Retrieval [Narrative/finished]

[Mishiranu Arashi]

The sound of light footsteps and paced breathing drowned out everything else in Arashi's hearing. His own beating heart and gasping breath causing the fear of capture to rise and fall with the cavity of his chest. The day was too long already, awakening with the knowledge he had no place to call home once more. It wasn't the same as on earth, he was an outcast and a fugitive now. He was being hunted by guards and commoners alike in the sixth and he was made aware that Tomo wanted his head quickly. The shaky standing of his life in hell was terminated already, there was nothing he could do but run. His mind flooded with questions and worries and he shook in an unknown emotion at the sight of the poster just outside his home. The moment he opened the door to his house to leave the swarm of guards attacked without mercy, nearly killing Arashi and his enslaved brother.

He wasn't foolish enough to fight twelve Djinni guards hand to hand, so he transported himself and Yancha to the outskirts of the city. He was sure not to place himself anywhere near people. There he left Yancha to fend for himself, trusting the magician was skilled enough to hold off or incapacitate a few fallen with his abilities. though, he left Ranmyaku with Yancha just in case before teleporting himself into the capital city of the Rokusou. Arashi pulled his hood the moment he materialized and looked about for a more shadowed route. At every other lamp post he saw his own face looking back at him. A part of him felt lost and afraid, yet another more potent piece of his personality felt pleased that he mattered so much. Arashi saw so many people flocking about in the busy city he felt more relaxed realizing that they paid him little attention.

He slipped through the crowds and through the open streets like a ghost, keeping an eye on anyone close enough to look under his hood. He looked around, trying to find a familiar path to Yomi's castle where he suspected his sister lived, and when he saw the establishment where he was found by Yomi he froze. He stopped in the alley and looked at the place his spilled blood had singed the ground. He paused too long, an odd breeze swept off his hood and almost took his cloak before he turned and noticed a strange Djinn glaring at him greedily. Arashi started and jumped back, avoiding a blade that moved to fast for him to determine it's type. The strange fallen male turned and thrust left wing out and grazed Arashi's shoulder. Arashi ducked away before being ripped in half as another swift swing of the glimmering metal weapon swept in front of him.

Jumping away as the man swung wing and weapon without end, Arashi felt a wave of inferiority pulse through him. He hadn't fought many fallen, and even fewer of his own race. The frightening physical prowess that was known to belong to the Djinni wasn't a joke at all. Arashi slipped away from a downward swing of the weapon and realized it was a great axe just in time to be slapped into the wall by the black wing of the Djinni assailant. Arashi saw the axe hurtling toward his throat the moment his back hit the wall. It was a terrifying thing to be caught so off guard...

[Mishiranu Arashi]

Regaining his bearing after the sudden and vicious assault Arashi shifted his wings into their solid form, knocking the axe away with the serrated edge of his left wing. Without pause he lurched forward to send a kick into the torso of the unbalanced opponent only to be blocked by the shield of the unknown fallen's wing. Arashi bounced off of the extended wing and flipped backward far enough to observe his adversary. Arashi took in the sight of his would be killer with scrutiny. It was likely a bounty hunter, and there was no way to escape other then running. There was the option of transporting himself, but if he was seen in transit or appeared too close the Yomi's caste the results may be dangerous. Arashi paused expecting the sound of Ranmyaku's thoughts.. but reminded himself he was alone, and a lonely feeling seeped into his chest.

The fallen readied himself in the time Arashi spent in thoughts and glared at the young fallen. Arashi looked back without the same emotion, but instead agitation. He wanted to get things over with soon so that he may get away from hell and recover from his last battle. It had only been a night and two days since his treatment had ended, and there were things he'd need to get used to. The odd tumor of living chaotic flesh that had taken root in his gut was one thing he needed to understand. Another thing he had realized in his battle was the lack of training he really had, no matter how skilled he was, he needed much more power. The fact that he was untrained and weak was apparent in the current situation. Arashi took a breath, knowing that he had little magical power at his expense.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Arashi asked calmly through watching eyes and tensed muscles.

The fallen looked at him with surprise and chuckled as if Arashi had said something remarkably stupid. Swinging his great axe once around before resting it on his shoulder he spoke, "I want your head of course," he grinned and let the axe strike the ground, cleaving it as a result. "You're head is worth a pretty penny boy... I plan to collect."

Arashi felt the greedy desires rolling from the man and was not amused at all. The entire thing was frustrating, and he felt there was injustice in his sentence. And why should I be a criminal when hell is made of most of heavens criminals? Killing our enemies is punished by death here? Foolish. Arashi's thoughts were warped and held the rage of a confused youth. The desire for reckless abandon and destruction fueled his mind, though he caught himself and blinked once. In the time his eyes were closed the man launched himself at Arashi, shoulder checking him into the wall. The fallen pinned him and swung to cleave Arashi's skull in two when Arashi mustered the strength to open his herethere path beneath him and vanished as the mighty axe blow cut through the wall Arashi had been pinned to.

[Mishiranu Arashi]

A wavering frame of existence preempted the scenery of the dark castle of Yomi. The young Arashi darted from the shimmering veil of chaos that lead from the alley of his assault, black wings folded behind him as he streaked off for the shadows. Once under a decent veil of shadow he looked out over the area, pleased with his luck in the fact that no one had noticed his sudden appearance. The situation was becoming more dangerous. Being spotted in the realm meant that his presence was now known, however slightly. There was a great chance that the bounty hunter would announce his findings to the guards if only to gain a chance at a prize. Arashi personally didn't think the man would forsake his bounty that easily but there was no predicting one consumed by the souls he consumed.

Arashi winced feeling a familiar pang of unknown thoughts being seen as his own through the sea of memories that masked who he was. Arashi had begun to loose sight of himself, and his ruling soul, the soul that was born to him and warped with pain, curses and magic. Arashi took a breath to save himself from the brink of irrational despair and peaked around the corner to spot an assortment of Djinni guards at the castle gates. I don't remember there being this many guards outside last time... I wonder what happened. He swept the thoughts aside as he looked around to see if there was a convenient point of interest. Just give me a window Yomi.. any window... come on. Arashi's desperation was another unruly emotion he had not thought a reason to feel. The fact that his only family was in the castle should have been the obvious reason, but a deeper feeling was seeded in him.

Arashi wanted her to care for him as a sister should, for the sake of his lonely soul he wanted family.. a cherished family. Arashi's racing heart beat him into action and he leaped into the air, flying off to the shadow cast aside the building as the sun lengthened it's gaze. Arashi glided silently to the upper levels of the castle and found a window he dare to try. He landed precariously on the sill and moved to bite his wrist when he heard a powerful wing beat over the pulse of his heart. Pausing with his wrist upturned toward his lips, his canines poised to ravage his own flesh he didn't even turn. Fuck.

Being so used to having Ranmyaku watching his back had proved fatal as a flying guard grabbed the back of his skull and put him through the window. Arashi flew through the magically reinforced glass like it was butter and into the wall on the far side of the room. His head spun as he attempted to rise, blood from his gashed hairline fell into his eyes, making the reddened world more surreal. The wound began closing and Arashi pulled the blood from his eye and face, forming it into a dagger in his right hand. Weapon in hand, but still on the floor, Arashi looked to find his attacker swooping into the room. Arashi sat up, and watched the sinisterly majesty of the fallen warrior who was to be his next opponent. The dull feeling of realization flooded him and oppressed him. His foolish idea of how powerful he was was not so broad now. Now that he was forced to fight without Ranmyaku, without his magic. Arashi could see all the places where surprise and wild chaos had destroyed in his stead.

"Fuck you."

The smile that crossed the strangers face as he landed and tossed him a strange glowing stone.

"Your weak boy, use that to restore your energy.. I'll give you thirty seconds.. When I kill you..your death will be understood."

Arashi looked at the man with seething annoyance.Haughty Fucker.

[Mishiranu Arashi]

Arashi lifted the stone to his chest, sensing the energy in the earthen battery seep into his body. The feeling was in it's self a rather uncertain one, dangerous and safe at once. The man stood motionless and watched as the young fallen healed himself and revitalized a good bit of his magical reserves. There was nothing in his eyes that held disgust, dishonesty or any reason for the coming fight. The stoic figure of the armor clad Djinn was almost inspiring. The poleaxe he held in his right hand of course was not so pleasant. Arashi inspected his foe as the last of the strange energy entered him and replenished his own. The boy's eyes roamed from the sleek black of his apparently plated chest, to the sharpened shell that was his grieves. Arashi also noted that the strangers wings were much larger then his own, an impressive show of apparent force. Then of course upon further inspection, the pole of his weapon was a dark crystal and it's massive blade a clear diamond.

Arashi stood, he heard nothing moving outside the door, and nothing in the air. He looked around the nearly barren bedroom and saw nothing to hinder a battle. His wings stretched, small and agile in comparison to the brutal appearance of the opposing fallen. The blood dagger in Arashi's hand measured a foot and a half, with serrated edge and all. He wasn't too confident in summoning the blades from his forearms even though he knew they were there. He instead simply readied himself for a hellish battle.

"I am called Miko. Your name criminal?" the deep reverberating voice rattled the room.

"Call me Arashi," responding sharply, Arashi crouched and Miko smiled, leaning forward, the sharpened edge of his axe embedded in the floor.

"Nice to meet you," he launched forward, using the poleaxe to bolster his speed, but it was not fast enough, and Arashi dodged, spinning to a better position with the aid of his wings.
"Arashi-kun."

Arashi readied his blade as the last words reached him, and his swing met only the black stone of a bracer. Arashi's dagger shuddered and rebounded as Miko swept around and jabbed with the rounded top of his poleaxe. Arashi was unable to dodge fully and was caught on the right thigh, and sent backward into the open space of the outside air. The wind caught Arashi's wings and he darted up before he was seen by the many sentries posted along the castle perimeter. The young fallen flew high into the cloud cover, breaking free of the crystallized water vapor and searching for his adversary. The great beat of Miko's heavy wings alerted Arashi of the coming storm, and without fail the clouds were parted by a vicious blow from the poleaxe. Arashi darted upward, faster and more graceful then his larger foe.

Seeing an opening, Arashi flew in as fast as possible, slashing at the open flesh under the arm and above the plating on Miko's ribs. Zooming past as to avoid being hit, Arashi heard and felt the tear of flesh and allowed his blades edge to break in the wound. He whipped around and quickly contorted the blood, forcing it to seep into the wound. Miko doubled in pain and Arashi sent the chaotic blood on it's natural rampage inside the fallen. Arashi grinned, but the short lived moment was cut as Arashi's wing was slashed from behind. The blow tore through his right wing and left him with a stump that bleed profusely. Miko bleed from the mouth, and raised his hand making a come hither gesture. Arashi heard too late the sound of the rapid spinning poleaxe flying from behind him. As he beat the one remaining wing, spinning out of the way of the blade he saw his wing fall and felt himself begin to plummet.

[Mishiranu Arashi]

Arashi's plummet was not so unexpected, and as the shock wore off he felt despair at the sight of his detached wing. He had always taken to the use of his wings naturally and without thought, but to have lost it was a deep tear he couldn't explain. His wings were the symbol of what he was, from the fluffy white of his cherubim days, to the pitch of his sinister nature. He grimaced and called the flesh of his wings into their misted state and summoned the detached portion to him. He cast the chaotic smog about his falling form as he struck the top of Yomi's castle and fell to the ground of another bare and foreign room. Though, this room was not empty as the first had been, but instead he found a feline lillite sitting perfectly still on her barren bed. Her eyes glowed in the dim light as if washed in the tranquility of one in perfect bliss. She held a certain calm that the wounded fallen nearly fell into simply by being so close.

Arashi stood, the beat of his heart increased, and the swirling vortex of his chaotic aegis tripled the rate of his heartbeat. His soul... his very own soul was pleased. He knew that it was no foreign thought, no other beings feeling that consumed him. The loss of self he felt near all the time was cleared by the sight and apparently the proximity he had now to his sister. She was something he needed, family, something that proved his existence was not false nor mistaken. the only living proof that he was once cared for, no matter how little that care amounted to. The mother that loved him and tracked him had birthed this girl, and he was happy. Arashi's happy thoughts were cut short by the sound of shattered glass and near soundless teleportations, all signifying a different elementally attuned djinni guard. Arashi looked up, the wound of his cut wing was not visible, but the pain, even as it was in the form of mist, was causing Arashi immense suffering. He stumbled and the many guards charged, and all at once Arashi felt a tear and a crushing wave.

The tear was Ranmyaku yanking herself through a portal and into the room as if she was possessed. The odd wave had come from the bed in the center of the room. Arashi felt his strength drain, all the elemental power in his body slipped into a seal that had appeared on the ground. He knelt beside the flustered appearance of his sprite as he sister stood. She seemed far more regal then any of the now doubled over fallen warriors. She walked forward, and as she stepped, the floor rippled in an odd radiant light. Her voice, which he had not heard before was whispering a continued statement.

"The realm works in rules. Follow my rule of order. The limitations reset, the boundaries my own. Rest and be rested, fight and be tired."

Her words rang silently and floated as still as a frozen breeze. Arashi felt utterly relaxed when he allowed himself to succumb to the numb chill of her spell. Then he realized that Ranmyaku had relaxed, she reverted to the appearance of a female lillite, and together she and Arashi's sisters touched his shoulder and transported from the room. Arashi felt a release from the spell as he reached the words of his young sister, and he was unsure of what to say.

" I was happy to see you master... but fighting the kings guards is wrong.. you shouldn't do.""

The girl fell silent, Ranmyaku looked at Arashi, and Yancha simply looked lost. Arashi was unsure if he should be happy or insulted...