Crisis of Faith (Astrid)

[Kailen Desada (DELETED 6965)]

-5th June, MMXV-

His feet pumped beneath him, their movement fast and quiet. The echoes off the nearby walls much more quiet they should have been, but he keep his eyes and ears alert scanning each rooftop and connected alleyway for danger. He traveled the distance of the long alley, the darkness succumbing to the street lights of the cross street. Twenty-five yards from the exit of the alley he leaped, foot pushing off the nearby wall, hand outstretched he grabbed the lower rung of a fire-escape. His body lithe but strong, he moved with the sureness of a seasoned acrobat. His momentum driving him forward, he used his grip to send him in a swinging arc up over the low railing and landing on the iron grated platform of the fire escape. He dropped to a knee and continued scanning the area, looking behind him as his head shook slightly.

"Three hundred yards." He thought aloud, but although his voice was low the surprise in it apparent to any onlooker. He looked down and noticed the dim blue glow of his freshly inked tattoos faded into obscurity. He felt the warmth of their power fade with the luminescence. He bit his lip, trying to push back the not so distant memory of the painful rite. The sing-song hymns of the Sorcerers echoed in his mind as the memory flooded back. The pinprick of the tattoos nothing more than a minor annoyance compared to the feeling of searing power that flowed into the lightly colored ink. He understood the necessity of the ritual, and he appreciated the power it gave him, but it was not without costs. Each new paladin received a standard compliment or runes, and these standard runes were enough to give each of his order the ability to hunt most of the weaker night dwellers. He was thankful though that he was granted certain concessions in the choosing of his runes. Before he was given the rite, he chose to use his additional six rune grants to supplement his natural talents. Two each of metabolism , grace , and stamina. His body now retained the ability to reach speeds, three times that of an Olympic runner (although maintaining such speeds was nearly impossible), similarly he retained roughly three times the balance and spatial awareness of the most exquisite gymnast, as well as the energy reserves to sustain such efforts. He knew his new found abilities were not without danger though, a man with too much strength could find his bones crushed under the weight, too much speed could rip muscle from bone. He blinked away the memory and faded back to reality.

He turned back to the fire-escape that he knelt on and took the slanted stairs upwards, three at a time. Reaching the top of the multistory building he strolled calmly onto the dimly lit rooftop. His brown hair fixed atop his head in a medium length, and his titanium gray eyes scanning his surroundings. His long brown jacket fluttering in the wind, draping down the length of his legs covering the light grey and loosely fitted pants. At his hips rested his twin short swords, hanging down from his brown sword belt, their slight curve and thin shape not dissimilar to the wakizashi style of ancient Japan. He carried only a single hand gun, holstered on the left of his rib cage, he disliked the weapon finding it loud and clumsy, but he dared not argue with the superiors of the order.

He continued to traverse the roof tops, even in the light of the moon he traveled in the same direction, leaping across the gaps behind buildings with ease, each step calculated and cautious. He knew who he was looking for, and the best information the order had would guide him to a general area of the city, but he was sure there was many doors to knock on before he found his target. The night was young, but he knew time was not on his side.

[Astrid (DELETED 6933)]

-5th June, MMXV-

The weight of the backpack caused it to sag and pull on her already sore shoulder. It had been a long day at school and she couldn’t wait to spend some much needed down time on the couch. The sound of keys clanging could be heard, as they dangled beneath the one that had been pushed into the keyhole. Astrid turned it and heard the telling click that signified that the entrance to her’s and Kailen’s flat was unlocked.

Walking inside, she was greeted by a skinny yellow tabby that the two had lovingly named Balls (thanks to Kailen and his pointing out the fact that the cat had been well endowed). He had made the family of two into a trio a month back, when Astrid had opened up the door to go out, one morning. As the door opened, he darted past her feet and ran straight for the couch. He hadn’t left since.

Astrid reached down and ran her hand along his lithe back and up the length of his erect tail. He meowed in response, before he turned to run back toward the kitchen. He knew the routine well. She would drop her backpack near the door and follow him. She would then pour some of his kibble into his bowl, just before ducking into the refrigerator in search of a soda.

She smiled at the cat while shutting the door to the fridge and popping the top to her Dr. Pepper. He was no longer paying attention to the human, but was busy taking large bites of his food and chewing it as little bits fell from his mouth and back into his bowl. The redhead smiled at him and made her way to the living room, picking up the T.V. remote from off the arm of the couch, just before plopping down into its soft cushions.

Her fingers pulled through her hair as she flipped through the channels. The screen never had one channel on it for more than two seconds before being changed to another one. It was that moment where there are a hundred channels but nothing to watch. Just before she gave up on finding something, her attentions were quickly pulled to the headlines on the local news channel. Another body had been found in the river. It had been drained of blood.

A chill ran over the surface of Astrid’s skin, causing small goosebumps to rise. Her blue gaze darted around the room, as if she were half expecting to see the killer hiding behind one of the doors or curtains in the room. She sat up a bit and continued to watch the journalist. The man was standing with a couple of police officers as he described the brutal scene. Where was Kailen?

Her mind immediately reached for the one that gave her the most comfort and she could feel the absence of him not being there, even more so than usual. He had been coming home later and later. One night he didn’t come home until the early hours of the morning. On that night, it took a lot of reassuring on his part, to calm the worry that it had caused. Now she just wanted to feel the warmth of his chest and the security of his arms wrapped around her.

With a small sigh, she turned off the T.V. and reached for the phone. She quickly dialed his cell, and waited to see if he would pick up. I just need to hear his voice, to know he is okay.

[Kailen Desada (DELETED 6965)]

He gripped the binoculars again, he had to keep his distance for fear of being seen, or smelt for that matter. Methodically and with purpose he moved forward, closing the distance one leap at a time, crossing rooftops and periodically checking the wind, reviewing the distance, mentally preparing himself.

Finally he reached his destination, the moon directly above him casting no shadows. His weight shifted from foot to foot as he heard the softest of crunch underneath him, the gravel topped building giving even the slightest of hints that anything existed outside of his focus. He felt two quick burst of vibration in his pocket and he nearly toppled from his perch. He reached down and felt through the fabric for the familiar button that would stop the ring, but not reject the call.

He heard the rushing of feet, before he saw the explosion of movement. Up came three shadowed figures, moving just outside of realm of possibility, but this is what he had trained for. His hands dropped down instinctively retrieving the twinned swords at his waist, one held upright and the other in a reverse grip. Reviewing his views he cursed under his breath, she wasn’t there. The surrounded him, and came in as one, the dance began. He dropped to one knee slashing at joints and tendons, even with his gifts he couldn’t keep up with three of the beast at once he had to even the odds. Deflecting incoming slashes with nothing but muscle memory and instinct, and reacting with attacks of his own. Hamstringing one of the attackers, hearing the wounded monster cry out and smiled to himself smugly.

“Where’s your Mistress?” He asked bitterly, advancing on the creature holding it’s leg. As the other two rushed in to defend their comrade, he continued his advance feeling more confident, probably too confident. He pressed what small advantage he had, seeing their disbelief now that a human would so boldly attack them, in their own lair. The rooftop was silent except the crunching beneath his feet, his legs coiled as he reached distance to leap. He pounced, both swords coming forward and finishing off the fanged monstrosity with a single double slash, leaving one standing and the other still crippled. As he began to advance on the last able body, he smiled the beast turned tail and ran, he turned back to the wounded one and stood over it confidently.

Blades crossed over the neck, as he pressed his knee into the chest of the creature. He looked down at the deep slash, noticing the flesh finally beginning to heal. “Hurts like hell doesn’t it? Not used to feeling pain are you?” He let his power flourish inside of him, the faint runes on his body glowing a bright blue for a moment, a display of power designed only instill fear into the black heart of the beast under him. “I’ll ask one more time, where is your Mistress?” Pressing his blades harder to the throat, but answers didn’t come, and his work ended with two less vamps in the city.

He cleaned his blades on the clothing of the dead beast, retrieved his phone, dialed the same number he did at the end of every night. The one sided conversation was quick and to the point. “Yea, it’s Kailen. No she got away again, but she’s going to be less two more baby vamps. Understood, we’ll keep searching.” He hung up the phone and made his way back to his flat. Stashing his blades, making sure his clothing and appearance were immaculate before he reached for the door. Fear raced through him, he could see a sliver of light peeking through the slightly ajar door. He knew Astrid wouldn’t be so careless, especially as the media reporting all the suspicious murders recently.

[Astrid (DELETED 6933)]

Astrid waited for his voicemail message to end along with the beep. "Hey babe, I was just wondering if you were going to be home soon. I miss you." Her finger hit the pound button and her message was instantly sent off to wherever the messages were sent and waited to be retrieved.

A little disappointed that he didn't answer, Astrid tossed her phone over to a nearby chair. Just as she did so, Balls pounced up to the arm of the couch and caused her to jump. "Judas Priest, Balls! You scared the **** out of me." The cat seemed rather indifferent to this fact and began cleaning himself by licking his paws and back, all the while, managing to completely ignore her. Meanwhile, her heart was threatening to pound out of her chest. "Stupid cat."

Astrid rolled her eyes at the feline and grabbed one of the throw pillows from nearby, tucking it under her head as she curled up on the couch. She looked around the room and blinked a few times. The cat continued to sit on the arm of the couch, this time he had taken up the task of licking his tail. With the purring from Balls near her head, she was quickly lulled to sleep.

She must have been in a deep sleep, because she didn't hear the door open and her boyfriend come in to the apartment. Balls did, though. He jumped from the couch and ran straight for Kailen's feet with his tail straight up in the air. It was no secret that the cat much preferred his company over Astrid's.

[Kailen Desada (DELETED 6965)]

Pushing the door in slowly as he peeked around the corner. His hands drop to his hips, and he curses himself for not having his blade. A cursory glance around the room shows Astrid laying peacefully on the couch, but nothing else of note. He takes a couple of timid steps into the apartment, and quietly closes the door behind him making sure the lock clicks into place. He feels the cat lovingly nuzzle against his legs, even before he’s had a chance to relax. He reached down absent minded, stroking down the neck and back of kitten. He strode across the room, sitting on the couch next to her. He brushed the hair out of her face and leaned in lovingly placing a soft kiss onto her forehead and smiling as she stirred slightly.
“I’ve told you not to wait up for me.” He smiles sheepishly, feeling guilty for her keeping up on the uncomfortable couch. He watched her eyes flutter open slightly and kissed her cheek once, then her lips. Pressing his forehead against hers and smiling as she nuzzles against him. His cheeks blush as she kisses him back, still half asleep feeling her lips soft and full against him, and then her tongue slipping onto his own. He turned, clicking the remote and turning off the T.V., and reaching over to pull the chain on the lamp. The room almost completely dark except for the faint glow of the digital photo frame, cycling through various pictures of their time together. He scooped her up into his arms, and walked her quietly to the bedroom, surprised as she leaned up and kissed him again, feeling her slightly more awake and frisky. He shut the door to their room and laid her on the bed, smiling as she finally seems to come to life.