New Rising

It was a dark time.
Demons roamed the country side even during the day now and many were pressed to stay inside town and city limits, the castles protected their subjects and soforth, farmers had wards on their fields so that they would never grow sick with demonic filth. The demons were winning.

Naomi sat by a river not far from Verion, her home city, she looked up at the sun and sighed. It was getting late, and she'd have to go back inside, she so loved to watch the stars appear as the sun disappeared, but she knew it was too dangerous now. Two guards had gone missing on night watch recently and that ment that demons were about. She shivered a little at the thought and quickly got to her feet, moving back up to the castle gate, her tail swishing behind her and her lance shining in the sunset.
(Okay... not too amazing)

Sam had grown tired of his knightly duties, striding out along the wall he spotted some of the last stragglers that resided in the castle city to come through the gates, he saw the swish of a tail and smiled to himself, it had only been 20 years ago that anthros had finally been allowed to reside inside the castle, because of all the demon attacks.
His sword at his belt, Sam idly patrolled the wall, thinking wistfully about the people who would be sitting down to a warm dinner right now and wishing he was one of them, he clunked along and cursed, he hated this royal battle armor, if only he could be back in his leathers... he'd go show those demons a thing or two for attacking his companions.

Around that time, a lone human had been traversing through the woods in an attempt to find a short cut to the nearest town. However, it was painfully obvious he was lost. He looked at the map, scratching his head* Dammit, that guy drew this shortcut for me on this map and now all it's done is get me lost! Hmph... lovely. *He sighed, shoving the map back into his pack, then stopped as he heard noises. Foot steps more likely. He slowly stood up, his pack slung over his shoulder. His eyes darted to the side as he heard a twig snap. Then... silence. He clenched his fist, smirking, then turning on one foot and kicking a demon across the face as it lunged at him from a nearby tree. The creature went bouncing along the forest floor, a second demon jumping over it. This demon, unlike it's feral brethren, was clad in blood red armor and sported a double-edge sword. "Surrender human, and we MIGHT go easy on you!" Hayato raised a brow, then smirked, moving into a fighting stance. "Now where would the fun in that be?" The demon rushed him, causing Hayato to dodge... and smack his forehead against a tree branch. The human fell onto his back, dazed. "Oog, that smarts... @_@"

Naomi sat in her house, looking out at the stars and sighed again, slinking off and stretching as she got ready for the night, looking around and keeping a dagger under her pillow just in case, she didnt want anything to go awry in her house as long as she had anything to say about it.
"Good night I guess... I miss being able to camp out and be protected simply by the trees."

The moonlight was barely visible and the late night was frigid. Raine stepped onto a beaten path and let out a sigh of relief. She'd been traveling for days without success and finally, a road. She could only hope it went somewhere she could make due with what she had. As she began to walk, blades on her back, she heard noises behind her. <.< >.> She was beginning to get agitated because every time she stopped, the noises stopped and she could never figure out in which direction they came from. After 20 minutes of enduring this annoyance she began to see moonlight. The end of the woods. She had a burst of hope and without thinking, began to run towards the edge of the forest. When she reached the edge she saw a castle and a town nearby. She shouted a gleeful "YES!" and started to walk forward before something grabbed her. She let out a scream as she was pulled back into the woods. The glimpse of Verion didn't last very long before the demon had taken the hope right from her very soul.

Upon hearing the scream, Hayato regained his sense and leapt to his feet just as his assailant's weapon hit the ground where his head once was. "A damsel? In distress? UNHEARD OF!" He then gave the demon a quick kick in the stomach, then rushed him, a swirl of blue ki forming around his right fist. "This has been fun and all, but I've lost interest! Blazing... " Hayato then delivered a quick uppercut with his left hand, causing the demon to stagger, then he delivered hsi right hand into his foe. "TIGER!" As his fist connected, a blast of energy sent the demon flying out of the woods, landing right on the edge. Hayato shook his hand, wincing in pain. "Hmm, thicker than I thought... Oh, right!" He then took off running, recalling where the source of the scream came from.

Samuel heard the scream as well and nearly vaulted off the wall in his attempt to get there, who would possibly be out this late? He had to make sure there wouldnt be any more death on his watch, he jumped down the stairs three at a time and burst through the front gates, his armor creaking and clanking as he ran as flat out as he could, drawing his sword and flipping his shield off his back and into his left hand, he sprinted to the edge of the trees and looked around. "Is anyone there!?"he called. He waited for a response, silent and still, panicking on the inside. What if he was too late?

Naomi perked her ears up as she heard the clanking by her window, a knight was running, something was happening. She picked up her lance and followed him silently as he pushed the gates open, running out into the woods. She made sure the gate was closed and dashed behind him, catching up to him in the shadows quickly as her speed was not hindered by armor. He called out to the night and now she knew what was happening, or at least she thought she knew. Someone, or something had lured him out here and now they were both in the snare of the trap. Waiting....
She readied her lance from behind a tree and stood with bated breath.

"goddamsonofabitch" she kicked backwards and felt the demon stagger away. As she turned she saw it's shadow advancing towards her once more. With a flick of her wrist the demon writhed and began to slowly be drawn to the ground. As she held it there she turned back to the town to see a figure approaching, followed by another. "I didn't just endanger my last hope of society... " She clenched her eyes shut and heard a noise off to the side. "everything at once!" The demon grabbed her hand and she snapped out of thought. She had lost her concentration and the demon had broken from her gravitational push. She let out a low growl and electricity flew from her fingertips. "don't...touch...me" at this she lifted about a foot off the ground as the demon looked up in surprise. Darkness surrounded the two until finally a bolt of black lightening shot from Raine's hand and the demon.. what was left of him.. was silenced. Still floating she heard a noise off to the side again. Then looked back at the figures now standing and watching her. Too dark to see their face, suddenly she fell to the ground and ran for cover.

As hayato ran through the woods, he had heard what sounded like a demon snarling and someone struggling. He arrived at the scene, standing by a tree and witnessing the woman's light show as the demon was dispatched. He then saw her take off upon noticing two other figures, which he didn't notice until she had looked. He narrowed his eyes, figuring they were more demons, the darkness of night and the woods made it a bit harder. He took off after the girl, at least trying to get her to stop. "Hey, lady! Wait up!" He jumped, grabbed a tree branch and swung over her, landing on the ground in front of her softly with amazing grace.

Naomi caught the sounds of a male calling out and footsteps. "There!" She burst out of the forest and signaled the knight. "This way!" She called to him, he must know who she was, but she couldn't see him through his helm as she dashed off after the noises, her anthro ears picking them up better than anyone.

She arrived behind the girl and looked around to see the male she had heard before, smelling the stench of dead demon in the air. "Alright then are we?"

Sam saw Naomi gestering to him, why was she out here? That couldnt have been her scream. "Naomi wait!" He ran off after her and pulled up short as she stopped and spoke to the other two in the clearing, turning to see a couple demons slowly lurking closer in the darkness, his eyes trained to see the red pinpricks of hungry demons. " Um... guys... we've got trouble."
He pointed back to the demons and raised his sword, calling upon his magic to help him.

Everything happening at once. Sounds, voices, demons, more voices. As something landed in front of her she hissed and jumped backwards. Upon seeing it was a human, Raine quickly clapped her hand over her mouth and turned around to see the other two behind her. "what are you all doi-" she stopped at the knights warning and the sight of the demons. kill kill she thought and smiled. suddenly stopping herself... What was she doing? I'm good... At this thought she readied herself and stepped in front of the people she'd endangered. "I didn't need company. Will you all go back before you get hurt?" she yelled over her shoulder as the demons inched closer.

"Get hurt?", Hayato said in surprise, blinking a couple times. He then gave a hearty laugh, gently stepping past her. "Lady, life isn't worth living if you're afraid to get a few bumps and bruises. Oh, and Mr. Knight..." He smiled, turning to the armor-clad warrior that had joined them. "YOU might call them trouble. I, however, call them practice." He gave a devilish grin, assuming his fighting stance from earlier, then proceeded to rush one of the demons. He gave a mighty yell, dodging under a claw swipe, spinning and delivering a mighty back hand. The demon didn't stagger, but he could tell he had hurt it somewhat at least.

Sam ran forward performing a perfect 300 shield bash to a demon as it ran to attack him and swinging his sword in his right hand, twirling it around before he lunged forward and stabbed another demon through the chest, kicking it away with his boots and using the iron heel to burn a hole through it's chest. Anyone who knew how to enchant iron could make it a demon killing tool on command, and that was something he was very good at. "Well practice is more the word for it anyway. God I missed this."

Naomi spun her lance in both hands and used the hilt to vault up into the air, leaping up and spinning it around to slice clean through a demon she was aiming for, she sliced left and caught another two in her long sweeping strokes, she too missed this kind of action, but she was pushed back as she readied another attack and she felt something being ripped from her along with the wind being knocked out of her.

practice then.. silly creatures she stopped again and put her hands over her ears. "stop" she said in a whisper. She started to step backwards, behind the group slowly. I'll bring you no more trouble... I'm sorry She turned on her heels and walked right into a massive suit of black and red armor. "What are you? The leader of this pack of squabbling chickens?" (referring to the lowly demons) This new being grabbed her by her neck and lifted her from the ground. As it pulled her close enough to hear, he spoke the most bone chilling voice she'd ever heard quiet enough for only her to hear. "You are Darkness". She was stumped by this. Trying to breathe through his strong grip she sputtered and was able to yell a loud "No! You stupid-... gah!" The being threw her into a nearby tree suddenly. Groggily she got up and stumbled. Feeling her head then looking down at her hand to see blood. She looked up at the being, angry, and charged. Growling as she ran, right before she tackled him, the being disappeared. She sat up from the ground, looking around, panting.

Sam caught a demon by the throat in a glove that had iron tipped fingers, he pressed hard and the demon yelled in agony as the iron burned it's neck. He dropped it as it faded away and coughed a little, blood showing on his glove. "Damnit..." he wheeled around to see the smoke of a greater demon, he moved forward to the girl on the ground and took off his glove to hide the blood on it, holding out his hand. "Are you okay?" He knew he didnt have to worry about the demons if Naomi was on the case, he didnt see her get attacked.

Hayato had started to pick up the pace, roundhouse kicking one demon across the face and sending it spiraling, then he turned and grabbed another. He spun, tossing the demon over his shoulder into another one, then jumped high up into the air. He spun, then as he started to fall back to the earth, he brought his leg up, and slammed the heel of his foot against the top of another demon's head. It fell to the ground as he cried out in agony, then Hayato stood up, smiling. "Seriously, this the best you guys have? I'm getting bored here-" Before he could finish, a metal club was brought into his torso, sending him flying into a tree. He sat up, shaking his head, looking up at a large, brutish looking demon. "Well... don't that beat all..."

Naomi was back against a tree, shooting vines from her paw at the demons so they'd leave her alone. But as she did, they began disappearing, running into the woods and into the deafening darkness. She clutched at her chest and heaved, she could breathe, nothing was broken... she was sure, all ribs in place... she sat up and winced, she looked down and gasped, the neck of her shirt had been burned off and... her medalion was gone. It had been stolen by a demon, and that was the reason they had fled, they got what they came for. She buried her head in her paws and sobbed, by leaving the castle she had made it worse! The demons followed her to the girl and the fist fighter. She had put all their lives at risk.
She was such a fool.

Raine laid on the ground for a minute, stunned, watching Sam in disbelief. didn't anyone else see that? that... thing? it wasn't a demon, human.... or anything she ever knew of. She got up, ignoring the knight's outstretched hand and walked passed him. "I'm fine." she said sternly. She thought to herself that everyone was here at a bad time. There was no way that armored giant man thing had anything to do with those demons. Wouldn't he have said something. Finished the job? Had them flee? She could only hope it would not follow her as she began to walk back to the town. No more woods.. Stay out of the woods.

Having dispatched one last demon with a swift kick to the torso, Hayato noticed something was wrong with the snow leopard. Noticing the knight was tending to the other girl, Hayato wandered up to her. "Uh, heya, pretty kitty... you okay there?"

Sam looked a little taken aback as he watched the girl walk past him, he caught her scent and blinked as he looked around, quickly clutching his eye with his free hand as it glowed bright red, the other staying orange as he looked at her. "Miss... who are you?" He moved forward and pulled her shoulder back to turn her around and looked her in the eyes, both his eyes bright orange again and his helmet off as he looked at her. "Please, I need to know."

Raine stared at Sam for a moment, thousands of thoughts running through her head. Lost girl, alone, secretive, the darkness... you are the darkn- "No!" She screamed and put her hands over her ears once more. She realized how crazy she must look as Raine watched the knights surprised face. She straightened. "uh... Your average traveler" Liar Sparks flew from her mouth as she hissed back another "no". Her mind was becoming stronger against her.

She clawed at him and hissed as she stood up, a necklace imprint in her fur around her neck was slightly noticeable as she glared daggers at him, it was obvious she had been crying since a moment earlier. "Dont call me kitty... prick." She drew up her lance and walked over to the edge of the clearing where the demons had fled. "There's no following them is there... curses..."