The darkness was listening to her as she wandered aimlessly through the city streets, dusting the few stray Daimons she came across. It was a rare night for her to have off.
A crazy thought, she knew that, but she felt it strong and clear as she drifted down a lonely street a good distance from the club and the wizard. A cool wind caressing her, the pale moon and twinkling stars above battling to penetrate the thick layer of smog that smothered the city.
Head down, hands in her pockets, she shielded away from yet another amber pool of light hammering at her from a well-meaning streetlamp and hugging the shadows near an unlit pawnshop window.
Something glittered between the rusted bars that protected the shop front, seducing Kalyca's glaze, arresting her desire to take a step toward the window.
Her hidden eyes rested upon a statue of a Phoenix arising from a mound of flames, as she drew closer to the store window.
'Fitting' The young woman thought almost bitterly as she rest the statues details from the card located at the objects base. 'Tarnished Holly-wood gold. A symbol of dreams and victories at meant so much one day, and virtually nothing the next. Yes, indeed, the darkness was listening to her.
It heard the gale-force winds of conflict blasting through her mind, it knew the decision she had to make and how little time she had to do so, and it was offering her comfort as it had so many other times in her past.
Why feel down, why fret? The darkness seemed to ask her. Especially when it all accounts to nothing in the end…
A woman's scream shattered the night. Kalyca spun in the direction of the cry and saw movement in the dark alley across the street.
The piercing scream came again, cut off suddenly, but this time Kalyca was in motion, flying in front of a oncoming car, ignoring the squeal of breaks and the angry honking horn, soaring up the sidewall, darting into the darkness.
The shadows swallowed her whole. A single step forward and Kalyca heard a crunch of glass under her boot. She froze. Looking up she dimly made out the remains of a shattered light moored near the roof of a building to her right.
Only a scream followed, one that spoke of terror and horror and the I'm-going-to-die type.
Bloody hell. Can't a girl get a decent night off without having the need to go check things out, rescue a hapless person from danger and kill things?
Oddly, no one in the evening crowd outside of the alley seemed to have heard the sound.
Her lip curled in distaste. She had learned that humans tend to turn a blind eye on things they have no explanation for or they don't want to see. It was the same thing back in that little hellhole she sort of calls home. As much of a home as she can call it.
She soon found her source of annoyance.
Hermione Granger felt her eyes grow wide as she tugged her two cousins closer to her as she moved further back into the alley, carefully placing the worn and slightly gross brick word at her back and shifting the small bodies of her beloved cousins behind her trying to offer protection even thought, shaking hands clung to her clothes.
The three dark clothed men had dragged the young Gryffindor back into the alley, a firm hand clammed over her mouth, each of the men had laughed as they pulled their prizes further back into the alley far from the entrance and away from prying eyes.
"Mi, I want to go home, I want my mummy" The whimpering voice of six year old Autumn said as she tugged at her big cousins arm
Hermione shivered, cursing herself for leaving her wand on her bedside table at home, even through she could use magic outside of school she still felt weak and helpless without it.
"Can't you idiots let me have a night off" A amused yet dark voice comment from behind the three looming men "But then again your brains are usually the side of a pea"
The new comer wore a long, thin black leather coat that rippled in the wind. She had on a solid black sweater, biker boots and a pair of tight black leather pants that hugged a lean, lithe and supple body. She had the confident, deadly swagger of a person who knew they had no equal. And she strolled confidently toward the grouping. It was strange this girl didn't seem that much older then twenty. The odd thing was she was wearing sunglasses, well that and highlighter green hair.
The blonde man laughed, "Stay out of this girly"
The new comer smirked "Not a chance"
Suddenly the girl was in motion. She bludgeoned the blonde man who had spoken before she could even mount a defence. then leaped into the air again young the falling mans body as leverage. A glint of metal and a kick the second person is down, this one is down screaming bloody murder, before a heavy blow to the head silenced him.
Flashing a grin in Hermione's direction the stranger turns her attention back to the last attacker "You know I was having a good night until you guys decided to crawl out from under your rocks"
The last man suddenly frowned; the look on his face seemed to be puzzlement until it cleared into recognition "you!"
The woman smirked "Took you long enough but sadly I'm getting board with kicking your ass around, so how about you just rush me and I take you down so that this young lady can take her family home"
With astonishment Hermione, Autumn and Sabrina watched the young woman battled the brute man that seemed four times her side with a powerful hit backspin, a thump in his chest with her elbow, how she avoided his huge arm trying to hit her, allowing her to grab him when he was still slightly bowed forward, and she threw him across the alley, letting him crash into the brick wall.
Was that magic?
The question hovered in Hermione's mind as she continued to watch, knowing that the two small bodies that were still clinging to her were watching the fight with the same amount of amazement she was.
The woman suddenly followed through with her attack, not allowing the brute to gain his bearings as she thumped him solidly in the back of the neck easily knocking the guy out and stepping back to watch him slump to the ground along side his two other companions
The stranger suddenly turning her attention toward Hermione and the young girl unconsciously took a step back, forcing her cousins back with her, watching the other woman
Seeing Hermione's reaction the woman raised an eyebrow, a small grin of amusement played at the corners of her mouth as though the woman didn't want to commit herself to the simile. "Think you can make it home without much more hassle?"
Hermione gapped at the woman slightly, her mouth opening and closing a couple of times before she gained her bearings a slight blush stain her cheeks as she listened to that voice again, she wasn't all to surprise to hear that it has a deep, seductive smoky quality to it "I think so I only a block from here"
The group moved to the entrance of the alley and paused for a moment before the stranger gave another of her half committed smiles and strolled off down the street.
"Wait!" The oldest of the three girls called suddenly, and Kalyca paused, glancing back for a moment, before turning away, calling over shoulder "Go home girl the streets aren't safe" before turning the street corner vanishing completely.
Four blocks down from where the 'rescued damsel' was the evening's events took another turn, well that was after she flared back to dispose of her beaten Daimons
'Why is everything in my life so screwed up' Kalyca wondered with a tired groan as listened to a series of loud cracks echo about the street and black cloaked figures appear, this whole thing held little interest for her, although she did find it rather strange they wore stark white masks to cover their faces.
The masked people spread out, forming a loose semi-circle about the relaxed looking woman who was covering a yawn with a slender hand
"You've been a hard girl to find," One man said, stepping forward, his hand rising from the depths of his cloak the removed the skeleton like mask, revealing a rather attractive man, with flint like grey eyes and gleaming blonde hair, well preened.
Kalyca remained where she was. "I'm good at that," she replied coolly.
He chuckled. "Why don't you come with us?" he asked silkily, "We won't harm you."
She raised an eyebrow. "Why should I come with you? I aren't got a clue who the heck you are."
She could hear the smile in his voice. "Very true. Allow me to introduce myself I am Lucius Malfoy, a follower of the Dark Lord."
A raised eyebrow answered the blonde's introduction
"Your lord is Voldemort correct, a dark wizard rising in the night and darkness to rule The wizarding world. Am I correct?"
The blonde smiled, a hollow mask of formality "Very, the dark lord has expressed interest in meeting you, it is a honour"
The Dark-Huntress smirked, cocking a hip out to one side, shifting her weight slightly. Ohh she was being summoned, she needed that like a hole in her head "Indeed I believe it would be although he will have to wait, other things have filled my life and –"
Rage, pure and unchecked flared on the Malfoy's face at the words and his grip on his little stick tightened for the slightest instant before it relaxed.
Amused laughter bubbled forth, "Thank you for answering my an asked question and for the offer. No I bid you farewell"
As the last word left her mouth the slender young woman vanished.
Now off to meet the heifer-goddess.
Artemis awoke with a start. She had imagined it. That could be the only explanation. There was no possible way. Even as she was thinking it, she knew her self told lie was false.
That snake of a wizard had found out about the Daimon's and made a deal with Stryker.
Cursing, she jumped out the bed, flashing her clothes on as she did, before throwing the doors of her bedchamber open and going in search of Acheron , before halting as she relized that Acheron wasn't hers any more.
"Are you okay?" Marlina her handmaiden jerked up when she saw Artemis enter the hall.
"Do I look alright?" she snapped. "The piss has hit the fan."
"Shit," a tired voice came from behind her. "The saying is the shit has hit the fan."
She whirled around, intent on chewing the intruder a new one, although the scoldering words halted as she saw whom it was. Her new play thing.
Dressed in black leather pants, and black t-shirt with chainmail sleeves Kalyca Syntyche sat on the stone railing of her temple balcony, back against one of the columns that lined it. Golden hair stirring in the light draft. Face turned toward the sun, seeming uncaring of the beatiful veiw that lay before her, a rainbow waterfall and a perfect forest scene.
"Leave us." As she spoke the words Artemis glanced at Marlina who nodded before entering the nearest door and shutting it behind her.
"Quit with the staring Artie, it's getting old." The new whipping dog of her Dark-Hunters, the one whom battered for their souls, said without even looking at her. "I'm not Ash, despite the blonde hair and swirling eyes we share. He's happy with Tory and you're going to have to deal"
The red head smirked, green eyes glittering with glee as she stalked towards the other woman, squishing down the stab of pain at the knowledge her Acheron would never willing seek her out anymore "You never bothered before"
"You see something enough, you get bored of it. Besides I didn't think the virgin Goddess of the moon is suppose to shag girls, or shag period" came the tired aswer
"You're such a bastard." Artemis hissed as she clentched a fist, seeming to restrain herself from tossing a godbolt at her.
A bitter smile tugged at the blonde womans lips. At least she got that right, in more ways than one.
Kalyca leaned her head back against the column so that she could look up at supposed Goddess, opeing a single swirling eye. "Why? Because I won't do your bidding?"
"Yes. You owe me this.-"
Closing her eye Kalyca shrugged and peeled herself off her relaxing perch, to stand and stretch before giving the goddess her full attention. The sooner this was though the sooner she could leave "Alright Artie. Tell me something, whats got the Daimon's all worked up, somethings going down"
Artie smiled as she strolled for her throne and lounged on it, her smile revealing way to many teeth for Kalyca to be comfortable "And you'll pay for this information"
Shoulders tense, reluctence pouring from her every pour, the younger being bowed her head, her eyes closing, refusing to rise to the bait daggled teasingly before her.
Paid with flesh and blood.
Some things never changed.
"Yes," She said. "I agree. I'll pay."
Artemis smiled, folding arms over her chest. "You much like your godfather, so much like him"
Her stomach tightened even more. Yes she was, she'd fallen into the same trap he had. And the Goddess of hunt made her pay for what she saw as her godfathers abandoment.
Gritting her teeth Kalyca stalked to where the red head sat and dropped to her knees, bowing her head in submission, to the red haired woman before her. "Take what you need or rather want from me, but I need to help my Hunters"
Artemis cool laughter echoed around them.
It was going to be a looong night.