Chapter 3: Kalichi

(2 days after arrival in Kalichi)

Ravel

Sometimes I wonder if I wasn't accidentally blessed by the Heavens above us in some sort of supernatural clerical error. Because right now I feel like someone up above is looking out for me.

An involuntary giggle escapes me as I suddenly remember the events of 2 days ago and I hug the bedsheets around me closer. Ooh…thinking about my…my marriage still has me feeling all giddy and strange. I remember scoffing at all the other High Class Devil girls that used to swoon at the idea of meeting the prince of their dreams, falling in love, eloping and then, well…conceiving.

I figured those stories were just that, stories, and maintained the attitude that life rarely, if ever, worked out so cleanly like that. While there aren't very many arranged marriages anymore, the few that do still exist are typically for political and material gain only, and rarely take the participants feelings into account.

Which means I totally lucked out that I get to marry someone I actually like, and also likes me in return. My laughter suddenly turns into a blush as I remember when Caine and I, well…kissed in front of everybody. It was weird, but nice feeling at the same time…maybe in a few days we can try it again and see if it feels any different…

I'm startled out of my fantasies by a quick knock on my door and hastily shout, "Come in!"

My personal maid Farcia walks in and I'm about to wish her a good morning when I see her face and immediately feel a slight sense of unease. Farcia is usually completely professional, with the occasional witty comment and never seems bothered by anything.

Right now there's a nervousness to her posture that I never thought I would see, which causes me to immediately ask, "Farcia, is everything all right? You look worried."

She jumps as if bitten by something before she fixes me with a slightly sad smile.

"My apologies Miss Ravel, but your Father just returned after he was suddenly called away by Lord Lucifer and he…seems worried about something. He asked us to gather both your Brothers and Mother for some sort of meeting in the common room as quickly as possible."

That wakes me right up and I immediately head to the bathroom, quickly asking, "Can you pick out my clothes for me Farcia? Anything is fine as long as it's quick."

"Of course Miss Ravel."

I tamp down on my apprehension and quickly jump in the shower, not bothering to do anything more than a quick wash off. If Father is asking for a family meeting and it's making Farcia nervous…it can't be anything good.

With a quick motion I shut the water off and summon my flames in an improvised drying process. Afterwards Farcia rapidly helps me into a simple maroon dress and we make our way to the common room of Phenex Mansion.

"Did Father say anything about what the emergency is?"

"Unfortunately not. Lord Phenex merely looked…nervous, perhaps slightly upset."

Father nervous? Upset? Something bad is happening…

I elect to swallow my nervousness and put on a brave face, picking up my pace instead. Not more than 5 minutes later I give Farcia a brief nod of thanks as she takes up position outside the large doors that lead to the common room and I take a deep breath before entering.

I'm apparently the last one to enter as I already see my 3 older brothers Ruval, Raleigh and Riser already seated in various chairs while Mother and Father fix me with a brief glance as I enter.

I don't miss the obvious sympathy and sadness in their gazes as they look at me.

Hiding my apprehension I take a seat next to Ruval who gives me a quick smile that I return before Father clears his throat, drawing all of our attention.

He seems as if he's struggling with himself for a second before he exhaustedly sighs and quietly says, "There's no good way to put this. Last night…the Valefor family was attacked by unknown assailants and was officially wiped out to the last member. This also includes many of their distant relatives and close associates."

…Dead?

They're all…dead? But, that means that Caine was…was…

I desperately grasp at what my Father said and frantically blurt out, "Y-you said officially, right? D-does that mean…"

Father gives the smallest of smiles and replies, "Unofficially, we have good reason to believe that both Caine and Jonah managed to escape the assault."

I collapse back into my seat and feel equal parts terror and relief. To my surprise Riser immediately stands up and frantically shouts, "Well what are we doing just standing around then?! We should be scouring the entire Underworld trying to-"

"I know that Riser, calm yourself!"

We all flinch slightly at Father's sharp tone and he immediately sags a little and moves to put a hand on Brother's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze and quietly says, "I know exactly how you feel Riser, and I promise you I have every available person searching for any kind of lead on where those 2 boys might have gone. But right now we have to be discreet. Whoever attacked the Valefors self-evidently has alot of influence in the Underworld. If we make it obvious we're searching for 2 proclaimed dead boys, well…you can imagine the result. And it's mainly Caine we're searching for, we believe Jonah was safely sent to Hayden's relatives in Asgard."

Riser glares at Father for a moment before sighing and gives a jerky nod of his head before sitting back down. Mother gives a depressed shake of her head and states, "Ruval, Raleigh, meet your Father and I in the main study in an hour, we'll need to discuss what our next move is. Things are a mess right now with the Valefor family succession and we need to figure out how to handle this situation."

Raleigh responds with a confident, "Of course Mother." and quickly leaves the room. Ruval merely nods and stops by me on his way out, giving me a quick hug.

"Stay strong Little Sis, I doubt Caine of all people is gonna let those Bastards get the better of him."

I try my best to smile and nod at my Brother. He gives me one last parting hug before heading off. I barely notice Riser walk past me in a daze, obviously deep in thought. Despite my own mood I feel a brief pang of pity for him.

He absolutely wouldn't admit it, but he and Jonah were far closer friends than they let on…he's probably just as worried as I am.

"Ravel dear?"

I almost jump in surprise at Mother's voice and find her staring at me in obvious concern, Father standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders.

"Ravel, I know this is a horrible thing to have to tell you but we're here if you want to-"

She doesn't get to finish as I throw myself into her arms and let a few tears leak out as I hug her for dear life. I feel her hand gently stroke my hair as she quietly whispers, "Hush, sweet child…things will be ok."

I stay that way for almost a minute, letting out all my anxiety as Mother gently consoles me.

And then I take a deep, shaky breath and turn to my parents, angrily wiping away my tears.

"Is there anything I can do to help? I spent alot of time with Caine, I might be able to offer some insight into how he thinks, or places he liked to hide!"

Father smiles proudly before replying, "You've offered a great amount of help already my Little Firebrand. Miss Grayfia inspected the sight where Caine was supposed to be safe and unfortunately it seems someone was already waiting for him."

I feel my eyes widen at that...but then notice Father's sudden grin.

"She also found signs that someone had used Phenex Clan Magic that caused a significant amount of damage to the area around it. We all agree that Caine used the Phoenix Heart you gave him to buy enough time to re-activate the Transport Circle and escape his attackers. In an indirect manner, you already saved his life once, perhaps more than once."

The smallest of smiles reaches my lips and I feel a tiny bit of relief upon hearing that. I'm glad I got the courage to give Caine the Heart before everything just fell to pieces. I take another steadying breath and peel myself loose from Mother's arms.

"Father, Mother, please…if there's the slightest thing I can to do to help us find Caine and Jonah-"

Father interrupts me as he ruffles my hair, causing me to squeak in surprise since he hasn't done that in years.

"Don't worry Ravel, you have my word that as soon as we actually have an idea on where to start looking you'll be one of the first to know."

Mother suddenly giggles for a moment before shooting me a sly look and cheekily says, "She is the Wife of the missing person after all, it won't do for her to be left in the dark of the whereabouts of her beloved…"

Despite the seriousness of the situation I feel a slight blush on my face and stammer out, "A-anyway if that's all for now I-i'll be on my way!"

I practically run out of the room as I hear my parents chuckle behind me and let out a shaky breath before feeling my legs go weak and I lean against the door, closing my eyes as the reality of the situation hits. I feel tears threatening to escape my eyes again and harshly rub my knuckles against them, not wiling to break down again.

"Miss Ravel? Are you alright?"

I slowly peel open my eyelids and see Farcia worriedly looking at me. Forcing myself to take a calming breath I decide right then and there that doing something is better than nothing. More accurately, practicing with my Phoenix powers will be far more useful than just moping uselessly in my room.

"Farcia, is there anything I had planned for today? Any parties, meetings or things like that?"

She shakes her head in the negative.

"Good. If anyone asks where I am, inform them that I will be at the training grounds for the rest of the day."

Farcia smiles gently and inquires, "Would you prefer I bring lunch to you on the field then?"

I grin at how quickly Farcia catches on and nod in the affirmative.

"If you would Farcia, thank you for your assistance."

She bows and easily replies, "Of course Miss Ravel. I shall see you in a few hours."

As she walks off I stalk back to my room to change into something that can afford to be damaged and feel my nails involuntarily dig into my palms as my hands clench.

Please…be safe Caine.

Caine

(3 days after arrival in Kalichi)

This is so not gonna be safe. While I'm definitely not feeling anywhere near as weak as I was yesterday I'm still a little wobbly if I try to do anything more strenuous than a brisk walk.

Probably not the wisest of decisions to waltz right into the predators den that I imagine Kalichi is, but if I can make it now, while I'm tired and brand new to this place, then I'll be even better off once I'm back at full strength.

That's what I tell Kuroka and Shirone at any rate. The truth is that I want to get out into the city as quickly as I can and find some sort of news outlet so I can figure out the concrete details on what might have happened to my family.

Not knowing is rapidly wearing on me, and the last few hours I've been especially anxious waiting for the 2 cats to wake up so we can get started.

"…Good Morning."

"Morning Shirone."

She goes through her usual stretching routine before getting off the bed and giving an admittedly cute yawn before walking off. I push aside my growing anxiety for the moment and glance at Kuroka, who's currently lying facedown on the mattress and somehow not suffocating herself despite her face being fully mashed into one of the lumpy pillows.

Must be a cat thing.

With a sudden stir she slowly sits up and blearily blinks her eyes before fixing me with a sleepy look.

"Morning Kiddo…"

"Morning Kuroka…you gotta show me how you somehow managed to sleep without air the whole night."

She smirks before lazily shifting onto her side and resting her chin on her hand.

"Sorry, a girls gotta keep some secrets. You ready for your big day?"

I shrug.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

She fixes me with a flat stare before bluntly replying, "Look Kid, you can take another day to rest, it's not that big of a deal."

I just shake my head in denial and she sighs before rolling to her feet, saying, "Alright then. Can't say I didn't give you the chance to back out."

I get to my own feet and hide a wince as my side flares in pain, something that a returning Shirone sees and I swear on my wings that I see a brief frown appear on her face before before she's back to her usual stoic expression. I mentally shrug and wordlessly dip the Phoenix Heart into the tub of water and begin heating it as usual while the 2 Yokai sisters walk off to grab some breakfast…or at least this place's equivalent.

Out of curiosity I try to lift the tub and almost throw out my back as the thing barely budges an inch. Holy crap…Shirone totes this thing around like it's made of paper, how freaking strong is she?!

"Catch Kid."

This time I manage to get my hand up to intercept the thrown bar and step back to eat as the albino haired cat effortlessly collects the bucket and walks off with it.

I'm gonna have to ask her how she does that.

"You all set Caine? I want to start early today if we're gonna be doing this."

I crumple the now empty wrapper and resolutely nod before asking, "What's the opening act gonna be?"

She looks thoughtful for a moment before snapping her fingers with a smirk now adorning her face and gleefully tells me, "I know just the thing! Your first lesson is gonna be to find me in Heresy park without dying, think you can manage that?"

I frown and ask, "Where the heck is Heresy Park?"

Her only response is a wink and playful, "That's part of the challenge!" before she saunters out of the house, leaving me standing there like an idiot as I try to think of a way to find this supposed park. Great, my first few seconds into this supposed test and I'm already out of my depth.

I'm snapped out of my reverie as something lands across my arm and my eyes widen is surprise as I see Shirone give me a small nod before explaining, "It's old, but should help keep you anonymous."

I glance at what she set on my arm and give a brief hum of appreciation. It's an old grey sweatshirt with a hood attached, something that should help me stay under the radar. Well…I'm mostly certain it's a hoodie. Given the missing sleeve, ragged cut on the bottom half and massive tear going from the shoulder to the breast pocket, it could really have been anything.

"Thanks Shirone. You know I don't think I've actually thanked you for saving me those few days ago. Kuroka told me that it was you that convinced her to help me. So, well…thanks Shirone."

Her eyes briefly widen and I almost crack a smile as her ears and tails perk straight up before returning to their previous state and she gives a shy shrug before averting her eyes.

"…You're welcome…Good luck today."

This time my mouth does actually quirk briefly before I slip on the 'hoodie' and walk out of the front door.

My first actual impression of Kalichi?

It sucks. And this is only after I take about 4 steps out of the hovel the 2 cats call home.

The air is thick and smells like shit (I can't help but wonder if that's a rather literal description), the buildings are all decrepit, the roads are covered in trash and other crap I don't feel like taking too much of a closer look at and it's really cold out here, probably no more than 3 degrees celsius.

I mentally thank Ravel for giving me the Phoenix Heart for what feels like the thousandth time in the span of a few hours, since it's comforting warmth seems to permeate my entire body, staving off the chill.

I tug the hood around my head even tighter and cast a quick glance back down the alley I walked out of. I have to admit, it's a pretty clever setup. The 2 Yokai sisters have some kind of spell set up over their little hut that makes it seem as if it's merely a collapsed wall rather than a ramshackle, if not functional, abode. While I'll admit I'm nowhere near the Magician Philip was, he taught me quite a bit about recognizing different types of Devil Magic and their myriad effects and I certainly didn't sense any Magic on the building itself.

Maybe it was done somehow using their Senjutsu power? I wonder if I can learn that, it seems incredibly useful if it can create that flawless of an illusion with almost no Magical footprint.

I wrench my thoughts away from the illusion barrier and take stock of my current situation.

Nothing warmer than a ratty old sweatshirt, no shoes or socks, no money and no water or food currently available.

…Well, at least I won't be likely to encounter a handicap bigger than this in the near future.

Hopefully.

I take a deep breath and walk out of the alley.

The first thing that hits me is the enormous red sun drifting overhead, occasionally being cast behind a passing cloud, creating an unsettling blood red haze across a fair portion of the sky. That's bizarre, I thought Uncle Sirzechs and the other Satans changed the sky everywhere…I guess some places weren't affected.

I'm rather abruptly startled out my observation by a none too quiet shout of, "Get the fuck out of the road!"

I practically jump halfway to the newly discovered sun and next thing I know I'm being roughly pushed to the side and bounce off of a nearby wall, probably bruising my arm in the process. A chorus of laughter reaches my ears and I have to force myself not to tremble. A group of 3 Yokai with scaly skin and lizard-like features walks on past me, although not before one of them leers at me and chortles out, "Ha! The pussy looks like he's about wet himself! Better keep your eyes on the ground next time kid!"

They saunter off and I breathe out a shaky sigh of relief as they go. So much for staying off the radar, less than a minute out in this city and I somehow managed to attract the wrong kind of attention. I'm just lucky those guys were more interested in intimidation than they were anything actually lethal.

Alright, lesson learned…time to not be an idiot and not let my attention wander.

I patiently wait until another person walks by, this time a raggedy looking Devil who's eyes are practically sunk all the way to the back of his skull, before I quickly step into his shadow and hide myself from visible view.

Shadow Cloaking, a basic power of the Valefor family, is a neat little trick that's one of the first things we learn to do. Using a shadow aside from our own we can use it to bend light and other low energy phenomena around our bodies, essentially making the user invisible. It doesn't hide our Magical signature, scent or sound but it's still pretty damn useful.

This way I can hopefully avoid most of this cities nastier customers and still keep an eye on how things are done around here.

An idea that soon bears fruit as my unwitting tour guide is apparently headed towards some kind of marketplace where an astonishingly varied amount of species are congregating.

Just at a glance I see several different species of Yokai ranging from small Amanojakus all the way up to a massive Gashadokuro that seems to be watching the place with an unblinking gaze that prmises indiscriminate threat. There's also a mix of Fallen Angels and Humans wandering about, apparently not worried one bit about being among so many potential enemies. Heck, the Fallen are openly displaying their wings and a few of the Humans are even wearing varying styles of Church robes.

Either the bad blood between our factions doesn't apply here or no one wants to make a fuss in the middle of a crowded area like this.

Getting over my shock of the sheer variety of species I take a closer look at how they're all acting with each other. The preferred method of treatment seems to be to hold the other person at arms length and not be any kinder to them than necessary, since I see alot of carefully blank expressions and kinda chilly treatment between shop owner and customer.

On that note, there's an insane variety of stuff being sold out here. Different foods of all kinds, whether it be plant, animal or things that look like something that would come off of an animal.

My stomach gets a little queasy at some of the stuff on display, one food stand in particular that seems to specialize in cooked organs leaves me trying not to dry heave.

It's not just the consumables though. All sorts of clothing styles are being displayed in a myriad of ways, from giant tents piled high with stacked shirts to roaming merchants carrying their wares on ramshackle backpacks made of discarded wood and metal.

Then there's the jewelry, drugs, memorabilia and all sorts of other crap just saturating the place in a mind numbing plethora of things to waste your money on.

But no sign of the one shop I want to see the most. A newsstand. Gritting my teeth as I ignore the urge to abandon my hiding place I resign myself to play it safe for now and just keep my eyes open. If I can find some sort of sign that will lead to Heresy Park that'll be one less thing to worry about and I can openly search for some sort of news outlet.

I shadow the Devil (no pun intended…sort of) for at least another 15 minutes, seeing all sorts of things I probably never would have experienced back at the Valefor family mansion (both the good and the traumatic) before my pack mule turns onto a largely deserted street and begins to slow down before looking around warily.

I frown and try to fight down my nervousness as the guy's head seems to spastically swivel, as if he's expecting to be attacked at any moment.

If only he knew how right he was. I have to bite down on a startled yell as a figure wearing priest robes bursts out of a nearby alley and lashes out with a fist towards the Devil. Despite the twitchiness he was displaying a second ago the Devil is pathetically slow to react, only just beginning to show signs of movement right before the priests fist strikes him in the solar plexus. There's a hissing noise and the Devil gives a pained wheeze before dropping like a bag of rocks to the ground and I hastily jump back, trying not to panic.

With a scrabbling motion the Devil tries to crawl away but the priest drives a knife through his leg eliciting a pained cry before he brutally kicks the Devil in the ribs, causing his air to leave in a choked oof!

The force of the kick rolls the Devil over and I bite down on a curse as his chest is showing a nasty burn that's still steaming from where he got punched. I glance at the priest's fist and notice he has a silver cross attached to his hand as an impromptu knuckle duster. No wonder that punch caused so much damage.

I'm snapped out of my daze as the priest steps on the writhing Devil's chest and in a deep baritone says, "Devil Wyert, for the crime of torture and sexual abuse, God has charged me with your demise. Have you any last words before I send you to be judged before him?"

The now named Wyert's whimpering seamlessly changes into deranged chuckling and I shiver at the look in his sunken eyes as he looks up at the impassive Holy Man.

"That little nun was one of yours, wasn't she? Oh how fun corrupting her was…did you know she has a birthmark on her lovely little bottom? Specifically her left cheek? Although by now it's so covered in blood and se-"

His crazed monologue is abruptly cut off as a sudden snarl appears on the priests face and his fist shoots forward with a blur, impacting on the devils forehead with a wet crack…and splattering some of his head juice over my legs, clearly revealing me.

The priest's eyes briefly widen before he instantly snaps to attention and I internally sigh, figuring that I'm about to meet my own end at the hand of an enraged Human.

Well…I can't really blame him. I understood enough of what that freak was saying to be glad that he didn't finish the rest of it. I'd probably be more than a little pissed myself if that happened to someone I know.

"I know you're there. Reveal yourself and I won't assume you're a threat."

Knowing a losing battle when I see one I let go of the Shadow and levelly meet the gaze of the priest, who briefly shows surprise at my appearance before schooling his features back into impassivity.

"That's an interesting method of concealment you have there. Did this…creature…force you to do this?"

He punctuates his statement with a harsh kick to Wyert's rapidly cooling body and fixes me with a glare that clearly says, 'I want the truth, and I want it now'.

Heck, I don't even know what kind of lie would be believable in the first place. The truth is all I have.

"No, I actually only met that guy maybe an hour ago, I was just using him as a means to hide myself. I'm…new to this city and wanted to see as much as I could so I didn't have to learn firsthand."

He seems to consider this and I take the opportunity to take a closer look at this guy. He's not really too tall or too short, looks to be around 40-50 years old and his hair is a nondescript brown. The only real distinguishing feature is the mass of scars on his face, a veritable road map of battles fought and won.

I really hope he doesn't decide to waste me.

To my relief he shrugs after a moment of consideration and let's out a quiet sigh, his eyes tired.

"Well you certainly received a good look at some of the less savory people in this Hellhole on your first day. Then again scum like this is a dime-a-dozen…so you probably would have run into someone like him sooner or later. I find it interesting that you don't seem all that alarmed by having his brains on your bare skin if you don't mind me saying so."

I briefly look down and note that the Devil's brains are indeed covering my shins and ankles. Strangely enough, the only real feeling I have about is kind of a 'meh' sensation. Well…I did see several people decapitated in front of me and get stabbed through the gut recently. Maybe I'm just a quick study when it comes to seeing death.

I shrug and simply reply, "I didn't end up here by choice. Let's just say my arrival was preceded by a rather violent series of events."

He just gives a grunt of acceptance before turning his attention back to the fallen Devil.

"You'd best be on your way then. There's nothing else for you here."

I breathe out a quiet sigh of relief and am about to take his advice and get out of there when I hear him quietly murmur to himself, "I'll pray for your soul Lisa. It seems that yet again I was too slow…"

Against every instinct I have, as well as my better judgement, I tentatively ask, "Um, if you don't mind me asking, is Lisa the Nun that creep was…'talking' about?"

He gives me a brief glance out of the corner of his eye before giving a brief nod.

"She was about your age, maybe a bit older. Some of the clergy in this section of the city try to watch out for as many orphans as we can, but…it's a dangerous city. She was probably picked up by Wyert when she was on a rare trip outside the Church. And now we'll likely never get her body back either…"

I awkwardly shift and say, "Uh, well…I dunno how useful this will be, but I saw where this guy might have been leaving from. It might give a clue to where he lived or something like that."

His only response is a blank stare before he shrugs and replies, "Better than nothing. Can you give me directions?"

"Sort of. You know that big Market that's off in that direction?"

"Gluttony Square? Yes I'm familiar."

I rack my brains for a moment before continuing with, "Ok if you keep walking through there you'll eventually find a tent that was selling cigars and other stuff like that. It had a red color scheme and the guy running it was dark skinned wearing a green jacket. If you head right in the direction we're facing now after reaching that shop and walk for another ten minutes that's where I first saw him. Dunno if that helps."

He gives me an appraising look before remarking, "That's quite the detailed observation you've made for this being your first time in Kalichi."

"I'm getting the impression that you either learn quick or die fast in this city", I dryly remark, "I'm aiming to learn quick."

This drags the slightest of smiles from him and he nods before saying, "Then I wish you the best of luck. I would pray for your success, but I think you would prefer I don't."

"About that, you would be 100%. Actually, you may not be able to pray for me, but instead you can point me in the right direction of Heresy Park, I can't read any of the signs around here."

It's kind of embarrassing to admit out loud, but it's the truth. The few signs that aren't destroyed or covered in graffiti are in languages I don't recognize, probably a mix of Japanese and Hindi. My natural ability as a Devil to comprehend auditory language doesn't work so well on things that can't speak.

To my relief the man doesn't question why I want to know and merely points to my East.

"Keep heading in that direction and you'll see it soon enough, it's hard to miss."

With that he briefly seems to think about something before continuing with, "My name is David, may I ask what yours is?"

The question briefly catches me off guard, but I figure this guy doesn't really have much to gain by knowing some random Devil's, that he probably won't ever see again, name.

"It's Caine. And thanks for the help David."

He merely nods before dragging Wyert's body away and I note with equal parts amazement and bemusement that the few other people on the street seem totally apathetic to the fact that someone just got killed right next to them.

Wild…

It's about 30 minutes later of carefully hiding in random passerby shadows tat I come face to face with what I was both desperately hoping to find and avoid.

A newspaper box.

…It'd be the easiest thing in the world to just walk on over and read the headline and determine if there's any news whatsoever. Then I could be on my way with just a bit more information than I had before.

So why is it so damn hard to just force my legs to move?

Dryly swallowing I slowly walk on over to the lockboxes and squint through the heavily scratched and graffitied glass.

Night of Tragedy!

Valefor Family of the 72 Pillars

Wiped Out in Terror Attack

With No Survivors.

…So that's it then. I'm on my own.

If anyone of any real power in the Valefor family was still alive they would be doing their best to run damage control and find survivors. Instead, either everyone is gone forever or in hiding like me.

I'm alone.

I feel…strangely hollow. And heavy.

Like I just gained some unexpected weight that's slowing my every movement. I barely even register some guy behind me angrily growling, 'If you're not going to actually buy the paper then get the fuck out of the way!', as I walk off towards the direction David gave me in a daze.

I mean, I suspected that's what had happened. If our attackers had the foresight to go after all of the Valefor's extended family, such as Mom's parents, then it was doubtful anyone was getting out of that alive, things were just a little too well planned.

But I'd still hoped.

And now I get to face reality.

I slowly sit myself against a nearby building for a moment and just stare listlessly at the ground, trying to get my head on straight.

I said it myself, didn't I? I won't cry, I'll get even.

And first on the list of getting even is finding Kuroka and making it through this day in one piece.

I force myself to take a shaky breath and then stand up, gritting my teeth as my tired body makes it's displeasure known after a day of constant barefoot walking on uneven ground.

Enough moping and waiting for a miracle that'll never come. Time to take back my future with my own hands, and I don't think I'll particularly mind if said hands have to get a little bloody to do so.

Heresy Park is alot like the rest of Kalichi, in that it sucks. The few trees that are scattered haphazardly around the massive grove all look half dead, while the grass is an uneven shade of green and brown. The image is completed by the random groups of people laying or sitting about in random groups, cigars and weird glass tubes trailing smoke into the air and forcing me to breathe through my sleeve.

What the Hell is so great about smoking stuff that smells like acidic year old socks?

Never mind that, how the heck am I supposed to find Kuroka in this mess? Right now I'm traveling in the shadow of some giant Fallen Angel and I don't have any real desire to part with my hiding spot so soon. I guess I'll just keep a careful eye out as best I can…

I'm snapped out of my thoughts as something soft and furry suddenly brushes up against my ankle and starts to make a purring noise. I frantically look down and see a pitch black cat walking evenly with me and lazily rubbing it's face against my leg in languid motions. I frantically make invisible shooing motions with my hands that the cat merrily ignores and I glance at the Fallen, fervently hoping that he hasn't noticed anything weird.

Thankfully he seems more focused on his destination than what's going on behind him. I scowl and prepare to kick the cat aside without making too big of a fuss when something catches my eye. This cat has 2 tails and golden eyes the same shade as Kuroka's.

…Well…she is a cat Yokai. And it's not like I have any better leads right now.

I carefully check to make sure no one is paying much attention to the Fallen I'm tailing before I smoothly step out of his shadow and into a small recess between a nearby vending machine and an alleyway. The cat, who I'm assuming is Kuroka, easily follows before sitting in front of me.

I raise an eyebrow and ask, "Well?"

With a lazy blink of it's eyes a soft white glow suddenly surrounds it, quickly morphing into the shape of the raven-haired Yokai. She pouts and cutely complains, "Well that's no fun how quickly you figured it out! Most people would be shocked that I'm skilled enough to actually take on a Cat form at my age…"

I shrug and reply, "Can Shirone do the same?"

"Yup, why are you asking though?"

"Well if she ever transforms in front of me I'll pretend to be amazed."

She rolls her eyes before smirking and clapping me on the shoulder in a friendly manner.

"Well forget all that, congratulations on passing your first test with flying colors! That trick you pulled with the shadows was pretty nifty Kid, is that something I could learn?"

"Not likely. Even if you were a Devil that power is unique to my family, I doubt anyone else could learn it."

She scowls and grouses, "Aw man that looked real handy…guess I'll just have to make do with Youjutsu for now."

Curiosity gets the better of me and I ask, "How did you find me? It's pretty crowded out here."

She grins and replies, "Senjutsu of course! I took a good look at your aura before leaving this morning so I could recognize it. It also helped that you were the only person out here who had an aura but wasn't visible to the naked eye, so that pointed me in the right direction."

I give a distracted nod, prompting her to give me a strange look and ask, "You don't look all that ecstatic Kid. See something bad on the way here?"

I'm briefly torn on whether to tell her I saw the news about my family. It wouldn't take a genius to go ahead and check today's date, check when they first found me and figure out the rest, especially since I already showed her my power over shadows.

But I mostly find myself simply not caring. I'm alone. And it's not like telling Kuroka and Shirone about my past is anymore of a risk than simply walking around this city. I was lucky when those 3 thugs just pushed me aside instead of killing me. I was lucky when that Priest David didn't just waste me on the spot because I was a Devil. And I was probably lucky a half-dozen other times that I don't know about.

What's one more risk?

"You could say that…I found news about what happened to my family."

She winces and neutrally inquires, "…It wasn't anything good, was it?"

I feel another swell bitterness and sadness rise but force it back down before letting loose a quiet sigh.

"They're all dead."

Kuroka is quiet for a moment before, to my utter shock, she reaches out and gently scratches where I guess I would have ears if I was a Nekomata.

She must have noticed my surprise at the action because she smiles and gently says, "I guess you're a part of the club now Caine. Me and Shirone are also orphans, after a fashion. So, yah…you're not alone, or some other touching words like that that I'm not good with."

I slowly feel my mouth quirk upwards in my first real smile in days…even if it's almost unnoticeable by most beings with eyeballs.

"I, uh…thanks Kuroka. You'll probably be waiting awhile for that reward though…"

She smirks and easily replies, "Eh, don't worry about it. I think you'll make a pretty handy partner in crime for me and my Sister, pay us back that way."

Finally finding a bit of my old confidence I nod and reply, "Count on it."

Her smirk turns into a grin that is almost infectious…even as she continues to scratch my head.

"Um, Kuroka?"

"Yes~?"

"Not that it doesn't feel nice, but having my head scratched isn't quite the same as it probably is for you Nekomata."

She suddenly draws herself up proudly and states, "Heh heh, we're not just any old Nekomata Kid, we're Nekoshou. We're stronger, rarer and way better at things like Senjutsu than normal Nekomata. Feel free to praise me now!"

I just nod in understanding and distractedly say, "Nekoshou, got it."

She pouts at my downplaying of her reveal and retracts her hand before stretching her back in a motion that pushes her, uh…chest, dangerously close to my face.

Fighting down a blush that I don't even understand why I'm having I hastily ask, "So what now?"

She finishes her stretch and shrugs.

"How about we go get something to take back to our place? I think tonight we can splurge a bit and have something nice for a change."

"No complaints here. Damn…my feet are gonna be killing me tomorrow…"

I'd gotten another lucky break and avoided stepping on any shards of glass or hypodermic needles (a legitimate thing that I never would have thought would be a concern of mine), but walking barefoot on cracked and beaten asphalt isn't a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination.

Kuroka just snickers and amusedly says, "Well I think we'll have to remedy that tomorrow or the day after. Can't have you walking around barefoot now can we?"

"That would be ideal, yes."

She just grins before turning into her cat form and easily walks out of the alley, gesturing for me to follow with her tails.

…Damn, I wish I could turn into an animal.

"Hey what's cracking old skank!"

"Nice to see you too Chow, how's business been lately?"

"Ah same old, same fucking old. Hey, who's little bitch next to yah? I didn't know you wanted to fiddle a kid Kuroka, haha!"

…I'm fairly certain this isn't the kind of language a 10-year old should be exposed to. Then again, I think it's a safe bet Kalichi has it's own standard of acceptable vocabulary that I'm not familiar with yet.

Food for thought. And speaking of food…

"So you here to order or what? I gotta put food on the table you know!"

Kuroka snorts and archly replies, "Because that's probably real hard to do when you run a restaurant, right?"

"Oh shiiiiit, you caught me you sly bitch you! Now hurry the fuck up and order!"

The raven haired Nekoshou chuckles at my bewildered expression and with a grand gesture says, "Caine, allow me to introduce you to Chow, owner of the best Chinese food in Kalichi that is actually affordable to us street orphans."

I give the newly named Chow a wary glance. He's a small man, barely 5 feet tall and looks about as heavy as a newborn kitten, with wrinkly skin and a seemingly permanent scowl on his face.

I get the impression he's not someone you want to go messing with regardless.

"Hey, little Bastard! You gonna order with Skanky Cat or no?"

I feel my eyes go wide and stammer out, "Uh, I guess I am? Sure?"

I desperately turn to Kuroka and do my best attempt at a silent plea for help, completely overwhelmed by this guy. Face down masked murderers? Sure, I can keep my composure. Stare down an extremely lethal priest? Heck, my voice didn't even waver.

Place an order with a small, foul mouthed restaurant owner? Forget it, way too scary for me.

Thankfully Kuroka bails me out and says, "The usual for me and Shirone. Make a mix-and-match for the Kid here and we'll be good."

Chow fixes Kuroka with a glare and testily says, "You show money first Black Cat Bitch. You too sneaky for own good."

She merely cackles and shows a handful of Rupees, at which point Chow doesn't say another word and immediately starts piling food into 3 containers, filling the air with an admittedly great aroma. I can only hope it tastes as good as it smells.

Within a few seconds he somehow has everything bagged and loaded onto the counter while Kuroka pays him. As she hands one of the bags to me Chow suddenly says, "Here Little Bastard, a fortune cookie to welcome you to Kalichi. You gonna love it here! Ha! I joke. You probably gonna fucking die in a few days. Come again!"

He shoves a small wrapper filled with cookies in my shellshocked arms and then practically kicks us out of his shop.

A minute later the 2 of us are walking back towards the 'house' while my brain tries to regroup after the whirlwind that was Chow tore itself through my head.

Kuroka seems to totally get what I'm thinking as she gives a sympathetic smile and says, "Quite the personality Chow is, eh?"

"Yah, you could say that. Is Chow his real name?"

"Dunno.", she says while shrugging, "It might be, it might not be. Not much is known about Chow other than 20 years ago he set up shop in that little hovel and hasn't left since. Despite his…excessive…use of unsavory adjectives he offers stuff at a good price to most of us that live on the 'streets'. The only thing everyone knows about Chow 100% is that you never, ever mess with him. The last few idiots who tried to rob him were found outside his shop cut to pieces with a plastic spork of all things…so yah, don't screw wth Chow."

I give a low whistle and take that bit of advice to heart. The sky is slowly edging towards twilight, although the red sun casts everything in a bloody haze giving the whole walk back a bit of a surreal feel to it.

"Hey Kuroka?"

"What's up Kid?"

"Where did that red sun come from? Most of the parts of the Underworld I'm from don't have anything like that."

She smiles at my question and sagely replies, "Ah…the 'Red Sun Over Paradise', eh? Well there's a couple of different theories but the most popular and accepted one is that way back, when this city was still big on the whole gemstone mining thing, alot of Human slaves were brought down into the Underworld."

She casts a thoughtful glance towards the fiery orb in the sky and continues with, "Most of them were becoming depressed and slacking in their work since after a whole day working in the darkened depths they would go outside only to find a dreary and unfamiliar sky. Eventually the 4 Original Satans decided to create a sky that would motivate their Human servants to perform better and made the orb you see overhead."

She darkly chuckles before finishing with, "Of course, since the 4 Original Satans were rather nasty people, they turned the sun blood red and made it so that it will turn into a crimson moon once 'night' rolls around. Can't let the Humans toiling in the mines be too comfortable, right?"

I stare at the pulsating light overhead and can't help but frown at it now that I know it's history and what everyone apparently calls it.

The Red Sun Over Paradise, huh?

Day is just turning into night when we arrive back at the alley that leads to the Yokai's abode when we run into someone surprisingly familiar.

At least for me.

"Well this is a surprise Caine. Meeting twice on the same day that we met. Although your circumstances seem much more favorable this time around."

David of all people is walking towards us although this time around he's carrying 2 oddly shaped objects wrapped in what looks like bedsheets. I'm knocked out of my observation as Kuroka suddenly spins me around and looks at me with open awe.

"How do already know the Paladin of all people?! Don't you think mentioning something like that is kind of important?!"

I flounder for words until David comes to my rescue with a tired chuckle.

"Relax Kuroka, there's no way he could have known who I was. And you know I don't like that name, it belongs to others far more admirable than myself."

The Yokai merely snorts contemptuously and replies, "Yah, well, I don't see any of those other 'more admirable' people slumming it down here with the rest of us if they don't have to."

David merely shakes his head in exasperation while Kuroka's ears droop slightly as she looks at the two loads he's carrying.

"…What happened to those 2? Did they…wait…David is that Lisa's aura?!"

She promptly darts forward, dropping the take-out in the process that I barely manage to catch with a hastily summoned Shade. She gets within 3 feet of the bundle in David's arms before she suddenly recoils, her arm darting to her nose and she let's out a hiss.

As she turns to David the air suddenly feels far more oppressive than it did a second ago and her voice is an angry growl.

"Who. Did this?"

The priest meets her angry gaze with merely a sad expression and simply replies, "Wyert."

Kuroka releases a growl not unlike an angry jungle cat and I feel very nervous all of the sudden, but David just gently smiles and calms her with, "He's no longer among the living Kuroka. I took him down earlier today, which is actually when I met your companion interestingly enough. On that note we owe him our thanks."

The suffocating aura Kuroka is producing lessens by quite a bit as she looks to me with confusion on her face. David elaborates with a small grin as he says, "He paid attention to where he saw Wyert and was able to give me a trail to start following. It took most of the afternoon but I was able to find his lair and rescue Lisa before she passed on, as well as acquire the body of one of the other victims that…didn't make it."

Kuroka gives me a blank stare for almost a minute straight before I start to shift nervously, wondering if I did something wrong before she suddenly bounds over, picks me up in a hug and starts swinging me around like a rag doll.

"Hah! I knew saving you from that forest was the right idea! Hot water whenever we want and saving a friend of ours! You're the best Kid!"

"Didn't you want to leave me for dead? I thought it was Shirone that wanted to save me…", I manage to wheeze out.

Kuroka sets me down with a huge smile on her face and airily replies, "Eh details."

David gives a soft chuckle and says, "While I would like to stay and chat, I should hurry home and make sure Lisa receives care as soon as possible. I put her in a Magically induced Coma, but, you know…"

Kuroka nods, her mood instantly sobering before she offers, "Hey Paladin, Shirone and I can come on over and heal her if it's anything life-threatening."

He thinks it over before nodding.

"If you are available tomorrow around midday I would greatly appreciate that. While she doesn't have anything that is immediately critical, there's no shortage of physical trauma, especially around certain…areas…that I am unfamiliar or uncomfortable in treating."

His face significantly darkens as he growls out, "I'm far more concerned with any mental trauma she might have. Lisa was always a strong girl, but…regardless, and God willing, she will make a full recovery given time."

He gives a short bow to us and says, "Ordinarily I would pray for your safety, but I imagine Caine wouldn't appreciate that very much. Thus I will simply wish you safe travels, and thank you again for your assistance Caine. I will be sure to tell Lisa who saved her from her fate."

I frantically wave my arms in shock and sputter, "W-wait, me?! All I did was give you the vaguest of directions and you did the rest! You killed the kidnapper and saved her!"

He just chuckles and walks off into the city while Kuroka snickers by my side.

"Man, you better be ready for a constant stream of migraines Kid, Lisa is gonna be praying and thanking you every night for a long time."

"Great…"

"Hey Little Sis, we're back!"

In what looks like the blink of an eye Shirone is staring wide-eyed at the bags of food we're carrying and without a word grabs them and walks off. Kuroka chuckles and a second later I hear the white haired Nekoshou say, "Hurry up so we can eat."

I glance at her Older Sister who just shrugs and walks off into one of the rooms I haven't explored yet, motioning for me to follow. I guess you could call this the 'dining room' but like the rest of the house it's spare on amenities. A round table that looks like it could hold 4 people and be considered crowded with only a few weak looking wood chairs and a stone sink carved into the wall with no visible plumbing attached.

All the comforts of home.

The sounds of chewing bring me out of my observation and to my surprise both Shirone and Kuroka are already digging into their meal of sweet-and-sour pork, chow mien and lemon chicken. Dang they move fast…

"Quit gawking and dig in Caine! Food's hot and plentiful, not to mention Shirone will eat yours if you're not done by the time she is."

Instead of looking insulted the smaller Yokai just nods her head with conviction in her eyes, eliciting a brief chuckle from me. No deception in that look.

Sitting down in one of the chairs that alarmingly creaks as I sit in it I open up my own carton and smell a tantalizing aroma of sauces and meat, my stomach none too quietly reminding me that my eating schedule these past few days has been kinda lacking.

Well, Bon appétite.

"Well, what's your fortune say Kid?"

I give my fortune cookie's message a wry glare and sigh before replying, "Watch your back, someone might decide to chew on it."

Kuroka sniggers before happily saying, "Yup, that sounds like Chow's own recipe for sure. Although Little Sis might decide to use you as emergency rations one day, so you never know…"

To my alarm the little Nekoshou doesn't laugh at that and instead seems to eye me appraisingly, as if she can't decide what BBQ sauce I would go best with.

"Moving on," I hastily add, "What time are you 2 going to meet David at? If it's all right with you I'd like to tag along."

Kuroka shrugs and replies, "Probably right after we wake up. I don't want to leave Lisa like that for too long."

Shirone suddenly stiffens and hurriedly asks, "Big Sis? What happened to Lisa?"

Kuroka smacks her head before she sighs and wearily replies, "I forgot you weren't there with us, sorry Little Sis…Wyert got his hands on Lisa."

The temperature in the air seems to drop a few degrees as Shirone's eyes narrow and her ears and tails seem to bristle with anger. I'm starting to get a good idea of just how strong these 2 Sisters actually are, that kind of aura is easily Middle-Class Devil strength, maybe even High-Class at a stretch. Definitely way stronger than I am at any rate…

Well, maybe they'll make good teachers. I'm snapped out of my private ruminations as Kuroka gently pets Shirone on the head and the frigid atmosphere seems to die down a bit.

"Don't worry Little Sis, thanks to a little help from Caine here, the Paladin killed off Wyert and managed to rescue Lisa in time. Tomorrow we'll go over to the Church and help heal her all the way, sound good?"

Shirone enthusiastically nods before turning to me and gives a quick bow of her head before saying, "Thank you for helping rescue our friend."

I uncomfortably shift in my seat and hesitantly reply, "Your Sister is making me sound alot more impressive than I actually was. All I did was give David a vague direction to go in, he did all the rest."

The black-haired Yokai snorts in amusement before putting me in a loose headlock.

"So humble! If you hadn't given the Paladin a clue in where to start looking we would probably be down a friend at this point. So just accept the damn praise already!"

Her Sister gives an affirming nod and I feel an odd sensation in the pit of my stomach that feels a little bit like pride of all things…

Well, I guess there's no real harm in feeling good about averting a tragedy, even if all I really did was give a few vague instructions. My guts telling me that I should get used to taking any sort of happiness I can find if I'm going to be living in this sort of city.

I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised at just how tired I'm feeling. Today was kind of stressful and informative in equal parts, feeling worn out is probably totally normal. The upside to all this is that I'm feeling almost back to full strength, starting tomorrow or the day after I should be able to start training in earnest.

I almost jump in surprise as the 2 cats flop onto the bed and Kuroka gives an exhausted sigh.

"Sheesh, what a day…oh, by the way, congrats on passing your first test with flying colors Kid! As a reward you can scratch my ears until I fall asleep, lucky you!"

I turn a questioning glance at Kuroka who's wearing a proud smile and tilting her head in my direction, clearly waiting for me to begin.

"Um…I'm sorry, you want me to do what?"

Wow, that was a real smooth reply.

A snicker is my only response and she more insistently waves her head around.

Giving an internal sigh of resignation I try to remember where she scratched my head and translate that into a sort of 'sweet spot'. I move my fingers right behind where the Spina Helicis would be on a normal house cat and start scratching. Within seconds there's a loud purr coming from her throat and she lazily says, "Hoo boy you're going to be real popular with the ladies with fingers like these Kid…"

My face turns an alarming shade of crimson and I quickly turn my head away in embarrassment. Why the heck would she say that?!

I hear a quiet snort amid the purring and quickly turn around only to see Shirone quickly snuggle into Kuroka's side and hide her face. Did-did she just laugh at me?!

Can't judge a book by its cover apparently…

Within a few minutes Kuroka's purring has subsided into steady breathing and I sigh in relief, preparing to pull my arm away and get some sleep of my own.

Or at least I try to.

When I wasn't paying attention Kuroka somehow rolled her head onto my wrist, effectively trapping my arm while I was scratching her ear. I scowl and try to pull my arm free as gently as I can, to no avail. I attempt this for a few more minutes, unwilling to actually wake up the cats, until I just give up and lean back onto the lumpy pillow with a sigh, my arm sticking straight out at an angle that isn't exactly comfortable.

Guess I'll just be waking up with one heck of a sore arm tomorrow...

Hoo boy these last 2 days were ca-razy. Had express orientation at Chico and put in an assumption at the place I'm staying as well as met with counselors all at in one crazy rush.

Also I finished some of the spellchecking on this chapter amidst that shenanigans.

But anyway, this chapter was alot easier to write than I expected. When writing about Kalichi I was drawing heavily on my experiences from staying in the vermont square area in L.A. (alongside some trips to Skid Row) as well as spending a month in Peru touring the countryside and spending a couple weeks in Lima. All of the stuff you're reading about is pretty close to things I either experienced or saw during my time in those places. The open air markets, the drugs...the occasional murder (Things can get pretty tense in certain parts of L.A. as I came to realize, thankfully District 9 stayed mostly calm during my tour there).

Heck, even Chow is based on an actual restaurant owner I 'talked' with, except it was an italian deli, not chinese food.

I think I'm just rambling at this point.

Anyway a reader brought to my attention something I didn't even realize at first and promptly started laughing once I saw it.

There won't be any Yugioh stuff in this story, that I can say for certain. Although...technically Caine can arm wrestle one of his shades...I take back what I said, there WILL be shadow games in this story (Ba dum tiss!)

Another reader wanted to know if there will be timeskips and yes sir, there will be. In fact this chapter I started adding a sort of timetracker when needed to denote passage of time, so hopefully it will be easy to keep track of just how much time has passed.

...Hmm...I'm reading what I just wrote and I think I might have had a Moscow Mule too many when I got home, this is total buzz territory. Better cut this off now then.

Thanks all who continue to read, review, follow, favorite etc!