Deep in the darkened trenches of some ancient, long dry ocean laid the expansive lands of the Shadow Kingdom. Tunnels, caverns, and deep canyons seemed to go on endlessly here, with little vegetation to speak of. That which the Shadow Kingdom had in abundance was stone and the shadows it was named for. Most of civilization was plunged into darkness for most of the day. The capital, Darken, was no exception.

Down the shadowed streets of Darken, Neoruko trudged, hands shoved into the pockets of his black pants. The hilts of the two swords crossed over his back were visible above his shoulders, causing some inhabitants to cast wary glances his way as he passed by. He felt their eyes each time and his curiously black furred ears twitched in annoyance, his lip curling to reveal a single pointed canine. A wolfish tail sporting the same black fur as his ears lashed behind him and he hunched forward, a low growl rumbling deep in his throat, “That’s right, keep starin’… see how long you keep your eyes….”

He did his best to ignore the looks, keeping his own amber gaze trained forward. It was Darken for Hell’s sake, it wasn’t like he was the only one walking around with a clearly visible weapon. He growled again, “Fucking Darken.” Everyone in this place was either a criminal or related to one, “Paranoid fucks.” He spat and turned off the main road where there would be fewer people. As much as he hated the atmosphere of the Shadow Kingdom, he had to appreciate the freedom. Strength ruled here, if you were strong enough to take something you wanted, strong enough to deal with any consequences after, you could do just about anything. You just had to be careful not to draw the Emperor’s attention. Neoruko had heard plenty of horror stories about people being abducted by the Emperor’s sorcerers to unknown ends. The only thing anyone knew was that these unfortunate souls were never seen again. Kaiden Blodving was known as a particularly violent Emperor, ruling through fear alone.

It had been some time since Neoruko had been to Darken. Kaiden had been a new Emperor then, just settling into his rule, making his name. Blowing out his breath he pushed his fingers through the shaggy black hair that was beginning to fall over his face and turned into a familiar alleyway. As he turned, his ears perked forward at the sound of footfalls and he shortly found himself on his back.

“I-I’m sorry…,” stuttered the girl that had bowled him over and was now sprawled over him. She hurried to stand, glancing behind her fearfully. She made to run again, but her hand clenched her side and she groaned, falling to her knees. Neoruko’s nostrils flared at the strong scent of blood as he pushed himself up.

“Why don’t you-”

“HALT! IN THE NAME OF THE EMPEROR!” the commanding shout came from down the alley and the sound of many heavy footfalls reached his ears.

“Oh for fuck’s sake!” he snarled, leaping to his feet and casting a glare down at the girl, “You have the Emperor’s men after you!?” His ears folded back as he noticed the state she was in, staring up at him blankly. There was blood soaking through her shirt, beneath the hand clenching at her side. He had half a mind to run and leave her there, but something about her seemed… off. She didn’t seem to belong in this place. With a feral snarl he scooped her into his arms, ears twitching as she cried out from the pain of her wound. He took off back the way he’d come. She seemed so light in his arms, and beneath the smell of blood, her scent…. He shook his head, wondering what the hell he was thinking about her scent for.

“S-stop… you… why…?” she murmured against his chest, “Why are you… helping me…?”

“I don’t damn well know, now shut up!” he growled, skidding into another alleyway. He could still hear the Emperor’s men in pursuit, shouting at them to stop. Yeah right. There would be no ‘come quietly and no one gets hurt’. Stopping, going with them, was a death sentence, “The hell did you do to make them come after you?”

“Mngg…,” she moaned, eyes closed tightly against the pain, sweat beading on her face.

“Dammit!” he growled, amber eyes scanning doors and shop signs as they passed. He rounded a corner only to find a line of soldiers blocking the way. He skidded to a halt and turned to go back but that way had been blocked in as well by the men who had been chasing them before. He spat and set the girl against the alley wall, drawing both swords and standing in front of her, “Come on then! You wanna play, let’s play!”

Some of the men laughed at that, advancing with weapons drawn. One stepped ahead of the others and Neoruko shifted into a more battle ready stance, “You think you can take us all? You must be one crazy bastard.”

“Come a little closer and I’ll show you just how crazy you worthless fuck!” he snarled back.

The man only laughed, “Hand over the girl and we might just let you go….”

“The hell you want her for, huh?” his gaze darted between one line of men to the next, looking for any move they might make to advance, to attack. There were twelve of them, six at each side. He’d taken out twelve enemies on his own before… but he had no idea what these guys were even capable of. He had no idea if he was way out of his league, if there was any hope at all of getting out of this.

“The Emperor wants her, that’s all that matters,” the man spoke smoothly and Neoruko noted he had yet to draw his weapon like all the others, “Hand her over. You’re far outnumbered.”

“Ants outnumber me too but you don’t see me running from anthills,” he growled.

The man’s gaze narrowed. Clearly he was done talking, “I tried to let you off easy, but we can just as easily take you both back to the Emperor. I’m sure he’d enjoy a fine plaything like you.” He glanced back at his men, “Take them.”

The alley wasn’t wide enough for all of them to attack at once. In a flash of blades Neoruko managed to slay three of them before one managed to disarm his crimson sword. As it clattered to the ground another drove the pommel of his sword up into Neoruko’s stomach. He gasped for breath and in that moment’s weakness he was shoved to the ground, his second sword kicked from his hand. As two men held him down, another strode past him to the girl and dragged her to her feet. Neoruko heard her pained cry and growled.

“Shut up, filthy half-breed!” a heavy kick to his side silenced his growl momentarily. He eyed the man that had spoken previously, baring his fangs instinctively. The man only smirked, leaning over one of his fallen swords, “These look nice… must have cost a fortune. I don’t suppose you’ll be needing them anymore, will you?”

He looked surprised as Neoruko laughed, “Go ahead… try to take them.” With a scowl the man bent to pick up the crimson sword. The instant his fingers brushed the hilt he yelled in pain and leapt back. Neoruko laughed again, though a swift kick to the head soon stopped that.

“What the hell is wrong with it?” the man demanded.

Neoruko smirked, looking up at the man through one eye, “It’s a Demon slayer’s sword. It’s protected by magic so it cannot be turned against its owner by the very thing it is meant to destroy. No demon can touch it without immense pain.” He managed to chuckle, “Care to try the other?”

“The hell is a half-Demon doing with a Demon slayer’s sword?” he crouched in front of Neoruko, intrigued and infuriated at once.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” he spat.

“Tch… fine. You!” he gestured to one of his men, “Pick up his other sword.”

“M-me sir? But-”

“That is an order!” he shouted. Nervously, the man bent to pick up the black sword. When he brushed his fingers over the hilt and nothing happened he let out a relieved sigh and gripped it. He strained, attempting to lift it, but to no avail.

“Sir… I can’t…,” he huffed, still trying to pry the sword from the ground.

The man looked down at Neoruko again, “And what’s this one’s story?”

The half-Demon gave a dry smile, “That one… a family heirloom. Enchanted as well. You must have my father’s blood flowing through your veins in order to lift it.”

“Fuck it! Leave them and let’s go!” he snarled at last, “The Emperor is waiting!”

Neoruko was yanked to his feet and shoved forward, wrists bound in chains behind his back. Another man had thrown the girl over his shoulder. As Neoruko managed to glance at her he noticed she barely seemed to be conscious. His lip curled angrily over one fang and his amber gaze averted to his swords, lying on the ground, out of reach. Then he was shoved past them, though he tried to keep them in sight for as long possible. This wasn’t good.

The apparent leader of the men moved toward the girl, “Give her to me, I’ll take her to the Emperor immediately. She might not last long enough otherwise.” Neoruko stared at the man as leathery wings burst from his back and he took the girl into his arms. He leapt, beating his wings, and took off into the sky toward the dark castle in the distance. Neoruko cursed and pulled away from his captor but simply received a knife held up to his throat in response. “The Emperor only requested the girl… you wanna try anything and we can end it here,” his captor growled into his ear. His ears folded back against his head as he was pushed forward again, “Now keep moving!”

Overlooking the alley, a girl pressed herself against the roof of the building, looking down as Neoruko was led away, concern in her silver eyes, “I was so close, Neo….” Her brown ears pressed back against her head in dismay. She waited until the soldiers and Neoruko disappeared from view and then leapt down from the roof, landing nimbly in the alley. She moved toward the black sword, searching over the blade, “This was his….” He glanced down the length of the alley and picked up the sword, holding it carefully. She pressed her fingertip to the blade’s edge, as hard as she could, but nothing happened, “It really can’t harm anything….” She looked over to where the crimson sword laid, brown tail twitching behind her. She shoved her long, brown braid over her shoulder and moved toward the sword, wary, “Oh, Neo… how am I supposed to bring it back to you?”

Looking around, she spotted a pile of junk along one wall. Holding the black blade out, she pushed and prodded at the crimson sword until she had it wedged beneath the old cloth and food, then made sure it was fully hidden beneath, “You’ll have to come back for it yourself….” With that she took off down the alley, scenting the air for any sign of Neoruko. She followed his scent until she reached the castle walls and shrank back into the shadows, “Oh, Neo… please come back out….”

Inside the castle Neoruko had been thrown in a cell in the dungeons, his wrists still chained behind his back. As the soldiers left him he maneuvered his arms back in front of him before moving up against the bars, looking down the length of the hall first one way, and then the other. He shook his head; the scent of the place was disgusting, a mixture of feces and rot, blood, and death. He could both hear and smell other prisoners, but there were stone walls in between each cell preventing any interaction, not that he particularly wanted to interact with anyone down here. He gripped the bars tightly, his mind racing. He winced and backed away from the bars, sliding down against the far wall to sit on the filthy stone floor. Thinking too hard seemed to make his head hurt. He reached up and brushed his fingers over his forehead, feeling a distinctive lump forming to one side from where he’d been kicked.

“This is great… fucking great…,” he growled, resting his head lightly against the wall, “The hell was I thinking?” He’d risked his life for some girl he’d never met before on some moronic whim that apparently wanted to see him dead. “Keep to yourself and nothing ever goes wrong. Why did I have to forget that? Damn that girl….” He didn’t even know why he’d done it. What did he care whether she lived or died? He didn’t even know her name! “Mercy is the mark of a fool… he was right about that….” He cursed and pushed to his feet again, pacing. He paused a moment later as footsteps echoed down the long hallway outside his cell, his ears angled forward. Two soldiers stopped in front of his cell and he curled his lip warningly.

One drew his sword, “Don’t try anything stupid now, mutt. The Emperor’s waiting and he isn’t a patient man.”

The other unlocked his door and stepped inside. Neoruko growled lowly but made no move to resist… not yet anyway. He was pulled unceremoniously from the cell and each man took one of his arms firmly, pulling him forward. He kept alert, watching, listening, waiting for any opportunity to escape to present itself. Before long he was led through two massive double doors into what he could only assume to be the throne room as there upon a raised dais sat a large throne. On the throne a bored looking man sprawled with his legs thrown over one arm, looking disinterestedly at his nails. On the floor before the throne… the girl!

As he was thrust to his knees beside her, he stared at her, assessing her current state. Her clothing was somewhat more torn than he remembered, but her wound had been bandaged. She looked tired, weak, as she knelt there with her hands in her lap, eyes only half open. He glanced up at the man on the throne and snarled, “So you’re Kaiden Blodving?”

The man didn’t even deign to look at him. “So bold, addressing the Emperor by his name like that, and after getting in the way of my playtime. Tell me…,” he finally glanced down at Neoruko through his single crimson eye, the other covered by a dark patch, a long scar running from his forehead, disappearing beneath the patch, and reappearing again on his cheek, “Do you have a death wish?”

“Far from it,” he growled, watching the Emperor warily.

The man laughed, “Is that so? And yet here you are.” The Emperor eyed the half-Demon briefly and suddenly seemed surprised. He stood, stepping from the dais, “Stand up.” When he didn’t immediately obey, the soldiers standing behind him pulled him to his feet. He found that Kaiden was a bit taller than he, if somewhat slighter in build, and scowled at the fact that he had to look up at the man. “A son of Theonaru.”

Neoruko’s eyes widened in shock, “How…?”

“So you knew him,” the Emperor seemed pleased by the fact, “Are you the one that killed him?”

“Damn right I killed him!” he snarled, “The hell is it to you?”

“It’s a bit hard to believe, honestly…,” Kaiden chuckled, looking down, “A halfbreed like you slew the great Wolf Demon Theonaru?”

“That’s right, a worthless halfbreed like me killed that damn monster,” he spat, glaring up at the Emperor.

Kaiden chuckled again, “Someone has daddy issues….” He turned away from Neoruko, toward the girl still kneeling beside him, “They say you were protecting her… what is she to you? Have I stolen away your mate?” He grinned back at the half-Demon.

“Tch… I don’t subscribe to that Wolf Demon shit. What do you want with her anyway?”

“You haven’t answered my question… who is she to you?” the Emperor’s tone dropped slightly.

“Why do you care? You’ll do what you want with her anyway, won’t you?” Neoruko glanced down at the girl briefly.

Kaiden grabbed him by his shirt, pulling him close and getting in his face, “When I ask a question I expect it to be answered, halfbreed!”

“She’s no one!” he snarled angrily.

“You dare lie to me? Why would you protect her if she’s ‘no one’?” Kaiden growled back.

Neoruko’s ears twitched uncertainly and he glanced back down at her, “It’s not a lie…. I don’t even know her name.”

“Raevin….” Both men looked down at the girl as she breathed a single word, her eyes closed. She tilted her head up to look at Neoruko, her voice barely above a whisper, “My name… is Raevin.”

Neoruko’s ears twitched again and he growled, “I hardly think now’s the time for introductions, girl.”

Kaiden crouched before the girl, taking her chin in one hand to force her eyes up to his, “My father’s bastard. Do you even know who you are?”

Raevin stared blankly up at him, “What… what do you mean?”

Kaiden laughed, “That answers that question. There’s royal blood in your veins. We are siblings, you and I… half siblings.” His hand cupped her pale cheek possessively as her eyes widened in surprise. When he spoke again his tone was soft, almost gentle, and he slid his fingers along her cheek, over her ear, and through her long black hair, “You’re quite beautiful, you know. Stay here with me… and I won’t kill you. You’ll be treated well… as befits a princess.”

Neoruko stared down at the two in shock. She was a princess?

“Stay… stay with you…?” she stuttered, staring wide eyed at her newfound brother.

“Mmm…,” he agreed, tilting her chin up with one finger and pressing his lips to hers.

She immediately pushed away from him, falling backward, “What are you doing!?”

The Emperor smirked, “Didn’t you enjoy it?”

“But you’re my brother- ah!” her hand gripped her wounded side as pain shot through her. She panted, looking up at him through one eye, the other squeezed shut against the pain.

“Half brother…,” he growled softly, standing, “Will you stay with me or not?”

“No! Why… why would you…?” she stammered, still gripping her side in pain.

“Come now. I said you’d be treated well-”

“She said no!” Neoruko snarled, glaring at the man.

Kaiden looked disinterestedly back at him, “I don’t think I was talking to you, halfbreed.”

“I don’t think I give a fuck,” he spat, glancing to where Raevin still sat on the floor in pain, “You’re one sick bastard.”

Kaiden stepped toward him, “What is it to you what happens to her, if she is ‘no one’? Hm? What I am offering her is a life of luxury and comfort. She belongs here, in this castle.”

“She belongs wherever she damn well wants to be, and she’s made it clear it isn’t anywhere near you,” he growled, staring the man down.

The Emperor gave a slight smile, “Unfortunately for her, my desires are the ones that matter here. She is lucky I am even giving her any choice in the matter.”

“I’m not entirely sure you understand what it means to have a ‘choice in the matter’,” Neoruko spat back.

Laughing, Kaiden turned his crimson gaze back to his sister, “Do forgive me, I haven’t made the choices clear enough. There are two: remain here with me and live a life befitting a princess or I’ll simply play with you until you break. Either way, I get what I want, so it matters not to me… though I’d much prefer to keep you around. There are plenty of other toys in this city for me to break.”

“Your people are all just toys to you?” Neoruko snarled, sickened by this man who abused his power so.

“No one knows what is beyond this world, halfbreed. Before I die I plan to live every day exactly how I wish to live it. If you place another’s life above your own you won’t last long… but then, perhaps I’ve taught you that today,” the Emperor smirked, glancing back at the half-Demon.

“The only thing you’ve taught me is that you’re a twisted fuck that doesn’t deserve anything he has!” In his rage, Neoruko threw himself backward at his guard, surprising the man, and managed to wrench free of him. He launched himself at the Emperor, who slid easily to one side.

The second guard stepped forward but Kaiden raised his hand to stop him, “No. Let him realize the futility on his own. You are bound and don’t even have a weapon, halfbreed. What exactly are you hoping to accomplish with this little fit of rebellion?”

Snarling in frustration, Neoruko paced some distance from the Emperor, his amber gaze fixed on the man, “You’re damn lucky your men disarmed me you son of a bitch!”

“Am I?” Kaiden replied dryly, looking entirely unamused. He lifted his arm, tendrils of shadow writhing around it, slithering toward his hand and forming into a long, dark blade. He pointed it lazily toward Neoruko, “Shall I tear you into too many pieces to recognize?”

Raevin stumbled in between them, still holding her side, “Please… stop….”

“Out of the way, girl!” Neoruko growled, “He wants a fight, he can have one!”

“Don’t be stupid!” she cried, “He’s right. You can’t win….”

Neoruko took a step forward and Kaiden spoke, his tone smug, “Best listen to her, halfbreed. Or perhaps you do have a death wish?”

Raevin slid to her knees between them, too weak to stand any longer, “I’ll… stay…. Just let him go….”

Ears flicking forward in surprise, Neoruko shook his head, “The Hell are you saying? You’re really gonna stay here with this bastard?”

The girl didn’t look at him, long black hair obscuring her face from his view. “You… tried to save me…. You don’t even know me…. You don’t need to… be involved,” she panted quietly.

“Fuck that! You don’t have to stay here!”

“As a matter of fact, she does,” Kaiden murmured, stepping toward her as his hand spear dissipated, “The life of this mongrel means nothing to me. Allowing him to continue his pitiful existence in exchange for your cooperation seems almost too easy.” He reached down to pull her up by one arm, “If I let him go, you will obey me… and you will not attempt to leave. Is that clear, dear sister?”

“Yes…,” she whispered.

“You don’t owe me anything! Don’t agree to whatever his sick little game is!”

Kaiden waved his hand, “I grow weary if this one’s constant shouting. Get him out of my castle, maybe then we’ll finally have some peace and quiet.” He turned, his hand still firmly gripping Raevin’s arm as he tugged her gently along with him.

The two guards moved toward him, though he tried push past them. They held him back as Kaiden led the girl from the throne room, “Don’t give up your freedom like this! Raevin!” She paused, glancing back at him as he called her name, but Kaiden tugged her forward again almost instantly, and then they disappeared from view. The guards held him for a few moments longer before half dragging him away, through the castle and to the front gates.

“Don’t come back if you know what’s good for you, mutt!” one of the guards called as they walked away after tossing him out the gates.

Neoruko turned back, grabbing the bars of the high gate and rattling it in some vain hope that he might be able to break through. “Damn you!” he snarled, giving the gates a final furious rattle. He paced in front of them, staring at his still bound wrists. It seemed the guards had a sense of humor.

“N-Neo…?”

A quiet voice had his head snapping up, amber eyes darting about wildly in search of the source. In the shadow of the castle wall a girl stood nervously. The first thing Neoruko noticed about her was that she shared the same ears and tail that he had… though hers were brown rather than black, the same warm brown as her long, braided hair. His gaze narrowed suspiciously, “Who the hell are you?”

“It really… is you…,” she breathed, stepping forward and reminding Neoruko of a frightened deer, “I’ve been… I’ve been looking for you for a long time….”

“I said who the hell are you!?” he growled, and she paused some distance from him warily.

“I’m… I guess… your sister,” she murmured, clasping her hands in front of her.

He raised an eyebrow, “The hell is with all these long lost siblings crawling outta the woodwork today?” As much as he wanted to, he didn’t doubt her words. As she stepped from the shadow of the wall at last and he got a better look at her, she seemed vaguely familiar, “What do you want with me?”

“I… well… my mother… she met you. She told me about you. I… I didn’t know… where else to go. I thought we could…,” she shifted, nervousness in her every move.

“We could what? Have some family bonding time?” he spat, glancing back at the castle gate, “I’m a bit busy at the moment.”

“I… can I help?” she offered quietly.

“Help?” he looked back at her dubiously, “Doubt it.”

“I’d like to try…,” there was a certain amount of resolve in her voice, even if she still spoke like she was afraid speaking too loud would make him angry.

He gave a dry bark of laughter, “You help me, you’re likely to die.” He turned to scrutinize her, his gaze resting briefly on the heavy metal collar around her neck, “The fuck is that thing?”

She started and touched her collar lightly with one hand, “I… it doesn’t matter. What… what do you need help with?” She pointed to his chained wrists, “Getting those off?”

Neoruko blew out his breath as he glanced down at his shackles. Honestly they wouldn’t be much trouble if he only wielded one sword, but they made effectively wielding two impossible. He growled in frustration. Not that he had his swords anyway! He had to find them…. It was going to be one annoying task trying to find his way back to that damn alley. Lost in his thoughts, attempting to remember any landmarks around that alley, anything that could help lead him back, he hadn’t noticed the girl return to the wall and stoop to pick something up. She carried it carefully over to him, a black blade held cautiously in both hands. As she stopped in front of him, he looked down at her. His eyes widened, “Where… how did you get that?”

“I… I’ve been tracking you…. I was on the rooftops when they took you…. I’m sorry I didn’t help, but I…,” she looked down, hoping he wouldn’t be angry with her, “Uhm… this could… cut through those chains, couldn’t it?”

He stared down at her in disbelief. If nothing else, this definitely proved she was his sister beyond a doubt, half sister, but sister none the less. “Deep Shadow’ll cut through just about anything that isn’t flesh.” He stared down at his sword for a moment longer, “It’s perfect…. You ever swing a sword before?”

“Me? N-no…,” she looked back up at him, shaking her head.

“Well you’re gonna learn. Come on,” he strode over to the castle wall, held his arms out and pressed them firmly up against the stone, “Swing from the side. You can cut right through the metal but it won’t hurt me… won’t break skin anyway. Try not to miss too many times. Deep Shadow may not be able to cut flesh but it can still leave a nasty bruise I’d rather avoid.” He stared intensely at her and she swallowed nervously, stepping forward. She shifted the sword, taking the hilt in both hands and holding it out, “Align it with where you wanna strike first. Bring it right up to the touch the spot you’re aiming for. And for Hell’s sake don’t pull it back and swing it like a club; we’re not bashing heads we’re cutting metal. You only need to take it back a foot or two before you swing.”

Her arms shook, “I… I’m not sure I can do this….”

“It’ll be fine, it can’t hurt me much, just do it. You said you wanted to help didn’t you?” his amber gaze narrowed at her.

“W-well… yes…,” she looked down at the sword and took a deep breath, touching the blade to the chain connecting the cuffs about where she hoped to hit and pulling it back again. She swung it forward, but it hit high, above his arms, chinking off the stone wall, “S-sorry!”

Neoruko sighed impatiently, “Just try again. And swing harder this time.” She lined up her swing once more, taking another deep breath as she pulled back and swung. This time it struck home, cutting the chain apart. “Good. I can worry about getting the damn cuffs off later. As long as I can use both arms freely I can fight,” he looked over at her, raising an eyebrow, “You remember where you found Deep Shadow?”

She nodded, handing the black blade back to him, “Your other sword… I hid it… just in case.”

“Show me,” he demanded, sheathing Deep Shadow, and her ears flicked back briefly before she turned to lead him away.

Back in the alley she pointed toward a pile of trash to one side, “It’s there.”

He strode past her and kicked away the debris until he saw the glint of red. Having it back in his hand had him sighing in relief, even as his hand burned. He sheathed the blade over his shoulder, turning back to his sister. His black ears twitched and he glanced away from her, “You… were a lot more helpful than I expected.”

Her own ears angled toward him and she smiled softly, “I’m glad I could help.” Neoruko walked toward the end of the alley, where he could see Kaiden’s dark castle looming, and the girl followed him, “You’re… not going back, are you?” Her ears pressed flat against her head fearfully.

He glanced back at her briefly, “I….” He shouldn’t go. He should forget about that girl… Raevin…. His tail lashed behind him as he remembered the fear and pain in her ruby gaze as Kaiden led her away. Why did he even care? She was a princess. She could live a decent life in that castle… if she could get past living with her disgusting brother. His hand rubbed over his face and through his dark hair, “She’s a prisoner there.”

The girl tilted her head in confusion, “Who…? The girl you were with?”

Neoruko had nearly forgotten his sister was still there. He leaned back against the wall, amber gaze locked on the castle, “Her name is Raevin.”

The girl’s ears perked forward, “Oh… I forgot…. I’m Okesha.”

He glanced back at her briefly, “Okesha… you’re from the Wind Kingdom.” He turned back to the castle.

Her silver gaze widened in surprise, “How did you know that?”

“Your name. Names in the Wind Kingdom are always… distinctive,” he murmured absentmindedly before suddenly turning back to her, “Your mother is Sheriah?”

She looked down at her hands, “Y-yes….”

He gave a dry bark of laughter at that, “So he went back to her.” His gaze narrowed at Okesha, “She helped him escape me. I thought about killing her when I found out.”

For a moment she seemed at a loss, “Well… I… I’m very glad you didn’t!”

He laughed, genuinely for once, before becoming serious once more, “She saved my life. I spared hers in return.”

“She told me…,” Okesha murmured, “How you were terribly wounded…. She nursed you back to health, knowing who you were… and that you would only endanger your life and follow Theonaru when you were well.”

“I didn’t ask for her help,” he growled, looking back to the castle.

“Theonaru asked her to,” she replied quietly.

His amber gaze snapped back to the girl, his fangs bared in a snarl, “That’s a lie!”

Okesha took a nervous step back at his ferocity, “My mother… told me he did.”

“That monster didn’t care about anyone but himself!”

“My mother said he was worried about you! That he-”

“Enough!” he snarled and she seemed to shrink beneath his intense gaze, “Anything that bastard told your mother was a lie and I won’t waste my time listening to them!”

Silence fell between them and he pointedly turned his back to her. After a moment she managed to find her voice, “You… really hated him.”

“I’ll never stop hating him,” he growled, “You were lucky to have never known him!”

Another silence fell and Okesha rubbed her arm nervously, not wanting to provoke him further, “What… what are you going to do now?”

His ears flattened and he remained silent for a long time, “I’m going to break her out.”

Okesha closed her eyes tightly, “I was afraid you would say something like that….”

“You don’t have to come with me. You’ve helped me enough,” he growled, pushing off the wall and moving forward without a backward glance at her.

“But I want to help you!”

He paused, “What possible help could you be at this point? You’re obviously not a fighter. You won’t last two seconds in that castle.”

“Why do you think you have to fight?” She moved to follow him as he started walking again.

“What other choice do I have?” he growled back, “I’m not leaving her there!”

“Sneak in! You don’t have to fight anyone!”

He glanced down at her, “That castle is heavily guarded at every entrance. How in the Hell do you propose I sneak in?”

“The catacombs…,” she offered, looking up at him hopefully.

“The what?” He paused again.

“You… don’t know about them?” His eyes narrowed at her expectantly, “Oh… I…. There are underground tunnels… they go everywhere in the Shadow Kingdom. It might be a rumor, I suppose… but… people say they go under the castle too… that there’s a secret route for the escape of the royal family in case anything ever happens….”

“So you don’t know they exist? I don’t have time to waste on rumors,” he growled.

“You can’t free her if you die, Neo!” she replied urgently.

“What do you care if I do?” he spun around to face her, leering down at her small form, “You just met me, family or not.”

“Isn’t it the same for her?” her voice shook, but Neoruko could tell she was trying to hold her ground on the matter, “For Raevin? Didn’t you just meet her?” His ears flicked back uncertainly, unable to refute his own hypocrisy. Her voice softened, “Please, Neo… if you go back intending to fight… you’ll die, and then she’ll still be trapped there and… I’ll be alone again….”

He studied her briefly, “It’s not my job to keep you company.”

“Are you so much like him?” she looked up at him, pleading, “Mother said he spent most of his life alone…. I don’t want to be like that… do you?”

His amber gaze narrowed dangerously and snarled, “Never compare me to him! We are nothing alike!” He turned on his heel and stalked forward again.

“Neo wait!”

“Don’t get in my way!” he growled back at her, not stopping.

“How do you even plan to get inside the gates?”

He nearly paused at that, but forced himself to keep walking, “None of your business.”

“You’re going to get killed!” she hurried after him, “Let me help you!”

“How? With your rumors? I told you I don’t have time for-”

“Let’s just look for the catacombs. We can see for ourselves if it’s true…. It’s the best chance you have to get inside and get her back out in one piece!” She nearly ran into him as he suddenly stopped to look back at her.

He studied her intensely for a long moment, “One day. That’s all I’m giving to your rumors. If we haven’t found a way in by this time tomorrow I’m doing it my way.”

She bit back the argument on the tip of her tongue. He was just as stubborn as her mother had said. If he did this his way, he’d be dead tomorrow.

Neoruko's ears lay flat against his head, his lip curled in a snarl of disgust as he trudged along the narrow path that kept him above the stinking waterway to his right. In front of him, his sister had chosen to lead the way. She had been ridiculously excited when they had found one of the supposedly many entrances to the catacombs that snaked beneath the entire Shadow Kingdom. Neoruko wasn't entirely convinced this would lead them anywhere useful and was beginning to regret allowing her a day to prove her rumors true.

“I'm never going to get this reek out of my nose!” he growled.

“Shh!” she hushed him, pausing, her ears twitching. He stopped behind her, barely able to see her in the near pitch black that had engulfed them since they had entered, though his eyes had adjusted to the darkness as well as they were going to at this point.

“For Hell's sake...,” he grumbled, glancing back the way they'd come.

“Neo... I've heard there are... things down here... horrible creatures... we really should be quiet,” she whispered back at him.

He rolled his eyes, “Well your solution is just sounding better by the second isn't it?” A strange rumbling sound echoed in the tunnel and silenced him before he could say anything more. His ears twitched and he reached up to finger the hilt of Holy Flame, anticipating something going wrong at any moment, “Okesha... do you remember the way out of this place?”

She paused again and he could make our her ears twitching thoughtfully in front of him, “I think so.” She moved forward again, leaving him staring after her.

“You THINK so!?” he growled quietly, glaring at her shadowy form, wary of whatever creatures might lurk in this forsaken place.

Glancing back at him, she sighed, “We just have to follow our own scent back, Neo.”

“Tch... have you not smelled this place? Following any scent will be damn near impossible...,” he muttered.

“Don't worry Neo... I have a really great sense of smell,” she whispered back, sounding confident for about the first time since he'd met her.

He snorted, “What makes you think your sense of smell is any better than mine?”

“You're a half-demon. Humans have a terrible sense of smell,” she replied easily, squeaking a moment later when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her around to face him.

“So what if I'm a half-demon!?”

“N-Neo... shhh...,” she glanced toward the water nervously, “I wasn't... saying it was a bad thing... just that... surely your senses are dampened by the human part of you... oh... that didn't sound good either.... I'm sorry, Neo... I didn't mean....”

“Whatever,” he released her, “Let's get the hell out of here already. We've been wandering around down here for too long already, if we don't find a way into the castle soon, we're going back the way we came.”

She sighed and turned to continue on, “Whatever you say, Neo....” He was as prickly as her mother had said. Especially about his heritage. There really wasn't anything wrong with being half human... though, she knew there were a lot of demons who thought there was. From what she had heard, a lot of humans didn't like half-demons either. Her ears flicked back, wondering about how her half-brother must have grown up and the life he must have had since, accepted by neither demon nor human and left to wander a strange path between all by himself. A short while later she stopped again. A very rectangular crack in the wall showed a thin line of light shining through, far too straight and perfect to be any old crack. This was a door, “Neo... there's a door....”

He crowded behind her on the narrow path, looking over her head at the door. The water curved off to the right, leaving a larger stone platform near the door, “Do you... think it leads into the castle?”

She stepped forward, glancing around as though it might give her some clue, “We've been heading toward the castle the whole time... surely it must.”

“How do you even know that?” he growled, following after her.

“I've spent a lot of years tracking you, you know... through a lot of different terrain... I've learned how to tell what direction I'm going, Neo,” she sounded almost exasperated. And Neo was almost amused. At last she seemed to be losing that shy doe personality she'd begun with.

“I'll go first then,” he was able to step past her as the path widened out the closer they got to the door, his steps quickening the closer he got.

“Neo, don't just go rushing in! We have to be careful!” she whispered after him.

He snorted again, tail flicking dismissively back at her. He ran his hand around the edge of the door until he found a handle. Taking a deep breath and preparing for a possible fight, he pulled the door open a crack and peered through, seeing nothing but a stairway leading up, lit by torches in sconces along the walls. He looked back at Okesha, “I don't see anyone.” He closed the door and turned back to her, “All right, listen. You stay here-”

“What? But... what if-”

“What help do you think you're going to be if you come?” he raised an eyebrow at her.

“What if you get lost? What if you can't find your way back here?” she looked up at him with wide eyes.

“I can follow my own scent back... the castle doesn't reek like down here,” he growled moodily, “If you got caught in there, I....” He growled to himself, reluctant to admit that he couldn't do this without her, “I won't be able to find my out of this hell hole, all right? If I go alone, I only have to worry about myself... and Raevin. I don't know how well I'll be able to protect all fucking three of us.”

She glanced down at her feet, “I... suppose you're right....”

“Good. If you start hearing a commotion up there you can guess we've been found out. I wouldn't wait too long for me to return if that happens, just get the hell out of here, or at least get farther back the way we came... the path is pretty straight forward for a while going back. If you hid at the first split in the path, I could find you there, and it would give you a head start if they think to search down here,” he stared at her intently until she finally nodded, “All right... I'll see you shortly then.”

“Wait!” he turned back to her, “How will you find her?”

His ears flicked back uncertainly, but then he remembered how very distinctive her scent had been, “Don't worry. I'd know her scent anywhere.”

She sighed, “All right... good luck.”

He nodded and turned back to the door, opening it slowly and slipping out, one hand on Holy Flame's hilt. He closed the door behind him, looking up the stairway. It was brighter at the top, he could see a chandelier with lit candles hanging from the ceiling in what must be a hall up there. He moved to one wall, keeping close against it as he made his way carefully up to the top step, glancing down one side of the hall and then around his corner the other way. He saw no one. In fact, this part of the castle looked... old, worn and weathered, as if it hadn't seen much upkeep for years. Surely it didn't work out that perfectly... this couldn't be some abandoned part of the castle?

He took a deep breath, trying to decide which way to go. Footsteps echoing down the hall had his ears twitching to attention. Shit. He pressed against the wall, his grip on the hilt of his sword tightening, ready to draw. Another heartbeat and a guard stepped past his corner. Neoruko leaped at the chance, drawing his red blade and pulling the man back, slitting his throat before he could make a sound. He carried the guard down the flight of steps, sitting him at the bottom and looking thoughtfully over his black, Shadow Kingdom armor. This was too perfect.

After he had the guard's armor on, it was easy enough to walk through the castle without anyone the wiser of his presence. The helmet hid his ears and the black cloak hid his tail, it would be difficult for any of the guards who had seen him previously to recognize him. He tried to keep his arms mostly hidden in the cloak as well, lest anyone notice the shackles still around his wrists. He made his way into the main part of the castle, moving on until he noticed more and more traffic in the halls. It was fairly sparse since it was the middle of the night, but still noticeable enough to tell him he was heading in the right direction. The throne room was the center of everything. If he could find his way there, he could find Raevin.

Before he had made it there, however, he caught her scent. Stopping in his tracks, he breathed deeply, drawing that faint trace of her in and turning to follow it. Cool and sweet and light... he had never smelled anything like it before. It grew steadily stronger, fresher, until he rounded a corner to find two guards standing in front of what otherwise seemed to be a rather nondescript door in the middle of the hall. He noted another guard passing by at a junction farther down the hall and fought the urge to curse. He kept moving, acting casually as he passed the two standing guard at the door. Her scent was nearly overwhelming here. She was definitely inside. But this place was hardly out of the way and he had to get past two guards. He was sure he could take them easily, but if he killed two guards here, how many more would come running from the commotion?

He kept walking, turned at the first junction he came to. It lead to a dead end, a large window at the end. His amber gaze narrowed thoughtfully as he made his way toward it, glancing back down the hall, but so far he was alone. He looked the window over briefly, finding a latch and turning it, pushing the window open and glancing back down the hall warily. Still no one. He leaned out the window slightly, glancing back toward where her room must be. No balcony... but there was a thin ledge leading all the way around the wall. Shit... this won't be fun....

He climbed carefully out, his feet hanging half way off the ledge, and pushed the window closed behind him, pressing his back to it. Shitshitshit. He edged his way to the right, away from the window and toward her room. He had counted the doors... and from the looks of it each room had only a single window. Four windows down... that should be hers. The stone snagged his cloak and he cursed under his breath as it sent a jolt of panic through him. Damn it all, this is fucking crazy. He glanced down briefly, It's not that far... the fall wouldn't kill me... but the damn guards that heard me fall would. Easy solution, don't fall. He shook his head slightly, turning his gaze back to the window he was heading for.

As he finally got close enough, he peered through the glass. It was mostly dark inside, but he noticed her sitting on the edge of a bed after a moment. “Raevin....” She can't hear you, idiot. He reached up and tapped on the glass, watching her jerk in surprise. He gave a short wave as her gaze found his, Could let me in any minute now....

She stood, making her way cautiously to the window with a glance back at the door. He edged back the way he'd come a few short steps as she pushed the window open, “What... are you doing here?”

“Getting you the hell out,” he growled softly.

She stared at him silently for a time, “But... why? We... we don't even know each other....”

“I don't fucking know, I just am, all right? Do you WANT to stay here with that sick fuck?” he edged back toward her and she stepped back as he climbed inside.

“No... but... you....”

“No but nothing. I didn't ask you to save me,” he started at her intensely.

She lifted her chin, staring right back, “Neither did I.”

His amber gaze narrowed, “Don't be stubborn. I didn't wade through a reeking black tunnel for hours and break into the damn Shadow Emperor's castle just to be told no. Either we both get the hell out of here or... neither of us do.” Why? Why the hell did I say that?

Her eyes widened slightly, “But... the chances of us getting out are.... You were free, you should have just left me.

“Yeah, I shoulda, but I didn't so here we are,” he growled, “We can argue about how idiotic this is later, when we're as far away from this hell hole as we can get.”

She gave a small laugh, “You know... I don't even know your name....”

He rolled his eyes, “For Hell's sake, this hardly the time for introductions....” He sighed, “Neoruko. Happy now?”

She smiled a little, “I'd be happier if I wasn't being help captive by my half-brother.”

Neoruko snorted, “Let's get the hell out of here then.”

She tilted her head slightly, “And how do you plan to get us out, anyway?”

He opened his mouth, but closed it again. That was a good question. He couldn't just walk around the castle with her, even dressed as a guard.

“You've... really thought this through, haven't you?” she asked rhetorically.

“I wasn't even expecting to get this far, all right!” he glanced back toward the window until he felt a touch on his hand and jerked away at the unexpected contact, “What the hell!”

She took a surprised step back, “S-sorry I just... the shackles on your wrists....”

He looked down at them, “What about them?”

“I thought... they released you?” her brow furrowed with confusion.

He gave a soft, dry laugh, “Oh, they did, just left me with something to remember them by. Got the chain cut, that's all that really matters.” She frowned and reached out again, but he took a step back, “The hell are you doing?”

She sighed, “I can take them off for you.”

He raised an eyebrow, “How?”

She reached out her hands expectantly and after a moment he gave her one wrist. She concentrated on it a moment, tendrils of shadow slithering from her palms. The cuff clicked open and she took it form his wrist and reached for the other.

“How... did you do that?” he murmured.

“Shadow magic can do a lot of things,” she replied softly, releasing him from the second cuff.

His ears twitched back. He had never been able to do magic, though he'd tried a number of times. His father had used Shadow magic against him numerous times, but he'd never been able to perform the most basic of tasks. “Great... you can do magic,” he muttered flatly, jealousy flashing through him.

She looked up at him, raising an eyebrow curiously, “My magic just got those shackles off of you, I would think you'd be pleased.”

He blew out his breath, glancing away briefly, “Nevermind. Don't suppose you can magic us out of here?”

She sighed, “No... I've never been able to shadowphase.... I wouldn't have been running around wounded in the city if I could.”

“I suppose not,” he replied dryly, walking back to the window and looking around for an idea as to how to escape, “Hell... I didn't think getting in would be so easy, but now getting out seems damn near impossible....”

“I told you you shouldn't have come back...,” he glanced back at her where she stood, clasping her hands in front of her, her crimson gaze downcast.

He walked back to her, pausing as she looked back up at him, “C'mon now... you were just starting to get interesting with that sarcasm of yours. Don't get all mopey again.”

She shook her head and looked back at her hands, “I'm sorry... if I never bumped into you-”

“Enough already... shit happened and now we're here. The end,” he growled, “Let's start moving forward instead of trying to go back to something that can't be changed.”

She blinked up at him and after a moment, smiled slightly, “Huh... I never would have expected something so wise to come from you.”

“Wha... you don't even know me!” his tail lashed behind him, annoyed, but she only giggled... giggled at him.

“It's kind of strange... the more time I spend with you, the more I feel like I do know you...,” she murmured.

He rolled his eyes, “That's generally how meeting new people works, you know.”

Her gaze narrowed slightly, “That's not what I mean....”

“Whatever, this isn't accomplishing anything. We need to get out of here. Have any magic tricks that could at least help us?” he raised an eyebrow at her.

“Oh...,” she looked thoughtful for a time, “We could fly, but then we'd be seen... and there are plenty of Kyropti here that could follow us....”

“Wait, we? I can't fly...,” he twitched his tail, “In case you never noticed, wolves don't have wings.”

“I could carry you,” she responded, waving her hand dismissively since flying was out of the question anyway. He looked skeptical and she frowned, “What? I'm stronger than I look. I'm still a Demon, you know... I could carry you easily, even if you are a big bad wolf man.” A grin tugged at her lips.

“All right, all right, whatever...,” he growled, tail twitching again in annoyance, though in truth he preferred her like this rather than somber and overly apologetic... like his newfound sister, “We have to get down to the catacombs... there's a door in what looks to be a mostly abandoned part of the castle that leads down to these tunnels that supposedly run all over the Shadow Kingdom. My ah... I have someone waiting for us there....” His ears twitched hesitantly, “I guess if it wasn't for her I wouldn't have gotten in....”

Raevin's expression faltered slightly, “Oh... um... all right....”

“For Hell's sake, what's wrong now?” he growled. It wasn't as though she was trying very hard to hide her change in mood.

She smiled slightly, “Nothing. It's not important. We're... not really any closer to getting out of here yet, are we?”

She was changing the subject, but getting out was way more important than talking about her feelings so he dropped it. He still wasn't sure why he even cared. He glanced at the shackles in her hands, brow furrowing thoughtfully. He glanced out the window, ears twitching, and looked around the room, “Is there something in here that we could use as a passable cloak?”

She raised an eyebrow, “Umm... the blanket, maybe? Why?”

“Can you fix the chain on those shackles with your magic?” he asked instead, ignoring her question for the time being.

“I... don't think so. Earth magic deals in metals.... I could make them look fixed but-”

“Good, that's fine...,” he moved past her to the bed, pulling the blankets off. He took the black sheet and held it up, then handed it to Raevin, “If you put this on, and the shackles... I can make it look like I'm taking you to the dungeons.”

“That... doesn't explain how we leave this room,” she replied hesitantly.

“We fly,” he raised an eyebrow at her, then glanced back at the window, “All we really need to do is lower to the ground down there without making too much noise or being seen. If we're careful... we should be fine. I can make up something about finding you wandering the grounds or something, trespassing, whatever, if anyone asks anyway. Then we can make our way to the catacombs instead.”

She looked at him skeptically, “So... you want to escape from the castle... in order to get back into the castle... in order to escape the castle?”

He paused, thinking it over momentarily, “Well it sounds moronic when you put it like that.”

“I think it would sound moronic no matter what way you put it,” her crimson gaze narrowed slightly, clearly unsure about this plan of his.

He crossed his arms over his chest, “Well I'm not hearing you come up with any better ideas. Honestly I'd love to just fight my damn way out, these guards are fucking jokes. But that would just alert someone more formidable to what the hell we were doing and then getting out of here would get infinitely more difficult.” His ears flicked in annoyance, “Okesha was right... we need to do this quietly and get as far away from here by daybreak as possible, before they notice you're gone and start looking for you.”

“Well... what do you know? You CAN think before you act,” she smirked slightly as his ears pressed against his head. Her smirk faded and she stepped closer to him. She noticed him tense, but reached up slowly anyway.

“What are you...,” his eyes widened slightly as she took one of his black furred ears in her hand and rubbed it curiously. He smacked her hand lightly away, growling softly, “The hell are you doing?”

She blinked in surprise, seemingly at her own actions, “I'm sorry... I've just... never seen anything quite like you before....”

Another growl rumbled in his throat, “You've never seen a half-Demon?” He spat out the word distastefully.

“I have... but they were a little... less conspicuous?” she tilted her head slightly, still gazing at his ears.

He clenched his teeth briefly, “It's apparently a half-WOLF Demon thing. Can we get the fuck out of here now or would you rather stand around gabbing about my anatomy until morning?”

“You really quite the pleasant fellow, aren't you?” she retorted, only causing him to narrow his eyes, “But you're right... we don't have a lot of time to stand around thinking about a better plan.” She frowned slightly and took a deep breath, “It's this or nothing.” Staring up at him intensely, she couldn't help but ask, “Are you... sure you want to do this? If we get caught-”

“I wouldn't be here if I wasn't sure, all right? Now let's see if this plan is really as moronic as you made it sound,” he growled.