February 06, 1410

Ray woke up from the sound coming from downstairs. He got out of bed, and made his way downstairs, he called out for Vincent as he was going down the stairs. “Hey, Vincent, are you there?”

“I’m in the kitchen, fresh-blood!” Vincent called out.

{Is he really going to be calling me that?} Ray went into the kitchen; He saw Vincent busy cooking food. “I thought wealthy people had servants that would do normal things for them?” Ray asked.

“Well, usually yeah, but it’ll be harder for me to hide anything I am doing. Can’t be doing everything I do, if I have people constantly watching me. Can’t really trust humans with that kind of thing.” Vincent said.

“Must be hard doing everything by yourself.”

“I have help… Well, I used to have help, but not anymore, but I will be fine, go wait at the table, the food is almost done, once we are done eating, I will tell you the basics, and then we will head to the village, so everyone can meet you.”

Ray nodded his head and headed towards the table, after bringing over breakfast and eating, Ray helped him clean up. Afterwards they headed to the living room. Ray sat in one of the couches, Vincent sat on the opposite side.

“Well, I can’t tell you everything obviously, so I only filled you in with what the church knows about us. Tell me, do you know anything about our organization?” Vincent said.

“Not really.”

“Well, we are called the ‘council.’ We didn't choose that name, the one who spoke too much did, shame he died, the elders would have loved a word with him. Well, that is unfortunately our name, as I was saying the church knows that three people, or the three elders, are running the ‘council,’ and under them is the captain of the hybrids, the general of the knights is actually on the search for him, and under the captain, are the leads.” Vincent explained.

“So the elders, the captain, and the leads, does the church know how many leads there are?”

“No, but we are enough for the plan, I still wondering what the elders are waiting for, we should be enough, but nevermind that, I was told the mission will start soon, so you have to make sure you have enough strength to be able to do something, other than just die to to the commanders.” Vincent warned.

“My master told me the main thing the council will do is take down the church, does that mean we are destroying the holy cities?” Ray asked.

“Yes, all three pillars, but I don’t think the church knows that, despite it being obvious, from the reports we've gotten they are still unsure about us. Regardless, that is one of our main missions.” Vincent revealed.

“Three pillars… Does that mean each of the elders are going to take on each of the pillars?” Ray asked.

Vincent gave a little smile. “You catch on quick, yes each of the elders are planning to destroy their pillar, first Adruil, then Aetrom, then finally Aevum.” Vincent added.

“So each elder in one holy city, what about the leads, and the captain.”

“They’ll participate too, but in their own time, with their elders, I already have my target.” Vincent revealed.

“Wow, you must be pretty strong to be able to participate.” Ray said.

“Yeah.”

“You said the general of the knights is looking for our captain, can you tell me why?” Ray asked.

“No, though it is a shame, she managed to get to that level of strength, I don’t know what our elder was thinking, but I would never would have let that happen, cause the only one that can take on the general is our captain, and he is forbidden from challenging her until the attack on the pillars.” Vincent said.

“Is he really that strong?”

“Besides our masters, he is the strongest hybrid.”

“What about the leads, how can someone become one of them?” Ray asked.

“By raising your mark, since you just activated your mark, you’ll be around five percent, I’ll tell you this much since the church already knows about it. A lead must spread their mark about forty percent to be able to become a lead.”

“Forty percent?” Ray repeated.

“Yes.”

“My master told me, I have to spread my mark in four years, well I have two years left, do you think I’ll be able to do it?” Ray asked.

“Most likely, the starting is the easiest, the more you spread your mark, the harder it is to gain even more strength.”

“...About the church, you said they have a general, does that mean they have a hierarchy like us?”

“Yes, what do you know about them?” Vincent asked.

“Well, I know the pope is the one that gives the orders, and under him are his two cardinals, next is the general, after that are the commanders.” Ray recounted what he learned in the past.

“That's almost right, but you forgot about the three lieutenants that are under their general.” Vincent informed Ray. “As well as the three kings.”

“Right the three Lieutenants, I remembered how they aren’t allowed to leave the holy city for some reason?” Ray recounted.

“Right, that rule was implemented almost four-hundred years ago, because of the fall of the first pillar.”

“The fall of the first pillar, do you know anything about that?” Ray asked.

“No, just the same story, I’m sure you heard before, how the hybrids were responsible for it.”

“Do you believe that?” Ray asked.

“No, I’m sure the church is hiding something, somehow only the church knows the true events, there were somehow no survivors, it said the only person that survived the attack was the pope of the first pillar, but he never revealed what happened that day.”

“Do you think we might be able to find something about it, when we attack them?”

“I know she will try for sure.” Vincent said.

“She?”

“Nevermind that, we need to leav-”

Suddenly there was a knock on the front door. Ray instantly got up, alarmed, while Vincent was still sitting on his chair.

“Go upstairs, and don’t come out unless I tell you too, understand?”

Ray nodded his head, and headed up the stairs. As soon as Vincent heard Ray room close, he went and opened the door. Ray put his ear to the door, trying to listen.

“Hey! Your back!”

Vincent sighed recognizing the person standing at the door. Vincent called out to Ray. “Ray! It’s fine! Come back downstairs.”

Ray went back down the stairs, and he saw a dark-haired woman talking to Vincent, she was almost Vincent height, she was wearing a red hooded cloak, with blue clothing. Ray noticed she seemed surprised to see him, the color in her face drained, before returning to normal. Vincent introduces the both of them to each other.

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“Ray this is Viola, Viola Ray. He’s the one I told you about in the letter I got.” Vincent said.

“Hello.” Ray said, raising his hand.

Viola took a step close to Ray, she seemed perplexed by him. She took his hand, and shook it. Ray felt her hand gripping his. They shook their hand for a minute before Ray looked at Vincent for help.

“Viola!”

“Right! Sorry, so how’s Vincent been treating you?” She asked.

“Viola,” Vincent sighed, Viola ignored him, and kept staring at Ray, waiting for an answer.

“Good, I hope I can live up to his expectations.”

“Well you certainly have to live up to your master..” Viola said.

“Stop it, you are just going to stress him out.” Vincent said.

“Wait, what do you mean?” Ray asked.

“That’s enough, Ray this is one of the hybrids that I am training, she is trying to get stronger for a certain goal, while she is here she will help me train you, don’t worry she is stronger than you.” Vincent reassures him.

Ray was unsure, she kept staring at him, he didn’t know what to do.

“Go upstairs, shower, and get ready. I’ll talk to Viola in the meantime, when you are done we will head to the village.” Vincent ordered.

Ray nodded his head, and headed back upstairs. When they heard his door close, they finally talked.

“He looks like…” Viola tried to say, but couldn't finish the sentence.

“I noticed, you think you are going to be ok, around him, or should I already give the elders the signal you're ready?” Vincent asked.

“No! Sorry but no, I still need to train a bit more, I’m still not ready.” Viola said.

Vincent studied her, but she kept her eyes towards the Ray room. “If you say so.”

“What do you think about him so far?” Viola asked.

“So far he’s doing alright; He already killed knights.”

“Really! How many?”

Vincent looks at Viola before answering. “Twenty.”

“Twenty! Are you sure?” Viola said, with a surprised look on her face.

“Yeah, if I didn’t check the bodies for his energy, I wouldn't believe it myself.” Vincent faces Ray’s room. “He doesn’t look like he’s capable of that right?”

“Yeah, but if you saw his energy on the bodies, then I guess it’s true, how did he kill them?”

“He severed all their heads.”

“Wow! Good for him, not all the new hybrids can do that.” Viola said.

“Yeah, but the thing that is bothering me about him is that before he killed those knights, he fought a blessed knight and knocked him out. That knight is still alive.”

“So what pushed him to kill those knights?”

“The knights killed the person he was living with, that how he was able to awaken his mark, to be honest I don’t have a problem with how many he killed, the only thing that bothering me, beside letting that blessed knight live, is instead of leaving the bodies scattered on the ground, he made the effort of placing their bodies next to each other. In a way I believe he was going to bury them as well.”

“So you think he regretted his actions?” Viola asked.

“Maybe, when I asked him about that, he clearly acknowledges what he did, but he doesn’t seem fazed by it.”

“Well at least he doesn't have to worry about his mark anymore, what do you plan to do with now?”

“Well, I already sent a letter to his master, in the meantime I will train him, right now we are about to head to the village, and get him some clothes, I need the villagers to know about him before the news breaks out, and the villagers get suspicious.” Vincent said.

“It’s going to be suspicious if that knight gives an accurate description of Ray, what are you going to do?”

“I already made up some story, I’ll be fine. What about you, have you received any letters from your master?”

“No, not yet, she must be busy.”

“Well ok, is there anything going on with the town I should know about?” Vincent asked.

“Not right now, the village still has the same number of knights as when you left last week, but I have been overhearing the knights talking about reinforcement coming to the village. Also once the church finds out about those knights they will most likely send some blessed knights to the surrounding area, who knows how long that will take.”

“I’m ready.” Ray interrupted them, as he walked down the stairs, he couldn’t help but notice that Vincent, and Viola were studying him. “Is something wrong?” Ray nervously asked.

“Nothing to worry about, let’s get going, Viola, do you want to join us?” Vincent asked.

Viola took a moment to look at Ray before answering. “No, I’m ok thanks, if you don’t mind I’ll be staying and doing some light training.” Viola said.

“That’s fine, we will be back in a couple hours.”

“Alright, I’ll be seeing you Ray.”

“Goodbye Viola.”

Vincent and Ray headed out the door, and towards the village, Ray looked back at the house, he felt like he was being watched. “So is there something I need to know about Viola?”

Vincent sighed. “Another time fresh-blood, now then before we enter the village we need to set our stories straight, so be sure to pay attention to what I’m about to say.”

Ray nodded his head.

“Like I told you before, I own most of the shops in the village, despite being the captain of the knights in the village, most people go to me for problems, so you can consider me a merchant, while the village consider me a fancy eater. As well you will need an alias, you will be my adopted nephew Sam.”

“Sam.” Ray repeated.

“Yes Sam, you come from the village Ashton, it’s not a well known village, I made up an excuse to visit an old friend. I know there are no knights there, and the people there are unreliable. We'll just say you became homeless after losing your parents, and I took you in as my nephew. I will be teaching you my ways, so you can open your own shops, understand?”

“Yes, I’m Sam from Ashton. I came here with you after I lost my parents, and you decided to tutor me.”

“Good,” Vincent said, as he looked towards the village, they were almost there.

“I have a question if you don’t mind Vincent.” Ray asked.

“Hmm, what is it?”

“How did you become a wealthy hybrid; I mean how did you hide it from them?”

“Oh, that is simple, I used the rumor about the hybrids to my advantage.”

“Rumor? Do you mean the one about hybrids being supposedly man-eating monsters?” Ray said.

“Exactly, those types or rumors are more spread in the outskirts’s villages, and accusing someone of being a hybrid without proof is an extreme crime. Since proving someone to be a hybrid is extremely difficult, nobody really goes out of their way to accuse another person of being a hybrid.” Vincent revealed.

“Has anyone accused you of being a hybrid?”

“Yeah, but after falsely proving I was human, I drove him away from the village, after taking everything from him, to be honest I was debating if I should kill him, but the fact that he lost everything, and he is homeless gives me pleasure.”

“Does he live around here?”

“No, he lives quite far away, but I visit him from time to time, everytime he accuses me of ruining his life, of course I defend myself, telling him he brought this on himself. But if he had been smarter he might have actually proven I’m a hybrid.”

“How can someone prove another person is a hybrid?” Ray asked.

“Well, by showing off their blood, newly turned hybrids have black blood running through their veins, it does go away after some time, as well we produce black blood when we are spreading our marks. Whenever I need to summon my mark, I make sure to carry small vials of blood that I can easily hide between my hands to show I’m human.”

“Since I activated my mark a few days ago, and my left hand were to be cut, would black blood come out?”

“Yes, but only a small amount so do be careful when we are in the village.”

“Don’t I need a vial?” Ray asked.

“You’ll be fine.”

Ray nodded his head. Soon they finally entered the village entrance, as they passed the wooden walls that surrounded the village, they heard a voice called out to them from the direction of the forest.

“Mister Vincent! Mister Vincent!” A man yelled out.

Ray and Vincent turned and saw a man running towards them, he looked like he came out of the woods, he wore a green jacket, a bow and quiver on his back. ON his belt were wild animals.

“Ah Jack Donde, how are you?” Vincent asked the man.

The man stopped right in front of them, he was slouching, holding on to his knees, he was breathing hard. Ray took a closer look at him. He had brown hair, with a red scarf around his neck, he was also carrying a wooden basket with berries on his back.

“I’m fine, Mister Vincent, just got back from some hunting. I have to replenish my store, already running low on some things. How about you? It’s been a week since I last saw you.”

“I’m doing fine, I wanted to see an old friend. Oh! let me introduce you, this is my nephew Sam, he came from the village Ashton, I decided to take him under my wing.” Vincent stated.

Jack nodded his head, and extended his hand towards Ray. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Jack, your uncle is a frequent customer of mine, if you need anything from me, let me know.”

Ray grabbed his hand, and shook it. “Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Sam Fri…”