Those That Dare

Prologue -
There are few people that believe in the existence of the Dark Lady. Most think her a ghost or tormented spirit forced to undo her evils in life before she can bribe the ferryman for her soul. For those select few, she is anything but what the stories will tell have told you. Your ancestors will have known her, but only from the images left behind by many that had seen her. Today, you have probably seen her image, or something close to it. In fact, walk into any church and look at the windows and statues that adorn the buildings. You would think you're looking at angels and when those images were created, many people truly believed she was just that. However, and thankfully, this has now changed. All that is left now is the creature these images left behind. For the select few, she is a creature emptied of her heart and soul. The greed and cruelty of mankind has made her a hunter and a killer of any race. Many have tried to destroy her, change her or bend her to their will, but all have failed. Do you dare take up the challenge and face your darkest nightmares?

*********

To anyone passing and indeed, anyone stupid enough to expose their heads to the torrent of rain crashing down on them, the shadow sat atop the roof of the city hall looked just like the many gargoyles that made this imposing building yet more ugly. However, most wouldn't look up now, not in this rain. Such was the vanity of the human race, at least in accordance with the shadow watching them pass below. Centuries of greed, agression, vanity and cruelty had hardened this shadow.

As the rain cascaded over the figure, something began to stand out. It wasn't wet stone that glistened, but in fact, pristine black feathers. And it wasn't an inanimate stone gargoyle that watched, but a creature older than most could dream of. Old green eyes watched the moving mass of multicoloured tones of nylon without emotion or care for what moved beneath. Black hair had long been plastered to alabaster coloured skin in the deluge of water, but the creature made no motion to move it away. The concentration was far too important. To a trained eye, this creature was hunting, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

As the rain continued to hammer down, a large man moved through the crowd with his trenchcoat pulled right up over his face. The smell of the people moving around him was getting hard to ignore. Under the drenched fabric, this man was changing into something rather more animal than human and it wouldn't be long before he lost control and began his own variety of chaos. The man reached the city hall, but then looked around for somewhere to hide. His heart raced, his breathing rapid and shallow. He couldn't last much longer. Spotting the darkened alley between the city hall building and the trade bank next door, he darted for the shadows as a long fluffy tail started to show beneath the coat.

Still unmoving, the shadow atop the roof watched as a single man darted through the crowd and towards an alley between city hall and the bank. The hunter could feel the man's heart racing and his breath getting shallower. The moment had arrived. Slowly, the hunter stood up, revealing the true shape beneath the mass of sodden feathers. Bare feet and firm calves gave way to slender legs. Wide hips and a thin waist led up to a firm bustline, form shoulders and a long slender neck. This hunter was female. Long slender fingers moved the equally sodden hair from her features as she moved across the roof to stand on the edge of the alley and peer down. A half cut long skirt covered her right leg, but left her left leg bare to the hip. Her middrift was also bare, but her modesty covered neatly under something close to a human female's bikini bra. Once again, the deep green eyes watched carefully as her prey moved into the alley and then stopped as if in pain.

Without a sound, the hunter stepped off the roof and opened her wings to an impressive span, easily 20ft from tip to tip, if not more. She floated down and landed silently to the man's left. Her smell gave her away and the man quickly looked up in panic. He shook his head and started backing away further down the alley. "Please!" He begged with his hands in the air, "Don't do this! I don't mean you any harm, I swear!"
The hunter moved forward smoothly as she tucked her wings away again, "You're no match for me." She said. Her voice was like silk and the softest of lullabies.
"Please, I want to live!" The man pleaded.
The hunter shook her head, "I cannot allow that." She said, "You've been a very bad puppy, Mike and you know what has to happen. You've caused me far too much trouble to let you free."
"But I can learn!" Mike begged, "Please, I beg you. Raven! Please!"
The hunter drew her weapon of choice, a heavy bastard sword. Coated in pure silver, this weapon would kill in one strike. "I will make this quick and painless." She told him softly.
Mike shook his head again and growled in pain. "No!" He yelled and the fight began.

Some time later, a clattering sound echoed from the alley and then a howl of pain. The smell of blood filled the air and just out of sight of the public, the hunter had made her strike. The man was dead, held in her arms and wings and looking more wolf than human. Her head moved gently at his throat as long fangs made light work of the thick fur and skin. She drained all but the very last drop and then pushed him away under a large dumpster. Someone would find him in a few days and yet another unfortunate soul would be reported lost to the serial killer known as Dark Lady Raven.

After composing herself for a moment, Raven moved from the end of the alley to collect her weapon. She knew where it had been dropped, but when she reached the spot, it had gone. Raven first looked left, then right, utterly confused. "Where is it?" She hissed to herself, then sniffed the air. Someone else had been here. With a growl, she opened her wings and gave a firm heave that lifted her back to the rooftops. Someone had dared steal her blade! This would not end well for that person........

Nathan Harrigan is the name. Priviate investigation is my game. Got a problem with a husband or wife cheating, I'll get the dirt on them for you and you can take it from there. But that is not all I do, I help the cops solve crimes as well. They have rules and regulations that don't apply to me. I can do things they can't and they of course look the other way. Then there is the special cases. The strange ones that some don't want the world to know about.

Tracking down and bringing in those that are not normal. Don't mean those that are crazy, or anything like that. I mean the abnormals ones, lick warecreatures, vampires, and the like. Those that prey on humans to live, which usually means that those humans die. This I do for the government, nice tidy paycheck for the work I do. Job is hard, sometimes life threatening, but I get the job done.

Was on just a case when I saw her. Was following a warewolf through the city, trying to find a good place to take him down. Had silver bullets in my gun, heavy duty tranquilizer darts to put him to sleep. Don't care what you are, get that stuff in your system and you are going down, even the Vamps. But like I said, I was tailing him. Mike Randolf. He had killed a number of people across the country and I finally tracked him down. It was raining hard, I mean it seemed as if some one had turned on the flood gates or something. I pulled the collar up on my trench coat and pulled my hat down a bit more over my head.

Mike seemed to be getting a bit aggitated and I knew what that meant. He made for the ally way between the bank and City Hall and I followed, pulling my tranq gun. That is when she appeared and ruined the capture of Mike. She came from above, gliding down on black wings. Mike pleaded for his life but she was not having any of it. I was a bit surprised when she drew of all things, a damned sword and the two began fighting. Damn she was good, and not bad looking either. I knew who it was by her reputation and all, Dark Lady Raven. She killed Mike and dropped the sword on the ground. As she moved to Mike to drain his blood, I silently moved forward and picked up the sword and backed out of the ally to the cornner of the Bank. Putting the sword under my trench coat I pulled out my cell phone and called my contact with the government. Told him where to find Mike's body. He didn't even ask why Mike was dead and not being brought in. To them it didn't matter. It was one more off the streets.

He heard the flapping of wings and looked up to see the Dark Lady rise up to the top of City Hall. "Another time babe. Right now the Feds don't want you. Not yet anyway." Making sure the sword was not going to slip away, I began walking back to my hotel room to examine the sword. It had made short work of Mike and he wanted to see why.

It wasn't something utterly exposed or unprofessional and most creatures would have missed the slight movement, but once atop the roof again, Raven spotted something that never normally happened with humans. Squinting one eye a little and cocking her head to one side, she saw a man look very descretely in her direction. He was actually willing to get his face wet under that hideous hat to look at her! "Bold as well as brave." She said quietly to herself, "But no less on my radar, Human." She watched the mortal scurry away between the other mortals and across the main square. She would have to be quick to keep up with him as there were many places he could disappear into along the way.

Knowing that he had seen her, she didn't bother hiding herself again when she opened her wings. Just perhaps, he might drop what he stole, but she doubted it. These greedy humans would do anything to keep their spoils and gain an upper hand against creatures like her. She knew that from personal experience and still carried the tormenting memories to this day. A slioght sniff into the air and she figured the rain would begin to die down soon. That meant people would start putting their vanities away again and may chance looking up. That in mind, she opened her wings wider and jumped from the roof. Her wings were too wet to make any kind of real flight comfortable, but jumping from roof to roof would be as easy as walking.

After following the human for a good ten minutes or more, she realized he was heading for a hotel. Certainly not the best in the city, but one comfortable enough if you had the money. Humans and their comforts, she thought, as self centred as always. Her comfort would come when she felt her blade back in her hands. She landed on a roof oposite from his hotel and waited for him to enter. She had a good viewpoint from here and was able to see most comings and goings and better yet, most of the rooms in this building were front facing. Chances were, she would be able to watch him and calculate her move better. What she did need however, was a better spot to blend in.

On the roof she had perched on were a couple of old style turrets, probably from the gothic period. There weren't any gargoyles she could mingle with, but there were some interesting shadows that would hide her from main view. It would take a finely tuned eye to spot anything out of the ordinary and finer still to make anything of it. The North turret blocked some of her view, but the East seemed to have all she needed. Turning her toes down, she gripped the edge of the roof and slipped across as though on ice. The shadows then hid the glimmer of her wings and she waited patiently for the thief to come into view......

The rain didn't seem to want to let up anytime soon, but I didn't mind. I liked the rain. It swept away the stench of the city and gave a nice clean smell to the place. Entering the hotel I made for the elevator to take me to the top floor of the place where the suits were. This is where I lived, complements of the owner of the Hotel. No need for an appartment or even an office space, I had it all there and didn't pay a dime for the place.

A couple y ears back the owner had his daughter kidnapped. He loved the girl that was for sure. He was more then willing to pay the ransom but he was afraid that they would kill her anyways. He was differnt then some of those he had dealt with. They made a grand show of trying to get their kid back but most really didn't care, as long as they got their money back. I was able to rescue the girl and kill the kidnapper. Police didn't mind it at all, called it justifiable as I was protecting the girl. The Hotel Owner gave me the suite, bedroom living room and small kitchen in gratatude.

Once in my place I took the trench coat off and laid the sword on the table. Hanging my coat up to dry out i turned to examined the sword. It was esquisitly made, light weight, well balanced and sheathed in silver. Good reason it done Mike in. I moved the sword around in a few moves, to get the feel of the sword. "Nice." I said as I laid it back on the table. next top my laptop. Turning it on I check it out to see if there is any other abnormal that was needing to be run down. "MMMMM another vampire on the lose. I'll need to change ammo for that one."

Taking my gun from its shoulder holster I ejected the clip and opened the drawer of a cabinet and take out a couple clips of different ammo and slide one up into the handle of the gun. Under the other arm is the Tranq gun. I would need it when I went out again. Going to the window I open the curtains and look down at the street and the people scurrying about. Shaking my head I pull out a pack of smokes and pull one out and light it up. "Yeah you are all oblivious of what walks among you. Be thankful you are.

Turning back to the table I look at the sword again. The intrigate carvings looked to be old and perhaps even in one of the dead languages. I wished he had continued his studies and archeology and the old languages. I wondered what was written on it. "She'll be wanting this back I bet." I chuckle. I can imagine that she would be kind of pissed off that I had taken it.

Raven watched and waited and then watched and waited some more. Eventually though, her patience paid off and the thief appeared in one of the top floor windows. She could barely believe her luck on the matter. In and out again and no-one would see her. She watched the human play around with her weapon, scowling as he moved it so badly. Perhaps he would have some skill somewhere, but she doubted he could handle that with much more than simple brute force when it came down to a proper fight. Eventually, he put her blade back down again and sat down to his laptop.

As ancient as she was, Raven was no fool when it came to the modern world. She had made sure she knew about the latest gadgets and technologies of the humans and veen had a few herself. In truth, they did make life somewhat easier when they worked and keeping in touch was now infinitely better than before. She had a cell phone and a laptop, an i-pad and a couple of i-pods in her collection and she enjoyed using them once in a while, especially when she was hunting. All the information she could need at the end of her finger.

The moment came. The thief was distracted by his laptop and his window was clear. She would be able to get in with little fuss, but she wouldn't underestimate him. She had seen him draw his gun and she had seen him replace the clip from a drawer. No doubt he had a few tricks that could hurt her. With a quick movement, Raven floated across the street and landed outside his window. As of yet, he hadn't seen her. Using a small circular motion with her thumb nail, she cocked open the lock and slid inside. She would have seconds if that to get her weapon back and she knew he would see her quickly, but as long as she could get her blade in her hand, she knew she was safe from him.

Like lightening, she shot to the desk and grabbed her sword before turning around to come face to face with her thief. Her face was empty of most emotion, but it was clear she was highly annoyed. She lifted her head high and stared at him with the same disdain she gave most humans. "Where I come from, they still hang thieves." She said smoothly.......

One can not justland on the ledge of a building with out some noise and the click of the lock on the window was not unnoticed. Besides that he had a sixth sence about some things and one was when some one was behind him. It had saved him a couple times in the past when there had been more then the one abnormal that the Feds had sent him after. When he felt the presence and then heard the noise on the ledge he crushed out his cigerate in and ashtray and spun around drawing both guns. She was quick he had to give her that. He had been standing there his back to the window and infront of the sword looking at it when she entered, and grabbed the sword.

He just smiled as he looked her over and chuckled at her comment. "As I saw it, you threw it away as if you didn't want it any more. I simply claimed a discarded item." He had seen her drain Mike of his blood and knew she was a vampire of sorts. The special ammo in his gun would do a number on her and he had a feeling the tranq dart would stop her. "If you wanted it back all you had to do was ask nicely."

They were close, nor more then two or three paces from each other. She was to close to bring her sword to bare, but close enough for his tranq dart to hit her before she could move. Even though she was not on the so called list, well not that he had seen anyways, he was not about to become another victim of her and would use both weapons on her if he had to.

"It is an interesting artifact, I would say that it is at least a couple thousand years old. Perhaps more. Can't place the language though." he kept talking as he studied her. "You know you botched my capture of Mike. Won't get paid for bringing that one in alive." he shook his head.

Raven lifted a finely plucked eyebrow, "I did not throw it away at all." She told him coldly, "That mutt knocked it from me. A rare mistake that was rectified shortly thereafter." with a smoot, but incredibly quick motion, she sheathed the blade at her hip and squared her eyes with the human. He wasn't like other hunters she had come across. There was something more about this one. Scenting the air lightly, she gave a cool smile, "Potassium chloride laced with silver nitrate. An interesting mix. Do you use it on all you hunt?" She smiled again and moved around the table. "I wouldn't bother much trying it on me. It'll sting for a moment at worse and then I'll lose my temper and you don't want that, do you.".....

"Well there is that but something else is in there that the Feds won't even tell me what it is. Really does nasty things to vampires." he grinned. "Kind of messy and then there is this." he nodded to the tranq gun. "Haven't failed to take down a vamp or wearcreature yet. " he turned to follow her as she walked around. "But you are not on their list to bring in yet so I would hate to waste good ammo." he took a chance and lowered both guns and reholstered them. "Now then Dark Lady it seems you owe me for taking my collar tonight."

Raven lifted that fine eyebrow again, "I'm sure they are considering it." She told him as she watched him from the corner of her eye. Her dripping wings left a trail of dark coloured water on the carpet. "And he owed me first. That little mutt caused me a lot of bother. Cost me a few of my people too. I couldn't let that slide for some mergre human need. I'm sure they'll find another 'collar' to fill their greed soon enough." As she moved around the table, she caught a small glance at his laptop and the placement of his various things.....

"Already have. But as to greed well I don't think they want them because of that." he lit another cigerate. "Your people?" now that was interesting, Who was her people he wondered. More vamps? The way the government thought, all were bad and would eventually come up on his or another's target list. "MMMMMM they had best not be causing trouble."

Raven moved to the laptop with a smirk and lifted it open. "I doubt my people would be of any concern to hunters like you." She said, "And for humans, they were suprisingly trustworthy. Not something common in your breed." She tapped the pad and brought up a webpage and then tapped in a few letters. "I often find these things quite marvelous." She offered, "Your advances in technology over the millenia have made some things considerably easier to deal with." She then cocked her head slightly and walked away from the device, leaving the webpage open to be read. She moved back to the window, but then stopped and half turned, "By the way." She said, "The scrypt on my blade is my family name." She moved out of the window, "I'll be watching you, Human.".....

"Going so soon." he said as he looked at what she had brought up on the laptop. He crushed out his cigerate and looked up at her in the window. The rain had finally stopped.

Raven spread her wings on the ledge and half turned her head over her shoulder. "Perhaps when you are better prepared. Until then, you'll find only what I desire you to." And she lept from the ledge. On the laptop, there was a googled address and picture. In the search bar, she had typed 'Angelus Demonica'. There were several results, but the foremost portained to an archeological dig that had been carried out in Egypt at the turn of the 20th century. The dig had turned up an ancient coptic crypt with a statue stood over a tomb. It had been first named as the Crying Angel, but later named the Demonic Angel. A creature of vengeance sent by the Gods of the time to wreak havoc on mankind for their sins. The statue itself was simple in design, but had become a staple for the later Christian template. The wings and hair had been painted with black dye and the figure carried a sword of pure silver. Many of the myths and legends had long since been debunked, but some were shown as a footnote. There was the true Dark Lady......

Nathen grinned as he read the information. "Ahhhhhh Dark Lady, you are indeed old, or was that one your mother. He couldn't believe that she was that old. But one never knew about vampires. He went to the window and lookd out. She was gone. "Watching me eh." he chuckled and then went back to the computer and brought up his next collar. Dennis Quaid, Vampire. Has killed a number of people and was last reported heading to his city. "Wonder what it is about this place that attacts them?" he sighed and made a copy of the photo they had sent. He had been a collage student before he disapeared in the mountains of Transavaina two years ago. A year ago he showed up back in the states and began his rampage in rual areas at first then moved on to the larger cities. The pic was two year old but he should still look like it. He slipped on his coat and hat and left again. He had to go check out the usual ways abnormals came into the city. Especially vamps.

By the time Nathan left his hotel, Raven had put into motion her way of watching him. At the first corner, there was a young woman, prefessional looking in a smart suit and coat, smart shoes etc. She followed him for a few streets and then someone else took over. This was a scruffy looking older man with old shoes and a threadbare coat. Various other people took up the trail after that and then reported their findings back to Raven at her assumed home for the time being. She wondered what he might have learned from that small snippet of information she had granted him and what he might do with it.....

He showed the picture to a few of his contacts to see if Dennis had showed up yet. None had seen him yet but they put out the word and pic of him and would get in contact with Nathan. They never knew that those he came to them to find were abnormals. They always thought he was looking for some one for his PI buisness. He then was off to the university. He wanted to find out more about the Dark Lady. The Archeology Department was glad to see him. The old Professor Higgins tried to convince him to join in on a dig in Egypt. "Not this time Professor." he went to the professor's computer and brought up the site. "Need to find out everything about this Dark Lady." he smiled, "Doing a bit of research on my own, keeping my fingers in it." The professor nodded and said, "I'll have what I can find out on it by tommorow night." He thanked the Professor and left to walk about the city, visiting sites that had seemed to attract vampires to see if he could spot Dennis.
Lady Raven says:
The whole time Nathan was out and about, Raven's spies continued to follow him. When she learned he had visited the University, she smiled. "Thank you Giles." She said smoothly over the phone. "It seems our boy is smarter than your average bear." She hung up and then grabbed her cloak. She would walk for a change. The University wasn't far and she entered through the main door. She reached the correct door and entered without knocking. "Hello Proffessor." She said.....

Professor Higgins turned from his books and looked up at the woman that had come in. "Yes, can I help you?"

Raven removed the hood from her cloak and then pushed it back over her shoulders. Her wings were then free. "You've had a visitor tonight, one that I'm keen to keep an eye on. He will have asked you some questions and I'd like to know what was said."......

Professor Higgins looked at Raven as she removed the hood of her cloak and then pushed it back to free her wings. He raised a brow, looked down at one of his books that contained the translation of an Egyptian tablet then back at Raven. "Well now I take it the myths are no long myths." he smilled. "Come in my dear." he motioned to his some what littered office of manuscrips, books, tablets and the like. "Please have a seat. Would you care for some tea? Then he remembered something he had read, "No I don't think you would, that is not what you drink."

With an actual real smile, Raven entered the office and took a seat. "Tea will be fine." She told him as she perused some of the open books on his desk. She reached over and took the one he had been reading, then closed it and put it back. "They are still myths."......

"Well that is yet to be seen." he grinned. and went over to a hot plate and retrieved a tea pot full of hot water and poured some tea leaves in a metal strainer and poured water over them. Bringing the cups on a tray with some cream and sugar he cleared a bit of space on a table and set it down. "Depends on what one considers myths. You were a myth but yet here you are. He took a seat in a comfortable highback leather chair with arms. He took his tea and sipped it. "Tell me what part of the myths are not true?"

Raven poured a little cream into her tea, then dropped in a cube of sugar. She stirred it gently and then took a sip. It had been a while since anyone had made poured a decent cup of the delicious liquid. "Most of them." She said, "But that is not why I am here. You met with a hunter and he asked you for something. I'd like to know exactly what that was.".....

Professor Higgans chuckled. "Well he said he was doing some research....... on you I would imagine." he siped his tea. "Wants to know everything about you that I can find out." he looked at her above the rim of his tea. "What intrest do you have in Nathan?"

Professor Higgans chuckled. "Well he said he was doing some research....... on you I would imagine." he siped his tea. "Wants to know everything about you that I can find out." he looked at her above the rim of his tea. "What intrest do you have in Nathan?"

Raven nodded and sipped some more of her tea, "Yes, I would have thought so." She said, "I gave him a small taster on his laptop to see what he would do with it. Seeing that he came here, he's obviously interested in me also. He's not like most humans I come into contact with. I can smell their greed and selfishness a mile away, but I don't feel that so much with him. Still, he's as misguided as the rest, but perhaps I can open his eyes a little.".....

"Misguided?" he asked, "How so?"

Raven sipped more of her tea, "Thinking he knows more than he actually does. Typical human behavior for the most part.".....

"He is a learned man my dear. Though you probably have more life experience, he does have quite a bit of knowledge. Been trying to get him to come back and teach instead of running around chaseing cheating men and women he would make a marvelous professor and archeologist."

"If he was merely chasing adtulerous humans, he wouldn't have sparked my interest." She said, "It was his hunting of my prey that brought about this situation.".....
:
"Your prey?" the professor was intriqued. "Who was he hunting."

"A werewolf."....
charles says:
Professor Higgins stopped bringing his cup of tea to his mouth and looked at her. "You jest. There are not such creatures those are just m........." he stopped. He was looking at a living, breathing, myth. "Werewolf? What has my favoriate student gotten himself into?"

"Perhaps you should ask him." She offered and then finished her tea. "There are many creatures in this world that humans think of as mere fantasy and nightmare. Religion is quick to name us demons and devils and the media makes sure we are glamorous and out of reach. Personally, I care little for what man does or does not believe and the religious people can remain as ignorant as they always have been. The only reason this particular human interests me is because he is not only balsy and brave, but a lot more open minded to the alternative truths we hold.".....

"Well now perhaps I am not the one that should be telling him who you are and what it is said you have done. If most of what is written about you is false, all I would be doing is giving him a false impression of you. Even I would like to know more about you and what you know of the past. So much that we can only guess at and make assuptions on, and you lived through it and have all that knowledge." He finished his tea and smiled. "I may have to have a long talk with him on what he has been up to."

Raven smiled again, "If he is anything like his impression, the stories of me will only inspire him to know more. It is then that he will seek me out proper and it is then that I will allow him to know the truth." she put her tea cup down gently on the desk and rose to her feet. "As for yourself, what purpose would it serve to learn my true past? No-one would believe such a tale without proof
and I would hardly reveal myself to the entire world for you to have it. Each culture I have touched has their own version of me and to destroy that would cause only harm to my kind.".....

"Your kind? There are more like you?" he asked. "Ah knowing something is more important then sharing it. The truth always is better then the lies and fabriacations of those that feared you. Should you find yourself in the mood to talk about it, you know where to find me." he stood up and walked with her to the door of his office.

Raven offered another smile, "Not everything written about me was by people that feared me." She told him, "But perhaps I will take your offer, but another time. When your friend returns, you may tell him what you've found, but my visit here will remain between us. If you can keep to this, I may consider you trustworthy." She puleld her cloak up and over again and left his office......

"I will look forward to it my dear, but don't wait to long. I am not getting any younger you know." he chuckled and when she left he turned back to his books and looking at everything he had on her. Then went on line to do some more research. It was quite amazzing what they said about her. Back to ancient Egypt and more. Some were terrible things other not so bad. He would enjoy going over the information with her and finding the truth, and about the OTHERS OF HER KIND. that intrigued him.

Raven returned to her assumed home and continued to collect the reports on her new interest. She felt almost intrigued by this creature and the fact he was only a human surprised her further. After getting herself a stiff drink, she sat down at her computer and began trawling through her lists of hunters. He was sure to be in there somewhere......

Nathan looked at all of the normal sites that seemed to become the lairs of vampires that visited the city. He had delt with about five of them so far since he took the job with the Feds. A special branch had been set up, one that answered to the president himself. How long it had been in exsistance he didn't know but his contact there had explained that they had been bringing in abnormals for a long time. It was best to keep them off the streets and the public ignorant of their exsistance. They had been human once and from what his contact had said were trying to find a way to return them to their human selves. He wondered at times about that. Governments never really told the truth, but he felt that getting vampires and werecreatures off the streets was a good thing. There was enough killing and stuff done by humans. The last place he checked was an abandoned funeral home on the poor side of town. The small piece of tape he had put on the door to tell him someone had been inside had been broken. "Well now perhaps you have found a roost." he backed off and kept watch from another deserted building across the street.

Just around the corner, a pair of soft honey coloured eyes were watching. It wasn't a human though around that corner, but an average looking but well groomed Alasatian. For all intent and purpose, just your average dog. however, not all Raven's 'people' were human people and this one was particularly important. he could go many places a human couldn't and this occasion called for a creature that could blend as well as enter a place no human could get away with. He would send his reports when he could find a private place to shift, but he knew Raven would know where he was. As with all her people, he carried a tracker. He watched as the hunter checked over the entrance to this supposed abandoned building. He could sense someone there, but as yet, couldn't see or smell them.....

Nathan smoked a cigerate and finally saw his quarry. He was hurring to the old building looking over his shoulder to make sure he was not being followed. Once he was in the building Nathan emerged and crossed the street. The ideal time to get his target was to wait till morning when he would be trapped in the building. But he drew both guns and eased the door open.

Once again, Raven's watchman kept an eye on the hunter. He sent reports periodically through a number of soft gruffs and growls as he didn't dare take his eyes off the hunter for more than a second......

Nathan slipped into the building, the door closing behind him. The place smelled dusty and moldy but that would not bother a vamp. He moved in slowly and as quietly as he could. He knew the building. But the vamp could be anywhere. He didn't dare use a light as it would give him away. His eyes became accustomed to the dark. A noise ahead told him he was getting closer.

When the hunter moved inside the building, the supposed dog followed, but at a descrete distance. His powerful sense of smell told him exactly where both creatures were and he moved carefully so as not to draw any attention.....

Through the smell of dust, mold and what ever else there was, a third scent could be smelled. Only Nathan didn't have that sensitive of a nose. He readied the tranq gun as he moved closer to where he could hear where his target was moving about.

The watchman foolwed for a while longer and then decided it was best to hide. Either the vampyre was getting closer, or the hunter had sniffed him out. The watchman assumed the first, humans didn't have that good a sense of smell.....

The next room was where the noise was coming from. A small dim light gave only a little bit of light in the room, it was enough for Nathan to see as he turned the corner, that it was not the one he was looking for, but a woman. A female vamp, one that did not look like a new one but had the air of being an older one. He didn't like it, especially when she turned, saw him and barred her fangs. He brought up the tranq gun and fired as she launched her self at him with incredable speed.

From his hiding place, the watchman could see pretty much everything going on. The new presence shocked him as much as the hunter and he all but feared the worst when she flew at him. With a paw out, ready to jump in and help the man, the watchman suddenly stopped as he saw the female vampyre shudder and stp in her tracks. She then hit the deck and the watchman could only stare in shock now....

Nathan's heart was pounding. It had been a very close one. He was glad the tranq dart was that powerful. It would kill a human, but an abnormal it just put them to sleep. The vamp law at his feet, but if she had been making the noise, where was Dennis? A strange tingling at the base of his neck gave him warning but the damn vamp was fast. He had hit Nathan hard knocking him to the floor and the tranq gun went flying from his hand. Dennis stood at the door way of the room his eyes blazing in anger, his fangs barred.

Now the watchman knew he had to intervene. Raven wanted him alive for some reason. darting forward, the watchman bared his teeth and growled viciously. The gun was within reach and he picked it up in his jaws, growling at the vampyre. "Test me if you dare." The growling said. "Now let him up."......

Dennis snarled and launched himself at Nathan ignoring the watchman. Nathan didn't want to do it but he brought his gun up and fired a round of the special ammo. It hit Dennis in the shoulder and knocked him off balance and Nathan rolled out out the way. The bullet began doing its job. A glow formed at the entry wound and smoke began coming out of it as Dennis screamed in pain, falling to the floor as the wound expanded and the flesh looked as if being burned and turning to ash. Nathan looked over at the dog raising a brow.

The 'dog'cocked his head to one side and dropped the gun. "All your's mate." He gruffed and backed up a few steps. He could see the other gun had done some real damage to the vampyre and didn't really fancy the same treatment. Maybe if he acted like a nice 'dog', he might not get shot......

Nathan slowly rose to his feet, his back hurting where he had been hit by Dennis. "Now who are you?" he asked the dog. The gruff barking sounded like words. He looked down at the withering form of Dennis. "You'll heal if I get you to the Feds. They have the counter agent, so behave and you'll be alright. He turned the woman over and looked her over. She was dressed in modern clothes but
something told him she was far from having been born in the current century. "And who the hell are you lady?" he asked as he pulled out his cell phone. He made the call and was told it would be a few hours before the pick up. "Great. Now I have to baby sit."

The watchman turned his head into his collar/tracker and gruffed a few times. Raven received the report and told her servant to half turn around so she could see. He did so, looking rather odd to the human, but he thought now they were way past the simple dog trick. Raven gave her servant another order and he whimpered a little. a small peptalk and the dog barked. A few seconds later, the dig simply stood up and shook off the disguise. However, being stood naked wasn't really approriate and he quickly stole the clothing of the still dying vampyre. "Her name is Rosa." He said.....

Nathan watched as the dog changed into a human form. A changeling, one of the many other abnormals that were out there. His contact had told him about them and most of them were left alone as they didn't do anything wrong to warant being hunted down. Vamps and werewolfs were the major problems. "Rosa you say. An old one if I am not wrong." Dennis was still cussing and moaning in pain. "Yeah now you know how it feels to have pain. You will be alright once they come get you."

The watchman shrugged his shoulders as he stripped the vampyre of his trousers. He pulled them on, "About 600 years or so, according to my owner."......

"Owner?" Now that was different. "And what are you doing here?"

The watchman shook his head, "What I'm supposed to be doing. What are you doing here?".....

"Working." he told the man. He had not answered Nathan's question. He took out of his trench coat a special pair of hand cuffs and rolled Rosa over and hand cuffed her hands behind her then retrieved the tranq gun. "Now who is you so called owner?"

The watchman looked at the hunter, "You'll find out soon enough." he said, then looked at the two vampyres. "Well, it seems you no longer need me, so I'll be going.".....

Nathan rubbed his jaw. He had a feeling who it was, she had said she was going to keep an eye on him. He chuckled. "Tell the Dark Lady hi for me." he went over and took a seat to watch over the two vamps until the clean up crew came.

"The Dark Lady?" He asked, "Don't know anyone by that name." He grinned and tuned to leave. "If you wouldn't mind just closing your eyes for a moment?" He asked as he began to shift back.....

Nathan grinned at his answer. Yeah right he thought. When the man changed back to his dog form he simply looked down at his catch of the night. Rosa was old, she would not be one to want to be changed back if it was ever possible. What would the government do with her?

The watchman left, knowing that he would be of little use now. Besides, to try an follow the hunter again would be pointless. He knew the watchman by sight in both forms. Sending a quick report to Raven, he informed her of the events and she told him to return home. She would send someone else to watch him until he had visited the proffessor......

Nathan sat and waited for the Feds to show up but then got up and picked Rosa up and took her further back into the building. She had did nothing wrong that he knew of and if she did not kill to survive, he would not give her over to the feds, but he would not be letting her go free all to soon. When the Feds did arrive they took Dennis away and he arranged for some transportation for Rosa. There was a couple people that would keep an eye on her no questions asked, if paid well. Once she was secured he went to see the professor. The old man greeted him and had him sit down. "My boy what is your intrest in this.....myth? He sat down and took up his tea cup and drank some of it. Nathan shugged his shoulders and said, "I came across some things that mentioned her and it has me intrigued. What did you find?" Professor Higgins handed him the hand written notes from all the research he had done. "She is a facinating story to be sure, but probably just that." Nathan looked it over some and raised a brow. "A fiend to some and a savior to others. One of the Fallen Angels as some of the old texts seem to indicate." He smiled and thanked the professor and told him. "Perhaps after I have settled a few things I will take you up on that archeological dig." he then left the papers tucked in the inner pocket of his coat.

The watchman arrived back to find Raven sat at the bar drinking. The building they occupied had once been a popular bar and bistro, but the bankers crisis ten years ago had seen the place reposessed and fall to disrepair. Since Raven had taken it over and fronted by one of her human people, it had started to thrive once more. She poured another shot from the large whiskey bottle and sipped at it as she flicked through the pages of a very old tome. "Raven?" The watchman asked carefully, "Why are you watching this human hunter? Aren't we supposed to be avoiding them?" Raven half turned her head briefly, fluttered her wings and then turned her eyes back to her book. "He interests me." She replied......

Back at his place, Nathan slowly went through the notes that the Professor had given him. "Well my Dark Lady, you have quite the history and I wonder just how much of it is true, and where is the rest of your kind. If I am reading this right, you were one of the Fallen Angels in league with Lucifer. That is if this is all correct." He put the papers down and looked out the window. "Now where are you and why are you watching me?"

"Why would a human interest you though?" The watchman asked. "It's not like they're an endangered species." Raven put her glass down and gave a small sound of laughter, "Good point, my friend." She said, "But this one is a little different. He's braver than most and he's got balls enough to back it up. Most humans don't do that." The watchman cocked an eyebrow, "What did he do to leave an impression that good?" He asked. Raven lifted her glass to her wine coloured lips, "He stole Brae." The watchman couldn't hide the sound of the 'wow' coming from him, "Now that is somethign impressive. And you let him live?" Raven shook her head, "I wasn't going to, but then I spoke with him and changed my mind." The watchman nodded, "So what do you intend to do with him now?" Raven
shrugged her shoulders, the movement magnifying in her wings, "No idea yet."......

A man across the street from the Bar and Bristol crushed out a cigerate. At his feet was the one that was guarding the front of the place. "Those bloody holier then thous will pay good for the one in there." he looked down the street and got a signal from one of his team. Another look out was down. "Nice pretty pay check for this bunch." he muttered. He gave the signal and a dozen men began moving in from the back and front. "Dead or alive, doesn't matter boys." he spoke to a couple men that met him at the front door. He kicked it in and four of them entered the front, more hit the back door and came in guns drawn.

And then her peace was shattered. The armed gunmen busted their way in and Raven quickly leaned over the bar. Then, turning to face them, she pulled the trigger of a ten guage shotgun just to the left of who she believed to be the one in charge. "Hold it!" She demanded.....

The leader of the group stopped his gun raised, pointed at Raven. "Drop you gun and surrender. You have no where to run. Now we can take you and the others here in alive but dead will be alright." he pointed his gun over at the Watchman and pulled the trigger, just missing him. "Choice is yours. How many do you want dead." he smiled.

Raven gave half a grin, "Now why would I surrender?" She asked. "You break into my home, armed to the teeth, with no respect of who and what we are and then expect us to simply roll over and play nice? I don't think so." She lifted her shotgun just a little higher as she took a quick look around. "I could kill half of you before you even get a shot off and my friend here can disappear before you could blink. Do you really want to play this way?"......

Three men came in from the back guns pointed to the heads of a couple others. The man shugged his shoulders. "Well we got two of your friends outside and those two. Now do you really want to play. They will be dead at the next shot fired."

"Really." Raven said, then lowered her gun. "Then I guess you have us on the hoof." She put the gun on the bar, but unseen to the hunters, she brought her hand back rather more closely to her wing than needed......

"Now lady don't take us for fools. Those holy rollers told us about you. Hands on the bar where we can see them." he took careful aim at the Watchman. "Remember next shot fired."

Raven held her hands out and then backed up to the bar. "If you're after me then, why are you hunting my friends? They are hardly of my calibre now, are they and most of them are still human. If you came here for me, then you should just leave with me and let my friends alone.".......

The man laughed. "Traitors to human kind and freaks. The type the Holy Church also wants out of the way. They pay good money for them as well. Now if you would kindly ease a hand down and gently take that sword of yours out and drop it to the floor."

Raven growled in her throat, "Traitors only to ingorant cloistered fools with little better to do with their time than make the rest of humanity miserable." She said coldly. She drew her blade, but instead if dropping it, she half turned and put it on the bar. She then held her hand out. "Whenever you're ready, my pet." She said.....

He nodded to one of the men and he took out a strange looking pair of handcuffs. They were engraved with strange symbols. The man approched her cautiously. He put one of the cuffs on the right wrist. As soon as it was on she could feel the power of the strange artifact as it began to weaken her. The next one completed the circuit as it was.

The second Raven felt the power being drained from her into the cuffs, she acted. Moving faster than lightening, despite the cuffs, she snapped the man's neck and flew across the room, taking out two more. There was nothing for the hunter to shoot at as she could not physically be seen long enough to react. In response, the watchman disappeared and ran for help.....

"Need help........ Dozen men..... armed, not normal hunters." The one sentrey out front had regained conciousness long enough to call for help. The one watching Nathan received the call. At the bar the leader didn't have to fire at her. He just fired off a shot. The two the men had brought in from the back was shot instantly, a third shot was heard outside. Then he pressed a button on a small device in his other hand and the cuffs came together and shoot pain through out her body as it drained her of her strength.

Raven had killed half of them as she said she would, but then she felt teh cuffs do something else and she grunted in the pain of them. The hunters had new toys to play with, toys that she was getting to grips with sooner than she wanted to. Having to slow down because of them, she came to the face of the leader and barrelled into him with her wings folded tight to her back. As she hit him, she bit down on anything she could grasp and sank her fangs in all the way. No matter how much he fought, he wouldn't shake her off, not even with the special cuffs and certainly not with bullets, her wings would protect any vulnerablity......

"The man cried out in pain as she sunk her fangs into his arm. Even with the special cuffs the Church had given him had not completely slowed her down. Gritting his teeth, "Three of your friends are dead, how many more of them here do you want to die." A woman was brought in screaming as the man had a gun to her head, her little boy being dragged in by another. Half his men were dead but he would have her as his captive one way or the other. "You want them to die as well." the man with the woman, pulled her head back with her hair, the gun to her head.

Raven didn't let up her bite, but turned her eyes to the woman and child being threatened by the gunman. She drained as much as she could as quickly as she could, but she knew the leader would give the order before he fell unconscious. Now she opened her wings to their full width and bit down just that bit harder as she slammed them together again. The effect was not unlike a shockwave that blew both the guman and his hostages clean off the feet. Then, she let up her bite and grabbed the leader by his throat. She shoved him into the aftermath of her shockwave and turned quickly to shove the woman and her boy out of the way. "Threaten me all you wish." She said as she grabbed the leader by his throat. "Threaten a harmless and inoocent child and you suffer my wrath."......

He looked her into her eyes as he pressed the button one more time on the control device. His gun was gone, he was weak from blood loss, but he pressed the button and held it as the cuffs sent a steady wave of pain through her. "Then surrender." he said in a gruff and choked voice.

Raven shuddered with teh pain of the cuffs again, but there was no way she was going to let this cruel human live. "Your breed disgusts me." She grunted and then sank her fangs back into the man, but this time, by his throat. He would be dead in seconds as she drank great mouthfuls of his blood one after the other......

The two men with the woman and child grabbed them again and got to their feet. The other four grabbed the weakened Raven and pulled up on her. One picked up her sword and hit her on the head with the flat of the blade.

Raven grunted again as she felt somethign solid hit the back of her head and she released her grip slightly in response. The leader was by now dead and the hit only served to open his neck wider and let what little blood he had left, flow freely. About the same time, the spy following Nathan received word of what was going on. So deeply shocked by it all, she lost her footing and fell through the skylight of Nathan's hotel room and flopped right on the man's head. What hit Nathan was little more than a large mouse or perhaps a squirrel and as it hit the deck, it squeeked in fright and tried scampering away......

Nathan was startled by the rodent that fell in through the window. "What the hell?" he muttered and watched the thing try to scamper away. "Now what?" Back at the Bar, the man slammed the flat of the sword down on her head once more and then pressed the tip of it to her back. "Ease off or the woman and boy are dead. Should kill them anyways fro what you did to the boss." the man said.
The cuffs power of draining her strength continued. "Those damned cuffs should have made her weak as a kitten by now." one of the other men said as he cursed. "Take those two outside and if we are not out in five minutes, kill them." the one with the sword said. The two men forced the woman and boy outside.

When the hunter hit Raven a second time, she disconnected finally with the leader, but she took half his throat with her and she chewed on it angrily as she felt the point of her own blade sticking into her back. As the boy and his mother were led outside, she gave the mother a nod of knowing and then spat out the flesh from her mouth. "He won't last five minutes out there with those two." She hissed at the hunter, "And you won't last another single minute if you don't change your game plan." She put up the hand that still had the cuff on it and she could almost see the metal dragging the strength right out of her skin. "Now take this off and I'll let you breathe a little longer." Outside, there was a single scream, but it was an adult male......
The tiny creature scurried to the window, "Please don't hurt me!" It cried, "I won't hurt you, I promise!"......

He sighed, "Another one of her watchdogs, or in your case rodent." He looked down at the little creature. "Don't worry I don't intend to hurt you. At the Bar another man entered, dressed in black robes a gold cross hanging on a gold chain about his neck. "Don't think that will be the case my dear." he looked around at the bodies of Raven's friends and the dead hunters. "Their deaths, and blood are on your hands." he took out another device like the one the leader of the hunters had. "We have rounded up a couple more of your friends. One that seems to be able to change into a dog. Come quietly and they will be released. You have my word on that. If not I will let the hunters do as they intended. What will it be."

The creature shuddered again, "I'm not a rodent!" It squeaked at him, "I'm a miniature changeling." In the tracker, it heard the goins on at the bar and quickly looked up at Nathan. "How fast can you get to Petra's bar and bistro?" It asked, "I need your help."......
Raven grunted again at the man and glared at him icily, "You word means as much as dust in the wind." She told him, "You and your kind are famous for your lies. I've learned that from personal experience.".......

The man smiled. "There have been those that have been like that, I admit. But I am not like the others in that respect. My word is my bond. But if you wish to have the blood of your friends on your hands and conscience then so be it. He turned to leave." Nathan looked down at the changeling. "Now what help can I give you." he smiled.

"They made their choice when they joined with me." She told the holyman, "And their blood lies with you. Their innocence will haunt you til the day you die, I promise you." The changeling came a little closer to Nathan and shuddered, "Our home has been attacked. They've killed nearly the entire family. we need your help, or they'll all die.".....

"Family?" he asked. "Why come to me. The Dark Lady is the one you need to be calling." The priest or perhaps bishop smiled. "My conscence will be clear, for I am doing Gods work and they are nothing to me, but are they anything to you? That is the question." he headed to the door.

"She's the family!" The creature cried. Raven lifted her head and glared at the holyman again. "Your God has nothing to do with this." She spat, "Only a sad old man that refuses to let go of his ignorance and a church that refuses to let go of it's ideals. If your God was actually real, he'd cast you all to Hell for the cruelties you've commited."........

He stopped for a moment and looked back at her. "Believe what you wish, I have my faith in God, and there is no room for you in this world. What will it be? The lives of your friends or their deaths. Or do you have no feelings for them, and use them as your playthings."
Nathan's eyes widened, "Come on." he grabbed his coat and hat and made for the elevator. This time he took it down to the garage level and hurried to a car. It was not one of your newer models but one with some guts to it and a convertable. He checked his gun, it still had the vampire ammo in it but it would have to do. "What has happened." he asked the changeling.

"Your faith in God is misplaced." She hissed, "And I was around long before your kind created God. I was roaming the world when you were still scratching around in the dirt and eating your own fecaes! You are a virus! A cancer that's been destroying everything you touch for millenia!" In the passenger seat of the ca, the squirrel shifted into something close to a small cat. "Holymen." It said quickly, "Holymen like before."......

The Holy Church. Leave it to them to have some fanatics go hunting abnormals. Nathan hunted only those that killed, the little changeling and the dog one were of no concern to him in that respect. He gunned the engine and pealed out of the garage and onto the street. He knew where the place was, though he had not been there. He took corners at high speed, and was glad it was very late at night or there would be to many people about to do it not to mention other cars. "Have it your way then, your so called friends will be executed immediately, I see they mean very little to you. Kill her with her own cursed sword." he walked out the door.

Summoning up all she had, Raven battled her way free of the hunter holding her and she pounced in him as quickly as she could. The cuff had sapped far too much for her to be at full speed and strength, but she still had enough to snap his neck and grab her blade. After that, she went running for the door to kill the holyman. She roared as she raced through the door and stabbed the man in the shoulder. Her aim was off now too. She still wounded him though and she glared at him once again. "There's no more Godly intent in you than the shite you walk through!" She yelled......

The holy man gritted his teeth as he felt the blade slice into his shoulder. He Stumbled forward, the blade sliding from his shoulder and pressed the button on the device in his hand. More pain wracked Raven's body. "Kill her." he called back to the men inside and he stumbled to his limo and two men ushered him in and as it took off the men pointed their guns at Raven. The two men with the Woman and child raised their guns to shoot them and another man had his food on the Watchman's neck and a gun pointed at his head. This was the sceen that Nathan came upon. He slammed on the brakes and threw it into park, as he brought his gun up. The car slid sideways down the street a piece when he hit the brakes and stopped. His first three shots went for the men with the prisoners. The three went down, and as he turned to the next two before Raven, he drew the tranq gun and fired it at the same time he did his gun. Both men turned as they heard the squealing tires and heard the gunshots and one took the tranq dart and the other the bullet.

Raven dropped to her knees as fresh shooting began and she used her wings to drag herself towards the woman and her son. Once there, she put her wings over them to protect them and picked up the gun of the now dead hunter. She lifted up as much as she could and emptied the clip into the back end of the limo........

The other men inside heard the gunfire and ran out the back not wanting to face reinforcements. He opened the door of the car and got out and approached Raven. He holstered his guns and reached down and picked her up. In the distance there was the sounds of sirens. Some one had called the cops. "Come on. Got to get you and the others out of here."

Raven grunted again and tried to pull off the cuff from her wrist. "The key." She said, "I need the key." And she broke free of him to crawl back to the leader she had killed earlier. At her side, the young boy bgot to his feet and quickly ran to get what she needed. He came back and unlocked the cuff and as it dropped, she felt better instantly. she could hear the sirens getting closer and growled in frustration. Once again, the nutjobs had destroyed her home. "One day, I'm gonna go to Rome and shove this gun right up the old fart's ass!".......

Raven still looked quite weak from what ever the cuffs did to her. He picked her up and and carried her to the car. "No flying for you till we know you have recovered fully." he told her. The woman picked up the cuffs and hurried the boy to the car as it seemed the Watchman had already done. He placed her in the back seat because of her wings and once the others were in he got in and started the engine and took off.

The cops would have a mystry on their hands with the strange ammo he had used and of course with all the dead people around. The Church would disavow any knowledge of the men if they had anything on them to lead them that way. At least that was what Nathan thought.

I'll talk to a few of the cops I know downtown tommorow. She what they are thinking. "Who owns the place you were in?" he asked her

Raven felt herself being bundled into the hunter's car and grunted in annoyance at being thrown around so easily. She wondered how much he would like it when she recovered fully. With everyone else alive in the car, they were off somewhere else. She figured he would take them back to his hotel. It was the safest place to be right now and she could figure out her next step.

After a little fiddling so she could actually sit without crunching her wings, she heard Nathan say something. Who owned the bar. "I did." She said openly, "I bought it on the repo auctions and had Moira front it for me." She pointed to the woman with the boy. "She's on all the paperwork, but I'm still the main owner."

She fidgetted some more, still unable to get comfortable, but ignored the growing cramp in her shoulders and motioned for the boy to hold up the cuffs and show her. He did so, but didn't hand them over and Raven didn't argue the point. She looked them over, trying to figure out what was so special about them. In the front seat, the watchman also looked them over. "I'll have a go at them with squeak later on." He offered. Raven nodded in return then went back to fidgetting in the car......

It was not the hotel that he was taking them to but to the couple that he had dropped Rosa off with. They owned a storage facility that had been an old wearhouse. They stored cars, furniture, and all sorts of things. The place had their living area and a few rooms that they used for different things. Like the Hotel Owner he had helped them out in the past and they stayed in touch.

"Well I could explain the gun battle out side but not sure what went on inside or........ " he looked in the rear view mirror at Raven, "how those inside died. That would be more difficult. But I will see what I can do to clear the place as a crime sceen and get it back to all of you." They arrived at the storage facility as the sun was begining to rise. He pulled into an underground garage and parked the car. "How are you feeling?" he asked Raven.

Raven watched the sun begin to rise from the rear view of the car and squinted her eyes a little, but then it was gone again as Nathan seemed to take them underground. A small relief, she thought. When Nathan asked how she was feeling, she moved her shoulders, "Sore." She admitted. "Your car has given me cramp." She tried to move her shoulders again, but the joint between the socket and the blade had now seized entirely. She would be lucky if she could lift her arms above her head!

Once the car had stopped, Moira and her son quickly got out, followed by the watchman and while the boy held the door open as wide as possible, the watchman and Moira hoisted Raven from the back seat. "This is so embarassing!" She groaned. The pair managed to lift her out and set her upright, but now her wings hung limp behind her and scuffled along the floor. She looked at Nathan with deep annoyance and embarassment. "I need a pulley with 30ft of rope, a large weight, preferably a truck or tractor unit, a meat hook and a half gallon of grease." She told him firmly. "After that, I need a pair of tweezers, some ice, a wide toothed comb and some plastic splints. My watchman will explan how and where I need it all set up." She then turned her head to Moira, "Keep what's left off the floor so I can at least get some blood flow into them."
"Yes Ma'am." Moira replied and quickly heaved up the lower parts of Raven's wings.
The relief was instant and Raven sighed to show it.

The watchman moved around the car to Nathan and gave him half a smile, "Thanks for this." He said. "She won't say it, but she's grateful too." He looked around what he could see of the warehouse. "We'll need a space about ten meters squared with loops in the floor and walls if you have it." He said, "Or something to anchor down the pulley. Do yu have anything like that?".......

Nathan got out of the car as Raven began to rattle off things she needed. She didn't look to good. "Can you make it to the Freight elevator?" he asked her. It was not to far away and not as crowded as a regular elevator. Or did he need to carry her again.

"I can make it fine, thank you." Raven replied curtly. She half turned her head to Loira, who then took up the correct position behind her to carry her wings. "The freight elevator, yes?"......

"Well if you need some help don't hesitate to ask." he told her and began leading the way to the elevator. "What you need I think Keven and Lisa can get you once I introduce you to them. They are the only ones that know what I do other then being a priviate investigator. So they will not be really surprised to see everyone here. Ahhhh and I have Rosa here, but she is not free like you are."

Raven lifted an eyebrow, "I would have thought you'd handed her over to the government." She said with a small amount of suprise. "It will be nice to see her again, but not until I'm fit to view." She nodded to her wings. "As for your friends, I'd rather meet them after I've sorted my wings out. Take the others with you by all means, just leave me to my means."......

He chuckled. "It was a hard decision. But so far as I know she was not on their list so why turn her in. Though I bet she is highly pissed at me for knocking her out and turning her boyfriend in." Once in the elevator he took them up to the third floor of the warehouse. "But I am afraid you will have to meet them to get what you want. Don't worry about your looks." he grinned, "You still look quite formable."

Raven cocked an eyebrow, "Fair enough." She said, trying to hold the weight on her own a little better. And then she furrowed her brow entirely, "Her boyfriend?" she asked.......

The vampire I was after. Evidently she turned him when he was hiking in the Capathian Mountains. He was leaving a trail of bodies across the country since his return."

Raven chewed her lip, then sniggered and then couldn't hold it back any longer. Even Moira and the watchman couldn't help but laugh. "Rosa wouldn't touch a man for all the blood in the world!" She chortled, then laughed openly as though it was the funniest thing she had ever heard.....

"Oh, then what was she doing with my target?" he raised a brow.

"She was probably hunting him, or he'd trespassed in her territory. either way, if you hadn't have gone after him, you'd be finding his body somewhere with his throat and various other parts missing."......

"Well he didn't act that way when he saw what I had done to her. I have seen the look in his eyes many times in other men when something has happened to the woman they love." he told her, "You sure this one is Rosa?"

"I'll let you know when I lay eyes on her." She said, "And it is entirely possible that he was in love with her. Many men have been in love with her over the centries. She used to keep a few men around as lapdogs and guards so she could feed and hunt in peace, but not since......" At this, she fell silent, "It doesn't matter." The elevator finally stopped and she grunted to lift her wings up a little more and Moira carefully tucked them into Raven's back to make them more comfortable.......

Kevin and Lisa met them at the elevator. They had been alerted by the entry of the car into the underground garage. Only they used it or Nathan. They both raised a brow as they saw the group with him, especially since they were not cuffed or tied up. "Making some new friends?" Kevin asked with a grin. Lisa could see that Raven was in some distress. "Come in, come in." she elbowed her husband in the side, "Go get the guest rooms ready while I see to their comfort." Kevin turned to his wife, "Yes dear." he said with merriment and went of to get rooms ready. "Now my dear." she looked at Raven, "What is it you require?"

Raven tried to remain proud, but the woman Lisa was obviously seeing right through the facade. She looked to her watchman and he stepped forward. "We need a space with loops in the floor and walls or something close." He said, "A pulley and 30ft of rope and a tractor unit or truck, a half gallon of grease and a meat hook." he tried to smile, "I know it's asking a lot, but we also need some ice, a wide totthed comb, some plastic splinters and a pair of tweezers." Raven nodded to confirm the request....

"I think we can accomidate all of that." Lisa smiled and took Raven by the arm. "Nathan, be a dear and see our guests to the guest rooms while I help your friend here with everything she needs." Nathan nodded and cocked his head to the one direction. "She is in good hands." he told the group and lead them after Kevin.

Raven lifted an eyebrow as Lisa led her away by the arm. Moira and the others went with Nathan and Kevin. Once alone, Raven looked across at Lisa, "Why are you being kind?" She asked......

"You are friends of Nathan, so you are friends of ours. He would not bring you here if he did not trust you." she smiled at Raven. "So don't your worry about anything." she patted Raven's arm "Ahhhh here we are. This is were we bring some of the heavier things up. The winch over there can lift over a ton of cargo, there is lots of grease over there that we use to keep the cable greased, there is rope over there and the rest I can gather and give to the others for you." she had stopped them at the large room. There was a large opening in the floor where the cable from the winch lead to a large platform and more cables.

Raven nodded with something close to a real smile and looked around. She gave a nod. "I will need my watchman." She said, "He's the only one with the strength enough to counter balance me." She then looked at Lisa's hands and then eyes. "How good are you with fine things?".......
:
Lisa smiled. "Well we will see won't we. You tell me what must be done and we will find out. Which one is your Watchman?" she asked Raven.

Raven smiled, "The one that smells like wet dog." She said with a laugh and then cocked an eyebrow, "Yes, we will see." She moved through the door and had a good look around. She saw a tractor unit that should have enough power and everything else. She would wait until her friend arrived and then get started. No-one else would be permitted to see this......

Lisa went back and told the Watchman to go to Raven. She had been right he did smell like a wet dog and she chuckled. Once she had made sure that her husband had gotten the rooms ready she told him to get food for everyone before getting the tweezers, ice, comb and some plastic that could be made into splinters, and heading back to Raven. Nathan followed after making sure that the others were being taken care of, even the little squirel.

The watchman arrived quickly and went about tying up the rope and pulleys for Raven. "I want this done as quickly as possible." She ordered, "No lollygagging like you did last time." The watchman nodded and quickly lopped the rop around Raven's shoulders and then again over the bridges of her wings. The first knots, he looped through the rings int he floor and then the others through two in the wall and the rest through the axel of the vehicle. Once tied off, he took up the meat hook and lopped the rope between her shouldersblade over it. He took up the last of the rope to the meathook and braced himself with a knee to Raven's back. "You ready?" he asked. Raven nodded and moved forward to tighten everything up for the main pull. Then, with a deep breath, she took his knee deep into her back and pulled her shoulders forward sharply. There was a slight pop and one wing fell completely limp. "Again!" Raven demanded and she took the strain once more. The watchman grunted as he pulled the rope and the hook between her shoulders and she suddenly screeched in pain as both her shoulders snapped back into place. Her wings fluttered once or twice and she dropped to her knees. This was where the loops in the wall came in as they stopped her from hitting the deck entirely and thus crushing her wings again......

Nathan stood in the shadows as she went through everything. Lisa stood with him with the other things she would need. "She doesn't like letting others see her in pain. She is proud and stuborn. Who is she Nathan." Nathan watched and listened to what Lisa said. "They call her the Dark Lady." he said simply. "She is very old and has been mentioned in ancient texts throughout history. But I don't think that all that has been written about her is quite true." he smiled. "See that she is made comfortable." he turned and walked back to the living quarters wondering why he was helping her. One day he might be sent after her. She was like no other woman he had met. Well woman and more he guessed. He wondered if she had ever loved anyone before, like a man and woman would. He shook his head to clear it and then took a seat in the living room of the living area and leaned back closing his eyes and slipped off into a deep sleep.

With the main job done, the watchman had little more to do then spread her wings out and let the weight of them set back into the proper joint. He did so and then carefully unstrapped Raven once again. She grunted in pain and she felt like her wings were burning. "I'll go fetch Moira with the ice." He said. Raven shook her head, "No, Lisa will do it." she said, "She's been watching us from the corner the entire time." The watchman growled and almost shifted in his anger. "Down!" She ordered. "Now leave us." She lifted her head to Lisa as she leaned against the truck. The watchman did as ordered and the pair were alone. "Enjoyt he show, Human?" She asked in a deeply embarassed tone......

Lisa came forward a sad look on her face. "You poor woman." she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Not all humans enjoy the discomfort of others." She sat down the large bowl of ice and other things. "You must have been through a lot of terrible times to judge us all like that."

Raven growled lightly under her breath, "I don't need your pity." She said, "Nor do I want it, so please, don't presume." She reached for the bowl of ice and grabbed a handful of it. "Don't worry about the burns, just put it directly onto the joints and let it melt. While that's soaking in, I need you to pull all the damaged feathers and comb the rest through.".......

Lisa stood there and folded her arms and looked at Raven as a mother would with a child that was bad mouthing her. "You need to learn some manners missy. Just because you are differnt and have abilities that others do does not mean you need to look down on them." She did not move to do anything to help. Just put the comb and other things down on a table. "Pity at times is a good thing, and you should learn to accept it and learn to know when someone acutually means well." she then turned and left Raven.

It took a moment for the tounglashing to sink in, but then Raven gave a lsight laugh and shook her head. "Consider me well and truly put to my place then." She said quietly before picking up the ice and reaching around to do it herself......

Lisa continued on out of the room and returned to the kitchen to see that her husband had gotten the others fed. She saw Nathan had fallen asleep, she shook her head. "He works to hard at what he does. I am worried about him. That other one he brought here is a real mean one it seems and this one, She is to proud of herself and thinks she is superior to everyone. But Nathan has befriended her so we will help her. She turned to the Watchmen, eyeing him with a bit of anger, "Your master will need help." she said and went into the kitchen.

"Master?" The watchman said, then quickly started to follow Lisa, "Now hang on just a minute." he moved in front of her to stop her, but then coughed into his hand, "Sorry, but I think you and I should have a talk about Raven insulting you like she did."......
:
"No, you need to go attend her!" she was angry and she was not afraid to show it. "She needs to learn manners and a bit of respect." Kevin came in and guided the Watchman out of the Kitchen. "You had best do as she says."

"She doesn't want me there and I can't do what she needs." he said, "And you can be angry all you like about her insults, but you need to keep in mind the lengths humans have gone to to destroy her." He started moving out of the kitchen, but before he did leave, "Maybe you should ask Rosa. She knows far more than any of us!" he turned his head to Moira and the woman got up without a thought. "Tell her I'll be there as soon as I find my glasses." She said......

Lisa didn't care how many people had tried to kill her, she needed to see when people tried to help her to be apreciative of it and not look down her nose at them. Once she had put things away she went back out and pulled a blanket out and put it on Nathan. Then she retired to the bedroom. Kevin looked at the others and shook his head. "If you need anything, just make yourselves at home." he then followed his wife to the bed room.

The watchman blew out a long breath and went to find his own room. Moira put ehr son to bed and then went down to deal with Raven. As the demon was preened and put right again, the pair had a long chat about Raven's seeming inability to trust humans with any emotion beyond contempt. At first, Raven didn't want to hear of it, making it clear that pity was not something she was accustomed to. Moira then made it clear that pity was something humans had always shown great promise in and that her friend was more than capable of showing some humility towards it. The conversation went on for quite a while longer, but never quite reached an arguement. when she had finished, Moira left to get some sleep and Raven found herself wondering the warehouse alone......

There was a pounding on a metal door with a small opening in it. "Let me out of here!" a womans voice could be heard. "Where is that low down, foul human that put me here? I'll enjoy sucking the life out of him and then make him into my slave." the womans voice was angry.

Raven stopped her wandering and backed up a step or two. "You'll have to go through me first, Rosa, my dear." she said, then sent a waft of her scent through the opening in the door......

"Raven! Get me out of here!" the womans voice came from behind the door. "What is that foul, bastard of a human to you? He has dared put me in chains, lock me up. A human doing that to me!" oh she was angry indeed. "Pathetic human will pay for what he has done! They are all only good for one thing!"

Raven moved closer to the door and then leaned against the wall, "That's what happens when you attack a hunter without provocation, Rosa." She said, "You;d think after eight and a half millenia, you might have learned that by now." She turned and put her eyes to the hole in the door, "So chill, ok? I'll get your release soon as you learn to behave.".......

Blazing eyes peared back. "What has that human in store for me. Turn me over to those holy bastards to torture and burn at the stake? Why are you with him. He is a hunter! He hunts us!"

"He intends to let you free." She said, "You're not on any list that he holds and as far as I know, the church has long forgotten you." She smiled, "And how do I know that, I hear you say? Because the bastards are hunting me again. Long story short Rosa, you're not important enough anymore to warrant a full scale hunt. So why not just relax and wait a while? It's not like you're gonna die in there, is it."......

She growled deep in her throat. "He turned Dennis over and not me? He didn't turn me over to those holy bastards? He still deserves to be punished for what he has done to me." her voice was not as harsh. "What is he to you Raven?

"Dennis made a hellish mess that couldn't be ignored, Rosa." She said, "He didn't even know about you until you attacked him and no, he hasn't turned you over to them." she moved closer still to the door and gave half a smile, "I owe him my life nearly." She said honestly, "And that of Moira, her son and my watchman. It seems the hunters have some new toys and they did me some damage. I had
to use my sonics just to fight them off and you know how long it's been since I did that.".......

"A human helped you, came to your rescue!" there was amazement in her voice. "Now that is a first. Why would he do that, and he being a hunter?" Rosa came closer to the door. "Very well, I will not hurt him, but I want to be released immediately."

Raven nodded, "That he did." She said, "There's something different about this one, my dearest, I felt it the first time I laid eyes on him." She checked the door over and knew she could pull it off with a little brute force if she had to, but it would not bode well for her hosts. "I'll let him know when he wakes up and you can talk to him then.".......

There was a deep sigh from with in the room. "Very well, a little longer in this wretched room won't be intollerable." She said, "What of those other humans?"

"The woman's got a real temper on her." She said with a laugh, "Put me well and truly in my place so watch your mouth around her. The fella seems nice enough.".......

"Put you in your place? You let her.......... do something like that? Have you changed that much Raven?" Rosa asked.

Raven leaned against the door now and put her head down, "Maybe." She said, folding her arms, "Or maybe I've just forgotten the human's capacity for kindness as well as cruelty. Besides, I've never found reason to doubt Moira and she's been my most loyal human.".......

The sun had come up and was making the air hot outside. Air conditioning kicked in to keep the warehouse living area cool. Nathan woke up about noon, still feeling tired from the full day and a half he had been up. He was stiff from sleeping in a sitting position all night. He streached and winced in pain at the aching muscles. Moving slowly to the kitchen he made a pot of coffee and washed his face with cold water, rubbing the rough stuble of his beard with a hand.

With a cup of coffee in hand he went to look around to see if any one was awake and to see if Raven was feeling better. With the late night that they all had he doubted that anyone would be awake.

Raveb chatted with Rosa for a while longer and then went to find somewhere quiet and private to 'roost'. A beam across the rafters was perfect. She found an old coth tarp to drape over to make it more comfortable, but flying up there was hard work as her wings were very stiff by this time. She made it though and carefully arranged the cloth. After that, she made herself comfortable on her front. She tucked her feet in behind her on the rafter and then let her knees hang either side before letting her wings relax entirely. She then put her head on her hands and relaxed to sleep. The sight in all was incredibly odd, but no less curious.

When Nathan began wondering with his coffee, Moira's son rose and went to find someone to make his breakfast. Still rubbing his eyes, he half wandered, half staggered down the corridor and never saw Nathan coming the other way......

Nathan watched the young boy walk sleeply down the corridor towards him. He held out a hand and stoped the boy with a hand to his head. "Woa there, you need to wake up more or you might run into someone." he grinned down at the boy.

The child looked up and rubbed his eyes once more before yawning. "Morning Hunter." He said dozily. "Have you seen Raven?"......

He took a sip of his coffee, feeling the hot liquid go down his throat. "Nope not since we got here. "Come on I'll fix some breakfast for the two of us. Hopefully everyone will be waking up soon."

The boy nodded and yawned again. "I like pancakes."......

He guided the sleepy boy back towards the kitchen. No one else seemed to be awake and once there he began gathering the things he would need to make some pancakes, bacon and eggs. Out came the frying pans and skillit and mixing bowl. In no time the place was filled with the smell of cooking eggs and bacon and pancakes were getting done. He piled some on a plate and sat it infront of the boy, then the rest on a large platter so others could have some.

The boy licked his lips and started tucking in, but after only one bite, he pushed his plate away. A few seconds after that, the watchman arrived, clearly folllwing his big black, wet nose and wagging his tail.....

"Whats the matter, I thought you were hungry?" he asked the boy and then saw the watchmen coming in. He looked down at the dog form of the changeling and his wagging tale. "Guess you want some breakfast to eh." he filled a plate and sat it on the floor.

The watchman almost grinned through his canine features and quickly started scoffing. The boy looked up at Nathan and sulked, "Raven always gets all the pancakes with syrup. You've only got the top two."......

He chuckled and poured more syrup on the other pancakes. "There you go young man." He looked down again at the watchman eating and enjoying every bite. He sat down and dished himself up some food and began eating.

The boy grinned again and pulled his plate back to him and started eating again. It took maybe ten minutes at the most before he pushed the plate back to Nathan, "More please." The watchman looked up from his own empty plate and gave a gruff that sounded very close to laughter before he took the plate up in his mouth and put it carefully on the table. A gruff of thanks and he was gone again....

Smiling he refilled the boys plate and poured on the syrup just like the boy liked. The watchmen finished his food and even put the plate back up on the table and was off to do what ever. Nathan ate his breakfast and poured himself another cup of coffee. "So no one else seems to be up."

The boy looked around and shook his head, "Raven must be really tired." he said and then shoved another forkful of food into his mouth.....

He could do with a bit more sleep, but he had to check his place for messages, job offers and the like. He kept himself busy as much as he could. Not much else to do it seemed. He had a girl once but his job just didn't work out with her, especially the government one. He was gone for long periods of time and she thought he was cheating on her. Ended kind of badly and it still hurt. "Well they can warm thing up when they get up. I have to get back to my place and see if I have any work to be done." He got up still hurting. His back muscles were all notted up. He gritted his teeth and began walking away. "You guys stay here and relax. Hopefully I can talk to a few people and get your home cleared, so you all can go back."

The boy shoved another load of food into his mouth, "Not gonna happen." He said over the food. "The hunters will be there now. we can't go home." He turned his head and swallowed the food. "She can help with that ya know.".....

"Well not if I have my way they won't be." he winked at the boy. He had some pain killers back at his place. It would help ease the muscles enough to get by. He headed for the freight elevator that lead down to the garage.

"Whatever." The boy said, then turned back to his breakfast. As Nathan walked towards the elevator, there was a strange sound coming from main warehouse.....

Hearing the noise he went to investigate. On never knew what might be there. He drew his gun just to be on the safe side. One of the Church's hunters could have followed them. Once could not be to careful.

There was no-one on the main floor, but the sound became a lot clearer. Not quite a snore, but a snoozing sound. The sound was coming from above. And then a soft swish from the rafters as wings swayed in counterbalance......

He holstered his gun and shugged his shoulders. A strange way to sleep, but with her wings there was really no other way to do it. It would be hell trying to make love. He shook his head. He wondered if she ever had. He then turned and again made his way to the freight elevator.

The snoozing stopped as he turned away. The sound of his holster had woken her. "Leaving so soon?" She asked as she lifted a wing wide enough to see him fully.....

"Work never ends. Got to see what might have come in last night. Also got to talk to my contacts with the Feds to see about getting your place back and keeping those bastards away."

Raven lifted her head and then carefully pulled her wings to her back. Her legs were dangling either side now and she carefully sat up on the beam. "Thanks and all." She said, "But we won't be able to back there. Church trumps the feds every time with people like us. It'll be marked. If we even set one foot there, we're all dead, even Squeak.".....

He grinned, "Don't know the Feds I know. Besides if I take it over what will those idiots think. A PI opening a bar, been done before, so would be a good cover. Worth a try and see what happens."

Raven gave half a smile, "Would work if they didn't know your face." She said, "But he got a good eyeful of you. These people take paranoid to a whole new level, my friend. They'll be watching you."......
:
"Doubt that. Those that would have saw me are dead. The one that drove off in that Limo, well he was to far off to see my face. As for my car, don't use it that often, hard to get info from the DMV unless your a cop. So don't worry about me." he smiled and leaned against the wall. "A good PI knows what to look for in situations like that last night."

Raven lifted an eyebrow then nodded, "I see." she said, "Maybe you'd share some of that insight with me one day. Might come in handy for when I turn up on your list."......

"MMMMMMM don't think I would take that job." he told her. "Think it would be kind of a sitcky situation." he grinned.

Raven gave a small laugh, "Just a little." She replied, then gave a long yawn. "Is the boy up yet?"......

"Up and fed. Had to make sure his pancakes had syurp on all of them." he laughed. "Watchman was up also and ate. Plenty left for everyone that wants some." he told her, "But got to go. Will be back to check on all of you later."

Raven smiled and nodded and then put her head back down on the beam. "Oh good." She said with a yawn, "I can sleep a while longer." She relaxed her wings again and let her body relax once more. "Happy hunting, Nathan."......

It was good some people could sleep in. He shook his head and got into the freight elevator and took it down to the garage. He climbed into the car and took off out into the warm afternoon. Once he got back home he quickly took a hot shower and enjoyed the hot water running over his body. Once done he poped a couple of pain pills and got dressed. This time he put on a nice suit that hid his 9mm and shoulder holster. The tranq gun he threw into a brief case and he put on a wide brim grey hat to go with the suit.

He finally checked his lap top and found no new jobs at the moment either from the Feds or anyone else. So he called his contact with the Feds. "Calling in one of my favors." he grinned. He explained that some friends of his had some trouble with the Church Fanatics. "Yeah yeah I know a couple of them are abnormals but the harmless kind. They help me out here and there to get the bad ones off the street." he lied. He told the guy that the building the bar was in was their home and he needed help to get the Church creeps off their backs and make it his place so as to make a paper trail saying that it basicly belonged to a hunter.

The Church would probably leave it and him alone figuring that a hunter wouldn't be helping so called demons and such. He thanked the man and then left his place for a trip up town to the area where the big cathedral was. He wanted to see if he could find out what the Church Hunters knew and see if he could plant a bug or two to help keep his new found friends a step a head.

Getting in to the Cathedral was no problem, getting to the Bishops office was another story. It was a good thing that he could pick locks, almost a mandatory thing for a PI. A couple times he had to pick a lock to open a door and slide in to a room when priests were walking down another corridor. But he got his bug planted and one on the old boys hat. Where he went with it, Nathan would be able to hear everything.

Once back outside he chuckled. "Ok now back to check on that crazy bunch."

The watchman and the boy spent a fair amount of time watching TV before the boy was bored and he went about finding a game to play. In the end, they decided on catch. The ball was an old cricket ball he found by the back door. It was looking grey overhead so they played indoors. The watchman stayed in his canine form, he preferred it anyway. They played for a good hour before the boy threw the ball and it hit someone. The boy covered his mouth and whimpered before running to hide behind the watchman's form. "I'm sorry!" he cried, "I'm sorry! I know I shouldn't play indoors!".....

Lisa stood there for a moment and then picked up the ball. She looked at the boy and shook her head. "Best to play in here then outside. This is not the best neighborhood in town." She gave the boy a smile. "Play all you like, and if you want a mit there is some in that store room over there, that use to be my boys." She then turned and made her way to a staricase that went up to an office that over looked the main part of the wearhouse. It was their office for the business.

"Would you play with us?" He asked, standing up again. "Watchman can catch easy enough, but he won't throw it for me and Raven's still asleep. Please?" He followed her up the stairs and gave his best smile......

At the mention of Raven's name she stiffened and lost her smile. But she turned and looked at the boy. "I guess I could for a bit. Go fetch a couple of the mits" she told him. "There should be a baseball or two in there as well." The closet had all sorts of stuff in it, balls, bats, mits, footballs, and some military clothing, duffle bag and the like and clothing that was for a young man, perhaps in his twenties.

The boy's smile grew and he quickly ran to get what he wanted. a mit and a bat. He then came running back and handed the mit to Lisa. "You can throw." he said, "The watchman can catch and I'll bat." He smiled again.....

Lisa nodded began pitching the ball to him. A whimsical look came upon her face as she played ball with the young boy.

The boy batted the ball away with quite some skill and then watched as the watchman chased it across the room to catch it and bring it back to Lisa. "I love this game." The boy said happily, "I used to play it all the time with my brothers.".....

"My husband and I use to play with our son a long time ago." she smiled.

The boy lowered his bat. He hadn't seen another child in the building and all the toys had been packed away in that cupboard. "Was it a vampyre or a demont hat got him?".....

She looked at the boy. "Oh no. He died in the fighting overseas. He was a soldier. He died protecting people he didn't even know and who had different beliefs then his." She told the boy. "He was always trying to help others."

The boy raised his brow, "Wow!" He said. "I wanted to be a soldier like my dad when I grew up. My dad was in the Argentina war and the first Gulf war. He got medals and everything for what he did and Mum was so happy. When he died, all she did was cry.".....

She looked at the boy, "Yes I know how she felt. I cried a lot myself when I got the news." She stood there a bit and sighed. "But that was the life he had chosen and he died doing what he thought was important. She played a bit more with the watchman and the boy and then said, "I have to go up and write out the bills and send out the notices for those that have things stored here to pay their rent." she patted the boy on the head. "You keep the mit and the bat and ball. They need a boy like you to play with them."

The boy shook his head. "He didn't die in Iraq or anything like that." He said, "A vampyre killed him. Him and my brothers. They were on a fishing trip up in Scotland. We were on holiday in the caravan."......

Lisa looked surprised. It was her turn to be shocked. "Never knew they existed until Nathan helped us out with one that was in the neighborhood. He almost got Kevin and I but Nathan stopped him before he could. He has told us some about what he calls abnormals. Those that are human but not quite human. He says some are very bad, like the one that killed your dad and brothers but others...."

She looked over at the watchman, "are just trying to live their lives the best they can." She trusted Nathan's judgement on things like that. He seemed to know what he was talking about.

The boy nodded, "It was 4 years ago." he said, "The vampyre killed my dad and my two oldest brothers at the fishing lake, but Brian begged him to let him go home. The vampyre followed him back to us and then killed him in front of Mum. I was hiding under my bed when it happened. I heard her screaming and then I heard the vampyre screaming. That was when we met Raven."......

Lisa listened to what had happened. She pulled the boy to her and held him. It was a hard thing to lose your family to a monster that didn't care for anything or anyone. When he mentioned Raven, she stiffened again. She didn't like her. Thought that the creature thought she was better then everyone else, and needed to learn some respect for others and humility.

The boy felt Lisa stiffen up and lifted his head up, "What's wrong?" He asked. "You went all funny when I said about meeting Raven.".....

She let the boy go and looked at him. "Nothing you need to worry about." she told him. She liked the boy and his mother and the watchman and even the little squirel creature. She squatted down to be on level with him. "You run along and play.

The boy folded his arms, "You don't like her, do you." He said, "I'm nearly 11 ya know, I'm not stupid."......

She looked him in the eye, "No your not and yes I don't like her. She is rude, self centered, and unapreciative." she told him in a normal tone. "I am not sure why she helped you and your mother, but to me she seems to want nothing to do with humans. I know that some have probably tried to hurt her and kill her, but not all humans are like that, but one can not tell her that." she told him.

The boy cocked his head to one side. "They did worse than that." He said. "The pope burned her kids alive in a church in France." He lowered his head a little then, "She saved us because I think she saw what that vampyre did to my family and she knew how it felt. She doesn't trust humans much and she hates being pitied. It makes her remember what happened. I can still hear her crying sometimes and calling their names in her sleep.".....

Lisa knew from Raven's comments that humans had hurt her greveiously, but everyone that has been wronged like that there are always those that feel the sorrow and try to comfort. Raven had rebuked that and made it clear she didn't want a humans pitty. "When I lost my son, there were those that came and felt sorry for my loss and anguish. I did not rebuke them or say I didn't want their pity. Raven said as much and also that she didn't want the pity of a human. When I scolded her for such an attitude, she laughed and said she had been thourghly scolded. To me that showed how little she thought of me and any humans feelings on the matter." She stood up, "She needs to learn some humility and manners." She then turned and walked towards the office.

The boy watched Lisa walk back to the office. "She did that to Mum once too. Laughed when Mum told her off. Said Mum had put her in her place." he ran up to her, "She wasn't being mean. She said that Mum sounded just like her mother when she got told off and it made her happy to think some of her spirit was still around."

Lisa heard what the boy said but continued to go up to the office. She still felt that Raven did not take what she had said seriously and had been making fun of her. Nathan finally made it back to the wearhouse. He had taken a cab down town and back. With so many cabs in the city, it would be hard to really tail one with out being noticed. He got a phone call on his way up from his Fed Contact. The place had been confiscated by the Feds and the investigation had been taken over by the Feds, claiming that it had to do with national security. Also it had been leaked that those that had lived there had been able to take get a private jet out of the country and that the place was being given orver to Nathan who was a Hunter as part of a payment for services rendered.

The boy watched Lisa go and started back down the stairs and looked at the Watchman. "I wish Raven would learn to trust humans quicker." He said. The watchman lowered his canine head, "I know, Son." He said, "But you know what happens when the pity makes her remember. Once she's chewed over her feelings again, she'll apologize and explain." The boy nodded in return and rubbed his friend's ears. "I hope so." He said, "I like this one."....

Nathan grinned and at least he had some good news. It had not taken the Feds long to do it either. Showed what they could do when they wanted to. He looked around the living area for anyone that might be up and about.

The boy arrived in the living area with the watchman and his bat and ball. He smiled at Nathan and threw the ball to him. "Your friend Lisa throws a mean curve ball."....

Nathan chuckled. "She does eh." That was something he didn't know about the woman. "So where is everyone?" he asked.

"I don't know where Squeak is, but Raven's still sleeping somewhere. I've checked her room, but there's no rafters so..." He then looked around, "Lisa's gone upstairs. She doesn't like her ya know. Thinks she's selfish and stuck up.".....

Nathan looked down at the boy. "Doesn't like Raven? Selfish and Stuck up?" Well he could see how Raven could have rubed her the wrong way. After all she almost killed him for picking up her sword. Lisa was a very caring person and it had to have been something really bad to piss her off like that. "Guess I am going to have to have a talk with Raven." he sighed and went off to see if she was awake.

Raven woke a few hours later to find something odd. Moira was sat next to her on the rafter. How on earth she had gotten up there was beyond her, but there she was, sat with her arms and ankles crossed and staring across the roof of the building. Raven lifted her head and yawned widely before pulling her wings back and sitting up. Moira didn't look at her, but it was clear the human was highly annoyed.

"I leave you alone for five minutes and you not only manage to upset our hosts, but you leave my only son to be looked after by a dog." The woman snapped.
"Good afternoon to you too, Moira." Raven said as she stretched, "And the watchman is no simple dog. He's a changeling guardian that dotes on the boy. You could do a lot worse."
"And what about Lisa?" Moira asked, "I overheard them talking, Raven. All she did was show she cared and you threw it back at her. I thought we'd got past this a long time ago."
Raven chewed her lip somewhat and looked down. "Pity doesn't serve me any purpose but to make me remember." She said. "And the last thing I want is to remember."
"You remember anyway." Moira returned quickly, "And she didn't know what happened to you. You're expecting people to be psychic and it doesn't work that way. And then, you laughed at her!"
"I did not laugh at her." Raven said firmly, "I laughed at myself. And I don't expect people to be psychic, Moira, I just chose not to share my woes with everyone I meet. When Lisa made her comments, I simply gave the same response I gave you and every other person with balls enough to remind me I still have a soul." She got up on the beam and started stretching out her wings. "If all she sees is her own version of me, then so be it. You can't expect me to be friendly with every human on the planet."
"I'm not asking you to be." Moira returned again, "Just her. Apologize and explain to her. If it means you have to remember again, then remember again. Maybe it'll remind you to have some bloody manners. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like a lift down. The ladder has shifted."

Raven walked a vew paces away and then back again along the beam before raising an eyebrow at her friend. She looked around and saw the ladder leaning at a strange angle against the wall and then snorted a laugh. "You climbed all the way up here just to make me apologize to Lisa."
"Yes." Moira replied. "Had I waited until you were at my level, I'd be more likely to slap you one and I rather fancy my hand the way it is, thank you. Besides, if I came up here, you might be more inclinced to listen."
"Point taken." Raven replied, "But I won't apologize for my jaw being tougher than your fist, so forget it." She sat down again and shuffled across to Moira, "But you're right. I will apologize and explain myself to Lisa. Not everyone has the same sense of humour that you do." She reached out and took Moira by her slim waist and then hopped off the beam.

The pair floated down to the floor with ease and Raven set her friend back on her feet with a smile. She then wne to find Lisa to explain a few things and admit her wrong doing.......

Nathan knew where Raven had made her perch, so he made his way there to see if she was awake so he could tell her about the bar. When he arrived he saw Raven floating down with Moria. It seemed her wings and shoulders were now ok. He stood there watching and when they landed on the floor he slowly approached.

"Well got a bit of good news for you." he told them. "Been in contact with my Fed contact. Called in a favor they owed me and they are clearing the Bar as a crime scene. Saying it was a matter of national security, and let it leak out that it had been turned over to a hunter, to see who might show up there. If the Church sniffs around they will find out that a government hunter truely owns the place and shouldn't come near the place now. Also that let be known that those envolved with the place had managed to take a private plane south to South America.. Give it a few days and then I think it will be safe to move back in."

Moira smiled to Nathan and went to find her son. Raven folded her wings in again and looked to Nathan. She nodded and gave half a smile, "Thank you." She said....

"One needs their home, especially one with a little boy." he motioned his head towards Moira. He knew he had hated moving all over the place when he had been young. "I hear you may have made Lisa angry."

Raven fluttered her wings, "So it would seem." She said, "Human pity isn't something I tolerate much and some people take offense to that.".....

"Well it is our nature to feel other's pain and want to comfort them. One of our more redeeming qualities. We do have so many bad ones we need to make up for." he sighed.

Raven nodded, "Moira reminded me of it." She said, "So I'll go and debase myself now and let Lisa know that I'm not a complete bitch."......

He grinned. "Ahhhh she is a hard one." but he had a feeling she would accept Raven's apology. "Good Luck."

Raven lifted an eyebrow, "Thanks." She said, "I'll probably need it. Last time she looked at me, I got the feeling she'd rather see me stuffed on the wall." And she moved away to find Lisa......

He watched her go off to find Lisa that is when he got a call from Professor Higgins. "I think you need to come over and see what I just got in the mail." The professor sounded kind of excited. "Be there as soon as I can." He wondered what he had gotten that the professor needed him to see? He checked in with Kevin who again told him what had happened. "Yeah, Raven is on her way to make an apology." he told him. Then he was off again to see the Professor.

Raven moved through the warehouse on her way to find Lisa. It wasn't hard. She could feel the animosity coming from the woman. And then she looked up to a side of windows. Lisa was in the office doing something. Taking a deep breath, Raven climbed the stairs and knocked on the door......

Lisa opened the door and when she saw Raven her eyes began to harden and a scowl apeared on her face. "What do you want?" she said in an angry voice.

Raven chewed her tongue to stop what she was going to say and entered the office in silence. "I thought we might have a little chat." She offered, "A peaceful one."......

"Talk about what?" she asked as she watched Raven come into the office.

"My infinite ability to piss people off.".....

Lisa sat down in her chair by the desk and looked at Raven.

Raven moved forward, but didn't sit down. Besides, the chair was too wide at the base and would put ehr wings at an awkward angle. "I don't do pity all that well." She began, "It reminds me of things I'd rather have forgotten a long time ago."....

Lisa just sat there looking up at her as she spoke and didn't say a word. But Raven had her attention.

Lisa's silence wasn't comforting and Raven felt her skin begin to prickle. "You're not gonna make this easy, are you." She said and then swallowed hard. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, ok? and I wasn't laughing at you. You reminded me of someone and it was nice.".....

Lisa raised a brow. An apology. Now that was something she had not expected, espeicially from Raven. "Go on." she said.

Raven stepped forward. "Moira did it a few years ago. Put me in my place like that. You've got the same spirit. My mother had it too and just for a split second, I'm back home and she's caught me in the pantry."......

Lisa leaned back in her chair. So the young woman with the little boy told Raven off herself. That was a big plus for the young woman. She knew she liked her for some reason. But she continued to listen.

Raven chewed her lip again, "So, apology accepted then?"......

Well she had apologized. "So what is it that it all makes you remember." she was courious.

Raven opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again. She ran her tongue over her fangs and looked away for a moment. "It reminds me of things that happened." She said, "Things that should never have happened. People that it should never have happened to."......

"Well I find that talking about things like that helps. If you keep it bottled up inside you it eats you alive." Lisa said in a more normal tone.

Raven moved to the window and stared out of it. "It's not something I chose to share anymore." She said, "And not with humans. Well, not with most humans. They don't grasp the reality of what I say or they don't believe me. After all, how many humans would believe sucha thing?".....

"Try me." she said. "I had no idea you and other abnormals existed until a short time ago. It opened my eyes and mind. Nathan has helped in that matter."

Raven's eyes went a little cold as she looked back at Lisa, but then she blinked and it was gone again. "Have you ever been to France?" She asked, "It's a beautiful country with a beautiful language. Well, it had many languages when I lived there. There was this little citadel called Carcassonne. It's still there, but it's a tourist trap now. Most of the old town has gone. Back then, it was still young and growing. The people there didn't care about differences. If you could give something to the community, you were made welcome. Young and old, religious or not. Even creatures like me. It was like a little melting pot of every creed, colour and race and we all got along together. I foung my place there. Even got married. Jacob was Angelus like me. He was handsome and strong. He was a guard for the Lord so he had standing too. We married in the autumn with the Lord's blessing and he gave us a small house just inside the citadel itself." She looked across at Lisa and gave half a smile. "A few years later, I entered my breeding state and we had a daughter. We named her Melisa after the Lord's first daughter. A few years after that, we had a little boy, Argo. We were happy. Then one day, the Lord got word from Rome that there was a new Pope and he wanted the people brought back to the church. Those that refused would be named heretics and condemned as such. For a long time, we managed to escape his sight, but eventually, his soldiers arrived. He saw what was going on and that was it for him. Humans and immortals coexisting? We were an abomination to him. Me and my fellow females were out in the fields when they attacked the citadel. They gathered up everyone who wouldn't convert and put them in the cathedral. The Pope then ordered it be burned down. When we returned, they gathered us all up and made us watch while our elders and our children were burned alive. Then the soldiers took us to the jail. While our families still burning, they defiled us, beat us. Some of the younger females died because of it. Then they built a pyre in the square and made us walk into the flames. I managed to escape and fly away from them, but I still had to watch. I can still hear them singing as they were put onto the pyre. It haunts me almost as much as hearing my children screaming." She turned her head away as she felt tears beginning to form. "Eventually they left and I went back to see who I could find still alive." She shook her head, "All that remained of the church was the front door and the arch. And my husband. For his loyalty, they cut him into pieces and hhung him on the door." Her head dropped low then and she fell silent.....

Lisa rose from her chair and moved to Raven. She embrased her and hugged her. She didn't say anything but just held Raven. She felt like a fool now. Meanwhile Nathan had taken a taxi to the university. "Ok Professor I am here he said as he walked into the old man's office. Professor Higgins placed a very old looking journel on the table. "Interesting reading my boy. I think you will be intriqued."

Screams of those dying and fighting filled his ears as they were pushed into the chaple of the castle. The doors were locked and windows blocked. Then came the smell of fire and smoke as the Christian Soldiers set fire to the Chaple. Smoke began filling the Chaple as flames rose all around him and the others within. William looked around as the smoke began to fill the chaple. He had been there many times bringing trade goods from far and wide, and he had went exploring the place a time or two and had discovered a secret passage below the Chaple that could be got to by a couple of places.

All the people were screaming and crying, except Argo and Melisa, Raven's children. Even though Argo was young he was protective of his sister and kept her close as he looked around for a way out. Had he been older, he would have been strong enough to fly up and break through the roof, but he was to young for that. But William knew how to get the people out if he could find the latch or leaver to open the secret door to the passage below. He looked around and went up by the alter and looked some more. He notice slight scratch marks on the floor and began looking around the altar. He finally found the mechanism. Pressing it the altar swung over making a slight scraping sound.

"Hurry, everyone. This way." he said as he moved through the people and usered them up to the altar. They did as he told them and soon everyone was filing down a stone stair case to the passage below. He took Argo and Melisa by the hand and lead them down. The passage lead away from the castle and came out in a wooded area. Argo and Melisa didn't want to go but William told them that their parents would want them to be safe and to go with him. They listened and he took them and the other people to safety.

He had feared that the Christians, the Church would eventually come and try to destroy the Castle that was suppose to hold monsters. He liked them, they were almost angel like, or as the christians discribed angels. He got them away and to a cave that would shelter and hide them for awhile. He went back after the battle and from a distance saw what they had done to Castilo. Anger burned in his heart for those murdering soldiers and the church. He saw the soldiers attack and drag the women as they returned, into the castle and heard their screams. But he didn't see Raven escape as he had turned away from it all, knowing he had to save the children some how.

He waited until nightfall and returned to the village below the castle to retreive his wagon of goods that he had left there. It was still where he had left it, and his gold hidden in a secret compartment. He returned to the cave and gathered the children and few adults that were there together. He told them of what he had seen and heard. He pulled Argo and Melisa to him and held them as tears welled up in their eyes.

It was no longer safe for them in France nor anywhere else that the Church had sway. He managed to get them all to a port in southern France and on a ship to the Dark Continent. There Christianity had not spread and he could possibly find a place deep in the jungles for the surviors. It took months of travel, by sea and land to find a place that would do. There they built a comunity and William watched it grow, along with Argo and Melisa. He would return to France or Spain and return with books and other small treasures for the comunity. But finally the years passed and he grew to old for such travel. On his deathbed he looked at the full grown Argo and Melisa. She looked so much like her mother and Argo his father. "Remember what I have taught you." he smiled up at the two. "Not all humans are bad, and not all of them are good either. Beware the Church and its minions. They destroy anything that they can not understand, or does not fit into their beliefs. When he died, he was burried in a tomb made of granite along with his journel he had kept from the time they had left the castle to only a few days before his death.

His tomb was discovered centuries later by one of Professor Higgans former students. He read the journel and had heard of another Harrigan that had been one of the professors students. He sent him the journel thinking that perhaps William had been an ancestor of Nathan. Professor Higgins read the journel. He could not put it down. For part of their studies, he had his students make a family tree and search to see how far back they could go. He remembered Nathan had gone pretty far back and that there had been a William back about the time that the journel had been begun. It was the brother of Nathan's ancestor. He called Nathan after reading it.

"Interesting readingmy boy. I think youwill be intriqued." the Professor said. He picked up the book and opened it. It was written in old english and the name at the begining made him look up at the professor as he sat down. He began reading it and like the professor could not ut it down. It explained a lot about Raven and what had happened to her. He could see how she could have hated humans for what they had done, and why she didn't want to remember.

He thanked the professor and made his way to his new home of sorts, the bar. He stayed there a few hours more having a few drinks and finishing the journel. It was now night and above in the night sky the sound of powerful wings flapping could be heard if any were listening. A Thud on te roof made Nathan come to his feet drawing his gun. He went to the roof to check it out. If it was one of the Chuch hunters, he would make short work of him but what he found was not what he had expected.

As he came out of the door that lead to the roof, a powerful hand gripped his throat and another gripped his wrist. Before him was a male version of Raven. "A hunter." the Angelus snarled. "Where is my sister hunter? Tell me and you might live."

The hand was squeezing his throat tightly, "If you ease up your grip." he struggled to talk, "I can talk better. Who are you?"

"My name is Argo." he sneered.

At the name Nathan Grinned. "My name is Nathan. Nathan Harrigan."

At the name the Angelus' eyes grey wide and he losened his grip on Nathan's throat. "Harriagan?"

"Yeah William was a very distant realative." he smiled. "I got more news for you." he said as he rubbed his thoat. "Not about your sister but your mother." he looked at him. "She is alive."

Argo looked at him eyes full of disbelief. "Impossible. She died centuries ago."

"No she didn't, but she thought you and your sister died that day." he told him. "Come down stairs and I will make a phone call and prove it." he lead the way to the bar and called Kevin. "Tell Raven to come to the bar immediately. It is very important." To Argo. "You keep yourself out of sight till I signal you." Argo moved back into the shadows of aside room.

Raven also remained silent as Lisa hugged her. She wasn't entirely sure what to do at this point, but her mind was once again filled with the old haunting sounds and memories of those days. "I buried them in the orchard. The children loved playing there and it was where Jacob asked me to marry him. Seemed fitting. I left a marker, but I doubt it's still there. It's been just over a thousand years since that day and I still remember Argo kissing me goodbye in the morning. The smell of his new feathers. He would have grown his flying feathers by winter and Melisa would have fledged. And the humans burned them. They burned children.".......

Kevin came in to the office and stood there a moment in silence as he watched his wife hugging Raven. He hurumphed and then said. "Raven, Nathan called. He needs you to come to the bar immediately. Something important he said."

Raven coughed lightly and wiped away the tears welling up. "Sure." She said quickly and detangled herself from Lisa. She moved to the door and looked to Lisa again briefly. She gave a nod of thanks and then left. Moira had found her son and they were drawing together in the kitchen. "Nathan called." She said to them, "He's at the bar. Something important came up and I have to meet him there. I'll send for you guys when I can." Moira nodded and waved and Raven made her way up to a skylight. By now, it was dark out and she was able to fly without being seen. Spreading her wings, she launched off the roof and made her way to the bar. Once she had arrived, she landed on the roof and looked around. The Feds had certainly cleaned up quick, she thought and went inside. "Nathan?" She called as she moved down the stairs. "Nathan? You here?".......

"Here." he said as he took a sip of his drink. He watched as she approached. "There is someone here I want you to meet." He lifted a hand and motioned with it. "His name is Argo." As he motioned with his hand, Argo emerged from the other room, his eyes wide, hands trembling. "Mother?" came a whisper from his lips. He was the spitting image of her husband but younger looking.

Raven entered the bar and looked around. She saw Nathan, but then he wanted her to meet someone. "Argo?" She asked, then he came into view and Raven felt all the breath knocked out of her. Then he spoke and Raven began to shake. Her eyes shot to Nathan and then back at Argo. And then everything started to go out of focus. Next thing Raven knew she had hit the deck, passed out cold......

Argo rushed to his mother and lifted her head up. "Mother, mother are you alright." He looked over at Nathan who also made his way to her. In Argo's eyes was worry. "She just passed out." Nathan told him. He went to the bar and leaned over and took out the first aid kit and took a couple of ampules out of it and brought them over. Crushing them in his fingers he put them under her nose moving them back and forth.

Raven gave a slight groan and opened her eyes slowly. She looked up almost dreamily, "Jacob." She said quietly, "But you're....." She sniffed again and shuddered, pushing Nathan's hand away, "Yuk!" She said, "That stuff stinks!" She clambered back up again, but then remember who she'd seen and backed up to the bar quickly, "No!" She said, "This isn't possible!"......

"Oh quite possible." Nathan said. "He moved to the bar and picked up the Journel. "It is all in here. Remember some one called William, a merchant that brought all the kids toys and candy to the citadel?"

Raven's eyes shot between Nathan and Argo again. "William?" She asked, "I've known many Williams." Then the penny dropped, "William Hannigan. He used to come to Carcassonne every other week with his father's latest inventions." She looked again to Argo, but still couldn't believe her eyes. She then shook her head, "No." She said, "I buried them myself."......

"No you didn't. Not sure who you burried, but William managed to get all those in the chaple out through a secret passage. He watched as the soldiers waited and took you and all the women and then heard the screams. He thought they had killed you and took the survivors to Africa." Nathan explained.
"It is true mother. He thought you dead. He saw what they had done to father and thought they had done terrible things to you. He took us to Africa and looked after us as if we where his own children." Argo took his mother's hand in his two strong hands. They were still shaking. He looked at Nathan, and bowed at the waist. "A thousand pardons for my actions on the roof."

Raven shook her head again, unable to believe what she was seeing, "But it's not possible." She said, "I heard them screaming. I heard them dying! How could I not know my own......." She sniffed up and she knew then. She stared at Argo and fresh tears appeared in her eyes. "Argo. My baby boy?" She looked down at her hands in his and then back up again. She pulled her hands free and put them to his face. She had to reach a little. "My baby boy!" She pulled his head down to hers and hugged him tight.....

Argo put his arms around her and held her tightly, tears welling up in his eyes. "Mother." he said softly. Nathan leaned back on the bar a big smile on his lips. This was one reunion he would not have missed. He downed his drink and just watched.

Raven held on tight and practically breathed the boy in. After many long moments, she finally let him go and stood back a little. "How handsome you've become." She said over her tears. "You look just like your father." She moved around him, looking at every aspect of him. He had to be at least 7ft tall and wings of the purest black. Long black hair to match and those gorgeous blue eyes, just likee Jacob's. "But how?" She asked, "How have I not found you? I've travelled this globe twice looking for others, but never....." She pulled him close again, "I still can't believe it." She pulled back once more, "Where is Melisa? Is she alive too? Where is she? Has she come with you?" She had so many questions.....

He breathed in his mothers scent. He had missed it. He had missed her embrases as well and relished it now. "William found us a perfect place in Africa. We lived there for a very long time even after his death. As the european influence moved further into Africa, mostly in the mountains where the natives regarded us as gods. They kept our presence and whereabouts secret for a long time. Then there was the long sleeps." he told her. When asked about Melisa, he hung his head. "She is alive still I hope." he then looked up at his mother. "Not long ago another of our kind found us and came to live with us for a time. I did not trust him. He regarded our human friends as inferiors. She fell in love with him and one day with out any word she left with him. I have been searching from her ever since. I heard through a few of our friends that have come to this country that there was one of us here. I thought it might have been here."

Raven's face went pale. "Then we have to find her!" She said quickly, but then her face became puzzled. "Just how many of us survived from Carcassonne? I found at least a few dozen of us in the rubble."......

Melisa and I were the only Angelus to survive. The elders and children, William got out to safety. We stayed together and grew in our numbers. Right now there are many decendents of that original group that have fanned out to look for more of our kind and to help find Melisa." he smiled. "I have done all I could to leave no stone unturned."
He sighed. "Lucifer said that there were a few more of us scattered across the world. Most hiding, leading soiladary lives."

"Lucifer?" Raven asked.....

"That is what he called himself." Argo told her. At the name Nathan riased a brow. He shook his head. Couldn't be, could it. But then it could. He could have been the basis for the Fallen Angel Lucifer.

Raven raised her brow too, "Then I know how to get his attention." She said, "If he's here, I can bring him to us. You said he had Melisa?".....

"Yes. She was madly in love with him." he squeezed his mother's hand. "Do you know him?" he asked.

Raven put her hand tenderly on her son's cheek. "No." She said, "I don't know him, but I soon will." She turned her head to Nathan, "Under the bar, there should be a small jar with a fine silver looking powder in it. I need it.".......

Nathan walked around the bar and found what she had discribed. He pulled it out and sat it on the bar. "Mother." Argo said softly, His eyes were still misty as he looked upon her. He held her hand on his face. "This is almost like a dream."

Raven looked back up at Argo, "I know." She said, "I've missed you so much. It broke my heart." She took up the jar and opened it. Instantly, the room smelled of exotic fruit and flowers. It was a wonderful and arrousing smell. "Don't breathe too deeply." She warned both Nathan and her son. She scattered the powder down her back and fluttered her wings a few times. "If this doesn't get his attention, nothing will." Though it may have been wonderful to Argo and Nathan, to her it smelled sickly and unpleasant......

"What is it?" Nathan asked

Raven looked to Nathan, "The natural smell of a female." She told him, "Well, not entirely. It's a concentrated smell. It lets any available males out there know there's a viable breeding female." She looked at Argo, knowing he would have suffered this smell before, but Nathan wouldn't. "I would suggest you keep your distance until it wears off. Argo will be able to ignore it as he's my offspring, but humans react a little different." She made her way to the door.....

Argo turned to Nathan. "I do not know how to thank you. How to repay you for this." His voice cracked a bit. Nathan moved back around the bar and put an hand on the strong muscular arm of the young Angelus. "No need, my friend." he said and watched Raven leave.

Raven's mind was in a haze as she went up to the roof. She still couldn't believe that her children were still alive. It was like a dream to her and she wasn't sure if she wanted to wake up yet or not. Once on the roof, the smell mingled with her own and soon was carried off on a gentle breeze. Once she was sure the scent was being carried, she started fallping her wings to make some noise that would carry with it. "Come on Lucifer." She said, "Follow your nose and bring me to my princess."......

Lucifer had been traveling the globe trying to find others of his kind. They had been hunted by various empires, killed, enslaved, just because they were different. The Christians were the worst, and had nearly wiped out the Angelus. He had heard of some here and there and went to find them. He hoped to gather them together and try to gather strength to fight back. He had found Argo and Melisa. Argo didn't trust him and was not at all like him. Melisa he could see was attracted to him and he liked her as well. Who wouldn't have. Together they had left and she had joined him in seeking others of their kind. They had come to the city after hearing that the Christian Hunters had found another of their kind there. He left Melisa in the safety of their temporary home to go search. On the wind he caught the scent and breathed it in deeply. He smiled as he headed in the direction of the scent.

Raven wandered around the roof for nearly half an hour before she started to lose patience. Perhaps this wasn't going to work after all. She almost hoped so so she could shower and get rid of the scent on her......

Lucifer soared high above the city, looking down at the city. If he could he would enslave them all. Make an army of the humans to fight for him and his kind. Down below he caught a glimpse of someone on a roof top. The scent was coming from there.

Finally, Raven heard the sound of wings moving through the air and looked up. She fluttered hers a little more, releasing more of that suculent and lucious smell before creating a little sound again. "There you are." She said, though she wasn't entirely sure it was him yet. The silvery powder evaporated completely now and it was just her smell that followed, but unknown to her right then, it also carried the scent. "come on, big boy, let's have a look at you."......

Lucifer was no fool. He circled above looking the area over. He then came lower and landed on a higher part of the roof. He was a handsome one. Strong, muscular and tall. He had on his left arm a metal gauntlet that went all the way up to his elbow. At his side he also carried a sword. He looked down at Raven turning his head a bit as he looked at her. There was puzzelment on his face. She looked alot like Melisa.

Raven tuned as the male landed on a higher part of the roof. Typical male behavior so far, she thought. Keeping her side to him, she turned her head to her shoulder and looked up. He was definitely a big one. Easily over 7ft and very muscular. A fine male if there ever was one. But he looked puzzled and Raven knew immediately this was the one she was looking for. She fluttered her wings again, giving off more of her scent and turned to face him proper now. "Hello." She said softly.....