Zack moved slowly down the stairs pulling out a knife as Kaelan was hit away but she quickly leaped into the fray again bouncing back into her counter attack. Zack reached the final step the people ran like fools trying to make distance between themselves and the wolf some fell to be trampled Zack watched Kade gave a chuckle as he slinked away. “I shall go and assist her.” Zack pulled his arm back aiming slowly with the knife his eyes trained on the wraith. Kaelan slipping round it caused it to turn away from him but he gave a whistle the wraith turned round like any household pet almost comical...especially when Zack threw the knife straight into the eye of the creature. He unsheathed his claymore walking towards the shrieking wraith the knife embed in its socket his claymore seeming to whistle lightly as he came next to the wraith raising the sword into a mock salute.

“Go and be one of many to walk through Kade’s gates.” He lifted the sword realising the thing had been smarter than it looked it had mocked its defeat all this happened in mere milliseconds though as the paw flew for his face Zack only just moving his sword to parry in time the man backing away. Kaelan could hear Kade chuckling away at the near death of Zack the paw scratched at the ground the wraith moving towards Zack now in slow loping steps. “That man is a fool you know.” Kade’s chuckles echoing in her mind as she felt his presence move to the forefront slightly as she found slight messages echoing to her...it was Kade advising her what she should do. “A rush on the left with its blind eye now should give you a chance to drive your blade into its heart but the arm seems to know that my advice would be to let it swing at you as you did before.”

"You think?" Kaelan smiled at Kade's words, seeing the logic in them as she carried out what he advised, using the tiger's swiftness to maneuver herself to the wraith's left side. She watched as he stopped his movement briefly to sniff the air, detecting her and just as Kade had said the beast swung it's left arm. She ducked, sliding underneath the swinging arm and using the tigress' strength, she plunged her blade in deep into it's chest. Unfortunately, the damn thing moved at the last second and her blade missed it's heart and instead sank into the meaty part of it's shoulder. Howling in rage, the wraith swung again, hitting Kaelan square in her chest, knocking her clear across the room. There was a sickening crack as she slammed into the wall, only to slide to the floor.

Kaelan lay there dazed and having a difficult time breathing, but struggled to get up as the wraith advanced on her. She lost control of her tigress then and with another howl the wraith stirred the she-wolf inside of her. Kaelan's eyes turned amber, again claws erupting from her fingertips, bringing a pain filled moan from her. She called to her tigress againt, trying to bring her back to push the she-wolf back down and unable to do so.

"Kade.....please, help me."

Zack gave a grunt as he had distracted the lumbering wraith she saw Kaelan make her move she did well to move in on the creature dodging the swinging paw...but she didn’t hit the heart it became clear she had no time to move....he wanted to yell run but there was no point. “Kaelan!” He watched her swatted off her feet by the lumbering beast he stood wide eyed as he looked between the wraith and Kaelan his eyes narrowing...

Kade gave a sigh... “Guess he got us....” He heard a low growl turning slowly Kade in the form of Zack in her mind he saw...the wolf? Kade’s head tilted to the side seeing the wolf it had closed the room shrinking it without Kade even noticing... “Get out of here pup...you will only die if you try anything.” Kade’s eyes glinting with a feral anger but the wolf did not break down after all Kade could hear the Tiger scratching on the door... “If I can’t have her neither can you , little pup.” Kade moving in upon the wolf pulling up the sleeves of his red coat.

Zack saw that Kaelan couldn’t move....and Kade had gone silent Zack had a bad feeling about this he ran forward the wraith was getting to close to the injured Kaelan it opened it jaws it legs curling up....ready to pounce. Zack seeing this leaped across the small distance left stabbing his sword into its back he wrapped his arms around the wraith... “You are nothing!!!” The fur seemed alive on the beast becoming hard like glass it cut at Zack’s arms but he continued to strangle down on the wraith his blood dripping down his arms... “I will kill you!!!”

Kaelan lay there, seeing what was going on inside of her mind as if she were watching through a window but could feel and hear everything. It felt strange, to say the least. When the she-wolf wouldn't back down, she became concerned. What was going to happen inside of her mind? When Kade rolled up his sleeves, she groaned out loud only to look up at Zack's yell to see him riding the bucking wolf-wraith. It was almost comical and she actually smiled until she saw the blood dripping from Zack's arms.

The she-wolf's eyes turned black with little red pinpoints in the center as she stalked Kade, growling low in her throat. The tigress was still trying to come through the door and not having much luck. Her yowling and scratching at the mental door was causing Kaelan's head to hurt worse than her body. Suddenly, the she-wolf launched itself at Kade only to be thrown to the side, smashing up against one of the white walls.

Kaelan whimpered as she felt as if someone were hammering inside of her mind with a sledgehammer. She looked up at Zack still riding the wolf-wraith and desperately wanted to help him but unable to. As Kade and the she-wolf battled for dominancy inside of her mind she wondered if she could speak to Kade as it was her mind he was in. Before she knew it, a part of her was inside the small white room while her physical body was still watching Zack ride the wraith.

"Kade......don't kill her, just push her back. You can't kill her without hurting me."

That was when the she-wolf turned her gaze onto Kaelan's form and mentally spoke to her.

"Bitch.....you try to control me when another calls for me. You didn't create me.....He did!!! I was the first inside of your body....not the tigress!!! Now you will suffer!!!"

The she-wolf lunged at her and Kaelan rolled out of the way.

"Put her in her place, Kade so the tigress can get back out, just remember what you do to her I feel."

Kaelan disappeared and was back in her body, feeling everything that was going on inside of her mind trying to concentrate on Zack looking silly riding a bucking wolf-wraith and ignore the fact that her head felt as if it were going to explode.

Kade gave a laugh as he cracked each finger as they bended and folded into fists he looked to the wolf with a laugh... “My eyes change as well.” The silver grey turning to a blood red he gave his grin his fangs growing slightly in his mouth he looked to Kaelan a spectral form of her in the white room he gave a mocking wave to her seeming fine as he looked to the wolf. Who had tried to attack the nimble form of Kaelan he moved towards it in quick strides the wolf turned feeling a building pressure behind Kade the wolf came straight for him which leaped for his throat.... “That’s right come closer!”

It had looked comical till Zack finally planted his feet to the floor with a heave of muscles his teeth gritted he pulled the head of the great beast back hampering its breathing it gave husky breaths as he fell back a look of annoyance on his face. The glass like fur grew rapidly as he fell landing on top of him he felt a million pin pricks... “That.....hurts.” His words coming in gasps as he was exerting all his muscle into holding the creature against him he had no way to remove his arms without being swiped or bitten.

Kaelan watched both scenes unfold, feeling very strange in doing so. Her head pounded as Kade and her she-wolf battled for dominancy and her heart pounded as she watched Zack pull the wraith backwards on top of himself. She had to do something to help him, she realized then that her feelings for Zack had become strong and she wasn't going to lay there and allow him to be hurt if she could help it.

~I'm falling for him~, she thought to herself, forgetting that Kade could see what she was thinking.

Pushing herself up, she swallowed a moan of pain as she rose to her feet, grabbing her black blade. She made her way to the wraith and Zack, seeing Zack's blood running from his body from the glass like shards of the wraith's fur. Raising her blade, she plunged it down into his heart, mindful to keep it from going all of the way through, just enough to pierce it's heart. Once it was dead, she saw Zack's eyes beneath the head of the beast and smiled at him before gripping her head. With a scream of pain, she fell to her knees as Kade and the wolf battled within her mind.

Zack pulled the wraith off himself an odd sucking noise as all the needle like hairs pulled out of his skin a small amount of blood dripping down his front as he moved to her side concern evident on his face as she screamed in pain.

The scream had come from Kade...The wolf had leaped at him he had simply sidestepped and cracked a easy left straight into the wolfs head....with a little demonic strength just to add the headache factor Kade lifted his hands again walking towards the wolf it leaped again. This time Kade stepped in his arm smashing into its mouth it clamped down on his forearm but Kade didn’t flinch as he stared into the wolf’s eyes..... “Your just like a mad dog.” Kade continued to stare at the wolf for a duration neither moved.... “I’m sorry Kaelan.” With a quick slam down his arm he slammed his free hand on its head choking the air out of the wolf hoping to cause it to go unconscious even if it meant Kaelan as well.

Kaelan looked up at Zack, her eyes filled with the pain the battle was causing her. Suddenly, Kaelan acted as if she couldn't breath, as if she were being choked. Her panic stricken eyes bore into Zack's, begging for help.

Inside her mind, Kade was battling the she-wolf, trying to knock her unconscious by choking her even though technically she didn't need air to breathe, it was the concept and it was working. When the wolf collapsed in a heap at Kade's feet, Kaelan collapsed into Zack's arms.

Zack could do nothing as she seemed to stop breathing he brought her into a hug sitting her up but her breath still seemed caught in her throat he could only draw the conclusion something else was causing it. She fell unconscious in her arms....but she had started breathing again...he concluded it must have been something happening within her mind.

Kade knelt down stroking the wolf a proud creature that was for sure he sighed as he yanked a dagger from the coat cutting along the wrist of the form he had black sludge spewed out across the wolf a rather disgusting scene but the black moved around till it formed a circle round its neck.... “Binded to thy will.” Kade seemed to flicker fading from view slowly he gave a chuckle as a large collar and padlock formed on the wolf a key next to it with a small note.

Kaelan found herself inside of her mind as she lay in Zack's arms unconscious. She was back in the white room, the tigress still scratching at the closed door, but it was the she-wolf laying in a heap that caught her eye. Walking over to the animal, she saw the black collar and padlock. Raising her eyebrows, she knelt down to stroke it's fur, marveling at how soft it was. She then felt her own hair and smiled as she realized that it wasn't much different. That was when she saw the note and the key laying next to it. Picking up the piece of paper and key, she read what was written.

~Use the key only in desperate times, lass. Kade~

Kaelan smiled, looking around for him, wanting to thank the demon but she didn't see him anywhere. Having realized through Kade that she could do things inside of her own mind, she looked down at the wolf and imagined her back in her room behind a closed door. Next, she looked over at the other door and simply thinking it, opened it allowing the tigress to come out. The great cat rubbed up against her legs, purring. Kaelan patted her head then sent her back to her room as well. She created a safe box up on the wall of the white room, making sure that it was blue so that she could find it. She placed the key and the note inside of it and hung it back up, then went back to her body.

Kaelan came to with a start, Zack's arms wrapped around her. Her head still pounded but now it was down to a low drumroll. She looked up at Zack then around them, seeing the broken tables and chairs.

"Wow...we made a mess. Where's Kade? I can't sense him anymore."

Zack tapped the side of his head. “Kade ran out of power in an external host.” Zack stood up slowly helping her up carefully her hand brushing his blood for a second she could almost sence Kade again but it was a fleeting moment. “We did kind of made a real mess here.” Zack slowly looked round no one had got hurt...luckily he reached down beginning to yank at the knife and claymore he had embed in the corpse of the wraith.

Kaelan let Zack help her up. The pounding in her head was lessening, but her body still ached where she'd hit the wall. That was when she remembered waking up in Zack's arms. He had been holding her as if she were precious and it had been nice. As well as Kade, an ornery demon, had kept her safe when she'd asked him for help. She followed Zack to the bar, smiling as she watched him lean over it and grab a bottle of wine and one glass. He poured her a drink and handed it to her. She took a sip as he chugged from the bottle. When he put the bottle down, she stood up on the rung of the stool so that she could reach his face as he was sitting on one. She smiled at his startled look right before she kissed him softly.

"Thank you, Zack for taking care of me."

Her voice was soft as were her eyes which were now their bright blue.

Zack gave a gulp he could hear Kade snickering in the background the demon was probally rolling on the floor just to emphasise the joy he was getting out of this. “Uhhhh...It was nothing really.” Zack’s hand itching the back of his head slightly he reached for the bottle with his other hand picking up the bottle.

Kade was indeed rolling on the floor laughing as Zack had been suddenly shaken with Kaelan's actions but nothing much had changed in Zack's mind....no fun at all the boundries were still all set. Kade finally sat up from his laughing scratching a spot under his eye as he had nothing really better to do.

Kaelan looked at Zack and how uncomfortable she'd just made him. Her eyes took on a sad look as she took his reaction as if he didn't appreciate what she'd just done....in fact she thought that he didn't like it at all and felt as if she'd just made a bad judgement call in kissing him. Maybe she'd imagined the concerned look in his eyes when she'd woken in his arms. She turned away from on the stool, her head down a little as she looked away.

"Perhaps we should go find the monk. If this one made it into the village, others may have as well and he may need our help."

Not waiting for a reply, she slid off of the stool, her body aching in protest to the movement, but even though a whimper escaped from her lips, she quickly squelched it and moved towards the door, feeling very much alone and not knowing why.

A light wind rustled the leaves of the ancient oak, a lone tree at the top of what locals called 'Saghala hill'. Beneath it the mystic calmly sat, illuminated by the flickering glow of small fire over which boiled a tea pot. As he poured himself a cup of the tea, he surveyed Obsidon's western wall which curved around the base of the tall hill. The town spread out behind him, many of the streets lit bright to ward off the evil that breached the magical wards along the bastion and upon the gate. The distant cries of more wolf-wraith's hung on the breeze, but Yuéqiu paid them no heed. Even when the loud snap of a fallen branch resonated at his back he remained oblivious, at least that's what we wanted the visitor to believe.

Reeve Ethrened stepped out of the shadows and tipped his hat to the seated man as he walked around him.

"Good evening," he greeted then looking up the dark sky and smiled, "or perhaps it's morning, I left my time piece at home and have already lost track. Mind if I join you?"

Yuéqiu gestured to a rock before him.

"Thank you." Said the reeve and graciously accepted the cup of tea that Yuéqiu offered.

The reeve held the steaming cup near his face savouring the warmth then tasted it. "Delightful." he commented, "So, my friend, I know why I walk the streets during these dark times but why are you not safely behind a closed door, sitting round a warm hearth? And why here of all places do you choose to build your fire?" Asked Ethrened looking up at the old twisted branches of the oak tree, "Do you not know what this place is?"

Yuéqiu looked at the oak then returned his eyes to the fire. "Many have died here."

"Yes." Agreed the reeve, "This is Saghala Hill. Long ago we crucified and hung criminals from this tree for all to see. Now we have public executions in the town square. Is that why you are here? Something to do with the executions?"

Yuéqiu nodded. "Much blood has been spilled here in the name of justice. This tree is a very powerful symbol and I have encircled it with ash and salt to ward the beasts that stalk the night."

Ethrened only noticed the white circle around them when the mystic mentioned it. He smiled and drank some more tea. "Well, I pray no more of the beasties breach our wards. Perhaps I'll sit with you for a spell and test this magic circle o' yours. Oh, and by the way I thank ye for dispatching of that mangy carcass back there."

Yuéqiu nodded and poured him some more tea. He appreciated the company and together they sat, listening to the howls of the wolf-wraiths on the out skirts of the town.