Snow had begun to fall over Merrivale. A beautiful, small town of only a few hundred people, close knit houses form barriers around old cobblestone streets. Blankets of snow cushion over the roofs of blue and red, and people with cheeks and noses tinged pink with cold peep over warm, woolen scarves. Not exempt from this happy routine is Chie. She hurries home, arms clutched around a wooden crate filled with little clay pots. She huffs, her breath freezing in the cold air, trying to get there as quickly as possibly before the crate would slip from her mittened fingers.

Relieved to reach her doorstep, she raises a fist to knock- the door swinging open before she even as the chance. She beams up at the tall boy who opens it.

"Hi Ikki!" she says cheerfully. He grunts and opens the door wider, taking the crate from her with one arm and dusting some snow from her hat with his free hand.

"Hi yourself. It's almost dark," he complains grumpily. She shrugs, unlacing her boots and pulling them off, stepping on the heels of each to pry her feet free.

"Almost. But it isn't," she says with a cheeky grin. "Ooh, it smells good!"

Ikki lets out a sigh, setting the crate down. "Yeah. Made stew. How many pots did you need?" He asks with exasperation.

"Lots," She answers defensively. "That way we can grow stuff even through the winter. I saved seeds from the summer harvest."

Ikki just sighs and pads back to the kitchen, while Chie darts upstairs to put on a dryer dress. She stops in front of the mirror, pulling a face. Even damp, her brown hair is a puffy, thick mess- hardly beautiful. And she was so, so doughy. Maidens are supposed to be graceful and lithe, and she's far too short and soft for that to be possible. I'm never going to get courted at this rate.

"Chie!" Ikki calls from downstairs, stirring the pot. "Hurry up already, it's gonna burn!"

"Coming!" She calls back, padding back down the stairs. She sits down, grinning when a bowl, served with a piece of bread, is placed down in front of her. A moment later, Ikki seats himself across the table.

"So don't forget, I leave tomorrow for that posting in Heath," Ikki says. Chie nods.

"Yes, of course," she replies.

"Are you sure you don't want-"

"I'll be fiiiiiine, you big worrywart," she laughs. "Geez, sometimes you sound more like my mom than my brother."

"I can't help that," he huffs defensively, reddening a touch. "Since they died, I've had to step up. That's only natural."

"I guess," Chie shrugs. "Sorry. I didn't mean to sound mean there."

"It's fine. Just… be careful while I'm gone, okay? Don't push boundaries with darkness. Men are terrible."

"You're men," she points out helpfully. "Are you terrible?"

Ikki just sighs.

The next morning, Ikki leaves. Taking his brown mare, a gift from their parents before they had passed, he takes off into the fresh snow that had fallen the evening prior. Chie stays behind, having promised (emptily) to not leave the house. Ikki rides for quite a while, into the woods, however, as the sun begins to set, he realizes he may have missed a turn somewhere.

Ikki begins to shiver, his nose having already gone numb. It's bloody cold out, and thick clouds brew above the bare treetops. Soon enough, thick, wet clumps of snow begin to fall, soaking him. He sighs, continuing on. In time, the trees begin to clear for a large, run down castle.

The castle was of a dark grey stone, with several wings, large, stained glass windows of indiscernible shapes from the distance of where Ikki was, and imposing towers. Hardly the most welcoming space, Ikki is loathe to approach, but knows it may be the difference between life or death. He narrows his eyes, thinking it must be abandoned, as he has the mare trot to the stables. He dismounts, caring for her before going towards the massive doors.

Ikki knocks upon the large brass knocker once, before the door swings open of its own accord. He frowns, hesitant. "Hello?" He calls. Hearing no answer but the echo of his own voice, he tentatively steps inside. He's immediately hit with the warmth of a comforting fire, and the smells of roasting meats. He pads a little deeper in, glancing around. A table, laden with hot, prepared food, sits in front of a massive, lit fireplace, with one chair at the head. "Strange," he mutters, suspicious. His feet move as if on their own, however, as his stomach makes a noise of complaint about his 'resolve'. He finds himself sitting down, helping himself to a leg of turkey. He eats as if starving, caring little for appearance or manners.

Only when he is well and truly satisfied does Ikki finally wipe his face and fingers on a napkin, leaning back and closing his eyes for a brief moment. He was so, so tired, and the distant sound of a wolf howling is the last piece that makes his decision. He would be staying the night. He stands, tucking in his chair, and pads over to the fire, sinking down onto the sofa sprawled beside it. It's perhaps the most comfortable sofa he's ever had the pleasure to lie upon may be his last thought as he drifts into a pleasant, well-needed sleep.

The next morning, Ikki wakes up, still feeling the warmth of the fire upon his face. He yawns, sitting up, and feeling a little disoriented. He then stands and pads to the table, where fresh breads and cheeses have appeared. Not terribly hungry after the feasting he had done last night, he takes just a bit of bread before heading to the door. The sky has cleared, and while a blanket of snow covers the ground, the sun shines amongst an azure blue. Ikki pads out, spotting something strange. Chie had spoken of it once, this sort of garden- it was outdoors, but indoors at the same time. A greenhouse, he believes it was called. Ikki trudges through the snow, grinning. She would love this. He lets himself in, picking up a planter, as an angry roar sounds behind him.

"You're seriously gonna fuck with my garden?! Even after all that hospitality shit?!" The man, if he could even be called that, growls. Ikki turns around, paling with fright.

The thing before him was extremely tall, broad, and not quite human. It had extraordinarily sharp teeth, eyes that seemed to glow, and long, sharp claws. Thick black wings sprouted from its back, their featheriness a strange contrast to the thick ropes of muscles that lined his bare arms.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't…"

"You didn't WHAT?!" he snarls again, grasping Ikki by the front of the shirt and hauling him into the air. "You didn't eat my food, sleep in my house, and then try to fucking rob me?"

"I-I…"

"Stop yammerin'" he growls, disappearing and reappearing with Ikki inside of a cell. "You can fuckin' stay here and rot until you've learned ya lesson." With that, the thing disappears again, leaving Ikki terrified and speechless.

Several days go by, and with each passing one, Chie grows increasingly worried. On the fifth day, three after he was supposed to return, she's greeted by the frantic whinnies of Ikki's mare. She rushes out of the house, pale, and stares at the horse. No Ikki. She quickly glances behind her, making a quick decision, and mounting the horse. It takes off in the direction of its master, leaving Chie clutching its mane.

Chie gasps when they reach the castle, paling even more, somehow. Nearing dark, now, she dismounts, hurrying up to the doors and knocking without preamble. Again, they open on their own, and she pads inside. "Ikki?" She calls, but this time, there's a response.

"How many of ya are gonna keep showing up?" the thing growls, appearing suddenly to lean against the back of the couch, arms crossed. "This ain't a hotel, princess."

Chie's eyes narrow, subconsciously taking a step back just as the door slams shut. She glances behind her fearfully, before forcing herself to steel her gaze at the monster. "Is my brother here?" She asks as steadily as she can manage.

He lifts a shoulder, upper lip curling enough to reveal a fang. "Might be, if he's the little bastard I threw in a cell."

Chie's eyes widen and she lurches forward, small hands curling into tight fists. "Let him go! He's done nothing wrong!"

"Your brother's a thief!" He snarls, making her freeze up in fear again. "He tried to steal from me! I ain't havin' that shit!"

Chie's eyes harden, and her lips press into a thin line. "Ikki would never steal. He's training to be a guard," she says stubbornly.

The thing growls and stalks forward, looming over her. "I'm tellin' ya he is. You wanna join him?" he breathes, and Chie takes a small step back. He follows, crowding her against the wall.

"Let me see him," she mumbles. "Please."

He turns and makes a 'tch' sound. "Fine," he mutters. "But then ya go, and ya don't come back." He grabs her by the arm, materializing them into the dungeon. Chie gasps as she sees Ikki, his form lying on the ground. He clearly hasn't eaten since he got there, and he's tired, sickly.

"You're horrible…" she whispers, making the thing grunt. She shakes off his grip and hurries to the bars, sinking down and she grips them in both hands. "Ikki!" She whimpers. Ikki wakes up slightly, glancing at her.

"No… Chie… go home," he mutters. "You've gotta… go home."

"There's no way I'm leaving you here," she whispers. The thing just rolls his eyes.

"Touching," he grumbles. Chie glares up at him.

"Let him go," she demands. "This is wrong!"

"Heh, you don't get to order me, sow," he snorts. "Just whatcha gonna do if I don't?"

Chie stands up, curling her hands into fists again. Her mouth pinches as she tries to think of a response. The thing just snorts again. "That's what I thought."

"Take me instead," She blurts out. "Let Ikki go. I'll stay instead."

The thing looks about as surprised as Ikki does. "No… no way in hell," Ikki grits out, eyes darkening. The thing, however, grins sharply.

"Heh… you sure you won't regret it?" He smirks. Chie shakes her head, glaring daggers. He shrugs. "Alright then…"

A moment later, the beast materializes into the cell, before disappearing with Ikki. Barely a second after, he appears behind Chie, scooping her up and holding her in one arm. "Ya brother's on his horse… hope it's good enough to get him back wherever ya came from. But my part's done," he says, disappearing with her and reappearing in a lavish bedroom. Chie blinks, looking around.

"I ain't keepin' a girl in a cell. Just feels wrong," he mutters gruffly, dumping her on the bed. "There's clothes and shit in the wardrobe. You can go wherever, just not the West wing, got it?"

"I got it," she mumbles, glaring as she rights herself. He inspects her, before nodding.

"Also, the name's Yuma. You better learn it, cuz eternity's gonna be a long time if ya don't," he says. "And I know you're Chie since your brother kept mumblin' for ya."

Chie stands up, crossing her arms and walking a little away from you. "What… are you, anyway?" She asks carefully.

"A vampire, but things got messy," he mutters, purposely leaving out details. "So don't cry to me when I take your blood. You smell damn delicious."

Chie's eyes widen, and she takes a step back. "No… I didn't agree to that," She stammers, paling slightly. Yuma grins, matching her step. She takes another, and another, until her back hits a wall.

"Looks like ya got nowhere to go, Sow," he smirks, stepping up to her and resting his forearm against the wall above her head. He leans down to eye level, baring his fangs. "Just shuddup and enjoy it."