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| - Raine had rarely played with her sisters and instead she kept to her studies—which at times led into the early hours of the morning—and spent little time away from her books. She oft watched them, being Raisa and Raiko, play and run back and forth hitting each other upon the back and then exclaiming: “Tag! You’re It!” She thought “It” meant some kind of monster or disease. This made her not want to play this “game” with them whatsoever. There were also times when Raiko had been crying. This caught Raine’s attention but long before that, Raisa had already been tending to her younger sister’s pain long before Raine had ever taken notice of any malady. This was normal however; Raisa looked after Raiko while Raiko looked up to Raisa and Raine. “Eternally Elegant” she recalled Raiko labeling her that a short while before things went to hell. The men in white robes had come to their home and demanded that their eldest, Raine, go with them for a baptism. This made not a shred of sense since Raine had already been baptized while Raiko and Raisa—especially Raisa—refused to be baptized or as Raisa worded the ceremony “broken” into a Christian. This was one of the reasons why Raisa never saw eye to eye with their father. Despite her parents telling them that all of their children were already baptized, the men still demanded that Raine go with them which she would not allow. They soon left after much argument and when they finally did leave, one of the men turned and threatened them: “You shall rue this day for defying God’s Will...” Shortly after this event, the rumors began; rumors of Raine’s mother and father being practitioners of witchcraft and another being that their children were the product of Succubus and lustful man whom had struck a deal of the she-wolf. She bore his children with the offspring being products of sin. Raine knew all too well what could and what would happen and slowly but surely, her suspicions were coming true. The men within the white robes had followed Raine the few times she would fetch food from the markets and they had even begun to follow Raisa as well, though Raisa easily eluded her pursuers yet; it made it all the more fitting that only a demon could fool the "Messengers of God". It was after Raisa told her mother of this incident—laughing as she told her—that Raine and Raisa both began to notice that everyone had begun to shun them. People shunned more so from Raisa than usual while Raine, being the child which was rarely seen, it made things worse for her. Raine was the prime target of the robed men and with the lies circling her family about every dinner table and gossip among every wife’s mouth; Raine had a feeling that things were going to grow even worse and not only for her, but her entire family. One early morning she was curled up in her bed, reading by candlelight, Raine had been fascinated by the late Italian poet Dante Alighieri and his work Divina Commedia and the fact that the punishments of the said souls whom were judged and sent to Hell suffered. It was when the moon reigned its highest that her father, drunken by sorrow entered the room of his three daughters and knelt down beside Raine’s bed. “You should be asleep child,” He warmly implied as she adjusted her way of sitting so that she had now sat upwards. “Father, I honestly would, but this piece of literary perfection has my mind most ardent over its depth.” As she looked at her father, via, her peripheral, she saw a most haunting and saddening mask upon his face. Her assumption was correct. “I take it that it is time that I do bid you my leave…is it not Father?” He slowly nodded. “They may plan to come in during the night and take you by force. I’ve no hope of stopping them on my own therefore I…” His voice had trailed as Raisa dragged her nails against the wall. Although she had still been asleep that was a sign that he needed to lower his voice. “Hm, the deeper your voice, the easier she will sleep Father. My voice is known at this time of the night for there are times which I do catch myself reading aloud yet, yours will draw enough attention to wake her from her slumber.” “She is the more aggressive and attentive one of them isn’t she?” “Indeed she is.” Looking to his eldest daughter, he smiled. She was knowledgeable beyond her years and also quite understanding of how things were set in place for her young age. “I do suppose that at the tender age of twelve, I’m not to be sent off alone but rather to a relative?” Her father nodded once more. “Abigail and Bartholomew have agreed to take care of you darling.” “…when will I have to leave Father?” This question took quite a time for him to answer. As the minutes dragged by, Raine looked to the moon as it now brightly shown through her window. “Two days time.” After he said what he needed to, he embraced his eldest and also rested his chin upon her head. The first day had gone and passed with Raine sleeping the entire day. This was due to the lack of sleep which she had gotten from the night previous. The final day which was her own, Raine watched Raisa and Raiko again. This time, they were arguing. Raisa was stressing over the fact that Raiko had several male friends and had been the only female of the group. Her intentions were in the right place but were all for naught. Raiko deemed Raisa jealous that she was loved while Raisa was feared and had not a friend to call her own. After more yelling, Raiko stormed off while Raisa stood there motionless for a few minutes. After those idle moments passed, she turned around, and when she did, Raine took note of her face. She held a scowl which mirrored the change in her eyes as well. It almost looked as if what Raiko had walked away with was not only her pride, but also Raisa’s primal love and care. In essence, Raiko had broken the caring and nurturing elder sister she has always had and now, this new person stood before Raine looking down to her with an chilling blank stare. After a few seconds of silence, she merely left her to sit by her lonesome. Her mother gave a book to her for her to read. Raine embraced her mother although it had been one of the few times which she had done so. She felt warm and also tense. Looking to her parent’s bed, she saw a slender sword resting upon the sheets. It shimmered with its blue color against the moon’s silvery gleam. Was this her mother’s sword? She asked herself this question but never asked her mother this. It obviously was and not only that, it had appeared that if her mother had given her a book to read, hence giving something away to another, then it was highly possible that she would not be able to see her mother after this night. Savoring the feeling of her mother’s embrace, Raine stayed for a few more moments before she left go. The final night of her stay, she sat within her bed as if nothing were amiss. Raisa and Raiko were to know nothing of what had been going on but of course, it was never certain to keep things from Raina. As Raine looked from the moon and over to Raisa, she was sound asleep and lightly snoring—this told her that she must have had a full day doing whatever it was that she did during the day. It then slightly bothered her that she knew not what her sister spent her day occupying herself with—and her hair was actually down and about her face in nearly every which way. Raine rose from her bed and then after touching down on the floor, she walked over to her slumbering sister and placed a hand upon her forehead. “You’ll be lucky to marry,” She had said with a small smile upon her lips. “Though if you do, you both shall be lucky to have each other.” Raine knew that Raisa would never be swept off her feet by a prince and a king would have less luck. By her sister’s actions and personality, she knew that the only one who could win Raisa’s affection would have to not only put forth enough effort but also retain a neutrality of purity. That is how all types like hers would fall in love. Raine smiled as she imagined Raisa marrying her husband to be. She had wiped her cheek and slightly panicked as Raisa stirred. She had stirred from the tear falling from Raine’s cheek and down onto her own. Smiling once more, she lightly kissed Raisa on her forehead and then made her way to the door. Leaving her room, she looked back only once. “Do…take care…” With her voice barely auditable, she closed the door and then exited her home to meet her mother. It was under the clouds cover which they moved. As the darker areas were which they used to their advantage she felt uneasy about having to leave her family behind. Even though her mother was with her, she still disliked the fact that she had not a choice in this matter. Evading sight and keeping within the shadows they moved. She was impressed with the way her mother moved about yet, Raine knew that her mother was never a plain wife who cooked and cleaned and pleasured her husband. She knew her mother was much more than that. Reaching the tree line after a short time, she was introduced to a man named Williams. As she sat within the carriage, she embraced her mother once more and her mother kissed her upon her forehead. “Make me proud and do be proud…no matter what you do…” Those were the last words her mother had said to her before the carriage had begun to move. As the night drifted away and the sunrise shattered the darkness she said nothing. Raine was groggy with guilt and worry. If it were not for her, her mother and father would not have to face this grief. Yet, as Raisa had told her the men possibly wanted what was under her dress as Raisa had a knack for spying on others. She had only told her of what numerous young girls and even some boys told their parents but of course, the parents never listened. Raine grew tired of her mind and turned her eyes to her book. A small note told her to read five pages a day so that she could learn more of herself and not be lost within the world. This she obeyed. As she read, the days passed uneventfully. Some stops from military being sure that there was no surprise attack or a possible threat to their land but that was it. It had been seventeen long days until she reached her destination. When she had come to from her slumber, she witnessed Williams speaking with a woman of dark hair and dark flesh. Her eyes were golden yellow and she noticed Raine before she realized it. She said nothing of Raine spying on their conversation and from this she had learned that the woman’s name was Sasaki and that she was a Lycanthrope. Additionally, she had been defending the carriage from possible thieves long before they reached them. When she was asked why, Williams was told (and Raine overheard): “I’ve my alliances whether it be to a demon or human…I was asked to protect you both until you reached this point and I’ve done just that.” Without another word, she left. The woman leapt from the ground and to a dwelling as if it were walking up a step. Staring at her, Raine was completely oblivious to the fact that her relatives were calling for her. As she stood before them, she was immediately treated as one of their own. Her knowledge of the religion, other countries, and customs proved well and won her aunt, Abigail, over with ease while her uncle, Bartholomew, was partially disappointed. Amazed and impressed, yes, but still somewhat disappointed. Raine asked not a question of such to be the matter for it was not her place; instead, she continued to read and took in her Aunt Abigail’s sport of Archery. Years had passed as she grew. Her physical form nowhere near as filled Raiko’s and in fact it was on par with Raisa’s own physique, just not as toned or muscular. After she had learned to properly wear and walk in heeled boots, they became her primary wear. She would always wear a skirt and a well above appealing blouse and possibly a jacket over it. Her teachings were far from complete no matter how she faired in etiquette. She was to learn combat. Raine was sent to Fu Ma no Sato and was nearly killed by a female in all black with gilded shoulder armor. Her name was Shuu-Rai; Japanese for Thunderbolt. It was underneath her tutelage that she learned the ways of the Fu Ma. Shuu-Rai herself was once of their horde, yet, she abandoned them and kept an alliance with them which ceased any attacks upon her from her former clansmen. It took three years for Raine to learn what Shuu-Rai knew. Of course, this was to be expected from her. Upon returning to her home, only after gaining Shuu-Rai’s grace, she visiting her home—what was left of it. Seeing the charred remains of wood and the signs of aging upon this burn site, she knew that her mother perished in order to save her children. The same for her father. She refused to think much more on the issue. Asking around of a witch and demon that had died long ago she had found several things amiss. Although her parents were accused of witchcraft among other horrible things, she found roses set upon the rubble and not only that, a small mound was also found. Raine took it to be where her mother had been buried yet as she looked back to the roses she remembered that they were her mother’s favorite flower. Not only that, but strawberry leaves had been left behind and were in an embrace with the stems of the roses. “…Raisa was here…” Shuu-Rai said not a word to confirm or disprove her theory yet she need not say a word. Raine knew her younger sister well enough to know that it was out of her rare break of emotion for her to do such a tribute. Of course, this also strengthened Raine’s initial thought that their mother allowed herself to be killed so that Raisa could survive. There was not a doubt in Raine’s mind that Raisa had sat nearby and watched the house burn to the ground. Even more so, she also knew that Raisa had more than likely entered the dwelling when it had been set ablaze and attempted to save their mother. Honestly, if it had been Raine, she would have ran out of fear for if her mother were executed, she knew that she could have been next. That is what separated them. Raine was Eternally Elegant. Her lessons and her upscale lifestyle, no matter how pampered she had grown was what defined her as such and she has yet to let go of such ways as they are rather difficult to break. This is what leads Raisa to continuously call her “Princess” while Raisa was Forever Fearless. Raisa would defend herself, her land, her home; with whatever she could get her brutish hands upon. Raisa was a fighter and also a survivor. As she has heard, Raiko—her youngest sibling—was quite the promiscuous woman. Raine had learned of this as she infiltrated Grandall on numerous occasions. That would make her Sinfully Seductive, for her sin was her seduction and her seduction, the temptation of many men—married or not—this is what made Raiko, Raiko. It was not long after this that rumors of a sword had begun to spread. This sword was of a divine blue light and was the weapon of the Gods. As legend had it, this sword was the weapon which defeated Soul Edge. What caught Shuu-Rai’s attention was that these rumors were only a month apart. Shuu-Rai sought to destroy this weapon as she saw it as nothing but evil within a different sword. As such, Raine asked if she could lend her aid and Shuu-Rai accepted. Shuu-Rai then introduced her to her only allies. Volkov, Kuro, Kami, Majikina, Tempest, Arrai, E'laura, Noelle, and Seth were the individuals which she met while others were away completing their objectives. Tempest immediately charmed her yet, she knew that he did this to mostly any attractive female. Kuro was cold to her yet as she looked him over she could tell that he was not entirely human. The same went for Volkov though he, himself was kind in contrast to his younger brother Kuro. Raine was welcomed and also placed as a second lead for the group. Reason be was simply because she was the only student of Shuu-Rai’s that survived her training regimen. Her partner was arranged to be Volkov. As he headed most of the decisions that this group, she took it that he had been the strongest and for him not to be entirely human and for her to sense this upon laying eyes upon him for the first time made it all the more interesting. As ideas and information was traded, it was brought to her attention that she and Volkov were to scout the lands for information of Soul edge. His theory was that if they could locate information on the cursed blade then they should be able to locate something of the spirit blade as well. With this known, Raine set out with her partner who was quite powerful and a Ryukyuan with long braided black hair and eyes an ardent greenish-gold. She thought of the woman named Sakaki from looking in his eyes and wondered if they were related. At this point it mattered none. Coming to a parting path within where the group had met, she saw several members heading out in different directions as if they had never met. The three Kaminchu, Arrai, Majikina, and Kami dared not travel together as their white and silver hair would catch eyes easily. Shuu-Rai took to the rooftops while Kuro set off on foot. As the two had reached a fork they were approached by E'laura and Arrai. E'laura had given them information that led mainly to the royalty of the surrounding lands and with this new information, Volkov and Raine decided to split up. Arrai informed them that she and E'laura had already infiltrated the Grandall Empire and needed other eyes and ears within the two remaining areas which E'laura chose to search The Halteese Republic while Raine gladly picked The Mellettan territories. She was interested in the small area seeing that it was a recent development.
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