Silver light filtered through the window, my armor glinting a gentle blue. My enemy crouching with his katanas out. The light made his black coat and hood lightly highlighted, but hard to see. My sword and shield glittered, making it too easy for me to be spotted. I gritted my teeth and launched at him.

"Morticas, you shouldn't be so hasty." My master Pryce told me, his katana steadily holding up my downstrike. My gloves shook with the force of the secondary hit, a spin going for his side. His katanas were in a plus sign, blocking the strike. I quickly pulled out my blade, slicing the air. He laughed, spinning below it and sidestepping me.

"Dead." His blade was against my throat, the cold steel biting my neck. I shuddered, a small cut showing when he took his blades and put them in the x on his back. My sword was sheathed into its back sheathe, under the shilds arm holster. I restrapped everything, and watched my master refit his gloves. I was dishearted, and he could tell.

"Mortici you know better. I've told you several times, you have to have faith in your self. Quit being so fail-prone." My head hung, and I felt his hand rest on my shoulder.

"Good fight. Come, we eat." At this he lead me to the bar, downstairs and to the left of our rooms. The loud boisterous men were at the bar table, and I wrinkled my nose in disgust. My master saved me from that kind of behavior, and fround upon tattoos, piercings, and alcohol. We got our seats- as far away from the Drunkards as possible –and drank our tea. I placed my shillings on the table and we took to our rooms.

"Master, what do we do now?" He looked at me, his silver eyes looking at my blue ones.

"We find the others like us." He opened the door to his room, and exited the hall. I left to my domicile, and thought of what he said. My master and I were Fallen, angels cast from heaven to rest in the elements for a thousand years. He found me at a lake side, around drunken sailors. Luckilly, they couldent see my electric blue wings that came with the Ice/Water elements. Even when drunk I saw his black and red wings, striking my curiosity. My high matabolism cured my drunkeness quickly, making my instincts to follow him stronger. He told me that there were others… one of air, Earth, Life, Death, and Darkness.

We were white, differing from the dark skins of the palastinians. We were in the middle of what the people called the "Holy War" between the Muslims and the Crusaders.

"The people see what they want to see," Master Pryce said, "but if you see someone surprised at you, they can truly see. These are who you must be discreet around, especially if they are Demons." I was surprised at these words, I was several years younger than my master, and he had more wisdom than I could possibly in my short span.

I continued to stare up at the ceiling, pondering what it was my master was planning when dawns light filtered through the grimey windows of my room. I got up and began my daily stretches, putting on my armor pieces. I waited; my master always got me when he was ready. I was surprised when a note flitted under a door.

Morticas,

Work on your aim, and don't forget to practice with your bow. Remember to grab

The bed rolls, we move out soon.

-Pryce Ulric

I was surprised that he signed his full name at the end, it was a rarity showing how serious the task was. I grabbed my quiver and bow before heading to pay the hotel manager. I paid him then stiffened. What my master called the "Sense" burned. He said this happened when people who could see what I am were around. I casually grabbed my things, thanking the manager, while at the same time examining the room in my peripheral vision. A teen, around my age was wearing black cloths, the corner he was in was empty, and when he got up to go to the bar, the crowd forming a path for the stranger. I hurried out the door, noticing I was being followed. My wings itched, wanting to spread out so I could fly away from this malvolent stranger. I took my bow and ran.

The area master had told me to practice in was a small field, a clearing no wider than two to three acres. When I reached it I unsheathed my sword and shield quickly putting my guard up. The man came out, his black cloth making him seem large. My sword was gripped gently, tight to the man but loose enough to spin slash his head off. He reached up, the onyx clip holding his black cloak on slipped down, revealing a young man around 6 feet tall. I cursed, he was muscled thickly but scrawny at the same time, and watched as he approached me.

"Morticas…." The word hit me, as if time had slowed down to a drop. I felt weak, plants around us began to wilt and die. I shook my head and tried to remain calm. The man's eyes were white, the pupils and iris's nonexistent. He took the scythe from his back, which had caused the overly large cloak to make him bigger than his scrawny figure.

"Morticas…. You will come to us…" he watched me, and I stiffened. I felt the strange compulsion to go to him, a magnetism so strong I almost did. I took the bow and laced a silver arrow from my back. One I forged myself, a sure sturdy arrow with a shaft of oak and a tail of robin's feather. He sighed, his white eyes boring into me. My hands began to shake, and I dropped the arrow and bow. My body moved against my will, pulling me to the man. He smiled gently, like someone seeing an old friend.

I began to cry, I was scared, being drawn to a man that was like death, and I didn't know where my master was. I wish I were just practicing my bow skills, I wish he were here, and I wish I weren't dealing with this frightening man. My throat constricted as I sobbed, scared sounds coming out as small gasps.

"Morticas." The voice of my master came to me, calm yet commanding. It cut through the control the man had over my body, whirling me around to face him. I looked up at him, the light making his oak brown hair highlighted. His eyes cut through the amount of hair covering them, silver blades of iris. I felt my face burn as I stood aside for him, my sword trembling in my grip.

"She is with me Death. Leave." He was looking at the man, like one wise man to another. The man responded with a glare. He picked up his cloak, then stood straight. His white eyes bored into mine, his body disappearing into darkness. The last things to go were his eyes, their white bursting into nonexistence. My master looked down at me with only his eyes, his posture that of a royal.

"You were lucky." He turned his back to me, pulling his hood back up and walking to the edge of the clearing. He picked up my bow and arrow before returning to me. His eyes were hard and cold. I winced, knowing my end would be due to the punishment he would most likely give me. He looked up at the sky a moment, and I blanched. Through the encounter with the man, it had turned twilight. A few stars began to turn their heads to earth, showing light themselves. He gave me my bow and stuck the arrow in my quiver.

*thud* … *thud thud* … *THWAK*

"WHAT?" I yelled at the door, laying in the cot with all of my aches from the previous day's work out. It had been a week since the encounter with the man, and I had been paying for my idiocy each day since. A maid came in, carrying a small bowl. She glared down at me, like most female humans do. I got up and took it carefully, then took a good look at the girl. Her face was heart shaped, unusual for the area we were in. Her brown hair framed it perfectly. Her skin tone was also lighter than what-

"Madam?" she said in a foreign accent. Oh. Duh. I took out a few shillings from my waist band, and put them in her palm. It was a generous amount, but I wasn't wasting it. I needed something from her. "Has my master come in yet?" I asked, watching her expression. She sighed, showing me that she was annoyed from the question. "The man weit the red hood has naut come en yet." At this she turned and left. I sighed, laying back down –wincing at the sudden movements- and waited. My eyelids drooped, the land of dreams wanting to take me. I let the exhaustion take me, and slept.

"Morticas…" I saw the man again, but he was… smaller. His eyes had gone to a soft brown colorNo… I was confused. The man infront of me was thinner than the other, and seemed softer. I backed up from him, ignoring the urge to walk to him. I was scared, and unable to stop myself.

"Morticas get up now." I blinked awake then regretted it, the light was bright and in my face. Once my eyes adjusted I looked up at my master.

"Sir..?" I muttered sleepily. "wh-" I was then yanked up by my chest piece. I was face to face with my master. I stared at him in sheer surprise as he looked at me.