Dark Days Or Dawn? : Fate or Just Passing By? [Zari/Sakura]

[Zari A'Soul]

The night had just been born with the death of the late afternoon. With the night's silent cry, the tears of the heaven began to fall. And as these tears bleed from the heavens the moon shied away from the people of Adonis Villiage. Similar to the moon on this wet evening, the people shunned away from the streets. Wrapping themselves in their homes or other locations they might have called home. However there was one lone figure walking the streets. The rain pitting and patting against his coat as his boots shattered the puddles forming in his wake. Zari's eye patch hung around his neck like a necklace as he shifted his vision from one side of the street to the other. He had heard this town was a less than pleasurable location. Yet for the time being he was stranded in this hive of scum and villainy. 

As he secured the straps of his bag tight, he twisted the reigns of his temporary medical bag around his wrist and fist. Surely not even criminal would steal the a doctor's medical supplies. And if he could pull the look off than maybe he could be left alone for the time. In addition to this, it was known that people were less active in the rain. No matter the time of day. So he only had to worry about the very active thieves. It was a sensible trade off. Less chance of getting jumped. But the higher chance of hungry thieves looking for trouble. While he strolled closer to the center of the town, he saw the shadow of light being cast out into the road before him. Peering down and over, Zari discovered a pub with minimal noise coming from within. As he stepped up to the saloon, he passed through the double doors. Having them swing back into place once he pierced the threshold. The healer quickly threw on his eye patch before the bartender could give the standard questionable glance. As the patrons sat silently, Zari could feel a heavy anxiety in the air. 

Zari could see a woman behind the counter just standing in position at the end of the bar. With his interest piqued, the white haired wizard took a seat and ordered a glass or spiked-ice tea. He sat in silence in order to meld into the crowd. For a few moments, he meditated on his questions and tried to take in any context he could gather from the people's murmurs or actions. One man said something about Phantom Cloak. The woman behind the counter, now clearly holding a bag of Jewels, would look back and forth at the clock high on the wall. The moment the mixer crafted Zari's drink, the man lifted his hand to grab his attention once more. "Oi. Sir." he started off. "Is there a reason why everyone looks like they are waiting for the grim reaper around here?" To this, the bartender sighed and gave the lad a glare. "You must not be from around here. Its Phantom Cloak." The older gentleman whispered in Zari's ear. "Tonight they are making rounds. Picking up cash from any business they visit. We are just being prepared is all. And scared. If you are smart."

"If I was smart, aye?" Zari asked before placing his medical bag on the counter. It was marked in red ink saying, Medic for hire.

[Sakura Hikari]

I always hated Adonis Village. This hideous, dark village. I've been here from the very beginning. I've been here since it was just a village of crooks and thieves, since it was poor and dirty. It was being run by a weaker guild, a guild named Shark Fang. But my sister made this city great. She made that guild great. But what have I done? What have I put forth for this guild? Who am I to walk these streets, collecting money from the merchants? My sister provides them protection, not I. "Time for collections." I say in monotone as I walk through the swinging double doors. The only thing anyone can see is the dark, black hooded overcoat. I stand directly in front of the doors. "Collections will be given in a timely manner. Resistance will be met with discipline." I say the words as I have said a thousand times, at a thousand different stores or brothels. It has become a ritual for me. The unchanging words bring comfort. Comfort I probably did not need before today. I treated him with respect and honor, with the utmost admiration. But my father still left me, after all this time, after all that we've been through. I only spoke words of love, and he crushed those saying and threw them away, once again. It pains me. I look at the ground. Shadow tendrils emerge from my back, snaking their way into existence. There are six in total. One of them stretches out in front of me. "Place your payment in front of me. Do not attempt to approach me. Maintain a distance of five meters at all times. Your cooperation is of utmost importance." My tendrils wiggle around me. They serve as a sort of symbol of fear, but I can use them at the drop of a pin. I wait for the money.

" "

[Zari A'Soul]

Zari turned around on the bar stool as he took the spiked drink into his hand. The traveler had lifted up his hood and was watching as person after person stood up and lifted up a small pouch of Jewels. It seemed they just wanted everything to be over and the owners of other businesses gathered here for the collection. Perhaps if they made the job easier on Sakura, she might be lenient. So they all gently placed the 'donations' before the teenage thug. One that seemed to command much respect. And fear from the locals. So much fear. It surprised Zari in the most basic meaning of the word. Was it that this girl was that strong? The force she represented? Or simply the weakness of the surrounding people? The hooded and cyclops investigated the environment and tried to take in the appearance of all the individuals going back and forth. "Damn. This place sure is messed up." He muttered under his breath.

The woman behind the counter, holding her sack of Jewels looked to Zari as though she was seeing a freak of nature. The traveler simply continued to sip on his drink in silence. She was stuck, not moving as she paid witness to this man's lack of tension or worry. The barkeeper also looked at Zari but did not look as far into it as the woman did. "What are you doing? Hurry up!" The older man said in a hard whisper before grabbing the girl and shoving her out from behind the bar. "I am sorry, Miss Sakura. " The older man bowed his head low enough to be bashed against the alcohol covered counter. Yet while most eyes laid on the man in his fine suit Zari's eyes were rested on the younger woman he threw to the wolves. From an exposed nail on the corner of the bar, the waitress gained a bloody cute in her side. 

She held onto the cut with both hands, dropping the bag of Jewels. As tears began rolling down her cheeks and her throat held in whimpers of pain, Zari placed down his drink. "Ma'am." he whispered and stood up. "Move your hand." It came off more as a command than a request. And Zari intended it to be that way. Due to the fact they fell to fear quicker than they would respond to a request. As the blonde woman moved her hands, more blood began to leak from the cut. Without a second thought, Zari lifted her shirt up to her under breasts and placed his right hand on the cut. What came next made the woman shiver in fear and forced her eyes in place to watch. A black aura surrounded her cut as shadows began to seemingly consume the injury. He kept his hand here for a few seconds before removing it. "There you go." Now turning to Sakura, the white haired traveler lowered his hood and took the bag of Jewels from the floor. Tossing it her way underhanded. "And there you go."

Spell Name: Prayer: Fade Cure

Level: D

Range: Contact - 10 Meters

Description: A black glow will appear around the target for as long as the caster is in contact or range with them. Any low-level wound in the area the caster is focusing on will begin to heal. And shall continue to heal up until they are out of range, the caster stops, or the spell is interrupted.

Drawback: Can not heal poison. Can not heal stronger injuries.

The longer the caster heals, the more magic is drained.

[Sakura Hikari]

I keep my face hidden. Everyone here knows what I look like, my gender, my age, my demeanor. They know everything, and yet they are still afraid. It's better this way. The authority here rules with fear. Without fear, we wouldn't be able to control the otherwise illegal activities we allow. Each one of these shop owners has done something or other. None of them have received punishment. At least, not yet. I glace up at the people standing in front of me. At first glance, they don't seem to have any dirt on them. They seem to be normal people, doing normal things and leading normal jobs. I snicked to myself, turning my head back to the floor. Yes. These people are not innocent. They are just as guilty as I am. I look up again at the voice of a young man. His voice is void of the fear and mistrust that all the others hold. I look at him with interest. He tosses me a bag of coins, but I was never interested in money. I raise my hand and catch it as it comes towards me. A notable gasp comes from the surrounding shop owners. I tilt my head up now, my purple eyes visible under the hood. I stand there for a moment, the bag still held in my hands. I don't move. The shadow tendrils fly forward at fast speeds, attempting to curl around the man's arms and legs. If they're successful, they'll bind him and make him hover in the air. I have one remaining tendril left. It grabs the other bags of money, and I'm on my way, with the man tangled in the air behind me, if the tenrils got him. SPOILER: Click to show Name: Dark God's Tendrils Level: A Range: 25 ft Description: Tendrils are more or less like the legs of an octopus. They hold no suction properties, and are mostly used to bind or hold objects. At A Rank, the tendrils and fast and can hold weights up to 500lbs. through their combined power. Drawback: The tendrils are not invincible. They can be swatted away or dodged.

" "

[Zari A'Soul]

Zari watched as the younger mage caught the bag of money. An impressive feat, if not for the fact his throw was lacking much force behind it. He stood there as the healed waitress rushed away from him. Not wishing to be seen as associated with Zari. His eyes scanned the people now gawking at his actions. Was it the display of his odd healing magic? Or was it his ability to stand against a Phantom Cloak member without fear. Whatever the cause was he would not know of it, it seemed. For within mere seconds, the healer was attacked by Sakura's tendrils of shadow. 

Sadly for the traveler he was not build as fast as he wanted to be. Zari was caught with ease by the dark limbs that were coming from the stranger. Being brought up into the air, he had a slight ping of panic course through his body. Most of his energy focused on breaking the hold. While the rest was diverted to holding his medical bag. In hopes to at least hold on to his more expensive belongings. His medical supplies mostly. Yet they held the same value to him as water would to a man dying of thirst. However after a few moments of clear failure, Zari focused on just holding his bag and watching out. Trying to keep his head from hitting any items hanging from the ceiling. 

Though in doing this he shook off the hood from his head. His white and silver hair getting hit by the lights within the pub. Face no longer hidden and appearance fully exposed, Zari took in a deep breath and sighed. He watched the shorter collector drag him out vie the tendrils. "You mind letting go of me?" He asked with a voice that was slowly losing it's bravado. An experienced person, like Sakura, could tell from the few words he was putting on a decent act. "I ain't do nothing worth a damn."

[Sakura Hikari]

I don't look back. From the weight on the tendrils, I can tell he got caught. His easy capture was unexpected. I wanted him to put up some sort of fight, pull a knife, scream, something, but it seemed that the mage did not have that intention. I sighed as the swinging bar doors fluttered behind me. The man was still in my bonds. He tried to say something. I covered his mouth with a tendril, glancing back at the silver-haired mage. "Shh." I said, almost soothingly. "Be quiet now. It would be best not to fight." I turned back around. We paraded down the street. Most of the time, the streets are full of commerce. But at this hour, only the homeless and prostitutes are around. They watched with dirty clothes and smirks on their faces. They were silent as I walked by, silently grateful that they were not the one being taken by the beast. They knew where he was going. Everyone did. There was only one place to go, only one place to seek privacy in this town. That that was the Phantom Cloak guild hall. Only Phantom Cloak members and those sent to be executed go there. I grinned. My room was on the top floor of the guild hall. It covered half of the entire level. The other half was my sister's quarters. I didn't know if she was in. I didn't care. She appeared when she wanted to, and disappeared just the same. She was a phantom. I opened the door to my half of the floor. "You may speak now." I say, removing the tendril from his mouth. I keep the rest of him restrained. Even though he was not violent at the saloon, he might turn out to be here. I have taken a risk, taking him here. "And be careful what you say. I might fancy taking off your head." I seat him down on a black couch. Everything is black here, and minimal light is allowed through the windows. I can see perfectly in the dark, but I know his human eyes do not adjust as well. "You must be new here. I am Sakura. I am a member of Phantom Cloak." I pick up the bottom of my robes, revealing the Phantom Cloak symbol on my right ankle. He may or may not be able to see the mark in the dim light. It does not matter. I release the robes, letting them cover my skin again. "I want you to understand why you are here." I get up, the tendrils on my back stretching from where they bind my captive. I stand by the window, where there is more light. "Healing magic is rare, or at least it is rare in Adonis." I grin. My unusually sharp canines shine. "You will accompany me on missions. You will heal the wounds I receive. You will never leave my side." I laugh. "You are now my slave." My purple eyes glow in the dim light.

" "

[Zari A'Soul]

Zari felt like a puppet.  A mere parade decoration as Sakura would march the streets like the leader of an orchestra of two. He just looked down to all the people in the street. They looked like muggers or whores to him. But what did he know of these people? Perhaps they could only afford to look as they did due to this Phantom Cloak guild taking their Jewel. Such savages. The healer could hardly contain his disdain for the town as Sakura brought him up to Phantom Cloak. The appearance of the guild hall made Zari become filled with intimidation. Perhaps he should not have acted tough before. 

As he was dragged through the air up to the top floor, he began to reconsider his actions. And once he saw how dark and big Sakura's room was, that is when a younger Zari would have been begging for mercy. Though now he had to face whatever waited for him. And being sat down on a couch was not what he expected to be waiting for him. It was as though he entered a weird realm between hell and limbo. Sakura ordered him to speak. But she kept talking without giving him a chance to speak. Thankfully she saved him the horror of asking questions. Her name was Sakura, and she was from Phantom Cloak. Whose guild he could only imagined they were in now. But the following string of dialogue would send his head spinning. Him? A slave?!

"Sakura." He began with a rebellious tone. "I do not care if you are from Phantom Cloak. I know perfectly well that my magic is a rare thing in this Kingdom. But I am not just a magic healer. I am a medic. I have been saving lives and helping people all over. His one green eye was wide with an uncharacteristic flare within. "I will not be a slave for you. No one should be a slave." He took in a deep breath before simmering down. "But if you wish to use my skills, I shall forgive you for that last suggestion. And I shall offer my services to you. You are a young woman. You will need someone beside you for one thing or another. Just like any other person." 

The healer let out another sigh before relaxing his tensed body. Perhaps that was enough to make her understand his thoughts and position in all this. Surly she could understand that he would help her anyway he can. "B-but I am not trying to sound important." he quickly added. "I just want to try and drive home my point." His more humble and timid side was showing now. A weakness easy to see by someone like Sakura.  

[Sakura Hikari]

"Oh?" There's a twinkle in my eyes. "But what you are suggesting is exactly what I had planned." I say calmly, rubbing the underside of his chin with a tendril. "So instead of being ordered to be my slave... you desire it?" There's a teasing purr from my throat. "And because you desire it, it somehow does not make you my slave." The shadow tendrils vanish, and I stand in the light with my arms crossed over my chest. "You talk in circles. But, very well. I'll take on your bargain." I laugh. This guy is too funny. "I admire your courage. That's good. You're going to need it." I wink. "And you're going to have to fix that ideology of yours. That you're going to help people 'all over'. You can't help everyone. You can't save everyone. But most of all-- you can't be a hero." I smirk. "Me, especially. I would know that best." I cast a glance to both of my shoulders. On one, the Fairy Tail symbol. On the other, the Griffin Wing symbol. I've been through them all. A light guild, a mediator guild, a dark guild. All of them are the same. All of them are just fighting for their survival. I'd rather be in a guild that admits it's evil than be a part of one that lives in lies. I turn to him and blink. "Very well, then. Out of my kind graces, I will spare making you get the Phantom Cloak guild marking." I turn towards the door. "Let's go. We have a mission."

" "