Dancing in the moonlight...

Bruxa found herself out in the early evening of the night. Wandering aimlessly, still that itch to find a familiar, a protector of sorts. The attack from Riley still haunted her and she found she could not rest peacefully. Ever in fear of suddenly being drained of her own ... albeit pilfered life source. The fear kept the little girl inside of her slowly aging body alive. Searching once more for a beast to battle with the one who so crudely thrust that needle into her heart. That small hand lifted and alit to her chest. Resting over the left breast as if she still felt the cold steel piercing her flesh.

Petite frame clad in the usual dark garb. The form fitting leather pants. The silken shirt that laid against the lithe frame of her torso. The black knee high boots and of course the usual long duster that fluttered around the back of her legs. The blood red rose woven of cloth still pinned upon the right lapel of her coat. Ebon mane framing the pixie like features of that pale visage as coal black eyes darted over the area she had strode into. Lost in her thoughts as she had walked and now lost upon the grounds of the campus too it seemed.

The full moon seemed to be mirrored upon the ground ahead of her. Always curious she ventured closer until she found the lake that held the splendor of the heavens overhead within its glass like surface. Inching towards the very edge of its banks to stand in childlike wonder. Glancing from the reflecting liquid of the lake to the sky overhead. The astrology class had made her more aware of the dark world above.

That dark sky littered with its mystery of twinkling spheres. The one thing that had been a constant in her life from a very young age when she was thrown into the life she now was forced to lead. "Funny...don't remember this being any where on the maps of the school..." She mumbled to herself before those soot hued orbs lifted to survey her surroundings. Twirling slowly on the toes of those boots as if dancing on the shores of the newfound discovery beneath the soft glowing light of the moon.

equipped runes:
red / Warrior rune.
yellow / Wall rune.
blue / Phero rune.
white / Fire rune.

A full moon, hanging low in the sky, casted an eerie silver-glow over the winding roads twisting below. Silence held captive the night and only on the rarest occasion was it broken by the calls of nocturnal animals moving about. Trees swayed just slightly, moving back and forth in their gentle rhythmic motion, dancing to the tender caress of softly passing breezes; emerald blades rising from rusty soil swelled under the same currents. The night was frigid but not irritatingly so. There was a seldom used trail that ran a couple miles away from Caislin Hallows; it led, of course, to nothing else than a disguised river nestled between the recurrent trees. Distol's explorative psyche obligated him to travel down the goddamn trail once he unearthed it so if a genuine explanation became mandatory(if such a site was unavailable to the student) he had a rough draft which would serve as the foundation for a latter excuse that tested the adeptness of his progressive reasoning.

Escorted by the musings of an unfavorable conclusion to the unexpected jaunt he arrived to the conclusion that this was a necessity. After all the boy was still familiarizing himself with his current bearings and he knew little of Ireland itself and after the revelation of discovering a precise 'river of blood' he knew not what to anticipate when arriving at the exhibition's terminus. What had he modeled for such an uncommitted night? Effortless as ever a typical pair of charcoal slacks and an alabaster shirt decorated by appropriate outerwear such as an ash grey fur-lined jacket. The sleeves had been muscled near his elbow which revealed the exclusive Rune Guard furnished along his right hand. Its purpose? Safeguarding of course.

His stroll publicized his lack of eagerness to expose what lie in wait for him, however, with each stride he came closer to the aperture. It could no longer be postponed as Distol soundlessly manifested near the lake. At first his expectations were rather elevated suddenly as if the present was being unwrapped. After all there was a fucking river of blood, but this uncomplicated lake was . . . nothing remarkable. Suddenly Distol felt sluggish. He took negligent steps away from the brush he hailed from and towards the sizable waterhole in utter dissatisfaction. His hands raised and found leisure behind his head. His strained body stretched with the cooperation of his lackadaisical limbs. "How dull . . .," his words were brief and nonchalant.

To his right side twirled the pioneer of the 'hidden lake' whom Distol had yet to acknowledge even though his feet had carried him to a diagonal, almost adjacent angle to her. His limbs fell to his side and welcomed an idle state after the stretch all the while unaware of the vampire who had escaped his hearing previously.

Keen hearing picked up on the footfalls as they neared. The slow spin came to a halt as she heard the faint words carried to her on the wisp of wind. "How dull . . .," Ebon hues slid sideways in their sockets, glancing towards the intruder. Bruxa had become wary of the people at Caislin Hallows, especially of the male species. She had run across too many as of late with hidden monsters controlling their bodies.

A step was taken back as she turned the to face the figure who stood adjacent to her. "Me? or the area? or just the world in general?" She spoke out boldly with her inquisitive nature, keeping the slowly building fear at bay for now. Hands shoved into the deep pockets of her coat, slender fingers curling around the stiletto blade that lay hidden there. Straightening her back and lifting her chin defiantly. Striving to make her small stature seem larger than it actually was.

Straining to hear if there might be others with this lone adventurer over the dull din of the night creatures calls and wanderings through the wooded land around the hidden lake. Once again it seemed her plans for the evening would be thwarted. Fate had once more driven a new path for her this evening. Eyes leveled on the boy before her, dancing up and down his body before lifting back to his face with a perked brow, awaiting his answer. Keeping aware of any sudden movements in case he was one of those beastly humanoids.

Time was brought to a standstill it seemed long before the utterance escaped her pallid lips. The cerebral relationship with the unsettled voice beckoned, however, Distol refused it for the first time. He was restored as was the circulation of time most likely due to the speaking stranger who had directed words at him.

"Me? Or the area? Or just the world in general?"

The peculiar remark arrived on engrossed ears. Distol revolved in the direction of the spokesperson instantly and a proper display of erudition proved as a virtuous chaperone to his intellectual judgements. Firstly her flesh was as equally creamy as her rich lips. Distol's cobalt eyes acknowledged the sable orbs that monitored him and quickly denounced her far more inhuman than he. Her physique demanded that he believe her to be approximately just as old as he, however, given the circumstances she could be his elder by a thousand years. One thing was certain --horror gripped her and the cause was his intrusion. Distol claimed no further footfalls and instead assumed an uncommitted posture. A demonstration of power was not vital to him even if the girl he had interacted with armed herself with that blade her fingertips coiled over within her coat as if it was an unsolved mystery. Distol's tutoring in the arts of conflict had left him mindful of similar sequences and he had little worry. Several solutions were campaigning within his brain and if quarreling awaited them than so be it, but Distol's untroubled rejoinder did not shepherd her into that direction.

Distol became mobile as he leisurely inched towards the featureless lake and chuckled in preparation to speak,

"I suppose the area. Compared to other places it is . . . plain."

Distol was indeed a beast, but he was a much different breed. He was not a mannequin to a closeted devil and if he were he would unmask that swine and execute it even if the payment was blood. His own hands had become absent within the confines of the jacket though his digits did not decorate a handled weapon as hers had. His head turned to the side and his eyes adjusted to the right to scan her a final time without comment before returning to the portrayal of the sky which was painted on the relaxed water superbly. Maybe the simplicity of this lake was not so terrible.

Large dark orbs studied the young man before her as he seemed to stare back at her. Seeming like forever though in reality merely a few brief seconds. Watching as he moved towards the rippling waters of the lake. Her own gaze shifted towards the display of lights reflecting the night sky from over their heads. "Maybe I like plain then..." She spoke in that slow southern drawl, barely more than a whisper as if talking to herself. The words a stark contrast to her appearance. Pale almost translucent flesh with the dark hair and clothing. She seemed more like some kind of surreal gothic princess that would not settle for ...plain.

Eyes darted back to the new arrival as they narrowed slightly. "Too much grandeur around here, its nice to surround ones self with ..." A lightly askewed twist of that bowlike mouth tugged at one corner of those smooth velvet lips, leaving her with a mischevious grin. The reckless playful child was emerging since she had not been attacked yet. "Dull and plain sometimes..." The tone matched the expression contained on the delicate features of that pale visage.

"It's all a matter of perspective I suppose." She finished as she pulled that leathered duster around that small frame till those still pocketed hands rested on the backside of her hips. Revealing the soft curves that lay beneath. "Don't you agree Mister....?" Bruxa left the question hanging, hoping he might feel obligated to fill in the blank.

Who was Distol to decree what was ordinary and what was not? The flawed counsel he had been fed often made him seem ignorant, but luckily in this situation he was precise. This lake was a clone --they were a dime a dozen, yet this particular lagoon had ushered him to the presence of this puzzling girl whose blathering actually did not vex him in the least bit. In fact he decided the companionship that had immediately followed the fictitious menace she was assured he would generate to be quite . . . pleasant.

Her unselfish words were a far cry from the witless Riley and not nearly as insistent as Mr. Sigmund who could accidentally thunder a command, however, that mild delivery that he claimed to be a Montana-accent had intrigued Distol just as the nameless girl behind him had. The infamous prattle of the southern Americas did not suit her, but instead it made her much more enthralling.

Her compassionate honesty had actual meaning, too. Perhaps such a site would become a trace of their roots. Distol also hailed from the United States of America, however, he lacked a distinguishable accent as well as knowledge of where he was from within the colossal country.

"Don't you agree Mister….?"

Distol looked dubious, but complied to her tactical and polite request.

"Distol Beoulve. I'm a newer student,"

With a pause in his words and his adjusting direction he would face her and smile broadly. Both of his hands now deserted the pockets and relaxed at his sides where they enjoyed idleness,

"Also you can release the knife. I mean you no harm, vampire."

Distol's first analysis would be concluded when her fingers deserted the knife or persisted. Either way he remained poised and confident that no squabble would occur between them.

" Mister Dristol Beoulve, new student..." She repeated his title. "A pleasure I hope..." But before she could relinquish her own name he spoke yet again as he turned to face her with that too big of a smile. "Also you can release the knife. I mean you no harm, vampire." His words bit into her, taking her aback. It seemed he had the same abilities as the Puppeteer and even that scoundral Riley to recognize so quickly exactly what she was.

The smile faded into a faint resemblance of the once playful grin. The grip on the hilt of the blade within her coat pocket loosened with his statement. "The name is Bruxa...Bruxa Vipir, not vampire.." She corrected him with a chiding tone. Brows knitted slightly as she stared into the face of Mister Beoulve. Scrutinizing the young man intently. "And you seem to have a talented state of awareness to the attention of details." As she spoke she pulled her hands from those pockets. Leaving the knife cradled within the silken materialed receptacle of her coat which fell back around those narrow hips, concealing them once more.

Holding the freed hands up to show she no longer held the
sharpened metal instrument. "Forgive me, but a girl can't be too careful out here alone in the woods..." That impish smile returned as a girlish giggle nervously spilled from those plush lips. She kept her distance from him though, just to the side and behind him, just out of arms reach.

"Mister Distol Beoulve, new student…".

For some reason he savored in her mock. Though his smile subsided and he displayed a basic expression. The boy considered himself sharp-witted which was usually advantageous despite its defects. But everybody had their imperfections, no? This girl was watchful of strangers, however, when no risk was involved she was social as ever.

He nearly heard the release of the blade eve. Once vigilant very little could prowl without his observation. He had offended himself by not discovering her beforehand.

"The name is Bruxa… Bruxa Vipir, not vampire. And you seem to have a talented state of awareness to the attention of details."

Her compliment would impel a smug smile over his pale red lips. Distol hauled his attention absent the beaut and took the persisting steps until he was officially within spitting distance of the lake which resulted in Bruxa being even further behind him. From the extremities of his perception he noticed her unoccupied and elevated hands which earned her a juvenile chuckle.

"Forgive me, but a girl can't be too careful out here alone in the woods…"

"Ah, very true," his response was prompt. "This place does seem occasionally hostile. Perhaps you should invest in a guardian or two if trouble finds you too often." Distol's legs bent and his body leisurely lowered to the enticing grass which seemed an ideal jade; the type of green they painted in perfect pictures. His underside flattened the grass beneath him as he welcomed the seated position. His legs arched and reinforced his condition and his hands imitated their opposing limbs as they compressed the grass behind him and likewise supported his burden.

Coal black orbs followed his descent to the shoreline of the lake. Keeping her stance though her arms did lower to perch hands upon the gentle curve of her hips. The chuckle that erupted from his lips in a boy like fashion only made that smirk of a smile grow more genuine. Fingers tapped lightly, drumming against the leather fabric of the pants she wore.

"It's more hostile than you might think..." Came the thought in her head that was vocalized without thinking. Memories of the attack by Riley and then the absurd fight in the forest between Garen the lost and his unknown foe. Gaze flitted over the young man as he made his suggestion. "Perhaps you should invest in a guardian or two if trouble finds you too often." It was like he actually knew why she had wandered out into the night on her own. Not only could he possibly see through clothing so he witnessed the clutching of the stiletto blade, but perhaps also he could read minds? How could he possibly know she was actually out to find a familiar to keep her in more of a safety zone. Surely it was nothing more than a coincidence.

As he found a seat in the plush grass, she spoke in a teasing tone. That southern accent rich and growing thicker in that slow drawl. "Ooh good idea, dunno why I didn't think of that..." Bruxa mused as she followed suit, lowering that small frame to the earthen ground. Though she sat cross legged with elbows resting upon her knees as she plucked a single blade of grass to toy with between slender fingers. "You know anyone up for the task?"

"It's more hostile than you might think…"

Was this the truth or a falsehood? Distol had yet to feel fear or trepidation just yet. He was aware of his own competence and willingly invited any and all to a demonstration of supremacy and prowess. "Is it? I'll keep that in mind," he said in an unemotional toneless manner. It was clear that he had his uncommunicative doubtfulness. Distol attempted to avoid egotistical impressions, however, it was his nature. He had lived a life that required a pugnacious demeanor after all(or was led to believe such a fabrication which ultimately hardened him regardless).

Distol could not decipher thoughts but instead he could predict them in a knowledgable procedure. Consider it a constant gamble or deem it a devious stratagem; little truly mannered other than results. After his initial shrewdness he admittedly detected appeal in the lake's simplicity that he presumed she felt as well. He had successfully ignored her until she united with him on the grass which resulted in his navy eyes scrutinizing her and then it was her accented words that disturbed the quietude around him.

"Oh good idea, dunno why I didn't think of that…"

His eyes occupied her still as he hinted chuckling. Hilarity was identified in her contemplation as he shook his head and his study of her expired as his eyes deliberately glanced to the opposite direction with no justification other than to evade accusations of staring.

"You know anyone up for the task?"

What an offbeat query. Distol averted his eyes from the nugatory wildlife and returned to her with a compact smile, "I do not,". Were such words a genuine refusal or were her intentions never to be reviewed as an invitation? Either way it was a rejection. He knew not this girls preplanning therefore aspired for zero participation if her life of struggle. Yet as the experimented youth mentally claimed such carelessness if she were to be attacked at this very moment he would shield her. The resting lion within him would compel him too and he would not take pity on his victim.

Blackest eyes peeked up from the blade of grass she toyed with as she heard the chuckle. Just in time to see him glance away and then right back to her. "Well too bad, guess I will keep looking for those guardians then..." A playful wink was given as she kept her own impish smile perched upon those bowlike lips.

Keen hearing picked up a rustling sound from across the lake. Jutting her focus towards that area and steering away from the young man who sat just ahead of her. Laying a lone slender finger against her lips, the hand sign for silence. The finger then pointing out the large buck as her arm extended towards the woods across the expanse of water. The antlered animal appearing from the forest towards the edge of the lake. Not exactly the animal she had been looking for. "See what beauty can be seen by such a dull spot?" The whispered words came out slowly.

Bruxas eyes narrowed as she leaned forward. Hands falling in front of her as she lifted her chin and sniffed at the air. "And a spot that may not be so dull for very much longer..." She added as the faint glow of several pairs of golden eyes peered from their place of concealment further back in the darkness of the dense growth of trees. Perhaps one of these was the beast she had been searching for.

Hands walked forward on the ground so her small form stretched out until knees were planted into the plush grasses. Inching nearer to Distols side and closer to the shoreline of that inland body of water. Crawling along on hands and knees as she awaited to see exactly what sort of pack was shadowing the deer.

His attempts to appear engaged were rather triumphant. His glance scanned the perimeter swiftly, but ultimately returned to his endearing company.

"Well too bad, guess I will keep looking for those guardians then…"

Comedy was uncovered yet again as his sophisticated chuckle was the embryonic retort soon followed by his serene voice.

"You're charming, Miss. Vipir. I fear you'll have no difficulty. That winsome smile will get you things, but,--" he intended to speak further but she suspend his utterance with her muting digit. His eyes obeyed her wandering finger and he surveyed the creature with piddling interest.

"See what beauty can be seen by such a dull spot?" she had murmured. Still the girl ridiculed his initial denotation of the camouflaged lake.

"And a spot that may not be so dull for very much longer…"

He intended to harass her himself, but yet again his words became snared as the vigorous vampire refashioned to more of a combatant's stance. Distol observed the concealed threat and became adaptable himself. The boy instantaneously modified to a kneeling position and he mimicked her forwards steps. He was a comparable predator to whomever or whatever stalked the woodland. The only setback?

The Rune Guard became energized. A substandard vermillion radiance occupied his right hand promptly. An intoxicating smirk animated his often vacuous features and he felt functioning yet again, he could feel the augmented vigor surge through his anatomy even. Remaining unruffled was extraordinarily grueling as his yearning for gore rejuvenated. The biotic would react to anything that disturbed the faultless animal or their encounter.

Wait.

Charming?! No one had ever called her charming before...not that she could recall anyways. No difficulty?! If he only knew how her life had progressed so far, he might retract that statement. But she had silenced him before he could finish. Her focus more on the predators still hidden rather than on the large deer that drank peacefully from the lakes edge.

So intent on the happenings across the water she had not even noticed how Distol had taken on a facsimile of the position of her small form. Again her chin lifted. Nostrils flaring as keen senses took in the scents around them. "A young one is near..." She mumbled mostly to herself. Perhaps a wolfling pup or a youthful wild dog. Either way, the smell was of a canine.

The blue aura was caught out of the corner of her eyes, which shifted if only for a brief second towards the illuminated hand. "This may be my chance to find that guardian..." She whispered as her gaze drew back to the scene. "Perhaps one that can be trained..." The grin that moved onto those plush lips almost matched the smirk Distol held.

Side glancing back to her newfound companion for the evening. "What the hell is that, some sort of beacon?" She nodded towards his glowing hand. Lightly annoyed that it might spook the one chance she might have to entice a familiar.

His longing for clash had begun to refine his character. While employed by Cross Corporation he had never gone a week without hostilities. He had a hundred fables of lionhearted triumphs and exploits over robust adversaries yet he had never felt the sting of an injury. That vermilion luminosity was his passion for butchery that secreted itself within the boy.

"A young on is near…"

As if he had heard her. Distol's gaze was sealed upon the distant brush where his senses also detected animation. Fingers clamped together as his eyes seemed to unsystematically shut. A frequent internal scuffle was the result. His previous lifestyle yearned for blood while Distol himself coveted for much more. The dominance over the runic energy would only become discarded upon his obliteration, but the aspiration of Albert Cross were virtuous. The saintly professor engineered Distol to be the herald of justice, the harbinger of peace and not some barbarous savage.

Her words escaped him until . . .

"What the hell is that, some sort of beacon?"

This is the power of the world. The control over. . .

"This is my burden, Miss. Vipir." Distol lifted his hand between them and rotated it in a circular movement. "It's supremacy over elements." Suddenly the light that afflicted the Rune Guard dwindled and faded but still remained. "I am not 'normal'."

All was said in a whisper as his eyes maintained guardianship of the soothing animal.

Head turned, eyes focused in on the hand he lifted and rotated slowly. Gaze sliding over the illuminating blue aura as he spoke. Not quite understanding this supremacy over elements. Only his last statement struck her enough to speak. "Who in this place is normal?" Again the wariness rose if only slightly. At least he didn't confess to some hidden monster inside like the other males she had met.

A glance up to his face before those ebon hues danced back to the large buck across the lake and those yellow tinted orbs still hidden within the darkness of the woods. "I have a plan if you would care to join me on a small adventure..." She began in that smooth sourthern accent. "The young one..I wish for it to become mine..." Blackest eyes turned back to the young man that knelt next to her. "I have a need for that guardian you spoke of and perhaps with your help..." She knew she was asking alot from the stranger she had only just met, but hey...life was nothing if it wasn't risked from time to time..right?

"Well..." She hesitated only briefly before continuing. "Maybe, just maybe it can be captured and I can train it to become the protector I seek." She stared at him for a moment, awaiting any comment..whether yea or nay..that he was interested in aiding with the plan or not. If he seemed at all engaged or even a hint of wanting to be involved she would go into details on how to achieve an end to the method that played out in her mind.

"Who in this place is normal?" Such words impacted him in a pitiless way. He peered back at her with wonderment. Her statement had served as an awakening. That was the sincerity that was required to troll the boy back to humankind. The vermillion shine concluded as he finally revoked his staring eyes from her and to the incident that had become planned by his companion. He absorbed her proposal and finally a grin surfaced over his otherwise empty expressions.

"The young one..I wish for it to become mine... I have a need for that guardian you spoke of and perhaps with your help..."

Perhaps Distol was intrigued by this idea of bestial charm. Had this simple vampires obtained such adeptness that she could glamour a ravenous beast into servitude? He had evaluated her to be quite affectionate despite the lacking faith in others but providentially she pinned her hope in her with ease and because of this he was content. A friend in a school of swine.

"Maybe, just maybe it can be captured and I can train it to become the protector I seek."

"Say no more, Miss. Vipir. I'll do all I can." Slaying these mongrels may not be the outcome he previously sought-after, but instead he would aid Bruxa in obtaining the guardian she was desperate for. He would collect and fathom her strategy when it was offered. "Have a name picked out?" Arrogance accompanied him as his eyes returned to Bruxa who remained directly adjacent to him.

Ebon hues danced over the young mans face as he seemed to contemplate the situation. Looking to her then back to the scene slowly unfolding across the small expanse of the lake. Then back to her once more before he spoke. "Say no more, Miss. Vipir. I'll do all I can." Dark orbs seemed to brighten and the smile only grew wider as he consented to her proposal. "Splendid...and please, call me Bruxa" She whispered back to him even as she lifted her hands from the ground so she knelt beside him.

Slowly taking the long leather duster off to let it billow behind her, knowing it would be an encumbrance for what she had in mind. "Have a name picked out?" Came his question which left those eyes cutting back towards him as the smile turned mischevious. "Oh..I dunno, how about Distol Junior?" A playful wink was given as she fell back into the former position on hands and knees except now that small petite frame was in full view after the coat had been removed.

Gaze swam over her new comrade, sizing him up for the second time since they had met. "You look pretty fit, perhaps I could go for the deer, which should entice the older wolves to try and get it before I did..." Eyes slid back to the antlered animal quietly drinking from the cool waters as she continued. "You think you could handle them while I get the pup? then we could feed it the meat of the deer so it will know we will be its providor?" The plan was fairly simple but she did need his help in order to pull it off. Glancing back to Distol to see if he approved of such a strategy.

"Splendid…and please, call me Bruxa".

Distol's riposte was a nod of his head and then a faint utterance, "Bruxa," He whispered her name was if such a trivial task would secure it in his memory officially.

Distol made his own estimations. He plotted the forthcoming events several times over and each ended in an equivalent to her own, however, he was unsure why she would make herself vulnerable. Such a thing ensured certainty in Distol. Bruxa surmised that Distol was competent enough to handle the mature wolves while she ministered the pup. This girl was no longer the puzzle she previously was and their relationship was rapidly reconstructing; already Distol was key to her stratagem, yet never did he question such a scheme.

"Oh..I dunno, how about Distol Junior?" Laughter nearly gave away their whereabouts when she jested the younger variant of his name. He shook his head which served as a temporary response prior to the adjustments of his gauntlet. His garments remained entirely, but that routine rose flickering that beset his right hand returned though in a much more limited technique. With the activated Fire orb the preparation for an assault would become 'ripe' so to speak. The very much finite conflagration would demand a midpoint --almost melee confines before the sorcery would be functional and deadly. With only a duo of senior wolfs, possibly the guardians of the pup Distol presumed no peril especially if one to be extinguished before it could retaliate. The other would be handled by other means.

"We'll have to work on your creativity when it comes to the name . . .," he took a final glance at her before he set his eyes on the bush occupied by his victims. "Say when, Bruxa."

A quaint smile touched those lips as he whispered her name. Eyes studied his face, nipping at her lower lip. It was almost as if she could see the wheels turning in his head, pondering her proposal. The smile grew bright once more as he laughed out loud. That lone finger lifted to her lips yet again with a faint 'Shhhh' followed by a hushed girlish giggle.

Gaze darted to the opposite shore to make sure they had not startled the deer. Raven hues cut back to his arm as the crimson glow flickered into light. Lifting those pitch black eyes back to his face as the delicate features of her own contorted into scampish grin. He needed not to explain this color, after all, red was alert, danger which surely meant he was ready for the adventure that was offered. "I'll take down the buck, that should make the wolves attack...You can take them..right?"

Crawling forward as she spoke. Inching closer to the edge of the water on hands and knees. Small frame moving in a sultry cat like movement. Like a feline stealthily stalking its prey. "While you handle them, I will circle around and take the pup..." A glance back over her shoulder just as the tips of her fingers met wet soil. "Don't let me down Distol..." With that said Bruxa dissipated. As if that petite form melted into a fine mist. Tiny particles spread out thin and moved across the expanse of the lake, quickly heading for the atltered animal that still dipped his head for a drink.

The inquisitive mind endlessly restless, Distol contained himself to studious glances after the hushed laughter escaped them. His right hand searched for a place of rest and accidentally caressed her backside. Before the pithy embrace seemed to be acknowledged she had gestured with her finger for quietude which also enticed him back to actuality.

His thoughts prevailed over attempts at solidarity, and betrayed themselves with a heavy, heavy sigh. It wasn't often things like this happened. Distol had been having a hard time separating his dreams from reality as of late. Not to say that he walked about daily, struggling to distill the delusion from the concrete, but rather than when he delved into memory-space, he'd find himself dwelling on a scene from his history only to later realize it had never happened.

Luckily he returned just in time to hear the concluding utterance of Bruxa. "Don't let me down Distol…" He took notation of her appearance and just how dependent on him she actually was. With forethought of providing spoken consolation before he could construct the words she sprang to life and dashed across the surface of the lake. Distol's primitive awareness aided him as he also became mobile. Skepticism crippled him when it came to stampeding over the water so instead he took the 'long' route.

Cleverness was in attendance as the primed flame he clutched would contribute range to his arsenal. He plotted the quarrel as his feet battered the grass, but yet her words --her possible troubling or fearful pondering strengthened him to a point of vexation. These beasts would witness his dynamism firsthand and he would prove his worth to Bruxa in such an offering.

She felt the heat of his hand as it brushed against her backside. A quick glance, a sly smile before she had continued with the hushing. The plan laid out though the details it seemed would unfold within the progress of the proposed adventure. The evaporation of her body into the fine mist left her careening low across the water.

Swirling away from the deer and near the tree edge, spotting the pup of a wolf just within the darkness. A virtual black ball of fur with azure eyes. A rare find, it must be fated to be so... she thought. There were two more, larger, snarling creeping closer to the clearing that would lead them to their prey.

An agitation stirred the air that left the vegetation fluttering within the wake of her turning to head back towards the large buck. All in the time span that it took for Distol to take the trek around the lake. The molecules of fine particles began to reform. Petite frame stabilizing as she leaped and latched onto the thick neck of the antlered animal. Startling the beast so it bucked up as she dug those claw like nails into its thick skin with one leg hooked over its back.

Her own head lifted, mouth falling agape as the glint of fangs enlongating within the light of the full moon. Bruxas movements were quick as the deer thrashed, darting straight towards Distol. Lowering her head and sinking her teeth into the throat of the large mammal. The gamey musk scent assaulting her nose as she buried her face into the ruff of fur. Feeling the warmth of the deers life source filling her mouth. Eyes crossed and lids felt heavy as she drank hungrily.

Brought out of the haze for the lust of blood as she heard the larger wolves entering the clearing with their low gutteral growls. Determined to retrieve the food they had tracked. The young one staying back where it sought to stay safe.

As he hastened from the commencement of their scheme his eyes distinguished the true alteration of her body. The momentum of the mist was not very swift, however, passage over otherwise unthinkable surfaces was a powerful talent. Distol lacked such immense powers, but brute force was a friend he would never renounce. His feet battered the keen grass underneath him as he neared the terminus of their quest. From his current bearings he was able to observe her assault on the aged buck, scratching and tearing the meat like the truest carnivore. The happening was ahead of him and to intercept the pursuing wolves he literally had to vault over the feeding vampire.

Fashionable as ever Distol grounded with more than enough time to react accordingly. The wolves had smartly noticed his approach and illustrated a fissure tactic which involved the adult wolves splitting apart and attacking from both angles. Distol stood his ground like the bona fide defender he abhorred becoming. The prepared mystic he clutched was summoned, the foremost animal who arrived earliest also perished earliest.

Distol carefully monitored the range and when the route was undeviating he unchained the fiery detonation and watched as the flames melted through the tissue of the wolf and much like acid ignited, engulfing the cranium in a brutal method. The inferior wolf, in confusion, lunged for Distol in a pitiable effort to triumph where its companion failed, but instead Distol clutched the maw of the beast with the same hand and forced it to its limbs. He gazed at the overpowered wolf and expressionlessly formulated a second discharge, glancing at Bruxa who remained feeding from the buck. It was at this moment that the final whimper was heard from the wolf as the enveloping inferno swept over the animal and vanquished it.

Achieved with absolute ease . . . it appeared simple beasts would not relieve his desire for a worthwhile fight, but he would take what he could get.

As Distol lept over the antlered animal to face the two wolves, the deer stumbled forward another couple hundred feet. Bruxa continued feeding upon the beast until it finally collapsed. Releasing the hold on its neck to roll free from its girth. Just in time so not to be crushed beneath the weight of the large deer. Glancing towards the faint whimper and only in time to see the inferno eating away the canines form until it seemed to disappear completely. A lone brow lofted at how easily the large dog like beasts were rid of.

Swiping a hand across her mouth as she rose to her full albeit petite stature of height. The blood stained those plush lips, leaving them a rosey hue. A light smear of crimson went from the corner of her mouth and up one cheek. Lashing her tongue across her teeth as the fangs retracted. A gaping slash ran down the arm of that silken black shirt. Exposing the alabaster flesh beneath and a gash that ran the length of her upper arm. Evidence of the deers bucking and thrashing had caught that arm with a tine from its powerful horned antlers.

Another wipe at her mouth, ridding most of the evidence of the kill. Only the tinge of scarlett left on her mouth as she strode towards her comrade in arms. The smile forming on her face which seemed to take on a hint of color. Those ebon hues seemed to brighten and glint as the tone of her flesh grew warm. "I knew that fate had brought us together this eve..." She spoke in that slow southern drawl.

Eyes swept over his form with admiration. "And look at you, not even a scratch..." She mused as those black orbs moved back to his face. "I must say... we make a good team...don't you think?" Gaze swept past him towards the wood as she heard a faint whimper. "And now for our prize..." She grinned as a childlike contenance formed on those pixie like features. Still trekking forward, nearing him and unless stopped ready to pass him by so as to retrieve the wolf pup.

The odor of the smoldered flesh loitered like an uninvited guest, but for some unsettled reason it did not irritate him as it should. Quite possibly his prowess had initially been under wraps which explained doubt, but now there was no reason to suspect nonfulfillment in his capabilities. Despite his craving for bloodshed Distol disliked evaluating his abilities actually. The remaining cinders sprinkled when a mild squall arrived and unsoiled the cremations. His eyes observed her achieved injuries and adjudged them to be quite minor. If ache existed it would pass with a nights rest or judging from her vampiric faculty in the following minutes. Accelerated healing was different with each race after all.

Distol concluded the ruby shine that enhanced the armored gauntlet and once again it became just that --a gauntlet. With the deactivation of the high temperature no longer was his embrace a threat and an enhanced cooling system within the gauntlet instantly counterbalanced the heat.

"I knew that fate had brought us together this eve..."

"Oh?" No thrill of the strife thrived, but instead his tone was quite normal. "I don't know about that, Bruxa. More of a coincidence if you ask me. A good one," he honored a smile and nodded in agreement when she admired their teamwork.

"And now for our prize..."

Your prize. He did not desire to correct her, but her future familiar had no affiliation with him at all. Of course he aided her in obtaining it, but at the end of the day it was her companion and not his own. When she reached his position his eyes transitioned to the buck's lifeless corpse. "I forgot my knife and yours was left behind in your jacket," he spoke of course in reference to trimming some raw meat from the fresh corpse in offering to the terrified pup whose horrified howls had immobilized the animal. Distol allowed Bruxa to proceed to the animal and instead he roamed to the corpse, knelt down and with assistance from her inflicted wounds tore a slab of meat from the game. He stood up and tracked her towards the brush where the miniature wolf hid.

Gaze lingered over the gauntlet that no longer held the ruby tinted aura. The smile stayed perched upon those stained lips. Even as he dismissed her proposal of fate and flirted with the idea the coincidence was still a good one. "Ahh well, like you said, either way, it turned out alright"

As he did not stop her...she strode right past him. Glancing back to him over her shoulder as he spoke of forgetting his own knife and remembering hers was left in the pocket of her coat. "Like I said, you have an uncanny sense for details..." A playful wink was given as she moved through the tree line. Leaving Distol behind to retrieve some meat to coax the pup with.

Finding the ball of fur trying to hide beneath a thick bush. Slowing her pace as she neared it, noting how it trembled. "Poor thing..." She smiled as she went down on one knee. Staying wary, knowing the pup could charge and pounce out of fear. "Come come little DJ, it may not seem so now...but you shall lead a much better life..." Arm extended carefully, fingers outstretching towards the low grounded shrub. The footsteps behind her, refocused her attention to side glance back over her shoulder towards Distol. With that small distraction the small wolf snarled and jutted its head from beneath the vegetation.

The wolfling lunged forward to nip at the tips of those outstretched digits. Scratching at the tender flesh before Bruxa snatched her hand back to her chest. "Look DJ...dinner has arrived." She announced as she smiled at Distol and then the pup. "And just in time..." She mused thrusting the two scraped fingers through her lips to suck the pain and few droplets of blood from them.