Solo Had a Dream

[Anthoni Cole]

"Tell me what you mad for?" The big bushy bearded merchant said questioningly as he jabbed his fat finger at Anthoni. "Do you think your the only one who walks around Sunberth with an empty stomach? Do you know how many sob stories I hear, every single day, asking for what you asked for? Do you?" The merchant was smiling now, clearly feeling like he could do what he wanted, as he had the power, the bread, to make others reliant off of him. Ever since the fire swallowed up the grain stores everyone was much harder off than ever he remembered.

Anthoni took a step back, his face expressionless, his mind ran heavy with his list of options. This was the second man he'd asked for bread today, but none bothered. His mind went to his sister, as it always did, who was most likly laying in bed hungry. Neither of them had eaten in three days but it was Anthoni's job to bring the food home, not hers. "I can work for it," he said to the merchant "I can do almost anything that needs doing." His voice was soft but urgent, almost pleading with every sylable to speak truth in his words. "Have mercy."

For this the merchant simply laughed out loud, huge bellows roared through the market square and Anthoni felt uncomfortable from the strangers which looked on. "I bet you could work for it," the man said when his roar died down "however I don't deal with criminals, and you Sir, got the look of a thief." With that the merchant slid his bread, which was displayed openly on a table cloth, closer towards him. He then looked at his guard who began stepping closer to Anthoni. "Get this scum out of my stand," the merchant said and in a matter of moments Anthoni made his choice.

He pushed hard against the table, knocking the fat man back on his ass. Then in one fluid motion he grabbed for the loaf of bread on the table. Suddenly he felt thick hands grab his shoulder and knew instantly that the guard had reached him. Anthoni spun on his heels and twirled around, one hand clenched tightly to the bread he'd just took while the other bashed hard on the guards face. His feet then took over and Anthoni ran, fast, out of the market square without looking back. His heart was beating mad in his chest but Anthoni paid little attention.

"Stop him!" He heard the merchant yell "20 Mizas to the man who brings me his fingers!" Looking back, perhaps out of fear, Anthoni saw a few other guards from other stands bolt in his direction. The market was still full, awkwardly so, and Anthoni was forced to shove past those in his way. Luckily for him he knew the nearest entrance to the alleyways and made for that. He looked down and saw the loaf of bread, his hands had clenched it so tight that it was almost torn in half. Regardless a smile crept up on his face.

Barreling into the alleyway Anthoni continued to run at full speed. Sometimes when he had to turn sharply around the corner he'd hit the wall with his side but never did he stop. Twenty mizas was a lot of coin and anyone who heard the merchant place a bounty on him would think about collecting the reward. All he thought about was returning home to his sister. As his mind wandered Anthoni's feet did not stop, his breathing was becoming labored and in time he felt himself tire. Slowly his sprint became a jog and then a fast walk, until finally he turned a corner and stopped in his tracks.

Ahead of him was a small crowd of homeless Sunberthers. They looked hideous, skin lacking any kind of meat that you could see the bones underneath them, ragged hair that looked mangy as if on a stray dog and dull, hollow eyes. The crowd of people mainly huddled on the ground, leaned up against the alleyway walls. One of them looked at Anthoni, a woman with black teeth, and she crawled to him across the floor. Her shirt was torn and one of her breasts spilled out and slid across the ground. She was caked in the grimy dirt and her mouth pleaded to Anthoni, whispering one word. Bread, bread, bread

Slowly the theif walked backwards, away from this group, but others soon saw him. They began to make there way to him, however it was a vain attempt. Anthoni knew they had no strength in them, his hand began to hurt, his mark from Dira so many years earlier and Anthoni knew death lingered in this alleyway. He could smell it. To lost in his thoughts Anthoni forget his surroundings and tripped while walking, falling hard on his ass and the bread slipped from his jacket. Rejuvinsed the people who saw food began to lurch towards him, hungrily, savagely they made there way and Anthoni began to startle himself.

He leapt for his bread and moved quickly to his feet, looking back only at the woman for a mere moment, her eyes were dead, but she seemed to mouth the words Please to him. However Anthoni simply ran and didn't look back. He knew an alternative way out of the alley, even if it was a bit longer from home. Thus he made his way there, unable to shake the image of those people out of his head.

[Anthoni Cole]

Soon Anthoni found his way out of the alley and back into the streets of Sunberth. He dawned his hood, pulling it so far down his head that it almost covered his eyes. Although he felt safe and sure that he'd not been tailed by the merchants henchmen Anthoni still felt worried, looking behind him in consistant intervals. The busyness of the streets was a comfort to him even if a small one. The bread in his hand began to feel heavy, so much so that he tucked it in his jacket once again.

As he walked the chanting of corner sellers could be heard as they yelled out the days prices. He made sure to avoid any merchants as more often than not they made theives aware to one another so as to limit the stealing of merchandise. For about half a city block Anthoni had a laugh to himself, just how far would one go for a loaf of bread he wondered? Then he reminded himself that he'd stolen it whilst risking a brutal beating or worse so soon his smile dropped. Once again he looked behind him only to see nothing and no one.

Next he walked besides one of the recently burnt down grain silos. A couple days ago the grain and flour stores had caught fire and although the town came together to put out the fire it nonetheless claimed to foodstores. Thus the markets raised the price of bread and soon mere grain had the weight of gold about it. This grain silo, Anthoni could tell, still smoked even though it'd been days since it first caught alight. It seemed to him that people hardly cared anymore after they understood the damage had been done.

Sitting on the side of the street, some on their knees, others had there hands cast out, were hundreds of displaced homeless. All of them reduced to begging. It seemed to Anthoni that perhaps the rumors were right and Sunberth was cursed. The look on everyones face always seemed the same to Anthoni, helplessness combined with the complete lack of faith or hope. No one smiled in Sunberth, no one dared to unveil the reality of the situation they were all placed in. Anthoni slapped the hands away of an old man whom reached for him pleadingly.

"Please sir," the man croaked at him. "A single coin sir, please." Anthoni spat at him and ripped his hands off his cloak.

"Find your own damn coin," he said to him venomusly as he walked on. He had no sympathy for beggars, none whatsoever. If a man couldn't get up and get his own, however he did so, then the man wasn't worth the air he breathed. It pained Anthoni how many amoung him simply refused the will to live, which to Anthoni relying upon others was something akin to begging for death. He thumbed his dagger which was strapped to his belt line and made sure his coin purse and bread loaf was still on his person. It may seem ridiculous but Anthoni was no stranger to being pick pocketed, if someone touched you the odds were that they were trying to make a move. Luckily for him the old man was a simple beggar that got to free with his hands is all.

With the market place now behind him Anthoni was beggining to come around to the Gallows. He hated this part of town, as a child he'd have a recurring nightmare of being hung by a mob, and as such he limited himself from going to the gallows. Also, something he never discussed aloud, was the fact that Anthoni could see ghosts more so than others. He thumbed the tattoo on his right hand, the perfect image of a black scythe. A cold tingling feeling inched up his spine and made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He heard Dira's voice ring in his head and those simple words she said so long ago to him. Continue to carry the burden Anthoni, for one day I'll come for you. He shook his head free of the memory before making his way though the gallows.

It didn't take long until he found the hangmans lot. Large crane like structures were strung about in hap-hazard rows. The wood of most of them looked chipped and rotten but even still they stood tall and proud. What made it more horrifying was the fact that the bodies of the dead still hung there. The rope clenched tightly on there necks as they twirled around, back and forth, back and forth, lifeless. As he forced each step, closer to the bridge which lead out of the gallows, Anthoni was hit by the gut wrenching smell of death and decay. The bodies were left up on their rope to rot, many of them meant to be examples for others who were caught, or merely blamed, for offending the wrong people. Some of the dead, the fresh ones, were still ripe for the crows as they picked and pekked at their eyes and tongues. More often than not the only time a hang man would retrieve the bodies of those executed at the gallows was when the boddy snapped free of the rope, or sometimes the neck gave out to the weight of the dead and the body would slam against the stone below.

As an Eiyon Anthoni could feel the presence of the dead, he made sure to look at the ground, one foot in front of the other, and pulled his hood all the way over his eyes as he did not want to see them. Even so he could hear them, they whispered words he couldn't understand. Ghosts that lingered in the mortal realm were always haunted by something. Their emotions spiked due to their mortal affairs and you see for many souls that death was simply to much to swallow and Dira, to them, was the embodiment of eternity they didn't want to meet. Anthoni understood death better than most, he could actually show you, but he deemed his mark more of a curse than a blessing.

He let out a sigh of relief when he came to the bridge, seeing the water underneath him he knew that he'd made it out of the gallows unmolested. Hopefully he'd make it home before sundown and with a glance up at the sky he nodded his head in confirmation. It wasn't that far of a walk to his house from here and soon he'd see his sister. The thought of her joy when he places bread in her hand made him smile. Still he did not look behind him.

As he climbed the small slope that led to his flat Anthoni's stomach began to rumble. Although he wanted to eat another bite he refused himself the luxury. The grain would probably be the last he and his sister ate for at least another day and he wanted to give it to her. Besides, when he got home he'd probably pass out from exsaustion and if one was sleeping then hunger pains were not a problem.

Finally he made it to his house and lowered his hood, revealing his stark black hair and wildly shaking it free. He was caked in sweat, wild with hunger but one thing gave him comfort.

"Keiyara!" He yelled aloud "Sis, I'm home." He then made his way to the door smiling ear to ear satisfied that the day ended well and that he returned home with all of his fingers.

[Anthoni Cole]

She didn't come to the door like Anthoni'd hoped. Instead he opened it lazily by himself and as the house was beggining to lean on it's foundation the door swung open wide. He moved himself inside, reaching for the door and swinging it back closed with a loud thud. Looking to his left Anthoni found his sister laying down on the single straw bed which was lined up in the corner of the building. He walked to a different corner where they kept a crickety wooden chair and Anthoni sank down to a sitting postion. He began to kick of his boots, tossing them to the side of the dirt floor and out of the way. He rose to his feet again and undressed, taking off his belt, his dagger holster which followed behind the dagger itself.

Keiyara looked at him when he set his blade on the cabnient next to the chair. It was clear to Anthoni that Keiyara, much like his mother, despised the fact that he walked everywhere with a blade. Perhaps it was the fact that he needed a blade which made her uncomfortable. However she quickly returned to her book. Anthoni looked at her curiously, then the book, but didn't say a word. Keiyara knew how to read, and read well, all becuase of her schooling at the Sunset Orphanage. She was a smart girl, knew all of her letters and sometimes would read to Anthoni before they went to sleep. Anthoni found it odd however that she wouldn't address him, he thought about speaking up but instead he leaned back in his chair and simply eyed his sister observingly. He knew he had the bread, still tucked under his coat, but he waited to share his days rewards.

Looking about he noticed the house was largely as he'd left it the morning earlier. Suggesting Keiyara hadn't moved much and instead must've been deep into the book. Which appeared true cause by the looks of it she had the book opened well past the middle. Anthoni smiled, then nodded at his half-sister. She brushed her long, curly blonde hair out of her eyes.

"What're you reading?" He asked her quietly as he began to take off his coat, folding it up in his lap and placing the bread on top of it.

"A book," she replied simply, "it's a new one."

"Ya, well, what's it read?" His eyebrows perked up curiously.

"The Gods." She spoke matter-of-factly, dismissively, and eyed her book the whole while. Not even giving Anthoni a second look, instead he watched as Keiyara's eyes narrowed and went down the length of the pages then back up again.

Almost instictively Anthoni's gaze drifted to his scythe tattoo that rested on his right hand. A solid black etching that he could never forget as soft, gentle hands grabbed his, a woman more beautiful than words could describe leaning down towards him and cold lips kissing his hand. The memory took Anthoni back and it played out in his minds eye over the span of time it took for him to blink.

"What do you want to know about the Gods?" Anthoni asked her, almost protectivly, before he placed the loaf of bread on the cabinent. After all of these years Anthoni had never told his sister about the night he got the tattoo. Mainly because it was to hard of a story to tell and also due to the fact that, at the time, his sister had been but a girl. Some things were to heavy for a child.

Keiyara dropped the book, leaning it down over her belly and glared at Anthoni.

"I know," she said to him so calm and quiet Anthoni's hair stood up straight on his arms. "I know what that tattoo means." Anthoni couldn't meet her eyes, instead finding the dirt floor a much easier place to stare at. "Why would you lie to me brother? Why?"

"What're you going on about now?" Anthoni said as he decided to sink into the confrontation. "I told you how I got this tattoo." Suddenly Keiyara's face turned red and she grabbed the book roughly then tore out a page. She spun off the bed and planted her feet over the side before cocking back the book and tossing it at him violently.

"You lied!" She screamed and the book sailed through the air, hitting Anthoni square in the face before it hit the ground, sending a cloud of dirt into the air. Anthoni leaned his head back and clapsed his eye shut with his hand. A quick jolt of pain made everything so clear.

"Gods be damned whats gotten into you!" He yelped aloud as he scanned Keiyara over, he saw through his one good eye that she cluthced a piece of paper in her hands, the one she tore from the book.

"What's gotten into me?" She screamed "You! You have Anthoni. Your nothing but a damned liar, year after year, day after day. All you do is lie."

"Lie about what?" Anthoni screamed back her, "about what damnit!"

"How'd you get the tattoo?" Keiyara fired back again. "How Anthoni!"

"I told you it's the mark-"

"Of your gang right?" She answered for Anthoni and suddenly it became clear to him that it was over. "That's not a gang mark though and yet you continued to pass it off as one, playing me for a fool. Every. Single. Day. Since that night Ma died," Keiyara rose to her feet, her small frame commanding Anthoni's respect as she fumed, smoking like a volcano just before it burst free. She marched towards him, paper in hand, before shoving it in his face. "Look at this and then lie to me again brother, I dare you to."

Anthoni grabbed the paper with his free hand, on the paper were drawings of various hands, all of which had the same tattoo as Anthoni. The mark of Dira. A black scythe which wrapped around from the palm to the back of their hands.

"What about it?" Anthoni said, looking at Keiyara after he was done scanning the page. His voice however soon went out, and Anthoni's heart began to sink in his chest. Looking back at Keiyara he saw his sister holding back tears, eyes red with hurt, making Anthoni feel so small. So sad.

"You left," she said quietly, mere feet from Anthoni yet he almost couldn't hear her. "That night, you left."

His heart dropped. "Keiyara-" He whispered. "I-"

"You left and thought I was asleep," her tears began to pour out, "Ma did to. You thought I was asleep but I wasn't Anthoni. I watched, scared, as mom drank the poison. I buried my head into her chest until I couldn't hear her heart beating anymore." A tear fell from Anthoni's hurt eye.

"Sis," he managed to say.

"Don't call me that!" she said loudly, her anger once more coming back. "I know you got her the vial, I know you did it!" A hard smack landed on the left side of his face, Anthoni was to stunned to move, instead merely looking at his sister until the sting of pain went away. "I heard the breath leave her while you ran away." She said, jamming her finger at him accusingly, guilty Anthoni couldn't argue. He simply didn't know she knew, and that confused him.

"Keiyara," he said before being cut off.

"Tell me she came into the house that night." Anthoni looked at his mark, "Say her name brother, tell me who took our mother."

"Kei-"

"Say her name!" His sister screamed in his face, spit and slober flying everywhere. Anthoni couldn't believe it but the sound of thunder boomed outside, shaking his house. Rain began to pour outside until it drummed against the roof of his poorly built home. "Say her name Anthoni."

"Dira," he said softly, "her names Dira." Keiyara took a step back and shook her head.

"She took mom from us and yet you bear her mark."

"It's not that simple," he replied, defiance begining to rise in his voice.

"You bear her mark!" She screamed

"What choice did I have!" Anthoni rising to his feet and towering over his sister. "What choice did I have!"

"You chose to kill Ma!" Keiyara spat at him

"Don't you say that!" Anthoni roared back at her. "Don't you put that on me."

"It's true!"

"You know nothing girl, nothing about it." Anthoni began yelling back at her "You were a damn baby, sheltered and niave to what goes on out there." He said pointing outside, "This city makes you do things-"

"It doesn't make you steal, it doesn't make you take from others! You do that on your own, don't blame Sunberth."

"I do that for you Keiyara," Anthoni said loudly. "I've fed you haven't I? Kept a roof over your head, let you sleep on a bed and not the floor."

"Don't say you do it for me," She screamed back at him. "I'm tired of you saying you steal for me."

"I got this for us," Anthoni pointed to the bread, "Did you think I'd eat it myself?"

"I'm not going to touch it." Keiyara said sternly, and Anthoni knew she meant it.

"You haven't eaten in three days," Anthoni said "I got this-"

"I'm done!" Keiyara screamed "How many people go hungry because of you Anthoni? Whose mouth did you take that bread from today? How many sisters did you allow to go hungry in my name?" She asked venomusly.

"Don't play with me Keiyara," Anthoni shook his head

"How many?" She asked before pushing him away from her. It was a hard push but given the size diffrence Anthoni merely took a step back. "I hate you!"

Anthoni glared at her in silence, letting the tension fall off before speaking. "You're nothing but a child," he said, letting his pain bleed out into his words. "You lay here, day after day, stuck in your books, your fantasy land. You know nothing of life out there in the streets, you haven't seen the cruelty people are capable of. Yet you spit in my face and judge me for how I go about putting bread on the table. Bread in your mouth." Keiyara just looked at him, coldly.

"No Anthoni, you think your different than they are, but your not. Mom was wrong, your not strong, your weak and this city beat you. That's what I hate."

She grabbed her coat, strewn about the bed, and reached for her shoes.

"Where are you going?" He asked but she remained silent. "Keiyara."

"Out," she said simply.

"Keiyara wait," he pleaded

The door flew open and Keiyara ran out into the nights storm.

[Anthoni Cole]

"Keiyara wait!" Anthoni screamed out the door but by the time he reached the door frame Keiyara's blonde hair could be seen lapping around a corner, waving furiously from the wind that suddenly picked up. Immeadiatly he had the intention of running after his little sister but before he could do so the wooden door slammed in his face. Reeling around his eyes caught the candle which was on the cabnent near the bed flicker out. Letting out a gasp he made his way to the corner drawer where he placed his dagger but was planted in his tracks when the tempature of the room suddenly dropped. The moon light, which pierced through the poorly built home, allowed him to see his breath which was condensating after every exhale.

"Did you forget, Anthoni?"

He heard her before he saw her, sitting in the corner cross legged was a woman Anthoni had never forgotten. Her hair ran past her shoulders, flowing all the way to her hip in a silky black stream. So shiney the light seemed to glisten off of her. Her skin was deathly pale and her figure gaunt, as if weak from hunger and she clasped her boney hands tightly to her arms. A net of dark hair blanketed her face and Anthoni's heart stopped beating for a fraction of a momment. He could not see them but he remembered vividly Dira's eyes, even after all of the time which has past since they last met.

"Dira?" He asked "Is it you?" Although his mind was racing Anthoni knew for certain this was her, the goddess which marked him all those years ago and made him an Eiyon. However last time where she exuded confidence and authority Anthoni couldn't help but think that Dira appeared fragile. He looked at her this time, as her teeth rattled uncontrolably loud, shivering and hunched over. His face kept transfixed on the goddess, mouth open as if to speak but unable to find a strong enough word. Strange as it was Anthoni did not move, as he did not know where to move to. His little sister had just left outside in the middle of a storm, a storm which suddenly appeared with the emergence of Dira, who seemed to be in no such state as to offer help of any kind.

"You asked me the same question the first time we met," Her head was still buried in her chest, hair drooping down her face as to make her eyes invisible. "You haven't changed Anthoni." For some reason Anthoni's eyes widened when she said his name. A soft burning sensation pulsed around the scythe tattoo which was etched into Anthoni's right hand. As if Dira were activating his mark by merely saying his name. Although the sensation started to burn it brought Anthoni a great comfort and easy feeling, regardless of his current situation, as if he knew that everything would soon be over and he'd be okay. Then his tattoo subsisted and the overarching sense of wellbeing went away as well as the burning sensation. Anthoni immediatly wanted it back.

"What did you do?" He questioned her curiously. He never felt scared of Dira, she'd given him no reason to.

"Merely gave you a taste of death is all. Testing an Eiyons loyalty is a subtle thing Anthoni and I must say I'm quite satisfied with you. Even if a bit reluctant to accept your future." She begun to rub her arms lazily with her hands. "Oh well that's not for me to decide but Tanroa." She continued before shaking her hair away from her face. Then she looked directly at Anthoni, her eyes being not as he remembered. Last time they looked like suns, massive glowing embers of yellowish fire and pure energy. Now Anthoni found himself gazing into molten lava, redish hues of volcanic fire emmitted from Dira's eyes and Anthoni remained transfixed on them. Even whilst Dira spoke he could not look away. "Which is why I need your help Eiyon."

Anthoni felt a strange desire to please Dira, to offer her his service in any way she needed. It was a strange compulsion but it felt natural and more importantly he believed it to be his own idea. Which in some way it was. "How can I serve you?" Is all he asked of her, never once considering his options, that perhaps he could have simply left the house and went after his sister without breathing another word to the Goddess of Death, but he didn't, instead he waited for her to answer.

"You think all of the right things but speak simply," Dira offered a thin smile, sending shivers down his spine. "You see Anthoni it is not I you will be serving tonight," she said "No, Instead Keiyara needs you, now more than ever." Anthoni's eyes shot to the door which swung open violently, rain came pouring inside turning the dirt into mud near the exit outside. He became all to aware that his sister was out there alone, barefooted and weaponless on cold night. The puzzled look on Anthoni's face must have provoked the goddess because she decided to rise out of the chair which she'd been sitting in.

When Dira stood she lowered her arms to her side and brought her shoulders back, Her chin was held high and not tucked to her chest and although when she breathed her breath vaporized into condensation same as Anthoni's. Unlike Anthoni's she exuded confidence, as if she knew exactly how the conversation would play out. With small, elegant steps Dira made her way to him. Anthoni was unable to move, awestruck and paralyzed he simply waited for realease, freedom. Lost in her reddish, orange eyes Anthoni found his voice.

"My sister?" He managed to muster "what do you need me to do for my sister?"

"I need you to bring her to me." Dira said while placing a cold hand on his shoulder.

In a flash Anthoni found Keiyara in his minds eye, running down the alleyways while being chased. A black shadow nipped at her heels with snarling white fangs. Keiyara would yelp as the shadow drew blood on her calf and ankels. His sister managed to run but soon lost confidence in the path, being forced to make split second decisons on turning left and right, hope and intuition being the only thing which made sure she didn't find herself staring back at a solid wall. A dead end. Panicked Keiyara tried to turn around but in the darkness of the night all that could be seen behind her were two orbiting balls of reddish light. The light from the eyes gave way to snarling sounds and a deep, gurglish growl. Instantly Keiyara took off straight for the dead end wall and whatever monster lay behind her lept in her direction. Anthoni heard a scream, one he immediatly recognized as Keiyaras, the he escaped his trace.

"Bring her to me before she manages to escape my jackels." Dira whispered. Her words lacked the urgency her facial expression portrayed but after the vison Anthoni just saw he could only conclude that Keiyara was in real trouble. Quickly Anthoni spun around and ran for the door, his barefoot splashing in the mud that lined his doorway. Once outside he was quickly introduced to the real coldness of the winds. The rain seemingly washed him away, soaking everything he wore in a matter of seconds. He didn't even make it to the almost ruined fence which boxed in his yard before he saw it. A solid white jackel stood patiently in the middle of the cobblestone street, it eye balled Anthoni alone, as if waiting for him to come out into the street. Then it nudged it's head in a direction Anthoni noted as the one Keiyara had ran off in.

Instantly Anthoni followed his gut and took off in a dead sprint after the white jackel. The wind blew against them and although he was sprinting as fast as he could fighting the wind seemed to drain him sooner than he'd like to admit. However no matter when he looked the white Jackel could be seen pressing onwards. Stopping only at corners or turns which Anthoni had to be caught seeing which direction the jackel would lead to before pressing on. His heart began booming in his chest when he managed to keep up the sprint pace for several blocks. If he ever felt tired he simply told himself that his sister Keiyara needed him now. The visions he'd been shown by Dira seemed to real for him to consider as not being so.

Finally the jackel managed to lead him to a place which seemed familiar with to him via the visions and an upturned trash can seemed to confirm his suspisons. In addition Anthoni managed to find a series of paw prints, similar to the white Jackels paw prints but much, much larger. They must've belonged to whatever was chasing Keiyara and without further hesitation Anthoni set off in the direction they were headed in. All the while the white Jackel lead Anthoni, occasionally stopping and looking back at Anthoni to see if he was keeping up.

[Anthoni Cole]

Then in a flash Anthoni bounded the last corner he'd seen the white jackel turn. Instantly he noticed the dead end and a solid stone wall at the end of it. His sprint turned into a light jog as he continued down the straight path which was before him. It didn't take long to notice her, back pressed against the wall, mostly laying on the ground but her head and shoulders were propped up. Anthoni couldn't see Keiyara clearly due to the night but the moon light helped his vison. Although the rain beat down heavy, creating a drum like sound as it thudded onto the roofs of the buildings which created the outline of the alleyway. One thing Anthoni knew for certain was the fact that Keiyara was hurt.

"Keiyara!" He ran to her, his voice bringing her to life mommantarily as she raised her head to look in the direction that the yell came from. As he neared his sister the rain washed his tears from his eyes. Keiyara was bleeding profusely from her stomach area, huge gashes were torn out of her shirt and blood seeped through. Due to the rain it created a stream of blood which flowed off of the poor girls body. Quickly Anthoni reached his sister and sank to his knees by her side.

"Oh Keiyara," he cried "where's it hurt, Kei, Kei." His sister cluthched the open gash on her stomach and inbetween sobs of heavy breathing and panicked chest convulsions blood gushed out of the wound. Immeadiatly he began to apply pressure to that wound, pushing against his sisters tiny frame to help stop the bleeding. Keiyaras free hands fumbled around with his arms and hands, smearing red stains on his shirt sleeves. Looking closer Anthoni saw a bite mark on Keiyara's shoulder, close to her neck. Making a hand free he applied pressure to her shoulder wound, but he could see more on her legs and arms. Keiyara's hands moved about him, grasping at him in despair, looking at him with wide eyes

"Please no, oh no, no" he choked before biting his tongue. His sisters blood seeping between his fingers as he vainly tried to save her. His facial features became tense and stoic, as his mind checked out, his faculties leaving him. His vision became a whirlwind, as his mind was put in hyper drive by a sudden overflow of information.

"Anthoni," his sister gagged up blood with her words "I'm scared." He leaned over his sister, a vain effort to shield her from the rain. He put his forehead against hers and let out a silent prayer to Dira.

"It's gonna be alright."

"I'm scared Anthoni." She went on pleading, "help. Help me, brother." Her body began to relax and her voice grew fainter, with narrowed eyes she looked at him. Their heads pressed against one another, helpless, until her eyes rolled back in the back of her head and her features went slack. Anthoni let out a sob, burying it in his sisters chest as he cried aloud. The sound of thunder and lightning mommantarily abducting his drifting mind. Then, ominously, a snarling, gutteral growl sheered its way into Anthoni's mind.

He raised his head from his sisters chest and looked back towards the entrance of the alleyway. There, alone, stood a solid black jackel, it's white fangs were red with blood and frothing from it's scarred and magled snout. Unlike the white Jackel which lead Anthoni to this place, being beautiful and clean and welcoming the black jackel made Anthoni's hair stand up. It was huge, almost the size of a wolf, it's hair was mangey and it's pelt was scarred. Also this Jackel had nothing which resembled a welcoming demeanor. It's ears were perked striaght up, it's teeth were snarling, tail raised and dominant. Then with small steps it began to walk towards Anthoni.

Perhaps out of instinct he reached for his dagger but when his hand came up empty Anthoni cursed. For he'd left his blade at his house and right now he needed it but didn't have it. Seeing no other option he rose off of his feet and stood tall, but kept his legs bent and ready to dodge should the black jackel leap at him. The rain rattled his bones but fear and adrenline kept him steady despite the weather. When the black jackel had but only ten yards before he was directly on top of Anthoni a streak of white was illuminated behind him from a flash of lightning. When the thunder followed, then ended, the white jackel reveled itself.

A loud howl echoed through the alley and it stopped the black jackel in its tracks. With a smooth motion the larger, black jackel looked behind him and snapped its jaws at the white one. He then kicked at the mud, sending it in messy globs at the stone wall which boxed them all inside. Anthoni stood there watching as the two jackels had an intense stand off. The black one growling and stamping it's feet in an intimidating nature whilst the white one simply looked on, head lowered but calm and unauthoritativly. Then, as quickly as they started the two beasts made a clash for one another. Sprinting head first until just a few yards away then leaping in the air at each other.

In a flash of smoke the two jackels disappeared just before they collided. Anthoni looked on in a dazed state of disbelief, blinking a few times before fully accepting what he'd just seen. He remembered his sister and sank to his knees to collect her in his arms. In one fell swoop he picked up Keiyara's lifeless body, tears streaming down his face as he held her, but allowing the rain to wash him clean. His hands and clothes were soaked, being tired, hungry and drained of all emotion made it easy to accept what he'd just witnessed. He wanted to go home.

Suddenly Anthoni's mark from Dira had begun to burn, much like it did back when he was at the house with Dira herself. Keiyara was light, very light, but the fact that he needed to carry her all the way home only filled him with dread. Soon each step seemed like it took far to much energy and Anthoni fought within himself the deep desire to sink into the mud and give up everything. However before he could do so Anthoni heard sobs coming from behind him and questioningly they became very familar sobs, ones he's heard before. Looking behind him he saw someone he least expected.

"Keiyara?"

He asked quietly and was answered with a ghostly visage of his sister. Clad in a smoky veil of greyness his little sister sat there. Near where she died except her body, least from what Anthoni could tell, had no sense of bitemarks on it at all. She seemed not to be in pain, or any kind of feeling for that matter but instead a very deep sense of numb. She looked at Anthoni as if seeing him for the first time.

"Brother, I love you." She said, not aloud, but in his minds ear. Hearing the words but as if they were merely an echo and not an actual voice with a location.

"How sweet," A different voice but none more distinctive to Anthoni.

"Dira," he said venomusly "What did you do!" Anthoni said, spinning on his heels only to see Dira, sitting on top of the dead end wall, kicking her feet about like she was dipping them off a pier and into the water.

"Me?" She asked baffelingly "Why I did nothing Anthoni, as I said before Tanroa weaved your sisters fate. I just merely supervised, and my jackels both made claims."

"Claims?" Anthoni retorted "the black one killed my sister!"

"They do not "Kill" as you say Anthoni, they merely past sentence. It seems this time, your sister, sparked both of their interests. Very rare for both of them to stake claim on a soul but what more could I expect from the sister of an Eiyon?"

"You've cursed me with this mark, you've bled me dry and for what?"

"Becuase I see something in you, Anthoni." Dira stated confidently "I see great potential in you and now you are free, free to chose your own path. Free from the burden of responsibility, soon sunberth and it's true self will be revealed to you. You will come to know that you merely saw this city with the eyes of a child and as such you will see it anew, in a new light, as it is meant to be."

Anthoni looked on at the ghostly figure of his sister, who looked on at him as if looking into an abyss. It's a look of complete confusion, as if watching something far beyond your control but none the less trying to make sense of it all. His mark from Dira, the tattoo which was imprinted on his right hand, began to burn again. It left a pleasurable feeling inside of Anthoni and he wondered if this was in fact intentional for the goddess, as a means of keeping his emotions alive. At least for the remainder of the conversation.

"What will you do with my sister?" He asked Dira, forthrightly, pointing at her so as not to let Dira forget.

"Well," she said calmly "you did as I asked and brought her to me. Just not in the way you thought. I will keep her, of course, and guide her to the afterlife." She then looked at Anthoni and found it hard to believe the sight of his face. He looked to be on the verge of tears, as he was, and the thought of losing his sister was soon becoming very real to him. A thought he'd hoped to never have to face, praying time and time again that Dira would take him first and allow his sister to grow old. Have children, marry, find their own house and live ther own way but that was soon becoming a a dream and nothing more.

"If it is any peace of mind Anthoni I'll have you know that both of my Jackels fought for her soul. Both laid claim on her life, as neither knew what fate had in store for her, perhaps not even Tanroa fully. However, sadly, what's done is done. The beautiful thing is the fact that she get's to chose for herself wether she enters the mortal realm again or lingers on. Perhaps she will see your mother again? Who know."

"Ma?"

"Yes, Anthoni, your mother decided to go to the afterlife. Now as for you coninue to carry the budern Anthoni, for we shall meet again."

[Anthoni Cole]

"Wait," he said to Dira, hopefully before she vanished with the next flash of lightning. "May I say more to my sister?" Dira tilted her head curiously at him, observing his face once more to test him. Then curiously he moved forward towards her, peering into her volcanic colored eyes. "Would you grant me this one thing?"

Dira leaned forward, so far Anthoni thought she might teeter over the edge of the wall on which she sat so haphazardly. Anthoni looked over at the ghostly visage of his sister, who simply stared at Dira, as if awaiting permission to speak. No one spoke before Dira however, who broke the silence of thunder with an imposing voice.

"I'll grant it Anthoni, another moment, if you could tell me why? What compels you to have one more moment with her when you know it will end shortly there after?"

Anthoni simply replied "because I don't want to be alone."

Dira looked away, her long black hair covered up what seemed to be a smile, even if a sad one. "Fine," she said bitterly "I'll grant it."

Suddenly Keiyara's ghostly image, which once looked clear and smokey now became solid, as if her form was locked into some orderly pattern and although she was gone, she was there to. The first thing he noticed was her smile, how bright it seemed even given the circumstances. Anthoni tried to reach out to her in an embrace but his hands merely passed through her. It seemed although she was given shape she still had no physical form.

"You asked to speak with her," Dira explained. "I can't simply grant every mortal the ability to touch other e realms, else I'd have no domain."

Regardles Anthoni went with it, not staking any more risk on a confrontation about deal making. Instead he gazed at his sister and soaked in her look as best he could.

"I'm so sorry," he said "I was supposed to protect you."

"I'm fine brother," she said, "I feel free, and full."

"I could have been there, should have been there for you."

"I'm with mom now," she said "I can see her although you can't. We're together." Keiyara's voice got soft as she looked at him, "I wish I could stay, i do, but I've never felt this way before. This peaceful, easy feeling."

"I'll miss you," he said to her "always."

"You're not alone."

Then with that a flash of lightning painted to Sunberth skyline and Keiyara disappeared. Anthoni looked up to where Dira had been seated and she was gone to. In her place the moon crested over the wall emitting a perfect ray of light that seemed to spotlight itself right on top of Anthoni's center of mass.

He looked at the corpse of his sister and picked it back up, grabbing it carefully before ultimatly walking her back to his house where he'd decide the best way to bury her.

Anthoni now thought of life alone and when people would look outside to watch the storm at night they'd see a lone man carrying the dead girl with rain washing down his face.