Order 3: A Haunted Mind
Vatican Garden. 8:00 A.M.
Skey acted upon what she wanted to do when she got back. Yumie was free so both the girls went off to the garden to train against one another. Anderson watched them. He sat on a stone bench watching the two. To him, their movements, it was like a dance. Both stayed in a sync the swirling attacks Yumie and Skey would make coming in a perfect glide, a sharp stop as swords collided then the retreat and movement of their feet to find another opening for attack. It continued to rain but he knew Skey didn't mind. But something made Anderson mad about her. She would get such pain flowing through her that made her mood so fragile. The worse thing about it is he knew it had to deal with what her past was. No one can become sad just for no reason. Not the kind of sadness Skey showed. And even now, she treated Yumie as if Yumie was her own past. While the sky cried, Skey would fight endless battle with her own mind. No matter how far they'd get, the battle never ceased. And when Anderson could glimpse into her eyes, he knew she was tired and weary during the war.
The dance continued under Anderson's watchful eye and Yumie was getting a bit nervous with Skey. Skey was predicting Yumie's moves down to the point, countering them with ferocious defense then attacking with raging offense. Yumie could see Skey's bright blue eyes lit with the energy of rage, or anger and pain. Even she knew this girl was hurting at heart and she had no where to aim it or take it to.
" Enough, Skey! I'm getting tired!"
Skey's sword clashed with Yumie's and then paused, the strength behind the blade lightening. Both girls stood perfectly and bowed their heads to one another after sheathing their swords. The ear busting sound of swords clashing had dissapated but still the sky's tears kept falling and if Anderson was right...even more so than earlier. Anderson held out his white gloved hand to the crying sky, letting its sparkling tears fall into the fabric and soak up. Skey was approaching him, calm and rather unlike the raging woman he'd seen just a secnd ago. He turned his head to her.
" Hae fun, Skey?"
" (smiles) Sure did. I think I am improving."
He only gave a small flicker of a smirk before turning his back to her and walking to the entrance back into the building. Skey followed him, both soaked in the rain now. Though Anderson knew he got mad at Skey a lot for keeping so many secrets, he couldn't help but stay mad at her for only a few brief seconds. She was innocent at heart no matter what her past meant or was. Inside, the place was being heated to ward off the showers' front of cold. Skey walked ahead of Anderson, acting like she was in a rush to get somewhere. Rain poured down the sides of the hallway's large wall windows. Anderson simply stood there by the door where they entered. Secretly, he wanted to shout for her to stop so they could talk. He wanted her to tell him about her past. Why it made so sad like she was. But...pressing her would only drive her away and he knew he was the only one Skey ever trusted in this place. Many times proved she didn't trust Maxwell at all nor did he her, or did she ever place any trust in the other priests and paladins. She walked slowly, the wet coat creating a sort of shine from the hallway's hanging light. From the back, to see how her hair swayed from one side to the other in a gentle glide with her walk was hyponotizing. You'd think some kind of goddess had walked away from you. Anderson grinned and tried to not admire her so much and wish not to press the matter of her past on her. He knew deep in heart she didn't want to talk about it. When she did, he'd be the first she'd come to. That alone was enough comfort for him.
Skey walked down the majestic and vast hallways to the dorms. The storm could still be heard raging outside. Now loud and clashing thunder boomed overhead, flashes of lightning filling the windowed halls. Priests walked without fear of the storm to and fro their destinations. Heinkel passed Skey up in the hall, shooting her a dirty look. Skey never got along with Heinkel really, both of them feeling like rivals in some unseen battle or struggle. To Skey, the only enemies she really had in the Vatican were Heinkel and Maxwell. It was a bit too obvious from their behavior they hated her.
Skey got to her room and opened the door. The bluish, stormy light came in through the uncovered windows. Skey went to her small dresser and looked at herself in the mirror. What she saw was not the woman she was now. What she saw was the half naked woman, droopy face and cackling wickedly. The eyes were dull blue and her hair thinner and disheveled.The veins were large and blackened from the poison of her own past addictions. In the image, two large, dark and handsome men surrounded her, putting their arms around the frail looking figure of Skey's past form. The men touched the form in the breasts and inbetween her legs. As Skey watched with insecurity, the image beckoned her.
" Come back, Skey...it was so much fun, wasn't it? Men adored you and wanted you. The sweet nectar you fed your veins was the feeling of bliss for you. This was your heaven, Skey...Skey...Come back."
Skey shook her head violently, walking backwards. The bed's edge caught her behind the knees and she fell back onto her bed. When Skey looked at the mirror again, she saw herself as herself. The new form and the one she wanted to keep. She didn't want to go back to that hell of a heaven.
Maxwell's Office. 2:00 P.M.
" Of course. I understand. Yes. Yes, we'll send someone out right away. Yes, he's available. We'll send him. I understand. Thank you."
Maxwell got off the phone and took his glasses off. He massaged his temples, feeling the migrane coming on. It was always a pain to deal with frantic reports of vampires in town. It was only evening, but then again, the heavy storm clouds were blocking the vision of the sun. Even this time of day could be suspectable to vampires if the sun wasn't out. This time it was the police who recommended them and their top agent, Anderson. Maxwell would send him out but he wanted Skey to go as well. From now on, Maxwell figured for the agents to work in pairs considernig these vampires were original article, and there was no telling how strong they could become. Plus, he still felt Skey was still a green horse to the Iscariot Organization. She needed more training. Maxwell then called to Anderson's dorm. Two rings...
" Aye?"
" Anderson. We have a report of a vampire spotted near a club in the outskirts. I need you AND Skey to go check it out."
" Do Ah really Need tae bring her?"
" Yes. I want the agents to work in pairs from now on. Get her and go check it out. The address is 1500 Resin Ave."
Anderson hung up and laid back in his bed. The clock chimed about 2 P.M. But he knew well vampires and their desire to always be out. They would risk stormy weather knowing the sun isn't out to fry them. He stared around his dark windowless room, thinking absent mindedly about cleaning up his room. Though he was a grown man, like a kid, he hated cleaning! Books of all sorts laid around with loose leaves of thousands of papers, misplaced chairs stacked with books as well and his bed wasn't even made. Not to mention, everything laid in a thin collection of dust. It also didn't help he stayed in his dorm a lot. Usually, he was out on an assignment, at the orphanage or training Skey. The times he did come to his dorm was to sleep and nothing more. Loud thunder clapped overhead the Vatican building. There was no need for windows to know the storm was starting to rage violently. A sigh escaped his throat as he pushed himself out of bed and left the dorm to go get Skey.
Skey was sleeping on the bed without a sound. Horrid dreams haunted her sleeping mind. The voice of her foster father rang loud. Sounds of Skey crying while the demon touched her and abused her echoed. Skey twitched at the dream, rolling over and adjusting her posture. There was much more that haunted her than that. So much more and no one knew it. The poison of memory had spread through her and it wouldn't let her be at peace with her new life. She hated to be treated like a child and to tell anyone she was poisoned and hurting, they would only baby her further and she would never earn the respect she wanted from Maxwell. He always looked down on her and thought of her nothing than some kind of street trash. Unconsciously, she felt someone gripping her shoulder. In the dream, it was that wicked foster father...Skey started breathing harder, murmuring the word "no". When her eyes opened she swore she saw him there leaning over her. Skey's eyes flew open in fright and she pushed the large figure across her room and sat up, unsheathing a katana and pointing it threateningly towards the figure. It's arms raise din a crossed defense.
" Skey! whit the heck are ye daun? It's me, Skey! Put thon thing doon!"
Skey blinked, the fright disappearing as she lowered the katana and saw Anderson standing fully with his arms down now. She heard him let out a breath of air to cam himself. Skey chuckled with embarrassment as she sheathed the katana.
" Eh, sorry. I thought you were someone else, Father Anderson."
" Weel, let's go. We've got ae assignment A' ready."
