Zane stared up at the dark ceiling above him, his hands crossed behind his back, his chest with the large scar exposed, his lower body hidden beneath the blanket and trying to thinking of anything but his encounter with the arachne Megikula.

That idiot, I thought I told him not to bring her up . . . although that was years ago now. Time passes too fast.

He looked down at the necklace with the light green crystal that he wore around his neck at all times. A few tears began running down his face.

"I'm sorry guys," he said, turning the crystal in one hand. "Looks like I'll have to keep looking," he added.

Zane looked over to the two guns and his katana, all three resting on the small table beside his bed.

I think I've found an answer . . . although I shouldn't tell her yet.

He was ripped out of his thoughts by a sudden, oppressive feeling, just like the one he had felt in the inn. Zane immediately jumped up from his bed and ran to the window which let him look at the path that led through the forest. And there, in the distance, was a hooded figure, lit up by a white light coming from seemingly nowhere.

What exactly is that thing? Is this someone's ability?

Zane continued to follow the figure with his eyes for a while, downright piercing it with his eyes. Once the figure reached the inn it stopped and looked up, directly at the window Zane was looking out of, piercing him with the white flame inside the helmet. He jumped back a bit in shock but walked back to the window shortly after. Even though it had no eyes Zane felt like it had looked at him.

Is someone using it to watch me . . . no, there is no way it can actually suppress that much Aura.

Zane concentrated on sensing the Aura around him, and just like last time he got overwhelmed by the figure's presence. He began to chuckle. When he returned to the window Zane could see the figure walking away from the inn, disappearing in the dark of the night.

Is it a coincidence that I've seen this thing twice now . . . or is whoever created it watching me, or maybe someone close to me. It can't be Vindictus, he has no ability like that, right? Or did he gain a new one?

Zane let both hands slide over his face, hair and down his neck.

No use in thinking about it too much.

He slowly returned to bed and lay down, returning to staring up at the ceiling. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep, dreaming of nothing and being woken by a knocking at the door to his room.

"Zane, you awake?" Mira asked from the outside.

He grunted loudly, still half asleep. Zane got out of bed and put on his armour, then opened the door. Mira stood before him, her dark red hair falling down her face and her nine white tails lifted up slightly so they wouldn't get dirty from being dragged over the floor and her rolled up cloak in her hands.

"What is it?" Zane asked, looking down at her.

"I-I just thought we should leave early," she said.

Zane looked to the window at the end of the corridor, a few beams of light that had managed to break through the treetops were visible.

"Guess you're right about that, let's eat and leave afterwards," he said.

Mira nodded and went downstairs, Zane following down the stairs behind her, nearly hitting his head.

"Yo, Reaper, Vermillion girl you're awake," Gilma said loudly.

At his mention of the 'Vermillion girl,' the heads of many in the inn turned, but after seeing the cold look in Zane's eyes they quickly looked away.

"Shut it," Zane said calmly but with a cold undertone.

"Right, right," Gilma responded.

Zane and Mira sat down at his table. The innkeeper came to them almost immediately and took their order.

"So, you got a pretty long journey ahead of you, how did you find her anyway Reaper? I heard that some mercenaries have been looking for months and never found her," Gilma said.

"Coincidence," Zane answered.

"I've also heard that a tower was recently cleared . . . someone saw a person of about your hight and a person about her hight leave," Gilma said.

"Intel like that travels fast," Zane said.

"Indeed it does, I'm sure that it will soon reach the church as well, and they won't be so happy about that. When they find out that you two have cleared a tower they will be hunting you down as heretics," Gilma explained.

"They already are. I got my powers from Erebus and she's a Vermillion. No crimes greater than those," Zane said.

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"Must have had a good reason to take her into a tower with you," Gilma said, staring into the mead jug he had been drinking out of the entire time.

"Didn't know it was her," Zane said.

Gilma laughed. "Really now, how did you disguise yourself?" he asked.

"W-With witchcraft," Mira said.

"Witchcraft huh? Never really liked that stuff, hurts too much," Gilma said.

Zane nodded in agreement. "But it is still useful, especially now that I lost my power," he said, loud enough for all in the inn to hear him.

"You did what? Why would you say that so loud?" Gilma asked with shock on his face.

But Zane just smiled as he listened to the approaching footsteps.

"So the Reaper lost his power huh?" someone said.

Zane felt someone put a hand on his shoulder.

Good thing that mercenaries are all the same.

Zane stood up from his table and turned around, looking the three men standing behind him in the eyes. Two of them backed off a little but the one who was now struggling to keep his hand on Zane's shoulder didn't.

"Don't be scared! He's lost his power! No way he can beat us now!" the mercenary said loudly so that everyone could hear him. "And if we kill him we can collect that girl and get a thousand gold coins!"

The other two nodded and drew their swords, the one in front of him took his hand of Zane's shoulder and drew his sword as well. Zane put one hand on the hilt of his katana and just stared at the mercenaries in front of him.

"Well Reaper, scared?" the leader asked.

Zane chuckled.

"Want me to help?" Gilma asked.

Zane shook his head.

Think I can't handle some pushovers? What an ass.

The leader snapped and one of the two others charged at Zane, preparing to thrust his sword at him. Zane stepped to the side quickly and kicked him with his lower leg, sending him flying a few meters. The man crashed into a table.

A group of people sitting near them began laughing. "See, told you that would happen. Just cause he lost his power doesn't mean he's weak. Why else would he say that so loud, he never speaks unless he thinks it's necessary," one of the people at the table said.

Zane nodded at the person, who laughed even louder in response.

"Let those idiots talk, I'm not going to be scared of some tall guy!" the leader yelled.

Zane noticed the innkeeper standing behind his counter with their food in hand.

Better make this quick then.

Zane slowly walked towards the two mercenaries and drew his katana. He saw both of them gulp and slowly raise their swords. The two simultaneously charged at him, swinging their blades down when they got close enough. Zane made a huge step back, dodging their blades, turned his katana and swung it at both of them, hitting them with the blunt end and knocking them out. The one he had kicked into the table had gotten back up and now grovelled on the floor, apologizing.

"We're sorry, we're sorry! It will never happen again oh great Reaper," he said.

Zane sheathed his katana and turned around without paying the grovelling man any heed. When Zane sat back down the innkeeper came to their table and put down the food.

"So that's why you did it," Gilma said.

Mira had a confused look on her face.

"Sooner or later it would have gotten out anyway, so rather than wait for that he's going to have other's spread the rumour now, with the addition that he can still kick the ass of anyone who thinks he's weak now," Gilma explained.

Mira nodded slowly.

"But well, I have to leave now, I got a job to take care of," Gilma said as he stood up.

Mira waved her hand as the dark-haired mercenary left the inn.

"How come no one looks at him the way they look at you?" she asked.

Zane took a bite out of his piece of cheese.

"He's what you'd call a fallen legend I guess. After he and Hugo split up their reputation took a nosedive. Together they're strong but alone, well alone they're just average I guess," Zane explained.

Mira nodded slowly.

"How come they split up? I heard they were like brothers," Mira asked.

"No clue happened about three years ago, when I was in, Ulva," Zane said.

"And how come you're talking to him? I thought you tend to only talk when you have to," Mira asked.

"Because I know what happens if I don't," Zane answered with a cold undertone that stopped Mira from asking more questions.

The two finished eating and Zane threw another gold coin to the innkeeper before the two left.

"You know you don't have to wear that anymore," Zane said as Mira was about to put on her hood.

"Why?" she asked.

"The fact that I found you will spread quickly, the church might already know, I mean they have people everywhere," Zane said.

"Isn't that bad?" Mira asked.

"Not really, once Holvin hears about it he's gonna send someone our way since he knows the way I take to Kalwa," Zane said.

"Good, it's really uncomfortable to have your tails squished by some cloak all the time," Mira said with a sense of freedom in her voice as she began spinning around.

"Don't get them dirty, who knows when we'll have the next opportunity to take a bath," Zane said.

"Yeah, yeah," Mira said.

The two continued on their way to Kalwa, catching the looks of many mercenaries, some even tried to attack them but Zane quickly beat them, creating more people that would spread the rumour.

At night they would sleep in their tents somewhere beneath a tree and at day they would travel. After two days they found themselves atop a hill from where they could already see the edge of the forest in the distance. That night Zane had trouble sleeping, he felt as if something was watching them. The next day they continued on their way and quickly reached the edge of the forest, leaving the massive trees behind them as they made their way to the bridge.

It was night by the time they reached a split in the path, one way led towards a forest in the distance the other led to a bridge that was now only a few hundred meters away. On the other side of the bridge was a large gate with a tower to each side of it.

"We're going to set up camp on the other side," Zane said.

Mira nodded and they began walking towards the bridge.

"Stop right there," someone with a rough voice said.

Zane turned around to see the person that had spoken to them, but instead of one, there were about six people, all shirtless and with a lot of hair on their chests.

"Werewolves," Zane said quietly. "Go to the other side of the bridge and tell them to let us in, I'll hold them off."

Mira nodded and ran towards the bridge.

"Not so fast, that bridge is unavailable," one of the werewolves said as he broke a sand coloured crystal between two fingers.

Shit, why do they even have stuff like that?

Zane immediately turned around and grabbed Mira before she could set foot on the bridge. Shortly after the bridge exploded, large chunks of it falling down into the raging rivers far below them.

Really now, they'd go as far as this.

"Oh don't worry, they wouldn't have let you in even if we had left the bridge alone," the werewolf that had first spoken to them said. "I mean we killed them already."

Zane chuckled.

"Stay behind me and try not to get in the way," Zane said as he took both guns out of their holsters.

"What are those?" one of them asked.

Without answering Zane pointed the guns at two of them and pulled the triggers. Two of the werewolves fell to the ground, holes in their heads.

"Shit! They're dead boss!" one yelled.

"Get them boys, show no mercy!" their leader yelled with hatred in his voice.

Two down, four to go.