It was a normal day in Estolad. The sun was shining down upon the continent, bathing all in it's glorious warmth. The village's inhabitants were taking advantage of the wonderful day, and catching up on some shopping. They milled about the paved roads, bustling about with determination in their steps, or loitering about, speaking to friends and acquaintances. Overall, it was a perfect, happy time in the lives of the mortals. Unfortunately, there was one human who had not had such a great time.

Bane limped into the village, his eyes concentrating on the ground, lest he step on something and slip. Yet he could not help but stare about in wonder at the many people. He hadn't seen so many humans since...well, since eleven years ago, when he had lived a happy life here in this plane. He hadn't had a care in the world back then, not having to worry about the future, nor grieve the past. Now, so many years later, he had returned a changed man. Instead of having innocent eyes that were crinkled in a smile, he had eyes that were filled with overwhelming sorrow.

He was not alone. Accompanying him was a young man that had discovered him in the grasslands, alone and bleeding. Why the white-haired stranger had decided to help him was unknown. Nevertheless, Bane was grateful for the man's selfless actions. If it hadn't been for him, it was most likely that he would now be dead.

Also with him, trotting at his heels, was a gray-furred wolf. Bane was also indebted to the canine. The beast had been the first to find him, and for some strange reason that was known only by the wolf itself, it had gone running to find aid for the wounded warrior. Now, it had followed them all the way to the village, only hesitating slightly before continuing on into the bustle of people. None of the villagers seemed to be too bothered by it; for all they knew, it was nothing more than a dog with a bit of wolf blood. Bane had given it the name Remus, after one of his childhood friends.

It was as they penetrated deeper into the village that he noticed a small building that seemed to be receiving quite a bit of attention. People went in and out of it, many of those that were exiting seeming to be a little unsteady on their legs. Confused and curious, Bane approached the structure, relying on the white-haired man for support.

"That seems to be some kind of public building," he said, motioning towards the building that was, though unknown to Bane, the Kaima Inn. "It seems to be as good a place as any to stop. I think that I have enough energy to heal myself, now. I just need to sit down." Indeed, Bane was feeling much better than he had been an hour before. His open wounds were no longer bleeding as severely as they had, and his strength was returning by the minute. After he had healed himself, it would be as though he had never been injured in the first place.

As the white haired vampire and wounded man finally reached the village they had been aiming for, Daiki found himself yearning to make a bolt for the shade of a building as the heat and light grew stronger, The cloak he wore being the only thing keeping him from dying right then and there. Still, supporting the wounded man that he had been brought to by the wolf trotting loyally behind them reminded him of why he had come in the first place. He could leave after the man was healed and no longer needed him, and sure enough he would. His job of getting the man to safety would be done, and he would most likely retreat back to the grasslands to hunt some more until night fell and he could go out in public without need of something to protect him from the daylight.

Hunting. Oh, how badly he needed to do that. Before he had come across the wounded man, he had only been able to find a mere rabbit to tame his thirst... but now, ever since the wolf had lead him to the bleeding man, the hunger had returned, his veins burning as if he had been set on fire. His canine teeth ached to slide down into someones throat, but the white-haired vampire forced himself not to cave in and crumble. Bright red eyes scanned over the man he was supporting, thankfully his wounds had stopped bleeding as much as they had been before, making it all the easier for Daiki to ignore the thirst. Sieg, on the other hand...

'Idiot. You had the opportunity to take the blood only a short time ago, and yet you go and help him. You know this won't change anything when he finds out what you truly are - and you know he will. He'll forget all about this and hate you all the same, just like everyone else who finds out. I swear, sometimes I wonder how I ended up trapped in such an idiot that can't accept what he is after a whole century.'

'I sometimes wonder why you keep pushing when I haven't given into your messed up ideas after a whole century.'

'Bah, you'll come around. Everything happens for a reason, and the reason you're the thing you are is to do what things like you do. Kill.'

'Forget it. I can't talk to you anymore.'

With that Daiki shut out the snickering of the mentally disturbed voice. Perhaps he was right though... maybe everything did happen for a reason. Maybe the reason Sieg had even popped into his head was to drag him over to the dark side. Maybe he should stop fighting it as well, maybe he should just give into the thirst that always surrounded him and never let up for more than a day...

The sound of someone's voice snapped him away from his thoughts, and after a minute he was able to focus on what was going on again. The man he had been helping had found a place where he could rest, so Daiki changed direction to allow him to get into the building. Entering the building, it seemed rather run down compared to most inns he had been to, not doubt they wouldn't mind a wolf coming in. The small lobby was the first thing to greet them, chairs and such where the man could sit down. He helped him to one of the seats to allow the man to heal himself, as he really couldn't do much more than what he had achieved earlier. The one set back of concentrating more in unarmed and sword combat rather than magic. He would wait for the man to do what he needed as he simply allowed himself to lean up against the wall before asking something that he had been wondering since they had reached the village aside from... other things...

"Excuse my curiosity, but I was just wondering your name. You don't have to tell me, after all I'm just a random stranger."

((OOC: Sorry about the long delay. I've been a little caught up in school, along with other issues.))

The duo walked inside the Inn, where Bane was confronted by what was, to him, a strange sight. The room was a large, open space, which was crowded by chairs and tables. Sitting at these tables were a high number of people, many of them laughing and joking to one another. Bane blinked at the strange sight; what were these people doing? They seemed to just be sitting around, wasting their time. He decided it was none of his concern, and slumped gratefully into the chair he was led to.

He immediately focused on his wounds. The only serious ones were a gruesome gash on his right leg, and a large number of bruises and gashes on his chest. Bringing a hand first over the location of the injuries of his chest, he closed his eyes and began to mutter in concentration as he drew magic inside himself and weaved it into a healing spell. He felt the cuts begin to close, and soon enough, they completely disappeared except for a few scars. He then repeated the process on his leg, and in a matter of half a minute, was completely healed. As he examined his handiwork, he heard the white-haired man speak to him.

"Excuse my curiosity, but I was just wondering your name. You don't have to tell me, after all I'm just a random stranger."

Bane gave a small half-smile to the man. "You're a random stranger that saved my life. I think I at least owe you my name." He gazed around, pausing for a moment, before continuing on. "My name is Bane Falron. I was once a resident of Lomedor, and the son of an important council member."

As he looked around, avoiding eye contact with the man, the look in his eyes became distant, as he remembered those times, when he, his sister, and his parents had all been together. Everything had been so perfect then...

"I suppose you are also curious about what happened to me?" Bane asked, still not looking at his rescuer. "It's a long story. You may become bored." He smiled slightly at this. Yes, a tale of eleven years of confinement could be quite boring...but he couldn't help hoping that he would be asked to recount the events that had placed him in this situation. It would help him think.

((OOC: Shortest. Post. Ever. >.> Really sorry for shortness and lateness, been meaning to post but I continually found myself putting it off. I'll try not to have it happen again.))

Bane Falron. The white haired vampire committed that to memory, matching the face with the name. When the subject of what had happened to him arose, the vampire cocked an eyebrow. Of course, this picked at his interest, why wouldn't it? No doubt the man wasn't afraid to tell it either, or else he wouldn't have brought it up in the first place. Pretty much all the vampire knew at this point was that the man had been chased by demons trying to kill him - and that was all that was needed for the white haired boy to respond.

"Oh, I don't mind. I've got a lot of time on my hands lately, and I'm really not bored that easily."

The boy gave the man a smile, and finally let down the hood of his cloak now that he probably wouldn't be going outside for awhile if the man did indeed wish to share his story. His white hair that had been matted against his head while outside now returned to normal, falling around his face and some in his eyes. His eyes, though still red from lack of blood, showed a gleam of interest in what ever story the man had to offer.

Having received confirmation of the teenager's interest, Bane leaned back, flexing his sore muscles. Where to start...?

"Me and my family used to live in Lomedor," Bane said, talking to himself more than his companion. "We lived pretty well. My father worked in the government, and got a good salary." Bane gazed away, staring at a wall, but in his mind envisioning it all...Him and his sister, playing in their backyard, her laughter loud and happy, while their parents watched with smiles on their faces.

"Eventually, men came to talk with our parents. My father, specifically. They seemed to want him for something. To this day, I don't know why. The only thing I knew about them at the moment was that they had red eyes..." Bane then glanced up at the white-haired stranger. Peering at him closely, he thought he saw a tinge of red in his eyes...

No. There was no way. Bane shook away the thoughts that sprung up in his head, and continued on with his story. "I can't remember for how long my father received these visitors. It must have been for a few months. They began to have loud arguments, and my parents always seemed afraid. Always. And now that I know the truth, I don't blame them."

Bane clenched his fists, trying hard to restrain the bitterness and anger that was entering his voice. "Those men broke into our house. They kidnapped me and Karie. They knocked me out, and when I woke up, I was in a dark place, surrounded by strange people. It was only after a week that I discovered where I had been taken. The Underworld."

Bane's hand began to caress the hilt of his katana, no longer bothering to keep the emotion out his voice. "Those men were demons. They had made me and Karie their prisoners. I was down there for eleven years...eleven long, hellish years. We were often put to work, doing those fiend's chores. Many of the others that were with us were sold to passing groups of drow, demons, and vampires. We lived without hope, certain that the only way we would leave that place was by being sold into slavery."

"But those long years of isolation gave me a chance to train. I went days at a time without rest to teach myself magic. My work payed off. I'd like to think of myself as a very competent mage." He gestured down at his body, which was now injury-free, whereas it had been broken and bleeding only minutes earlier. "My training gave me hope. I believed that with my newfound power, me and Karie could escape. And so, when the time seemed right, we fled."

This time, Bane looked down, surprised to feel his eyes burning. What was wrong with him? He was just stating the facts. There was no reason to get upset about it, was there? Trying to ignore the sadness that was welling up inside him, he continued on with the last part of his tale.

"We ran, and broke out of the demon's camp. Both me and Karie are very competent in magic. We were able to get very far away...but the enemy was hard on our heels. They weren't going to let us go. My sister was hit by a spell that forced her to stay behind, while I ran on, leaving her there. I got to the point where there was some kind of teleportation magic in effect. I don't quite understand what it was, but I knew that it would get me out of there. So I walked through it, and...well, you know the rest."

He gave a noncommittal shrug, and looked back up, his eyes scanning the man to see what his reaction would be. How would he take such a story? Maybe he would think that it was all made up. After all, it would seemed ridiculous to anyone that hadn't experienced it.

((OOC: I'm late again, aren't I? Sorry, I tried to post on Sunday but my computer died on me, and yesterday storms knocked out my cable and internet. Sorry!))

At first, the man's story seemed pretty normal; son of a man in the government who was well payed, it was no wonder some other people would come to talk with him. That was, until he mentioned the bit about the men having red eyes. Looking around nervously, the boy desperately hoped that the man before him didn't happen to look up to him; but that hope was soon crushed as Bane glanced up, and seemed to go into thoughts differing from the tale he was telling. Still it seemed he hadn't noticed the color of the vampire's eyes, or was at least pretending he hadn't. Well, that bullet had been dodged; well, for now, anyway.

As Bane continued on with his story, the white haired boy found himself becoming both pissed off and sympathetic at the same time. A burning hatred for those of the underworld that he was so carelessly categorized with was pricked at as he told about how they were kidnapped and sold into slavery by the demons, nothing but servants to the cold hearted people of the underworld for eleven years. Yet, for the same reason he found sympathy churning within him for this man and his sister. How had they survived such treatment? Surely they handled it better than he would have; training and keeping themselves sane. After eleven years of such treatment, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that he would have either gone insane or tried to kill someone. Respect also began to run alongside the sympathy he felt for this man.

By the time he went on to tell about how they fled and his sisters capture, the humans rage had become apparent in his voice, and Daiki honestly didn't blame him. Anyone who had gone through such an experience would surely feel rage at relieving it all again to explain it to someone they hardly knew. Coming to a close, Bane gave a shrug that went against the anger in his voice that had been present only moments ago, but the vampire said nothing. He went over what the man had said once more in his mind, and eventually was able to bring his gaze to meet the mans, hoping that the color of his eyes would once again be unnoticed.

"I'm sorry, I had no idea..." The boy started, and soon found himself at a lose of words. What was one supposed to say after being told something like that?

((OOC: Don't worry so much about taking a few days to post. It's fine, I can wait. ;)))

"I'm sorry, I had no idea..." The young man said, appearing to be truly sympathetic. Bane frowned at him, confused. What was he apologizing for? He was in no way at fault. In fact, Bane thought, he should be the one apologizing. He had caused this stranger much trouble, and had been asked for nothing in return.

"There's no need to apologize. ...It won't change what's happened." He then looked around, giving this strange building he had wandered into a more scrutinizing examination. The majority of those who inhabited the room were men, ranging anywhere from the ages of eighteen to fifty. Quite a lot of them wore swords at their belts, and were equipped with varying styles of armor. This gave Bane, who was only now being reintroduced to this plane, a good idea as to what the state of the world was. If common people had to walk around armed, then it was a good thing that he had been found before less pleasant company had encountered his bleeding body.

"What has happened in this world over the past eleven years?" The words came out of Bane's mouth in a quiet, worried tone. "Is there anything important I need to know?" For the first time, Bane realized how ignorant he was of the world outside of his confinement. No demons that had been within earshot had ever spoken of the world they so loved to terrorize. Thus, Bane knew absolutely nothing.

At that moment, a young woman appearing to be in her late teens walked over to their table, her eyes scanning the two of them before asking in a clear voice, "Can I get you two anything?"

Bane stared at her for a few moments, utterly confused. Then, he realized that she must expect them to buy something. Somewhat embarrassed, he shrugged. "No thank you," he responded, trying to sound polite. He sighed and muttered quietly to himself, "I don't have any money."

"What's happened in the world in the past eleven years? Well, nothing good, I can tell you that much. Everyday people walking around armed, whether the purpose be to hurt people or used in self defense."

An irritated sigh escaped the boys lips; honestly, didn't people have better things to do than terrorize and hurt one another? Then there were the innocent people, the ones that caused no problems and went about their business, the people who armed themselves for the sheer fact that they were afraid. Though he probably would have ended up getting himself outraged and such within mere moments if he had continued thinking about these things, the waitress that appeared and was now speaking to him was enough to pull him from these thoughts. For a moment, Bane appeared... confused. No doubt he would be, but quickly understanding spread across his face. Politely turning the girls offer down, the vampire heard him mumble something about not having any money, yet pretended not to. As the waitress turned to Daiki, the boy grabbed at his chance to rid his eyes of at least some of their blood red color - perhaps it would work.

"I'd like a rare steak, please. Mr. Falron, are you sure you wouldn't like something? I do owe you, after all."

No, he would not cut down the man's pride by making it obvious to the waitress and anyone else in earshot that the man had no money as some would. Besides that, the man would most likely need some nourishment - eleven years as slaves of the people of the underworld most likely didn't offer a whole lot of food, if they were as cruel as he remembered. Though, there was a way that the situation would appear as if he was trying to rub what little money he did have in the man's face, which certainly was not the case.

"What's happened in the world in the past eleven years? Well, nothing good, I can tell you that much. Everyday people walking around armed, whether the purpose be to hurt people or used in self defense."

Bane shrugged. This didn't surprise him. As he grew into his teenage years, he had begun to understand that the world was an uncivilized place, full of those that desired to make a living off of the suffering of others. Seeing men defend those innocents is what inspired him to begin learning how to fight in the first place. It was what drove him to take up swordplay in his childhood years.

"I'd like a rare steak, please. Mr. Falron, are you sure you wouldn't like something? I do owe you, after all."

The young man's question caught him off guard. For a brief second, Bane thought that he was speaking to someone else. He hadn't heard someone address him by his last name for a very, very long time, and he had never been called "Mr.". Then comprehension kicked in, and he took advantage of the man's offer. He wasn't particularly hungry, despite not having eaten for quite a while. The demons in the underworld had kept their prisoners well fed. They wanted their slaves to be in good shape so that they could be sold.

"I am rather thirsty. Could I have a glass of water, please?" The girl nodded and scurried off. "Thank you," he muttered to the white-haired man.

Bane's restless gaze turned from surveying the room to peering somewhat intently at the wooden table he was seated at, as he tried to divert his gaze from all of these strange people that inhabited the room. He felt so off, so out of place, amongst all of these happy, carefree people. His complete and total ignorance overwhelmed him, and he found himself pushing back against his chair in an unconscious effort to get as far away from them as possible. In a quiet voice, he continued his conversation with his savior.

"I've hindered you long enough. I'm sure that such a competent man as yourself has business to look to, and I've no desire to keep you from it. I have only one more question: In what direction does Lomedor lay? I have to get there."

In his head, a crushing thought, the one that had forced him to ask this question, resurfaced. My parents may still be alive...

Bane's fidgeting in his chair was to be expected - getting pulled away from the civilized world to work for evil beings for eleven years didn't exactly prepare one for interacting with other people. It was probably best not to pry into the man's mind with questions at the moment, so Daiki simply looked around the inn aimlessly as he awaited his food. Surely if they took rare seriously around here, he wouldn't have a problem for a few hours. He could control himself for that long, right? Then again, that was what he had thought not long ago when he had happened across a rabbit... well, as long as he didn't come across anyone bleeding to death again, he would probably be fine until he found a chance to slip away later that night.

"I've hindered you long enough. I'm sure that such a competent man as yourself has business to look to, and I've no desire to keep you from it. I have only one more question: In what direction does Lomedor lay? I have to get there."

The words pulled the boy from his thoughts of hunting, and immediately his mind switched gears from his secret life to the path that would lead him to the city. He hadn't visited the place for quite awhile himself; too many people. It would probably drive him mad if he hadn't eaten and then thrust himself into the large herd of people that walked those streets. Still, he was able to remember the way only because his company and himself had passed it on their way here.

"If you backtrack the way we came into the village, you should end up back on a dirt path. If you follow it for a bit, another path will branch off of it, and taking that path will sooner or later lead you to Lomedor. I could take you myself, as I don't have a business to look to as you say... unless of course my company is beginning to bore you, and if that's the case I could simply point you and your canine friend here in the right direction."

Somewhere in the middle of his speaking, Daiki had suddenly remembered the wolf that had followed them in from the grasslands. The vampire's gaze dropped to the floor, where he found the wolf sitting patently. A smile touched the boys face as the canines eyes light up and his tongue began lolling. Chuckling, he pat the animal on the head, and in a few moments his food arrived, notably rare. Hopefully nothing would come of it - humans ordered it that way all of the time, no? Otherwise it surely wouldn't be an option on how to be cooked. Taking up a knife, he cut of a part of the meat and placed in his gloved palm and lowered it so that the wolf could have at least a bit of food before taking off. When the animal had finished, Daiki removed his glove so as not to get slobber on his remaining food and began to eat in a civilized manner that became hard to control at the taste of the blood that still lay within the meat as he awaited Bane's response.

Bane uttered a quiet thank-you as the young waitress placed a glass of water in front of him. The white-haired young man had received his order as well, a large piece of steak. He went to it without much hesitation, and for a few moments, Bane concentrated on nothing but drinking the cold, clean water that had been provided for him. The water they had been provided in the underworld had always been stale, and had tasted...foul, tainted. This was pure, unpolluted liquid.

He nodded idly as he listened to his companion's instructions, committing his words to memory. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too far. He didn't know enough about survival in the wild to keep him alive if he got lost. Not to mention that from the looks of things, there was a considerable risk factor in traveling. Bane felt that he could hold his own against an opponent, but he would be a fool to allow himself to be put in danger when it could be avoided.

To the man's offer, he shook his head. "I'd rather go alone. I truly do appreciate the offer, but you've done too much for me. Besides, there are...things...that I have to do. I believe that I can find my way with the instructions you have provided."

Bane paused for a second. He was fully prepared to leave immediately, but he felt that it would be rude to just walk out. Shouldn't he say something? An uncomfortable silence settled down onto the table as the former prisoner pondered what to do. His social skills certainly had diminished in the past few years. He was at an utter loss of words. Finally, he spoke, realizing there was something he needed to know before he simply walked away.

"Do you mind giving me your name? You'll have to forgive me, I never thought to ask."

"When can one person really do too much for another? I would gladly guide you; but none the less, it's quite understood that you wish to go alone."

A smile spread over the boys face as he lay down his utensils as he finished his food. True, since it was an ideal meal for humans there wasn't much blood left in it as raw as it was but at least there was still some that lay inside the meat. A content feeling settled in the boy as he tilted his chair back onto two legs, looking around aimlessly and then back to Bane. Hopefully his eyes had lessened in redness, rather being taken over by a dark gray. Strange, perhaps, but at least not something to accuse him of being demon. The man seemed to want to say something for a moment, but also wanted to get as far from either the vampire or the establishment as possible. Cocking an eyebrow, he waited for what the man was waiting for. He had given him directions, he should probably have be able to leave without looking back.

"Do you mind giving me your name? You'll have to forgive me, I never thought to ask."

Chuckling, the vampire returned his seat to it's normal position to stand and get his wallet from his jacket pocket. A simple question, and he would be on his way, and Daiki would be able to search for a proper meal. Pulling out enough to cover the bill from the small leather pouch, he set it on the table for the waitress to pick up later.

"Think nothing of it, that's probably not something you would think to ask after escaping the underworld and nearly bleeding to death, a name that is. My name's Daiki Hikaru. Oh, I almost forgot, you'll probably need this once arriving in Lomedor. It's not much, but I hope it might help."

Wallet still in hand, he pulled out enough for what would be an average meal and room cost and held it out for the man to take. Indeed, it wasn't much... but more than none was always a good thing to have, right? With that, the vampire gave the man a smile before stuffing the wallet back into his jacket pocket. If the man before him turned down the money... well, no, that probably wouldn't happen. He would need it, and he most likely knew that.

"Good luck in Lomedor, I suppose."

Daiki Hikaru. Bane committed the name to memory. He would not forget his debt, though he would have to wait until his sister was safe before repaying it.

When he was offered the money, opened his mouth for a moment, almost refusing it by reflex. But he quickly stopped himself, and took it silently, bouncing the coins in his hand as he watched the the dim light reflect off of them. "Thank you," he murmured quietly, before pocketing the the coins. "Someday, I will find a way to repay you. Not just for the money, but for your kind actions today." The man meant it. His father had taught him the value of honor and making amends with those you owed.

"Then...I suppose I should say farewell," Bane said, standing up. Remus, the wolf, trotted over to his side and waited patiently at his new master's heels. Bane turned towards the door, but before leaving, uttered his parting words.

"I hope to meet you again, preferably in better circumstance. Maybe then, you can meet my sister." A slight spark appeared in his eyes. "And if you ever encounter a demon...seek me out. I'll drown it in it's own blood." These words were spoken with deadly honesty.

He nodded once to Daiki, then turned on his heel, and made his way to the door. After waiting a moment for Remus to catch up, he pushed it open and walked into the warm sunlight. Bane looked up in awe at the bright ball of fire in the sky, letting the warmth run over his body. It was so incredibly different from the hell he had lived in...this world was so alive, so vibrant.

Karie deserved to feel the sun, see the grass.

It is here that my quest begins. The black-haired man began to take his first strides away from the pub, his gait purposeful. No matter what it takes, no matter how many demons I have to kill, we will be reunited.

The first step was to find his parents.

((OOC: I'm out, but feel free to make a last post if you want.))

((OOC: -.- Stupid computer broke down and took a week to get it fixed... then it broke down again after I had it running for maybe an hour and couldn't be fixed at all. No idea what happened to it. Finally I persuaded a friend last night to give me an old lap top he never uses anymore; so sorry for such lateness.))

"That's quite unnecessary, the knowing that I've helped in any way is enough payment."

Responding to Bane's offer to repay him, Daiki gave the man a smile as he rose to his feet to take his leave, wolf quickly trotting to his side.

"Then...I suppose I should say farewell. I hope to meet you again, preferably in better circumstance. Maybe then, you can meet my sister. And if you ever encounter a demon...seek me out. I'll drown it in it's own blood."

Stomach lurching at the man's final words, Daiki could feel his eyes widen with horror and a lump form in his throat, closing out any words of farewell he had been about to utter. That in itself was enough to confirm the boy's thoughts on how Bane would react if he were to find him out for what he was. A vampire, a demon, a killer. Someone... no, something that deserved to be destroyed. He couldn't think of one reason for the man to kill him without a second thought after how he was treated - why shouldn't he?

Able to shake such thoughts from his mind for a few moments, just long enough to nod farewell to the man, he did just that before sinking into the seat that he had occupied moments before as Bane and his canine companion disappeared from sight. Elbows propped on the table and head in his hands, the vampire closed his eyes and blocked everything else out. The people around him, the waitress approaching the table to collect the money and her tip, everything slowly faded to nothing in the boys mind as he attempted to clear out his worry and horror at thoughts of Bane finding him out if they were ever to be acquainted again. No, he could not focus on that now. Rather, he should be heading out to the forest in search of food. Yes, something to distract him from that last sentence that still rung throughout his mind. Slowly pushing himself up from the table, he pulled a glove back over his hand and lifted his hood over his head once again to allow himself to emerge back into the sunlight and head off for a path leading to a forest he knew was abundant in prey.