Rinni had been searching throughout the City since she woke that morning. She kept her nose to the air, sniffing for any familiar scent. It was difficult enough to track someone if they had a way to cloak their scent; it wasn't any better surrounded by the smells of restaurants, hotdog vendors, random pets, and citizens walking along a street doing their thing and leaving their mark everywhere. She crinkled her nose at the various smells, some pleasant some not so much.

She wasn't sure if her friends had a cloaking trick to mask their scent from her as Tomoe did. Or if they simply weren't in this city. She was pretty sure Ko, in the least, didn't have any way to block her. Still, she hadn't caught his scent either. The search was becoming more frustrating and more desperate as time went on. And it was still early. The girl barely slept after Gunter got her home the day before.

She could only focus on recovering what she lost. She got the answers to her questions. But now she wanted her friends. Her boyfriend. As she speed-walked along the streets, people stared at her as though she were crazy or up to no good. She hoped that maybe she'd hear whispers of Cerberus from the lips of the citizens. He had a decent reputation, after all.

Once or twice she thought she picked up a familiar scent, but she couldn't quite identify as to who it belonged to. She was still learning how to be a werewolf. Up until now, she rejected her abilities. Meeting Gunter and transforming for the first time was a turning point for her. It helped her realize she is what she is and can't change that. And it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Seeing in the dark has been useful. Although her sensitive nose was both a blessing and a curse depending on what she was smelling.


Trotting close to her side was her Winter Vulpix, Winter. The little six-tailed fox had been sniffing the ground trying to help her owner find their missing friends too. She was beginning to wish she had taken Gunter's offer. That is if he was actually serious about helping her find her friends.

What if he wanted to finish what he started?

I gotta find her...At least one of them...They decided to attack us while we were weak, vulnerable, and helpless?! And for what?! This senseless murder and acts of chaos were to accomplish what?! Nothing...Fate once again has stolen a family from me but this time fate will not succeed...But maybe it is for the best, maybe I bring strife and pain to those who come to value me as I do them.

Gah... What am I saying...I gave my word to protect them. Rinni's scent is here and it is heavy as if she just passed through. It was no mistaking it, almost like an autumn wind kind of scent with a tinge of winter's bite. She had been around enough so there was no chance someone else was masquerading as her. And if they were, then they chose the wrong time to incur the wrath of the underworld.

Lucian maneuvered throughout the back streets and alleyways of the city, his multitude of years spent in the city along with dealings with some of the more despised members of society had given him access to other paths and areas unknown to the other inhabitants of the city. Stalking through the city, her scent grew stronger and more pungent. Then his band began to glow and throb with a soft hum, a creature of the darkness was close.

Raising his head, he looked out into the crowd and scanned it with careful eyes. Searching throughout the people, he caught the familiar brown hair that now was much longer than he had remembered. She looked taller and stronger, but her aura was... dark. She looked pained and uncomfortable. It was easy to tell that she has not been herself since the incident. But she had grown and survived in her hardship, one that he had warned her would come.

Staring at her from the alleyway, he saw little Winter sniffing alongside her, she was using her gifts as a werewolf...Has she already turned? Was it during the attack or the battle? Was she here alone? Even if all of that I found her but what if... What am I to say? Do I just disappear now? She clearly has figured things out on her own, maybe I would bring her more problems, make her a bigger target then some of us may already be...

No. I know what is it like to be alone, left to fend for yourself like a lone animal. How one forgets to breathe and know what human companionship looks like. To know what it means to truly be apart of something bigger than yourself and just your own world. Besides, I've lost twice already, I will not lose anyone else again.

Stepping out from the shadows, Lucian approached her quietly from behind. His hood halfway hanging on his head to reveal his locs flowing from his scalp. Placing a reassuring hand on her head, he smoothed out the tangily mess that had become her hair, clearly grooming had been the last thing on her mind. And I can't blame her, it was the last thing on mine as well.

"Hey, little one...I'm glad you're safe."

Lucian fought the tears that threaten to well in his eyes. He had to remain strong because only the deities above knew how bad she felt.

Rinni had been searching so long, the young werewolf was about to give up hope on ever finding another familiar face. What if they were all dead? She began to regret the family trip to Enca. She should have been in Fiore. In Marigold. She should have been protecting her home. Her Guild. So many lives lost, and Gunter assures her it was to bring world peace. How? She still couldn't understand fully. But the time she spent with the man, despite his wrongdoings, she had grown to trust him. Even his companion seemed to like her. And Winter had grown to not fear Gunter so much, although the little fox still steered clear of Kratos. And for good reason. The dardian had threatened to eat her, after all.

The teen hadn't even noticed the person she was looking for as he watched her from the shadows. She couldn't smell him. At all. That armband of his was quite good at masking his scent from her nose. She was still adjusting to her werewolf abilities and sometimes struggled to pick out scents in cities. However, there was no sign Lucian was even here. That was until she felt a weight on her head causing her to stop in her tracks. Her heart leaped as a familiar voice reached her ears. In this moment, multiple things took place.

First, Rinni slowly turned toward the hooded figure behind her. As her brown eyes met his familiar red ones, tears began to form. She stood there, staring at him, wondering if she was dreaming or hallucinating. The next thing to occur was Winter yipping happily and jumping into the arms of the man that now stood before her. The final thing to take place was excitement overwhelming Rinni, causing her to transform as she jumped into the arms of Lucian. Rather he managed to catch both her and Winter or be knocked down by them both, the results would be the same.

The little white fox wagged her 6 tails happily while licking his face. And the girl he met at the Guild so many months ago, now muscular with reddish-brown fur along her arms and shoulders, torn clothing from her muscles increasing in mass, wolf ears replacing her human ones, and more wolf-ish features replacing her human ones were now wrapped around him with her long claw-like nails lightly digging into him in her excitement.

"Lucian!!" She exclaimed. Her sudden transformation caused many passersby to move away from them, even staring afraid she was about to murder the man. But Rinni wasn't afraid of hurting him. She knew he was a werewolf as well, and that there was no way she could hurt him. Even half-transformed. She hugged Lucian with a low growl. "I knew you were alive! I knew you'd find me!"

Winter:

Half-Transformation:

She half transformed...Wow, in just that short amount of time she has evolved that far. But then again, the darkness of those events must have created the necessary push to promote her growth. But she has gained some sense of mastery with her skill that or she has gotten way too excited. She was drawing attention to us, but I don't even really have the heart to ruin the moment. She doesn't need something so serious right now, she is allowed to have some sort of joy in her life. And whether or not I choose to accept it, she is stuck with me for till I meet my demise.

Raising up, Lucian sat there as she excitedly cuddles him. Winter licked at him as if she was just as excited to see him as her owner. Lucian watched the people stare at them with wandering eyes. This could be bad, their enemies could still be watching and trying to take them out. Even if they had survived one attack, there was no way to assure that those that took them down would like to finish their job. We can continue this moment later but right now, we need to get somewhere safe and quickly.

Standing from underneath the pile of fur and human skin, Lucian stood once again pulling them up with him.

"We have much to talk about. But not here and not as you look right now. Follow me and try to regress your form, focus on your humanity, and grasp hold of it. That shall help you return to your human form. "

Lucian threw his hood on and disappeared towards a nearby alleyway motioning for her to follow closely, they couldn't afford to stroll out in the open and the hidden pathways would allow them to at least have some sort of privacy. He was going to go back to the abandoned building he had left Nightfall, where they could discuss the implications of their enemy's actions and what their next plan of attack and action was going to be. They had been caught slipping and lacking one before, we will not make the same mistake twice.

The girl was so excited to see Lucian again that she wasn't even thinking straight when she transformed. She just missed him so much and was glad he was safe. As the older werewolf stood up, Winter allowed him to carry her if he'd choose to while Rinni eventually released him of her embrace blushing embarrassed. The girl looked around, noticing the amount of attention her transformation had drawn. Her ears twitched then lowered nervously. She didn't mean to scare anyone. Truly, she wasn't dangerous. Still, those that witnessed it steered clear of the girl. A few relaxed and moved on as Lucian calmly stood, clearly unharmed. Eventually, most of the crowd figured out that they must be friends and moved on. But the few that feared werewolves, vampires, and other such creatures of darkness still appeared weary of the teen.

We have much to talk about. But not here and not as you look right now. Follow me and try to regress your form, focus on your humanity, and grasp hold of it. That shall help you return to your human form.

Just hearing Lucian's voice again, and his words educating her guiding her... it was as though they were back in Penumbral Guild's Hall again. Gods how she missed those days. She remembered very fondly the day she first met Lucian and Masami. Their Guildmaster, Tomoe, had served alcohol. Lucian pointed out the fact Rinni and Masami were both minors. However, being the stupid little 15-year-old she was at the time, the girl had downed a full glass. She ended up vomiting in the bathroom. Masami was kind enough to have Lucian deliver a homemade tunic to ease her stomach. And Lucian, knowing what she was going to become, stayed with her after everyone left. He made her feel like she had someone she could trust. She felt comfortable and safe.

And when her temper flared, he quickly but calmly put her in her place. In a way, she saw Lucian as more than a friend. More than a Guildmate. He was family. Her pack. Her alpha. She took his words to heart and often listened to him and his advice. Even now as he told her to regress back to human form, she held her arms out in front of her watching as the fur vanished slowly, her claws shortening yet still remaining longer and sharper than that of a normal human. Her fangs shortened as well but were still visible when she opened her mouth to smile, eat, drink, or speak. Now back in human form, she followed Lucian to wherever he was taking her.

He was the one person from Penumbral that she knew without a doubt she could trust aside from her own brother. She didn't trust Tomoe. Especially after hearing that he slaughtered Joshua; another Penumbral Guard survivor. She was still unsure of what to make of Gunter. He was involved in the destruction, but he was also an ex-Guildmate. Then again, Tomoe was their Master and he was the head of the raid. Rinni hugged herself, lost in thought as she followed Lucian quietly walking at his side. She hoped Masami was truly safe. She vaguely remembered the boy, and wondered if he remembered her too.

She had left Storm Fang back at the hotel where she was staying. Gunter knew where she 'lived' (at least where she was staying while in Oak) and as she didn't know how much she could trust the man yet, she felt it best to have her Tempest Wolf keep watch to ensure no one tries to break into her room or snoop around. Winter would snuggle into Lucian's arms as he carried her, or walk close to his side if he had chosen to put the small fox down. She truly adored him. Rinni couldn't help but smile at how cute it was. As they reached the abandoned building, she spotted Nightfall inside. She had never seen Lucian's mount before. It was beautiful. Her first reaction was to approach the Winged Dhulin and place her hand on its nose lightly stroking downward.

"He's beautiful. What's his name?" Rinni asked Lucian while her eyes never left that of the beautiful beast in front of her. She gave Lucian a moment to respond, and once he had answered her she would state, "I'll have to introduce you to Storm Fang later."

After a while of awkward silence, at least on her part for if Lucian would take the opportunity to speak then Rinni would quietly listen, the girl finally spoke up. Turning toward Lucian she stared at her feet a moment before looking up at him. He was tall, as tall if not taller than Gunter. By now, the 5'4" teen was used to looking up to others. She was smaller than most people she knew, save for Masami. Once Lucian finished speaking, if he was, to begin with, Rinni would ask him. "So... how much do you know? About Penumbral Guard... I mean. My family and I only returned to Fiore a few days ago after taking a trip to Enca. What happened... was a terrible shock. We... me and my brother... saw what was left of the Guild for ourselves. We set out to find answers and surviving members..."

She wondered if she should tell him that she met Gunter. That they had spoken. How would Lucian react? She needed to know first how much Lucian knew before sharing with him her own knowledge of events. Regardless, she was almost certain the werewolf would not be all too pleased by her decision to willfully associate herself with the man that destroyed their Guild. She had hoped he couldn't sense her nervousness nor see the clearly uncomfortable look in her eyes.

Gunter and Kratos were out and about drinking coffee and eating weenies, enjoying the fresh air. They decided to check out the less-populated areas of Oak in the hope of finding some of the more criminal types to potentially gain some contacts in Oak, for if you want information in the area, Gunter knew the two best people to ask are criminals and the homeless; and there's no point asking the homeless, because they work for the criminals. As Gunter walks around the back streets he finds himself in an area of Oak primarily filled with abandoned buildings. As he observes his surroundings, he's approached by a group of three thugs. 

The thugs look at Gunter and say "Hey cunt, what you doing here with such a fancy suit? Wait, do you work for the boss?" Gunter would say with a slight bit of intrigue in his voice "Who might your boss be?"One of the thugs, after hearing this, would say loudly "I'm asking the fucking questions here, prick." and place his hand on Gunter's shoulder. Kratos would see this and respond by grabbing the thugs arm and squeezing it until he heard it snap. As the thug screamed in pain, Kratos would then snap his neck. One of the remaining thugs would draw a knife while the other would take a step back in fear. After seeing his friend, the thug would attack Kratos with his knife. Kratos would simply plunge his hand directly into the chest of this thug, impaling him with his arm. As the thug coughed up blood, Kratos would dig his other hand into the thug's chest cavity and rip him in half with brute strength.

The last thug begins screaming loudly and starts running away; however, before the thug could move, Kratos would grab him by the head and toss him through the window of an abandoned building. Unknown to Kratos and Gunter, this would be the abandoned building that Rinni and Lucian would be in. 


Gunter and Kratos would walk up to the entrance of this building, and Gunter would casually open the door first. As Gunter and his companion Kratos entered the building, Gunter with Rinni and a mysterious man, Gunter would look at rinni and say "What are you doing here, little one? Oh, and I do apologize for my rude entrance." After, he would smile with sincerity. Kratos would then walk in covered in blood and guts and say "Sup tiny, how's your day?" while eating a hotdog.

She handles Nightfall well, the large dhullin was not daunted by her touch which is saying quite a bit considering he is not a fan much of anyone touching on him...She had that effect on an individual, she could actually pierce the darkness within someone. Maybe it was her essence of innocence and poise. Or maybe I have become so dense that I have lost sight of the simple things in life and what it all means. Either way, there was some semblance of sense with her here, but now it was time to get down to the nitty-gritty.

"His name is Nightfall and Stormfang? Either this is a weapon or a creature and judging by the lack of some sort of devastating weapon on your person, I will go with the latter."

Lucian leaned up against the wall, picking his teeth as his rage simmered underneath. The cold fires of revenge were stirring in his soul. Rinni's words rang throughout the small empty room, little Winter found herself a nice perch ontop of Nightfall's head. Which again considering his mount's usual feelings towards being touched was definitely a reassuring surprise. Lucian sorted through his brain for the information and the answer to Rinni's question. The article went into a decent amount of detail but considering there weren't any survivors to ask with the massacre that occurred.

"Enough. I do not know who, yet... But when I do they will wish I hadn't. I'm just glad to know you weren't there and that you and possibly the others are alive. I just wonder why we were so defenseless and how they knew to strike us at such the perfect moment. Especially considering that they would have had to know we wouldn't be at full strength."

Lucian punched his fist into the wall, striking through the decayed wood and plastering. Pulling his fist from the wall, he turned to stare into Rinni's eyes. Maybe my display had brought her some fright, I can't blame her. She was probably still shaken by the whole ordeal and the idea of violence could be tormenting her. She was uncomfortable. Her shoulders looked slouched, she doesn't match my eyesight. She's wringing her hands. Twiddling. Nervous... Clammy looking, and smelling like sweat...

Lucian strolled towards her and looked down towards her. He could feel the tension in her body and in her countenance. Something was eating at her, gnawing at her consciousness and her heart. It was easy to tell, he didn't even need to know her well enough to see it. Lucian placed a hand on her head.

"Imma assume since you've been to the ruins of our former guild that you may know more than some dumb papers and reporters. So what do you know? And why do you avoid my-"

Lucian pulled her back with him, placing himself between Nightfall, Winter, and Rinni. The mangled corpse had flown through the sheetrock wall behind Rinni and landed in the middle of the room. The body convulsed as the head had been mush, rendering the nervous system of the body to go haywire. Another grisly sight to behold. Strolling through the crumbled mess of the wall, a man entered the room. His soul radiated darkness and he smelled of death. Fresh death. Strolling in behind him was a rather large creature, easily dwarfing the man covered in the results of his handiwork.

All it took was one look at the creature to know who had committed the act. Was this their enemy, had they slipped up and finally tried to finish the job. If so be it, then fine by me. They had come to die. Lucian felt himself beginning to change when they spoke. He heard the man in a grave tone refer to Rinni as little one... The creature followed suit with a greeting while continuing to munch on his lunch obviously to the carnage that laid on his body.

Lucian snapped his head towards Rinni and gave her a scowl. Did she set this up? No. She wouldn't do so, but then it is a matter of explaining their sudden appearance. If she has set me up then unfortunately she too will have to die along with them. But she wouldn't... I know Rinni...Especially not now. Yet that would explain her nervousness.

"Explain...Now..."Lucian shifted his gaze between the two parties.

"Nightfall... I like that name. And, yes, Stormfang is my Tempest Wolf. I got him while I was in Enca. That's why I wasn't at the Guild Hall during the attack. I was with my family vacationing in Enca."

Rinni couldn't help but smile at the sight of Winter sprawled out atop Nightfall's massive head. She stood at like a sore thumb, her snow-white fur standing out in contrast to the dhuilin's black pelt and mane. She lay contently with her hind legs spread straddling the large winged horse's head. Her front legs were stretched out across the beast's massive snout. Rinni's smile soon faded as Lucian returned to the more serious nature behind this private meeting. She looked up at the much taller man as he answered her question.

Enough. I do not know who, yet... But when I do they will wish I hadn't. I'm just glad to know you weren't there and that you and possibly the others are alive. I just wonder why we were so defenseless and how they knew to strike us at such the perfect moment. Especially considering that they would have had to know we wouldn't be at full strength.

Rinni knew the answer to that question all too well. She wished now that she had remained ignorant. However, she couldn't dare keep what she knew a secret. But how would she even begin to tell him? Should she start by telling him that it was an inside job? Should she be straight with him and tell him Tomoe raided his own Guild? Or perhaps should she tell him all three perpetrators' names, and how two of them were Penumbral Guard? She was running out of time as she nervously contemplated an answer. She could tell that Lucian was aware of how scared she was right now. Unlike him, she had no means to hide her scent. She was completely vulnerable as the werewolf approached her, towering easily over the teen girl.

Rinni started to open her mouth to speak, but as a familiar scent reached her nose she froze and paled. No. It couldn't be. Not him. Not now.

Imma assume since you've been to the ruins of our former guild that you may know more than some dumb papers and reporters. So what do you know? And why do you avoid my-

Before Rinni could speak or react, Lucian had grabbed her arm and tossed her out of the way as a body busted through a window. Rinni's heart was racing as she looked at the mangled corpse, then up toward the door that was now opening as a man stepped in. Behind him was a certain dardian, covered in guts and blood and eating a... you guessed it... hotdog.

"Gunter?!"

What are you doing here, little one? Oh, and I do apologize for my rude entrance.

Sup tiny, how's your day?

Explain...Now...

Rinni was overwhelmed. Her heart was pounding as she looked between Gunter and Kratos. No. This couldn't be happening. She didn't even have a chance to explain things to Lucian! Oh, this was bad. This was so so so bad. Her eyes met with Lucian and the look he gave her sent chills straight to her core. He didn't think that... that she was behind everything, did he? No. He couldn't. He wouldn't. He knows I'm not like that. Right?

Well, thanks to Gunter's abrupt entrance, it appeared the child had no choice. She was, as of now, forced to tell Lucian everything. And she knew he wasn't going to be happy with what she had to say. Meanwhile, during all the chaos, Winter had climbed down Nightfall's back and was exploring the abandoned building. She stumbled upon some strange plants and, being hungry, decided to munch of them. As the little fox ate a strange herb, the 'humans' were too busy to pay much attention to the creature's activities.

The fact Lucian's tone was raised, not only toward Gunter but toward her, terrified the young girl. He never looked at her that way nor spoken so harshly. But could I blame him? This looked bad. Like really really bad. However, she had nothing to hide. She was only going to be relaying to Lucian the same information Gunter had provided for her when she asked.

"I... I know how this must look... but I honestly had no idea Gunter was going to show up here... I swear." Rinni quickly told Lucian, before moving on to the actual explanation. "When I arrived at Oak City, I was looking for my boyfriend Ko Lesalt, as well as any surviving Penumbral Guard members I could find. I was so afraid that Tomoe, Masami, and you may be dead. In my search, I found Gunter. As it turns out..." She gestured toward Gunter, "...he was also a member of Penumbral Guard. Hearing that gave me renewed hope that maybe the others survived too. Gunter told me he was there during the raid... so I asked him what happened, and if my friends were alive."

Sensing potential hostility from Lucian, Rinni casually placed herself between the two men. She knew (or at least she hoped) neither of them would attack with her at risk of being caught in the crossfire. She looked at Gunter, examining his reaction to all this, then gave Kratos a look begging him to not start any trouble. Her eyes then returned to meet that of Lucian's own. Her voice dropped as did her heart. "This is the part you won't like. The reason the Guild was destroyed so easily... is because it was attacked by Penumbral Guard members. Tomoe, Yugo, and Gunter were at the center of the raid... because they were the ones doing the raiding." She knew this revelation would put Gunter at serious risk, and she didn't want any more Penumbral Guard bloodshed.

Turning fully toward Lucian, she spread her arms as if to block him from reaching Gunter. She then began to speak to Lucian in a different language than what Gunter was used to hearing from her. "I know this sounds bad! In fact, it is bad! Yes, Gunter destroyed Penumbral Guard. But he's just a small part of it! Gunter and Yugo were arrested and served their time. Yugo is now a member of the Rune Knights, as is Masami! Masami is safe, I'm safe. The one still on the loose and the one who is the most dangerous is our Guildmaster, Tomoe Tenaka! He betrayed us! Our Guild fell because the Master betrayed us all! If any evil was done here, it was that! Gunter has been nothing but nice to me. And yes, I know what you're going to say. You're going to call me a stupid, gullible child for believing his shit. But I owe him a lot! Gunter was with me when I transformed! Not you, not Masami, not my parents nor brother... Gunter! I could have hurt or killed someone but Gunter managed to calm me down! He could have killed me for attacking him. Used my transformation as an excuse to end my life. But, he chose to help me gain control instead! At least... hear him out... please..." She lowered her tone to a timid whisper, her body trembling as she didn't want to fight him. "...For me?"

If I attack this human first then that creature will easily intercept me. I could go for the creature first and then deal with the human later, but that would leave Rinni open for a possible attack. She could hold her own but that would still place Nightfall and Winter in harm's way especially with Nightfall still being somewhat tired from our travels. Damn it...maybe I could draw the fight into the open area, give them time to run, and then break once they got away or maybe I could-

Lucian watched Rinni move in between them, placing herself as some sort of barrier in the midst of the opposing forces. What in the hell is she doing?! What is the meaning of this... Lucian kept his muscle taunt, any moment could lead to him having to attack and he didn't want to have to harm her to do it.

She's not lying...she truly didn't know that her friend here was going to interrupt our meeting this evening and if anything she probably had been preparing to tell me everything she already knew. So if that was the case then this was a weird twist of fate that brought them all to this moment in time. Even if that was the case, one wrong move from the two newcomers and they were going to end up meeting the true beast of the underworld.

Lucian straightened up as she began...The words muffled into the background as the realization brought a shock to his core. It was easy to see, who better to take you down than those closest to you right...Gunter was not present at the guild during that night nor this Yugo character...But Tomoe...The right-hand man. I should have seen this coming, I knew it from the moment Rinni flinched at his presence when we were at the meeting hall. She had been afraid of him then, something dark and evil was staining his soul and she had caught a glimpse of it then. But why...Why?

Lucian dug his nails into his palms, the sharp keratin piercing flesh as the blood flowed down his fist towards the wood underneath. Removing them from the skin, he let his wounds begin to heal. I can't afford to attack him, not without hearing the rest.

"So you're one of the ones from the paper who turned themselves in, I'm assuming." Lucian could tear his head from his shoulders but that wouldn't get them anywhere, in the eyes of society he had paid his dues for his crimes, but what was such a small time in lock-up worth the permanent end to life. He had stolen the whole lives, countless years that could have been spent and for what! That can't be forgiven, but I am not a deity...

I want nothing more than to rip him apart and spread his blood on the concrete as a sign that retribution was coming. But clearly, he had to some degree has asked for a sense of forgiveness. Even if I do believe it to be a hollow lie. Rinni... I hear you... she is right, I wasn't there for her transformation, no one that was truly close to her. This stranger had been there and had provided some sort of comfort. Even her reason for coming here was to find her lover, something that I didn't even know about... She was growing up and even at this moment, she continued to be true to who she was.

"Na-Na-ki, Toomu ka. Banami soo ni ti." (I see Little one. I will not fight.) Lucian stared at Gunter with his amber eyes, his scar over his right eye throbbed as he remembered the day he received it. Betrayal...On that day he had taken blood. Today would have to be different.

"So Aegis betrayed us...I won't fully believe that till I talk to him myself. But if you both...Would be so kind, explain to me how this raid came about. And do realize Gunter and creature. I do not attack you because of her. You at the moment are my enemy. I hate innocent bloodshed and you brought that to my home. I am peaceful because of her and her alone. But do not test my wrath. I am Cerberus for a reason."

Lucian could tell by the suit, this Gunter individual was either well-informed or well funded, black colored hair was a complete compliment to his suit. He smelled of liquor and cigs. Like old dealing rooms and underworld dealings.

"So who's first..." Lucian crossed his arms and waited for the story to begin.

Gunter stood there, confused on the current situation but listening patiently to both Rinni and the unnamed man. After Lucian finished his speech, Kratos would look at Gunter and say "Do you know what's going on, boss? I didn't expect to walk into a building and have a dick swinging contest in front of your little friend, but regardless of the situation, I like this fucker's spunk." and with that, Kratos would sit down on a piece of debris to watch the show.

Gunter would shake his head and smile, and then he would look at Rinni and this strange unnamed man and say "You know my first name, but let's have proper introductions, shall we? My name is Gunter Von Wolf. It is a pleasure to meet you."

After saying this, Gunter bowed in a most elegant manner. Regardless of if this man would give an introduction, Gunter would wait to hear his response if there is any, and then continued by saying "As to the answer of your question, I don't know if Aegis betrayed the guild or not, never met the guy. Personally, either way, it doesn't matter. What's done is done. I'll say to you what I said to the little one: I butchered your guild, your home, because it needed to be done for the lasting peace and to save this world."

After saying that, Gunter would snap his fingers. A portal would open up due to his Pocket Dimension Ring and he would pull out four chairs and a table. He would then begin putting the chairs around the table, and then he would pull out one bottle of whiskey, one bottle of wine, and some mango juice. He would put glasses around the table in front of the chairs, take a seat, and he would then say to Rinni and the man, "Sit with me and ask me whatever questions you want, I'm an open book." Gunter would them pull a cigar out of his jacket and light it. He would also put a cigar on the table in case the man wanted to smoke as well.

As Gunter inhaled smoke deeply, letting it roll around in his tongue and fill his lungs, he would wait for Rinni and the man to take a seat. Whether they do or don't, after a minute he would say "So let's get down the questions, shall we? Fire away."

This wasn't how she expected her reunion with Lucian to go. In fact, this wasn't how she planned on this day going. Not at all. But, with any luck, she could keep the peace. For now, at least. She still wasn't entirely sure what was going on. Nor did she wish to take sides. At least, not yet. Unlike Lucian, Rinni preferred to have both sides of a story before jumping into combat. She wanted to know, to understand why things went how they did. Maybe it was just idle curiosity, but she couldn't just go on a revenge kick; as much as she was aware that was exactly what Lucian was after.

As Lucian assured her he wasn't going to fight, she slowly lowered her arms to her sides. She looked over her shoulder toward Gunter, then back to Lucian. Her eyes then found their way to the dardian as if to make sure he doesn't start anything. She watched as the creature took a seat on a pile of debris as though he were watching a ball game of sorts. This caused the female werewolf to sigh, somewhat relieved that things were so calm right now. As long as Kratos didn't attack and Gunter didn't somehow manage to piss off the larger and older werewolf... this could be a potentially peaceful meeting.

Rinni watched as Gunter pulled out a table, chairs, and drinks from his Pocket Dimension Ring. She was used to this by now, having recently discovered how useful such a feature was for her own Pocket Dimension Ring. Her eyes glanced warningly toward Kratos, as though begging... or demanding... him to behave himself. Her eyes narrowed at the dardian before turning toward the table and chairs as Gunter offered them a seat and began pouring drinks. Rinni, of course, sat next to Gunter and accepted a glass of mango juice muttering a, "thanks."

During all the drama and awkwardness of the encounter, Winter slowly walked toward the debris Kratos was resting on, her head and ears down as she watched Gunter Rinni and Lucian. She had grown used to Gunter since their mission together in that haunted church, and if it wasn't for the tension in the air between the two men, she would have greeted Gunter just as she had Lucian earlier. But, the small white fox decided it best to stay out of this for right now as she wasn't sure what was about to happen. She was also pretty sure Kratos wouldn't seriously try to eat her with three people present to protect her. Would he?

"Is it ok if I sit here too? You don't still wanna eat me, do you, Mr. Kratos?" Winter asked in an adorable childlike voice. If Rinni wasn't so preoccupied she probably would have noticed her companion suddenly speaking. But, at this moment that tiny detail wasn't important. As the men and girl gathered at the table to talk, Winter sat next to Kratos and sniffed him. "Do you have any more of those hotdog thingies?"

Meanwhile, as Gunter told them he was an open book and to ask him whatever questions they wanted, Rinni decided to start things off with a question of her own. "I have a question. What are you doing here? How did you find us? Ok, that's technically two questions... but... if it wasn't for you being just as surprised to see me as I was to see you... I'd think you were stalking me!"

As Rinni listened to Gunter's response, she'd quietly sip on her mango juice. Once Gunter was finished speaking, she'd look toward Lucian and listen quietly as he asked his question(s) and then look toward Gunter and remain in silence allowing him to answer. She was also curious as to what Lucian would ask and more so as to what Gunter would respond. From her time with the man she had known to him to be extremely honest. Almost to a fault. It's one of the reasons she even bothers socializing with him instead of fighting him. She feels to pull to learn about him, and the learn why he did what he did, and why he believes it'll help the world.

Despite the unexpected almost fight, Rinni is glad to have Lucian back. Though, she still didn't introduce him to Gunter properly. She did tell him she had a werewolf friend named Lucian in the guild. He seemed to not know him. How would Gunter react if he came to realize that the man in the dreads was the same Lucian Rinni spoke so highly of?

Guess she was going to find out.

Eventually.

He's calculated and tactful, I will give him that. Considering that his comrade was a rather blunt and abrasive individual the two definitely complemented one another. And Rinni clearly felt some sort of attachment to this individual by the fact that she had the unmitigated gall to stand between them. She has grown up, truly.

Watching the spectacle unfold before him, Lucian carefully eyed Gunter as he pulled out the table and chairs from some sort of pocket dimension, laying out a spread of sorts like a wonderful host. Lucian eyed the drinks, pushing the glass away. Even if she trusted him, I will not. I am not an idiot nor am I some fool. He may have some soft spot for her, but clearly, by his previous actions, he didn't owe anyone else any sort of loyalty or respect.

Rinni sipped on her mango juice and seemed to ask some of his first questions on her own. At least she had the ability to be aware of the situation at hand. Lucian nodded in agreement, those things were important to know because she was the only way he could have gotten here. Lucian leaned back in his seat and studied them, they had a joking sort of energy between them. A comradery that was clearly evident. Especially considering he was there for her first transformation, it definitely made sense that she would trust him with her worse qualities.

His words made him seem arrogant but it also could be just pure blunt truth. Either way, this Gunter clearly had some sort of complex, that or he was truly ingrained in the idea that he and the rest of them had done what was truly necessary to achieve their goals, whatever those goals were. Granted that didn't make this any easier to swallow or accept. Nor does this sate the hunger of my rage. Vengeance will be mine, someone will pay dearly...

"I do not know who died and made you a god but last time I checked genocide never lead to peace and prosperity...It only created monsters and cold-blooded killers from the survivors of the deceased. Violence begets violence... Death bears the fruit of death."

Lucian's rage simmered under his skin, but there was no better time than right now to get the answers that he was so desperately searching for. And so he was going to have to sift through the mud and muck to get to his prize.

"So. Who convinced you three that this purging of our guild was for lasting peace? Two, did you take on the task for payment and so the rhetoric you just spit out was merely the reason you were given? Or do you truly believe in that misguided vision that would have you give innocent lives over to death?"

I could crack this table in two. How could he sit here and be so calm and okay with his actions. He seemed to feel no remorse or sense of guilt. He didn't reek of fear nor disdain. This man was content with his actions...And I can't really tell which makes me angrier, the look of contempt on his face or the lack of empathy.

"And my last question, what do you plan to do to bring this peace of yours to the world? Because I'm sure if you had the nerve to attack an entire established guild of well down mages and good people you would have a complete and total foolproof plan with how to proceed in order to achieve your peace."

Because so help me madam fate if I don't like what I hear, I might as well prepare for blood.

As Gunter sits there smoking and drinking, listening to the questions of Rinni and the unnamed man, he would first respond to Rinni by saying "My arrival was just coincidence, I was in fact looking for more of the unscrupulous types. Information is key anywhere you go, and I figured to ask the homeless and criminals.", but then Gunter looks over at the corpse and says "But I ran into a... delinquent. And like any father I had to bend him over my knee and spank the little toddler." Gunter would finish off that statement with a smile.

Gunter looks directly at Lucian, and begins responding to his statements and questions.

"I do not know who died and made you a god but last time I checked genocide never lead to peace and prosperity...It only created monsters and cold-blooded killers from the survivors of the deceased. Violence begets violence... Death bears the fruit of death."

Gunter would say to that, "Genocide and war has always lead to peace and prosperity. It's fact. History will always be written by the victor. If you look into the history books of Fiore, I guarantee you you'll read about great victories and battles, and how you have a lasting peace right now, but you don't. In reality, those were war crimes or genocides or butchering the enemies, and Fiore has now become corrupt and disgusting. Nothing more than a trash can with rats squirming around. And those monsters and killers you talk about, those are the heroes of lore. Hell, look at the nine heroes. To someone, those were monsters and killers. But you are right about one thing: Death does bear fruit of death. And I am the fruit that Fiore has borne."

"So. Who convinced you three that this purging of our guild was for lasting peace? Two, did you take on the task for payment and so the rhetoric you just spit out was merely the reason you were given? Or do you truly believe in that misguided vision that would have you give innocent lives over to death?"

"As to your first question about Penumbral Guard, nobody convinced me, I was simply asked by Tomoe. No payment was given. I didn't do it for money. His reasons were his own. But from what I saw about your guild, you were weak and it sent a message to those lazy, disgusting light guilds that did nothing about the atrocities I committed there. If you want to believe that my vision is misguided, that's fine, call me a monster. Meanwhile, the other guilds that are otherwise here to protect the innocents of Fiore, watched and did nothing. So what does that make them?" Gunter would say with a stern look.

"And my last question, what do you plan to do to bring this peace of yours to the world? Because I'm sure if you had the nerve to attack an entire established guild of well down mages and good people you would have a complete and total foolproof plan with how to proceed in order to achieve your peace."

Before responding to this, Gunter would sigh. He would look up at the ceiling of this dilapidated building, inhale deeply of his cigar, take a long sip of his whiskey, keeping the smoke in his lungs before exhaling. Then he would look back at Lucian and say "No plan is truly foolproof. Hurdles will always arise out of nowhere. But my plan, and I have no reason to hide it from you; if you wish to stand in my way, that's on you, I can respect that. But my goal is that I am going to plunge this world into a dark age, if you will. Forcing those light guilds to get stronger or die. And hopefully they will get stronger. When that happens, they will battle against me and the other dark guilds. In that chaos, I will butcher these disgusting, putrid cockroaches you call dark guilds, ripping them out like weeds. Because the peace you have right now is nothing more than a fucking cold war with your heroes too lazy to get off their fucking asses to help innocents or other heroes. And the nobles, you might wonder about them. Well, they have lived in luxury, sitting in their golden thrones, taking advantage of the downtrodden. So it's very simple what I'm going to do to them. If they want their gold so much, I'll toss them in a molten pot of gold, and then we will break apart their bodies and give it to the people as the new currency. And the strongest of those heroes that fought the hardest and the one that is truly a king among his peers, he will lead this country, instead of that puppet rat-king we have now. And once that is all done, and Fiore is for the better, as I said to Rinni, I will either serve my time in jail for the rest of my life or awaiting execution, or I will repent by serving that king, wiping out his enemies."

As Gunter finishes, and there is visible rage behind his voice, his Eye of Kaom would suddenly open, staring Lucian down directly. Gunter would say "Do you understand? And do you have any further questions?" Gunter would then inhale deeply, the smoke of his cigar, and finish off the rest of the amber liquid in his glass trying to calm himself down. His Eye of Kaom would close. He would look at Rinni and say "I apologize, I know it makes you uncomfortable."

Meanwhile in the background, Kratos looks at this tiny fox that just spoke to him out of nowhere, and says "I was specifically told by my boss not to eat you. So for the time being I won't eat you. As to the hotdog question, I do have weenies. Do you want a hotdog or a cock-meat sandwich?" Regardless of the response, Kratos would pull out a hotdog from a sack and gives it to Winter. Kratos would then say "So you finally grown some brains and gained sentience? That's pretty cool I guess. Also, do you see those jokers? That dude right there." Kratos would say and point to Lucian "That dude looks fucking pissed."

Kratos would then say "I wonder who shoved a stick up his ass." Kratos is not quiet about what he just said at all. Gunter's response to this would be simply shaking his head while rubbing his temple. And Kratos would continue eating his weenies.

Gunter would listen to Rinni and the mysterious man about their responses and also observing their general reactions to his statements. He would also occasionally keep an eye over on Kratos to make sure he didn't eat the Snow Vulpix. Based off of the feel that Gunter has gotten up to this point, he's in a very interesting situation. In his mind, he still wants Rinni in the guild, but he realizes now that there is a possibility for Lucian. Whether Lucian realizes it or not. After realizing this, Gunter unfortunately slips a small smile. Not too noticeable, but noticeable nonetheless.

Rinni quietly sipped her Mango Juice and watched as Lucian rejected his offer of a drink. He didn't trust him. Rinni didn't blame him. Lucian didn't know Gunter, for one. For another, Gunter was, technically, an enemy by all accounts. He did take part in the fall of their guild after all. However, as he would reveal, it was all Tomoe's plan. If the Guildmaster (or acting Guildmaster) wanted to tear down his own guild, what does it matter who helped him? It would have happened with or without Gunter there. Tomoe is very powerful and very dangerous. Rinni knew this all too well from experience. She shivered as she remembered her spar with Tomoe. She was pretty sure Lucian would pick up on her sudden fear, so she quickly shook her head and shut her eyes trying to push that memory down into the deepest recesses of her mind and hide the fear it brought her. She never told him about the day Tomoe almost killed her. If she had... maybe Lucian would have known the danger they were in sooner...

She listened as Lucian lectured Gunter, glancing up at the man who sat beside her as he calmly sipped his whiskey while allowing her friend to speak freely without cutting him off. She was starting to see why she was so easily drawn to him. The man radiated an air of calmness that made it hard to hate him. Though, she had a feeling his charisma wouldn't phase the male werewolf that sat across from them. Poor Rinni wasn't sure what to do at this moment. She didn't want to be put in a position to take sides. They were all Penumbral Guard. Why did they have to fight each other?

She quietly listened as Gunter answered her questions as well as Lucian's with a calm poise as though this were an afternoon tea party or something. So, it was a coincidence that Gunter had found her. Or maybe it was fate. Just like with Tomoe. She joined Penumbral Guard only after meeting Tomoe twice by chance. Maybe there was some force pulling her and Gunter together. But... now Lucian was back in her life. There was no way he'd go for that at all. She was sure he'd fight before he let Gunter take Rinni away from him. Just as she was sure it'd be a cold day in hell before Lucian joined him.

As Gunter explained his reasoning for the crimes he committed against Penumbral Guard, Rinni stared quietly into the remains of her drink. She was only feeling more torn by the minute as she listened to him. Her nose crinkled and she sneezed slightly from his cigar smoke, but she said nothing in retaliation this time. Her mind was too preoccupied to worry about something so trivial. She did feel a bit apprehensive of the fact Winter was sitting so close to Kratos; however, she relaxed a bit as she noticed Gunter was keeping an eye on his companion to ensure the safety of her own. For that, she was grateful. Lucian must have noticed the amount of care Gunter displayed toward Rinni, but he didn't appear to appreciate it. She could smell his rage from here. It actually made her fidget in discomfort.

As Gunter spoke, Rinni couldn't help but agree on some parts and disagree on others. The man made a valid argument. He was good at this. A little too good. It made her want to trust him. To join his cause. In fact, something was pulling her toward him. But as her brown eyes fell upon Lucian, her lip trembled. She had missed him so much and was afraid she'd never see him again. She didn't want to lose him. Not again. She couldn't handle that. She needed him. He was the first one she met to truly understand what she was going through. She subconsciously placed her hand upon her shoulder where her scar was hidden beneath her clothing. She suddenly sensed it. That familiar magic that released on their first meeting. Her eyes wandered toward Gunter and she gasped audibly as she noticed his third eye had opened. She shrunk into her seat, and almost retreated to Lucian...

I apologize, I know it makes you uncomfortable.

The eye closed. He did that for her? She couldn't understand. Why did he seem to care about her? He barely knew her. Was this all a trick to win her over? Or did he truly care for her? Regardless, she relaxed once the eye had closed, shuddering a bit as she recalled the moment he had startled her by losing control. Turn about is fair play, however, as she did lose control as well that day. Maybe that is what bonded them together. They both were monsters. "Oh... uh... th-thanks, Gunter...'

In the background of their discussion and awkward meeting, Winter and Kratos were casually voicing their own opinions on the situation while eating hotdogs like a pair of old friends. Rinni wasn't sure at what point Winter gained the ability to speak; for all she knew, she always could but chose not to. And under any normal circumstance, she would have questioned the little fox kit about this sudden ability. As it was, that detail held no importance in comparison to the discussion taking place at the table. As for Winter, she would have run over to greet Gunter as she had Lucian... but she could sense the tension in the air and it made her nervous so she decided to stay back until things calm down. She was also ready to fight if she had to.

As to the hotdog question, I do have weenies. Do you want a hotdog or a cock-meat sandwich?

Winter's ears twitched and she turned her innocent bright blue eyes toward Kratos while he dug in his bag for a weenie. "Uh... what... what's a... cock-meat?" She inquired innocently as he offered her a hotdog. Having no hands, she gingerly grabbed the end of it in her tiny mouth and pulled it out of his hand. She then laid it in front of her, licking it as she held it between her paws. It tasted salty. Her tails wagged as she started to nibble at it happily. She could tell why Kratos liked these things. They were yummy.

So you have finally grown some brains and gained sentience?

"Hey! That's not nice! I always had brains! Just cause I couldn't talk before doesn't mean I didn't have brains! Babies don't talk and they have brains! And... and I bet you couldn't talk before too! And... and... I totally have senitan.... sentisance... whatever that big word you used means!" she retorted, her voice an annoyed squeak sounding like an angry eight-year-old girl. She took another nibble of her hotdog, her ears drooping. "Why are you so mean to me? You big meanie."

Also, do you see those jokers? That dude right there. That dude looks fucking pissed.

Winter looked where Kratos was pointing and sat upright with a partially eaten hotdog laying between her front paws. "Oh, that's Lucian. I guess he's mad 'cause of the Guild getting burned down. He was a member too, after all. He's like a big brother to Rinni. He promised her he'd help her and stuff."

Shit.

Rinni wasn't expecting Winter to reveal who Lucian was. With that new information, there was no way for Gunter not to make the connection. As she looked up at him, she caught the small smirk forming across his lips. What was he thinking?

Mother always said that in order to have a beautiful garden one must prune the weeds and the dying flowers from the garden in order to preserved and save the rest of the plot of land. Except this was not about crops for the harvest that he was speaking about, he spoke of innocent men, women, and children that would be thrown into an age of darkness and chaos that could possibly drown the world in an eternal pool of black. The void was going to bring forth an evil that none had seen. How long would it be till the light would emerge once again? The darkness would snuff out the light every chance it got, the world would be plunged into an infinite sense of bleak despair.

How can he be so sure about this truth, but then again one's ideals can not be argued. He has resolved himself to being this harbinger of a new age. And here I stand at the recipe of the choice, I can choose here and right now to try and end the tyranny before it begins or I can stand aside and choose another day to wage war. It was not smart to fight here. I have no idea of his powers or his abilities and judging by the eye on his forehead, it was safe to say his patron deity was definitely with him in some regard. The item radiated malice and violence. Clearly, he was also riled up in some sort...I can smell it on him. This man was a calculated individual that found his way no matter the circumstance... Even if it meant war...

Lucian sat back and pondered...His nails digging into the wood of the table as his mind raced...It was so much to take in and at such a small juncture of time. This was one of them responsible but he had a method to his madness. Granted...A misplaced one none the less. And yet...He had his point.

"You say the other guilds did nothing... and yet according to your words, the assault was from the inside and there were no survivors. What good was there to be done. The deed had been done, no one could have known about the attack until the corpses started to stink and the rubble had already begun to settle. So I can't say these other "Light" guilds as you call them are completely wrong for their lack of action."

Lucian folded his arms and continued onward, eyeing the other creatures in the room as they continued in some sort of conversation. Nightfall eyed Kratos heavily, his breathing coming quicker...His wings were fluttering and his muscles taunt...Lucian cooed over toward the Dhullin, making sure he could find a sense of peace in the madness. They would be leaving soon and he was going to need his strength to make it.

"Unless of course, you tell me that you publicized your attack and made it apparent if no one helped us, you would raze us to the ground. But that wouldn't have made sense either, a coup de tat isn't publicized. Or you can lie to me even now. And tell me you did publicize the attack just to prove a point. Either way, it doesn't matter your deed is done. I understand your pain far more than you realize. Death bears the fruits of death as I said. And so how I am now is a mere reflection of that fruit."

Lucian eyed Rinni, a young girl now woman stripped of her innocence in a fell swoop. Left to fend for herself and her sibling in a far off land. She would come to know that this world was not a fairy tale or fantasy scroll. This was the true world, where evil sometimes got away with their bad until of course karma and fate had their way.

"And so I ask you...If I were to say that I stand against you. Is this where I should prepare to make my final stand? Because regardless of your ideals...I stand for the furtherment of life and life itself. All things deserve a chance to grow and evolve to see if they can become more. What you suggest...Is worse than a fire that helps create a new forest or a tsunami that washes the land free of man's issues. You seek to bring hell on to this place. And I for one have already been and I will not go back..."

Gunter listens to the ramblings of this man who he now knows the name of due to Rinni's pet called Winter. "Lucian" he thinks in his head. "Not a name I'd give to my kid, but hey, you don't pick that, do you?" As he listens to this man that simply doesn't know what he's talking about, Gunter understands where he's coming from but at a young age, Gunter was taught a very harsh lesson by his family. And that is that every once in a while, you're going to come across someone who spews bullshit, and you just need to ignore them.

Gunter sighs. He then brings the cigar up to his lips and inhales deeply. As he looks Lucian dead in the eyes and exhales, the smoke blowing into Lucian's face, Gunter says "We did not need to make it public. We could've, but we didn't, and people did know because an hour after it happened, when we got into town, people were already talking about it. So they knew. I mean personally, I thought the burning castle in the mountainside was a giveaway. But you're right, it's clear that we aren't seeing eye to eye. It's unfortunate, but it is what it is. So..." and with that, Gunter stands up. "Why don't we all just agree to disagree? Now I'm not going to fight you right here, I've got work to do. Time frame to keep up on! People to see. Pikes to erect, if you know what I mean, so whatever you decide to do, Mr. Lucian, I guess I'll see you around. Either I'll see you on the battlefield or you'll be a little too late, in which case you can see my handiwork. I will give you one little tidbit for free though, because you seem like a swell guy and all. The next guild I'm going to attack is the only guild I have attacked that's still standing. Or at least, in the process of being remade. Oh, and when you get there, I want you to give my regards to your guild master. Tell him that teatime was fantastic, and I will see him not in Hosenka, but at his home."

Gunter then looks to Rinni and says "It seems to me, little one, that you have mixed feelings about the world, its people, humanity, and me. The offer still stands to join, should you decide to. But I think you need to wander and see exactly how corrupt this world is. We'll see each other around, and don't worry, you'll know exactly where to find me. I leave calling cards and all that."

With that, Gunter starts walking towards the door, or at least the hole he made in the wall. He looks back at Kratos and says "It seems that this meeting has reached an end. Kratos, I'm taking off. Are you coming?" Kratos would then look at Gunter and say "I'm still eating my fucking weenies, give me thirty seconds!"

With that, Gunter would head outside, whistle for his Leviat, and he would fly off.

As Kratos remains there eating his weenies, scarfing them down like they're on sale, he takes a final bite of his hotdog, burps loudly, and goes "Mmmm, fuck, that was some good shit!" and he then looks at Rinni and Lucian and says "Mmm, fuck, oh god, so good, hotdogs are so fucking delicious! So, I guess that means we're... like angry lovers? Uh... rivals? You know, two guys that hate each other in a locker room but still slap their dicks around, kind of like a sword fight? Anyway, mmmm, fuck... even though my boss is kinda like the cuck type, you know, comes in does his thing, watches and leaves? Well, I'm more of the, mmm fuck..."

Kratos picks the last bit of hotdog out of his teeth and flicks it at Lucian. "I'm the guy who likes action, hanging with the cool guys. Rinni, I know you got some mixed feelings about Gunter, like a lost puppy that kinda wants to get it with that mangy mutt beside you but can't because you got some 'oh my god step-bro!' stuff, have fun kids, doggy style and all that. But I think, personally, as I said to Gunter, I think you need a fire under your ass like when you light a dog on fire and kick it down the road, so uh... let's just get started."

With that, Kratos just grabs Winter next to him and in one motion just rips her head right off her body, eating it, and spitting it out like it's a chunk of an apple, and then tosses the rest of her corpse at Rinni and Lucian. As the corpse goes flying in midair, Kratos would be standing there, smiling at Rinni, but his eyes looking at Lucian, and with his lips would go "Muah! Come at me, big boy!"

In memory:

---

Gunter exits, Kratos is being a dick

For the most part, Rinni had sat quietly listening to the banter between Lucian and Gunter. She heard it all before. Knew both sides by heart. This was now a play to make Lucian see things his way. Rinni could already tell it wouldn't work. She may be mixed on it, but she could tell Lucian was set in his ways and to be honest she couldn't blame him. She, too, was pissed by what happened to Penumbral Guard. But was it really Gunter's doing? Sure, he helped but it was Tomoe's plan right? Or at least, Tomoe was involved. That meant it woulda happened with or without Gunter. She may be young, but Rinni wasn't stupid.

Gunter rose to his feet after a lengthy lecture and called Rinni out on being torn in her feelings, informing her his offer still stands. She was well aware of what he meant; though Lucian obviously would not be. She simply nodded and turned in her seat watching Gunter leave. He called for Kratos to come with him, but his companion was insistent on finishing his weenies. She shook her head and chuckled. He was so childish over hotdogs. As Gunter left, the dardian continued to prattle on about how much he loved hotdogs; using his own colorful language, to Rinni's dismay.

Not suspecting a thing, Rinni had taken to watching Winter eat a weenie and smiled. Great. Now Kratos was going to have her addicted to hotdogs too. Just then, Kratos grabbed the small defenseless fox after making some sort of cryptic statement. Before Rinni or Lucian could react, he ripped her head off and killed the poor creature. Rinni jumped to her feet letting out a shocked squeal which turned into a horrific scream as Kratos tossed the lifeless body toward them. In that instant she felt her heart rate increasing, her fangs and claws growing. Her voice slowly shifted into a feral growl.

She knew what was coming. And she wasn't fighting it.

brown fur covered her arms and part of her shoulder, her eyes becoming more like that of a wolf. Her face, though still human, took on more animalistic traits. Her clothing ripped as her muscle mass increased. She snarled and lunged at Kratos with every intent on ripping out his throat. Regardless as to rather, she landed a blow before he could escape or not, the young werewolf would now rampage the building destroying everything in an uncontrollable rage. Luckily no civilians were around during this, as it was just herself and Lucian.

Unfortunately, in her blind rage, she couldn't see who she was attacking. Only seeing blood at this moment. She lunged at Nightfall, claws and fangs prepared for a lethal assault. She wasn't intending to hurt Lucian nor his loyal mount. But at this moment, the only thing she felt was blind rage.

spells/abilities:

This Gunter man needs to meet his end...He is the one that will bring upon the end of things and that is enough for me. His constant drivel is annoying, he is self-absorbed and believes in this ridiculous notion that he is the newly crowned king of armageddon. He stands as my opposite and quite frankly I want him more dead than anything else in this world at the moment other than Tomoe. He deserves death and death alone, there is no point in believing that there is a chance at redemption and quite frankly, this whole hero thing has gotten old anyway...Monsters were coming out of the shadows and I'm not about to sit here and wait on them to snatch me into their lair and devour me. I'm going to kill them all and watch as their corpses burn. And when I too pass on from this world, I pray I can judge them once again in the afterlife.


Lucian watched cooly as Gunter rosed from his seat, the spread disappearing along with him as he prepared his final exit. It was all Lucian could do as he sat here and watched the man that was now one of his mortal foes takes his leave. The snide remarks about pikes were not lost on Lucian nor was it an empty gesture or idea. He was deliberately taunting Lucian and goading him into a battle. His anger and rage would only blind him to the possible ways of his enemy. Luckily, for Lucian, he had enough practice in this area and far too many scars to fall victim to such a pitiful attempt to rile him up. There was nothing he could do except bide his time. Gunter was going to slip up eventually but the next time they met someone was not going to leave that area alive. Lucian relished at the moment, pocketing the pain away for further motivation as his revenge was on the horizon of the dawn.

Lucian sat back in the rickety seat as Gunter disappeared. His remarks of an offer to Rinni was appalling, to say the least. He truly sees himself as some sort of god. How could she even stomach this man? Granted he had been there for her when even I could not but to have the audacity to even speak as he does and walk as he does. How could she? Maybe the lack of connection is what did this... Between the guild's destruction and my own journey she probably grew in need. And considering this boyfriend of hers was missing it was safe to assume that he too had probably abandoned her.

His cold amber eyes watched the creature name Kratos feed Winter a weenie as he called it. The little fox enjoying the gift of the meal, but then he struck him. With the cold feeling of murderous intent, he knew that it was probably possible that Gunter was returning for a surprise attack but he was going to be sorely mistaken when claw and fang would come to meet him.

Then like a savage beast, Kratos sprung his trap tearing at the body of Winter like a hungry predator as he ripped her apart. The snowy white fur that made up her coat was now dyed red and a soft pink like the fallen cherry blossoms of Jian. Nightfall reared up, his fear high at the brutal attack committed in front of him. As if throwing away trash, Kratos tossed the body towards Lucian and Rinni, the mangled corpse unrecognizable to the creature that had once lived. He was a murderer just like his master and demon that deserved death. Lucian had no time to dwell on the creature because he saw the beginning of another problem. He could smell her rage and hear her body morph as she transformed. Rinn was now prepared to tear everything apart as the beast inside took over half of her form.

Rinni... I couldn't be there for you before... But I will be here now...Lucian clicked his tongue twice, Nightfall flew out of the open hole into the night sky in a flash of shadow, with him out of the way there was more space for them to act.  

Calmly standing to his feet, Lucian felt the transformation begin smoothly. It was seamlessly born from the constant repetition of a thousand moons. His stature grew and his muscles rippled, His mane of hair turning into a mane of fur as he shifted into the half-way state. As he was now, he couldn't risk the full werewolf form, she would probably perceive him as a full-on threat and would not recognize him. At least this way she would know.

"Rinni! Little one! Control yourself!"

Lucian lunged at Rinni, praying he could get ahold of her before she tore the creature or an innocent apart.

Spoiler:

That bastard Kratos narrowly avoided Rinni's assault by burrowing underground and escaping her wrath. She screamed and clawed at the ground but to no avail. In her rage, she had turned her anger toward Nightfall just as Lucian gave the whistle for the winged beast to fly away to safety. Her attack barely missed as her claws raked through the beast's tail on his way out. She proceeded to destroy and attacking anything and anyone to get in her way. Her ears pricked up as she heard Lucian shapeshifting only a few feet away from her. Before she could react someone had slammed into her full force knocking her to the ground.

She howled and snarled kicking and fighting her attacker, struggling under his weight and strength as he easily overpowered her. Her ears drew back as she bared her fangs at the one who now pinned her to the ground. Her amber eyes glared into his own as she growled, her chest heaving with each breath she took. She continued to push forward attempting to free herself from Lucian's grasp, turning her head and biting into the older werewolf's arm, snarling ferociously.

Rinni! Little one! Control yourself!

As his familiar voice reached her ears, her eyes turned toward his face once more as a slow recognition kicked in. Realizing what she was doing, Rinni whined softly and proceeded to lick where she had previously bitten her friend as a means of apology. Once he would allow her to do so, the young werewolf would sit up slowly and look toward the mangled corpse as reality struck her hard. Heart racing, tears streamed down her face as she began to sob uncontrollably, her entire body shaking. Her wolf ears drew down sorrowfully into her thick mane of brown hair as she dug her claws into Lucian clinging to him.

"She's gone! Kratos... he... he just... how could he... L-Lucian..." her voice cracked into a fit of sobs as she buried her face into his mane of fur/hair and wept for her loss. Her howls of grief echoed throughout the city and into the night air.

Still active:

The rush of blood that welled at the site of the bite gushed red and seemed to swell beyond all belief. It ran in small rivers of crimson red running along the half fur-skin that was his hybrid form. There was no pain, no sense of anguish in the sensation. It felt relieving to feel pain once again, physical pain that snaps someone back to their reality and the truth of the world around them. She had grown powerful, powerful enough to pierce my skin, maybe I have grown too weak or maybe this grief has just made her that much stronger. I do not know. Nor does that matter, because at this moment the only thing that matters is comforting her through the pain of loss. Something he knew all too well.

Lucian stroked her head as she wept and howled with righteous fury and indignation. She had just lost another important part of her heart and her soul. She would find another but this wasn't the time for that. Besides, such a senseless loss of life for nothing more than a mere sense of playing or confidence. Those two will come to know true retribution but that would come later.

"I know...I know...Go ahead and cry. Just let it out. Let it all out."

Lucian patted her head, the two werewolves sharing a scene that would never be seen by the lack of the common folk. It was a weird visual, two creatures of the night sharing such emotion. Usually considered brutal and vicious these two would be seen as nothing more than savage brutes of flesh rending monstrosities. But they were more than that and they deserved the right to feel something if anything. And right now, both of them needed to have all the pain they felt released.

Lucian joined in the howl, he didn't care if others heard them or if someone else would come to investigate the current standings of the situation. They were united in the situation of common grief and struggle. The brightness of their pleasant reunion had been soiled by the news of their combined loss and pain.

Lucian looked at the sobbing young woman, he could feel her anguish. It reminded him of his own, the first night he slept in the streets. The first time he ever got double-crossed and left for dead. The scars on his body began to pulse as the emotions of the dark began to resurface. But here he could be vulnerable. At this moment he could be softer than normal, he had earned the right to grieve. For the loss of his family old and new.

The two werewolves howled in grief for several minutes. Or perhaps it was hours. Time seemed to stand still for Rinni in this moment, as she simply howled her lungs and heart out until she couldn't howl anymore. Having exhausted herself, sobbing and howling in misery along with her friend, she slowly reverted back into her human form. Her eyes went toward the bite she had inflicted upon Lucian's arm. She wiped her tears upon her sleeve and looked up at the older werewolf, her amber eyes meeting his. He was the only person she was comfortable making direct eye contact with, aside from her brother and parents (of whom she averted if she was lying).

Through shaky sobs and gasps, she finally managed words once she regained her breath enough to speak. "What do we do now, Lucian? Everything and everyone is gone. We have no home, no Guild. Where do we go from here?" She looked toward the dreadlock-wearing male that held her comfortingly in his arms. She would follow him anywhere. He was all she had left. She couldn't risk running home to her parents and putting them in danger.

Deep down she felt a rage she never felt burning within her. She clenched her fists digging her sharp nails into her palms and drawing blood. Her body was trembling from the hatred and anger. She never felt this way before. She wanted revenge. She wanted Gunter dead. She wanted to be the one to do it. She was scared.

Scared of herself.

As blood dripped from her hands, the scent reaching her nose, she looked down at her clenched fists, then toward the bite on Lucian's arm. She caused that. "I'm so sorry, Luci... I... I didn't mean to hurt you..." She apologized honestly and meekly as she glanced up toward her friend with concern on her face and true sorrow.

And so they were left to grieve over their losses. Much hurt was in their hearts and revenge on their minds. This was far from over...

-exit cause traveling soon-