[AuroraSky]

She was perched upon the steeple of a nearby temple, snow falling lightly on her black pelt, helping her to blend in with the surroundings. She was still, and if one did not look closely they probably could not tell that she was real...breathing...watching. Her yellow eyes glanced back and forth every now and then, her perked ears picking up on every single movement around her. She had been trained well, and there was nothing that could distract her from the mission tonight.

Arcane, lucain form still upon her, looked still and calm. Wrong. Inside her heart was beating a million times a minute, and her little sweat beads helped to melt the snow. This was wrong, this was crazy, this was...scary. And Arcane had seen scary.

For her whole life the Lucain had killed, assassinated, murdered, all of it. Her heart had been torn from good to evil and no one side had been winning in a long time. The monks happily chattered on by as they entered the temple, and she wished desperately to be in the warm, loving glow of the candles. But what was going on here kept her mind straight.

For months now she had had this eerie feeling that she was being watched. Whether she was in classes, home, or on missions...something had had their eye on her. More than once did Arcane grab her bow and arrow and fire into the darkness, or wave a sword at thin air. Paranoia was getting the best of her and tonight she was going to end the misery. Whatever was watching her must have come here as well, correct? Then she would confront it, and if needed, a battle would be started. More like war. Fear wrenched at her heart and ran through her cold blood, and for a few moments she wished she could just be normal like Veronica. But things could never be that easy. It was then she saw them.

Red, beady eyes, visible through the white snow. Staring. Glaring.  

[AuroraSky]

He did not flinch as her golden gaze rested upon him. They stared at each other for a long time, and Seeksoul let a wicked smile play across his lips. So the girl had known. No matter, in minutes she would be a threat no more. But he had to admit, this girl was pretty gutsy. It was obvious that she had staged a meeting for the two of them to finally meet, and it was also obvious she was out of her mind. Sure, she had done killings in her lifetime, but Seeksoul did not like to lose. Seeksoul did not lose.

The staring continued. Seeksoul's death glow floated aimlessly around him, making him appear as some sort of angel to the naked eye. Ha. But these monks nowadays were so foolish, anything could happen.

Finally he had had enough. The snow was cold, and he was impatient. He took a gentle step forward. The Lucain did not react. At this Seeksoul slowly started walking towards her, his muscles flexing with every stride. The Lucain female rose and jumped from her hiding spot, gracefully landing on a cobblestone path. At first Seeksoul thought she would run and prepared himself for pursuit, but was shocked when she started walking towards him at the same pace. It was apparent now. The Lucain female wanted to fight him. Ooh, this would only make things even more interesting. He let the smile, which was rare, stay on his face as he approached her.

[AuroraSky]

Arcane had watched the figure slowly drift towards her, and promised herself to show know fear. She jumped from her hiding spot and began walking towards the figure, her heart nearly beating out of her skin with every step. She peered into the blizzard, hoping to catch some sort of image of what exactly she was up against. The snow flurries fell, and then her enemy came into view. Arcane surveyed him quickly. He had this sort of green glow around him that made him look...heavenly? Well he certainly could not of been if he was stalking her!

Seconds passed, feeling like hours to the Lucain, and the snow has somewhat died down. Now Arcane could see her opponent, who had stopped 15 feet from herself. She sat as well. For a few awkward minutes they simply stared at each other, her mind racing with questions and the itching desire to fight. She attempted some sort of conversation. "So you came!" She shouted. There was a small sound...a laugh?...heard from the end.

"I was not really invited. But yes, I would never miss this chance." The reply came. From what she could tell, the creature was male. But what chance was he referring to? "A chance at what?" She called back. There was silence at first, then a low growl.

"To kill you."

[AuroraSky]

So he had decided to drop the bomb on his female target a little early. Ah, well, it didn't make a difference. If she wanted to run, he would let her. Seeksoul had enjoyed the chase so far, and a little piece of him was...sad...that it was all ending so soon. He watched her reaction to his words, expecting her to take off is a blur, and walked so their distance from each other was a mere 10 feet. She didn't budge an inch, didn't breathe, as he moved closer.

"Can you please repeat that?" She asked, a hint of mock innocence in her tone. The Barghest smiled wickedly once more and wondered what had made him so different today. "I said that I'm going to kill you." Then the Lucain did something he surely didn't expect. She laughed.

Not like a "Haha" laugh, but a more dry laugh, as if to mock his words. This made him angry. Yes indeed. His fur bristled and he glared. Again the Lucain didn't budge. "Aren't you going to run?" He asked, licking his lips. She stared for a few moments then shook her head. "Why would I? I do not fear you." She called back. Enough was enough, this banter was getting tiresome. Seeksoul took a threatening position just as the Lucain stretched an arrow upon her bow. Upon looking more closely he could see the weapons imprinted on her body. He smiled. He was in the mood for a challenge. "Are you sure about this?" He called out. "Wouldn't it just be easier to stay still as I slay you?" He grinned and the Lucain gave him a smile. "Ready when you are!"

He leaped.

[AuroraSky]

Arcane was ready for his first attack. She fired away, and watched in awe as the Barghest easily spun out of harm's way. So this was no simple opponent, this was a challenge. No matter. In a split second Arcane changed into her human form, black fur turning into brown skin and her golden marks turning into golden tattoos. Her hair grew into a blond mess of curls and her spine straightened. Just as it did she dived to the side as the Barghest landed in front of her, barely escaping a swipe from his mighty paw.

Arcane got back up and fired at him with her gun. Each time he evaded the bullets, and instead he reared up and shot forward, pushing the girl with a lot of his might. The contact sent the teen flying back to hit a stone wall, her armor keeping her from serious injuries. As she stood her legs shook and she gave a half smile. "Not bad." She said. "I thought you would be out of shape considering how fat you are." The Barghest laughed. "Well I thought you would be dead considering how foolish you are." Arcane shrugged. "I'm not foolish enough to beat you." At this, the Barghest launched himself once more, but this time Arcane was really ready. Split seconds before his body crushed her against the cold wall, she tucked and rolled, spinning around to blast him a few times as he hit the wall at full speed. The Barghest groaned, and she could see little spots of blood dripping onto the snow. When he too saw this, he turned around angrily.

"Enough child! This ends now!" Arcane laughed and leaped onto a nearby statue. "I was hoping we were just getting started. I'm having fun!" She exclaimed. The Barghest shook a few loose furs out of his eyes and threw himself at the bottom of the statue. Arcane watched with glee. "You missed Grandpa!" She yelled. The Barghest glared. "Did I?" Arcane's face grew serious as the statue wobbled and then spilled over, throwing the young girl down 50 feet. She landed on her back and she howled with pain. A great shadow overcame her and instinctively she moved out of the way just as a large piece of the stone statue was flung down upon her.

This was not as fun as she thought it would be.

[AuroraSky]

Okay, the girl was cunning. In fact, so cunning that it infuriated Seeksoul that he hadn't already won. His blood boiled as he used all of his strength to hurl a piece of statue at the girl's body. Unfortunately she had found the strength to roll quickly out of the way. Seeksoul narrowed his blood red eyes and charged towards her. The girl quickly pulled out another arrow and fired, and this time Seeksoul barely escaped it's deadly path. He winced slightly as the arrow grazed his skin, however he kept going. Once he was in the right range he closed his eyes and jumped and used all of his force to knock the girl down. He heard a sickening crunch and smiled, and as he flicked his eyes he saw just in time as she whipped out a dagger and plunged it deeply into his side with a smirk.

Seeksoul instantly felt a shot of pain and his body went limp. It suddenly clicked. The damn child had used a poison dagger on him. Unfortunately for her, Seeksoul knew how to treat such poisons as this. By his count he had an hour before it had completely sunk into his bloodstream and killed him. He eyed the temple and using whatever energy was left to bolt to the nearest temple.

[AuroraSky]

Arcane had paused briefly to take a few breaths, knowing that her opponent would be weakened by her stab. When she looked over she had discovered that he was shakingly running towards the nearest temple. Arcane narrowed her eyes. What use would a temple be to him? It then hit her: treatment. The monks would treat him because they could never turn anyone in need. Arcane huffed and grabbed another arrow then quickly followed.

Snowflakes covered her eyes and she blinked as fast as possible to make them melt, and she saw the Barghest sprint into the illuminated rooms. She used a rocket on the back of her foot to propel herself faster and she had to squint to keep the snow from blurring her vision. An immediate warm glow told her that she had succeeded. Her rockets clicked off and Arcane aimed as she entered. As she did, though, she was met with limitless glares. She shyly placed her weapon away and gulped, trying to avoid eye contact with the pissed off monks. She wrapped her cloak around her so her weapons were hidden and the monks continued on as if nothing had happened.

Arcane looked around, scanning for any sign of her enemy. She gently pulled one monk aside. "Excuse me? I'm looking for a...friend. He's a Barghest and he was injured. Do you think you might know where he is?" She asked. The monk nodded. "Yes yes, he's in our infirmary. But it's very tight security, he's very hurt. Could I take a message?"

"No thank you. I'll just find him later." The monk smiled sweetly and hurried off, and Arcane snorted. She would finish her enemy one way or another.

[AuroraSky]

These monks were so trusting and foolish. How could they just accept a random, scary looking stranger into their most sacred of places? There customs never ceased to amaze Seeksoul. If it were him he would have taken the opportunity to finish off the weak enemy, not nurse him. He could slowly feel the pain sinking in, the poison racing through his veins. These stupid robed-people would never know how to treat him for such a serious wound, so it was up to him to raid there medical facility and find the proper treatments. And he must hurry, for his female enemy was probably not far off.

The monks pushed the cart with Seeksoul on it into a dark room illuminated by only a few candles. How were they supposed to operate in the dark? The Barghest sneered. Suddenly he felt a warm touch upon his snout and his eyes flickered open to stare into the face of a young girl. She smiled friendly at him, and he glared in disgust. How dare this...mortal TOUCH him as if he were some sort of domesticated pet? No sir-ee, she would certainly pay. But now he was weak, and even though he wasn't happy about it, he would just have to find a way to cope.

The girl dunked a sponge into a bowl of a strange liquid then started cleansing Seeksoul's wound. He grinded his teeth as the liquid stung him, but made no other movements. The girl continued for a few minutes and Seeksoul suddenly felt an odd sensation. The pain had...vanished? He stared at this girl is awe and she giggled. "Now Mr. Beast, how did you manage to get stung by a poison dagger?"

[AuroraSky]

This stupid place had so many rooms it was simply unbearable! Arcane's cloak hid her weapons well and concealed the fact that she was a female dressed as a monk. If they had found her she would be punished, and that would force her to massacre them. After all, she didn't want some 40 year old nutsos threatening her cover. Usually Arcane wouldn't have been this insensitive, but there was a crazy, yet strong Barghest hunting for her and she must finish him off first. She rounded a corner and pressed into the shadows as a few monks passed by, only uncovering herself when the footsteps had died away completely.

The halls were grand with marble tiles and dark hallways, rows of candles on each side. She took each step cautiously, her had clutch a knife in case of any surprises. You could never be to safe, eh? Every now and then she would find herself in front of a giant wooden door, and as she peeked in she would always see some sort of ritual taking place. She would continue on and on until she found the infirmary. She checked her watch. She had 45 minutes to go and hundreds of rooms to cover. Gods help her.

[AuroraSky]

The Barghest did not reply. What, did the monks teach children about weaponry now? Surely not. So who exactly was treating him? The girl simply giggled and skipped away to a back room, leaving him to stare in wonder. After a few moments he regained his composure and rested his head. It was only a matter of time now before his strength returned and he could finish off that wretched girl. He let his eyes drift off to sleep slowly for a few mere minutes before he felt a rough shove.

His eyes opened angrily as he looked into the face of the girl who had treated him before. "You should be alright now. But I must warn you, some female with arrows is looking for you. I heard the other monks talking about her." She whispered. Seeksoul gazed wearily at her before the information sunk in. Crap. He rose, feeling more empowered than before. His voice was low, a grumble, and he wouldn't have been surprised if it scared the child away. "Where is she?" The child seemed unfazed. "The monks say she's searching for the infirmary." Seeksoul nodded knowingly. "Good. Then I will wait. I will act weak but when she attacks I shall be stronger." The child looked up at him worriedly. "But will the others get hurt?" The Barghest laughed cruelly. "Let's just say if you value the lives of those robed freaks you will warn them of the oncoming danger."

[AuroraSky]

Arcane had spent the next half and hour searching countless amounts of rooms, but her determination drove her farther. She needed to get that Barghest out of the temple before the Gods smited them both! The Lucain girl pulled her hood farther over her head and continued on. Minutes passed when she heard a peculiar sound, like sounds of pain. Immediately she rushed towards it and gently pushed the door open. Inside was a woman, in tattered clothing giving birth. So this must be the infirmary then! Good, good. But where was that little troublemaker. As she swung the door open a large object threw itself at her. She would have recognized that obnoxious glowing anywhere.

"ARGH!" She yelled as she was slammed into a wall. The Barghest smiled wickedly and raised his paw, ready to come down. Arcane rolled quickly out of harm's way and grabbed her second poison dagger. Before she could make any new movements it was swiped out of her hand and thrown into the door, it's poison sinking into the wood. So he had picked up on her little tricks, eh? Well fine. Arcane would continue to play hard. As the Barghest once again launched himself Arcane grabbed a whip out of her converted tool belt and lashed it against her opponent's side. She heard the Barghest wince and she took the opportunity to whip it around one of his paws.

[AuroraSky]

The Barghest had reared up as soon as the whip had wrapped itself around his paw, and Arcane was sent into a flying frenzy straight for her enemy. She raised her arm and the extension on the robotic weapon and claws shot out. She quickly dug them into the wall, forcing a resistance. The Barghest momentarily paused, not for more than a few seconds, when Arcane flicked her wrist and a crack could be heard. The Barghest wailed and Arcane smiled to herself. Maybe she had finally got him.

Wrong.

The Barghest clasped his jaws tightly along the whip and yanked with all of his force, sending Arcane flying down the dark hallway. She was weak and could barely move. But somehow she must find a way.

[AuroraSky]

Seeksoul watched the girl flying down and grinned. So the little brat wanted to play dirty now, eh? Well fine. He loved playing dirty. He peered into the darkness of the hallway below and waited cautiously for any movement. When he heard none he grabbed a torch from off the the wall between his teeth and threw it down. A clang could be heard, but he could still see the fire and no shadows dancing along.

Seeksoul gently started walking down farther and farther, the illumination getting wider and wider with every step. He craned his ears to pay attention for any oncoming sounds, but still there was nothing. Could the female be dead? Could killing her have been easier than he had thought? Because if so they all he would have loved was to carry her dead body to his employer and return home for some rest. "So you have a name or what?" A voice said from the darkness. Seeksoul stopped and his fur bristled. So the little runt was still alive. "Yes. Seeksoul. And you?" He asked, spinning in an effort to find his enemy.

"Arcane. I assumed you would have already known that since you've been stalking me." Seeksoul turned around quickly but still no sign of her. "Yes. I have. But your name never really came out. What are you, a loner?"

[AuroraSky]

Arcane snickered as she looked down upon her opponent, clutching the stones of the ceiling harder so she wouldn't fall. Her arm cannon begged to be fired, but she knew she must wait until the timing was just right to finish the Barghest, excuse her, Seeksoul, off. She breathed quietly and thanked the Gods that she had infinite arm strength. "As you may already know, I am normal by day and a loner only at night. My transformation is both a gift and a curse." She replied. She snickered again as the Barghest whirled around in disbelief. She knew he was wondering how the hell he could not find her. She would never say so out loud, but Arcane secretly loved the little chat they were having. It was the first time in weeks she could truly relax. "I can see why a gift such as yours might be some trouble." He said. "I must admit, Arcane, I have envied it for a long time now. To wield such power at the most wonderful time of the day seems like something I could easily get used to."

Ah, so he admired her? Hmm, if he wasn't a killer bent on destroying her Arcane might actually grow to like this man. "Well I hope that you don't get used to it my dear, for in few moments I will deliver the final blow that will throw you to your doom."

A laugh.

"Why don't you come out of the shadows and we can thoroughly talk this whole thing over?" He asked. It was Arcane's turn to laugh this time. "Oh Seeksoul, you mistake me for someone foolish?"

[AuroraSky]

Seeksoul let a small grin dance its way over his muzzle. To be honest, he truly was impressed with the female Lucain, with all of her strength and cunning. Although killing her would prove to be a very difficult task, he was enjoying himself. The way they played around as if young school children hiding in the dark. "No, Arcane of course not. You have proved yourself worthy of my praise."

"Proved myself worthy? Of your praise? Oh Seeksoul please." His ear made the most delicate of flickers, and for once he was starting to get a little...nervous. Never had he faced an opponent that would joust at him with hilarity and undermine his tactics, but actually have the leg to stand on. The female was untraceable, and the echoes bouncing off of the walls certainly were not doing any favors.

"You continue to insult me, Arcane? I'm deeply hurt. Hug?" He asked with a smirk.

He could hear an amused little laugh from above him and he slyly looked up, his gaze only meeting darkness. Damn this Godforsaken temple! He decided that he would have to continue talking to her in hopes of pinpointing her location. And by the looks of the situation, he would not have much time left until he was the victim.