Sleepless

[AdriaanBlackwind]

Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick...

24:28... 25:34... 01:03... 01:54... 02:16... 02:38... 02:46... 03:14... 03:20... 03:30... 03:45...

Black turned around in bed restlessly, there could be no sleep. Thoughts dwelled back and forth, the past, the present, the future. Giving up on sleeping, he opens his eyes, facing his love, his only one. Sleeping so silently, smiling in her sleep. One could wonder what she dreams to produce such a smile. Smiling back, Black lays his hand on her neck and strokes her cheek gently with his thumb. She smiles more in her sleep, tilting her head to his hand. Black chuckles silently moves forward and kisses her forehead, then sits up in bed, sighing. The curtains before the windows is drawn for, filling the apartment with darkness. His eyes adjusts to it, he can make out the end of the bed, the shelves, the door to the bathroom and kitchen.
He slides sideways, planting his feet on the floor, lays his face in his hands and slides them down, stretching his face. Sighing again he sets his elbows to his knees and looks out a crack in the curtains, to Jobe. Such a strange and dreamy place it is at night, the misty fogs of stars and the eerie moons.
Suddenly he feels a warm, soft hand stroking down his back, he smiles and turns his head back. His love smiling sleepy up at him.

"What's the matter love? Can't sleep?" She asks and yawns.
Black shakes his head. "No, too many thoughts." He leans down and kisses her cheek. "Go back to sleep, I'll just...Wash up or something." He smiles at her and kisses her nose.
She giggles and closes her eyes. "Alright..."

Black gets up and walks to the bathroom, rubbing his eyes. Pushing the marble-strings aside, making them clink together and steps over to the sink, looking into the mirror. Sleepy, tired eyes, his hair messed up and all over the place. He yawns to the mirror and blinks away some sleepy tears, turns the sink on, letting it pour, looking back up at the mirror, sticking his tongue out to himself, "Idiot" he says and sticks his head under the running water, brushing his fingers through his long, black hair. Bringing his head back up he shakes it, like a wet dog to dry it off. Taking a brush from a cup next to the sink he brushes his hair for a moment and looks back into the mirror. Face wet, hair wet, small drops of water falling from his forelock. Some slow shuffling of slippers across the carpet next door, the marble-strings clink, Millie's at the door.

"Won't you come back to bed? It's too early to get up now. It's only.." she yawns, "four am..." almost falling asleep at the door, she smiles.
"I'll be there in a moment cutie...", Black walks over to her and kisses the corner of her lips, she sleepily hangs her arms around his neck.
"How can you be awake so.." she yawns again, "early..." she says and rests her head on Black's chest. He smiles as he lifts her up, carrying her back to bed, she's already asleep again. Laying her back into the bed, tucking her in she wakes up again. Black smiles at her and kisses her cheek. "In a moment hun..." He smiles again and walks into the kitchen.

Opening the door to the fridge, it lights up his body in the dark. The fridge whirs disturbingly. Black takes out a mug of milk and pours it into a cup from the shelves. Leaning against the kitchen unit, looking down at the twins down in the living room in the bed he had ordered for them, double-bed. One lieing silently, the other tossing and turning. Must be Emy having a nightmare again. He smiles a little and drinks the milk, sets the cup into the dishwasher and walks down into the living room, kneeling by Emy, stroking her head. She gasps as she wakes up and looks up at Black.

"Daddy, I had a nightmare." She mumbles with a low voice.
Black smiles at her and kisses her forehead. "I know. Go back to sleep now, we don't want to wake Marine." He winks at Emy and nods his head sideways to Marine, sleeping tight. Emy smiles and closes her eyes. "I love you daddy."
Black chuckles. "I love you too baby..." He whispers as he gets up, brushing some hair from Emy's forehead as she goes back to sleep.

Black starts to walk back up to the kitchen as he hears a low voice, Marine. "Dad... When can I go out again? Am I still grounded?" She lies on her tummy, her chin resting on her arms, looking up at Black as he turns, smiling, whispering. "Nah... You can go out again tomorrow. Just stay out of trouble, alright?" Marine looks down and nods, cacking her chin against her arms. "Okai, no trouble." She looks up again and smiles. "Go back to sleep Marine, morning soon." Black whispers and starts walking back up to the kitchen. "Ok dad, good night." He turns his head and smiles at Marine as he walks the ramp up to the kitchen. "Good night Marine, love you." Marine groans and tosses herself to her side to sleep. "You're so childish dad." she mumbles and falls asleep.

Black smiles and walks through the kitchen, into the bedroom, to his side of the bed and sits down. Looking out the crack of the curtain again, the suns are starting to rise above the horizon. He looks at the clock on his night table and sighs, lifts his legs up in the bed, under the blanket and lays his head on his cushion. Feeling Millie scoot over to him, laying an arm around him, her head against his shoulder. He smiles and closes his eyes.

...Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick...

[_____________DrKobak]

Cham, I really enjoy your style of writing. Very well done. As always, I look forward to reading more.

[_______________Lunya]

The rest of this story can be found in the upcoming issue of SoS~Mag! If you want to read more, be sure to be on the lookout for the ~Society of Slavation~'s December issue!

Have a story of your own? Want to get published? SoS~Mag is a great way to be seen by lots of eyes with minimal effort from you! Submit your stories, articles, poems, jokes, and pictures to sosmagazine@hotmail.com! Hurry! The December issue deadline is coming up next week!

[Shadowset]

awsome writing

*two thumbs up*

[AdriaanBlackwind]

Don't worry folks. Three chapters are sent to the ~SoS~ Magazine editing room (This one included), with artwork done by Millie to illustrate some of the scenes in Sleepless I/II/III

[AdriaanBlackwind]

(Continues where Sleepless III stops. If you haven't read it, go read it in the ~SoS~ Mag! ((UNDER RE-CONSTRUCTION, found here meanwhile!)))

"They're all co-operating?"
"Yes Madam, all but one, Madam."
"Who? Show me."
"In here, Madam."

The door to a cell creeks open. Two women steps inside and closes the door behind them.

"This one, Madam, is refusing to do as told."

In the corner of the cell a young, opifex male, with short black hair, kneels with his hands bound behind his back.
The Madam walks towards him.

"Stand up, slave."

He doesn't move.

"Stand UP, slave!"

She slaps the back of her hand against his cheek and a loud smack is heard in the cell. The man simply groans and sits back up.
The Madam turns and walks to the other woman.

"Clean him up and bring him to my quarters, he needs to be tamed." The Madam says and walks out of the cell.
"Yes, Madam, I'll do it right away, Madam." replies the other woman and follows, closing the door.

"Hun? Are you alright?" Millie looks concerned up at Black.
He blinks and smiles at her, sighing. "Yes cutie.. I'm just tired, didn't get much sleep last night."
Millie gets up on her toes and kisses his nose, giggling. "Ok, I have to get ready. There's a doctors conference I have to attend to." She smiles and hugs him, then shuffles to the bathroom. Black follows her with his eyes till she's out of sight, looks down and sighs.

"Why are you not obeying, slave?"

The Madam stands infront of the young man, wearing a latex uniform and a whip. The man wears nothing but some rags and a cloth, his hands bound infront of him. Two other women wearing latex stands next to him on each side.

"Answer me, slave!"

The man keeps a stare down at the floor and doesn't answer.

"Stand back." The Madam says, the two women at the mans side takes a few steps away. "Yes, Mistress."

The whip cracks right infront of the mans face, with a scare he looks up and gasps.

"Last chance, slave, and you better answer me. Why are you not doing as told?"

The man takes a deep breath and looks back down, quickly followed by a crack of the whip against his chest. He shouts in pain and steps back against a wall. A small stripe of blood trickles from his chest.

"I'm ready to go love. I'll see you tonight, ok?" Millie walks over to Black and kisses his cheek. All dressed up in conference uniform.
"Yes sweetie, I think I'll be home early, so I'll buy dinner." Black smiles and kisses Millies lips shortly.
"Ok." Millie smiles, "I really have to run now, but I don't want to.." she pouts.
"Oh..? Why not?" Black tilts his head and strokes Millies cheek with his index finger.
"You look worried, or sad... Is something wrong?" she turns her head slightly and kisses Blacks finger.
"I'm fine hun... Go on, you'll be late." He grins and turns her around, slapping her butt to make her go.
"Ow! Heehee, ok ok, I'm going." She turns around and walks backwards, sticking her tongue out at Black, then blows him a kiss. Black smiles and waves at her as she runs out the front door.

The whip cracks again, and again.
The man falls to the floor groaning.

"Clean him up and get him some clothes, then throw him back into his cell. Bring him back up here tomorrow morning." The Madam says, rolling her whip together.
The two women nods and picks up the young man, bleeding from his chest and back. "Yes Mistress."

Black slowly walks down the ramp to the living room, passes the double bed and sits down in one of the sacks by the window and looks out. The suns already above the horizon and shining down on Jobe. He sighs.

"Tell me now, slave, why you won't listen, and I won't punish you any more."

The man, with his head down, hands still bound infront of him. Now wearing a leather suit - pants and top.
"I'm not submissive."

The Madam nods. "I see, but you still have to obey me. You are my slave and nothing will change that. Do as I tell you, gain my trust and I might release you of slavery and let you pick amongst them to become a Master. Do you understand? You will never leave here."

The man sighs and finally nods. The Madam smiles.

"That's a good slave. You're our only male slave, I don't know why my pets caught you and didn't let you go, but I may still have use of you." The Madam hangs her whip up on a wall covered with different tools of torture and walks up to the man.
"You will serve all the mistresses as a runner and helper. You will never speak, execpt when acknowledging their commands with; Yes Mistress. Like now, you will never look up at them. You will never be standing or seated on a higher level as them. Do you understand?"

The man nods and speaks carefully. "Yes..Mistress."

Black puts his palms to his face and pulls it, looking at the table next to him, a bottle of Jack. Taking a long gulp of it he sighs and peers down at Jobe. Sizzling with activity.

The mainhalls of the castle. All the mistresses sits around a rectangular table, about sixteen or seventeen of them. Behind them sits the pets and slaves, three or four for each mistress, eight or nine around the top chair around the Headmistress. All but one. A young man carries plate over plate with food, treats and drinks. The occasional mistress thanks him by throwing him a treat.
The Headmistress taps her long glass of wine with her spoon and stands up. Quickly the man rushes behind her and her pets, and folds his hands behind him. He had been there for so long now he had lost count. Serving them, being punished by them, yet hopefully the day had come.

"My fellow mistresses! Yet another great banquette, and it warms my heart to see you all here at my table again. We've grown into such a large and loving family!"

The other mistresses smiles and claps for the Headmistress, the pets sits quietly and listens.

Black walks out to the balcony. The high wind of the Shadowlands brushes through his hair and gives him goosebumps on his arms. He leans against the window to the living room and looks down into the void. It might aswell have been the sky on how it looked. Confusing, such a place, where the horizon is only the meeting of two skies, two heavens.

"Today we will release a slave, and welcome it into Dominance." The Headmistress turns towards the man and raises her glass. "We raise our glasses and welcome you. Come forward."
The man walks rushingly to the Headmistress, his hands still folded behind his back, staring down. The Headmistress smiles at him, putting a finger under his chin and raises his head.
"Today you are no longer known as a slave, but a Master, and with a Master there will be a slave."

The Headmistress nods to one of her slaves, who nods back and tiptoes into a dark spot in the mainhall. The slave returns holding a chain, the chain linked to a collar around the neck of a girl. The slave gets down on all four and crawls over to the Headmistress, laying the leash into her hands and sits down as she was.

Black places his hands on the safety railing on the balcony and leans over. Looking straight down as he had seen Marine do, telling her not to.

"We grant you your first pet, master." The Headmistress places the leash in the young mans extended hand. He looks at the girl. The girl, with her long, blonde hair, short and young looks frightened back at her master. Unsure of what's going on, her lips tremble and studders a weak "hi" at the young man. He frowns and pulls gently in the leash, making her almost fall before him, she takes a hold of his shirt and pulls herself up.
The Headmistress smiles and nods to the young man, then turns to the others. "Let us continue the banquette!"
The mistresses all applauses the new master and their Headmistress and continues to eat and drink, now served by their pets.

The young man pulls in the leash and walks out of the mainhall as the Headmistress had told him to do after the transfer. The girl follows, holding a hand around the leash to ease her neck from the pulls.
He pushes a door open and enters, pulling the girl with him.
"Close the door." He says, and she does. "Sit." He points at a cushion on the floor, she walks over to it and sits down, looking around the room. It was nice, but cold and dark. She speaks, "What's going on?"

Black sighs and leans back into the balcony. He takes a sip of his glass of Jack and turns to go back inside, throwing the glass over his shoulder it falls into the void.

The rules had been set, she had understood them.
The whip cracks infront of her face. She whimpers and cries, standing against the wall, her back to him, legs spread and arms to the sides.

"Why am I doing this pet?" He says, awaiting with the whip.
"I...I failed to call you Master.."
The whip cracks again, right above her extended arm, she screams in terror.
"Who?" He says calm.
"Pet..failed to call..you Master.."
The whip cracks again, this time above her head.
"Call who what?"
"P...p...et..failed..to..call..Master...for..Maste r..." She bites her lip hard, trying not to cry.
"Don't studder." The young man says getting his whip ready and cracks it at her. It hits her cheek and she instantly falls with a shriek. He rushes to her, throwing the whip aside and pulls her to his lap.
"Let me see." He says firm. She removes her hand from her cheek, a small stripe of blood runs down it. She lets out a small cry as he strokes a wet thumb over it. "You'll be fine.." He holds her close, rocking her back and forth gently as he hushes her silently while she cries.
"Pet is sorry, Master.. Pet is sorry.."

Black lays down on the bed and closes his eyes. The suns shines bright into the bedroom as he stares at the alarmclock.

Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick... Pet is sorry, Master... Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick...

[AdriaanBlackwind]

"Pet and Master will run away, Master?"
The young man was packing his bags, clothes, a few rations, whip and other things he thought might be useful.
"Don't question me, pet. You're coming with me."
She watched him, looking into his eyes at every chance like he had instructed her to.
"Pet isn't questioning Master, pet will follow Master where Master wishes, Master."
The man smiled at her, while walking quickly back and forth with new things for the backpack.
"May pet help, Master?"
"You'll carry the bag for me. We'll leave tonight at midnight, Headmistress goes to bed aro.."

A thump from the door. The man rushes to it and opens. Nobody there. He closes it again slowly.
"Pet, no more words of this. Get some rest."
The pet nods and lays down on her carpet, looking up at her Master as he crosses the room. He shakes his head and points to his bed.
"You'll get better rest there pet." He takes her leash and leads her to his bed, pointing at one side of it, she lays down on top of the blanket and curls together. He smiles and sneaks under the blanket and closes his eyes.

Black wakes up from a beeping on his com. Grunting he pulls it up from under his blanket and reads.

'Don't forget dinner! Kisses, Millie.'

He smiles and tucks it under the blanket again.

"Step quietly pet" The Master whispers, tiptoeing down the circular stairs of the castle. She whispers back. "Pet is silent, Master."

Well downstairs he looks around, nobody but them. He pushes a wall carpet aside, showing a small hole in the wall, large enough for them to crawl through. "You first pet." He lets go of the leash, she takes it and quickly rolls it up and holds it in her hand while crawling through. The young man takes one last look back into the cold, dark castle before he kneels down to crawl. Just as he leans down someone slides down the stairs with a crash. Swiftly he hides the hole with the wallcarpet and stands up, looking down at the person. One of the headmistresses pets, hardly wearing anything, she looks up at him scared.

"Get up." He speaks, strictly, like a Master. The Headmistress pet gets up and brushes some dust off her legs. "What are you doing here so late?" He asks.
She bows her head and speaks carefully. "Headmistresses pet heard you talk before of leaving.." She looks up, slightly looking at his eyes, staring right back. "..And would ask to join Master."

The Master looks up the stairs, footsteps. The light from a candle lights down.
"Follow then." He says suddenly, revealing the hole behind the carpet and quickly crawls in. The Headmistresses pet follows.

Black grunts as his com beeps again. He picks it out of the blanket and reads.

'I'll be home late love, some of the speeches are longer than I expected. Love you. Millie.'

He pushes a few buttons and sends a loving message back at her. At the same time he sends a message to the catering services of the ~Society of Salvation~. With a smirk across his face he lays his head back down on the cushion.

They were far out in the desert. The young man walking first, holding a leash back to the collar of his pet. Behind them was the headmistresses pet, carrying a backpack and shuffling through the hot sand. The suns stood high above the ground, their shadows were right under them, and no other shade in sight.

"When will we be there, Master?" she asked, with a tone of superiority.
The Master frowns and tightens his grip around the leash, but speaks back calmly. "We should be reaching the port in a few hours time, slave."
"Cannot your pet carry this bag some, Master? My back is hurting." she utters, holding around the reins to help eaze the weight.
"Gain some trust slave, and I might make things easier on you." He says, slowing down a little for them to catch up.
"Master?", the soft whisper put a smile on his face. Yet he didn't answer. His pet waited patiently to have the word she asked for by saying his name. A few steps later he answered in a whisper. "Yes pet?"
"Master, pet will gladly help with the bag, pet isn't tired, Master." she whispers back, tiptoeing over the hot sand.
"I know, pet. You may take it after we rest." he whispers and points to a small oasis in the distance.

Black turns in his sleep, his lips move, whispering to himself.
"You always listened before..."
He pulls his blanket closer, as if hugging someone to his chest.
"It's my fault you're where you are..." he whispers again.

"Drink just a little, to wet your lips." He passes a small bottle of water to his pet, who's holding her leash around her hand, smiling brightly at her Master as she takes the bottle. Carefully she pushes the end of the bottle against her dry lips and squeezes it. Clear water wets her lips, she closes her eyes and smiles, rolling her lips over each other. Opening her eyes again she hands the bottle back to her Master.

"To the slave, pet." He nods to the headmistresses pet, now his slave. The slave raises her head and looks to the pet, reaching her hand out for the bottle. The pet gives it to her and smiles.
The slave looks up at the bright, blue sky and lets the water run against her face. Valuable drops of water hits the sand with a hiss. She opens her mouth and lets some in, to the last drop.
Masters pet watches with wide eyes as the slave tosses the empty bottle back at her, running her hands through her wet hair. The Master watches from the corner of his eye but says nothing, he takes the bottle from his pet and puts it into the bag.
"Lets go." He says and gets up, leaving the bag on the ground. The pet and slave slowly gets up on their feet. The pet hands her leash to her Master, who takes it firmly in his hand and smiles at her.
"Pet will take the bag, Master." She says and smiles brightly and leans down to take the bag. He pulls the leash, the pet doesn't reach the bag but tries all she can to get a grip of it. Perhaps it was a test, but he speaks. "Slave takes it, pet." He looks up at the slave whos jaw drops. "But I carried it all this way!" she says and stomps her foot. The Master says nothing, turns away and begins to walk. His pet looks back at the slave while walking, she's frowning, standing next to the backpack.
He whispers. "Is she following, pet?"
"No, Master. Slave is not obeying Master, Master." she whispers back.
"We walk a little further." he says and keeps a low speed over the desert dunes.

Black opens his eyes and sighs as the doorbell dings. Slowly he brushes the blanket off him and walks out to the kitchen, into the hallway and to the doorpad. He pushes a button and gets a visual of the outside on a monitor. Meta and April stand there, chatting and giggling. He runs his fingers through his long, black hair to set it straight and opens the door, smiling.
"Good day ladies."
They both smile back, Meta curts politely as usual.
"Good day Black. We brought your food." April says smiling and nods to Meta.
Meta hands Black four boxes of frosted pizza. He takes them and smiles. "Uhh..How much do I owe you?" He says and puts the pizzas down inside, taking out his CreditCard.
April smiles, "It's free to members Black. This is your first time ordering takeout isn't it?" They giggle a little, Black smiles at them and puts his CreditCard into his backpocket. "Yeah... I'm feeling lazy I guess, don't feel like cooking."
April looks over at Blacks side and inside. "Your wife isn't here on your day off?"
Black turns his head slightly and looks inside. "Huh, wife? Oh... Millie. No, she's at some doctors conference, I was left with food duty." He smiles.
April smiles back and looks Black up and down, as if judging his morning appearance in the late afternoon.
"I rarely see you off duty Black." She looks up and smiles at him, "You look terrible." Meta giggles, so does April.
Black chuckles, "I suppose I do", he looks down at himself, "haven't gotten much sleep lately." he looks back out at the giggling girls and smiles.
"You two want to come inside or something? Probably have something to drink in the fridge..." April shakes her head and takes Metas hand. "No thank you Black, we're going out today, there's a party at Reets Retreat." She kisses Meta, and Meta blushes. Black smiles. "Alright then... Have fun you two."
"You too Black." April waves and Meta curts as he walks back inside.
He picks up the frozen pizzas and carries them to the kitchen, pushes them into the fridge, closes the door and heads down to the living room.

(Continues at the next post)

[AdriaanBlackwind]

(Continues from the previous post)

A panting and quick feet catches up to them. The pet turns and smiles to the slave who keeps her head down, with the backpack tossed up on her back.
"Slave is sorry, Master." the slave whispers.
The Master nods acceptingly to the slave, smiles and turns, continuing through the desert.

A few hours later they reach the port. The Master walks up to the ticket salesman.

"Good day Sir. Three tickets for earth, how much is that?"
The salesman chuckles and names a price, a price too high for him.
The Master sighs and takes some small things out of his pocket. The salesman shakes his head to it all. "Listen Sir, I can't take this junk as a ticket for three, I need paying customers. But if you wait till tomorrow, and if there's spare seats, maybe we can cut a deal hm?"
The Master nods and asks the salesman if there is a place they could stay. He tells him about a small creep-in in town. The Master nods again and goes back to the pet and slave.
"We leave tomorrow."
The pet and slave got to their feet and gathered the things they had laid around to eaze their shoulders from carrying and follows The Master to the creep-in.

"Sit down." He says well inside the room of the creep-in. The pet and slave sits down on a carpet that laid there. The slave sits casually, but the pet kneels and folds her hands in her lap, just like he had instructed her to.
"There is no way I can get us three tickets. Perhaps I can bargain my way to get two tickets, and they will be for you two."
The pet looks worried up at her master. "Pet and slave will leave Master behind, Master?"
He nods. "Yes pet, but as soon as I can get enough money for myself, I'll take a flight out of here and look for you."
The pet nods reassured, yet worried.
"Now lets get some sleep."
They had the last room available, a room with two beds. The Master looks at the slave and points at the bed in the corner and takes his pets hand. She smiles and holds his hand tight, but The Master looks sad.
"Master?" She says.
"Yes pet?"
"Master looks sad, is something troubling Master?"
The young man sits down on the bed, holding his pets hands in front of him, looking at them, stroking them with his thumbs.
"No pet... Master is..Mm..Tired."
The first lie. He wasn't tired at all. He was sad and angry at himself. He wanted his pet and the slave to live free. He never wanted to be a Master in the first place. The headmistresses pets had taken him while he was asleep. As a sacrifice they had said to him when caged in the wagon on the way to the castle. Strangely the headmistress had thought otherwise, granting him his freedom from slavery to being a master, after so long. But he hadn't been free in his own eyes. He was still trapped there, that was why he wanted to run away. That was why he took them along. To free them. But looking into his pets eyes he knew she wouldn't let go. After so long she seemed brainwashed.

"Look here pet.." He whispers and pulls something out of his pocket.
It's an odd ear-ring. A ring with a thin chain, and in the end was a small polished rock. It looked old, not of any value, except for the emotional kind. Carefully he breaks the chain in half and puts the ring with half the chain in his pets hands.
"I want you to have this, and I will have the other half. This way.. We'll always be connected.." He says, with a heavy sigh.
The pet smiles while looking at it. The Master smiles briefly and hugs his pet.
Sitting back into the bed again, he reaches in his pocket and takes out a small bottle of pills. He unscrews the top and gives a pill to his pet.
"Here. It's... For motion sickness..For the ship."
The second lie. In this time a day, motion sickness wasn't something you would get from space travel.
The pet smiles, trusting her Master she takes the pill and swallows it with a glass of water from the night table.
"Come." He whispers, opening the blanket and creeps into the bed, motioning his hand at her to follow.
"Master is...Sure..Master..?" She says nervously.
He smiles at her. "Just to sleep. The desert can be cold at night.. Come on."
She smiles and crawls under the blanket, with a little distance. She had never been under the blanket, nervously she looks into his eyes. They were tired, sad, deep in thought. He puts his arm around her and pulls her close. Her breathing became faster for the minute, but quickly calms with her hand and ear against his chest. She smiles and slowly falls asleep, slowly her memory fades away.

Black hit his head gently against the window of the living room, looking into his hand at a small bottle. The decision that changed his path in life, yet somehow kept her on the same.

"Madam, you're missing your flight!"
The young man shakes her gently. The pet wakes up.
"What flight?" She says sleepily.
He points out the window at a spaceship. "That one, now come on, you'll miss it."
"But where..? I can't remember..I have such a headache..."
He smiles at her and lays her clothes on the bed. "I'll leave now so you can get dressed." He says and leaves the room, closing the door behind him. Outside stands the slave.

"Listen slave. I have to trust you with this. I don't want her to remember me, I want her to live free, you as well. You hear?"
The slave nods.
"Good. I want you to look after her till she's well settled on earth." He sighs. "I'm guessing I won't be able to make that kind of money for another ticket, but I got two for you." He lays the tickets in the slaves hand. "Can I trust you with her?" He asks, folding his hands over hers and the tickets.
"Yes, Mast..." He interrupts her. "Don't call me Master. Call me.. uhh..well, Sir."
She smirks. "Yes Sir. I'll take good care of her. Don't you worry."

Black turns quickly and throws the bottle against the fireplace. It shatters, making a loud bang throughout the apartment. A tear runs down his cheek as he clenches his fists, trying hard for there not to be another.

"Good bye now Madam." He says and kisses her cheek.
"Good bye..Sir..I can't seem to remember your name..?" She says confused and picks up her bag. He smiles at her. "Oh that's just the heat. You'll remember me as soon as you get along to the cool earth." He walks her to the stairway to the ship. The slave puts the two tickets into a machine and begins walking up. The pet turns to the young man.
"Will I see you again Sir?"
He hesitates for a moment.
"Uh..Yes, of course Madam." He smiles and pushes her onto the stairway gently. "Hurry now, or you'll miss the ship. Bye bye!" He waves at her as she walks up. She turns her head time and time again to wave and wonder who the young man was.

The spaceship lifts off and flies up into the morning sky. He watches it with tears in his eyes, holding hard at a collar and leash. She would never remember him.

Sniffing, Black gathers up the shattered glass. His CAS gloves protects his fingers from getting cut as he brushes the tiny bits into a small dust container.
Sitting back a little, studying one of the small pills. Pills that would make anyone forget, and everything forgotten would only seem like lost dreams. If only he could take one, and the memories of the pet and slave would be gone, memories that makes him sleepless, memories he remembers just like yesterday, but so would everything else, things he wanted to remember.
He sighs and brushes the pills into the dust container as well.

[AdriaanBlackwind]

Four eyes peers from behind a bush. Silent whispers of an arguement.
"Come on..You go, distract it, and I'll come kick its ass."
Marine gently shoves at Emy.
"Why always me?!" Emy whispers back.
"You got the long sword, I got the toothpicks, remember?" Marine whispers and shows Emy her daggers, sharp and black.
Emy rolls her eyes and nods, looking back out from the bush at the tiger, black and red as if of fire and ash, walking unknowing amongst its brothers and sisters.

Emy sneaks out behind him, walks around at its side, raises her sword and looks at Marine who's getting ready to jump out of the bush.
"AAAAEEEEAAAAHH!!!" Emy shouts as she swings her sword against the hard skin of the tiger, barely cutting through. The tiger roars and turns against Emy, whos eyes almost pops out from her head as she sees the size of the tiger on its two feet, ready to slam at her.
Suddenly it falls down, Marine laughs triumphantly as she sits on its back with her daggers deep into the wound made by Emy.
"We did it sis! We killed it!" Marine raises her arms and cheers. Emy smiles and takes a deep breath, swinging her sword into the belt she had made for it.
Marine gloats and cheers, flexing her small muscles while grinning at her sister whos giggling and smiling at her. "Great team work sis, we vanquished the bea..."
Marine falls off the tiger with a shriek as it quickly stands up again. It turns against Marine, gets up on its back paws, ready to hit its powerful front paws against her. Marine screams as the tiger lands on her with a thump, dead.

Emy blinks, looking at the tiger, split in half, and the bloody sword in her hands. In a second she comes to as she hears the muffled screams of her sister underneath the upper half of the tiger. Emy drops the sword and pushes the remains of the tiger off her sister.
"Sis?! Are you ok?!"
Marine pants and stares up at her sister.
"Sis, answer me sis." Emy pushes the lower half of the tiger off Marine's legs and begins to shake her. "Please, please answer me sis.."
Marine suddenly wraps her arms around Emys neck and hugs her. Emy smiles and pulls her sister up.

They both look down at the split beast. The fire glowing inside it slowly settles, the tiger turns to ashes and gets taken by the wind.
"Strange how things work" says Emy.
"How you mean?" Marine replies.
"There's nothing left of it. I mean.. We slayed it, killed it." She looks around at the other tigers, "they didn't seem to mind, not one bit, while we killed one of their own." she looks at her sister "while we would die for eachother. Now the beast is taken by the Shadowlands, and perhaps never to be seen again for what we know."
Marine looks up at her sister and smiles. "Maybe things are different for them sis, maybe they want to die because of the failing brink, and respects eachothers wishes as one of their brothers or sisters are attacked by us, so they just mind their own business."
Emy smiles. "Either that or they're just blind and deaf, or just plain dumb." They both giggle and watches as the tigers walk around them, not minding them.

Marine looks down at herself, red blood straight across her waist, dripping down her leather pants. The end of each leg is neatly folded up on the inside. She giggles.
"Dad's gonna freak out.."
Emy looks at her sister. "Why? It's not like it's the first time you come home bloody."
Marine giggles some more. "I know.. But these are his pants.."
Emy joins Marine giggling as they walk back to Jobe, and home for dinner.

[AdriaanBlackwind]

Two months later - 3 days ago.

Black lay sleepless in his low-cost apartment in Jobe Harbour. The room was dark from the eerie night, but it wasn't undisturbed. Little Marine lay next to him crying in his arms.
"Dad..When's Mom and Emy coming back...When?"
Black sighed and took a deep breath. "I don't think they will be.." Marine embrased him tight and screamed into his chest; "Why?!"
Silently he hushed her, stroking her back softly. It had been tough to handle, he had told Marine that her mother and sister had died in a shuttle-crash and that their bodies had been found - with no reclaim.
This wasn't even half the truth, not one bit of it - but she was dead to him.

"Someone else?"
She seemed nervous. "Y..Yes hun.."
He turned as red as an opifex can get and frowned. "Why?"

Quietly he cried while holding around Marine. She didn't mind, she knew it hurt him as much as it hurt her to lose them. She stroked her cheek against his chest, she began to cry harder as she heard how hard and fast his heart was beating. Without the slightest idea of how the love to another from outside a family felt, she understood now how much it could hurt a person, and she promised herself to never fall in love.

"What do you want to do about the kids then..?"
"I'll take Emy with me..I think it would be best."
"What will you tell her?"
"I'll tell her the truth.."
"I see.."
"What will you tell Marine..?"
He had looked at her with hatred, his eyes would have made any person fear for their lives, but she knew he wouldn't hurt her.
"I'll tell her you're dead, because that's what you are to me."

The both of them had stopped crying, silently whispering.
"Marine..If you want to get away some.. I could ask Mag..." She interrupted him.
"No..I want to stay with you..I don't want to go away or be away from you dad..."
He nodded to her and stroked her black hair. It was as black as his, it felt just like it. He looked at it, thinking of how happy he had been when she and Emy had been born.

"You know that they were an accident.. They weren't meant to be...We..weren't meant to be.. It would have ended alot sooner if it wasn't for them..But I can't keep lying to myself..Please don't be angry at me.. I know they were my fault..I was the one who slipped up.."
She had made him sick to his stomach, he felt like running to the toilet in Rompa and throw up all that was inside of him, but it wouldn't make his feelings go away.
"Not be angry at you? How the hell do you expect me to feel then?!"

"What will we do dad..? Should we have a fu.." She choked on the word. "..Funeral for them..?" Black shook his head and pulled her close to his chest again. "No..I don't think she'd like that, kid.."
They both sniffed occasionally, both looking aimlessly on the opposite wall from them, just staring and sniffing while talking.
"I'm going to miss them dad..Going to miss fighting with Emy and kicking her butt.. Going to miss calling her a chicken.. Gonna miss mom.."
"Me too kid.."
She looked up at him, his face was red and his eyes was aswell. "What will you miss dad..?"

"I..I have to go.."
"Fine, go."
She got up and ran, he hadn't even looked at her, he didn't want to see her again - ever.

"Dad..?"
He looked down. Marine's eyes was as red as his with tears. Usually they would be big and dark, like an endless void. He had told her once that he could fall into them and never be able to escape them, that they looked like the ones of a lost puppy, sweet and adorable.
"I'll miss baby, for her laughter, and..and the way she calls me daddy.."
Marine scooted up higher in the bed and hugged her dad. Whispering in his ear. "What about mom..? What will you miss about mom?"
He hugged her back, pushing her cheek against his, whispering. "I'll miss the way we used to talk....and.." He hesitated, Marine slided her head off his and looked into his eyes. "And what dad?"
He forced a smile and stroke her cheek with his thumb. "..and things that are between her and me, kid.."
Marine quickly asked and smirked. "Bumping?" Black chuckled some. It felt good. He ruffled her hair with his hand and smiled at her. "Yeah.. But dad can live without that..It's not important." Marine sniffed and smiled aswell. "What will we do now dad..?"
"Earlier..I asked if you wanted to go stay with Magan..Beca.." She interrupted him again. "No, I don't want to." He smiled and sniffed, stroking her cheek with his thumb again, brushing away the tears. "I know..But I asked because..I need to get away..You know? I can't stand seeing things that would remind me.." He closes his eyes tight, trying to stop the tears from coming again. Marine scooted close again and lay her cheek on his. "D..Do I remind you..?" She felt him nod, the tears came from them both. "Do y..you want me to g..go away then..dad..?" He gently pushed her cheek off him and held her head in his hands, his forehead to hers, his nose to hers and looked into her teary eyes. "No..I won't leave you kid.. We'll both go away..We'll both go, kid.." She looked back into his eyes. "But where dad..? Where will we go?" He lifted his head and kissed her cheek. "Wherever the road takes us kid..And to wherever there are no roads..We'll vanish.."

[AdriaanBlackwind]

The news on channel 2303 is about to finish when the last story comes up.

"....and in other news, a General of the Omni-Tek corperation has been reported missing today. The person reporting this has been asked to remain anonomous for not too obvious reasons.
The General had been last seen 3 days ago walking into Borealis City through the southern gate.
The Generals name is Blackwind..."

A holo-image of Blackwind comes up on the screen.

"Although only the General has been reported missing - a few tips has come to us that also the Generals daughter - Marine Demongun.."

A holo-image of Marine Blackwind comes up on the screen.

"...has been missing for the same amount of days. The location where she was last seen is unknown.

If you have any tips or clues to where Blackwind or Marine Blackwind is, the number to call is 19-48-13-37.

This concludes todays news on Channel 2303, your source for the less important news."

---

(Open to all to post.)

[_______________Lunya]

Lunya's jaw dropped.

She sat straight up and pulled her knees to her chest, hugging them. No way, she'd heard the wrong name... it was a mistake...

The image of Demongun flashed up on the screen.

For what seemed like eternity she stared at the familiar face. Borealis gate... then...

She closed her eyes tight for a moment and the tears went away.

"...Tell me it's just an adventurer thing, DG. Tell me ya jest wanted to get out of the cities for a bit... You're comin' back..."

"Marine Blackwind..."

She froze and opened her eyes wide. Marine... the feisty little girl she'd heard a few times on the comm channel back when Lunya was in ~SoS~. She couldn't help but smirk at the thought of Black trying to explain to Marine what 'bumping' meant. All because of Lunya's big, fat mouth...

"...has been missing for the same amount of days."

"No...no way. Aw, dangit! Not both of ya!"

She sighed and laid back on the floor in front of the screen. Memories flickered in her mind. Once when Black had taken her with him while he hunted Cyborgs... then so like an explorer, he wanted to see what the cave led to... It had led to a bunch of enormous Atroxes and Lunya being sent to reclaim before she could catch her breath!

She also thought of Black coming to her apartment to stay with her when Malachii had come back. Sitting accross from DG in her livingroom, doors locked and security on, they'd talked for quite a while about pain and fear. When she thought no one else understood how terrified she was, Black had come to comfort her.

And whatever it was that had driven him to take his daughter and keep walking, Lunya couldn't comfort him. She felt helpless and alone for one moment... and then she took a deep breath.

Lunya reached over to the chair and picked up her portable comm unit. It had been off for the last few days, she didn't have anyone she wanted to talk to. But now she wondered...

She pressed her thumb to the ID pad and it blinked on. She waited a few moments, and it buzzed. Offline message. No origin.

So there was something she could do for her friend and fellow Adventurer:

" ...I can't protect her right now.. Could you..take her in?" the last bit of the message read.

"Sure, DG. I can do that. Not a problem."

[arimathea]

Arimathea frowned and turned off the news. "More and more bad news every day.." she muttered to herself. Her heart sank as she glanced over at Poutiney, across the room lounging in one of their big chairs. The younger opifex pushed her glasses back to her face and kept reading her book, oblivious to the world around her. How am I going to tell her? Ari thought to herself, already crossing the room to sit in the chair opposite her.

"Whatcha readin, Poupou?"

Poutiney squeaked out the name of the book, a rather long name actually, but she was in one of those chipper moods where she talks fifty meters a minute and Ari just couldn't keep up. she smiled and nodded, pretending to understand. Ari couldn't read anyway, so the names of books never were that important to her. She just liked making conversation. Pou's bureaucrat droid, MUFFINBOT - 29478, pitched a muffin at Ari and scowled at her for interrupting.

"Owww! Pou, can't you make him quit that? That droid is getting violent with those things!" Ari rubbed her arm, raising her eyebrow.

"Ohmygod!Muffinbotknockitoff!!" Poutiney chucked her book at Muffinbot in a rather weak spot, knocking it to the floor. Its robotic voice creaked out its usual Your wish is my command, master. Deactivating... and turned itself off. Ari couldn't help but crack weak smile at the scene.

"Pou, since adopting you officially it's been a lot harder for me to tell you things like this.. because you're really family now. And I worry about you, because I don't want you to end up like you did before." Ari thought back to when she was renting an apartment for Poutiney, back then just a girl she'd found in trouble.. and Pou had gotten so distressed with the world she ended up in pretty bad shape, locking herself in an apartment with no contact to the rest of the world except to a few people. Ari couldn't bear to see that happen again.

Poutiney eyed Arimathea, and unconsciously squeezed the leet-doll that she held in her hand. It squeaked out, sup!. Don had given it to her as a gift a while back. It had become her favorite toy. "Oops.." she said. "I'm sorry. It's alright, really. I promise it's alright."

Ari sighed. "Black's gone missing, Pou. I know you liked him a lot and I'm really sorry. I haven't heard from him myself, have you?"

The little opifex's eyes went really wide. "No! Nononono! But he's fine, he's fine, I know it because he used to protect me, and I know he can protect himself, he's fine." Still, she squeezed the hell out of her little leet doll, making its eyes bug out too.

"I'm sure he is. He's a strong guy. C'mere, gimme a hug. You're such a smart girl... "

As she hugged her daughter, Ari wondered to herself what it must have felt like for Black to tell his little girl that they had to up-and-leave. She couldn't imagine tearing Pou out of their home. She wondered just what could make him need to do that... and if there was anything she could do to help, she would.

[Tussa]

Hayley plumped down on the comfortable chair, her back turned to the striking view of Jobe, just watching the news on the embedded screen in the 'dresser', the holographic image of Blackwind slowly revolving on the floor in front of her, along with his daughter, Marine.

She had talked to Black so many times about their daughters...the pair of them always up to some mischief together. Their daughters had spent much time together, and through them, Black and Hayley had gotten to know eachother. He had been a support for her when Arielle had died, more than he realised, probably.

And now...he was gone. Without a trace, without a word. Not that he owed her anything, but it just didn't seem normal. Why would he up and leave like that, taking the kid out of school?

"..the hell is happening in this place" Hayley said out loud, turning off the holoscreen, and watching as it pulled back into the dresser and sealed off.

How would she explain this to Chelle? Maybe she should do a little white lie about Marine and her father going away on a vacation. Because they would be back...they would be found...right? What if they didn't? Maybe the truth was best no matter what..?

Sighing heavily, she got on her feet and walked towards the bedroom, where the intensely loud music from one of the hip, new bands was playing at top volume, and her daughter singing along, not really in tune.


[Please don't say this is you leaving?]

[AdriaanBlackwind]

Yesterday - Somewhere in Aegean.

The bonfire kept breathing at its last breaths time and time again as Blackwind lay on new logs of wood, just to keep it alive in the darkness. The fire cast its light over Marine’s face, sleeping in her sleepingbag. Blackwind smiled, she hadn’t slept for days, and now she was so peacefull. Perhaps she had finally accepted the so called facts.
Black sighed and switched his comm-link on receive to check the latest IRRK news, but there was nothing but static.
“Strange…” He looked around. There was nothing that could make the channel go static. The little wall he had made to shelter Marine couldn’t possibly distrupt it. Then he looked in the horizon, it appeared so close, and somehow got closer and closer, swiftly and too fast. Blackwind frowned as he felt a gush of wind lift his hair.
“Marine, get up!” Blackwind stood up and squinted at the horizon. Marine grunted a soft and tired “Wha..? What’s the mat…” Blackwind threw himself over her as the shelter and bonfire got airborn and almost cut her head off and impaling him.. The horizon had hit them, a sandstorm.
Marine screamed out. “Daaaaad! What’s going on?!” but it ended up muffled and impossible to hear. Slowly he got up and picked Marine up, with his back to the storm he sheltered her, barely able to see for the corns of sand and the hair in his face. He stumbled with the wind, searching for a shelter. Marine held on tight, her eyes closed and almost unable to breath.
The wind howled like a sick monster on a rampage, the corns almost drilled themselves through Blackwinds light travel-armor, he was already bleeding from his neck due to them.
Suddenly a young bronto ran by them, it was screaming in terror. Most likely it hadn’t heard the storm coming and the herd would have left her behind. Blackwind unholstered his pistol and aimed for the bronto, shouting “I’m sorry my friend.” And shot her. She fell to the ground with a cry and a thump. Quickly Blackwind stumbled towards her and sat down, using the dead body as shelter. “Hold on Marine, it’ll pass!” Marine looked up at her father and nodded, unable to hear his words but she understood he was trying to comfort her, she could see it in his eyes.

[You're not rid of me yet Lille/Wave. ]

[Shadowset]

(( dear god man this posting has brought tears to my eyes... you are a most awsome writer...))

[AdriaanBlackwind]

A sleepy looking man sits at the newsdesk, staring at you from the TV.

...

Still staring, holding up some papers infront of him.
A whisper from nowhere. "You're on damnit!"
The man suddenly spooks and drops his papers, making them fly about the room. "Oh!" he exclaims as the papers floats to the floor.
He clears his throat as workers rushes about him to give him his papers.
"Uhhh...This is..eh... Channel.. -- Thank you -- Channel 2303 News; Top Story, bringing you the less important news, but the good ones, directly from reliable third-person sources."
The man straightens his tie and tidies up the papers in a nice bunch ahead of him again.
"Top story today, the strippers are revolting and on strike again after, I quote; 'lousy tipping and greasy hands'. They are currently marching about Omni-Ent har...What?"
A whisper again from nowhere. "That's not the top story you idiot! Look at the page number!"
The man looks at his papers and notices the 'Page 206' in the top left corner, he blushes and flips through his papers to find the correct one. He takes a deep breath as he picks one out from the middle of the pile.
He clears his throat and continues, loosening his tie a little. "Sorry about that." He clears his throat yet again. "Our top story today, the missing General and his daugther are infact STILL missing..."

A holo-image of both Blackwind and Marine comes up on the screen.

"...after over a week of being gone. So far we've received no clues or tips as to where these two may have gone or what could have happened."

The man grins somewhat innocently as he dives into the pile of papers to find the next page. After some back and forth he continues.

"Ah, here we are..." He clears his throat. "A reward has been promised for any clues or tips as to where or what happened to these two. The reward is a whopping 1 000 credits... 1 000 credits, but that's nothing.." The man looks up at the screen, clearly being shown what kind of an idiot he is from behind the cameras as he blushes harder and stares in the direction of the screen again. "I mean..hum..Wow! 1 000 credits for any tips or clues! And I stress ANY, since the person who has put out this reward probably should have told us to say 'reliable clues or tips' instead of 'any'! ... Well anyway, the number to call is 14-13-37-11 to leave the clues or tips as to where or what happened to the two. I'll repeat their names; Blackwind and Marine Blackwind..."

The man frowns and double-checks his papers and looks behind the camera. "Why doesn't the guy have a first name? Or is his first name her last name? ..Yeah well it's silly!..."
The man quickly ducks for cover behind the newsdesk as a flying cup of hot coffee flies in his direction, his papers flies yet again about the room. The cup crashes on the floor behind the desk. The newsreporter peeks up from behind the desk and nods to someone behind the cameras and clears his throat. "Anyway..That's all from me at Channel 2303 News; Top Story, now over to Sports News and Sand dune rafting. Sounds fun to me!" The man grins again and quickly runs out of the room just before the cameras switches over to Sports News.

[AdriaanBlackwind]

The wind blew silently over the top of the trees, the night sky was full of sharply shining stars.
They had so-and-so been on the run ever since that day they left civilization. Running away from feelings that should have been put on the table, feelings now dwelling so deep inside it put a shadow on both of them.
Black thumped down next to a tree out of exhaustion and let out a silent growl. Marine slid off his back and hugged the big sabertooth head of her fathers.

"Are you ok, dad?" she said, holding one arm over and around his neck, one petting his whiskers. Black does what a tiger does best and grinned.
"Yes hun..I'm just tired.." He looked at her with his big, yellow eyes and licked her cheek with his large tongue.
"Eww dad! Gross! Yick!" she got up and wiped her cheek. Black smiled at her and laid his head down on his paw.
"I really like it out here dad... The air is so fresh... The sounds so relaxing... The view always beautiful..." Marine leaned against a tree and put her hands into her pockets, looking through a more of an open path through the forest. The wind blew lightly through it and caught her hair as she smiled at the sunrise.
Black looked up at her saying nothing. She was just 14, so close to 15, but growing so fast. He could see it easily, on her body, the way she moved, the way she talked, how she acted, the way she was thinking as she shared her deepest thoughts with him. She had grown beautiful, traits from her mother, her instincts faster and more on feeling every day when he took her hunting.

Questions in Blacks mind suddenly arose. Would he be able to continue raising her? Could he do it correctly without the help of a mother? Would his instincts alone be enough to keep her alive? How long should he let her tag along?

Black shook his head to clear his mind. It was easy, something like a dog shaking water off its fur.
"Want to set up a camp here?" He got up on his four paws and shook off his appearence of a sabertooth, quickly rushing his claws through his hair before they polymorphed back into fingers, and put on his dark specs. Marine jumped over to him and hugged her dad smiling. "Sure dad. I'll get some firewood, you rest."
Black hesitated. "If anything would happen to her..But..she's a big girl now...".... "Sure hun, don't go far though. Shout if you need me." He said as she walked off into the forest.

[_______________Magan]

The hot desert air whips around Magan's face as she watches the Private Investigator walk off. The Bureaucrat was a man of few words, but he had promised to do everything he could to help her find Black. His assistant Sigmatism had even reported Blackwind missing to a second rate news channel. Magan looks away as the Crat disappears over a sand dune heading towards Newland City; she hugs herself as tears start to sting her eyes. For as long as Magan could remember Black had always been there for her, but just before he had left he had given her a package.. told her not to open it.. but when he went missing she couldn't help it, she had to look.

There was a crunching noise of metal on gravel as Magan's towering bot Scoots came up beside her casting his shadow over her. Magan barely noticed as she leaned against his huge leg sheltering her from the hot winds, staring out into the wilderness with blurred vision Magan whispers, "Where are you Black?” So many questions, so many feelings that she didn't understand. The tears run freely as Magan stares at the open package in her hand. How could Black possibly have had the missing half of her earring...

[Tussa]

"Blast that man! And his kid!"

Hayley scoffed. Why she was doing this in her freetime was beyond her. Although looking for a man she had become friends with, the father of her daughters best friend...who wouldn't? But still...this was getting ridiculous!

"Why can't you just leave me a biosignature to work from, you dweeb?" Hayley wasn't much of a wildlife person. Tracking was never one of her strongest sides. That is...tracking in grass and dirt. A digital track however, was more in her field of training. But Black was smart. If he didn't want to be found, he wouldn't leave traces so simple to find.

She stopped for a break and whipped up her wristunit in an annoyed way. Scanning the surroundings in an almost automated way, Hayley didn't expect to find anything, thus the surprise was big when she heard the beep, indicating biological traces matching Blacks profile. She followed the beacon and kneeled down next to a tree. A few strands of fur, baring Blacks DNA signature, were twitched in between the bark.

"Well, well, well....Mr. Blackwind, I presume" she said, smiling. Time hadn't been wasted afterall.