Taking a Shower...in Blood [Jade]

[Black Waltz]

The 15th of Immanis, in the season of Winter, of the Celestine Mandate, Era XV Post Fractum

"Mommy mommy! Look at this toy! Can I have it?"

"No Jonas, it's too expensive. I'll get you it next month okay."

"Aww...come on! Please!!!"

"I told you I'd get it next month, isn't that enough?"

"NOOOoooOooOoO!! MOMMY!!"

"Oh my god!!"

A shower of blood erupted from the severed head of the young boy named Jonas. As if a sprinkler machine had been activated to water a garden, fresh chunks of gore emanated from the boys neck, only to pool down onto the ground beneath him, slowly seeping into the soil and becoming one with nature. The now headless body of the boy fell slowly to the ground as it turned a shallow white color, perforating the air with the stench of death. Next to the boy, his mother, awe-strucken and mentally afflicted at the atrocity. Her face suddenly withered up like a flower in Winter as her mind attempted to realize what had happened in the few seconds that she last loved her son. Tears slowly rolled out of her eyes, trailing downwards into the blood-stained grass of the Kemite nation. She gazed at the dead body of her son with an extreme bitter resentment of herself. The woman then reached into her boots, releasing a dagger from within, using her chest as its sheath instead. Her last words, although barely heard, floated unheard in the empty streets of the Cinthe District. "It's okay, you can have it now."

A cold breeze drifted amidst, flying ever so boastfully as if to tell the tale of this horrific event. To the north, on the roof of a rather large building, stood a man clad completely in black, covered by cloth in his face, and reinforced with light-weight leather armor. He witnessed the result of the deed he had done. Wiping the blood off of his rather eloquently designed wakizashi, the man withdrew his tool of death. "Mission complete." He then scratched his hair, which was pitch black in color and wavy in nature. People slowly started gathering up at the street, mourning and grieving at the sight. It could have only been the coldest of mind's who could have possibly mustered up the resolve to kill this innocent child and cause the suicide of his own mother.

[Jade Alanon]

Jade had simply been passing through the streets of Zinn'Sunn, she had done well to mind her own business, given that others did the same regarding her. In her right hand was her staff and at her side was her sister Nymira, Nymira was in her Virkyn form, a large hulking body covered in pitch black fur, her dark eyes showing great intelligence. The sisters took notice of the child whining as he spotted a toy that he wished to own yet was denied. Neither Jade nor Nymira thought it was anything out of the ordinary and passed by quietly. The peaceful silence that reigned throughout the streets was shattered with the boy's cries as well as the mother's blubbering cries.

Jade and Nymira both turned to see that the little boy, Jonas had been decapitated somehow, his little body falling into a small heap at his mother's feet. His mother didn't seem to know what to do and instead of screaming and crying for her child, she took a knife from her boot and joined her young son in death before anyone could stop her. It all happened so fast and people were watching on in disbelief, but Jade's eyes sought out those responsible for the deaths before her. Jade nothing new to blood and death for she dealt in it daily, but this seemed so senseless to her.

Following a small faint smell of the child's blood, Jade looked upwards, the passing wind carrying the scent away, but her eyes fell upon a dark figure upon the rooftop, looking down on the scene. Had he been the one that had caused this? Jade was hardly one to judge another killer, but it was better she handle this then some inexperienced amateur that gets himself killed. "Upwards Nymira, our next target. I'll go up, remain down here in case he comes down." Nymira nodded at her sister as she watched Jade go into the building to try and reach the top, Nymira would watch the man carefully and tell Jade if he disappeared.

[Black Waltz]

The midnight assassin watched carefully at the scene of murder, analyzing the efficiency of his kill. It was sliced off only two millimeters away from the clean area. How could it exude so much blood? However, his thoughts were interrupted as he sensed an oncoming presence. A woman attempting to make her way to the top of the building he stood upon it seemed to be. I've been noticed. But who is this. Nevertheless, the assassin took a battle stance, unsheathing his sword once more. It's ornate, Kemite design made it seem as if the top portion were bent slightly in order to form some type of hook. The guard was carefully and precisely designed in order to allow room for each finger to rest casually and without tension. In an instant, as Jade would be making her way upwards, the assassin threw his sword like a boomerang, causing it to spin mercilessly at Jade.

However, before the sword could reach Jade, it instantaneously diverted off its path. This time, it headed straight towards Jade's sister, Nymira, aiming to slice her head off in the exact same manner as it did with the boy. The sword increased its velocity with each second as it descended down to the earth, so blocking it would be close to impossible if one didn't have superhuman strength. Dodging would be slightly difficult due to its confusing motion, but definitely possible. Should Nymira dodge the blade, it would circle back upwards, aiming to cut Jade's own head from behind, and then returning back to its master.

[Jade Alanon]

It was odd that the gods decided to put Jade into a situation that didn't even involve her and it was irritating, but whether it was a sense of duty or a morbid sense of curiousity, Jade had to find out who had done such a vicious job. She ran up the stairs, ignoring anyone that might have questioned why she was running past, a worried expression crossing her face as her eyes looked upwards. Jade had done a lot of killing in her time, so perhaps she wasn't really able to judge the assassin, but it was still something to look into.

With her staff in hand, she neared the stop, thankfully she was in good shape for she had barely broken a sweat. She heard something cutting through the air and she slowed for a moment only to see a weapon coming towards her. Her eyes were wide as she tensed, ready to move out of the way, but at the last moment, the weapon spun off. She followed the weapon, watching it spin towards her sister, which caused her to near panic. Nymira picked up on her sister's senses and looked up to see the weapon coming at her as well. Nymira had no way of really blocking and dodging would be hard, but the Virkyn was quick on her feet and dodged to the side.

Confidant in her sister's skills, Jade continued running till she reached the top where the killer stood. She heard the sound again and just barely moved before the sword took off her head as it had the child's head. She felt the blade cut just below her ear and she gritted her teeth as the pain set in. She took a defensive position as she looked at the assassin, one killer to another. Her sister still intact on the ground, Nymira's dark eyes looking upward at Jade and the assassin. "Didn't anyone tell you that taking heads is just rude?"

[Black Waltz]

The assassin, upset at the fact that both attacks proved to be of no great use, sneered at Jade as his boomerang sword returned to him. The blood dripping off of the side of her neck would have slowed down only because of her instinctive adrenaline. The assassin looked condescendingly at Jade, taking only a moment to check on Nymira. The one below seems to be the strongest. Concluded the assassin as he blatantly ignored Jade's words. His black clothing ruffled immediately, as he dove straight down from the building, racing through the air at unprecedented speeds, only to land with his hands first onto the ground, followed up by a roll in order to absorb the downward force and convert it into forward motion. He held his sword tightly, closing off the distance between him and Nymira.

However, in an instant, the assassin would have thrown his boomerang sword back up towards Jade's location, continuing onwards with only his fists to protect him at this point. Sparing no time to stop running, the assassin would have gotten close enough to Nymira in order to send a fist flying straight her way. Meanwhile, Jade would have to worry about a vortex-like, razor-sharp, boomerang flying directly her way. One would most certainly question the means behind the creation of such a chaotic weapon.

[Jade Alanon]

Jade and Nymira had been lucky that they had remained true to their training or one or both could be headless at that time. Jade's neck throbbed from the slice the boomerang sword had caused, but pain motivated her and urged her to repay the man. He sneered at her as he retrieved his intriguing weapon from mid-air. She was unsure on his motivation for the kill nor was she willing to ask because if he was good, he would let his weapons do any of the talking necessary.

She waited for the assassin to make a move, clutching her staff tightly whilst Aganadara pulsed from within the bag, begging for her to take hold of it and use it against the bastard. She followed his glance to Nymira who watched him and Jade closely. Jade had no idea that he was going to go after Nymira until he dove right off the building, landing not too far off from where Nymira now stood.

Both sisters were shocked by this move and Nymira geared herself for an attack as Jade weighed the options of jumping down off the building as well. She was light and she could land well, but she didn't want to put herself at risk airborne, especially if that was his plan. She watched as the dark assassin righted himself after landing gracefully to the ground and moving towards Nymira at a quick pace.

Nymira crouched low and growled ferally as the man came with his sword, she had no protection should he attack with the wicked weapon, other then her dodging and that could only help her so much. She waited for the weapon to come at her, but at the last moment, the assassin sent the boomerang sword back towards Jade, at which point Nymira snarled and surged forward to attack the assassin. His fist came hard against the side of her head, causing her senses to blur a moment as she yelped, the pain swept over both sisters for a moment.

Jade had run towards the steps to run back down rather the jumping off the roof of the building, she heard Nymira yelp and turned to see the weapon moving quickly towards her. Jade couldn't easily dodge and took a step back, dropping down in the opening, the sword hopefully skimming over her head as she crashed down the stairs rather painfully. Now the side of her head hurt as well as the rest of her body as she slowly stood to her feet, feeling a bit dizzy at best.

Nymira recovered as best she could from the dizzying blow and lunged forward, snapping at the man, hoping to literally disarm the bastard before his sword came back.