The Demon King Of Rukongai

Sovay slipped out of her family's home, wearing the boy's trousers rolled up to her shins, and her long hair tucked into a cap. She held a red apple in her hand, and it contrasted nicely with her tan skin. She had stopped trying to use stealth long ago to exit the Seritei, and now just simply walked out of the gate, waving at students and shinigami as she went by. Reaching into the pockets of her pants, she felt the gold coins and bread she had stashed there to bring to the rugrats that seemed to be everywhere. Her's in particular were in the sixtieth sect of the Rukongai. Of course, they had no idea that she was a lady, but they also never asked why she only showed up for periods of time, and never stayed long.

She pretended that she was a thief, like they all were, but a particularly good one. She took her time getting there, chewing on her apple, taking up a handful of dirt, she rubbed it on her skin to make herself look more the part. Of course, she hadn't gotten her outfit washed in a good while now either. When she got home she would have to have a bath before seeing her family, but sometimes she had gone weeks without seeing her parents or her sister. It was easy to get lost in the Takenawa house. Her father was always busy with running the Onmitsukido, her sister stayed at the student barracks, and her mother was being a lady. She had never been one for fighting.

Once she finally reached the sixtieth sect, she let out a small moan of annoyance. It was empty it seemed of inhabitants. She had only seen a section look like this once before, and that had been because of the Demon King. But that had also been over a hundred years ago. Was it possible that he was still alive and kicking? The rumours of the monster had never gone away of course, but she had never been sure about how much was fact, and how much was fiction. Sticking her hands back in her pockets after finishing her apple, she hurried over to where the children normally stayed, hoping to not come across the demon king.

She hurried along, not even noticing when she came to an intersection. Turning her head, she caught sight of a movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head sharply, she gazed at the figure standing at the other end of the road. He was a bit far to see details at the moment, but dread pitched a tent in her stomach, and fear sat on her heart. To counteract, she slowed her breathing and stood still, staring at the giant who came slowly towards her. her feet seemed to be stuck to the hard dirt road, and she couldn't seem to look away from the Demon King.

He could see it. A little mouse sitting snuggly in the middle of the road. A tiny thing innocent as can be. Short thin limbs like that of a child, easily snapped beneath his hand. The persons snowy white hair was cloaked by a cap and his clothes were baggy and boyish so from the distance The Demon King guessed that it was a young boy. He smiled a wicked grin. By the looks of it this one had either been caught off guard and rendered unable to move by shock and fear or he was just stupid. It didnt matter to The Demon king which it was.

"Dont move boy!" The Demon King growled like a beast snarling before the pounce. A sudden gust of wind flew away from the scene, causing The Demon Kings leather garments to sway violently, revealing the heavily scarred chest and sheathed sword. Finally he had reached spitting distance of the white haired kid and stared down at him with vengeful eyes. Death hiding behind the green irises.

A devil's chuckle left The Demon Kings lips as he saw how frightened the boy was. At first he had wondered if the the kid had thought of standing up to him but his trembling legs and wide eyes proved otherwise. Just in case however The Demon King took precautions, he slowly removed his sword from its beaten sheathe. But he was hungry and had been devoid of food for days. He didnt know if he would have the strength to even strike down this little runt.

He paused for a moment, his sword suspended in mid-air. It was despicable! Even though one of their own was in danger nobody, not a single person made the act to try and help them. People really were disgusting, self-centered things. Nobody truly cared for anybody else, it was all about personal gain. This kid wasnt going to be of any profit to anybody around here so nobody would want to save him. Wretched things they were!

"If you wanna keep you're head on your shoulders I suggest you hand over any food you have." Artix threatened. He was starving, pale faced and weak but he couldnt let the urchins see that, they would set upon him like starving wolves to a piece of meat.

"Now!"

Sovay fingered the coins in her pocket, stroking their cold metal that was becoming warm with the heat radiating off her body. From the way the man had called her a boy, she knew that he had fallen for her disguise as well. She was despicably frozen in fear anyways, and she wouldn't move even if she could. Someone had to play with the giant, and it might as well be her. She didn't know of anyone else who deserved such treatment. Certainly not the inhabitants of the sixtieth division in the Rukongai. Their only misdeed had been dying. So, slowly she steadied herself and looked up at her would be attacker.

She didn't gasp like he probably would have expected her to. True, she was a timid little thing, but there were more important things to be timid about. She started at the giant's feet, and worked her way up to stair into his green eyes. She memorized every little scar so later she could give the description to her father. She was not surprised to see how ragged and torn this man seemed, Even though he stood steady in front of her, it looked as if he would fall over in the next instant. He was quite pale, as if weak from sickness or pain, and compared to him, her skin might have been brown because of how dark he made her arabic tones look. But his eyes were the most startling because she hadn't seen what she had been expecting to see in them.

Sure, they were clear and green, and oddly beautiful in his scarred face, the anger and threat were to be expected in the Demon King's eyes, but she also saw something else in them, and it made her relax a little bit, though not much. She looked to the left, right, and behind, but did not see a soul. Of course no one in the Rukongai could recognize her like this, plain with no make-up, but she had been expecting maybe something from the people she thought were her friends. Then again, it had been her stupid mistake to enter a hiding section without immediately turning back. She would have smacked herself for her stupidity if it didn't feel pointless.

Against her thigh rested a dagger with the family crest on the hilt. Her hand itched to retrieve it and toss it at the giant of a man, but she knew that would be an act of stupidity, as it would only anger him. Really her only hope was to run and hope he was too weak to lumber after her, or it was to fight which seemed like a completely stupid move. she had heard stories of men who tried to fight the thousand year old Demon King, and none of them ended well. Of course they hadn't her training. Maybe she did have something.

Sovay reached into her other pocket then, and felt around, feeling her face light up into a smile. She had some strips of dried meat that she had forgotten about weeks ago. Dried meat didn't go bad, or at least it took a long time. She slowly pulled out the meat so as not to startle the wild beast in front of her, and held them out carefully. "Here,"she said, her quiet voice filling up the vastness of the empty land around them. "Eat, you need to." She didn't know why she wanted to help the Demon King, but Sovay had a bit of a lost puppy complex. She didn't know how to not help people. She also prayed to whoever was listening that she wouldn't die before her two hundred and ninetieth birthday.

The Demon King watched the boy carefully, any signs of hostile movement and his thin little arms would be severed before he had time to think. Artix had survived this long alone, he wasnt about to be ended by a mere lad! Strangely enough though the boy began studying Artix from the ankles up. What a queer thing to do, especially since he was a denizen of the sixtieth district. Around these lower numbered area's people didnt pay much attention to the way other people looked. As long as they had something that could be exploited it didnt matter what their outter aesthetics were like. This boy was a strange one.

The young man made his way up Artix's body, saoking in every detail before halting at his eyes. The look that he gave Artix was something that he concidered wrong in all senses of the word. It was as if the boy were looking on him with sympathy. How putrid! This boy had the balls to even concider The Demon King was needy of pity?! Such insolence deserved the death penalty, but it would not be given just yet. For now Artix needed to set an example.

The kid slid his slender hand into his pocket and Artix's body went rigid. If he so much as saw the glint of a blades edge the boy would be dead. The sharp point of The Demon Kings jagged sword was trained in the boy's throat. Instead of a weapon though, the boy gradually produced some meat from his pocket and held out his hand.

"Eat, you need to."

There was something about the way the boy spoke those words that caught Artix off guard. There was something in them that Artix had long since forgotten that the average person was capable of. Artix stared at boy apprehensively for a moment as he wondered about something.

No, no, this boy was no different from the rest of them. He offered the food with kind words in order to undermine Artix's defences. All the boy valued was his life, as long as he co-operated and offered kindness he would be allowed to live, after that he would continue to live his selfish life just like the others. Well Artix wasn't going to fall for it again, not now not ever!

He snatched the strips of meat from the boys hands and ate them so quickly he seemed to gulp them down without chewing. His hand shot straight from his mouth to the boys neck and grasped tightly, pulling him so close their noses were inches a part.

"Listen to me boy, dont you ever look at me like that again or I'll rip your damn eyeballs right from your sock..." Artix paused. "Wait a minute" He mused as he studied the boy's features. Something was amiss and he had finally started to put together the pieces. That faint jingle in the kids pocket. He had money. The sheer skinniness of the boy. Clearly he wasnt used to living life the hard way. And the fact that he was the only one in the street while everybody else had ran for shelter. He wasnt from around here and the air of pamperedness around him could only mean...

"Your a noble arent you?"

Sovay gasped in surprise as the man grabbed her by the neck and pulled her towards him. She felt her pathway for air become tight, and although it was a new experience, it wasn't an enjoyable one. Struggling, she pulled at the man's thick wrists, which were larger even than the thickness of her upper arm. Still, she stared into those green eyes, really seeing the fire in them now. It was strange, because that flame in them still did not look quite right, as if there was something off about the anger that they were trying to portray. It was a wild hurt that she had seen before too. It had been long ago, but she remembered seeing it in the eyes of another beast some hundred years ago or so.

It had been a warm afternoon, and she had been playing in the forest that she had killed her first man in. There had been a growling sound farther in, so she had gone to investigate, still believing that she was indestructible. There was a dog in the bushes, and it was holding up it's paw, as if it were injured. She had wanted to help it, so she had reached for it, only to get bitten by it because it was so afraid of her touch. in it's eyes had been a fiery anger that had really been anguish and fear. In the Demon King's eyes she saw that anger, and that feral fear. But she still did not understand what made him so feral. She couldn't see any visible wound to spot it by.

A dazed moment was spent in that surprise at a touch of understanding, but within the next moment she was struggling again, trying to pull free and collect some air for her windpipe. She listened to his threat, but the icy pit of fear she had been expecting to grow in her stomach did not. Maybe she had already skipped past that fear long ago just by standing still in the street as he came at her. No, wait, there it was. she just was unable to scream because of his hand on her neck. Alright, she had no bravado, and she knew that. Truthfully, she was very much frightened at the threat. She just hoped that she didn't portray that.

Either this Demon King was very dense, or very uncaring because he still had not noticed that she was a girl. Sure, the band fitted snuggly with bandage around her chest did keep her small breasts in pretty tight, but his arm was brushing against her chest, she would think he would have noticed. Or she could also have thought that her breasts were larger than they really were all her life. She wanted to giggle at that thought, but she knew that the Demon King would be less than pleased at her laughing in his face. He probably wouldn't wait for an explanation either.

"Your a noble arent you?"

She blinked at him in surprise. She was not sure how he had guessed, when people she had known for years and years had never even guessed she was not a male. Maybe he was more perceptive than he looked. She was trying to decide whether to tell him yes or no. She had never heard tales of the big giant holding nobles for ransom, but had a noble ever been stupid enough to get caught by him? If he did plan to kidnap her, she was pretty certain she would rather fight and die than be his captive. She seemed to reach a decision then, figuring that either way, she was probably dead. She slowly pulled her dagger out of it's sheath, the other hand on the arm that held her. She decided to still give him as little information as possible. "Yes."

At first the promise of riches clouded Artix's mind. Mountains of noble treasures, piles of money bigger than he had ever seen in his life! But he couldnt hold her for ransom, that would be stupid. The shinigami would be upon him in an instant with their zanpakuto and flashy spells. He might be able to meet them equally in regular combat but Artix definetly could not stand up to the full force of a shinigami's powers. If he somehow had some kind of leverage over this boy he would be able to force him to sneak out of his noble house with the money Artix sought. He knew that even that could not go on forever but all he had to do was keep it going for as long as he could, lure the boy into the shadier parts of rukongai and murder him. There might be a search party but by the time they think of searching the higher numbered districts the body would have been stripped of its flesh by the rodents and rabid animals.

But slowly The Demon Kings smile faded. He couldnt believe what he was thinking, he was thinking of taking advantage of somebody! It wasn't the fact that he thought it was wrong, by all means it was about time they got a taste of their own medicine. No it wasn't that, it was more of the fact that doing so would make him a hypocrite. All these years living with the sting of betrayal, being exploited for another person's own gain. Sure he used the districts citizens as sources for food, water and shelter but lets face it he had nowhere else to go. And if he let them live they'd only want him dead. Nobody ever wanted to help him, so he helped himself, they deserved what they got. But he wouldnt become on of them.

Artix released his grip on the young boy's neck, his smile gone his face slightly more solemn and darker now than it had been before. He damned this noble boy for causing such thoughts. The dagger held within his thin fingers didnt phase Artix, one move and the kid would die, that is if he was stupid enough not to take the oppertunity to walk away from The Demon King alive.

"Leave."

That was all he said. The only word full of melancholy and rage. The only chance he had ever given anybody to save themselves. And with that he turned his back on the young noble boy and walked in the opposite direction. His mind a buzz of cinflicted thoughts and doubted emotions.

She gasped as she was dropped back onto the ground, sucking in air as if she would never taste it again. Her dagger was still gripped tight in her hand, and thankfully, he hadn't nicked herself on the way down. She had landed like a kitten on all fours. She turned her head to the side to look at the shack directly to her left, and saw a a head bob down. She couldn't blame them, the inhabitants. She knew the rules of surviving the Rukongai, and helping out idiots who got caught by the Demon King was likely to get you killed. But she still could not help feeling a twinge of bitter disappointment that no one had tried to help her. But would she have been able to if she were in a viewer's shoes? One could never say what they would do in a situation if they hadn't lived it, so Sovay would never know what she would have done.

"Leave"

Sadness and pain. The word did not match his other pattern of speech. She sat back wondering if she had somehow hurt him, and then wanted to laugh again at the absurd idea of her ever hurting one as powerful as he. But still, for once the tone matched that hidden thing in the dark abyss of his emerald eyes, and she knew that she could not be imagining it. One did not imagine something so keenly as that. His smile had gone with the words, and he actually looked quite human in that infinite moment, as if he were just another soul trying to survive in the Rukongai, and not the terror that the souls were trying to survive from.

Sovay was more than surprised at the turn of events. She had expected the Demon King to treat her worse as a noble, and she even appeared to be a boy. She had heard so many tales of his ruthlessness that she began to doubt his sincerity in letting her leave. Did he want to toy with her? Let her run away and then chase after her and cut her down? She had thought that the Demon King was, well, a demon. but this was soft-heartedness if she had ever seen it. She did not know what to expect now, but it seemed that he really was leaving her. Cautiously, never taking her eyes off of him for a second, she threw the dagger with a clank onto the ground. She did not know what she was doing, but she was pretty sure that she was making it up as she went along.

She knew that if the Demon King went away he would only be off to find someone else to terrorize. It would be best if she could keep him distracted so that no one else would have to get hurt. She would berate herself later for this, she knew it, but nonetheless, she called out in a wavering voice, cursing the timid sound in it, "My name is Eon, what's yours?"Well, of course it wasn'ty really Eon, although it was close to her middle name, Eona. She just went by it in the Rukongai because it worked for her.

Barely a few meters away before the clanging of metal rang in his ears. The boy had dropped the knife. Probably didnt want the burden of having to carry it while he ran for his life. Artix kept walking. It must have been strange for the people hiding in the primitive wooden huts. There were no screams, no crying, no begging and no blood. They probably thought The Demon King the embodiment of fear had gone soft, apparently so too as they were now finding themselves brave enough to poke their heads around corners and through windows to look at what should have been a bloodbath. But they all retreated the moment Artix landed his eye's on them.

Funny that. When people were in danger they did everything they could to keep out of harms way, hiding, begging, bribing and even offering themselves as lustful compensation. But whenever it was another person in danger all they wanted to do was wait and then look at the mess that was made afterwards. What was it that made people act that way? It was wrong, they probably knew it but they did nothing to reform themselves. So as a result Artix became The Demon King Of Rukongai so that he may have vengeance upon the world for what happened to him and punish those who did nothing about it, those who didnt care and especially those performing the despicable deeds.

And that boy. He was just the same. While his life had been threatened by Artix's presence he was compliant, he tried not to anger his assailant and offered what little he had in hopes that it would save him. Then he ran away. That was the proof that he didnt care. As long as he was safe the boy thought nothing of Artix or of the hundreds and thousands of others that would suffer.

"My name is Eon, what's yours?"

"What?" Artix muttered to himself as the boy's voice resonated straight and true. He couldnt believe it, Artix scanned the area in his immediate line of site for the source of the noise, maybe a small child who was ignorant that The Demon King was a 'very bad man?' But none. So he turned around with a troubled look on his face and true enough there the boy stood exactly where Artix had left him, the dagger cast aside in the dirt. Was it some kind of ploy to pay Artix back? Did the kid have back-up or some kind of sneaky hidden weapon? Maybe this kid was bait for a squadren of shinigami lying in wait? Or maybe Artix was just over thinking things...

The Demon King looked away from the boy, focusing on a particular spot in the dirt to think. The boy had given him food, had the option of escaping and still refused to leave. Artix didnt know what to do, it had been years since somebody had asked his name. So long in fact he doubted he could say it right. He stared at the boy for a moment, his eyes a mixture of wonder and confusion.

"Artix..." he called back and let the word linger in the air as if saying it were like speaking a foreign language. But what should he do now? Start up a friendly conversation with the guy he just threatened to murder while hundreds of citizens watched? As if he were lost Artix slowly turned back to half face the gate and half face the boy. He did the only thing he could do. He gave the boy one last look and awkwardly began walking towards the huge wooden doors once more. Still stunned from what had just happened...

Again, Sovay wanted to laugh at how confused he looked. There had probably never been anyone before her that was insane enough to try and start up a friendly conversation. She wondered if he would give her his name in return, but she also felt a twinge of guilt as she realized that she was asking for his name but had not given her own in return. That was very rude, and nonequivalent, and she could not help feeling the need to fix that. To do so would mean the end of her travels in the Rukongai however, and she could just not live with that. The Rukongai was her save haven, which was laughable because to so many souls it was not. She waited expectedly for him to give his name, hoping that he would.

"Artix."

A small grin lit up her face at the English name. They shared that fact. She herself had been named for a piece of English folklore. Her parents had wanted to get creative, so her name was an odd mixture of English and Japanese. She liked being able to think of the Demon King of the Rukongai as a regular human soul with a regular human name too. He wouldn't like it if she told him that, the way his name humanized him, but she already began to enjoy the man more. Which was, in retrospect, completely stupid of her. Just because he had a name it did not change his nature.

"I like it!"

She was smiling big now. It was turning out to be a very interesting day, and it was not even ten o'clock yet.Whatever he may think, she really did want to talk with him. His must be a very interesting life, the way he traveled around all the time. So, she scooped up her knife and slid it into it's sheath along her thigh. Running over to his retreating figure, she reached out and laid her hand upon his arm. If she had been thinking, she would have realized how stupid that was, but she was thinking, about all the other people he might hurt this day just by her letting him walk away.

"Please Artix," she faltered a bit, enjoying the way the 'x' sound lived in the back of her throat. "There is no one else, I just want to talk."

She didn't really know why she had felt the need to tell him that none of her guards were following her around, because that was a very stupid thing to say to a criminal such as him. She wanted to smack herself for her stupidity, but it was a bit late for that. instead she calmly stepped back and waited to see what he would decide to do. Her life was literally in his hands, and for his reputation, that wasn't such a good idea for her to leave such a precious thing there. But he could not be all bad could he? He was still a human soul whether he liked it or not.

"I like it!"

Funnily enough Artix found himself uncaring about this fact. His name was something that had been forsaken decades ago, it no longer had a meaning nor did it have a purpose anymore. Then why did he feel the need to share it with the boy? The more he thought about it the more frustration fell upon him. All these years spent without it and only now did he feel the need to mention it again, it was like he had broken a personal tradition, a taboo. He had the strange foreboding feeling that ill tidings were going to be the result.

A sudden rush of warmth washed through a small area of Artix's forearm. The sensation caused him to retreat. He swiftly drew his powerful arm away from the source of the heat. The boy, Eon walked beside him, his hand slightly outstretched. Artix was so lost in his own thought that he hadnt noticed him approach. What was wrong with him? He was cowering from a tiny little noble fledgling! It was humiliating and only served to add some anger to the broth. As a precaution Artix placed some distance between him and the boy and picked up the pace, hoping his increase in speed would give the boy a second hint that he wanted nothing to do with him. Honestly, Artix didnt know what was keeping him from cuttig Eon down.

The muddled mess of thoughts combined with the sheer presence of Eon was causing Artix to lose himself and still he couldnt bring himself to murder the boy and get on with his own existance. What was stopping him!? Was it the fact that the boy was only young? No. Because he was a noble? No. Innocent? No. Different? ... Maybe. The boy definetly seemed to be an anomly in this vast sea of cruelness but the aged seasoning that Artix had endured was preventing him from believing that. Everybody was evil in one way or another.

"There is no one else, I just want to talk."

That threw Artix over the edge. Like a beast he charged Eon from the side. Once more grasping the thin throat. His fingers enclosing all the way around. He slammed the young boy into a wall and with his other arm attempted to prevent Eon from moving his arms. Artix stared directly into the amber eyes with his own tormented shades of murky green.

"You dont know me! All you know are the many tales of a terrible man doing terrible things. I can kill you any second with the flick of my wrist, surely you realise this! Your a noble, nobles dont care about the lesser folk so why are you here? What makes you think that talking to The Demon King is a good thing?!"

Sovay once again felt herself lifted off of the ground in the grip of the Demon King. Although their heads were level, her feet were at least a metre off of the ground. She scrambled for purchase on the rough wall, and her small fingers scratched at his hands, trying to remove her throat from his grasp. She must have been completely suicidal to try and converse with this man who could appear a tiny bit calm, but then rage the very next second. He wore his emotion on his sleeve, Sovay liked that, but not in this particular moment. He stared angrily into her eyes, his own seeming to become murky and dark with his obvious rage. But she couldn't seem to look away.

She did try and pay attention to what he was saying, but it was becoming difficult and confusing when her brain was giving all of its effort just to give out a few short gasps for air. The rest of it was wandering away in a rather uncaring attitude. That was allowed of course, it assumed it was going to die and it wanted a bit of a break before it went. It was funny, she could have reached for her dagger, or she knew at least five good moves that would relieve her from his hands, but her brain was uninterested in escape. His eyes seemed to hypnotize her into submission just as a snake would.

She didn't really know why she thought that talking to the Demon King, no, Artix. Her brain corrected her rather determinedly as if it could change the nature of a man just by changing his name. She didn't really know or remember why she thought it would be a good idea. Maybe she had just wanted to see for herself after hearing so much if what the rumours said were true. But she still didn't know. She did not know how capable Artix was when it came to the rumour that he had killed a whole section, women, children and all. He was already managing to have it questioned by not killing her.

She remembered when she had told her father that she was no longer a child. When had that been? Fifty years ago. But what did that make her then? She had remembered a quote she had heard once, long ago. "A fake reputation is all a man has." What did that mean? Artix's reputation preceded him wherever he went, but looking at him, she saw he had more than that. Courage? Bravery? Evil? She decided on the second. One had to be brave to survive the Rukongai, no matter what they had to do to do it. He must have been through a lot though to have such a reputation. A moment later, Sovay forgot what she was thinking about what, with the lack of oxygen to her brain.

Sovay had learnt howto fight as a noble, and how to fight as a street rat, but she had never learnt to fight as a Demon King. She wondered how it differed. Was he powerful? Or was he only tired. She gazed back at him and saw a mixture of things in his eyes. Pain, confusion, rage, accusation, and some other things. But there must have been life courage in there too. She searched, trying to look deeper, to find a truth. She was not sure of it though, she didn't know what he would do to her, and she felt a hazy panic sluggishly make it's way down her spine. She shivered with it, and then finally replied, in a rather simple manner between her gasping for air.

"You will not."

She could feel it as a lie even as she said it. She did not know what this man would do to her, but something told her to trust him not to murder her. Even if he did kill her, she did not have much to live for. She was a noble, a painted doll trained to kill.

His fingers grasped the scrawny neck tighter and tighter, pushing the boy's body harder into the wooden walls. Hundreds of years of hate were eminating from Artix's soul. He hated this boy as much as he hated the world. But the basis for these two hates was much different. The world he despised because of it's lack of justice. What was justice? Justice was equality and looking around at these slums and the noble boy choking to death at his hands Artix saw no fairness. The boy was pampered with everything he could ver want, these people struggled to keep themselves alive everyday. The citizens werent innocent though, far from it in fact. They helped not the unfortunate alongside them but chose to put themselves before others. If a mans friend was about to die in a fire together with a single piece of gold the only thing that he would save would be the gold. Everyone was evil!

The Demon's blade had been pointed directly under the boy's chin as the pathetic wretch gasped for air. Artix had shown the boy confusion and was now giving him the full force of the amount of anger and resentment upon his face. Years of being pushed around, decades of the bitter sting of betrayal and the pain of never knowing his family or his human life in its entirety flew through Artix. Did he live a happy life with a loving mother and father with siblings whom cared for him? He would never know and that thought was the final chilling factor for his empty heart.

The tip of the blade met Eon's flesh and the blood in his veins trickled from the tiny puncture the sword had made. It slid down the blade, over the toothy edge and soaked itself into the grips cloth. And it stopped. No matter how much Artix tried to force his rage upon Eon he couldnt push the weapon any further. The pure maliciousness in his eyes began to dilute and mix once more with confusion and fear. It wasnt the fact that he wouldnt kill the boy. He couldnt kill him.

"You will not."

A tiny whisper of a voice left Eon's throat. Artix drew back, almost letting the boy go. Holding him at arms length like he had the plague. What manner of witchcraft was this? How did the boy know? Now it really was too much, Artix had had enough of this. All of these strange thoughts and emotions long since buried suddenly resurfacing. He violently threw the boy into the dirt and swiftly made his way for the gates.

He had a lot to think about after this encounter...

[Exit thread]

What an odd reality this was. So many senses lost, but another gained, one that seemed to shift and move. Some days he felt like nothing was different; others he felt despair for what he had lost. Today he felt nothing, nothing at all. He remembered a time when he had never had such peace of mind, his human emotions constantly clouding his judgment and filling his mind with fear and lies. Now he simply saw what was there, did not delve deeper into the connotations of what he saw.

He contemplated all this as a small humanoid was getting choked about 50 feet away, through a building and around a corner. Alex could still ‘see’ them, although his sight was based off a sort of ethereal sensing ability. He saw their general shape and outline, but they resembled blotches of paint, no more real than anything else in this world. Still, it interested Alex, a small spike of thought moving through his otherwise empty mind. At this point though, almost anything took Alex’s interest.

After quickly checking to make sure that his wrappings were properly in place, allowing no one to see his face or his arms, he decided to go see what the ruckus was about. He could only vaguely see the building in front of him; it was as if it was see through, and it wavered in and out of sight. Still, he had learned long ago that this did not mean it was not there. In fact he had found them to be extremely hard when he attempted to walk through them. So, he walked around the building, just as the larger form scurried off into the night. The final words from the smaller figure had said he would not do it. Do what?

Alex walked towards the figure, his trench coat flowing slightly in the night breeze. The closer he got, the more he could sense the girl. He knew she was a girl now, an unfortunate side effect of his sensing abilities was that clothing wavered just as much as the buildings did, although the lack of emotions kindly stopped any embarrassment that would have plagued a regular man. Alex kneeled, his head slightly tipped to one side, and reached out a hand to the girl, offering to help her up. He hoped she was a talker, then she would explain what had happened to Alex without him having to resort to charades. Although he enjoyed human interaction, it was often irritating.

((Just assume he will lift her up politely if she takes his hand k?))

Sovay lay gasping on the ground, more than a little surprised at Artix's release of her flesh. She did not know what she could assume that he would do to her, but for some reason she had not quite expected freedom. It left her with something to think about. She lay against the wall, waiting for her breathing to slow as she watched his retreat towards the gates. She knew that it was improbable that Artix feared her, but she did not know what else to think. Why he would let her live even though he had apparently already killed so many souls. Whatever reason it was, she was grateful. That thought made her grimace, she needed to train harder so that the next time they met they would not be so outmatched.

She coughed a bit, and squeezed her eyes shut. She would have to wear some long necked tops for the next few days to hide the bruises that were sure to pattern her throat. If she was lucky she could make it look like a training accident, though she was not sure how yet. She began to wonder why Artix, so powerful, had not wanted to join the academy yet. Maybe he thought he was too evil. Maybe he was. Sovay was set to enter the academy herself very soon. Once there, her father wanted her to pay attention to the students to see who would make a trusted bodyguard, or who would make a good corps leader. If anything, she knew that Artix would never be interested in being under rule. One day, he would be a captain if he ever joined the shinigami.

Suddenly, a bandaged hand reached down in front of her. Sovay looked up in surprise to find out who had been brave enough to help her, only to see a masked face. It was plain wait, with two slits for eyes, but only bandage underneath them. He did not speak, but only cocked his head at her, a bit like a lost puppy. She did not reach out right away, as there was something odd emanating from this strange man, but she could see he was only trying to help her. Gingerly at first, she slowly reached out and let herself be pulled up by the strange man. He was quite gentle, and pulled her up slowly so she could find her footing. Although he seemed odd in appearance, he seemed to be rather calm inwardly.

She had never heard any tales of an evil masked man in a trenchcoat anyway, so he couldn't be that bad. "Thank-you," she said politely, sizing him up. She waited for him to speak, but he didn't seem inclined to. She busied herself with dusting herself off. It was a rather pointless occupation, but she suddenly felt an overwhelming shyness taking her after all her heroics from the afternoon. she finished and stared up at him. When almost ten minutes had passed and he still did not speak, she tentatively began tot ell him about why she was lying on the ground on an empty street that should have been busy.

"I...met with the Demon King, whose actual name is Artix but he did not kill me. I don't know why," she did not know why she was telling this to him, but it didn't look like he was inclined to a lot of talking anyway. Who else could she really tell about this. If her parents knew that she had been into the Rukongai dressed as a boy, they would not be pleased. "Also I'm a girl," she blurted. This was a night of confessions.

Alex silently lifted the small girl, letting her catch her footing as she rose. Once her hand was out of his, he leaned onto the back of his heels, waiting for her to speak. He stood this way for upwards of ten minutes, barely moving or fidgeting as she brushed off the none-existent dust and felt her badly bruised neck. Oddly enough, he could see the glow from her neck more than the rest of her body, as if the energy he sensed was condensed in the damaged area. It was always like this, always moving and flowing to wherever a person needed it most. Maybe one day his questions would be answered, but he doubted this girl knew anything, or would ever know of his questions.

Alex nodded as she finally spoke. It seems she had been waiting for him to speak first, a futile effort on her part. Speech came hard to one with no mouth. She spoke of the ‘Demon King,’ and of his ‘actual name.’ Alex knew nothing of said Demon King and cared not what his actual name was, but the girl seemed to think it a great accomplishment. and she specifically pointed out that he did not kill her. He was obviously a man of needless violence, and one not to be trusted. Alex was not against violence, but doing it for no reason was... useless. People like that needed to be taught a lesson, lest they fall to violence from another party. He had generally noticed that those who cause harm for no other reason than to cause harm usually found themselves on the end of a sharp point, and one that had a good reason for it at that.

She blurted out, quite oddly, that she was a girl. Of course she was. Had she expected him to take her for anything else? His head tilted to one side at the comment, and he scratched the side of his head with one finger. He did not remember much of his life as a human, but he had always assumed that males had there genitalia on the outside and females on the inside. Maybe that was not always true. He would have to be careful in the future not to assume one way or the other.

When she had finished, he nodded. She was... interesting, to say the least. Plus, if what she was wearing was any judge, she was an upper class citizen, and possibly lived with the Shinigami as a noble. He needed answers, and he had a feeling that the shinigami would be able to give them to him. He had seen a few of the black garbed men and women, and they always glowed stronger than most. Plus there clothing was solid, so he assumed they were using the energy to increase the durability of their clothes. It intrigued him.

In a quick movement, the girls hand was in his, and he was walking towards the noble houses. He hoped she would understand he meant to bring her home. In his mind though he could see no other reason for a mysterious man to take a young girl and forcibly pull her off. It just did not occur to him that his actions could be misconstrued. He turned back for a moment and gave her a thumbs up with his other hand. Maybe he could talk to someone who would know of his disease and could treat him. Maybe.

Sovay watched the strange man in a weary manner. although she had been so outright with Artix, this man was stranger. He gave of a strange aura, but he seemed rather sweet although he didn't talk. After a moment or two, she began to relax, which was usual for her with anyone. she was able to find sweetness in any soul, and the man with bandages was no exception. Yes, he did seem strange, but he was also a bit adorable with the way he cocked his head, and seemed to be listening attentively with unseen ears. Sovay felt an instinct to take care of him and wondered if he would object to coming back to her family's house. It wasn't only for the fact that he seemed cute though.

Her father had been teaching her since a young age to be able to sense spiritual pressure. He had wanted her to look for those that would work in the family business. And there was no question that if the man in front of her could be trained he would be a most excellent assassin. He did not speak or make noise which was perfect for the job, and he was able to find her even when he could not see. She was lucky that this man had found her before the shinigami found him because now her family could claim him, or adopt him. Her father would be pleased but he would also be furious to know that she had been in the Rukongai and risked her life.

He nodded at her as she finished speaking and warmth filled her up again. He was so sweet in his movements, it calmed her down because he was gentle and calm, making no sharp, sudden movements towards her. He seemed to be being cautious, as if he were a bit like an animal but more like a bunny rabbit. Not feral unless he had reason to be. She was pleased at her ability to assess him, although she could have probably used a better term rather than bunny rabbit. She glanced at him curiously, it hadn't occurred to her a moment ago, but she realized that she couldn't continue calling him 'the man'. Everybody had a name, that was just the way it was, but she didn't know how he could communicate his. Ponderously, she mumbled, "What's your name Mr?"

In the next second though, he had grabbed her hand and was pulling her briskly along. He seemed in a hurry, and once again, she was rather unused to such treatment by a lesser status person. She had never been the petulant noble type however, so it didn't really bother her. They were also heading towards the center of the Rukongai too so that was good. Before she could tell him off, he glanced back at her, or would have if his face wasn't all bandaged, and gave her a thumbs up. Maybe he was grinning under that mask. She couldn't tell if he had bad intentions or not, but something about him still told her that he was merely a child.

They ran for about an hour or so, and Sovay saw the endurance and speed he had and was impressed. He kept up rather well with her even though she was a noble of the Onmitsukido. She smiled smugly, knowing that he was going to fit well in her household. And she was determined to have him. She didn't care in what way as long as he could stay with her. She liked him and felt an innate need to protect him, even though he most likely did not need the protecting. There was something comforting about having her run beside him, although he made no sound his presence was known. He did not even breath heavily at all. Sovay wondered if it was training or even a lack of mouth. Which was a crazy idea of course.

Finally they reached her house and Sovay signaled for him to follow her over the wall. It did not occur to her that he could not see it because as they ran it seemed he could almost see better than her. They reached a sliding door leading into her chambers without anyone stopping them, which did concern Sovay because it had fallen past dinner. Her parents should have been looking to find her. Or maybe they knew about her jaunts. A cold shiver passed through her. If they had been looking for her they would have found her long ago. No if anything they were lying in wait.

She slid open her screen door into the bowels of the dark house and sighed as she sensed a familiar presence. Her father sat in the middle of her floor, his eyes shut in meditation. She felt a small spark of hope still however, as she had an ace up her sleeve. Quickly she slipped off her shoes and stepped in, motioning for the man to stay back. "Father," she said as she bowed before him.

Good, she had understood. What he had not expected, however, was the small girls running speed. He had thought himself fleet of foot, but this girl, only half his size, was keeping pace with him, even almost exceeding his. Still, he loved the feeling of running with a worthy opponent. He grew weary at a much slower rate than most, as he felt no need to breathe, and his heart would beat at a steady rate no matter how much he physically excerpted himself. This he used to his advantage as he ran alongside the girl, climbing over rooftops and sliding through tight alleyways towards the center of the rukongai, the Sereitei.

In hindsight, he thought about her question. His name? He was Alex. That was his name, and yet he was sure no one would ever know it. In fact, he hardly knew it himself. It was a fleeting thing, slipping softly over his frontal lobe. He only had vague memories of his human life. A garden, a cell, pain, joy, destruction. Nothing specific. He could see her face though. He could always see her face. The girl of his dreams, the one that constantly mocked him with her familiarity yet consoled him with her beauty. Who she was, Alex would surely never know.

Soon they came to a large wall that wrapped around a huge house. What Alex found odd was there were only 20, maybe 30 people inside the house, when over 200 citizens of the rukongai could live inside it and still have room to fit in a whole marketplace. Alex simply shrugged, and began his climb, his hands moving along with his feet, similar to the movements of a spider, as they found cracks and holes in the stonework. In a matter of seconds he was on the other side, and he followed the girl into the large building.

He slid into the screen door along with the girl, and when he saw the man in the center of the room in the dark, his automatic reaction was to extend his arms to his sides and flex the muscles on his inner forearm, extending his blades with a- Alex looked down in disbelief. Blades? Why had he imagined himself with weapons? He was not a taker of the lives of men, nor had he ever held a weapon in his years in the rukongai. It was not how he lived. He felt an odd sensation as his own spiritual power fluctuated, and a slight red glow could be seen through his bandages on his arms.

This had happened before when he had been around a shinigami. His arms had begun to glow, and at the time he had not worn bandages. People had flocked around him and the shinigami had drew his sword as if to strike him down. Since then he had kept his tattoos hidden, hence the bandages. The man in the center of the room must be a powerful person to have triggered his tattoos. Maybe he will know of Alex’s disease.

Her father slowly blinked at Sovay, and he looked rather upset, but with good reason. She did not quite know how to explain the boys clothing, and the ring of bruises surrounding her neck. She had realized over the years that there was no conceivable way that her father did not know of her adventures, but having a soft spot for his daughter he had not commented on it before. Now she could see his anger in the way he positioned himself. She swallowed in fear, and waited for him to possibly begin. After a few moments of waiting, she understood that she was meant to explain herself to him. She tried to think of a good excuse but her mind was, unfortunately, blank. So she did the best that she could at pulled the man out of the shadows.

"Father I have brought you-"

"A peasant." he finished for her rather icily, and she swallowed her words. "You bring me back a peasant and a bruised neck." He flash stepped over to her, and Sovay was proud to say that she did not jump in surprise. He quietly examined her neck, completely ignoring the bandaged man standing two feet behind her. He pressed a finger deftly to her throat and she winced, unable to help herself. She cursed herself swiftly for her weakness, but her father's hand became tender, lifting her chin. She saw a small smile ready to pounce tucked safely in the corner of his mouth and she knew he wasn't really mad. Worried at the most. He knew that she was a woman now and capable of taking care of herself.

He pulled off her cap, letting her stark white hair shimmer out of it's bonds, the ends falling past her waist. Finally, he did smile. Her father had always loved her hair, calling it beautiful. He hated it when she tied it up for training, but loved it when it was done up beautifully for processions, although Sovay would much rather just be done with it and cut it all off. Finally, her father's attention passed over to the so-called peasant, and he might have gasped in surprise if he wasn't so orderly. Sovay turned to look back and saw the sweet man standing attentively behind her, his arms glowing like the torches that lit up her home. She gaped at his arms even as her father gleefully examined him. She saw that shrewd look in her eye and knew that her father had plans for him already.

"Where did you find him daughter?"

She answered dutifully, sighing when she realized that the truth would be best. "The sixtieth section of the Rukongai father. He actually found me although he is blind." Sovay felt slightly annoyed that her father was directing the questions at her as if the man was an object. Just because he could not speak it did not mean he couldn't hear. "When he runs he does not breath through his mouth, leading me to believe that he is absent of one, but he can still hear and understand well." Her father swiftly moved forward to do a quick walk around of the man, and then returned to Sovay. He had glanced sharply at her when she had told of her whereabouts, but did not look too troubled. "Why do you bring him here."

She knew the answer as a test of her intelligence, rather than annoyance. She had brought him back to the house for a few reasons. One, he seemed to be rather powerful with a pressing spiritual pressure. Two, she was to become mistress of the Onmitsukido one day, and had to look out for good soldiers, and three, she liked him. There was only one way to tie him to the Onmitsukido so quickly before another house found him, and that was to convince her father to adopt him. "Notice his power father, notice the way he is silent, perfect for work as an assassin." Sovay felt an itch of meanness, talking about him as if he weren't there, but it was necessary.

Her father was not stupid, far from it. He seemed to catch on to her meaning right away. He knew what had to be done, and Sovay was holding her breath to find out what he might think. He looked at her, as if seeing her afresh. Then her father returned his attentions to the man, trying to decide what he would do about him. Sovay could not believe her outspokenness to her father, but letting out a quick breath, she said, "I have always wanted a brother father."

((PLEASE DELETE BOLEXLE POST, FORGOT TO LOGOUT AND LOG BACK IN))

Alex stood stark, his arms tensed and ready to move if even the slightest threat was sensed. He did not know why, but being around this man put him on edge. Then again, he had always noticed that around shinigami. The glow of power that exuded from him automatically caused his shackles to raise, even when he had no conceivable reason to do so. Still, he needed to keep calm. He was sure if he made to rapid a movement the man could slice him up before he could take even one step to the door.

They sat in silence for a moment. No, not silence, but lack of sound. There was a major difference. Alex loved silence, as he was easily able to be silent. Lack of sound, however, made every movement sound like an explosion. The wind seemed to have stopped and the various animals and birds lay silent in sleep. There was not a noise, not from the surrounding houses or the rest of the house. Alex could hear the slightly hoarse breathing of the man overtop of the slight wispy breaths of the girl so clearly it was as if they were breathing in either ear.

And abruptly, the silence ended. The girl began to explain herself, firmly but at the same time gently pulling him forward. The man interrupted with an angry, slightly frightening insult. A peasant? Surely he was more than that. He had expected himself to be an anomaly, something to take interest in. This man must have sensed the odd aura Alex gave off. Alex knew it existed, and yet both the girl and the man seemed to ignore it. Perhaps shinigami did not feel it as a regular soul did. Either way, after the man was done examining his daughter’s damaged throat, he took notice of the slight glow coming from under Alex’s bandages.

The way he spoke about Alex, as if he were not there, angered him. It was not enough that he could neither see them nor join in on the conversation? They had to ignore his presence as well? In any other circumstance, he would have been on the throat of the man, teaching him a lesson in manners. After a moment, Alex retracted the thought. It was not the man’s fault he was rude, he had been raised that way. Noble children often grew up to have an inflated ego, as Alex had seen in the years he had lived in the Soul Society. Still, maybe in the future he would show the man he was no object to be appraised.

She spoke of his attributes, and she was correct on most parts. This girl was very astute with her observations, but she did not know the truth behind her words. He knew that he would make a perfect assassin, and not just for the reasons specified. He had never felt any sort of empathy for another being while he was in this form, except for the rarest of cases. He had watched entire families be murdered in some of the darker areas of the slums and had felt not even a twinge of sadness or regret. He knew that if he killed a man, he would not dwell on him for longer than it took to wipe off his blade with the man’s shirt. It frightened him that this was true, but it was true nevertheless.

Suddenly she stated she had wanted a brother. Surely she could not mean… He turned to stare at her, not really understanding her intent. She wished to be his sister? To be his… family? That was new. He had not thought about that before. What if he had a family? Surely the bonds created this way could open him up to a world of new emotions, possibly even unlock his muddled past from his mind. Still, it was an odd thing to say, she barely knew him. In fact, she had not even seen his face. It was the least he could do.

He reached up slowly, pulling the mask off his face and letting his hood fall back. He untied the knot on the back of his head, and began to slowly unwrap the bandages, started from the top of his head and moving towards the bottom of his neck. His blank, ageless face was revealed, the lack of any features the most startling feature of all. Let her see his true being so she may know what it was she wanted as a brother.

Sovay's words triggered the movement of the man. He seemed to be looking at her in confusion, cocking his head to the side. And in that way her father saw the way that the man could see without seeing. He should be blind, walking with a blind man's cane, but he ran as though he could see just as well as Sovay, but better still. She knew that it could not have anything to do with his eyes, but with his spiritual energy. Her eyes softened at the sight of him already even though they had just met. It took something to feel comfortable running beside someone in the dark, you had to trust them, and she found that she already did.

Of course, there was that darkness that radiated off of him a bit, but Sovay's body and mind had already taught itself to ignore it. It wasn't important to her, because so far his actions had not justified that feeling. No, the man appeared to be nothing but silent and sweet, although she would have loved to know his name. Either he would somehow tell her it, or she would have to decide on one for him. The Takenawa family could not have a nameless son. She only hoped her parents had a good idea for one, or that they would consider letting her figure something out. She began to get excited at the thought that maybe the man could even one day tell her about his name, after he healed from his injuries.

She was drawn carefully back to the present as their guest began to do something extraordinary. First, he pulled off the plain mask he had worn to show a bandaged head underneath. His hood fell back, and Sovay and her father saw that the bandages seemed to leave no holes. She watched in incomprehension as he unwrapped the bandages to show his face. She waited to glimpse his eyes, his nose, and eventually his mouth, but they never came. All that was there were the two ears on either side of well, where his face should have appeared. She stared in silence at the blank expanse of skin in numbness.

Her father, the faceless man, and her all stood in a triangle regarding each other. She did not feel fear, in fact being afraid of the man had not even crossed her mind. He was still the same person as before, but she now knew more about him. Instead she felt confused and felt pity towards the man. How terrible would it be to lose one's face? Or even to be born without one? Not to forget how hard life in the Rukongai would be without having a face. People must have avoided him as if he were the plague himself. She felt that overbearing want to protect him again, and if it were not so improper might have even reached across and hugged him. At least now she knew why he would not answer her when she spoke. She had teased him with her questions, asking him to speak when he could not no matter how hard he tried, or how badly he may have wanted to.

"I have seen nothing like it before in all of my existence, but there may be something in the old journals." She glanced over at her father who seemed to be far away in thought. She could see that he was already calculating the worth of the man in one cold motion. Not that he was a cold man, but he was able to get gain from even the laziest man, and that's what made him great. He had most likely seen injuries that were far greater in his line of work, and Sovay felt a bit of horror at the thought that she would become used to those injuries as well. Sovay herself reached out to take the man's hand again, squeezing it tightly and then softening her grip. She did not know what to say to the man she had only just met, but she wished she knew how to comfort him.

Her father stepped back and the triangle broke. Addressing the man for the first time, he spoke after a few moments of contemplation. "If you are to join our family, we will be having to give you a name, unless you are able to give us your true name. The Takenawa family is in charge of a number of things, but most important to us is honour. You ruin the family name in anyway and you will be punished, is that clear?" Sovay cringed at the way her father spoke so harshly. He was not the very best diplomat, but he often said that was why he kept their mother around, to soften the blows of his speech, and because he had come to be quite attached to her.

"I expect an answer no later than six am, sharp, in my study. Sovay will show you the way." Speaking to her now, he turned to her. Sovay, see to it that the healing squad gets a look at him, and then set him up in a room. Since her father expected nothing less than absolute compliance from her, he turned on his heel before she could respond, and the room was silent. After a moment, Sovay whispered, "sorry about him. He's a bit full of himself, but one comes to be so when raised the way I have been so raised." She looked up at the man then, biting her lip, her cheeks flushing pink. "Y-you don't have to be adopted by us, but I believe that it would be beneficial to you. We will train you and enroll you into the academy, and you may even enjoy....us.." What she really meant was that he could come to like having her as a sister but she did not want to appear pushy, well more than she already had.

She glanced around the large room, at the large futon, and the screen doors. There was a basin in the corner for water to wash herself with, and a few items carefully stored upon a wooden bench. Mostly it was things that she had found in her travels around the Rukongai, but there were also odds and ends from her noble life. Against one screen, there were five mahogany bookshelves, all stuffed full with books. Ranging from fantasy, to philosophical, to the ones enjoyed by the mortals of today.

Alex brought his arm up and wiped of the front of his face and the back of his head with the bandages on his arm. Having lost so many other normal attributes of human beings, it was a wonder that he still sweat, but wearing bandages over every inch of his skin and then running long distances still worked up a light sheen on Alex’s skin. Oddly enough, the front of his head felt almost exactly the same as the back, as if even his skull had a different shape. Not only that, but the skin had the same feeling as well, unlike most people who’s face’s had softer skin than their skulls.

He felt a bit of satisfaction as the girl and her father stared at him, their gawking faces somehow confirming his existence. People should be frightened of him. That was the normal response. It did not mean that he liked it, but Alex was very slow to change, and meeting people that did not seem taken aback by him made his entire world shift slightly. So, he was glad when the father suddenly looked deep in thought, and the daughters face changed from comfort to surprise.

Then something strange happened. They simply moved on. The man began to speak about the problem as if it were some odd disease and the girl took his hand and squeezed, obviously attempting to show him comfort. What was wrong with these people? Surely Alex was a monster, and did not deserve any comfort. Still, they ignored his appearance and simply looked at his strengths. Newfound respect bubbled up for the man, the shinigami, as he offered Alex a place among his family. He had never heard of a commoner being adopted into a noble family before, surely he was being extended a fabulous offer.

As the man left, Alex bowed slightly, showing his respect to the man. He felt a great shift as his life moved into the next stage, and he somehow knew it would be a better one. Not without its hardships, he was sure, but he knew there would be great reward. He felt… Happy? He could not truly understand the emotion, but he was sure that was the correct choice for the bubbling he felt deep in his stomach. It was a good feeling, and Alex wanted to feel it more often.

The girl, or Sovay as she had been called, began to speak. Alex had trouble attaching names to people, as no one had his name. Still, he supposed if she was to be his sister he should acknowledge her by name, as a principle. She was apologizing for her father’s rudeness. Odd, to apologize for someone else’s actions. He was her father, so the action did not make any sense. He was her elder, any actions he made were his own choice. Still, the thought of the man apologizing for something was amusing, so Alex took the girls comment in stride.

Academy? He could not go to school, he couldn’t read or write. Still, the thought was nice. He knew that he would enjoy listening to lectures at least. Still, Sovay thought it was a good idea, and he was beginning to trust her. Perhaps there was more to this academy than he thought. Now, the idea of training he liked. Perhaps her father could train him to move as quickly as he had before, although he already had some idea of how it would be done. He had noticed the slight focusing of his energy towards the flat of his feet the instant before he moved. Perhaps the energy worked as kind of an enhancer, powering up different parts of the body and allowing you to use them to their full potential. Hopefully he would be taught the specifics at this academy.

He would enjoy them. Yes, he was sure of that. As he re-wrapped his head and placed his mask back on, he walked over to what looked to be a bookshelf. He reached down and picked up the closest book to him. It was impossible to tell what the book was about, it looked like a block of paper to Alex’s ‘eyes,’ but he hefted it anyways. An idea struck his mind, and he hopped over to Sovay and handed her the book. He then sat down on the futon, bringing his legs up and crossing them. He then waited, his hands wrapped around his ankles and holding his legs in, waiting for her to read to him.

((sorry that this is so short. I had no idea what to write.))

A slow grin formed itself on Sovay's face as she watched the man skim his hands over her books. She knew now that he could not see them, but it still looked as if he were choosing one. She knew that her main priority was to get him to the healing faction, but he didn't seem as interested. He finally pulled one out, and seemed to hop back over to her, holding out the book. She giggled then, he reminded her of an excited puppy. Then he raced over to her bed and jumped on, sitting in the position of one always ready to listen. Which he was. Had he been lonely without a friend? Had she been the first to talk to him? She did not feel pity for the man, anything but that, but she still felt a small sadness tugging at her heartstrings. She found herself caring for him.

Walking over to the bed she sat down as well, and began to read from the book of tales every noble child is given. It held stories of conquest against the hollow, the legend of creation, life, and purpose, and most importantly it told of the heroes, those called the Shinigami. Sovay's favourite story was of how the shinigami were created, so she decided to start with that one. She felt a small level of pride that she was a pure soul, one born to be a shinigami. You could either be born one, or you could become one. It was sometimes no wonder to her why the Noble families held themselves in such high regard, but most times it was almost too obvious.

She glanced up at the man as she read, and felt that second emotion again. What made him so much less in the eyes of the Nobles than she? She could feel his power, and knew it was large. When she reached back to try and see how much he had, it felt older and older the farther she went. In the quiet moment where her smooth voice read over the book that she had read over and over, she felt an age old presence residing beside her. Suddenly, she felt that innate urge to know his name again. "Could you write it down?," she asked rather suddenly, her golden eyes blinking.

Hurriedly, she went and got a pad of paper and an ink pen, holding it out to him in expectancy.