((This is one of Yamakanya's somewhat "happy" moments, so I recommend you jump on the rare chance to find her in a good mood. ;) ))

Yamakanya was strolling through Dori'ba, the Land of the Dead, in an unusually good mood. She was almost skipping, seeming like a little girl in a field of flowers, but Yamakanya's field was one of bones. Her outfit was black leather pants, and a black halter top, with her usual necklace. Her black hair and pale skin fit right in among the rotting corspes. Yamakanya began to hum a morbid tune as the danced through the dead land, occasionally picking up a skeleton or skull, and imagining it to be the soul it once held, would amuse herself before tossing it aside.

You see the reason Yamakanya was in such a good mood was that this was the first time in 5000 years that she had been in the flesh. Now, she had a full 2000 years to enjoy her time in this shell. Then she would return to her incorporeal spirit, but she still was going to enjoy the time alotted to her.

A single silhouette raced past the shadows of Dori’ba, casting menacing glances towards oblivion. Death still seemed to hang in the air, despite the eons of time that had passed when the 4 Riders, Famine, War, Pestilence, and Death had made their devastating campaign in these lands. Yet, Vigilante was never here to reminisce about the ancient battles of a time long forgotten. He was here for another purpose.

The jet black robes billowed under his feet as his shadows appeared to be everywhere, teleporting from place to place, quickly advancing towards the disruption in the flow of darkness. Scanning the plains for any disturbance in the death, his mind suddenly sensed a quick fluctuation and spike in necromantic magic. Arching his brow in curiosity, the hooded figure almost seemed to glide through the eerie fog, almost oblivious to the dark surroundings around him.

As the mage took each step, the ground rumbled beneath him, miniscule cracks forming underneath him. These would serve their purpose later, thought the mage as he continued his trek across the land of the dead, his eyes never stopping, his mind always thinking, contemplating his next move. Life was a game of chess, something to be thoughtful of and to always prepare for the next move.

The faint outline of a girl suddenly reached his eyes, her body gracefully skipping through the myriad of bones littering the ground. In less than a second, his mind registered the fluctuations, his eyes recognizing the center, taking in her every detail. Cascading down her back was a stream of long, flowing hair, as dark as the land around her, her garments clinging to her body. The mage continued his path, careful to note the girl’s presence.

Yamakanya continued her dancing amid the bones, humming her ever-morbid tune, when suddenly, she sensed something. Someone powerful. Yamakanya stopped for only a split second before she continued her skipping through the bones. Stopping to pick up a skull, she began to speak to it loud enough for the newcomer to hear.

"Why hello there, Mister Lanyin. It is so lovely to see you today. What's that? We have a visitor? Simply marvelous. Well, I fear we must part, good sir."

Then, without even taking a second to prepare, she, with strength seemingly impossible for her size, smashed the skull to pieces in her fist.

"Oh dear. What a pity. Even in death he couldn't survive."

Yamakanya then turned to the newcomer, and said,

"Why don't you come closer, good sir? My friends are simply dying to meet you."

The mage suddenly stopped, his robes whispering in the breeze, a cold wind rushing through Dori'ba, sending chills throughout the land of the dead. The mage watched curiously, as he twisted around in the shadows, his robes slowly disappearing into the darkness, only his red orbs piercing the darkness of Dori'ba. What could this little girl be doing, he asked himself silently. The fluctuations in the energy continually dived and spiked around her.

"Why hello there, Mister Lanyin. It is so lovely to see you today. What's that? We have a visitor? Simply marvelous. Well, I fear we must part, good sir," the young girl whispered, her eyes having a malicious glint in them, before ruthlessly crushing the skull. The mage's eyes widened as the rotting bone marrow swirled in the air, yet the odor was surprisingly very faint. Maybe it was the layer of fog that prevented it from passing through the senses of Vigilante. Either way, he was still shocked at the little girl's surprising strength. Arda was always full of surprises. Far more from the Underdark, thought the mage. A life with drows had prepared him for life, but not the surprises.

"Oh dear. What a pity. Even in death he couldn't survive," the girl laughed maliciously before directing her eyes towards the mage. It seemed that this girl was much more interesting then he thought. Brooding over his chances the mage let out a small sneer. How could he even think about beign defeated by a girl, skull crushing or no skull crushing?

"Why don't you come closer, good sir? My friends are simply dying to meet you," the girl continued obviously confident of herself. Another arrogant balloon to be popped. How many of these kinds had he witnessed through the years, wheter it was in the Underdark, Laskar, or even in Arda?

A smirk landed on his lips, as he gradually passed through the veil of fog, his sinister figure revealing itself, his face covered with the darkness of his hood, the robe billowing underneath him as if he was gliding through the air and not walking. A sense of royalty surrounded the air giving him an idyllic appearance, his shoulders broad and strong. A chaotic aura came off of him, as a red glow surrounded him.

"Nice to meet you, girl. It seems you've made friends here in Dori'ba also. I'd like your friends to meet mine," replied the mage, his voice articulate carrying a accent of sophistication. Immediately behind him, the cracks were put to good use as the undead trapped beneath the firm earth beneath them slowly made their way out of the ground, led by a chaotic lupine, carrying a deadly mace encrusted with blood. Flames spewed out of his mouth, a sneer on its face.

Yamakanya smiled maliciously, yet somehow innocently. Looking at the power the man weilded made her miss her own, but she would have it again soon enough. however, she did not wish to fight. She turned around, and picked up the severed hand of a skeleton. Holding it up to the stranger, she said,

"Well, this one seems a bit blunt, if I may say so. However, you jump to conclusions. I did not challenge you. Is this what passes for evil these days? True evil is patient, and waits for it's chance. Like this hand of bone, you and I are merely the instruments of the ways of Eternity. some are more powerful than others, but all serve their purpose. Even Gammon Ocelot, the disparaged. Now, if you would be so kind as to call off your friends, because it is rather ruining my lovely midnight."

Yamakanya's eyes glittered with the wisdom of the ages, as she had witnessed much. Her reference to Gammon was most alarming. She knew that all that this spirit that threatened her could do was hasten the cycle, in which she would inevitably return to the flesh. She hoped that perhaps a fellow weilder of death mightappreciate the beauty of the dead night, rather than try to destroy it.

A quick but strangely innocent smile followed the mage's approach, causing him to step back. Slowly lowering his defenses, the mage let his hands fall to his side, slowly relaxing the tense muscles in his body, however not allowing them to become too loose. A childhood with the drows of the Underdark had ensured that he would never let his body relax too much.

Inhaling the stagnant air of Dori'ba, memories of his past raced back. His master tirelessly training him, sparring with the younger drows of the Underdark, meeting the spider queen, his initiation as a Priest of the Underdark, it all came rushing back to him. Reopening his eyes, the once glowing orbs of chaos slowly eased themselves into a cloudly brown pupils, eyeing the girl carefully.

"Well, this one seems a bit blunt, if I may say so. However, you jump to conclusions. I did not challenge you. Is this what passes for evil these days? True evil is patient, and waits for it's chance. Like this hand of bone, you and I are merely the instruments of the ways of Eternity. some are more powerful than others, but all serve their purpose. Even Gammon Ocelot, the disparaged. Now, if you would be so kind as to call off your friends, because it is rather ruining my lovely midnight," the girl whispered, her voice carried through the air as the mage nodded silently at her philosophies. However, this girl had yet to understand Vigilante, his past, his history, his trail.

A faint smile reached his lips, pushing them into an upwards arc, before the words of Gammon Ocelot reached his ears. Instantly, the brood darkened over him. Gammon Ocelot. He had heard of him when he had first reached Arda. He had read of his destruction. The fool didn't even know what the meaning of darkness and chaos was. How did Lothlomendil ever create such a being?

Looking up, the mage revealed his face, showing a handsome and erudite face, his features slightly rougher than usual, his face cleanly shaven with smooth, but short black hair on his head. "Well, you do know quite a bit about the world and its workings, don't you?" questioned the mage as he waved off the small army, the bones collasping on the floor, as he lupine minion joined his side. "Unfortunately, I never was evil. Chaos is my true path, as is the teachings of my drow counterparts in the Underdark," replied the mage bowing his head ever so slightly. Enough to show respect, but not enough to show that he was below this girl.

Yamakanya smiled as the stranger revealed his face. He was rather handsome, but then, death would come to it one day. Yamakanya thought back to the Drow, when she remembered what they were.

"The Drow. Let's see... Oh yes, I remember, the Dark ones, right? I can't remember much of them, they rarely paid attention to me as I recall. Well, Chaotic or Evil, why not take in this night, and celebrate the deaths of the world? Let's revel in the passing on of others, and drink in their memory."

Then, turning to look at the bones about her, she began to sing, but it was not of her own voice, but it seemed to be but an echo, a mirroring of the voices of people long ago.

"Cold be the resting monument stone
Cold as the underlying piece of Bone
It's passing journey has been honed.
We worship the Death Maiden, and her alone."

"The Drow. Let's see... Oh yes, I remember, the Dark ones, right? I can't remember much of them, they rarely paid attention to me as I recall. Well, Chaotic or Evil, why not take in this night, and celebrate the deaths of the world? Let's revel in the passing on of others, and drink in their memory," the girl said, a smile resting on her lips, unreadable and mystic. It was as if she was filled with millenia of knowledge. This girl was interesting, he would need to get into her head and truly unlock what she was, mused the mage.

The mage was truly confused at the girl when she suddenly began an song, slowly putting the mage into a trance. Looking to his right, the wolf was slowly drooping its lids, its deadly mace sagging to the floor as the mage growled, giving it a curt nudge, instantly awakening it. The echoes of the girl's voice resonated across the land, the mage catching pieces of it.

"Cold be the resting monument stone
Cold as the underlying piece of Bone
It's passing journey has been honed.
We worship the Death Maiden, and her alone." came the stranger's voice, strangely familiar. The Death Maiden? A guardian he had never heard of? A goddess of another land? What did she mean that the Underdark never worshipped her? Questioned filled Vigilante's head, his mind swirling before mentally shaking them out. A final question suddenly burst from his lips, the subconcious taking over, his drow instinct into override as his human instinct took over. He might have been the reincarnation of a drow, but he still was human.

"Who are you?" inquired the mage quizzically. It was said that curiosity killed the cat. Fortunately, many forgot the rest of the old adage which said that satisfaction brought it back. Satisfaction would be his and he would rise from the grave, just as his servants of the undead did.

Yamakanya smiled mysteriously, and turned her back to the stranger. She stood still and silent for a moment, as if there were something about to be released. It had been a long time since a mortal had known of her identity. But then, it was about time her reputation spread. However, instead of answering the stranger directly, she began an ancient song, older than perhaps even Arda.

Sun has set after the first dawn
The War's not over, though battle's won
We offer blood to bring back Sun
Despite the gift, our day is done

So we pray, we pray for Death
To leave us be, nor take our Breath
Yet She wanted naught but our Last Rest
And so she put it to the test.

Death versus life, man versus God
The heroes that died will forever have laud
But alas, no mortal, can claim her as spoil
All of our hopes and dreams were then foiled.

Now way are lost, destroyed and forgotten,
Yet despite that She will forever remain,
Our bones down lies in the ditches, and rotten
Against the Death Maiden, naught could we gain.

Turning back to the stranger, she said,

"It is a song that an ancient and obliviated race once sang of me in their hatred for me. I am the Death Maiden, the ancient spirit that binds the principle, and yet is bound by it. I am Yamakanya, as I was called long ago. Does that satisfy your curiousity?"

Umbra walked silently, a lupine following her in the trees while a small cerberus puppy followed on the ground. They walked quietly towards a house that was in great disrepair. The house had shown signs of not just weather and age but instead of fires that was the greatest cause of its appearance today. The moon seemed so bright and she smiled as she walked past the house into the forest. She walked to a lone grave, a stone as its only marker. On it was the words, "Here lies Arella. My mother" carved into the stone by a dagger. Umbra looked down at the grave and gave a sigh. She bent down and placed a red rose on the grave and gave a small bow. "Hey Arella. Its me Umbra. Sorry I have not been here a while. I have been wandering around Arda. I made some great friends. I think about you as much as I can. I hope come back and visit with my friends. I think you would like to meet Malisaro. Shadow would love to meet you, he is a half-pheonix. And Blade, you know him as Adrion, he has been pretty busy but I think I might be able to get him to come. I don't know about Tithdaeron or the others in the Chaos Guild. They are a little crazier than I am." she smiled. She got up and looked at Migan and smiled her newly aquired fangs glinted. He nodded and turned his head. She turned as well. She had heard something.

They walked for a few minuets and found a woman talking to a familiar face. Sun has set after the first dawn
The War's not over, though battle's won
We offer blood to bring back Sun
Despite the gift, our day is done

So we pray, we pray for Death
To leave us be, nor take our Breath
Yet She wanted naught but our Last Rest
And so she put it to the test.

Death versus life, man versus God
The heroes that died will forever have laud
But alas, no mortal, can claim her as spoil
All of our hopes and dreams were then foiled.

Now way are lost, destroyed and forgotten,
Yet despite that She will forever remain,
Our bones down lies in the ditches, and rotten
Against the Death Maiden, naught could we gain. she was singing. Umbra paused for a moment leaning against the tree listening quietly. She smiled as she finished and rubbed her mouth, she was not used to these fangs yet. "It is a song that an ancient and obliviated race once sang of me in their hatred for me. I am the Death Maiden, the ancient spirit that binds the principle, and yet is bound by it. I am Yamakanya, as I was called long ago. Does that satisfy your curiousity?" the woman said. Umbra pushed up from the decayed tree and gave a sort of cough to let them know she was there. "Vigilante. It is good to see you again. I guess I am not the only one visiting someone who has passed?" she asked. The Cerberus gave a small yelp and the lupine looked at it. The Cerberus had a small bone in each mouth. Migan just looked away, Umbra wondered where they got it from.

As Cyrus flew through the cloudless night sky, the moon glistening across his bright wings of six, he could feel the slight breezes, gently caressing his backside. The air was a comforting thing for Cyrus, and in fast intervals, it was almost calming, soothing even. It was good he was able to put his mind at peace for the moment as well, as the confrontation with the centaur in the pub earlier, was still fresh in his lost memory banks. He turned his head upward towards the sky, as he soared higher, and began to count the stars that encircled him. But still, he could not shake the thought of the path that lie ahead of him. The one he was told about.

A journey to speak with a god, would be a perilous trip indeed, and he had already been previously warned by the centaur of the danger that he would be confronted by. But he had to do this, he had no choice in the matter. He couldn’t even remember his name for pity’s sake, much less anything else about himself, or where he came from, or anything. Just the wounds, the sore aches and pains he felt as he slowly arose from his unwanted slumber. And even more terrifying were that the wounds across his body, were from blades, arrows, and even magical attacks. This needed investigation, and if the only way to find the answers were to go to a god, than so be it.

As the night air bristled against his face, it turned ghastly cold, freezing almost. Cyrus started losing altitude, purposefully to get out of the wind, until he slowly landed, placing his uncovered feet against the cold, wet ground. As Cyrus looked around, inspecting his surrounding, he noticed something. The entire area was covered in a thick fog, almost enveloping him into its waists. And waists it was, as Cyrus soon came to the realization that he had landed in a graveyard. Skeletons, bones, half rotted corpses and the like strewed the area, along with unmarked graves, and largely corroded mausoleums. Stranger still was the fact that Cyrus was hearing something…voices in the distance.

Mitsu floated gently above the dead skeletons. The soft sky blue light it gave off seemed to contrast with the dismall and bleak settings that it was in. Mitsu floated quietly above the dead, wondering who they were and what lives they had lived. Not one to be known for bleekness Mitsu always tried to enjoy life. Being a small creature helped it notice more things. Like how much whiter the dasies were in the summer than the spring. And how grass is greener no matter where you are. And in this area, how much at peace some of the dead seemed, while others looked violent and angry that they had died.

The small sprite continued on its way, the pale moonlight was the only other light that seemed to contrast this place known as Dori'ba. Mitsu slowly watched around it. This place, she had once heard, was known for its walking dead. Zombies who fought anyone who tried to enter their territory. It softly hummed a song to help it relax and not to worry about the zombies and undead who frequently travled the areas.

Mitsu saw a shadow move from above it. It whirled and saw an angel of sorts fly over it and land nearby. Mitsu also noticed that it had not seemed to realize there were others near. It heard voices comming from nearby. The small sprite flew up to the angelic being. "Hello sir. What brings you here on such a night? Aren't you worried about the undead?" it asked him. When it talked about the undead it was more of its way of saying, "I am afraid of this place aren't you?" It waited for the mans reply as it looked around for anything that moved.

As Cyrus grew closer to the voices he heard in the distance, he was approached by a small creature. Some type of sprite who was, for some unknown reason, wandering the cemetery. Why such a small and feeble creature would dare trod where death itself is the enemy in a grim and gruesome place of decay was beyond Cyrus. But like everything else in Arda, you couldn’t take things at face value. Perhaps this helpless little creature, was one to be feared itself, rather than pitied.

Cyrus approached the creature, his guard remaining up as there were still undead roaming the area, their footsteps could be heard crunching against the bones that littered the area. He spoke in a low voice, as not to alert any of the locals of their greatly unwanted presence.

“The undead are not to be feared, but there are other creatures here, can’t you hear them whispering? Tell me though, why are you here little one? Do you seek answers, as I do, or are you just lost?” Cyrus’s great explanation for anything out of place in Arda. If they’re not here for a reason, they’re lost.

The mage's mind went into a slight trance, as the voices of those long past whispered through his ears, warning him of his fate with the Death Maiden, the pain that he would suffer. His eyes slowly glinted in the darkness, his mouth forming a crease. Oh yes, he would definitely get along with this girl, thought the mage.

"It is a song that an ancient and obliviated race once sang of me in their hatred for me. I am the Death Maiden, the ancient spirit that binds the principle, and yet is bound by it. I am Yamakanya, as I was called long ago. Does that satisfy your curiousity?" the girl finished, her eyes swirling with mysticism. Exhaling, the mage looked at her, his eyes hardened and a smile fitted upon his face as he chuckled.

"Yes, that actually satisfied my thoughts, Yamakanya, the death maiden. I'm sure that we'll get along quite well," replied the mage in a surprisingly friendly, yet dark manner. Suddenly, the pair was interrupted when he saw a flash of purple, the signature color of...Umbra? What in the world was she doing here in the land of the dead?

A small cough satisfied his question as Umbra stepped out of the gloom, a new cerberus following her out of the area. Well, looks like she had a new companion to add to her lupine. ""Vigilante. It is good to see you again. I guess I am not the only one visiting someone who has passed?" inquired Umbra as the mage gave a small bow to the Child of Chaos. Although he was the master's apprentice, the mage could never truly put himself above the others of the guild.

"Umbra, what a pleasure and surprise to see you here also. As for your question, I was actually talking with a new friend of mine, Yamakanya," the mage replied as he introduced the death maiden to the child of chaos, "Yamakanya, meet Umbra. Umbra, meet Yamakanya."

Suddenly, sounds of wingbeats went into the air, as the mage's mace-wielding minion roared in anger, a Seraph soaring through the air. A curt glance towards the lupine suddenly calmed it down as the mage looked towards the stars, his eyes following a figure slowly across the darkness, narrowing them into slits as he looked in disgust. Angels, he would never understand them.

Unfortunately, they immediately disappeared as the mage looked back at the group.

“The undead are not to be feared, but there are other creatures here, can’t you hear them whispering? Tell me though, why are you here little one? Do you seek answers, as I do, or are you just lost?” said the angelic being as it walked up to the small lumnia. It gave a small smile. "I do not know about that. A lot of undead people and zombies are always trying to start trouble" the small sprite said looking around. It heard sounds of twigs snap as the undead walked around. Suddenly a sharp bark could be heared. The lumnia got a little brighter then dimmer signaling its startle and fear. "Yes there are others here and they sound scary." it said after the barking stopped.

The sprite looked around, listening to the sounds of the voices and the undead. It really was not sure how it got here in the first place. The lumnia liked it when it was bright and you could see things easily, but here at night, when undead roamed the land...Well that was a different story. It turned at every sound. Suddenly there was such a big crack that it hid behind the man untill it saw that it was just a dead tree that had fallen. This place is soooo scary how can anyone stand to be here??? it thought. It moved from behind the man a little embarassed at its fear.

"Well... it is a little embarrasing but yes I am lost. I got lost when the moon went behind the clouds and well, I ended up here. I just got so scared at all the shadows that I well...wound up even more lost." it said rubbing the back of its head embarrased.

Raising his right eyebrow, Cyrus watched in a somewhat confused manor, as the small creature below him suddenly started to change colors, or at least in brightness. In a flash, the creature had begun to let out an extremely bright, radiant light, that then turned to a dim and almost invisible one. As Cyrus watched the curious spectacle, he couldn’t help but assume that the creature was afraid of the graveyard that they were situated in. Cyrus put his right foot forward, and looked up to see what the commotion was in front of him, after there was a loud crash that echoed throughout the fog and mist around them.

To his own surprise, it was just a decrepit tree, largely laden with rotting bark, and ancient moss that had long since formed over the enormous tree. Cyrus returned his attention to the lumnia at his feet, but came to the realization that it had disappeared. Cyrus tilted his head, and looked behind him, which in turn, confirmed two things; The lumnia had ran behind him, and it was indeed, afraid of their surroundings. Cyrus couldn’t help but crack a smile at the frightened creature, and had to shed a tad of pity on it.

After listening to the lumnia explain its somewhat helpless predicament, Cyrus began to kneel down, lowering himself slowly, until both of his knees were lying on the ground. After he had made himself as close the lumnia as possible, he began to speak in a serene and gentle tone of voice. A voice that, Cyrus hoped. Would sound trusting. “Dear creature, if you accompany me, I can ensure that no harm befall you. I will even escort you to your former home.”

Umbra gave a low bow at Yamakanya. "It is an honor to meet you Yamakanya." she said. She looked at Vigilante and then to the girl she was introduced to. "I guess you are wondering why I came huh?" she said rubbing the back of her neck. She pointed to the direction she came from. "I came to visit my mother. Its been a while since I have and I am not really doing anything now so I came to see her." she said.

She looked off into the distance of where the lupine was barking. Her Cerberus was also looking in that direction the middle head dropped its bone and began to growl. "Tahmores." she said and the cerberus immediatly looked at her and stopped. "Who is there? We know you there so come out." she called to the beings who were hiding. She placed her hand on her dagger. If needed she could attack easily. And Vigilante could probably get them too. She was not sure what Yamakanya could do at the moment but had not doubt she could do whatever she could do easily.

The sprite looked at the man as he got down to its level. Dear creature, if you accompany me, I can ensure that no harm befall you. I will even escort you to your former home.” he said in a gentle voice that made the small sprite feel much more calm. The sprite looked away, "Thank you but to be honest I do not really have a home, instead I live where I stay for the night. But if it is alright with you, I would like the company." it said. It turned as it heard a growl.

"What is that?" it wondered, but soon the growling stopped. It heard more voices and soemthing else. The moon above shined brightly down on them. The clouds which caused the sprite to get lost were long gone. "Who is there? We know you there so come out." it heared loudly.

It turned to the sound of the voice and it thought it could see a few figures in the distance. Its glow soffened to when it was calm but it still had a slight fear in it even though the angel had promised he would help protect it. It glanced at the man, "I think we better do as it said. Who knows what they could do if we do not." it said with a shaky voice.

As Cyrus perked his ears up, to hear the sad tale the Lumnia began to speak of, Cyrus felt even more pity for the small and feeble creature. His thoughts began to run wild throughout the hollow corridors of his mind. One thought in particular kept emerging from within, and it was of the creature, the sprite, and how it could’ve possibly survived in the wilds on it’s own. It was small, so insignificant to the world around It. It’s existence, probably not even known, save for the few individuals who conversed with it.

But then Cyrus thought on what he was applying to the creature, and realized that the same applications, were quite possible, and indeed true for himself. While not true in size, he was just as insignificant to the rest of the world as was the lumnia. His very existence was unknown, except for the handful of people he had introduced himself to. Cyrus broke a smile across his face when he saw clearly, how similar he was to the creature that stood before him.

But as he was humbled by his own convictions, a loud voice echoed around them, and the words of the voice were not carrying a particularly happy tone. The Lumnia at the knees of Cyrus spoke to him, after the loud and threatening voice had passed. With fear jingling in it’s tone, and very figure even, it suggested they do as told, as there was no telling who or what anchored the mysteriously threatening command. Putting one knee up, and his hand on his now risen knee, Cyrus ascended upwards until he was fully standing.

Cyrus had had an epiphany, which stemmed from his own simple indulgence of thought. Just a few moments ago, he had applied the same thing, to two very different creatures, and in all reality, they were quite true. So could he not simply apply another application, in a similar situation, to two very different things once more? After all, there was no guarantee that what lie behind the voice was a powerful warrior, or perhaps a weak and broken child. In all truth, behind the voice was probably just another being, just as confused as Cyrus was.

Indeed, the opposing party had no guarantee that what they called to in the dark, was not a ferocious creature of pure malice and chaos, or perhaps a legion of undead, ready to slaughter all those in the vicinity. Cyrus though, would use their lack of information, the same information he lacked, to his advantage. So rather than answer back in a humble tone, and reveal himself to the opposition, he hollered back in a loud thunderous tone. His voice deep and resonating with the power of a thousand tones even, that nearly trembled the very earth under their feet.

“We know you’re there as well, and demand you show yourself to us!!!”

Umbra turned to where the voice came from. “We know you’re there as well, and demand you show yourself to us!!!” she looked down with here eyes closed. we...So there are more than one. So we need to expect at least two. But I'll be on the safe side and guard for ten. she thought. She looked at her companions and then at Vigilante and Yamakanya. "Migan. Go see how many there are." she said. The lupine nodded and went to scout. He lept on a tree and found a lumnia and an angel-creature and went back.

While she was waiting Umbra sat down by her cerberus. "How much you wanna bet its the angel you saw earlier Vigilante?" she asked turning to him. Soon the Lupine landed. "An angelic being and a small ball of light." he told them. Umbra nodded. "Two. Well I guess it would not hurt to say hello." she said with her usual smirk. She got up and walked in the direction of the voice. She held her left hand on her dagger in case she needed to use it. She came upon the two beings.

Shortly behind her the lupine and the cerberus came as well. The lupine stood ready to fight. Umbra shook her head, dismissing them as a threat for the moment. "As you wish" he said standing by a tree waiting to see if the others came as well. "If you don't mind my asking...What brings an angel and a ball of light to the land of the Dead? Don't you know there are many threats out here...Well excluding myself and my companions of course." she said.

OOC:
lol, that was rather quick.

IC:
Cyrus smiled as he saw the figure approaching through the cloud of fog and mist that littered the area. His little plan worked, and had drawn the enemy, or whatever it was, towards himself and the lumnia. At least this way, if the need to fight arose, he would be familiar with the area they were situated in. As always, there was a method to his angelic madness. As the figure drew nearer, he prepared himself for battle, his mind focused on protecting the small being at his feet, his muscles tensing , and his wings somewhat raised from his backside.

The figure as it seemed, was but a small girl, barely an adult, accompanied by a three headed dog, and a lupine. Her fingers gently stroking a small dagger perched against her waist. Cyrus stepped forward upon hearing the girl speak, her voice hiding a tone of sarcasm. When he had come a few feet closer to the girl in question, he answered her with a normal, mellow tone of his own accord.

“Death calls all manor of creatures to it’s humble abode. Perhaps it was our time to answer it, and perhaps it wasn’t. But then of course, your question begs another. Why might a young woman like yourself, be in this dreary place?”

((ack I'm confused on everything that's happening here so I'll just post what I think is happening from Umbra's point of view))

Rustles of voices from a close distance suddenly caused Vhid, his own lupine to growl as a celestial voice emerged from the shadows, causing Vigilante to instantly be on his guard. He had....bad experiences with quite a few angelic beings so he was probably better off not getting pleasant with their kind. A chaotic aura immediately began swirling about him, its tendrils writhing in the the air around him. The situation wouldn't escalate too high, too fast, but it was better to be prepared.

"How much you wanna bet its the angel you saw earlier Vigilante?" questioned Umbra, the mage smiling in return as Migan, Umbra's own lupine returned with news.

"Oh great, an angel was bad enough but a ball of light? What else can you find in Arda," muttered the mage to himself as an angel walked out, powerful strides and six wings the signature signs of a seraph. A guardian angel? Well, luckily the mage could destroy this new threat in an instant. Curse his self-control instincts.

“Death calls all manor of creatures to it’s humble abode. Perhaps it was our time to answer it, and perhaps it wasn’t. But then of course, your question begs another. Why might a young woman like yourself, be in this dreary place?” inquired the angel, its benign voice irking the mage. His life had no place for these creatures of light unless they were on a pike or on a platter.

"She's with me," growled the mage, his huge lupine jumping in, fangs bared with a low threatening roar echoing across the lands, the mage instantly teleporting behind Umbra.

Mitsu watched carefully as the woman came out of the trees. It cocked its head sideways as it looked at the dog with three heads. "If you don't mind my asking...What brings an angel and a ball of light to the land of the Dead? Don't you know there are many threats out here...Well excluding myself and my companions of course." she said darkly. The small sprite looked at her, "Truth be told I am no ball of light...I am a lumnia. A sprite who controls light" it said with a fake bravado trying to sound big.

“Death calls all manor of creatures to it’s humble abode. Perhaps it was our time to answer it, and perhaps it wasn’t. But then of course, your question begs another. Why might a young woman like yourself, be in this dreary place?” the seraph asked her.

The lumnia watched as the girl dismissed them as a threat to her lupine who watched to see if they did anything. The lumnia floated up and looked at them, "Carefull there might be more of them" said the small creature. It soon proved correct as a man clad in black suddenly appeared behind the woman. "She's with me," he said seemingly irked at them, another lupine jumped from the shadows as well. This seemed depressing to the small sprite. First it was just the girl her lupine and dog and now it was a mage the woman, her dog, and two lupines. They were seriously outnumbered.

Yamakanya smiled as she watched the situation escalate into what may soon become a fight to the death. Ah, how predicatable of mortals. They run and run, with no where to go. Yamakanya turned from the others and began to wander off, keeping withing about 15 or 20 feet. She was still listening to what was going on, but she wanted to revel in the Land of the Dead. If they wanted to join it, that was their business. Well, actually, it was hers, being death incarnate and all. but they didn't need to know that, at leasst if they couldn't figure it out themselves.

She picked up a skeleton, and began to waltz with it, singing somewhat loudly.

Oh, we dance along the river,
Black as the ebony,
It flows along forever,
And fills the eternity.

Its touch will corrode,
And let not a soul go free.
The River Styx is full of tricks
But it will carry me!

She seemed to be ignoring the others, but this could not be farther from the truth. She was merely enjoying the chaos that was about to descend.

Umbra smiled at what the man said, “Death calls all manor of creatures to it’s humble abode. Perhaps it was our time to answer it, and perhaps it wasn’t. But then of course, your question begs another. Why might a young woman like yourself, be in this dreary place?” the seraph said. She gave a slight smile and glanced in the direction of the grave but before she could say anything Vigilante spoke up. "She's with me" he said. She gave him a smile.

"I am here...To visit my mother, Arella." she said with a seeming effort. She glanced in the direction of the girl as she danced and sang. She smiled, A true maiden of death. she thought as she looked down at the sprite and then at the others. "Great night to visit family, too bad I can't do it more often." she said.

Cyrus calmed his nerves down upon hearing his somewhat now personal question answered. His wings returned to his backside, and soon he dropped his fearful, battle ready stance. He had indeed found out that his enemy, his adversary, was here in this graveyard only to wish peace upon the dead, her own mother even. A little embarrassed, Cyrus nodded his head forward slightly, and turned to look at he other figure that approached, claiming that this young maiden, was with him.

He was obviously some type of spell caster, a mage perhaps, as only they would be caught dead wearing the outfit upon which this figure strode in with. Black as the void, and his hostile creature, a second lupine, seemed to suggest the same thing, and Cyrus’s assumption was further confirmed, when the mage seemingly teleported behind the young woman.

Cyrus raised an eyebrow when he saw this happen, as it was an almost complete contradiction to what he was trying to be; scary. He stepped in, talks with more than a hint of hostility, and then steps behind the girl. Apparently, he was not going to fight himself if need be. He would rather let his creature do the dirty work, or rather, the girl he seemed to cower behind. Cyrus dropped his eyebrow, and let out a small smile across his face, a smirk almost. First, he spoke in a somber tone, then when he directed his question towards the mage, it turned almost…humorous.

“Forgive me for disturbing you then, and I wish your mother peace in the afterlife.” Cyrus then turned his gaze once more upon the mage, and spoke. “And who might you be, mage?”

Vigilante's wolf quickly led a glance to his master as if waiting for the oppurtunity to attack and rip the angel's head off, with a nice sprite for dessert. He had never had these oppurtunities and the dummies were becoming quite irksome. All straw and no taste never made a happy lupine, thought Vhid, the wolf.

Completely ignoring the annoying ball of light that was called a sprite by some, Vigilante's ears once again picked up the music of the death maiden, as he attempted to retrieve information from his vast mind, slight bouts of wind whipping through Dori'ba, as the mage almost instinctly began a minor whirlwind spell. It was too often that he would accidentally cast a spell whenver thinking too hard. The distractions of the mind could be quite powerful, as the winds picked up rotting bone marrow and threw it into the air, casting it into the celestial being's direction.

Ignoring the worrisome thoughts in his head, the mage soon decided that he would someday have to research the death maiden if he ever got back to the Library Chaotic. The tomes of knowledge contained within the Templar's confines held infinte knowledge just waiting to be unlocked.

Returning the smile of his counterpart, Umbra, Vigilante looked back off sending a glance to his lupine to lay off on the aggression. If Umbra and her familiars could feel safe around these beings than Vigilante might be able to, although he was never going to feel safe. It was part of his drow-raised instinct.

"I am here...To visit my mother, Arella." Umbra stated, although Vigilante felt surprised. He had never heard of Umbra's family, infact he had actually never found out much about Umbra herself. Something that should change if Vigilante was ever going to maintain the title of Master's Apprenctice in the guild. Taking a mental note to explore more about all the guild member's history, Vigilante's attention once again returned to the angel. Maybe he was just being stereotypical again? That was just one angel who had provoked Vigilante to attack, maybe this seraph would be different? All seraph's were indeed guardians weren't they?

“And who might you be, mage?” continued the seraph as it eyed the mage carefully. What was he thinking, Vigilante thought, all angels are the same no matter what class they belong to.

"L' arlathil d' ussta kaas depends pholor l' measures dos ph' daewlin ulu plynn, Mirshann," Vigilante hissed in the drowish tongue as he teleported directly behind the angel, his eyes glowing red. It had been quite the while since he had ever uttered drow, but it returned to his mind immediately, the language, the culture. He might of been a possessed-human, but that spirit inside of him was still the drow that it was so many centuries ago.

((Sorry for the lateness))

Cyrus had to smile at the sheer…cockiness of the creature that he had just engaged in conversation with. Without even so much as a decent reply to Cyrus’s quite simple question, the mage began to toy with the rather amused seraph. First uttering some kind of incoherent hiss, and then using his pithy magic to teleport behind him. Indeed, spell casters of this type, the ones who like to fool around with total strangers, only made themselves look more ridiculous than first thought to be.

Now, Cyrus had no quarrel with magicians, spell casters, or anyone else in that mystical field, as he too had grazed the surface of the art with his own minor heal spell. Although by accident of course, he knew first hand how important, and quite useful magic could be, in any given situation, and any given time. But to use it to give the impression of fear, or perhaps power, was somewhat uncalled for, and a bit distasteful to him. Still, Cyrus had to chuckle at the audacity of the mage, for whatever he was trying to prove, was in all fairness, quite silly.

Cyrus lowered his head, and closed his eyes for a moment, to think of a better way to approach this mage. Obviously, he had some pent up hostility toward celestial beings, or maybe he was just naturally grumpy and annoyed? Either way, Cyrus wished not to do battle with the fool-hearty mage, as the outcome could bode ill results for the both of them. While Cyrus knew his magic didn’t surpass that of a trained magician, he would hate to tarnish his so far perfect record of nonviolence, or the mages face for that matter. And above all else, he was a Keeper, and that title carried far more than just a pocket full of gold.

Cyrus mused at his new position, but soon returned to the present dilemma at hand, at which required, or should’ve anyways, his full and utmost attention; one extremely bent mage. Cyrus thought of turning around to confront the mage, and say something to further show his willingness to agree that violence was not needed. But as he already learned, this mage wasn’t really up for conversation. Cyrus sighed a bit, and then thought of a new strategy.

He noticed that the more attention he gave the mage, the more the mage seemed to want to struggle. So, if he just completely ignored him, perhaps the mage would do the same…or at least simmer down for the time being. So Cyrus looked up towards the female before him and walked closer to her, so he would not have to raise his voice any louder than it needed to be to speak with her. “If I may, would you care to take me to your mother’s grave? I would like to pay my respects as well, if that would be alright with you.”