shot their direction.

---------------

Dante's head shot up from its craned position.

"No, everyone remain perfectly still. I've got a plan."

Dante stepped off the branch and floated to the ground. He landed without a sound. Nearly everyone, except for the Ken, was awake.

Dante closed his eyes and tilted his head back. His lands drifted out to the sides of his body, then up, perpendicular with his erect body. He started mumbling a prayer. He turned his hands palms out, and began to draw them toward each other in front of him. His body was suddenly engulfed in golden flames. He hands began to collect a silvery mist in front of them as they drew closer to each other.

With his hands not far from each other, he thrusted them together, clapping them stiffly. With a loud clap, the mist that hovered in his palms pulsated outward and surrounded the immediate area. To those in the dome, it seemed that nothing had changed.

"They will not see us now. We will wait until they pass through here. When they are right in front of us, we will ambush them. You must remain still though. The spell is only a camoflouge spell. It wears off with movement, so our attack must be quick and accurate." Dante commanded, not moving so much as a finger.

Dante knew that these men were expecting trouble, so they were better prepared than the others they had encountered earlier.

The dome began to fade away, and everyone around the fire and the fire itself blended in with its surroundings. To the naked eye, they were part of the forest.

[Goose]

George was thankful for the camoflouge, but he didn't really needed, hawks just seemed to blend in rather naturally when they wanted to. If these guys were armed, then it would be very hard to peck them with his beak, whcich was, in this form, his main form of attack. So he had no choice to go back to his feeble state as a human, and old man.

He was human again, and had all the failings that humans seemed to have. His eyesight was poor, and he couldn't fly, he had to walk, stupid legs. But the thing that gave this form its power, was it allowed him to cast the magic that he needed to.

The men were getting closer, and it was obvious to tell that the party was outnumbered by far. If it came down to a full on fight, his new friends would be killed without much trouble. Now George knew that he had to do something, because even though Dante thought they could take them by surprise, that wouldn'tbeenough of an advantaage. No, there needed to be a distraction, one that would confuse and separate the enemy.

George had cast his spell, and was back in his hawk form. He would need this form, for the chase that was about to happen. When the men had walked out in the open, about a hundered metres away, george, without warning the others, screeched out of his tree and headed straight for the men, which was seemingly suicide.

*****switch to man in enemy party****

Mac was on guard because their target was around here somewhere. It was going to be a rather easy fight, and he was glad because whomever was able to grab one of the stupid defenders heads, would be personally rewarded from above. He thought higher office could be in order.

They were in a clearing now, and he couldn't believe his eyes. An army of three hundred hawks were flying straight for them, and they didn't look happy. When he saw what he was up agains,t MAc didn't care about promotions, or completing his quest, he just broke into a run, a very fast run. He ran through the forrest as fast as he could, without looking back. So did most of the other men it seemed.

*******End bad guy sequence******

George's work had been done, he had split the army by atleast half. The best thing was, the birds weren't even real. It was just an illusion. Once the men had run off, George took off into the sky, above the trees, in the opposite direction to where his party lay hidden, so not to blow their cover. He would meet up with them later, but for now, he had to get a feed.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Raiyu was now holding Ken in his arms, ready to run if the camoflouge came down or something else happened that made the need to run.

The wolf demon cursed whatever force was putting him through this. When Ken fought the bandits before, the boy had practically become a different person. Ken had become the thing he hated most, a blood-thirsty killer, and he didn't even seem to realize it. Meeting with Katsumi gave the boy his heart back, making him the naive young boy who always thought of violence as the absolute last resort.

Raiyu knew Ken would become that same killer if he fought the bandits again, and he was afraid that he would lose the Ken he cherished so much.