Mythology: Night Bane Remastered

by Kristyan

When Luna is invited to a party by the most popular boy in school, she cant refuse. But what happens when she arrives and her condition begins to surface? A letter is given to her from a mysterious clan in the mountains claiming to be the answer to her "Condition" But what will happen when she arrives and they all have Wolf ears and Tails?

7. Chapter 7

Mythology: Night Bane

Chapter 7: My heart yearns for peace

A/n: Linguistics is not my Forte, and writing in Cyrillic is impossible without a Cyrillic keyboard. Spanish isn't as hard but to make it simple for the English speaking audience, I will simply denote where the language being spoken occurs, rather than actually typing in the language. Whether this makes me lazy or indifferent is your judgment.

-787-

Luna couldn't believe her eyes, as she sat up in some strange bed, covered in bandages around her waist and chest; she found herself with her mouth agape in awe. She sat motionless staring at this young woman whom had an anatomy that was almost identical to that of a Wolf. Luna felt the need to make sure she wasn't dreaming. In the back of her mind she contemplated if she was dead from the perilous fall off the cliff and this was some sick last hallucination. Luna's previous description rung back in her head

A young woman stood in the doorway, Long streams of pink-red hair flowed down beyond her shoulders in a cascade similar to that of a waterfall, she was a bit taller than Luna if she could judge height correctly from where she sat, Green eyes of emerald looked back at Luna with kind and calming contemplation, a wonderful intellect not too far behind. Her face was clear of any blemishes and strikingly beautiful, she stood up straight with proud confidence, her bodily shape that of a well-developed and fit young woman. Her arms and feet were dainty and well-proportioned to her body; she had her arms folded into each other in front of herself and a kind, warm smirk upon her face as she regarded Luna with interest. She wore a long kimono that was stitched with wonderfully accurate and detailed cherry blossoms….

She was indeed beautiful, so much so…. Luna couldn't help but notice this, but what she noticed most of all was the Red furred ears atop her head and the long tail that swung idly behind her. She was pulled away from her thoughts when the young woman smiled at her…..

For some reason…..Luna felt a bit calmer then, that girl's smile was….different….It was a kind of warm and genuine gesture that she rarely saw from the people back in her school. Maybe it was the way she looked at Luna or perhaps her kind expressions and mannerisms, whatever it was, it was then that it crossed Luna's mind that perhaps….this girl could be trusted. The young woman at the door patiently waited for Luna to take in her surroundings, a kind and contemplative expression upon her features. Luna began to feel tired and groggy. It made her feel debilitated and hard for her to focus her thoughts. Luna was sure it would take a little while to feel better, On top of that, the sting from her wounds were infecting her nervous system with a sharp, throbbing pain. She honestly felt terrible and she was sure that her willful attempt to climb the mountain was in vain, as now she was paying for the over exertion on her body. When Luna's wandering gaze passed over the young woman yet again, Luna realized that she had been waiting for her to say something, expectance and curiosity flashed back at Luna through the young woman's discernments. Luna awkwardly stared at her large red wolf ears. It was hard not to. The young girl noticed and giggled in response and spoke to her in a voice that sounded very calming, and….for lack of a better word, healing feel to it. Luna honestly couldn't explain it, but she just felt so much better after her words.

"Luna, are you going to be okay?" She asked earnestly, with a genuine look in her deep emerald eyes

Luna shook her head, still not sure if this was real, but this girl was as real as she was. Without much thought and perhaps out of confusion and honest inquiry, Luna spoke a bit out of turn

"W-who are you? Where am I? And…and what is that on your head" Luna asked with a bit of reserve, she was clearly distraught and hysterical. All that had been taken in the past few minutes would have disturbed any strong mind.

The girl sighed calmly, her smile never leaving her face "My name is Miyako. This place would be my house, well, myself and my mate. This?" She asked as she pointed briefly to her ears atop her head "Why dear Luna, have you not gained the ability to shift form half-way yet?" She said with a smooth, intelligible voice.

Luna felt rather confused, and quite frankly didn't understand exactly what she was getting at

"Shift….halfway?" Luna asked with an inquisitive expression and an owlish blink of her eyes. Miyako waved her hand, a dismissive look about her face

"Not to worry, simply a question, it is clear you have a lot to learn." She explained with that same calmed air about her, she leaned on the frame of the doorway, Luna released a bit of tension when she took notice of her relaxed posture

Miyako continued "Anyways Luna, I came in to make sure you were doing well; So far your wounds have healed well. To be honest I was worried that your body would be resistant to healing aura," she smiled and brushed her red hair out of her face

"Healing aura? What in the world is that?" Luna asked, about as confused as she could get. Luna did notice that she wasn't hurt nearly as much as she expected to be after a drop that size. Heck, after a drop that size, she should have been no longer a part of this world.

Miyako snickered and stood proper. She coolly and fluidly walked to Luna, Luna visibly tensed but Miyako's warm expression abolished those feelings. Miyako raised her hand, palm open, and it was immediately engulfed in a green, wispy fire-like essence that seemingly exuded from the pores of her hand. It was a sight to behold; Luna gave a similar reaction that would be given by someone witnessing another person hold fire within their hands without any pain. No words were spoken as Miyako gently placed her hand on Luna's arm. Luna flinched, expecting the translucent substance to burn her much like the fire it resembled in shape, but rather it gave a cold, comforting feeling. Her muscles relaxed and the pain that she felt in the arm just….vanished.

"Wha….how did you….that was awesome!" Luna exclaimed as she rubbed her arm where Miyako's hand previously grasped.

Miyako smiled with a wonderfully innocent chuckle as she dispersed the aura "It's my specialty Luna. If you stay and learn, you too could learn your special ability among many others"

Luna blinked several times. A mixture of emotion welled up within her; she was finally here in Night bane. She now had a chance at living her life again, be normal and hang out with her friends and not worry about persecution…her mind stopped right away once she realized her thoughts and backtracked.

Her friends

"Miyako! You have to help me!" She asked with pleading eyes and an utter terrified look upon her face as she lunged for the wolf-like girl in desperation. Miyako was confused at her sudden outburst, but she simply smiled and motioned her hands in a downward motion "Calm down Luna, tell me, how can I help you?"

Luna slowed her breathing, though she still felt like she was hyperventilating, she sat up straight upon the bed and stared at Miyako "My friends Miyako, they are in danger from that hunter! Can you help me?" Miyako sighed with a grin; Luna didn't take kindly to it at first

"Not to worry, My beta wolf has already checked up on them, he has reported that they are safe and the hunter has left back to his camp" Luna could tell that due to her thoroughness she did not like to leave loose ends

Luna, regardless, felt much better. She felt an enormous load lift off of her shoulders and she collapsed back onto her pillow with a long, drawn out sigh "Miyako, I haven't even been awake for a few minutes and I already owe you so much…."

The wolf girl giggled, her ears flicked with the motion of her head "You don't own me anything at all Luna," She turned and sat down at a chair near Luna's bed, Luna took notice of the chair that was haphazardly pushed near her bed-side

"Have you been sitting by my bed?" She asked as she raised an eyebrow in childlike curiosity, Miyako shook her head, her long hair joining in the motion

"Not I, The beta that I sent to assist you did," Miyako looked away for a moment, most likely regarding a memory

Luna's memories burst alight when she mentioned him. This Beta was the one that saved her life by taking the brunt of the fall for her. Luna turned to Miyako, determined to find out the name of her savior "What is his name?" Luna requested, she brushed a bit of her twisted hair out of her face as she awaited Miyako's reply. Luna wouldn't show it to Miyako, but she could feel anticipation rising through her.

Miyako cocked her head curiously at Luna's interest in her Beta "He goes by R.j. Why? Do you want to thank him?"

Luna looked away, her long, red hair covering the right side of her face "He saved me….I….just don't know how. We both fell of the edge of the cliff….Cars can't even stay intact after a fall like that…" Luna remarked, taking in the memory of...a horrid crash

Miyako sighed, a smile twitching at the edge of her mouth "My dear Luna, we are very hardy beings and can take much punishment, and very, very few can take as much as R.j. can. I believe he may have taken the brunt of the impact in your place. However, I myself am curious as to how he was able to slow your decent, as the sudden stop in velocity should have caused you a great deal of internal damage. Perhaps we can both ask him later" The alpha female said with a gentle smile

Luna exhaled with tired lungs, her mind comprehending what was just told to her. This young man had saved her life. That statement in itself was very humbling, repeating it in her head only made her realize just how close she came to death multiple times only to be plucked right out of its grasp. Just in the few hours that she had interacted with Night bane.

"Well….I have a lot to thank him for" She said with a weak, sheepish smile as she looked toward Miyako

Miyako smiled back "You can thank him later, for now, rest is needed. Do you have any other questions before I go?" The alpha wolf said as she got up and began to walk to the door. She stopped just at the door frame before turning around to hear Luna's response

Miyako watched Luna's expression harden and her bright eyes dim, her mind considering something serious and dear to her, Miyako let her have her time to think it over.

Luna thought about it, over and over, the question that plagued her from her very beginning as this…creature. What was she really?

"Miyako….." Luna murmured, her eyes and head drifting from side to side in some odd trance of contemplation

The motherly young woman nodded "Yes Luna?"

The girl upon the bed sighed, her eyes a tad glossy. With a croak she began to speak

"What…what am I exactly? What are we? Some monsters…..among men?" Luna said in a low almost inaudible tone that made it hard to tell if she truly wanted the answer.

Miyako took in a deep breath and thought her words through, this reassured Luna, for what it was worth. "It is very hard to explain, but…I will save you the long, long story that neither of us have time for." She stepped a bit closer, her footfall quiet as she closed the gap rather quickly. She sat down on seat of the bed, her eyes found Luna's and she sighed "Do not think of yourself as a monster, no matter what I say, or no matter what the truth is, for you alone dictate if you are a monster." Those words were ones that Luna desperately needed to hear, it is one thing to tell yourself that you are no monster, that you can control it. But it is infinitely greater to know that someone else shares your thoughts.

"Ready for the truth?" Miyako asked with her expression soft and with sympathy, knowing that perhaps Luna would be left in confusion and denial

Luna gulped, she nodded slowly

Miyako drew in a long breath before she sighed and began "We suspect that we are a lineage that traces back to…fallen angels" Miyako said with her brows furrowed, much thought swam through her mind at that time. Luna felt a lump in her throat, any immediate rebuttal died on her tongue then and there, she didn't know what to say much less think. But, she had to, she had to go on and find out more. It felt as if her feelings of existence depended upon it.

"What do you mean? Like….Demons?" Luna asked, her reluctance to hear the answer evident by her slow pronunciation

Miyako nodded slowly "That would be the best term. Half-Demons"

Luna felt short of breath, her mouth open in awe, her heart beat with disbelief and adrenaline as her mind contemplated all the things that came to her. Demons? The very zenith of evil and despair, her mind screamed at her, calling her names and constantly bringing her back to the opinion that she herself was a monster

"I-I am a monster aren't I?" She said with a shaky sob, her shoulders buckled and she fell back onto the pillows, streams of a few tears reflected in the light. She was a sad sight to say the least and Miyako being the genuine and caring person she is, felt a great pang of compassion and empathy.

"Luna…please trust me, I'm sure this is all very quick to occur and confusing, I'm sure you feel lost and sick, but please understand that you are no monster, even if one of your family members were a fallen angel doesn't mean you too shall be a monster like them. You have the power and free will to break free of such lineage. If you do not wish to be a monster, a creature of the dark, then do so. Make the effort and you shall not be that which you dread." Luna rolled over on her side away from Miyako, she was trying to digest all this new information, and as much as she would at first like to deny it, Miyako made an excellent point.

"Are you going to be okay?" Miyako asks with a gentle tone as she places a hand on her shoulder. Luna shuddered and sighed "Yea…I…I just need time to think it all over…"

Miyako understood, oh how she understood… She stood up and quietly stepped to the door

"Luna, when you are ready, you can find me in the lobby. Take care and please….do not worry" With that small, quiet sentence, Miyako stepped out of the room, the large wooden door shut behind her with a resounding noise.

Luna closed her eyes tight, trying to come to grips with the reality that lay before her, but such was easier said than done. For how can one simply 'Come to grips with their reality' when all they have ever tried to find out was whether or not they were a monster….and found out that they were not far off….

She rolled over to her other side, as her arm starting to numb. She faced the door, and a decision. It was time to face what she was and be among her Kind.

That is why she was confused when she found herself in a state of apprehension and confusion; it was laid in front of her, the choice between leaving or taking shelter with her fellow demons

Saying the word 'Demons' made her shiver with disgust, Demons were vile and deceitful….weren't they?

Luna shook her head, Miyako was none of those things, she in herself was a prime example of what humans should be, In the short few minutes that Luna knew Miyako she could instantly tell that Miyako was no monster, she was a kind soul whom cared for others and Luna didn't even think for a second that she wouldn't give her own life for those whom she cared about. Perhaps…..Luna could try and be just like Miyako…more 'Human' than the humans themselves. Humans were Creatures of war, pain, hate, anger and despair. Only a few times in their history have they ever gone against that.

Her eyes widened, her skin tingled, her mind enveloping a revelation that just occurred to her

Luna hoped that she wouldn't be the monster that she feared she was. Luna was hoping that she would be accepted by the other kids at school, that she wouldn't be rejected. Luna feared rejection. So in a desperate effort to prevent rejection she attempted to conform to the humans, Luna cried so many nights at her failed attempts to make friends with the humans, attempting to mimic their patterns and mannerisms. She was always considered different and weird and desperately tried to get rid of these accusations, to show them that she was human, that she was just like them. That she could be human. This is why she hated to be a monster, for if she was one, then her hopes of ever being human and normal would disappear into thin air, a fragile part of her hopes that could never be retrieved. However, it was in this moment, as she thought of Miyako's kindness, the likes of which she had never seen, she realized that true humanity was distinguished by a definition, not a physical attribute. She could not conform to the Kids back at her high school because they themselves were not human in the sense of the word, yes they were the species known as 'Humans', but not Human in the definition of what makes a human. This Demon that she met was more of a Human then the Teens back at school were. That gave her hope, all this time she wanted to be human in the physical sense, but she now realized that you don't need to be human in the physical sense, to be what is considered human

That settled it for her, she was staying, Within a few moments of being with these demons she had reached a revelation, It would be at the very least a token of her appreciation in attempts to be among her kind to learn how to properly live with the Humans. Perhaps on her journey, she can learn of being like Miyako, the woman whom showed her the path to truth.

She sat up from her bed, in pain and sore but she would still go visit Miyako in the Lobby. She slide out of bed with a hiss of pain, she noticed that she wasn't properly clothed and looked around for her bag. It was not beside the bed, or the door. Luna began to worry, she couldn't go out there in just her undergarments! She limped over to the dresser hoping that perhaps they placed her clothes in there, she opened the middle draw: Nothing. She opened the top draw and smiled. They had indeed placed her clothes in there, or at least what little clothes she brought along. Beside the neatly folded up clothes was her backpack. It was a flexible mesh type bag and was rolled up in the left corner of the drawer. She smiled at the care taken to her belongings and removed a Pink blouse and the Lily white Shorts that she brought along, within a few moments she was dressed. Luna honestly missed having her bathroom commodities, like the makeup, perfume and other assorted items that she frequently used. Luna wasn't vain, but she did like to at least make an impression on the people she met, with a heavy sigh she walked over to the mirror that was beside the armoire and tried her best to fix her frizzled hair. She stopped when she noticed something startling, she remembered feeling blood on her cheeks and her forehead, from cuts that had been inflicted there, but now….they were not there, not even the scars that would have surely been left from the wounds were present. With a joyful and even a disbelieving smile she made a mental note to thank Miyako for her medical prowess.

Speaking of wounds….Luna's gaze drifted to her lower leg and then realized that her worst wound from the man's knife….was totally gone. A wound that would have surely made someone lose most motor control had, for lack of a better word, vanished…now…now Luna felt indebted, she was sure that after all was said and done she wouldn't be able to walk around on that leg due to how ghastly the wound had looked. The scar, if it ever formed, couldn't have looked any better. However, now there was no wound to worry about. If Miyako wasn't a demon, Luna would start calling her an Angel.

Giving herself one final look in the mirror she sauntered to the door, noticing that her typical gait was a bit off due to her soreness. Regardless, she was going to try and walk and talk as formally as possible. She took a deep breath and stepped out of the room.

Into her new life, As a Demon.

-787-

"I'm telling you Jack! I don't like the idea of having another beta, I mean, we don't even know what this girl is like, let alone what she can do!" The youthful, clear and obviously angry voice came from a young man sitting on the couch; He had shaggy dirty blond hair. As usual of demons, there was a matching pair of wolf ears where a human's ears would be, a tail of the same color curled around his feet in anger. His Blue grey eyes gazed about with a serious and frustrated glare. He was of above average height for a Japanese citizen, standing at around 175-177cm. He was fit for his age, which was around nineteen years, and looked as though training every day was a priority. He was dressed casually; his grey muscle shirt was paired with black sweat pants that in turn covered his steel and black colored running shoes.

A ring of three couches was within the lobby of this large building. It was off to the left side if you were to enter from the front door; the ring was depressed downward into its own area of the floor. Here it was that this young man sat and spoke with Miyako, whom was sitting perpendicular to him on another couch. A man of large stature was in front of him on the opposing couch.

The man whom had been addressed as Jack spoke in a baritone voice "I understand your concern B.k., but please know that this girl is special. We have watched her for a long time now, and I feel that she will have the potential… if you still feel that she shouldn't be a Beta…Well, She will be weeded out within the first few days of her stay. Now please, we have been going at this for nearly a half hour…can you at least accept that I am willing to give her a chance?"

B.k. snorted with anger, B.k. was not typically a jealous person. However, this girl made him near livid, and Jack's active dismissal of his opinion was adding insult to injury.

Speaking of said girl, B.k.'s ears swiveled at the sound of her door creaking open. He suppressed a growl at the sound of her footsteps, Regardless of his feelings he must obey the laws of Night bane. In this case one particular one came to mind. "No member of Night bane will be treated with contempt, anger, discrimination or insult. Treat them as you would treat yourself" Despite this mantra that Jack had drilled into every wall of every household in Night bane. B.k. found that for perhaps the first time, it was difficult to follow his orders.

Miyako stood up with a smile and turned to the girl, beckoning her over "Luna! I'm glad to see you made the right decision, Come and sit down!" Miyako patted the seat next to her own for Luna; B.k. watched the timid girl step slowly toward them. Her gaze met Jack and she faltered for a moment in awe at his stature. B.k. suppressed a chuckle. He remembers that he held a similar reaction when he first saw Jack, after all, It's not often you meet someone in japan who is nearly 190 cm tall

"Come on! Don't be shy Luna. Trust me, we don't bite" Miyako said laughing a bit, B.k. rolled his eyes. He was sure if this girl made him any angrier, he might just do it.

The tan skinned girl took tiny strides to the couch and sat down next to Miyako, the one she was most familiar with. B.k. took notice to Jack's ever watchful gaze. The Alpha of Night bane watched with concern and examination, He wanted to be sure that his newest member was not hurt or in danger of straining herself further. It didn't help that Miyako previously had told both B.k. and Jack about how bad the girl's wounds were.

Luna sat down with her hands in her lap; B.k. could tell she was nervous and tired; it didn't take a perceptive genius to take note of that. Miyako was a good healer, one of the best, and if this girl looked this bad in health even after Miyako healed her, than he shuddered to think of what the poor girl may have suffered through prior…He shook his head, he shouldn't be having pity for her, he was still upset with her. After all, he had a very legitimate reason…..at least in his mind.

Miyako smirked and presented B.k. to Luna first, who wasn't too pleased by this. He idly wondered if Miyako did it purposely simply to get a rise of ire out of him.

"Luna, I would like you to meet B.k. He is one of our Betas, You will be seeing him at the academy in the Betas' Class " Miyako grinned; B.k. could tell that she was trying to cheer the bashful girl up as best as she could, and to lower the tension in the room that he had set in prior with his angry outbursts.

Luna smiled to B.k., he managed a smile back, as not doing so would violate one of Jack's most treasured laws. Even B.k. was not brazen enough to do that.

Miyako then turned to Jack; Whom Luna did not know the name of. Luna's eyes widened, the gaze that the older girl gave Jack made Luna realize that this man was the one she referred to as her mate. Luna finally got a good look at this guy named Jack, She couldn't hide her surprise. She thought the hunter was strong…Boy was she wrong. Jack was around 190-194cm in height; He was one of the most muscular guys she had ever seen, but not like those large, inflated muscles that you would see from body builders and weight lifters, more like the toned muscles of a worker. He looked to be in his mid-20's. He wore a black undershirt with a green and grey coat over the top that was lined with fur. He wore BDU pants and his black boots were enormous. Atop his head was an Ushanka that was dyed green and was stitched with grey fur, the same as his coat. He spoke with a slight, almost indistinguishable accent when he spoke Japanese. His eyes were a plain and dull brown, almost black. But it was what was on his left eye that was note-worthy. A massive scar about the length of his entire face was drawn down his left eye; Luna didn't dare ask how he still managed to have his eye considering how deep that terrible wound looked. His left eye's iris was a milky white, having lost most of its function. Luna couldn't help but feel a bit sympathetic toward him; sight was perhaps the most treasured sense. She quickly took her mind off of it as Miyako began to speak

"Luna, I would like you to meet Jack, The alpha of Night bane" The large man smirked with pride at the formal introduction, Miyako grinned back affectionately

Luna was not improper and knew when it was time to give her respect; she stood up and bowed to the Alpha, whom was rather surprised at her formality.

"Thank you Jack, It means a lot, all that you have done" Luna felt a great bulk lift itself off her chest, in that phrase, she did not feel quite as indebted as she did just a few moments ago.

The alpha bowed his head in mutual respect, impressed by her etiquette "You are very welcome Luna, I am very happy to know that you accepted our offer"

Luna frowned as she thought about the letter detailing the 'offer' that was given to her on that night of her discovery "Although I would have chosen too anyways…I didn't have much of a choice"

Jack narrowed his eyes "And what do you mean by that Luna?"

Luna sighed "I was just so scared about who would come after me, and after meeting the hunter at the base of the mountain…I just knew that I would have nowhere else to go…"

Jack sympathized with her, his steely gaze softening "That is exactly why we had to tell you about Night bane. We have been watching you for quite a while. We knew that the hunters would surely follow the trail of here-say and rumors among the citizens of Tokyo until they found you. I'm glad to see that you took a leap of faith and decided to pursue us."

Luna looked away, her friend Takashi's words rang clear in her head

"One of my friends was skeptical; he felt that it was ruse…" Luna said painfully, Takashi's voice of disdain was still fresh in her mind

Jack did not seem fazed "Well, I think you were wise in your choice. The hunters would have surely done away with you if you stayed and attempted to cope with the humans"

The younger girl could feel a chill make its way down her spine "….What do the hunters do to us exactly?" she instantly regretted mentioning it. Jack huffed and cast his gaze to the floor. He was attempting to put the horrors into words that Luna could understand

"Hunting is considered to be sport by some people…to these men…it is a way of life. They believe that demons are game to be hunted. I do not know why they hunt us, we aren't even sure of their motives, goals or beliefs. Hunters they are not, barbarians is a more appropriate term." The alpha couldn't help but growl in irritation. Casting aside his poor feelings, he continued

"They kill demons with firearms, clubs, swords, bows, knives, traps….I've lost count…Typically after they finish killing the demons, they will skin them for their hide. It is called "Devil's Fur" and is sold for a high price. Sometimes they torture us, and other times they will kill swiftly. They aren't even consistent in their murdering. As for the half-demons discovered in the city…well, I honestly cannot describe what has been done. Perhaps it would be best if we discussed this another time" The alpha kept his cool, even though such horrible memories must have left scars.

Luna leaned back in her seat, feeling more shaken than she was before. Her thoughts arced about as she attempted to figure out what these hunters were doing to her fellow demons

"We had one half-demon we were keeping an eye on a while back. He was young, I think a little younger than you. He was too scared to come to the mountain by himself so he stayed in Tokyo. The hunters got to him before we could convince him to join us. The authorities didn't find him, but odds are those devils had him hung up like a piece of meat, skinning him for his fur" B.k. said coldly, catching both Jack and Miyako off guard

Luna shook in her seat, her light green eyes wide open as she attempted to comprehend what was just told to her

Miyako stood up immediately and berated B.k. "Why would you tell her that! Are you attempting to scare her?" the female alpha exclaimed, scrutinizing her subordinate.

Jack huffed in anger and attempted to ease his new beta "Luna, we tried all that we could to save him, but in the end it was his own choice that brought his downfall. I am glad that you made the right one. As regrettable as his loss was, it was beyond our control" the alpha said, attempting to cover the emotional wounds that his beta so fiercely cut

The new beta wolf slowly looked up, attempting to forcibly remove the horrible mental images that B.k.'s description brought. Luna was horrified by the revelation that was just realized: If she hadn't joined night bane and instead followed Takashi's advice would she be killed just like that other wolf?

"I'm sorry you had to hear that Luna, but if it must represent anything, let it show you just how unforgiving the world is toward half-demons." Jack tried his best to calm his new beta, but it seemed to fly right over her head, almost as if she was too consumed by her own thoughts.

"Will….will my friends be in danger from the hunters?" She asked in a cracked voice, hoping that the answer would be the one she wanted to hear

To her utter relief, Jack shook his head "If they are human, then you have nothing to worry about. The hunters have only been known to pursue demons"

Luna let out a breathe of relief, she was so worried that Aiyano or Takashi would be in trouble. It did her heart well to hear that they will be safe.

Jack shifted his line of sight to B.k. "B.k., take Luna around the village. Show her the academy, the market, her house and possibly some of the other Betas. She will need something to take her mind off of the harsh reality that you have forced upon her" B.k.'s jaw dropped, the expression was quickly replaced by a scowl in Luna's direction. If B.k. didn't know any better he would have sworn that Jack put him up to this simply because B.k. was complaining of Luna's free position on the Beta list.

The leader of Night bane then turned to Luna "Is that okay with you Luna? I'm certain that by learning the layout of your new home and making new friends will ease your worry" The red haired girl looked over to B.k. and made a quick examination of him, before turning back to Jack

"Yes sir I would really like that…but….if I may ask…what is the academy?" Luna looked at Jack, awaiting an answer

B.k. snorted and Jack chuckled, though the latter was not as malicious in their reaction.

Jack spoke "The academy is where you will be learning your basic schooling and to control the abilities that will manifest over the time you stay here, don't be intimidated, the beginner classes are very simple"

She was honestly curious of these abilities …Miyako had mentioned it…but maybe Jack could tell her more.

Luna raised an eyebrow, her deep thoughts abolished for now "Sounds nice but…what are abilities?"

Jack smirked, glad that they could get off the subject of the hunters and onto something else "Just as Miyako has a gift in healing, you may find yourself with a power you cannot control; it will manifest at random and will not be expected. If said ability were to manifest in a human environment….It would be disastrous depending on what abilities you may receive"

B.k. laughed at the wonder Luna expressed as Jack told her of the most basic of demonic manifestations, though B.k. knew that they weren't very comprehensive. Jack was purposely leaving some details out, so that Luna may learn them at the academy. He told her only of three basic abilities.

"So….your saying I'm going to get these powers?" Luna asked as she examined her hands, wondering what may be within the realm of her control

Jack clicked his tongue, thinking of the best way to explain it to the young wolf

"Well, Powers is one way of saying it…but I find that abilities sounds much more formal, Regardless, Yes you will gain "Powers" and it is our job to make sure you can handle them"

Luna rubbed her forehead, not looking at jack anymore but rather the table in the center of the ring of couches "Why is it so important I can handle them? If they appear can't I just not use them and go on with my life?"

Jack laughed, His mirth hiding a great amount of pain "I'm sorry, no, they cannot be simply tucked away and forgotten, the lack of control may lead to outbursts of energy. Emotions may trigger its release. You may wound or even kill the ones you love…without control. The energy that your body produces, you will learn more about this in the academy, will one day become too unstable if you do not use it and it will release. Depending on your abilities, that may range from a simple outward rush of violent wind to a cataclysmic nova of fire. Therefore, Luna for your sake and everyone that you care about, I would suggest learning to have control….lest someone die…" Jack paused, the word 'die' was spat out, Jack was neither happy nor fond of the many casualties that the humans have endured from the manifestation of demonic abilities within an urban environment

Luna started to think, if these powers began to surface while she was with her friends….would she hurt them? Could she accidently hurt or even….kill them?

Jack snapped her attention back, the emotional tension rising too high "This is not a subject we should linger on. Now Luna, B.k. will show you around Night bane and then you will be given your quarters, are we clear? Anymore questions?"

Luna shook her head, nothing that came to mind jumped out at her to inquire, she would be fine for now. But, she still felt a need for Thanks

"No sir"

Jack smiled and turned to leave to finish his other duties, but Luna's voice made him stop

"Jack….Thanks….For everything. I really did not realize how dangerous it was out there for us demons" Luna lowered her head; her shoulders slumped forward with one arm grasping the other.

The older wolf shook his head "No, Thank you Luna, for not rejecting the offer…it brings me great joy to know that you have been saved" He smirked at and turned to Miyako whom stood up once Jack regarded her

"Miyako, please stay with me, we have a few matters to discuss…" The female alpha nodded her head; she spun on her heel and faced Luna and B.k. whom was beginning to stand up from his seat on the couch

"Take care you two, I'll see you both on Monday!" The fellow red-haired woman smiled to Luna and followed Jack away from the couches and down a hallway that was behind and to the left of the foyer that led to more of the expansive house

"Alright then…follow me Luna, I suppose I'll show you the market first" B.k. had said begrudgingly, Luna was not dense enough to not notice, but she was wise enough not to bring it to attention

"Thanks, it'll help get my mind off of some things" She said with a genuine smile. B.k. felt a pang of guilt that he was acting so angry toward her, but regardless, he continued out the door with Luna right behind him

Jack peeked around the corner of the hallway to watch the two Beta wolves leave through the door. He sighed and wondered just how much it would take for him to stop feeling so bad about Luna's unfortunate experience on the mountain.

"That certainly could have gone better; I think B.k. was attempting to scare the poor girl. Now she has even more to be afraid about…I just hope that this walk might clear her mind." He said to his mate, whom stood right beside him. He stared off, deep in thought

"That is not the only reason you feel guilty" Miyako said, stirring him out of his gaze. He turned from his position against the wall and looked at his mate, whom had her hand upon her hips. An expression of seriousness upon her beautiful features

Jack sighed and looked away "You are right…It's the test up the mountain that's making me feel guilty...we could have helped her...I'm a leader and leaders do not make simple mistakes like this" he said with his dull eyes loosing even more luster

Miyako stood on her tippy-toes and grabbed his chin; she made him look at her "Jack, you are an excellent leader. One fluke, One and despite it all you still managed to keep Luna and her friends alive by taking action after everything happened, You should be happy!"

He gently took her hand and she released her grip "You are right, But…forgive me if I still seem a bit hard on myself…"

Miyako winced slowly, it was then she realized why this was causing him so much guilt

"She reminds you of what happened in Russia…doesn't she?" Miyako's emerald eyes never left his, as if she was examining his soul, attempting to find answers

Jack rubbed his forehead, the nightmares flashed back to him like a bad childhood. Memories that he could not escape, and ones that he had already tried to vainly forget

"….Maybe…" he answered ambiguously, feeling worn out just from their talk

The red-haired wolf frowned "I thought someone entered her room last night….was the guilt keeping you awake?"

The Alpha nodded slowly and leaned back against the hallway wall "Yes…I was hoping that if I was sure she was okay…that I could go back to sleep…"

"But you didn't" she retorted, knowing Jack, he would worry too much about her to fall asleep

"No….I didn't…" The wolf agreed, confirming Miyako's assumption. This didn't make her any happier though.

She started walking down the hallway again, knowing that jack would follow her. Just before she reached the office she turned to him and pieced him with her eyes "It is the past Jack, this discussion is not new. It is time to let go and move on….I don't understand why you linger on that which you cannot change…" She was sure to implant that in his mind, she made him look at her when she said it. He frowned, but Miyako knew that he took the words to heart.

Satisfied, she stepped into the office. Ready to finish the paperwork that was undoubtedly there. Jack sighed and stood up straight, his confidence returning to him from Miyako's reassurance. However, still…her last statement was dancing about his subconscious

"Yea…I don't know why I still linger on it either…." he answered to an empty hallway

-787-

B.k. stepped out of the Alpha's massive house, the large maple wooden doors creaking behind him as the young, new addition to the betas stepped out in to Night bane. He had to suppresses a grin at her surprise, He turned around to face her, catching every detail of her shock

Luna's mouth was agape, she had no idea where they were…but if she had to guess…it would be that they were inside the mountain, her mind did a double take

'Wait…Did you just think that we were….inside the mountain?' she asked herself in utter skepticism. The estate that Miyako and Jack lived in was up on a raised hill of some rock that Luna was unable to identify at the moment, the house looked out over the entire village in front of it. The village was huge, Luna was sure if the area was measured out; it would be in Square kilometers. That made her gape in awe; something so large was ridiculous, almost unimaginable. The first thing she noted, aside from the size of the village, was how dark it was. No light came from the….ceiling if you would like to call it that, heck, she couldn't even see up all the way. It just faded into darkness. The village was lit up with lights and torches. Archaic, but effective none the less. The other thing she noticed was the shape of the village; it was so exact and well built. It was shaped like a 6 pointed star, and each 'Arm' of the star had a bunch of homes. Luna had a basic understanding of architecture, her father had her take a class on it, she could tell that this was a well-controlled design. If the size of the place impressed Luna, then this knocked her off her feet. Instead, she squinted her eyes and listened as best as she could, she heard hundreds of people, and saw them moving about in the village. They looked like ants from her perspective and there were so many of them. It was like an entire town inside one area, all civilized and in order. When someone thinks about a group of people living in a mountain, they do not think of it being like this, typically the first few words they would use to describe it would be "dirty, uncivilized, unorganized, messy, quaint and archaic" However, now that she was looking at this place, She could see just how advanced they were as people….or rather…demons….Regardless of those thoughts of ignorance, Luna saw what this place truly was; she could see the silent beauty that held this place together. As a clan of people tucked away from the world, it was felt by her, that feeling of relief that you were now safe and away from harm.

"So…what do you think?" B.k. asked her with crossed arms, he was minorly interested, as he saw this view every week, but still, it was interesting to see her reaction. If anything it provided a bit of amusement for him.

Luna turned to him as her eyes finally left the scene before her

"It is incredible….but….how can you guys see?" she asked, looking to her tour guide. She stifled a laugh at that label

He cocked his head "See? What do you mean? You have eyes don't you?"

She shook her head "No, no! I mean it's so dark here, I can barely see in front of myself without some light"

He rolled his eyes "Yea, well, your eyes adjust to the light levels down here. That, and wolves naturally are able to see well in the dark. What is the matter? You can't shift half-way yet?" He laughed a bit, Luna clenched her fists and looked away, a blush of embarrassment upon her cheeks, it wasn't her fault that she didn't know that you could change forms halfway or in-between two forms.

"I just don't know how yet!" She tried hard to hide her embarrassment under her confident tone, but she knew that she was doing a poor job of it.

B.k. seemed to ease off at that point; perhaps he realized that she was getting more upset than idly flustered. No matter what his reasoning was, he spoke to her again, off topic

"Alright then…well, the academy is near the exit of the dome, so I'm thinking…..I should be able to show you all the shops along the way, and…afterwards I'll take you to your house. Sound good?" B.k. said as he looked away thoughtfully, trying to properly plot out a path through the village

Luna eyes showed a glint of great interest "Yes, That sounds good!" The light brown wolf next to her managed to pass a grin her way, despite his previous apprehension toward her

"Alright then, follow me, Uh…feel free to ask any questions along the way" he said, with a bit of awkward tone in his voice, not sure how to break the silence that would surely ensue in the following moments, Luna either didn't notice or seem to mind. Not one to waste time that could be spent doing activities of his own interest, B.k. started to walk down a very wide, curved, downward sloping path that led from the estate to the village level. It was made of a concrete like material and was lit up extensively by tall, black steel lamps with a dim, amber glow. Luna followed closely behind him; it reminded her lot of the night times in Tokyo city, but not nearly as bright and bustling. In fact, it almost made Luna shudder to think that this village was constantly under the shade of a night that never ended, or rather, being that they were inside some giant rock formation; it was because no light could reach them.

"Hey B.k….where are we exactly?" Luna asked as her gaze went skyward to try and pick out the shade of some ceiling or end to the cold, dark atmosphere. Luna couldn't even see the ends or walls to this town

He snorted, not even bothering to look back at her "Night bane of course, what, you think your still in Tokyo or something?" He heard Luna groan

"No, I'm talking about, where is Night bane at, where is it located?" She said, tripping over her words a bit as she searched for the right way to explain it.

B.k. understood the question despite her struggle "It is at the base of the mountain, inside it actually. It's a giant dome that has been carved out of a tiny section, I heard it was really hard to make it as big as possible without causing the mountain to collapse on top of it, Jack observed it personally to be sure that it was Perfect in every way and that no radio waves could penetrate and no one could dig into the sides and get through…Blah, Blah, Blah." B.k. Finished off with his right hand mimicking a mouth that was talking excessively, Luna knew it didn't take a genius to tell he had been told about this dozens and dozens of times.

Luna found it hard to believe, but having been shown that demons and supernatural abilities were real and possible, she honestly wasn't that surprised that is was within the capability of the demons. What intrigued her about it though was that Jack was there to supervise it; perhaps later she could talk to him and figure out more. For now, B.k. didn't look too keen on answering any more questions on that subject.

"I don't even know how it's possible….but…It is here staring me in the face, so your guys must have done it somehow…" Luna remarked, take a long look at the large village once again, letting her mind flood with crazy images of a giant chunk of rock being carved out of the center of a mountain. The thought of how it was done made her head spin

"Hey, I've been living here, I've seen it and to be honest, I still don't believe it." B.k said shrugging with an indifferent stare. By now they had reached the point where the path ended, it led to outskirts of the village. Luna looked up to see a large group of people diligently working about their houses, doing chores like repairs to their homes, taking out trash and cleaning their yard. Some forwent the work and were simply speaking with friends and what she would assume to be family. To her left there was a Family sitting out on the porch of a rather large house, she noticed a group of kids that were running around playing tag had stopped to take a look at her with a gaped expression. Luna giggled and waved to them with a smile, they still stood there with their eyes wide. One child was out of this stupor enough to wave back, albeit staring at her with an appearance of genuine curiosity.

"I'm sure they are wondering where your ears are, or what those things are on the side of your head are" B.k said with a chuckle from a few paces ahead of Luna, She Hmphed, not liking his sarcasm

"What do you mean? Haven't they ever seen a human before?" Luna said with a furrowed brow and clear mark of irritation

As soon as the words left her mouth Luna realized her mistake, B.k. clenched his fists "No, they haven't…"

Luna quietly gasped, completely forgetting that this group was running away from humans…

"I'm no model parent, but I'm sure that humans would be some of the last kinds of beings I would want my kids to meet…" Luna was unable to see, but B.k.'s face was twisted up with anger, it was hidden well, but even still it was easy to see how irked the word 'Human' made him

Luna gaze was downcast "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have jumped the gun on making an assumption" she kicked a stone that came across as they walked, not wanting to look up to meet his burning eyes.

B.k. wasn't very forgiving, to say the least "Yea, You honestly shouldn't have. Human can be a very judgmental and violent race."

Her mind flashed back to that fateful night when her secret was exposed, the memories came back in a torrential flurry. She remembered how angry all her classmates were, how they easily gave up all ties to berate and harm her when she changed. Just because she was different doesn't mean they had to hurt her or even try to kill her. Her brows furrowed and her eyes narrowed, it was then, that Luna's opinion began to slowly change…perhaps humans…were not the kind she belonged with…

"Luna"

She jumped, jostled out of her deep thinking by B.k.'s rough voice

He spoke again, knowing that he had her attention now "We are about to pass out of Area four and into the market area. Here, Jack said you should have this"

B.k. stopped and turned to her. Luna stopped as well, waiting as he walked up to her and reached in his pocket. He withdrew a stack of yen and it made Luna look with surprise, he reached out his hand. Luna didn't react right away, a tad confused with the sudden offer of such a great amount of money.

"Well? Aren't you going to take it?" B.k. asked with a confused look about him

Luna shook her head "Yea sorry, that is just a lot of money" She reached out and accepted the yen. 5,000 in total, this was a huge gift. Even though Luna's parents were wealthy and very well to do, her father had risen to power by learning to be frugal and careful with his spending. He told her that he would not give her any of his money until he saw that she learned his spending habits. Therefore, poor Luna had to work like a dog for all the things she needed, but she knew her father still wouldn't hesitate to help her if need be.

"What is this for?" She asked as she held it up, raising an eyebrow

B.k. shrugged, placing his clawed hands in his pockets with an uninterested look "Not sure, it's up to you. Though I'm pretty sure that Jack recommended its use on food for the coming week and the rest saved, but it's yours now, so do whatever you want with it"

Luna looked down with a thoughtful look; she pocketed the money and felt that getting food and clothing would be the best choice.

"Lead the way B.k." She said with a half-smile

He nodded and began to increase his pace; Luna did the same to keep up with him. Crowds of people began to thicken as they walked closer and closer to the center of the village; Luna was in utter amazement, adults ranging from young to old, weak and strong, short and tall. The demons were nearly as varied as the humans she knew were. Many children ran around, some listening to their parent's call of 'not to run off', and some totally ignoring it. Luna did notice that nearly every child she saw had the trademark ears and tail of demons. The ears weren't quite fully developed nor their tails bushy and long. But, Luna speculated that just as humans grow over time, so do the demons and their anatomical differences. Speaking of differences, Luna was able to listen in some of the speech of the market. Either from the venders or the people purchasing from them. She couldn't tell right away what languages were being spoken but they were definitely not Japanese, nor Asian in nature. If she heard any Japanese being spoken, it was the minority among this sea of linguistic differences. Being that B.k wasn't stopping or taking any time to slow down, Luna figured that they were still a ways away from the market area with food, and Luna, being the perceptive person decided to learn a bit more about the demons. She enjoyed figuring people out; it was like a puzzle piece, except infinitely more volatile and varying. However, now she had an entire society she had never seen before. Now, instead of wasting her perceptive talent on some enigmatic classmate or person, she could attempt to find how this culture and people work. She smirked at that thought, it would be most enjoyable.

By far the first thing she noticed was the variation in nationality and language, if it wasn't able to be figured out through observing the facial and body structure variance, then I could be told by the prevalent linguistic difference. The other thing was that the color of the fur upon their ears and tails, it was most commonly grey, white, light grey, red, brown, blond, dark brown and even white in some rare cases. No black, blue or even a combination of more than two colors could be seen

'That's weird….I wonder if their coloring matches the wolves they are related to? Last I checked, in biology the most common wolf species are the red and grey wolf…' Luna thought idly as she spun on her heels. Observing everything around her, trying to pick out some variation in the growing crowd, when she spun back around to the direction of B.k. she noticed that a large banner was dangling ahead of them. It was tied upon two buildings across from each other. It read 'Food, Produce and Farming' In Japanese, but alongside it she noticed several other languages. She was able to see the Spanish that she was at least familiar with and the tell tail Cyrillic of the Slavic language, but wasn't able to tell if it was Russian or Slovakian, she took a bit of French so she was able to take notice of the French wording and even the rough and difficult languages of German and English respectively.

'Diverse nationality….but they have the same coloration of fur….odd….' Luna pondered this, not delving in too deep; she was a perceptive person, though not too analytical. Once she stepped under the banner, B.k. roused her back to the real world rather than her thoughts

"Luna, we're here. There is plenty of food, just take your pick" He said, waving his arm across as if showing off the entirety of the market, He even managed to put a little grin upon his face whilst doing it.

"Wow…You weren't kidding when you said the food market was huge…." The young wolf said with awe, any and every kind of fruit ranging from apples to kiwis and vegetables that ran from the leafy to the root-type in selection. Even though she wasn't too interested in it, she found that meat was extremely prominent. Butchers formed a good thirty to forty percent of all the booths Luna saw that day, with meat that was literally right off the bone. It sickened Luna to no end, but now that she knew of her carnivorous roots, she subconsciously actually wished to perhaps purchase some of the still red pieces of animal. Almost as if she was starting to crave it….

Flesh eating tendencies aside, Luna still wished to observe more and get her mind off of that subject for a while….she was shaken from these thoughts when she caught sight of a few stand that were bakeries. Being that they had freshly made sweets and bread, the smell was near intoxicating. Cakes, pastries, desserts in all of their sinful goodness. Luna felt her mouth water and her stomach growled in response. It was then that she realized just how hungry she was, In fact, she hadn't even eaten one little bite sense she had left for the mountain that early morning…she stifled a gasp, realizing just how long it had been

'Man, I am starving!' She must have been so worked up with running for her life…that hunger was the last thing on her mind. Now, she couldn't think of much else

"B.k.!" she shouted to him, he had gotten a few paces ahead

"Hmm?" He hummed back, His eyes half lidded

"I'm going to go grab something to eat really quick, can you wait for me?" she asked, shifting a bit of her weight to her right foot in restlessness

B.k. looked up for a moment; he shrugged "Yea sure, I'm going to grab something to eat as well"

Luna smiled and twirled around, heading right for one particular spot that caught her eyes. The bakery in question was different from the others, it wasn't quite a stand but wasn't quite a full building either. As she approached and her hearing came into range, she noticed that the majority of the people sitting down and eating in the quaint little building were actively speaking Spanish. She smiled, she was glad that she could understand it, albeit if it was only a little. The bakery was indeed Spanish, even the architecture was of Spanish design. Luna should know. It had the terracotta roof tile, the aged white stucco walls. The arches that gracefully formed an arcade that covered the patio out front of the entrance, two separate balconies on the front side of the building were curved and had ornate railing; the windows were rounded near the top of the glass and had wrought iron patterns on the window grille. The large wooden door that was swung open gave a very enticing and inviting feeling to the building. Luna breathed in the familiarity; it was a good feeling of nostalgia. After all, her father's house had similar architectural design to it.

Stepping inside, with B.k. not far behind, she noticed the clean but cold atmosphere of the building, the floor was wooden bordered with painted tile. It was absolutely gorgeous. In front of her was a long display case with rows and rows of pastries and cakes. Tables and chairs were in every area with the exception of the far back wall, where the cases were, the table tops were made of the same painted tile and the chairs of the same color of wood.

Luna stepped up to the display. The kindly, older Spanish woman who was running the front was smiling, Luna was sure if the woman didn't have the wolf ears, she would have mistook her for someone she would see in the human city. Luna scanned back and forth along the cases' edge, looking for that one pastry that would catch her eye, it didn't take her long and her mouth dropped open when she saw it. Inside the far left case was a delicious looking plate of Flan, Luna's father had prepared flan once before when she was younger and she never forgot the sweet, creamy and textured taste to it. She hadn't had any Flan sense, and she hadn't found any restaurants in Tokyo that sold or made it as good as her father did. Now, She didn't care, she was hungry and that was the exactly the thing she wanted

Luna jumped the gun and spoke Spanish to the woman behind the counter right off the bat, not wasting any time "Could I have some Flan please?" The woman smiled broadly, taken off guard that the young woman knew how to speak Spanish. Nevertheless she nodded and went in the back of the restaurant to make some for the poor, starved Beta wolf

B.k., who was behind Luna the whole time, actually managed to raise an eyebrow in surprise, contradicting his previous laidback attitude "Wow, I didn't know you could speak Spanish…"

Luna smiled as she rocked back and forth on her feet, her hands behind her back in eager anticipation. "Yes, I can speak Spanish, Japanese and understand French, I wish I could speak it but it was such a huge leap from Spanish or Japanese, it was like I was flying blind, you know?"

B.k. nodded "Yea, I have a hard enough time trying to learn Russian"

"Russian?" Luna inquired; she stopped her incessant rocking at this point

"Yea, I don't know. I guess that I've always wanted to speak it, Its hard though, going from one way of writing to the Cyrillic alphabet" he pulled a chair out from a table nearby and sat down in it backwards, the backrest resting up against his chest as he laid his chin on the top of it in a lazy expression, or rather, simply disinterested.

"Yea, I can imagine, I found it hard enough to learn the French alphabet…" she said with a thoughtful look, the older lady behind the counter came out with the precious, precious plate of golden custard and called to Luna

"Here you are, enjoy!" She said in Spanish with a warm smile, she looked to B.k. as Luna sat down next to him at the same table

"Would you like anything young man?" She asked kindly in Japanese, He nodded politely

"Yes, please, perhaps the special, it's the Ham right?" he asked in a much smoother voice than he did when speaking to Luna, she visible grew a bit more agitated at that realization

"The Jamon Serrano? Yes it is, would you like that?" She asked one last time, He nodded curtly; she nodded in return and sped off to the kitchen. Luna heard her call to the waitress in Spanish to serve them with drinks. Sure enough, the waitress came a few moments later to the table with water glasses in hand. B.k. thanked the young woman; Luna would have, if she wasn't so busy savoring every last morsel of the dessert on her plate

My goodness, to her it was the best thing she ever had. After you haven't eaten in days and the energy you expend during that time is equal to that of several days and you finally have the first meal, even if it's a tiny little plate of Spanish style custard that is covered in heavy caramel, It's still going to make you a very, very happy person. For Luna, It was like having held her breath for an hour, and finally taking that first long, fragrant breath of air after so long. Assuming that someone could hold their breath that long that is…

B.k. took a swig of his drink experimentally, staring off into space, to Luna's surprise he spoke up to her

"So….You speak Spanish, where did you learn it?" he asked, not making eye contact with her

Luna nodded, with a prideful grin "My Father taught me when I was young"

"That's good…it's a mark of intellect…your father…where is he from?"

Luna blushed at the compliment, trying to hide it but not doing a very good job of it. "Well...Dad told me that he was born and raised in Spain, and moved to Japan when he got a Job offer as an Architect with some huge company"

B.k. grinned, his eyes were still half-lidded and almost lazy in look, but now they held a devilish glimmer "That explains a lot"

She felt a bit confused "What do you mean? How I speak Spanish?"

B.k. actually looked her in the eyes this time "That, how you got here in Japan and….why you are a Demon…"

Luna sat back in her chair, stuck in a thoughtful stupor, as she attempted to reason out what that meant

"What do you mean? Are you saying my father is a Demon?" She said shakily, as if she didn't want to say it or come to the conclusion

He smiled this time, a sub-genuine one. A mix of unconcern and minor aggravation prevented the rest of it "No, I didn't say that. Most if not all Demons are European in some shape or form"

Luna continued her question pressing "What? Why is that, why only European?" He groaned, and rubbed the bridge of his nose, he wasn't really agitated with her. It just seemed as though he was trying to remember something

"I don't know for sure. Jack, Miyako and one of the other betas are the only ones who know anything about it, but from what they have told me there was this demonic purge or somethin' and a huge amount of Demons were forced through a portal from the demonic realm to earth. The place that was unlucky enough to be on the other end was Europe. That's all I know, if you want to know more ask the Alphas"

Luna winced, her mind didn't have to think far to know how the gene mixing occurred "I think I just lost my appetite…" She said, feeling rather upset after her thoughts rambled on too far

B.k. chuckled, amused at her misfortune "Not to worry, you are already done eating"

Luna grumbled and took a few sips of her water, muttering something about how she "was going to order another one….or three"

It didn't take very long for the Jamon to arrive from the kitchen. B.k. was a fast eater and did not stop to even continue the conversation. It was as if he was fighting for his meal from some other wolf that was over his shoulder, ready to take it if he stopped even for a moment.

"You uh…gonna breathe?" Luna asked with a sly grin as an admiration of her own cattiness

B.k. glanced up from his plate and narrowed his eyes, stopping midway through a bite "Oh haha, you really know how to get on someone's nerves" he said it neutrally, almost as if he was joking with her, even if it was a tad mean. If anything, it was more of a direct warning than an insult. Luna of course did not understand this.

It was then that two things happened, One, Luna felt the need to immediately bite back with a retort, which she did. Two, She couldn't even believe the hypocrisy that he was spewing, here this guy was. Being a total jerk to her the whole time she had been here. It was true he was a bit nice here and there, but it was like he was mad at her for something. He laughed at her being upset, he made dismissive and uninterested expressions and generally had this air of 'You make me mad, and I don't really care for you' Luna didn't know if being dismissive was part of his personality or if he was just a jerk. She hoped that he wasn't

"You aren't the only one getting on someone's nerves" Luna muttered, forgetting that he had two, large wolf ears that were very perceptive. Again, B.k. stopped in the middle of taking a bite of Jamon, but this time he let go of the fork and it clattered against the plate

"Excuse me?" Luna visibly tensed; His voice was beginning to become just as angry as it was when she first met him. Luna wasn't sure what he was getting at with that tone, but it was as if he was saying 'Don't go any further with that…you will regret it'

"I said…You aren't the only one getting on someone's nerves…" Luna said, meekly at first, but gaining confidence through the sentence

B.k. glared at her, as if he was contemplating what to say. Luna took this moment to lash out, venting a bit of her emotion

"Think about it! I mean…I haven't even been awake for more than a few hours, and you are already acting like I'm some sort of nuisance…" She paused, Luna would always argue when she got the chance. Don't be mistaken, Luna is a very opinionated and fiery young woman. If she was asked why she didn't just straight up yell at B.k. right then and there. More than likely it would be because acting like an angry and irritated person toward her guide around Night bane is a blatant mistake. He could just up and leave, making her worse for wear than she already is. Despite this concern, Luna wasn't going to make herself a rug to be trampled on. She would still defend herself…just not in the way she would normally…

B.k. was astounded, he was spaced out and his eyes were not focused. His expression was one of surprise. "I…well, I'm sorry…" B.k. had never been genuinely asked for the reasons for his attitude…most people accept it or fight back. He honestly didn't quite know what to say in response

His daydream ended with Luna's rather vexed voice ringing in his ears "So why are you acting that way to me?" he looked to her, her voice nearly pleading, but found himself shocked. Her eyes pieced his consciousness, questioning him. B.k. could not help his stuttering in response, he was far too captivated by her bright green eyes.

"I-I'm…well…I have my reasons okay?" He tripped over his own speech, searching for the proper explanation as he tore his sight line from her, instead opting to look about the restaurant

Luna wanted to scowl and turn away. B.k. didn't wish to explain his irritation with her. Luna wanted to question him, prod him until he came out with the answer she desired. She wished to argue and prove that she was right and that he had no legitimate reason to be mad with her. But…Just as before, Luna found herself conflicting with herself, it was like her conscience was working in overdrive to make her stop being so combative. Luna wasn't quite sure what it was trying to say, but every time her thoughts came around to lashing back out at B.k. for his attitude or his indifferent expressions her heart would double over from the waves of guilt that came over.

Luna didn't yell at him, she didn't berate him. To both his and her own surprise she simply dismissed the subject. "Fair enough, I guess we all have reasons…"

'Why did I say that?' She shouted in her thoughts. If it was anyone back in Tokyo she would have shouted, scolding the person for their hypocrisy for being so simultaneously mean and uncaring. And then, she would pester then like no tomorrow if they claimed 'They had reasons for being so mean' to figure out what reasons permitted such horrible and hurtful social interactions…why did she choose to do otherwise with this guy? Was it because he was demon?

B.k. was so confused it hurt, he completely anticipated an argument breaking out between the two of them, but instead, Luna had somehow just dismissed it. Despite being the assertive person B.k. found her to be. He fought with himself, wondering why in the world she would do such a thing. Perhaps she wasn't what he assumed her to be?...B.k. quickly scowled to himself when he realized he was sympathizing with the very person he was so angry with. He chastised himself in thought, reminding himself of the reasons he held to be annoyed with her.

"Yea, we do" He said dejectedly, raising his fork yet again and finishing his lunch, though at a much slower pace than before. She smiled back in an accepting sort of way, perhaps she was happy that he agreed with her on something

Luna was relieved to find that he did not wish to argue back, she leaned back in her chain and sighed in contentment. B.k.'s ears flicked at the noise, but he did not seem to mind or did not wish to comment on it as he continued to enjoy what little lunch he had left.

-787-

After B.k. was a few hundred yen poorer, they both left the Spanish restaurant. Luna couldn't wait to go back and B.k. couldn't wait to leave. The Food was good to him, but it was the events that transpired there that made him a little precarious about the establishment. The two of them had entered the streets and strolled along like they had before, with B.k. a little bit ahead of Luna.

"So, that solves your food problem right this moment, but what about for your fridge and pantry?" He asked Luna, his eyebrow raised as he looked back to her over his shoulder from his forward position. Luna felt a little better knowing that B.k. was willing to drop the events that happened in the restaurant, she was sure that he was just going to ignore her if he didn't.

Despite those thoughts, she was puzzled, what fridge and pantry was he talking about? "I have a fridge?" her eyebrows raised in questioning, B.k. rolled his eyes, an action that went unnoticed by Luna

"Yea, we have a beta that plans out and builds small houses for the new comers to Night bane; they come standard with all the basic needs, Fridge included" he explained, emphasizing the word 'Fridge'

Luna smirked, suddenly curious at what her house might look like, what kind of style it might hold or even what her room may contain. "That sounds awesome! I heard jack talk about my 'quarters' but I thought you guys just kinda had a room or something for me. "

"Yea it's a full sized house, that is why you need go ahead and get yourself some produce, you can't eat at the restaurant every single day" he said with narrowed, scrutinizing eyes

Luna crossed her arms as she sped up to catch B.k. as his pace started to increase "Do you think I'm going to be carrying a bunch of groceries around while we tour Night bane?" B.k. shook his head, almost laughing.

"I didn't say anything like that…we can get them afterwards, but I would at least like to show you the best place to get produce…" he said, putting his hands in his pockets and relaxing his walk, Luna stopped her quickened gait.

"Sounds nice, where is this place?" the younger wolf asked, idly looking about to see if it was nearby

B.k. scratched his chin a bit, contemplating the best way to explain it "Well, it's about….in-between area one and two, in the market ring."

Luna had a foggy Idea of what he was trying to get at "Do you mean the area in between two arms of the star?" Now B.k. was confused, he furrowed his brow and shook his head quickly "Wait, What?"

"You know, this layout of Night bane is like a Six Sided star right? Each 'Arm' of the star is an 'Area' right? So I'm guessing that the market ring is the center of the 'Star'?"

B.k. looked at her like she grew another head, utterly speechless that she managed to figure that out on her own. Luna just smiled sweetly and continued "Sooo…how long do we have to walk?"

He shook himself free of his gaping expression of surprise; returning to his normal posture with a sigh, his eyes still half lidded and back arched forward "I would guess about 10 minutes, not too far"

The red wolf girl smirked "That isn't half bad, and here I thought we were going to be walking for another hour"

It was B.k.'s turn to smile and chuckle "Oh don't you worry, the academy is near the end of the dome, past Area one. And, your house is in Area two, That adds up to about an hour if we are quick" Luna groaned, her feet slowly giving up hope and starting to feel as though they might blister at any moment

"Come on, I want you to at least meet the girl that runs the stand before we go to the academy" B.k. had remarked, as he looked over the heads of the crowd ahead of him

Luna followed closely, despite the faster pace they had taken; it still did not deter Luna from examining her surroundings just as she did before. Though, unfortunately, nothing seemed to strike her as odd anymore, or it was simply not worth her interest. She did note however, that all the stands here had to do with produce exclusively. She was happy that the wolves weren't completely carnivores. She doesn't know how long she would be able to survive on meat alone, she couldn't eat much to begin with…

Whump

Luna squeaked in alarm when she bumped into B.k. who had stopped dead in his tracks. She flushed profusely and stuttered out an apology. She didn't dare look up in fear of B.k. glowering down at her. This fear was put to rest when she heard B.k. sniff the air like a hunting hound, as if he was tracking something. She watched in a strange mix of misunderstanding and curiosity

"Erm…B.k….What is going on?"

He looked genuinely puzzled; a muddled look about his face "That's odd…." Luna was now interested, with her curiosity piqued she stepped forward to B.k and placed a hand on his shoulder; he surprisingly shuddered at the touch, as if it was alien to him. "What's the matter?" she asked, with open feeling.

"Nothing, Just that I can smell her right over this way, typically her stand is 10 minutes away, like I said" He shrugged off Luna's hand and walked over to the group of stands that were to the left hand side of them, a few wolves attempted to catch his attention and offer to sell him something, yelling of 'Good deals' 'Lowest prices' and other such false advertisement. B.k. did well and completely zoned them out, opting to go for the largest stand. The large, dark wooden stand was covered in baskets that held glistening, fresh fruits of the common variety and vegetables that were picked only a few hours before, Luna could easily tell as bits of hydrated soil still clung to their un-cut roots. It was some of the best looking and smelling food Luna had seen, bar none. B.k. Paused at the beautiful stand, no one was in it at the moment and even though it was large, there was no place to 'hide' or sit down, it was almost as if it was abandoned. The Light brown Wolf scanned his eyes to and fro, looking for someone or something

"Yep, this is Ember's stand; I'm just curious where she is…" he grasped his chin and leaned on one foot, looking around the stand for any sign that might say "Be back in a few minutes" or something of the kind

"I'm right behind you, you just gotta be sure to check" a Young woman's voice came from behind the two of them. It was mirthful, warm and pleasant. It reminded Luna a lot of Miyako's Voice, only younger and pitched differently

Both Luna and B.k. Turned to the voice, Luna blinked with astonishment , taking in the Young woman's appearance in front of her

She was tall for a Female at around 170 cm and was weathered, as you could tell from the tan upon her skin. That alone made Luna wonder where she had been. After all, where can you get a tan in a perpetually dark Village? It was apparent that she was of the hard working class; Soil and grass stained her jeans and her large red over-shirt, however the white blouse underneath was stain free. What Luna felt that was most interesting was that her looks almost contradicted the worked appearance of her clothes, she was obvious one who worked all day and toiled in the sun and sweat, but her face was near blemish free and was framed beautifully, her bangs covered her left eye and her long black hair was long enough to reach the small of her back, it was a bit frazzled but it did nothing to hinder her appearance. Her black, medium length tail swung behind her playfully, it was unique among the other half-demons that Luna had seen. However, her ears were covered by a hat that atop her head. The way she moved held back the power in her, she strode with an air of Confidence, Strength and Independence. Her shoulders were back and her head was held and she strode briskly toward the two wolves. If one could describe her in one word aside from beautiful, it would be Powerful. Her commanding presence was clear, and held a smile of amusement as she walked up to the two of them

"B.k. I take it this is the new Beta?" She said with a gesture in Luna's direction as she turned and looked to the young man

He nodded, a bit downcast at the mention of Luna's position in the village hierarchy "Yes, This is Luna, She just rose from her comatose state a few hours ago"

The girl nodded and gave an approving smile to Luna; she scanned over Luna's appearance noticeably, taking in what Luna assumed to be a first impression

"Oh, this is ember, she is another beta of Night bane" B.k. said with a rather plain voice, Ember scoffed and crossed her arms

"Thanks for the grand introduction, I think there is more pep in the voice of someone at a mourning" She said with a laugh, Luna couldn't help but to laugh as well

Ember was quick to do away with her interaction with B.k. she instead addressed Luna "Well I'm pleased to meet you Luna, if you need anything I'm your girl. I would be more than happy to help you considering all that you and your human friends have been through" Ember said with a glint in her light green eyes

Luna felt much better, she was definitely a great reassurance too her. "Thank you so much, it means a lot…really"

"My pleas-" Ember was cut off

B.k. stepped into the conversation, rudely would be a way to describe the action "Yea Ember, we meant to ask if you could set aside a bit of food for Luna to buy after I finish showing her around the place" He was hurried, Luna was almost certain it was because he wanted to be done and over with this tour, She narrowed her eyes, truly miffed at his behavior.

Ember wasn't as perceptive as Luna or she simply didn't care to show her contempt for his behavior "Yea, I can do that, No problems. How much you looking to buy Luna and what do you have in mind?"

Luna put a finger to her chin thoughtfully "Well….I'm not sure what you have…"

Ember sneered in mock hurt, almost as if Luna insulted her "Luna, I can tell you that I quite literally have almost every Fruit and Vegetable available, please, take your pick"

The red haired girl felt confused and cocked an eyebrow in immediate response "You can't be serious! We are in the mountain area of japan, we would be lucky to grow rice here!" she said with great surprise, waving her arm to gesture to the mountain around them

Ember giggled, almost feeling prideful "I have a way with plants, fertility of soil doesn't matter here, I can provide everything they need"

"What like a green thumb?" Luna asked her with an uneasy giggle. She wondered how in the world could someone just 'provide' everything a plant needs?

"You could say that…." Ember said with a bright smile of pride, Luna narrowed her eyes. Trying to see through the vague response given

Luna saw really no reason to keep prodding for now. Also, she couldn't help but watch as B.k. shifted impatiently beside the two young women. Luna suddenly felt rushed

"Well if that is the case, then would you happen to have the berries, pineapples, pears and bananas?" Luna asked, even though it sounded as though, Luna wasn't trying to challenge her

Ember nodded with a smile, she started walking to her stand with her back turned to Luna. Despite this she still spoke to her "Indeed I do, what, you plan on making a fruit salad?" She snickered at the thought

B.k. snorted, amused by the absurdity of the question, Luna shrugged with a little half smile "Well…it's all that I can think of at the moment, I'm not going to dive right at the butchers or the bakeries yet"

"That didn't stop you going to the bakery about an hour ago"

"Shut it B.k.! You ate there too!" Luna snapped at him, her faced flushed at the thought that he would embarrass her by pointing out the hypocrisy

The young man laughed and leaned up against one of the supports of Ember's stand casually, crossing his arms. He was certainly satisfied with the rise he gained from Luna

Ember snickered from behind the counter of the stand; she ducked out of sight for a moment as she examined a great stockpile of wicker baskets that contained all her produce behind the great wooden stand. She called out to Luna not even 40 seconds later

"Yea Luna I have those all, Come by and pick them up after your done you hear?" Ember said as she began to move the wicker baskets around into a discernable order

"Thank you so much Ember! I'll be back in about an hour or two" Luna said with a pleased smile

"No problem Luna, I'll be here, just stop by. I'll see you later at the academy!" Ember said, looking up from her focus on her inventory

"Later Ember!" Luna waved to her and she returned the gesture with a toothy grin. Luna looked to B.k., who bowed his head as a simple acknowledgment; he turned about and began to lead the way to the academy

The two Wolves walked back to the main road, B.k. lead the way once again. It looked almost like he was in a worse mood that before. Luna slowed her pace, thinking to herself as they made their way to the Academy. It seemed as though B.k. and Ember didn't get along too well, the two practically bit at each other with sarcastic banter the entire time they saw each other. Determined to find out what was going one between the two wolves, Luna picked up her pace until she was within B.k.'s hearing

"She was nice" She said with a bright grin, B.k. looked over his shoulder and grimaced

"Yea…she is…but not to me" he brooded, placing his hands in his pockets and taking his gaze off of Luna. She nearly gasped at his near genuine show of guilt or regret, Luna wasn't quite sure which emotion it was.

"Maybe it's because of your charming personality" Luna said with a cheeky smirk. She wasn't trying to be mean or hostile; she was trying to ease the tension

B.k. bit back with a retort playfully "Oh yea sure….your sarcasm is appreciated"

Luna ginned, glad that she could at least make him feel a little better "Why thank you, I try my best"

B.k. sighed heavily "So, how are you liking the place so far?" he said, hoping that Luna would stop with the teasing if he opted to speak about a different subject

She took the hint without a grain of salt. Luna turned her head and looked around, taking in the sights of the homes, the market stands and even a few larger buildings. She glanced to the direction of the sounds down the street. Many people still crowded the street. Their voices rang about; whatever they were talking about was drowned out by another group's chatter. It certainly wasn't like the city. The city was crowded to the very brim with people and the noises were beyond deafening. Here….it was almost peaceful, like everyone was part of a huge family. The people all seemed to get along and help one another.

"I like it….a lot" she said with a smile, her eyes beaming with happiness as she continued to look about her surroundings.

B.k. was ignorant to the happiness that was slowly building up in Luna as she thought about the fortune of her residency at night bane. It wasn't that he didn't like the little red haired girl, it was that he…well…He wasn't quite sure himself why he felt a bit of animosity her. He just had this awful feeling around her. In his spiteful way of thinking, He felt the need to shoot a teasing statement her way. Without hesitation he did so, his mouth set into a devilish grin while doing so.

"That's is good, I'm glad….but-" He paused for a moment, keeping his eyes half lidded and unimpressed "-I don't think you'll like very much after you start going to the academy" he said, keeping his tone 'Matter-of-fact'

Luna looked up to him with curiosity brimming in her eyes, much like a child. "What makes you say that?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, unsure of what he meant

He shrugged, a frown tugging on his lips "It's difficult, time consuming and unrelenting, at first the basics are easy but jack will pull something tricky and you will end up having to master a specific element or type of technique…" He rubbed his forehead at the irritating memories "It does a lot of good, you learn how to defend yourself and eventually Jack will personally teach you illusionary Abilities to disguise yourself, but unless you are ready for days that will drain you mentally and physically three times a week, Not sure if you are going to like it much here…." B.k. continued walking, his face set forward and his mouth twisted into a grin. Luna did not see this.

"Is it too hard?" Luna asked with a quiver in her voice, her fiery resolve beginning to extinguish under the thoughts of self-doubt

B.k. turned to her with a face of shock "Is it hard? Did you really just ask that? Luna….hundreds and I mean hundreds of wolves in this village have attempted to stand up and become the right hand men and woman of the alphas, you want to know how many succeeded?" He asked her, the melodrama starting to become more and more elaborate. Luna cowered under his Blue-grey colored gaze. Her previous experience with failing her friends seemed to traumatize her with the thought of failure, this time she might just fail the village that she was growing so fond of.

B.k. finished his sentence despite the lack of response from Luna "Five Wolves luna, only five out of literally hundreds, possibly even thousands" Luna felt herself begin to shake, realize just what that meant for her success at the academy. Her heart pounded as her thoughts swam about, thinking of the difficulty and rigorous training that might ensue in the following days. 'Am I cut out for this?' she thought to herself, feeling the odd sensation of self-doubt welling inside her. It was a feeling that she was not used to. She felt herself shrink under the pressure of expectation, what if Jack didn't feel she was qualified? What if her position as a beta wolf was too much for her? How did the other hundreds of wolves fail, did they do something serious or was it a simple mistake? What if she made those same mistakes….

'Don't be so foolish, you are more than cut out for this' the voice of her conscience rang out clear as day among the muck that was self-pity and wallowing, Her fiery personality smoldered yet again, brighter than before. 'You may have put your friend's lives in danger, but you saved them…both of them. You are more than cut out for this and a little hard work will not faze you' she commanded to herself, realizing her own potential. She was determined now. She had saved her friends and giving up now or complaining over how it is 'Going to be hard work' or 'It will be too difficult don't try it' would be foolish. At the very least she could attempt and if she failed then she would try again and again. She puffed out her chest, feeling confidence renewed and changed for the better. In the back of her mind though, she wondered where such a burst of confidence came from…

She spoke up, her back now straight and her eyes piercing B.k.'s own "It may be hard for you and them, but I am a completely different demon. Who is to say it will be difficult for me?" Luna said, balling her fists, feeling the fire of confidence in her soul. She awaited B.k.'s reaction. To be honest, she herself felt a little easily intimidated by him.

B.k. stopped dead in his tracks "Excuse me?" he said, turning around slowly to Luna. She lowered her head and looked away, not able to meet his gaze that could drill holes through stone. It was almost scary to see him change from being, at the least, calm and collected. To now, where it looked like he was ready to lash out and bite her. Luna wasn't speaking metaphorically either; he was a wolf demon after all.

Even though she could feel the anxiety creep up her arms and give her a chill, Luna still took a deep breath and faced the half-demon "You heard me, I said that just because it is hard for all of you, doesn't mean it will be hard for me" She said defiantly, her knuckles turned white from her clenching her fists. B.k.'s expression grew even more sour at her words

"Are you trying to say you are better than me? Is that a challenge?" he said cocking his head, daring her to continue. Luna clearly insulted his pride, but she remained strong and held to her confidence, even if it was slowly fleeting….

"I would say yes to both" She said with her eyebrows set in a determined frown , she kept her posture upright and commanding, even though B.k. stood over her like a tower.

B.k.'s nose scrunched up, His brows furrowed in spite. He let lose his irritation in a flurry of words "Alright, you have a deal! Jack says I should start practicing with Darkness class abilities, I guarantee that I will pass my fundamentals before you do!" He challenged right back to her, his own confidence taking rise above hers

Luna forgot about their little tussle for a moment, instead, her mind focused on the words 'Darkness class abilities' and even more so on 'Her abilities'. Her eyes widened and she blinked a few times, trying to make sense of the words that seemed to escape any logical judgment. B.k. looked puzzled as his expression softened in reaction to her sudden bewilderment

"What? Is that too much for you to handle?" He shouted, hoisting his arms in a mock shrug

Luna shook her head "No! It's just I….I…" She trailed off and glanced to the buildings around them; embarrassed to say that she had no Idea the challenge would be about these 'Abilities' of which she had no idea of. Jack had told her of what 'Abilities' are, but not what they entail, he only told her of a few.

B.k. froze, gave her a strange look, one that someone would give to a child whom asked a question that should have been found out through proper and basic reasoning. Luna blushed at his accusing look, feeling rather insignificant at his arrogant expression

"What? I don't know what abilities are alright! I kind of just learned about being a demon a few hours ago, you are still gonna have to give me time to adjust to all this new stuff, it's overwhelming when I think about it…" Luna's green eyes were glued to the ground; she didn't even try to look at B.k.

He gave her a look of utter disbelief, confused even. He stopped his egotistical rant and instead felt a bit of pity for Luna. Her submissive posture staved off his angry attitude; he didn't want to kick her while she was down… "Luna, Abilities are like the bread and butter of demons, How do you not know? Jack even explained a bit of them to you in the estate!" he paused and rubbed his eyes, almost laughing at the apparent stupidity of it

"I mean surely you at least know of the seven basics right? Jack told you three of them after all. Did you just ignore him? " B.k. asked, looking at her for a quick and decisive answer

She looked up to catch sight of his expression, again with a weakened voice she spoke "No! He told me what they were! But I didn't know there were 'classes' to them…could you tell me them?" she asked with an expression of shame

He sighed and put his hands back in his pockets "Oh no, there is so much to them. I'm sure between Jack and Miyako they could all write a book on how many abilities there are and how you can control them, It almost as complicated as Chemistry, and boy does it give me a headache when they try to explain how it all works…" He rubbed his temples in memory of some of the more study heavy sessions at the academy

"Well….Can you at least tell me the stuff you know?" She asked the young beta wolf

He contemplated it for just a moment, not much decisive thinking needed. "I guess, but I don't know much, I'll tell you at least what I have learned so far. Shouldn't be too hard to explain…." He wondered what he should start with first, most likely that he should tell her the basics, that was always a good place to start off with. As he attempted to order his thoughts he took notice that they were indeed near the academy. They had stopped their pace to accommodate for their conversation

"Well...it seems that all half-demons, Like you and I, are given a natural ability; A natural control over some element or force. I'm not sure how many different kinds there are, but I do know that all abilities are made by combining seven basic elements"

"So, we all can control one of these basic elements from birth?" She asked with risen interest, she slowly began to shake away the poor feelings she had earlier, she even stepped a bit closer to B.k. to be sure that she wouldn't miss a word

He shrugged and gave a half-hearted smile "Well…not from birth I don't think, I think once you reach a certain age you can. But yea at least one of the basic elements will be much easier to learn than the other 6; I think that sometimes you can be born with control over more than one. I hear that two is rare, three is astounding and four is nearly unheard of…"

Luna was nearly bouncing at this news, her poor earlier feelings sinking beneath the waves of excitement that replaced them. "So, you think I can control one? Or maybe two? How can I tell which one I can control?" She neared B.k.'s personal space, he inched back, a sheepish grin on his face

"Well, I know you can control at least one, though….I'm not sure which one it may be….Jack should be testing you on it during your first class, he does it for every new member"

Luna gazed away, lost a bit in her own thought, wondering what unique element she could control…until she realized she didn't even know what the abilities were

"Can I ask what are the seven basic abilities?" She said with a slight embarrassed smile, she definitely got ahead of herself there

B.k. shrugged and shook his head "I can't believe you wanted to challenge me and you didn't even know the basics…." He sighed and started walking toward the academy yet again, Luna picked up her pace and followed close behind

"Hey it's not my fault; I thought you were talking about a physical training academy. You can't blame me!" She dejectedly glimpsed at the ground, ashamed at herself

B.k. shook off his feelings of sympathy that stemmed from her sadness, he couldn't help himself from answer her question "Jack even told you the academy was made to better your abilities not your physical abilities…well, I suppose it does sometimes.-" He sighed and continued "-Well, the basics are simple…There is Ignis, Aqua, Terrae, Ventus, Lux, Obscurum and Corporalis. They are all the basic elements that we have to memorize by heart" he said with a bitter memory of all the school work that was given on the studies of each individual element

Luna cocked her head sideway "Uh…What does that mean?" she said with honest confusion, she realized it was Latin. But the only ones that she could put together was Water and Aqua

B.k. shook his head "Sorry, I didn't expect you to understand. It basically means Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Light, Darkness and….I think Corporalis means Body or Physical"

Luna's pupils grew wide "Are you kidding me? We can control fire!?" she said with a squeal of excitement, her grin never diminishing at the thoughts of throwing fireballs

B.k. couldn't help smiling with her, albeit much less enthusiastically. "Yes, you could. It's a possibility" She turned to him with her brows raised, a new thought forming

"Have you already learned your basic abilities? What can you control?" She asked genuinely, taking him off guard due to her sudden interest in him rather than her own abilities

"Well….I had a natural affinity for wind and after Jack trained me up to the advanced set of wind abilities I chose to start learning Corporalis, Long story short, I combined a few aspects of Corporalis with Wind…and ended up with a pretty cool trick if I do say so myself" The young man said, over-confidence brimming in his voice as he smiled deviously at the thought of his craftiness

Luna couldn't help but be interested, she always dreamed of having powers as a child and even though this was much more serious than her old childhood desires, it was quite an interesting jump back into nostalgia. Only now, one of the coolest dreams she ever had was coming to life.

"Show me B.k., Please!" The red wolf spoke with great captivation, her green eyes pleaded with him.

The young man's wolfen ears drooped, not sure if Jack would like him showing off his abilities in the middle of his village, Let alone the damage he could cause with even the most benign of his usage of what he called "Clange"

"Sorry Luna, I can't do that here." He said with as he turned his gaze forward yet again

The red haired girl grumbled, but she didn't stay sore for long. Just when B.k. Thought Luna was done with her questionnaire, he was startled by a sudden outburst from her

"Well, where can you show me?" She asked quickly, B.k. was startled by her determined pursuance of this subject.

He sighed heavily, looking about as he contemplated his options "Well, I'm sure jack wouldn't mind if I show you at the training grounds…" He said, mulling it over. Jack was a nice guy, but his rules and punishments were strict and disciplined. B.k. wouldn't want to do something to provoke a reprimand from him

Luna did brighten up, almost getting excited at the news

"Well…how far are we from the academy?" she asked innocently, enticing a slight grin from him. They were leaving the outskirts of the District, now only a stone paver road stood in front of them, with street lights and a few plant beds adorning the sides of the street in a near perfect spaced pattern. It slopped downward up ahead, but whatever was down there Luna could not see properly. It was a nice sight to see such care put into the village though. The roads were so clean and orderly. It gave Luna a bit of respect for the Demons, even more so than she did before. Her daydream was interrupted by B.k.'s snide remark

"We shouldn't be too far now, it's right about…..here" He said with a grin, watching her eyes shift to look at him and raise her eyebrow, as if she was making sure he was serious

"If you don't believe me, just take a look" He said turning to her and casting his arm out in front of him, much like a servant would do when welcoming someone into their master's home

Luna stepped forward on the road, walking past the shrewd light brown wolf; the large slope she saw previously was now in view. She could see that just over the crest of the slope was the Academy. Luna was in awe at the sight of it. It was a huge building, just about the size of the Villa that Jack lived at and the place where she recovered. Its symmetrical construction with heavy usage of arches, overhangs, pathways, sharp corners and cornered roofing reminded luna so much of her father's early architectural designs. It had few windows, but to make up for the lack of flair, it was etched with stone patterns on the walls, designs of waves cut through the heavy rock that was used in the construction, going across the entire walls of the academy in huge strokes. Wolves in packs were illustrated on the walls in an artistic flair of shading by chipping away the rock and concrete. Each wolf was unique and had their own special trait. One large wolf had a scar on its eye, with another smaller wolf right beside it. Another wolf was much smaller and was rather peculiar; it had its ears pierced, Two on its left ear and three on its right. The one wolf next to that one was decently larger; it had a shorter tail and a chip missing out of its ear. Another beside it was a medium sized wolf, whom was missing one of its large canine teeth. The largest wolf was chipped into the stone a decent length away, its long tail trailed behind it and two bracelets were wrapped around its feet. Their fur was chipped in, with each hair painstakingly filled in, and their eyes looked back with startling realism. Luna shook her head in disbelief; such detail on paper was hard for her, let alone carved into rock. The two wolves slowly stepped down the inclined road. The plant beds stopped repeating in pattern and were replaced by two large statues of Wolves. They flanked either side of the entrance road. B.k. spoke up before Luna could examine anymore

"So, what do you think? All the betas worked together on it, Pretty good if I do say so myself" he said as he gazed at the academy, remembrance crossing over his features. He set his hand upon the shoulder of the wolf statue, feeling a bit happier.

Luna beamed "It is amazing! Can we go in?" She asked, bouncing upon her feet as she took in every detail of the beautiful building

"Well, we can't go inside, its locked up until Monday. Jack said something about it, but I forget….sorry" Luna glared at him, He chuckled timidly and shrugged his shoulders

"But, we can go to the training grounds. They are just around back, outside of the mountain. I can show you some of the basic abilities while we are there if you want" He said, turning to her for her response, and raising an eyebrow.

She smirked "Absolutely! Let's go now!" She said, already walking down the path that led to the front door of the academy. B.k. followed after her, his arm outstretched "Wait! Do you even know where to go?"

The Academy was a long building and the very end of it stopped just before the dome wall. The very edge if you will. Two pathways split off from near the main entrance. One went around to the left of the building and another went to the right. Luna and B.k. took the left path; it hugged close to the wall of the Academy and after about one hundred meters later, the walkways stopped just at the wall of the Dome. It didn't stop right before the wall, nor near it. It literally ran right into it. It was irregular to say the least. Luna slowly walked up. Her eyes looked skyward, observing the curve of the dome that night bane was sealed within, an entire structure carved by Jack. Luna placed a hand lightly on the granite's Surface, feeling the rugged and dense igneous rock. Luna knew all too well just how strong this naturally occurring substance was, it was premiere for building strong and stable homes. Too often these homes would outlast the owners of multiple generations. She wondered with both fear and astonishment…. 'What kind of person could carve out a dome of solid granite in the center of a mountain?'

B.k.'s heavy footfall alerted Luna to his presence. He stepped next to her, following her gaze. He realized what she was looking at.

"Pretty cool isn't it? Such a safe home for the people like us…" B.k. said, Luna looked at him curiously; it was as if B.k. could read her mind. Luna shuddered at the thought; Mind reading was one of her worst fears.

"So, where do we go from here? You said the training grounds were behind the academy but uh…" Luna looked to her right at the wall of the academy. It flanked them and was pressed firmly into the curve of the dome that was perpendicular to it. The academy had no 'Back area' It was extended a bit into the dome, but that was the furthest extent of its foundation. Where were the Training grounds?

"It doesn't look like there are any training grounds around here; there isn't even enough room for them behind the Academy, it just stops. Are you just joking with me?" Luna asked, turning to B.k. and getting on her tippy toes as she looked him in his bluish eyes. Luna narrowed her own as she glanced for just a second longer

"No, no trick. It is right behind the Academy, Just outside of the dome" He shrugged, trying not to look like he was being catty or suspicious.

Luna turned to the wall of the Dome "I don't see how we could get outside of this dome. The mountain must be hundreds of meters thick. Plus it is solid granite" Luna examined the wall, running her hand across it yet again. But much more rapidly now. Just as she was about to lift her hand away and dust it off. She felt her hand run over an indentation in the wall.

B.k. took notice as she squinted her eyes, trying to make out what the indentation was. He stepped forward and motioned her to move over. She did so without much fuss "Well, you wanted to see some abilities? Well, I'm going to have to use Terrae to get us out" he said with a prideful smirk, bursting her thoughts of what this indentation was and pulling her focus to him. Luna watched as he got just a bit closer to the wall. He touched it with his fingertips. It was then that Luna noticed exactly what that indentation was. Now that she stepped back a bit, she could see it clearly. There were cuts in the section of the wall that was right in front of the path. It looked almost like a Tombstone cut out of the granite, but instead of being taken for use; it was just left there in the rock where it was carved. Who would do such a thing?

Such speculations were shoved aside mentally when she observed B.k. closing his eyes. His face became expression and emotionless, He breathed in deeply and exhaled through his mouth. Then, he opened his eyes and immediately with a grunt of exertion and an aggressive downward slice with his hand, he forced the rock down. Before Luna's eyes, the carving was shunted into the ground, revealing a tunnel that led to pure darkness. Dust and powder flew into the air, displacing the vacuum that the carving left. Luna coughed a bit, but regained composure as she gaped at what just transpired before her.

"Well?" B.k. said with a grin, taking notice of her awe-struck expression

"Did…you just…." She said stammering as she slowly stepped forward, examining the tunnel, she could still see the tombstone 'door'; it was in the ground, forced down into the granite below itself. Someone had carved a large chasm for it to fit in.

"Yes, I did; Terrae at its basics" B.k. shined with pride, enjoying the attention that was aptly given.

"That Rock had to weigh like a couple tons! It's nearly 4 meters long!" Luna exclaimed, as B.k. beamed, she stepped a bit further into the tunnel. Torches were lit upon the wall; they spaced out a great length, providing only a dim red glow within the tunnel. The tunnel itself was absolutely an enormous length, it was mind boggling. It had to be nearly a couple hundred meters long. That made Luna feel very safe now. Not much could cut through a few meters of granite other than a large scale mining operation. Let alone a couple hundred meters worth, if the dome was that thick through and through…well, luna couldn't think of anything that could really cut its way into night bane.

"…B.k…how long did it take you guys to carve this tunnel out?" She asked, though her gaze was still fixed on the far side of the tunnel, trying to see something in poorly lit dark

B.k. walked past her and beckoned her to follow him. He then turned around and lowered his stance and with another sharp inhale, exhale and upward hand motion, he launched the Door back up. Blocking the path behind them with such a great force that sent a few shards of earth flying about. B.k. then turned back around and walked down the tunnel. Luna had almost thought he had ignored her question, until he answered it a few seconds later

"It took a couple days, even some of the toughest Terrae users have difficulty with moving Granite. This was the thinnest part of Night Bane Mountain; anywhere else would have taken a week or two. If it was the south side, forget it. Jack says the south side is so dense he doesn't even want to think about it" He gestured with displeasure, The thought of having to move so much earth made him sick to his stomach. B.k. was about to start manipulating some fire to light some torches when he realized something…

"….Someone has been here…" He said with his eyes narrowed. Luna looked perplexed with her brows raised in questioning. She looked around, trying to see what gave it away that their presence was not the only one

"How do you know?" She asked, still looking about

"The torches are lit. We blow them out after we finish with the training grounds and light them when we go to train. Someone must be on the grounds right now." He said with minor concern, He looked more annoyed than anything else

"I'm willing to bet some serious money it's a beta wolf out here" He said in a low voice, lost a bit in his own thoughts

"Any idea who it is?" Luna asked as she began to idly trace the wall with her finger, feeling the cold walls sap away the heat from it.

"Not really, But I guess the only likely choices would Be R.j., Snow or Lys" He said. Walking at a faster pace. Luna stopped tracing the wall and look forward. Even though the tunnel's length was great, it didn't take a great deal of time to traverse it. Luna and B.k. didn't exchange much more talk, they instead headed for whatever was at the end of the tunnel. Luna sure didn't know exactly who B.k. was talking about. She had seen R.j. in his wolf form, Snowstorm wasn't someone she had seen and Lys was a name she didn't even know existed. Still, she at least had a giddy hope that she would be able to see R.j. and at least properly thank him for saving her life. It was literally the least she could do. Luna did wonder what he looked like though, she had a bit of trouble trying to envision a Human in the place of the wolf she came to know on the mountain's side.

B.k. stopped, Luna yelped when she almost collided with him yet again. He looked behind himself with a roll of his eyes. Luna glanced to the side. Yet another tombstone door lay ahead. This time it was much, much smaller. She wouldn't have to but B.k. would have to duck to get through. This time B.k. didn't have to breath in, the weight of this door was much less than the other one. He took a low stance yet again and motioned a fast swipe downward with his hand, exhaling with the action. The door followed the motion with a great crumbling noise as rock and dirt shifted; dust flew up into Luna's face. The scent of it reminded her of….baby powder?

"Baby powder? Really?" She coughed, swiping the dust away from her mouth

B.k. shook his head "Not really, Its Silica, it was put in the door pocket for….lubrication I think? I don't know exactly what it does, but it makes moving the doors much easier" He said with emphasis. He ducked and stepped through the cavity that was left, it was about 160cm in height and two meters long. Luna followed, albeit very cautiously. She carefully held her hands up against the walls for stability. When she stepped out of the cavity, it was like a brand new feeling washed over her. A huge mountain breeze followed by the sultry and simple sounds of grass brushing against other blades in the wind. Trees and their branches that were filled with leaves blew about in the torrent of air. The sun's rays were almost intolerable after being in such dim light, but she never felt better when its rays shone on her. It wasn't better than the moon, but it would certainly do for now. The animals that scoured the mountain did not seemed disturbed by their presence. The Tombstone door led to a small clearing that was covered by trees; it was small but well hidden, almost indistinguishable from any other part of the mountain. Luna smiled as a group of birds bounded from tree to tree playfully and Tanuki tried to disrupt their fun. Luna was feeling an overwhelming feeling of utter peace at the beauty that she simply experienced in those few short moments. She gazed out over the brush covering to see the rest of the forest below her. They stood on a raised, hill like area. A tiny section of the mountain. Whereas below them was a great forest of enormous trees. Luna took a deep breath, almost absorbing the energy of her surroundings, the utter beauty, serenity and simplicity was such a welcome wakeup call compared to what she had experienced on the mountain a few days prior. Just when Luna hoped that there would be more, the beauty disappeared in a flash of heat.

In a clearing below, where she was staring, an enormous column of flame erupted with a violent rush of heat and pressure. It filled Luna's entire field of view. Even though it was about 200 meters away, she could still feel the raw warmth radiating onto her. She fell back on her seat and scrambled backward. Her eyes wide with a moment of fear, she snapped her attention to B.k. who was calmly looking at her, not phased in the slightest as more flames burst forth from the forest in massive pillars of flames, or whirlwinds of heat.

"There, that is the training grounds, looks like R.j. is enjoying himself" B.k. said with a smug grin, Luna shook her head quickly, trying to get a grip on herself. When she stood back up, her heart still wouldn't stop racing from the violent scare.

"My goodness, this is going to take some getting used to…" She said with a deep breath, B.k. laughed heartily

"No worries, like you were seeing earlier. The mountain is usually a very tranquil place…" he chuckled when another burst of red-yellow flame escaped into the sky. Luna couldn't believe her eyes, despite these flames licking the sky and scoring the tree tops. Not a single bit of foliage caught fire. The animals were indeed frightened, Luna couldn't see then anymore, but they were in no danger it seemed. It was incredible that such a huge amount of flame has not burned them to a crisp yet. She stepped a bit closer, the crunching of leaves the only thing should could hear at the moment as she stepped upon them. Luna started walking toward the training ground, curiosity and wonder prominent in her mind

"You want to go watch him?" B.k. asked, walking just a few paces behind her, His footfall making much less noise than Luna's

She nodded with a sly grin "Yea, It was scary, but awesome. Of course I want to go watch! Is there a path or anything like that?" she asked with impatience

B.k. nodded "Yes, just off to the side right over there" he pointed to his right, Luna's gaze followed to where he was indicating. Just as she was about to run over to it B.k. spoke to her again

"Wait, wait…If you want to see them fight for real, don't interrupt them. Stay off the path" She questioned his logic, but assumed that he meant well. Which he did. She jogged a bit away from the path and dove into the brush and began running down the hill to the training grounds below. It was covered along the edges with a beautiful canopy but the center was still open to the sky. Almost like a natural stadium, if you would like to call it that. Luna sure did, It look a lot like the one back in Tokyo, except much, much smaller. Luna traversed the forest with a practiced skill, quickly making it to her destination. No discernable pathway within the forest led to the Training ground aside from the one B.k. told her about. So Luna instead decided to make her own path by pushing her way through the plants that stood in her way. With a few thorns stuck in her hands and a mild cut or two, she came to the brush that surrounded the grounds. She stopped just before the plane, not wanting to step out of the brush just yet. Luna gasped, two young men stood across from each other, both within a fighting stance and both glared at one another. The one on the left from Luna's perspective was a grey and white haired young man; He was lithe, tall and didn't have much muscle on him. But he didn't let this deter him from standing against the other boy. He wore a grey and black shirt with combat pants of a grey color. His feet were covered by black boots that looked to hold no hindrance on him. He too had ears and a tail just like B.k., except his had a grey color for his tail and matching colored ears that were tipped with white. He stood within an offensive stance, with the majority of his weight on his forward foot and his hands in front of him, one at his side and another pointed with his palm out toward the other young man. Speaking of which, the other young man on the right was about the same height. He was older and more muscular but over-confidence was not prevalent upon his features despite his obvious physical prowess over the other boy. He had blue eyes and freckles upon his cheeks. His hair was dark brown as was his tail and ears. His right ear was missing a sizeable chuck; a notch was cut out of it at the very top of his right ear. He wore ragged blue jeans and a brown jacket that covered a white t-shirt. He wore no shoes, his clawed feet instead shown. His toes curled and uncurled in anticipation or irritation. His hands did a similar anxious action; he instead pulled them into fists and then would relax, and repeat this. He stood in a much more attack based stance; he leaned far forward on his right foot, putting the majority of his weight on it. Other than the older wolf's anxious habits; both of them were still as statues, not moving or talking. For a moment, Luna thought they weren't even breathing. They were so disciplined and patient. It made Luna wonder what they were attempting to do by simply staring each other down.

Luna jumped when without warning the older wolf shouted something in a language she recognized as English

"Begin!"

In an instant the older wolf launched himself at the young wolf with such speed Luna could not catch proper sight of the action. The brown haired wolf's hands, arms and lower legs burst into an aura like flame, bright red and orange. It did nothing to him. It did not sear his flesh or consume him in an agonizing pain. Luna realized with much surprise that he was controlling it! Luna's eyes grew wide as he slammed his arm down onto the younger wolf, who held his arm up with near equal reaction time and absorbed the blow, forcing him to his knees. Luna thought for sure that the flames that coated the older wolf's arms would burn the younger's down to his bones. The heat coming off of his arms could nearly be felt even where Luna was standing. Luna gasped when she noticed something else, the younger wolf's arms were coated with his own element, Ice. It must have prevented the fire from burning him and it even started to dim the fires of the older wolf. The brown haired wolf grasped the other's arms and brought his leg to bare, effectively striking the younger wolf in a roundhouse kick, the force sent the grey wolf skidding about a meter away. He was resilient however and got right back to his feet; He immediately stood up straight, took a large breath and exhaled. A cold wind escaped from his lungs, the icy air soared toward and began to freeze the other wolf. He attempted to shield himself by crossing his arms but it was to no avail. He was forced back from the sheer strength the gust carried. His flames extinguished and he was left shivering. The poor wolf was covered in particles of ice. He looked like someone who was just pulled out of an avalanche on the brink of death. The younger wolf gave a cocky chuckle; it appeared as though he was surprised that his attack subdued the older wolf so easily. Just when Luna thought it was starting to be in the favor of the younger wolf, the brown furred wolf roared. The sound sent shivers down Luna's spine, he burst into flames. The ice melting right off of him and dissipating into water vapor before a second had passed. With a fire raging in his fist he charged forward. The two wolves clashed, the older wolf continually attempted to land hits in a fury of punches. The younger wolf stood his ground and slowly backed up as the older wolf advanced forward, blocking nearly every punch thrown his way by cleverly shunting away his opponents fist with his palms using minimal effort, effectively redirecting the force that each blow had. Luna watched in curious yet fearful awe at the absolute power that the older wolf had in his strikes. Even though the younger wolf was doing so well in defending himself, a well-timed flaming fist or kick by the older wolf would get through his cunning defense. He would do so by either faking a blow or by quickly bringing his foot up in a powerful, searing strike. The few that landed their mark left the younger wolf recoiling in pain, but with a strong will he kept up his defense, though he was slowly weakening. Without any sort of indication, the older wolf then did something that surprised Luna. Just as he was about to attempt to land yet another strike, the younger wolf prepared to block it, when his palm was raised to redirect it. The fire bearing wolf reared his head back and head-butted the grey wolf, stunning him from the utter force behind it. He was not expecting such an unorthodox, yet effective strike and the brown wolf took advantage. He grabbed the younger wolf's shirt and knocked him to the ground with a robust kick. The younger wolf looked up, shocked at his actions. The older wolf took a deep breath, filling his lungs. Luna's bright green eyes froze at the sight of him breath fire. A long torrent of flames flew from him, engulfing the younger wolf that was still attempting to get to his feet. After an agonizing yelp of pain rang clear in the field from the Ice-controlling wolf, the fire-wielder stopped his scorching assault; he ceased the flow of fire and took another long breath. When the flames subsided, the grey wolf's form was now clearly in view. His chest was heaving, he lay on his palms and knees as he gasped for fresh air that would hopefully quench the pain in his lungs. He was not burned badly, his clothes were covered in soot and his face was a tad scarred. If anything Luna would say he simply got a bit of sunburn and stepped in the way of the exhaust of a chimney if she didn't know any better. She definitely wouldn't think that he was just encapsulated in a searing hot wave of fire that would have surely melted Iron. The fire wielder stepped away, believing that he had done enough. He turned his back and began to walk back to his beginning position. Even though the brown haired wolf seemed to believe it, the younger wolf didn't give up. He got to one foot shakily, his breath ragged. With a grunt of pain at his seizing muscles, the grey wolf held his palm out. He slowly stood up, much to the surprise of Luna. Water began to come forth near his shoulders from seemingly nowhere and circled about his arms and swirled to his palm, it encircled his palm and began to freeze solid. It constantly grew in diameter. Within a few seconds a massive ice shield the height of the Ice bearer was conjured. He beamed with pride and confidently called out to the older wolf, who had been oblivious to his recovery. In a cocky display of self-assurance, the Ice bearing wolf shouted to the other in indistinct English "If I had been a hunter I would have shot you in the back by now! Come and finish me off!" He grinned wildly and stood defensively in preparation for the onslaught of attacks that would surely follow from his superior.

The older wolf stopped in his tracks, he slowly turned around. He was almost in shock that those words were just uttered to him. Luna did not know what the other wolf had said, but she was sure that it was an insult of some kind. The older one's blue eyes locked with his. Even though the younger now had an impressive looking shield, he did not let it deter him. His arms became alight yet again, however instead of running forward and engaging in hand to hand like Luna assumed, his flames focused to his palms and began to form spheres, they grew and grew until their size rivaled that of a basketball. He wound his hand back and let loose the balls of fire that scorched through the air. The Ice wolf lost his cool at the sudden change of fighting style and clumsily brought his shield to bare, the ball of fire impacted with impressive force and even caused him to slide back in recoil. When the younger wolf finished cringing behind his only source of protection he shyly stuck his head out to see where his opponent was. As soon as he had done this, his eyes widened as he watched his superior launch himself toward him in from a jet of fire that was conjured behind his feet, closing the distance in no time. The young wolf yelped and took cover behind the massive ice shield. With his flames clinging to his arms and legs, the brown haired wolf jumped into the air with powerful energy. As he descended he pulled back his arm and brought it high over his head, a massive force of fire alight beneath his very skin. With a cry of war he brought the full force of his decent and his arm right into the shield, a blast of Ignis shot out from the impact point in a substantial wave. The ground shook and the grass quaked from the wind that was moved by the strength of the attack. However to his certain surprise, his opponent's shield did not shatter. He gasped; it was within a moment that he realized his mistake. As he landed onto the ground, due to the aggressive nature of his attack, he put all his force into his attack hoping to finish the younger wolf in one blow. However, this left him unbalanced and susceptive to an attack, even if it was only for a second or two before he regained it. To Luna's amazement the younger wolf actually noticed this, he bashed forward with the shield, landing a very ungraceful hit upon the brown wolf and sent him stumbling due to his poor posture. Luna's expression turned to one of vague pride; it was as if the ice wolf had mimicked the unceremonious blow that the older wolf had given to him previously. The Older's flames dissipated as his hands attempting to milk the wound his head had just endured. The other gave a triumphant laugh, glad that he could not only capitalize on a weakness that was only available for a few moments, but also give back the low blow that had been given in the form of a callous head-butt. As his opponent attempted to right himself, the younger wolf paused and lowered the shield to his side. Luna watched with wide eyes as with a deep exhale and a motion of clenching his fist, the shield began to crack all over and not even a moment later it shattered. However….the shards did not fall to the ground, instead they floated in midair. Defying the very laws of gravity, or so it appeared to be. The Frost covered young man then brought his hand to bare, extending his fingers and pointed them at the older wolf. Luna rubbed her eyes, making sure she wasn't seeing things incorrectly. The ice shards followed the motion in a clump shaped like the shield they were formed from; obeying his hand's every move. In response, the brown wolf ignited his flames yet again. He was now fully aware of the younger wolf's actions and was growling in an animalistic manner, the younger wolf smiled in a slightly sadistic manner and clenched his fist. Without any warning or preparation, and as fast as sound itself, the shards sprung forward in a hail storm. Luna squeaked and held her hands to her face, not wanting to watch the horror that would follow. The older wolf was surely dead or would be impaled by the thin, long fragments that were nearly a quarter of a meter in length. Even with her fears and trembling hands that shook in front of her eyes, Luna still managed to bring herself to observe the situation. She was unable to fathom what had transpired in the few moments she looked away. Within the milliseconds it took for the shards to reach the fire based lupine, he raised his arms and a massive wall of flame followed the motion, seemingly appearing out of nothing. It blocked the entire horde of serrated icicles by melting them midair and changing their state of matter into harmless vapor. Without skipping a beat, he shoved his outstretched palms forward, resting on his forward foot. The wall of flame obeyed the motion of his hands and glided across the grass with no issue, it even failed to burn any bit of the undergrowth. The ice wolf attempted to tumble out of the way of the roaring flames, but it simply was too great in span and speed. It impacted the younger wolf, sending him sprawling onto the grassy floor and kicking up tree litter and earth. However, just as the older wolf did with the foliage earlier, he did not allow the flames to ignite and consume the grey wolf. The flames dispersed, leaving the wolf to moan in pain, he rolled over onto his side and struggled to get up. The older wolf smirked, dissipating the flames that coated his extremities and slowly walked over to him, satisfied with his work.

"Oh come on, aren't you tougher than this?" He exclaimed in Japanese, with a vague accent. He stood only four meters away and was slowly getting closer

No reply came, the ice bearing wolf simply lay motionless on the ground, either knocked unconscious or in pain. His opponent was nearing him, just stepping within a meter away. Luna nearly jumped out of her skin, the younger wolf sprung up from his seemingly disabled position on the ground, executing a kip perfectly. His superior took a step back and quickly brought forth his flames to retaliate but it was too late, the younger had crossed his arms upward, bringing forth two massive pillars of water. They sprung from the ground, pelting his opponent with a huge wave as they both combined in the air and swept downward toward him. The younger wolf grasped his hands together, crying out in victory as he did. The water froze in place, freezing the older wolf in an inescapable prison of solid ice. It shimmered in the light that beamed down from the heavens and gave a slight feeling of majesty, despite its implications.

The grey wolf laughed heartily at his victory, feeling even more prideful than he was before

"Yes, I am much tougher than that" He said with a smirk of great arrogance. He sighed as he attempting to calm himself down, his endorphins and adrenaline still wreaking havoc on his body. He pushed himself back, sitting down on the grass that still continued to sway and shift in the wind that blew about the mountain's surface like a never ending monsoon. Luna was interested to see that the fighting machine that she knew as this grey wolf was now calmly enjoying him. He was observing the older wolf, as one might observe an interesting work of art to interpret its meaning. The once fearsome fire wielding wolf was now totally unmoving and unresponsive. Luna began to worry, what if he was actually dead? Suspended animation was just a myth, right?

Luna began to fidget, getting quite nervous for the brown wolf. She nearly jumped when B.k. spoke, who scared her half to death by his sudden intrusion "What do you think?" She rapidly turned around, her heart about to beat out of her chest. She was truly wrapped up in watching the fight, she had nearly forgotten that B.k. was right behind her, He more than likely observed the fight in its entirety as well.

"Boy you scared me…" she sighed

B.k. ignored her, blatantly "I asked you, what do you think so far?" he gazed upon the two wolves from their unseen position

"I think it's awesome! Who are they?" She asked, a wide grin on her face

B.k. smiled with pride "I'm glad you like it, 'cause you will be joining them soon." He looked over at the wolves and then back to her

"The grey haired guy is called Snowstorm, and the one frozen solid is called R.j." he said, elaborating with his hands as he gestured to each wolf

"I take it Snowstorm is really good with Ice?" Luna said with a small giggle, knowing that it was an easy answer

B.k. rolled his eyes "Yes and no. No because he is nearly a master with Aqua. Yes because he prefers to use Ice and Snow."

"Why bother with Ice and snow if you can just use water?" Luna scoffed, it seemed less viable to use.

B.k. shrugged "He claims to have better control in the solid form of water for some reason, it doesn't make sense but I guess he can use whatever he wants"

"Does it make him less of a fighter to use it?" She asked, as she watched Snowstorm lay down in the field. He began gazing up at the sky

B.k. gave an unsure mumble before he began to speak "Well…If you watch him, you'll see that he is a really balanced fighter, both on offense and defense all the time. So I don't think that using ice has made him any less of a fighter. If Ice lets him down, he can also use Corporalis"

Luna looked curious "He has two natural affinities?"

B.k. nodded, grinning to show his enthusiasm for the subject "Yes, one of a few wolves in our village"

Luna's mind drifted away from the subject for a moment. Wondering if R.j. held two affinities just like his opponent or perhaps even more

"Does R.j. have two affinities as well?" Luna asked earnestly, wondering what other abilities the fire breathing beta harnessed

B.k. shrugged, gazing at the very wolf they spoke about "He only has Ignis"

Luna frowned almost immediately, feeling a bit underwhelmed by the answer she was given

"Oh…" she said distantly, a twinge of disappointment laced within her voice

B.k. chuckled; it nearly turned into full blown laughter "You have no idea, that doesn't mean that R.j. is a bad caster. To be honest…he has got to be the greatest Ignis user I have ever seen."

Luna perked up significantly "Really, what makes you say that?"

"I say that because we have all gone to masters in our elements to teach us. Most of them are outside of Night bane. In the case of R.j. we had to keep going to different masters" He said, recollecting the memories of his previous experience

"And, why would you do that?" Luna said with a bit of rude impatience as she urged B.k. to finish his story

He rolled his eyes "The masters couldn't teach him anything that he didn't know, and if I remember correctly two of them didn't teach R.j., R.j. taught them something new"

Luna's blinked twice, trying to imagine that this teenaged wolf was able to teach two older gentlemen that spent their entire life learning the element and its uses.

"Yea, I had the same look of doubt when he told us, I didn't believe him until the masters told us themselves. The guy is a prodigy with Ignis" B.k. said when he took noticed of Luna's reaction

The more and more Luna thought about it, she realized that despite all this stuff that B.k. said in praise of R.j., he still was beaten by Snowstorm. Could snowstorm be an even greater fighter?

Luna frowned skeptically and turned to her companion "Well, all that talent didn't do him much here did it? He just lost the fight. I thought you said he was a prodigy?" She said with a confused eyebrow furrow

"Lost? I have no idea what you are talking about. Snowstorm may think he has won…" B.k. said, looking rather smug as he took his focus from Luna and instead looked beyond her at the scene unfolding behind her. Luna, in her near infinite curiosity, turned to see exactly what B.k. was talking about. The brown wolf that was encased in ice was unmoving, but Luna could suddenly feel something. Like a shudder of….energy…she didn't know exactly what it was but she could feel it in waves. Apparently snowstorm could feel it too, with a shocked look painted upon his face he stood up immediately, just in time for R.j. to make his redemption

The heat was unbearable. Within a split second a massive burst of fire engulfed the entire block of ice, the flames raging in a Violet-blue fire. The Ice was vaporized in utter nanoseconds, leaving no trace with the exception of the wolf that had just been freed from it. The nova of fire slowly decreased in size, until it surrounded R.j. in a swirling, voracious cloak. Tendrils of flames lashed out with no apparent control from R.j. who was showing no signs of strain or difficulty, if anything, Luna would say he looked a bit better than before. It was as if the flames enthralled him and gave an energy that he readily took in. Snowstorm at this point had stepped back to take a much more defensive stance once he realized his opponent had drawn his Ace of spades: The Azure Flame. He balanced himself upon his feet, taking a low body posture and kept his palms facing upwards; anything else would be a mockery of the art of Defensive fighting, even if he wasn't that well versed in it. The once confident snowstorm was now in shambles; his cool attitude was replaced with nervousness and anxiety. R.j. was a beast to be feared when the flames of blue were released.

R.j. chuckled, amused that the reaction of snowstorm whom was beginning to progressively become antsy as he attempted to anticipate the first move. He was impressed though, he hadn't expected snowstorm to keep such a level head despite the opposition he was now against.

R.j. began to properly think through this situation. The two wolves had come here to practice Snowstorm's defensive fighting; Even though he had improperly used a great deal of offensive attacks on his superior. Should he continue to go on and test snowstorm's defenses with his Azure flame? It would surely push the younger wolf to the brink of his abilities, but R.j. could also run the risk of harming his comrade. The training that snowstorm would get wouldn't be much greater than what he would normally attain from sparring with any other wolf.

'The ends do not justify the means. I think it would be best if I stopped this fight…' R.j. thought to himself with a grim expression. Just as he was about to raise his hand and end their sparring session something else happened; something not expected at all by either wolf

Luna emerged from the foliage, a grin upon her face. With a prance in her step she walked into the open, she was eager to meet the two beta wolves and perhaps even learn what her element was from them. They seemed well versed in their own, and perhaps they could share some insight on how she could give rise to her element. However, Luna should know that sneaking into an arena with two very powerful Beta wolves without a declaration of presence is beyond dangerous, especially whilst they are having a stare-down. B.k. was behind her, frantically trying to stop her, though in his worry he lost his voice, his words instead coming forth as incomprehensive stuttering

As soon as the sound of rustling bushes hit the ears of the two wolves, they snapped their attention to the disturbance. Snowstorm didn't care to find out who it was or what they wanted, and he wasn't about to take the chance that it was a hunter that could manage to get back to their camp and share the location that they trained at. It was too risky and far too close to the entrance to night bane.

Perhaps Snowstorm was stressed from the fight, or jumpy from the adrenaline that coursed through his veins. Whatever the reason was, it was sufficient enough for what followed. Without warning Snowstorm growled in anger and thrusted his hands out toward the direction of the girl, palms open and fingers clenched. A surge of Ice flew from his hands, swirling toward Luna. The poor girl didn't even have time to react; the ice was literally inches from her face when she realized what just happened

A sound that shook Luna's ears with a greater intensity than what one would expect from a roaring waterfall accompanied with a force of wind that could lift her clear off her feet blasted right in front of her, blowing the ice out of existence and freeing her from harm. Her disheveled hair covered the right side of her face; her clothes shook about violently. She blinked a few times with her mouth open, unsure of what just happened. A rustle of leaves came from behind her; she turned to watch B.k. walk out of the tree line with a smirk on his face. His hand was extended to the exact spot where the blast of wind traveled, His index and middle finger together.

"Snowstorm…You can't just go around trying to freeze other betas!" He said, lowering his arm and stepping between Snowstorm and Luna. He kept his gaze on his fellow beta wolf

Snowstorm's eyes widened at his words, his mouth twisted into a sour frown. He stammered as he realized what he had almost done "W-well, it would have been nice if she gave some kinda warning before just jumping out in the open" he said rudely as he folded his arms across his chest

R.j. inhaled deeply, placing his two hands together. With an exhale all his flames circled around him, much like the cyclones that rarely made landfall in Japan, and slowly collapsed. Dissipating and being re-absorbed by the brown wolf. He slowly opened his cobalt eyes and turned to Luna "Are you alright?" he said near silently, looking genuinely worried about her wellbeing.

She couldn't keep eye contact with his deep gaze, her face heated up in a red hue for a moment as she fixed her hair that had been blown about. "Yea, I'm alright. Thanks." She said shortly; when she said it back in her own head, it sounded a tad too rude.

R.j. didn't seem to care or didn't notice, he stretched his back before he faced B.k. "I take it you watched our little spar?" he said with a slight smile

B.k. nodded "That we did, I've been showing Luna around night bane. I was bringing her by the academy and decided to show her the grounds while we were in the area and, well, you guys were here"

R.j. laughed, an accent that Luna could identify as German came from him "What a coincidence, we wouldn't have come here, but Snowstorm needed some brushing up on his defensive training. To be honest, I even needed to get my offensive strikes faster-" His gaze grew to one of disappointment and contempt "-That is until snowstorm felt the need to for-go my instructions and use his Ice daggers and Prison on me...then on top of that, he lost his cool and nearly harmed Luna, right after she has recovered from a near fatal fight" He didn't need to glare at snowstorm or say anymore. The Ice wielder felt the weight of guilt on his chest.

The young man begrudgingly pushed aside his pride and walked over to Luna. He stepped a bit closer, knowing his error. His gaze wasn't on her but she could tell he was addressing her. He guiltily scratched the back of his head "Sorry for nearly hurting ya' I didn't mean to its just…The hunters have been around lately and I guess I lost my cool…Sorry about that." He quickly looked in her eyes, Luna could see the guilt in them, but then he looked back away

Luna smiled warmly "Not to worry, it was my bad, I really shouldn't have just jumped in the middle of your spar and I should have known that the hunters were prowling about…"

R.j. spoke up and shook his head firmly "No, How could you know? You have nothing to be blamed for." He smiled and he seemed to think for a moment, before speaking again

"Speaking of hunters, how are you? I trust that Miyako has patched you up from both the gunfight and the fall." The tall brown wolf said, looking genuinely concerned.

Luna looked downward, feeling a bit embarrassed at her thoughts. "Well…Yea…She did a good job, I've been meaning to thank you….F-for saving me that is…" She gazed away for a moment, aware of the heat that was rising to her cheeks. Her mind drifted to the fresh memory of him wrapping her in his arms to save her from the perilous fall that she would have surely died from. Then…her mind clicked

Her head snapped to attention, she looked back to him "Wait, I have been meaning to ask you, how did you survive that fall? I mean…w-well…I'm just not sure how you did…And I did…I mean…it's the sudden stop that kills you right? Not the fall?" She asked, stuttering when she realized that she made a rather improper outburst

R.j. leaned to B.k. and said with a laugh "She asks a lot of questions, does she not?" B.k. nodded with a laugh

The brown wolf's ears flicked back in her direction, his gaze following right after "It was because I forced air upward against myself, It was pretty difficult but I seemed to have slowed our decent enough so that the stop wouldn't adversely affect you. I didn't need to worry about the impact myself. Certain demon's durability can withstand much greater impacts than a fall of that magnitude." He waited for a response of some sort, but she only looked to be even more confused

"But B.k. said you only had a natural affinity for Fire, not wind, so how could you use it? These abilities are difficult to understand…." she groaned and grasped her hair, twirling it about her finger in anxious repetition as she attempted to wrap her mind around the certain rules and logic pertaining to this strange new subject.

"Relax Luna; it's not that hard to understand. A natural affinity just you can just control that element a lot better than normal. That doesn't mean you can't control any of the other elements. In fact, All Betas are required to learn the tier one sets of all basic abilities. R.j. is no exception. Though I think he has studied some second tier wind." B.k. explained, then turned to R.j. for confirmation, His light brown tail swayed with the wind's motion

"You are absolutely correct B.k., though I myself haven't learned much of the second set." He said with truthful modesty and a shrug of his shoulders

Snowstorm cut into the conversation "If you don't understand it now, you will definitely understand it when you start your classes at the academy" he reassured her, which Luna was thankful for

"You should get your first test when you go to the academy, then you will learn your natural affinity. If jack wishes to do so, he might even teach you some other basics" R.j. explained, Luna listened intently once the subject of the talk changed to herself.

"That sounds so amazing! When does the academy start?" She asked, bouncing on her toes, enthusiasm coming forth to her features as she thought more and more about what she might learn and see.

Snowstorm grinned as he watched her playful nature come forth "Well, it is six days a week. So the next day will be starting tomorrow"

At this news, Luna's jaw dropped and her shoulders slacked as the emotion utterly drained from her face and posture "Are you kidding me? I haven't even bought any clothes or food, let alone settle in!" she grumbled as she attempted to ease the rising anxiousness that threatened to eat away at her nerves

R.j. rubbed the bridge of his nose, his ears drooped "That is not good…I would help you but Snowstorm and I have to report back to Jack and let him know we have returned. He likes to be secure. I'm sure he would want us to report our training Success…" Hey then turned to his sparring partner "Well my success…snowstorm still needs some work..." He said the last part with a snicker, Snowstorm's ears twitched, catching the catty phase

"Hey! I did really well!" he exclaimed, gritting his teeth and glaring at the brown wolf that crossed his arms with a leer

B.k. narrowed his eyes, scoffing at the two wolves that were considered Betas. Despite their standing, Snowstorm couldn't help acting a bit immature and R.j. couldn't help responding to it

"Well, I suppose we will see each other at the academy tomorrow, I'm going to give Luna a hand" The light brown wolf said, giving a look of pity toward the Red wolf. Poor Luna was flustered; she was deep in thought and clenched her hands close to her chest. An obvious sign of anxiety.

R.j. took a moment to look away from the glare he was receiving from Snowstorm "Sure thing B.k. I'll be sure to say hi tomorrow, I'm going to go check the perimeter. You go ahead and pass through the entrance first" the young man said, Shifting his focus to the tree lines all around him, His ears and nose twitched, Trying to make sure that nothing would be around to watch the wolves retreat to their den.

"Thanks R.j., Later snowstorm" B.k. thanked the two wolves, waving modestly goodbye, and gently nudging Luna to follow him. Luna watched as the two wolves waved goodbye. R.j. slowly retreated into the foliage, snowstorm following close behind

"Come on; let's go take a look at some of the tailors around the market" He said, the younger girl shook her head, pulling herself from her stupor

"Yea, That sounds good, a lot better than sitting here worrying" She nearly whispered, the last word hesitating

"I'm thinkin' that Miyako's tailor would be the best place to go." he supposed as they started back up the hill from whence they came. However, this time they walked up the pathway rather than an impromptu dive into the foliage

Luna groaned, her shoulders slack and eyes narrowed as they trudged up the hillside "We gonna have a lot more walking to do?" She asked with her lips pressed into an unhopeful line

B.k. grinned "Yes, Just so I can torture you" he laughed and Luna groaned even harder

"Great….."