Dark Path
by: Sakura Onna
A/N: This story is pretty much an original work of my own mind but slightly based off of the Devil May Cry video game series. Any characters who share their name with another anime/manga/movie/novel/TV show character are not the same unless noted. Any non-OCs are mostly OOC and I do not own any of them. Amshel and all Cyroptereans belong to the creator of Blood +. What I do own are Rowan, her guns, her attitude, Sai, and the story. Just to warn you in advance this story contains profanity, dark cynical POV, graphic violence (eventually), implied adult situations, crude humor, and racial remarks against light skinned people. So if any of the previously mentioned stuff might offend you, you may want to read something else because I don't want any comments saying I'm a "dumb, ignorant loser with no life so go die already". If not please read on and R&R. Every comment counts and helps even if its "I like so and so's attitude" or "add more detail to blank from now on". I'm not gonna post any more of this story if no one likes it and I don't get any comments so if you want to see more comment like mad and tell your friends.
Chapter 1: Broken Sword
I always walk alone. My path lies in darkness. If you think you could survive my life, well, guess again.
I am the only one that stands between you and the darkness that seeks to destroy the world. Constant battles are the only thing that keeps the demons from devouring your dumb ignorant asses. I am the one and only guardian of this world, and you don't even know I exist.
I am Rowan the illegitimate child of the King of the Demons and oddly enough I'm keeping your sorry asses safe from the demon side of my family and their minions. Not that I'm doing you idiot maggots a favor or anything like that. My father has been trying to kill me ever since he learned I existed. I am an impurity in an otherwise untainted bloodline as my mother was one of you stupid humans. Oh yeah its not just my father that's out for my head: my half siblings have a bull's eye on my back too.
My half brother Ash has come to be very well known among you stupid humans as he's the one that keeps supplying you with the bigger and more destructive weapons on a regular basis. You know the a-bomb and nuclear stuff? He was the one that showed you how to make that stuff. Menos is another of my half brothers, and he's worse than Ash. He holds the ultimate undoing of you stupid humans in his possession, and he plans on letting you have it sooner or later.
Because of the nature of the conflict between me and my demonic family I'm almost constantly on the move. I never spend more than a month in one place before moving on. I'm currently in a city called Los Angelos and I've found one particular type of humans I hate: racists. Just because of my moon pale skin they target me immediately as soon as I enter the same room as them. I HATE RACISTS!!!!!! I HATE THEM MORE THAN I HATE MY MURDEROUS FAMILY!!!!
"Move your lily white ass, mother fucker!"
Dumb ass racist #1 today. What fun.
"What are ya deaf? He said move, ya cracker!"
Dumb ass racist #2. And I'm just waiting for a stupid damn bus at a stupid damn ordinary bus stop. Insert mental eye roll here.
From what I've seen racists travel in packs so there must be more than these two somewhere nearby. And here they come now. Looks like I better get these ones off my back before I have to start killing them. Nothing forces you to move to a new city like being caught with the blood of a fairly well liked dickhead on your fangs and/or claws. I learned that one fairly early on. Really you humans should be honored I'm patient enough with your pathetic race that I don't annihilate every one of you all I come in contact with myself.
There is one big thing that sets a pissed off demon (or half demon in my case) apart from your normal average human: our eyes glow blood red.
"Holy shit!"
"What the fuck?!?! The mother fucker's eyes are glowing like some kind of fucking animal!!!!!!"
"LEAVE....ME....THE....HELL....ALONE....OR....ELSE"
I growl at them enunciating each word exposing my fangs.
Guess what? They ran away screaming like little girls at the top of their lungs leaving twin trails of urine behind them. The sight alone was enough to instantly put me in a better mood despite the smell. The good thing about human stupidity is that no one was gonna believe the dumb ass racists if they told anyone about the encounter with me. Everyone, but those that are smart and believe in my kind, will think the racists were on some type of drug and I was part of a bad trip.
I glance at my watch and flinch. No matter what anyone else says noon is still an ungodly hour to be awake for anyone with demon blood. The only reason I'm out and about right now is that Amshel, the damn bastard, would not allow me to schedule a meeting for after sunset. I hate Cyroptereans! They think they are sooooo superior it sickens me.
The bus I've been waiting for the past good 20 minutes or so finally arrives and it takes close to an hour to reach the warehouse/corporate building Amshel owns. I would avoid working with Cyroptereans completely because of their high and mighty attitude, but they, Amshel the bastard included, have all the nice toys I like to kill with that can severely damage most beings of the supernatural kind. I tell you I am not looking forward to this.
"Look who showed up. You say one thing but do the opposite. I guess you're the best of the demon and human worlds,"
Amshel said the moment I set foot in the room we always meet in. Trust me my decently good mood went down the drain faster than you can say 'nee': it took a lot of self-control not to tear out his guts.
"Yeah and hello to you too, Asshole. I need a new sword and some more of those exploding bullets. The last sword broke so easily it lowered my already low thoughts of your kind. Unfortunately your company is the only one that makes the types of weapons I like."
I growl in return holding up the shattered sword.
The look of pure horror on Amshel's face was priceless.
"What were you doing with my precious merchandise!? Surely it didn't break on a mere grunt's skull? That sword was made of the finest steel by the greatest sword-smith."
"No matter who made it or what it was made from, it snapped like a twig the first time I took it to a grunt head. I've had to use my claws and guns nonstop ever since."
"That's impossible! You had to have used it against something higher than a grunt to break it. You had to,"
The disbelief and horror in Amshel's voice was satisfying in a way but annoying in another.
"You're kidding, right?"
"No, I'm not. DO I LOOK LIKE I'M JOKING????"
I asked between clenched teeth. I wanted to tear him to shreds.
Amshel became white as a ghost.
"I'll do a better job from now on. If you fall so does my species. As a Chevalier I can not allow my queen to be killed by a demon."
"When can I expect my weapons?"
"Day after tomorrow."
"Amshel........."
"No! I am not changing the day! Now get out of here and do your job!"
Amshel yelled hurting my ears.
I shrug and leave. It's not like you can talk a headstrong Cyropterean out of doing something. Saya was a fine example of that: attacking her own kind on behalf of humans. I just have to stay alive for at least the next two days and then I get my new toys.
The ride back to my hole is like eternity. Without my toys I can't help but feel the slightest bit exposed. I can slightly understand Amshel's disbelief. I didn't believe it at first either and got kicked in the stomach for it. Even now a week later it still hurts. Yeah, Menos has got to be creating new grunts and classes of demons in that lab of his. That's the only reasonable answer.
My hole is in a run down building in a shitty part of town. Half the time the water, heat, and electricity don't work but that's fair with me as I don't need much. The human that owns the building doesn't ask questions about my weapons or when I return with blood all over me. Smart human. But he tries to be a little too friendly too often.
I notice there are a few more steps missing from the stairs as I walk up them to reach my hole. There is an elevator but I knew from experience that if an enemy attacks while you're in one that it takes a miracle to win. Not many live in this crumbling building except for the poor, lazy, and homeless that seem to come out of the wood work these days, and me of course.
A scent drifts down the hall to the top of the staircase where I stand. Not quite human but not quite demon either. What the fucking hell is stalking my floor this time?! Oh shit!! I forgot to bring extra clips and ammo for Crimson and Cerulean with me when I went out earlier. That could easily be the most stupid mistake of my life as well as my last. And guess what? It smells like whatever it is is outside my door. Looks like I'll have to rely on my claws to get me out of yet another idiotic situation.......
I step off the steps to face whatever it is and almost trip in surprise. Whatever it is it definitely ain't a demon, or at least it wasn't of a species I knew, and definitely not what I was expecting to see. It was way too pretty for any species of demon I knew of. And it was curled up in a ball in front of my door sleeping.
Caution over took my surprise and I drew Crimson as I approached it. Staying arm's length from it I prod it with the gun. At first nothing happened but after a second prod it jerked awake and seemed to leap back a few feet. It stared at me for a good 5 minutes with eyes even I find unusual: three rings of color surround its pupils. Then it blinked, shook its head as if to clear away cobwebs in its head, and eased out of the crouch it had been in.
"You can put that away now, Demonling. I seriously doubt a scuffle here and now would be worth the injuries we would both get. Besides it's way too easy for humans to get caught in the crossfire here."
Okay so it appeared to be a he. Not that it mattered.
"Prove you're not gonna attack the moment I let my guard down and put away Crimson."
He snorted,
"Not a very imaginative name for that red pistol. What do you call the blue one? Sapphire?"
"What the hell are you then?"
I snarl getting irritated with this whatever he is.
He took three breaths as for patience,
"I would prefer it if you would set aside your hostility for a few minutes. I was nice enough to not break your door and trash your wards while you were gone. So why don't you let me in so we can talk without human ears over hearing. You are trying to maintain the appearance of being human, right?"
I glared at him. No way am I letting him in my apartment. Not now, not ever. And WHO THE HELL was the DUMB ASS that left the hallway window open?! When I find them I am so going to clobber 'em because I could do without his scent in my nose. Then I realized what he had figured out earlier: our strength levels were about the same. Any fight right now would result in a draw and we would both be pretty bad off........
OKAY FINE!!!!! So I caved in and let us in the stupid apartment, but I wasn't planning to let him in anywhere else. He seemed to study everything with a critical eye even though there was little for one to see. A couch, kitchenette, and doors to the one bedroom and one bathroom. Finally he perched on the arm of the coach and goes back to staring at me with those strange eyes.
"You asked what I am. Would you believe me if I said I'm a hybrid like you, Princess Rowan?" He asked after a short while.
I couldn't suppress the snort to that. No one calls me 'princess'; especially with the reverence in his tone. Every supernatural being would sooner spit on me than acknowledge me as a progeny of the King of Demon's. "Who are you? If there's demon blood in your veins I can't see it."
"My father was a prince of the dark faerie mound. My mother, oddly enough, was light faerie, demon, and a few other things. The faerie is most visible."
"That's not answering my question."
"Sai. My name is Sai. I am currently in exile from both faerie courts. Don't ask for details on that because you're not gonna get an answer."
"A faerie-demon? I suppose any thing's possible. I did shatter a Cyropterean made sword on a mere grunt's skull after all."
"I heard about that," Sai states blandly. If what they say about faerie being unable to lie true then I'm in deep shit.
"Why are you here? Most would jump at the chance to kill me or at least maim me. Why didn't you take the chance to destroy my hole while I was gone?" I am reaching for Cerulean as I ask this.
"You can take your hand from that gun-butt right now, Princess Rowan. I'm not stupid. I've been watching you for a long time now. At first it was at my aunt's orders then of my own whim. Your rebelling against your family has caught the attention of many groups, but your dislike of working with others has saved you from being approached by most of them."
"So you're a spy. Why contact me? Also I'm not rebelling.......Just trying to stay alive."
His tri-color eyes study the room intently again, he's looking everywhere but at me. His sudden discomfort is plain as day. Now he's just staring at his feet. What the hell's going through his mind? "Many from both courts have tried to kill me, including my own mother, now and when I was young. I know how hard the life of a hybrid is. I'm not really a spy. I'm more of a scout. Right now I'm not acting under orders. The orders I do have are to stay the hell away from my aunt and uncle. I'm exiled indefinitely." He glances at me than quickly away. A reddish tinge appears on his face. Surely he can't have feelings of affection for me! Suddenly he draws a sword from his back.
I stumble back and my back slams into the counter that separates the kitchenette from the living room. Pain blinds me for a moment. If he's planning to kill me, now is the perfect time because he can get my heart and there's pretty much nothing I can do about it. I'm completely helpless
until my vision clears as long as he has that sword....
Nothing happens.....
My vision clears and I see that he is holding the sword in a way I have only seen in movies. He had the sword by the dullest part of the blade with the hilt offered out to me. He stood completely still watching me. The hand that held the blade was cut and bleeding.
"This blade is one of the few that can truly kill a faerie. The damage it deals to a faerie or even a demon is the same as a human would take if they were cut by it. I know this will cause ripples in the courts, but I'm offering you this blade and my aid in your rebellion. Myself and my guards will protect you." He said watching my expression closely.
My instinct told me it wouldn't be wise to refuse without thinking this over. My instinct told me that this was a dangerous offer with multiple meanings as well. I didn't want anyone messing with my life, or to put my trust in someone else and have my back get stabbed by them later on.
"What's the catch? The faerie never make deals like this without a catch."
"There is no catch, Princess Rowan."
Yeah right. "There is only one bedroom and its mine. I'm not sharing it with anyone. Especially not a male."
He looked taken aback and embarrassed at my words. "One of the Ravens could stay in there with you. Have else could your safety be more certain?"
"What is my fate to you?!" Rage starting to tint my vision red and my voice drip with ice. Who does he think he is to make such a suggestion?!
He stared me straight in the eyes as he took five slow calculated breaths. I read a finely suppressed anger in those strange tri-color eyes. What's he so mad about? What the fuck is this guy's problem?! "You're still relatively young yet so you most likely haven't heard your prophecy yet."
"What prophecy?"
"Accept the protection of my guards and myself. Then I'll tell you. Consider it a win-win situation. You increase your chances of surviving, and I gain a better chance at becoming king of one of the faerie courts."
So he was intending to add me to his harem. Great. Just what I don't need.
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A/N Well that's all for now. You should know the drill. R/R please!!!!!! This is the first work I'm ever publishing like this. so please be honest with me on what I can improve on.
Here's a bit of a list of what some of the terms I used mean for those of you that didn't understand them:
Raven: female guard that serve one, usually male, member of the faerie royal families at a time. They do tend to have very adult relations with the one they serve.
faerie: not a derogatory remark against homosexuals. This is the elf-like kind who have various abilities and generally look like the average human. Their eyes as mentioned above with Sai usually are tri-colored. By this I mean they're usually like three different shades of green in three distinct rings. Usually divided into two groups by their views on humans. light faeries tend to like humans and don't see them as a total scourge on the earth. Dark faeries are the opposite they tend to extremely hate humans and are the kind you don't want to walk in to in a dark alley at night. Oh yeah, they live underground most of the time to avoid unnessacary contact with humans.
Rowan's hole: her apartment in a shitty neighborhood. She refers to it as such because it's so badly decayed and she'd be happy with an underground lair if she had to have one except for the fact that underground is faerie turf.
the faerie courts: The two seats of power in faerie society that correspond to each of the two kinds of faerie. At the head of each court is a king or queen with massive power and influence. One of the requirements to become king or queen is the ability to have children. In other words if you're sterile you're stuck being a prince or princess for the rest of your long long life. The killing of one's relatives is very common place.
grunt: very low class of demon, not very powerful but strong enough to be hard for the average human to kill. Tend to be very ugly S.O.B.s and surprisingly go unnoticed in the human realm for the most part.
Cyropterean: species of vampires that have no issues with sunlight, garlic, human food or really any of the stereotypical stuff. Most are not much different from normal humans except for superhuman strength, agility, etc and do their best to blend into human society. Only second to faerie when it comes to crafting weapons that can kill supernatural beings.
If there's anything I missed please let me know and I'll do my best to address it in the future.