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| - Myst Kagekyo, the current ruler of the Reikon Kyuuban, enjoyed what could best be described as hunting. Not with a gun or a bow, but with nails and fangs, the tools of a demon. To her prey, that's what she was, a demon. Myths of her kind prefered a different word, one that to this day could strike fear into many, or it would, if people still believed in their kind. That word was vampire. Even in the darkness of the night, she saw everything perfectly, all except the stars hidden by light pollution which were of no concern. The only thing that mattered to her was getting blood from a human. The city slumbered, blissfully unaware that a murderer who's aura was seeped in gore walked their streets. It was a perfect time to hunt, typically gangs roamed the area late at night, those gangs were also Myst's primary targets. To her, they were ruthless and deserved the fate she brought. But tonight was a slow night, there was fewer people than average. That didn't deter her in the slightest, all it meant was her 'dinner' would be a bit late. A lone shadow trailed that of the vampiric monarch, hidden, the shade trailed in perfect concordance with her own motions. Directly out of her peripheral of this nightly stalker, unbeknownst that she too had her own creature hunting her this very night. It's piercing eyes were all that shown, glinting ever so lightly in the pale cloudy night. It's only intention was to follow this lone hunter... Watching her, gauging her. The hunter... was being hunted. Myst could feel something close by. No matter how she ran from it, it remained on her tail as if it were her own shadow. At first, she passed it off as mere delusion, no spiritual being was able to keep up with her, outside of a few, mostly other RK. Perhaps I'm just getting a bit light-headed. Most likely just my hunger making me paranoid. she told herself, all to calm her nerves. It was true, if she went a while without feeding, she felt weak, and to her, weakness was just the tip of the iceburg. That powerless feeling made her feel exposed, vulnerable. Naturally, this was true of all RK, but compared to most, she was young, barely worth noticing. Whatever that strange feeling was, it would have to wait. Somebody to feed on just walked out of a nearby club. Judging by his movements, the guy had a few beers too many. That made him a perfect target. With a quick run, Myst appeared right next to the guy. She used the RK's unique power to shift from the spiritual plane to the physical to reach out and grab the man's shirt. "Exshcushe me miss. Do I know you?" he hicupped, completely unaware of what was about to happen. "No, you'll never know me, or anything, ever again." The look of fear that crossed the man's face as Myst threatened him made it worth the time it took to find him. Naturally, his fear was pointless. Most likely, he'd wake up in a hospital after someone finds his body. Myst bit into the man's neck, enjoying the metallic taste of his blood. The only shortcoming was the taste was marred by the alcohol in his system. A few seconds passed as they remained in the deadly embrace before Myst pulled back and simply let her prey saunter away, tired, drained and drunk. With her body rejuvenated by the blood, she could clearly sense somebody behind her. "You can come out now." And out of the shadows, came a form that towered over Myst, standing near six foot-seven, he gazed down towards Myst. The darkness around him paled to match the abyssal color of his suit, his pure whit ascot and pale skin being the only thing that set him apart from the shadows. His hands were tucked behind his back, holding them together. Eyes of a darkened yellow, illuminated with unnatural spiritual energy, unblinking as they took in the sight of the Reikon Queen. "You must be Myst..." Sniffing the air, he could smell the putridness of her youth, the tactlessness she took in the hunt was paltry in his mind. The very way she held herself was insulting, she should be bowing to him, submitting her entire existance to him. His stature was astoundingly composed despite the dreary emotions he felt. And as his hands uncrossed themselves, he gave a courteous bow, ever the gentle men. "I am Jiangshi, the Judge." He wouldn't be surprised if someone her age didn't know who he was, more youthful upstarts rising in the ranks of the Reikon only managed to upset him inwardly, more so then often it was the youths that brought ruin to the balance their entire species stood for. But from what rumors he had heard, this woman was the new leader of the Fushi Coven, and he had little say in the matter. So all he could do was grin and bear this insult with temperance. "A pleasure to finally meet you, Queen of the Reikon." "The Judge...that title suggests you're a former member of the Thirteen Dracula. Kain-sensei told me about you guys. Thirteen powerful Reikon Kyuuban, each given a title by Lord Scarlet and a lot of authority to go with the job. Now, forgive me for coming off as a bit rude here, but I was told only three Elders, Kain himself, Hisashii and Isshuku, managed to walk away from the Blood War, along with the First Queen. How did you pull off the same feat?" Myst wondered more than anything how another Elder did the impossible. They were obviously a fearsome bunch, that much she could see. "It's good to know secrets aren't handed out so willingly..." and no less, even the new Queen had not been told. It was almost enough to make him smile. Jiangshi's head tilted slightly, looking her up and down as he spoke, "I was sent deep undercover by Mistress Katsumi... she required that someone keep the balance, someone must tend to the cattle. And to make sure we don't run out of them..." his voice carried a very mundane tone, as if he were reciting his mission objectives back to a commanding officer. "The Blood War nearly ruined us, and I had to make sure we survived. I couldn't sleep while the world turned, as my brethren Elder may have... we all have our duties, Myst. And mine was simple enough: To mold the world for Katsumi's return." And it was clear, she was not back in command just yet. The features on his face wrinkled instinctually as the thought came by, and it was clear what was on his face. Disgust. "A pity she has not been returned to the throne yet." the veins on his neck seemed to pulsate with anxiety, then slowly died back down as the calm set back in. "A pity Kain is still alive." he had hoped that happy fool would have lost his head millenia ago... "Then you did your job well. Other than the fact our race is a handful compared to what it was, I'm sure we can retake what used to be ours. The humans squander away everything all in the name of progress, when in fact they move father back, into nothing but mindless animals. If it weren't for the fact we have a larger threat marching upon us, I could be swayed into recreating the old empire. Tell me Jiangshi-san, have you ever heard of the Wolf Rain organization? They seem to have a limitless hate for our kin." His teeth grinded inside of his pursed lips, the words she spoke last were what drove his emotions up to the surface, his fingers clenched in reaction to her words, but nothing else prevailed to surface and break his demenor, "I have... I was there for the Presas Rift, little bat..." glancing around momentarily, recollecting his memories of all the events, a distanced glaze in his eyes signified his thoughts. "They will be of no threat... it is time you start taking your role as leader, as presently, you are nothing more then a faded monarch, with a faded reign. You will be forgotten unless we move our steps forward..." "That empire, needs rebuilding." And as his gaze returned to Myst, he wanted her to realize just how serious his words. "And you are in charge of that process..." "Don't you think I know that? Lord Scarlet herself gave me this job. To rule this fractured empire, one that I know I should restore to its former glory, but I'm scared. I don't know how to lead people. I'm only a kid compared to most of you. Being on the front lines, I can do. But...I can't give orders. I'm a useless queen, a shadow of what the Reikon Kyuuban need. That's all I am. All I want is to live up to what you all expect from me." The young ruler sighed. She was confused. no matter how hard she tried, no possible solution existed as to why Katsumi told her to rule. But that confusion would always slip into anger. How could she be expected to lead such a race of beings? Ever since the night she turned, she called herself Queen. Now, in the position, she had no idea what to do. Jiangshi looked to the child, his eyes glinting over in the faded light. Piercing the air with his cold voice he offered his only solace to her, "You need to stop letting emotions drive you. As leader, you must forget those pieces of your past, you are not that being anymore... you are more. And you will have to act like it in order to survive." his voice was sharp, carried with an air of intense reality. "We all had to." extending his hand, he reached out, as if motioning for her to follow him somewhere. "It is time you learn what to do, in order to lead. As Dracula, I can guide you." and as he motioned, he followed soon after by catching his eyes to her, showing how sure he was in the words spoken. The Judge had deemed her worthy, as his Queen had. And it was time she saw that in herself. Myst follwed Jiangshi, unsure of what he could possibly teach her. She shook her head a few times, trying to clear her thoughts. Jiangshi said he could teach her how to lead. He did have a point however, she had to stop letting herself lose to her emotions. The confusion and anger did nothing but stop her from doing her job. Taking his steps forward, he leaped upward, jumping on artificial steps in the air, he landed on top of a building. Knowing that Myst was behind him, he kept his trek forward, vanishing from shadow to shadow, his unwarrented use of instant transmission did not phase him in the slightest. And as they continued to scale from roof top to roof top, he was leading them both higher and higher. "She must understand that just as this realm is beneath her, so too are the Reikon." For the time being... "First, you must seperate yourself from this world. Look around you, as you scale the rooftops, things break into perspective. The mind works the same..." glaring down to the pathetic civilization around him, mere stables for their cattle. "You must be engaged in what you are doing, but do not allow what is going on immerse you. In that, it grants you a clear view." taking a step onto a large multi story building, the tails on his suit fluttering slightly in the wind, his aura emenating an air of confidence, his words clear as the night before them. "Your mind, can be cluttered like this pathetic town if you let it, it can pull you down with it's motions. Your emotions will try to control you, blind you in the day to day life. Guilt, doubt, they are nothing to us. We can not let them become anything, for if you do, you can destroy all your hard work." Jiangshi glanced back to her over his shoulder as he took his next leap upward, "Break free from your emotions, turn away from what is causing them, and analyze what needs to be done. Sometimes, by facing the problem through a different perspective is all it takes in order to solve the next problem." Myst looked down, the city seemed so small and only grew smaller as she followed Jiangshi, which was getting harder to do as he seemed to teleport around. After a while, she glanced down again and saw little more than small glowing specks, streetlights mostly. It seemed so remote, so alone compared to seeing it from the ground. Maybe I've been seeing this all wrong. I'm so worried about doing everything right, I stopped wanting what was best. Instead, I went with what was easy. Taking the final steps to the tallest skyscraper, he guided Myst towards the uppermost point in the entire city, standing one of the gargoyle statues that lay attached to the roof itself. Letting out a deep breath, he cleared his mind. "A leader must look at a situation, from all perspectives... analyze what the proper course is, the one where you will recieve the largest benefit. It may be the path of least resistance, or it may not. In the end, all that matters is that your decisions empower your people." Extending his hand, he pointed towards the horizon. "Alternate perspectives aid us, we learn the relative truth from each one. Down below, we felt the emotion and inner workings of the daily life. But here, we see the larger plan. We can see far ahead. Different situations require different responses, but yours must always carry the same objective thought." and as he lowered his hand, he couldn't help but feel that the reality of the situation, teaching someone who was never meant to lead. Giving her advisory to how to be the ruler she needed to be, would be a long road. But for his Queen, it was a duty he must attend to. "That is, planning and ensuring the survival, and thriving of our race." It was time that the Reikon build their strength once more... and emerge from the shadows. "I can't promise you that our race will return to glory overnight. I'm a vampire, not a miracle worker after all. But, if you will just trust me to lead, and you help me when I mess up, I'm sure that day will return." Myst said, turning to face the horizon. Daybreak was coming, her favorite time of the day, where the sun crept up over the land. To her, the dawn always was a comfort, as if it were a reminder that all of her worries would fade away. But, this dawn was different. It seemed to point out that her troubles and trials were just about to begin, trials she had to overcome if she were to succeed. "I don't expect you to, and Katsumi gave me one goal, as she did you. To guide the Reikon, and by extension, that means you Lady Myst." his tone was monotone and calus, as if the words he spoke were forced out of him, reciting a verse he knew all too well. The sunrise made him grimace, face contorting in displeasure at the sight of the breaking dawn. "And being sure isn't enough, our race will return. It's not something i'm sure of... it's a definate." and as the words broke from his lips, Jiangshi looked towards the world below, taking steps around to where he didn't have to face the unneccesary heat from the sun that would soon be up. "I do not know what Katsumi desired of me after this... all I know is that this was her contingency." the Elder felt immense pride at being selected, but with no details on what to do upon initiating the plan, it was all a mystery as what to do next. "It is time that you no longer wander aimlessly." the pitch and tone in his voice querying whether she was ready for any of this or not. "Tell me, is there any place where we can go? I'd rather not sit here in the sun." from there, he would be able to discuss more private matters. Base of operations, operatives, agendas, all would come together, as he would reveal to her the history of their people. To reveal the glory of the Reikon Kyuuban, so she may embody it. Myst simply snapped her fingers, creating a red vortex out of thin air. Where this vortex led, only Myst knew exactly. The one thing she could never understand though, is how and why she knew where it was. It was a gateway to a gloomy, perpetually shadowed mansion, perfect for a creature so adverse to sunlight. "Follow me." she commanded, stepping through the threshold of the portal. She found it funny that only one non-Reikon has ever set foot inside, and that was under rather dire circumstances, otherwise, she might not have let him in. Of course, it was for the best, the more who knew about this place, the more dangerous it was to use as a hideout. Jiangshi didn't need to be told twice, walking through the vortex to see the abyssal realm before him. His eyes taking in everything, he felt his entire body meld with the shadows as he entered. Greeted by the very thing that birthed him, the feeling was peaceful and he felt relaxed in this place. "And where might this be?" feeling the shift from realm to realm didn't waver him, the shift a simple means of transportation to the likes of the Elder. He had a place like this, his own personal realm. But it was, perpetually dark, with only the barest amounts of light required for certain areas. It was his own private place, where none had ever entered, even the Bloodied Monarch herself. If that was what this was, another plan? If not... then where? "We're in a place where shadows thrive and light is kept low enough for our kind. I couldn't tell you how I found this place. All I know is I needed a place to hide from the light, and poof. I was here. Ever since, I could control who can enter this place. I know, it's not as flashy or grand as the palace where Lord Scarlet lives, but when I need a place to go, I come here." Myst walked to the front entrance and touched the point where the double doors met. "I come seeking refuge from the light, I plead the shadows welcome me into my home, to cover me in the dusk." At her command, the doors swung open, some magical force surely had its way with the place. Compared to the outside, the interior was much less gloomy and depressing. It was obvious Myst had decorated the place to suit her tastes. The wallpaper was a deep violet, patterns of roses stamped into it to provide some variety. "The one problem is always having enough candles on hand to keep this place lit." A bad attempt at humor, but she didn't know what else to say at the moment. The silence was awkward enough.
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