Walking down the dark corridor, the lone male examined the paintings, swords, and other valuables that adorned the walls of his very large mansion. It was relatively dark now, even inside his home. He felt no pleasure as he marched down the hall. He had stopped feeling pleasure for the things he bought and collected, for the things he enjoyed, long ago. And now he felt dull, board. Even, alone.
It was worse after a woman approached him one day, saying she found his weakness. Unamused, he told her to leave, that she was delusional. That was until she proved he had someone he didn't expect. His childhood friend.  His closest friend one was in the hands of an unknown women. This woman told him her benefactor was named Tyrah. He didn't understand what Tyrah's plans were for the people he was forced to collect and hand over to her.
He stopped by a large golden rimmed mirror and gazed into it. His green eyes stared back at him standing out from his pale skin, and long black hair that sat over his shoulder. He was a beautiful man. He wore a dark blue shirt with the first top buttons unbuttoned showing his chest a bit. Then a long coat held on by a gold thin chain across the open chest part of his shirt.
"As beautiful as always, my Griffin." Mused a female voice behind him. He felt his jaw clench. He felt the woman's small hand on his back, sliding up and over to his arm. "You've been doing such a good job, perhaps I should reward you." She mused with a soft giggle that made him feel disgusted.
He wanted to skin himself wherever she touched him. "At the masquerade ball, there should be plenty of women to choose from. Take them and lead them to the garden. We will take it from there." She said still touching him.  He hated her, hated the woman named Tyrah who was forcing him to do this. His cold eyes stared at himself in the mirror. "Yes." He said darkly.

The rush and whispers of the servants as they prepared her for the ball, made her exhausted. They washed her, dressed her, and did her hair. But when they tried to remove her mask to do her makeup. She resisted telling them she would do her own makeup. After the maids left, she took off the mask, and examined her face. Carefully she applied makeup, not heavily but enough to not make herself stick out. She then picked up the half mask that covered most of her nose and eyes, but still made her uneasy. After all, it was easy to hide your expressions behind a mask.
Sighing she placed the mask over her face, thinking about what she was meant to accomplish on this mission. Get information to prove he was doing the things she had been told. Human trafficking. They had no idea where the women were taken or what happened to them. She would find out.

The rush and whispers of the servants as they prepared her for the ball made her feel exhausted. They washed her, dressed her, did her hair, but when they tried to remove her mask to do her makeup, she resisted telling them she would take care of her makeup herself.
After the maids left, she took off her mask and examined her face. Carefully she applied makeup, not heavy, but enough to not look out of place at a ball. She then picked up the half mask that had been provided for her, and felt uneasy as she gazed at the simple white mask. After all, it was easy to hide your emotions and expressions under a full face mask.
Sighing she placed the mask over her face, thinking about what she was meant to accomplish at this mission. Get the information, see what he was doing. She had been told girls had been going missing, she half wondered if maybe shadows could be involved. She would locate them.
Thinking of all these things made her feel tired. She examined the royal blue dress that was turtle neck up top, sleeveless, the color darkened the further down the dress you got, but the sparkle of the Gems sewn in made the dress look like the night sky. There was a bow at her waist that sparkled, and gold lining lined the dress. This royal blue was her favorite color. She had heard. It was also her target's favorite color.
She had a strong body. Strong arms that normally would stand out, but the dress did well to soften her body in terms of looks. Made her look far more feminine than what she was used to. She glanced to her hip where her sword normally hung and felt bare without it.
The knock on the door broke her from her thoughts. "Ready?" Lowens familiar voice broke though her thoughts as he stepped in, but as soon as he lay his eyes on her he paused. Did she look weird? She hoped not.
Lowen was blown away. Tyrah looked beautiful. Her long black hair hung loosely around her and had a shine to it. More than usual, the dress brought out a more feminine side of her he had never seen before. But when he gazed at her face, he was awestruck. He had never seen so much of her face before.
She wore light lipstick that drew his eyes to her lips, and now he could see just how blue her eyes really were. She was beautiful. Not that he didn't think she normally was. His brain stopped for a second. He thought she was beautiful. When did he start noticing when he had never noticed that kind of thing before he joined her? He thought back to the day they had met. She had stood alone in the crowd, no one would speak or look at her in fear. But what he saw was a lonely beautiful soul alone in the world. And he resonated with that.
Tyrah examined lowen in front of her as he was deep in thought himself. He had changed so much from the first day they had met. He had worn torn dirty clothes that were boxy and ill fitting. Now he stood before her wearing a dark outfit half his hair pulled up, back into a ponytail. He wore a black button up shirt and a jacket that sat on his shoulders like a cape held by a thin gold chain that ran across his chest. She hadn't realized how handsome he was. Or maybe, she had refused to. Lowen really was beautiful. The scars added mystery to his charm and good looks.
The scar he had from his jaw by his ear to his mid cheek he had gotten taking a blow for her. Her mind drifted to the day they had first met.

The crowd was noisy, people walked around her, glancing at her dark clad figure. She looked out of place with the sword she carried and the white mask that she wore. People walked around her in a wide cirlcle trying to stay as far from touching her as possible. To them she didnt exist. Maybe they thought she was an assassin. But as she stood there alone in the croud of busy people going about their daily lives, and shopping, tyrah knew she was lost.
She had never been to this town before. She had been sent here on orders to investigate rumors of strange savage deaths in the area. She either had an insane serial killer on her hands, or a shadow. Not that there really was much difference between the two besides one being human.
Shadows were created from the vast negative emotions humans felt and acted upon. Shadows were sneaky and often times could be smart the more they evolved. "Are you lost?" Tyrah, broken from her thoughts by a male voice behind her, turned, slightly distracted as she hadn't even heard him approach her from behind. That surprised her.
The man was tall, gray eyes that held a curiosity in them. He wore white tattered clouths. His feet bare. His white hair dusty and dull but not from age. He had one scar on his face over his right eye. This man she came to realize just then was a slave. She hated that nobles more often then not had several slaves. But out of everyone here, he had been the only one to stop and talk to her. She couldn't help the moment of silence between them while she gathered her thoughts before she spoke.
"I am." She had to look up at him as he was so tall. He was patient as he stood in front of her. "What are you looking for? Perhaps i can be of help." He said to her politely. He offered a slight warm smile. She examined the man before her. He wasn't much older then she was. "I'm looking for a business in this city, but I'm not sure where." She said calmly.
Giving a slight nod, he waited for her to tell him what she was looking for. She noticed how the other people avoided the two of them. "It's a weapons shop and forgery." She replied trying to recall the name of it. "I know where that is. I can show you. We only have one shop in this town that has both." He said to her with a light smile. She was thankful for his knolage of the place. "

The crowd was noisy. People walked around her, glancing at her. Dark clad outfit Dana. White mask probably scared them; they pretended she didn't exist. The people she tried to talk to ran as soon as she approached. They must have thought she was an assassin or something.
She was lost though. She hadn't been to this town before. But she had heard from HR that there were sightings and strange deaths in the area and it was thought to be shadows. So she was sent to investigate. She either had a serial killer or a shadow on her hands. Not that either were very different from each other.
Though shadows were created from the vast negative emotions humans felt and acted upon. Shadows were sneaky and oftentimes could be smart.
"Are you lost?" Broken from her thoughts she looked up to a tall man with gray curious eyes. He wore white tattered clothes. his feet bare and dirty. His hair is long and silver, but dusty. He had one scar on his face over his right eye. This man was a slave, and he had been the only one to talk to her. "I am." She said, gazing at him.
"What are you looking for?" His voice was quiet and courteous. "Perhaps i can be of help to you." He offered a slight smile to show his good will.  "I'm looking for a business. It's in this city, but I'm not sure where." She admitted.
Giving a slight nod, he waited for her to tell him. As they talked about what she was looking for, she watched the other people avoid them. "I know where that is. Please follow me." He said, turning. Both walked together, and stayed quiet.
Glancing at him every so often, she wondered who he worked for. And why he was helping her. But the more she watched him, the more she realized he wasn't human.
"Here." He said as they came to a stop at the shop she needed. This place had information about the sightings. "Thank you. For your kindness." She said after a moment. She wouldn't forget this. "It's no problem." He said to her as he shifted from side to side slightly. Not used to being thanked.
She watched as he left and tipped her head slightly thinking to herself. It had been a long time since anyone had been kind to her. And that warmed something in her.
Turning away she asked into the weapons shop. At the counter she spotted the owner. The walls were lined with all sorts of weapons ranging from small handguns to swords and axes. Knives were displayed in cases in the shop on either side like an aisle. Walking forward she noticed the shopkeeper turned pail upon her entry to the shop. She could see the sweat drip down his face. She had to give him credit though. He hadn't run. Yet.
She came to a stop before him. The only thing separating them was the wooden counter. She could tell he felt better for it.  Not that it could prevent anyone from attacking. But she wouldn't. After all, the only thing she would ever fight was shadows.
"You contacted the hunters about the disappearances of people in this city. What can you tell me?" She tried to sound non threatening. But the poor man looked like he wanted to pee himself. Was this an effect of the mask? Did it unsettle those who looked upon her, as her face wasn't visible?
She would ponder the question another time. "Y....yes. I saw strange Smokey black creatures with glowing red eyes, I saw them roaming around in the manner of a noble, I was going to deliver a shipment of training swords, but once I saw that thing, I refused to go in. Because i knew the old stories." He said shakily.
"Thank you for reaching out, i will do my best to stop them." She said to the older man, who upon hearing this looked relieved. Turning she wondered what she might find in this manner. "The estate is west of here. You can't miss it." The man said. Giving a nod as she listened to this information, she headed off.

The devastation she found when she arrived could make even the most seasoned man sick. Bodies of slaves and staff of the manor were scattered all over the ground. Each was bleed to death, even from here she could tell none were alive. The smell of the iron  blood scent made her stomach churn.
It didn't take long for the shadow to make itself known. It had Sensed her arrival. She watched it emerge from the house, the creature was as big as a bear and similar in shape. It's red eyes glowed with glee at another victim before it. She could see it was in rapture at the death surrounding it. That it caused. At the loss of innocent life. She clenched her saw and slowly pulled her sword, facing the large creature of fear and malice.
It was quick, but she was trained to dodge, it was easy for her to keep up. Dashing to one side, she kept her eye on the large creature. It followed bellowing out a horrible joyful noise as it gave chase. Every step it took, it tore up the earth with its large claws in its pursuit.
As she sprinted she spotted part of the wall that had been smashed. The rubble littered the torn up grass. She figured this had happened when the shadow had gone on a rampage earlier. Making a quick choice, noticing that the brick wall led to vines attached to the house up to the roof, she jumped and pulled herself up onto the wall and kept running, luring the shadow to a place it would be hard for it to move around too much.  As she dashed along the brick wall, the shadow smashed holes into the brick wall trying to shake her off it.
She gritted her teeth slightly as she took careful steps. She focused on getting to the vines. It roared in frustration as she quickly climbed up the vines. The shadow used its claws digging them into the brick walls leaving scars where his claws had been. She stood watching it stand before her on the rooftop. Staring at each other.
Growling deeply the shadow moved, and she followed. Both circling each other. Tyrah remained silent. No wind, no sound of the forest around them. But the sky had grown dark and heavy with rain. The sky rumbled its sudden warning of what was to come. The shadow jumped, but she dodged causing the shadow to crash into the chimney she had been standing in front of a moment before.
As the dust settled she saw the creature rise from the rubble growling deeply. It charged, lashing out at her. Sliding to the side, she slashed the shadow cutting its leg as she passed.
It cried out angrily, and charged again. Rain began to pour on them like sheets flowing over a bed. The roof quickly became slippery. The shadow charged, but when she went to dodge, her foot slipped. The bear-shaped shadow brought his clawed paw up and brought it down to slash her open, but at the last second it slipped as well, only managing to cut her arm. Its momentum was too much and it fell forward with its swing and smashed a large hole into the roof causing it to collapse.
Tyrah held her breath as it collapsed. It felt like the world slowed. Dust clouded her vision, she felt the wind get knocked out of her when she landed. She was left with minor scrapes and bruises, and coughed as she sat up. Her lungs and eyes burned from the dust that was settling. Her eyes darted around quickly trying to see the Shadow. Quickly she grabbed her sword that lay beside her. For a moment she was glad she hadnt landed on that, and got to her feet, but she wasn't fast enough. The shadow stood over her. Its red eyes glared down showing glee at its perceived victory over her. She watched as its claw rose above its head, preparing to end her life. Gray light filtered down from the gaping hole in the ceiling casting the gray light upon its large frame towering over her. Dust floated around them, only moved by the wind coming in from the hole. Rain continued to pour down over both of them, soaking them. A sudden flash blinded her for a moment, making her turn her head away from the light. Then the roll of thunder followed. Her heart raced as she quickly looked back to see scorch marks marred the wooden floor around the shadow that stood absolutely still. It was paralyzed. Only then did she realize that it had been struck by lightning. Silence engulfed the room as she quickly got into position. She rained, blowing out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding, and slashed. Slicing through the shadows midsection. The force she used was immense. She was crouched behind the beast as  sound finally entered her ears once more.
Rain fell onto the floor, and wind blew. She had won. She stood to her feet as she turned and watched the shadow melt into ash before disappearing into nothing. She let out a soft sigh of relief as she had survived. The deep cut on her arm began to ache along with every other injury she managed to get from falling. She held out her arm and examined the deep cut that bleed down her arm. It would scar, but she would survive. Besides the scrapes and bruises, this was the worst injury.
She moved to the door on the floor and lifted it. She hoped she could find any survivors. As she dropped down from the attic and landed on her feet, she suddenly spotted a familiar figure. White hair dirty from a fight, she recalled him. The man who helped her in the market. She quickly moved to his side to see if he was still alive and found him breathing shallowly. He had his hand over an injury on his side. She noticed several smashed walls and figured out this man had been thrown through them. She looked around quickly for anything to stop the bleeding and spotted some curtains hanging close by.
She tore off a large strip, and went back to the man. She worked quickly giving him emergency first aid. She was thankful for the classes she was forced to go to while training. His eyes had been closed till she touched him. His gray eyes looked confused. "Its... you.." his voice came out horse. She was surprised he could even talk at this moment. "Yes, stay still so I can stop the bleeding. I'll make sure youll be okay." he took in a shaky breath before closing his eyes for a moment. "Any survivors?" she asked as she worked on fixing him up the best she could. He shook his head no. Solemnly she nodded. "I thought so." she said in a soft tone. He looked at the ceiling as she finished up. "The only reason I'm not dead is because I'm not human." he said quietly.
His body was much hardier than a humans. "Yes. I can see that you were thrown through twelve walls. No human could survive that." she cracked a slight smile, but he couldn't see that. "Mind telling me what you are so I can treat you correctly?" she asked as she helped him sit up against the rubble of the wall he had been smashed though. It took him a moment to catch his breath. Sweat lined his brow from the pain he was in. He must have smashed his head. It was shocking he didn't have broken bones from what she could tell. "Werewolf originally, but i was forcibly turned to a vampire to become a slave to the master of this house." his gray eyes darkened at the memory. She hadnt meant to make him relive something like that.
Thinking about what he was, the simplest way to get him strong enough to be able to get out of here, he would need blood. Being as she was the closest it made sense that he would have to drink hers. She held her wrist. "Drink so you can recover enough to safely move you and not kill me. I need to get you to a safe location." she watched his hesitation. But he nodded and did as she ordered. She winced slightly as he bit down, but the pain faded just as soon as it had started. She watched amazed as his injury quit bleeding, and she was impressed by his self control when he stopped as soon as he had enough to recover a bit.
She let him regain some strength for a moment, before helping him to his feet. His arm around her shoulder. Together they stood, she bore half his weight. Slowly they made progress down the hall together before she recalled that she didn't know his name. She glanced over to see him sweating, his hand over the painful injury on his side. He looked exhausted. "What's your name?" she asked, taking in the bags under his eyes. They walked slowly down the stairs one step at a time as he glanced over to her. "Lowen," he said after a moment of silence. She nodded quietly as she pushed aside a fallen framed photograph that had fallen from the wall. In fact several lay on or at the end of the stairs. They must have fallen from all the shaking the building must have gone through.
They passed a large scar in the wall caused by the Shadows claws and figured it had dashed up the stairs in pursuit of someone. "I'm Tyrah. " was all she said in reply. He gave a little smile at this as they reached the base of the stairs. They walked over the broken frames and pictures. She made sure he didn't step on glass as they made their way out. They turned many heads as they walked through the town heading to the inn she was occupying. Night had fallen by the time they reached their destination. She pushed the door open and the both of them stepped into the lobby. Both were soaked to the bone and bloody.  As soon as the innkeeper lay his eyes on the two of them, he went pale.
Tyrah, in an effort to be nice, gave a nod of greeting to the keeper as herself and Lowen headed for the stairs. As they passed the desk she asked the innkeeper to bring up an extra set of clothing for lowen and some medical supplies, and to put it on her bill for HQ. she tossed in shoes for poor Lowen as he was still barefoot. Once to her room she took him inside, and a young man followed with the change of clothing she had requested. "Please assist him with a bath. He needs to wash up before he rests. He's starting to run a fever." she noted that last part more to herself than anyone else. Quickly the young man took over for her. She stepped out giving Lowen some privacy as he was assisted with washing up. Once he was washed up and dressed she came back in. She thanked the young man who was helping Lowen into bed. She set to work getting cool water and a cloth. When she returned she put the bowl on the bedside table and dipped the cloth in before wringing out the excess water. Carefully she lay it on his forehead. His face was a reddish color from the fever she was having.
Over the next couple days she watched over him. Fed him food brought to them by the cook in the inn, and frequently cleaned and changed the bandages on his wound. Lowen faded in and out of consciousness, but every time he opened his eyes, he saw her.  On the third day, he woke up. When he first woke, all he saw was the wooden beams and ceiling above him as well as light. He blinked slowly as he squinted his eyes from the brightness. He heard the sound of a page turning in his book and turned his head to see Tyrah sitting in a chair beside him, she had her legs crossed with a book in her hands.
Hearing him move she looked over the top of her book to him. She lowered her book when she watched him sit up. She felt surprised when he climbed out of bed, got on his hands and knees and bowed low enough to where his forehead touched the ground. "Please allow me to serve you till the day I die. I owe you a great debt."
Closing her book and setting it onto the bedside table as she sighed. Gently she touched his shoulder. "I don't want or need a slave, Lowen." she said softly. He looked up at her with pleading gray eyes. "But a partner, A partner I need." she said softly. But her voice was warm.  He sat up, gazing at her masked face. "Then a partner you'll have," he said quietly.
Her hands moved to the metal color around his neck, reaching out, she broke it from him easily.  "Lowen. Welcome to the Shadow Hunters Guild."  

"You look beautiful." Broken from her thoughts, Tyrah looked up at lowen surprised. She hadn't expected him to think so. She felt her face warm at the compliment. "Thank you, it's been a while since ive worn a dress." She admitted. Lowen loved being able to  see the expressions on her face for once. She looked shy. He couldn't see much of her face still, but it was more than he had ever seen before. It felt good to see the pink that appeared on her cheeks.
"Hey tyrah! Are you rea...." Valentine had all but dashed into the room and came to a stop when she saw tyrah. "You look great!" She gushed as she dashed over to get a closer look at the embarrassed women. "Thank you." She said a bit awkwardly. Valentine smiled. "We will take separate carriages to stay undercover better." Valentine said with an amused look on her face. "We will be close by at all times. We have your back." Valentine said with a bright smile on her face. Valentine walked into the room to the chair and grabbed the shawl Tyrah had on the back of it and carefully draped it over tyrahs shoulders. The shawl matched the dress she wore. Valentine was confident in the mission, and determined to do well. She led the small group out of the room, amusing Tyrah as she followed behind, lowen was relaxed as they walked down the hall. Halfway there a couple knights of the house came and escorted them out to the carriages. Tyrah listened  to lowens and Valentine's chatter.
As they walked down the stone steps, she spotted two carriages waiting for the three of them. Horses stood at the fronts of them, white and beautiful in their uniformity. Tyrahs carriage was black with gold intricate designs along it. Lowen and Valentine's was white with black designs. There was one knight on the side of each carriage by the door prepared to open it and assist them inside. When tyrah stepped into the one she was ridding, she noticed how beautiful the interior was. Black with red velvet seats and red curtains. When she sat down she felt comfortable in the soft seat.
The knight closed the door, and it didnt take long for them to start moving. She crossed her arms as she quietly looked out the window at the land as it moved carefully on by outside the window. Besides the occasional bump, it was uneventful to the event. But when they arrived it wasn't the knight who escorted her who opened the door, but the staff of the ducal house who offered a hand and helped her step foot outside the carriage. Another offered an arm and walked alongside her to guide her inside for the gathering. Once inside one of the staff took her shawl for her. Another asked for her name to announce it.
As she softly spoke her name, she waited as the doors parted, and the lights of the ballroom fell upon her. As the doors cracked open, music poured out, sliding over her like rain on bare skin. As she walked in, her name was called out. All heads turned as she entered, and made her way down the white grand staircase down into the ballroom. All she saw was masks. People, all she smelled was perfume and food. The Assault of color filled her gaze as women all around wore lavish dresses and masks. Some held glasses of wine in their hands. Just as she stepped down form the last step, she saw him. A tall man wearing dark blue. His hair, long and dark in a ponytail over one shoulder. Even with the mask she could tell he was a beautiful man.
Briefly she wondered if he was the man she was in search for. But it couldn't be that easy could it? He gazed at her with an intense gaze the moment she stepped into the room, like he might know who she was. Like she was familiar. But the problem was, she had never seen him before. He carried himself in a calm and Elegant manner that spoke of confidence. He was taller than her. Even when she wore heels. For a moment she was distracted a little hearing the names of lowen and Valentine being announced. But her gaze didnt stray too far from the man. Could he be her target? Or was he simply entrawled by her? She looked very different from the other women, after all. Her hands were scarred and thick with calluses, her form strong from all the hours training, though that affect was softened by the dress that showed a more feminine side then she normally never showed.
She hadn't realized she had been tuning out everyone for a few moments, till he spoke to her. He had approached her almost as soon as she had taken that last step into the ballroom. The room was so bright. She noticed the three girls approaching her with light smiles. She hoped they didn't have bad intentions. After all, There was the battle to reach the top of the social ladder. And it was a fight to stay there. She wasn't interested in that kind of thing. She wasn't here to become a social light.
"Miss Lynn, A pleasure to meet you." The middle girl who was clearly the leader of the little group said. She held a ruby red fan in her hand decorated with feathers. She had long dark hair that was done up in an elegant updo. Her eyes were gray. "My name is Anne. To my right with the red hair and green dress is Quinn. Then to my left is Sarah. We were quite awestruck by your entrance." She said with a warm smile. She didn't have bad intentions. Her body language showed sincerity and friendliness. It was hard to lie with body language.
"I'm from the earls house. My two friends are the daughters of barons. " she said to her, wanting to start a friendship. She wondered why they would want to be friends with her seeing as they had never met till now. She had never been one to attend social gatherings, even as a noble. "It's wonderful to meet you three." Tyrah tried for kindness, but felt a little awkward. She wasn't used to being around so many people. "It's been a very long time since I've come to any functions." Tyrah admitted. "I apologize if my manners are not up to par." Anne smiled kindly. "It's not a problem. I entered the social life rather late myself. But I'm not really interested in climbing that ladder. I'm looking for lifetime friends." She admitted. Tyrahs smile warmed at her sincerity. "I see. I would like to get to know the three of you more then." Tyrah said with a beautiful smile. Anne blushed with admiration for Tyrah. She had initially been scared that Tyrah might be scary or rude as she was the daughter of a duke and therefore had a High status, even though she had never come to a function before.
"Would you like to chat for a while then over by the terrace?" Offered Quinn, though she said it rather shyly. "Of course." Tyrah said with a light smile. The girls beamed and linked arms. It was an unfamiler feeling to her to be so welcomed. So.. except. She wondered how long it would last once they found out her occupation.the four of them stood together while others watched on. Lots wondering who she was. "So from your hands I can see you train with a sword?" Asked Anne who sipped her wine from her cup. The other two looked at tyrahs hands curious now as they hadn't noticed this. They had been distracted from how beautiful she was. "Yes. It is part of why I do not come to these parties. I'm not exactly the picture of a noblewoman." Tyrah mused as she watched the others. Sarah gave a shrug. "Nothing wrong with that. I ride horses and I like to garden. Not things we are not supposed to do." Sarah said to her. Anne and Quinn nodded in agreement about this. "I love painting and crafting. I often have these two over so we can spend time doing the things we love. We hate the idea of being just side ornaments for men." Anne admitted. Tyrah smiled at them. She liked them. Had the nobles changed so much over the ten years she had been absent? Perhaps. She could be friends with them.
"Don't get me wrong. I'd like to get married and have a family. But I also want to be able to continue to do the things I love." She said to Tyrah, "some of the ladies and men here don't like that." Sarah said in reply to Anne. "I want to one day join in hunting." Quinn said in a dreamy sigh. Tyrah smiled at these girls. Maybe they would get along with Valentine as well. Valentine had a strong personality that would meld well with this little group of girls. Sarah, who was looking at the crowd, suddenly grabbed hold of Anne's dress suddenly. "Oh my goodness, isn't that Duke Griffin?" Whispered Sarah who looked star struck. Tyrah looked up to see who was. The man she had initially figured was her target was approaching them. He wore a half mask like she did. His eyes were a greenish color. The other three girls were holding their breaths.
Tyrah wondered for a moment why they were so excited. She supposed the rumors of his popularity were no joke.  She glanced at the girls before looking back at him. "Hello. Would you please take this dance?" Griffin held his hand out to her and bowed a little. A smile on his face. Charming, gentlemanly.  His brightly colored blue green eyes were curious. But there was something hidden in them as well. She gazed at the hand he held out for her, before silently placing her hand in his. She felt slight amusement when she realized that Anne was holding her breath and looking excited for her.
Griffin, having her hand, led her to the dance floor. She hadn't danced in a long time, so hoped she would do well enough. The music began. He had noticed her rough hands when they began to dance. It was hard not to. They weren't the pretty soft delicate hands of a noble lady. Her hands were calloused with various scars from wielding a blade. "You work with swords?" He asked curiously as he pulled her a little closer for a spin. She gave a curt nod of agreement. "I do indeed." She replied, watching him. Her blue eyes watching him. "I also often work with swords."he replied amused. "I often use short blades." He said as he examined her. "Hm." Was all she said as they danced. They danced, swirled, and moved elegantly. They enthralled the people who watched. He was a good dancer. And so was she. She felt silly for her worries. "You're an elegant dancer." The duke said as he watched her. He spun her bringing her back to his chest. His breath tickled her neck making her want to cringe. She caught a glimpse of white hair, and for a moment made eye contact with Lowen. He looked uncomfortable. Uneasy. And she thought, but wasn't sure,but he looked Jealous. "So miss Lynn." The duke asked as he spun her with ease. His sea green eyes glittered with a teasing light as he watched her dress sway. "I didn't catch your first name." He mused as he looked at her. She tipped her head a little. The long earrings she wore gently swayed and glittered in the light of the ballroom. "Tyrah."
The color drained from his face upon hearing her name. Like he had heard it before, like he knew who she was. But the thing was, she didn't know who he was, or even how he knew her name. She narrowed her eyes a little bit at his strange reaction to her.
"I see you seem to know my name." She mused seeing him. Her words careful.  "Ah, yes." He said a bit strangely, a bit confused. "Strange since I've never met or heard of you up until recently." She said feeling uneasy about him. "Who told you my name?" She asked him starting right into his eyes. He gazed right back into them. He looked as confused as she did. "Let's talk about this on the veranda? I have questions and I'm sure you have questions as well." 
Tyrah gazed at him blankly for a moment, looking at the arm he offered her, before carefully winding her arm with his. He led her through the crowd. The people parted letting them through. Her gaze stayed ahead at the doors they were approaching. She could hear the people whispering as they passed. She looked forward to leaving the perfume filled room and the dizzying amount of whispers.
The refreshed feeling that filled her as they stepped outside was unmatched. The air was cool, the stars bright.  Her dark hair gently flowed in the wind. She let the silence grow heavy, let him sweat a little bit. She wanted him to worry. All this to hide her own worry about her identity as a shadow hunter. Someone he shouldn't know, or even know about. Finally she turned to face him. When she looked into his eyes, she didn't see malice, or murderous intent. Instead she could see the millions of questions he wanted to ask, that threw her off a bit.
Griffin had a million questions. This woman wasn't what he was expecting her to be. She was clueless about him and what he was being forced to do. But if she wasn't the one doing this, then who was? That thought stuck with him like the kind of thorns that pricked deeply and didnt move. He wanted to test her. See if she would follow him to the garden where he had been told to take the next victim. If she was the one setting him up, she would refuse to go into the garden, and if she followed, then it would be clear she had no idea. If that was the case, he would protect her the best he could. Even if it meant he might lose his life.
He watched her intelligent blue eyes watch him. If she really didnt know, he closed his eyes to gain his composure. For some reason looking at her made him feel funny. "Well. I do believe I know your father." He said offering a different truth. He offered a charming smile as he opened his eyes again to look at her. She tipped her head in a wolf like feature that made her blue eyes thoughtful. He thought it was cute. Her eyes warmed slightly at the mention of her father. " I haven't seen him in a long long time." She said wistfully. He cocked his head a little bit. "Why not my lady? What keeps you from seeing him?" He thought it was a harmless question, designed to get her to talk to him more, reveal more to him. As he asked the question he leaned against the large white stone rail that lined the veranda. He examined the way she looked away and toward the sky. It was quiet between them, and he took this opportunity to watch her. She looked strong. Like she had seen a lot of things in her life, and had survived in a way that most wouldn't. Not damaged per say, but close. "I gave up my Title and Noble position." He felt a surprise flash through him, then more questions. Then one came to the forefront that he wanted to know the most. "Then why did you come? The other nobles are likely to talk about you, and not in a good way." He said struggling to understand her.  She shrugged. "A favor for a friend. I don't care what the other nobles think or say about me." She said dismissively. She had long ceased to care about what other people said about her. It never proved to be useful to her. All it did was cause hurt feelings. Even when she answered the questions, it led to more questions.
"Why leave your title and home?" He asked frowning, like it was something he couldn't ever imagine. She looked over to him, and the sad look she tried to hide, showed in the way her eyes dimmed just a bit. "I was betrayed." She flashed a little smile, trying to lighten the mood. But if anything, it made it worse. "I decided I would be better off without the chains of a noble, and have found a much more fulfilling life. " She turned her head away with a genuine smile this time. She thought about the people in her life now. Kai and Lowen, even Valentine and her father. They mattered to her in a way no one else did, not in a long time.
"It hasn't been easy. But I have people I care deeply about now." A gentle smile lit her face and made something soften inside him. He felt warm watching the way she talked about the people she cared about. Who did he have that made him feel that way? He wanted that. That security in feeling like the people that she had loved her, he wished for that as well. He felt his heart race a little at her sincerity.
This woman, she was so... he stopped the thought before it could even finish. 'No, I can't be fooled. This must all be an act of some sort. The chatter from inside caught their attention. A woman talking to a group about disappearances in the area. Tyrah's eyes narrowed a little as she listened. Griffin she saw was quiet. His expression was blank. "Disappearances. "Tyrah mused as she tilted her head in a way that showed her curiosity. "I've also gotten word about those." She slid her eyes over to his. She looked him straight in the eyes. Her blue eyes clear, bright almost. Curious. It made Griffin's breath catch just a little. She was rather beautiful, he knew she was. Even though most of her face was covered, just the shape he could tell.
"It's always women of a certain age range. I've heard rumors of a drug ring." She mused. Her blue eyes blazed at the words. Filled with an emotion he couldn't pinpoint. But it drew him to her. That pure look in her eyes. She didn't look like who he thought she was. Who he was told she was. She didn't look like someone who would force another to do her bidding. He needed to do one last test. And if she passed...
"I've heard the same rumor. " he played it off. He leaned in a bit, catching the smell of the perfume she wore. "I think I might know where they might be disappearing at." He said earnestly. "I've been suspecting someone in this house, one of my staff, but I haven't been able to prove it. But tonight I set a trap to catch him." He said, looking around for a moment. He hoped she believed it. She watched him. She could tell he was lying, but decided to play along. "I see. Why don't you show me then?" She tipped her head to try  and give a cute curious look. She wasn't sure if she could pull it off.
He liked her confidence. "It will be dangerous. " he said, trying to see if she would take the bait. "I'm aware." She said with a shrug. She didn't really mind the danger.
He felt unsure as he gazed at her. Feeling the conviction leaves him. Could it be that easy? Tyrah watched him mentally struggle with himself. Tyrah knew she had him. She wasn't much of an actor, but she managed to pull this off. She did feel a bit clumsy in her attempt to have him take her to the others perhaps.
He stood again. He looked around thinking about what was going to happen. He wasn't sure what even happened to the woman he handed over. But he was sure if he ever found out, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. He glanced over to Tyrah who stood beside him. "Follow me, but stay close. I don't know what we will find." He said to her, He offered an arm, she wrapped her arm with his and walked alongside him. She could feel Lowen close by watching them.
She felt better for that. She glanced at Griffin who hadn't noticed lowen. At least not yet. Griffin's eyes glanced around for the one who would come. Though he liked this women, he couldn't let his cousin die. The walk downt he steps felt so long to him. The garden felt so far yet so close all at the same time. Sweat beaded a bit on his back. There footsteps on the grass made light noise. The flowers scented the air delicately. The darkness seemed heavy to him. The tall trees around them moved a bit in the wind. It felt ominous and heavy.
They had walked for a few minutes before a voice he recognized from the shadows of the forest. "My my, what do we have here?" A feminine voice called out. One tyrah felt like she kind of recognized as well but couldn't place it. Griffins arm tightened a bit, being gentlemanly he moved tyrah a bit behind him. Tyrah glanced at him when he stepped up and raised a brow a bit. Tyrah had a feeling this must be the mastermind.
Tyrah stepped around the surprised Griffin as he wasn't expecting her to do this. When she flipped her skirt up and pulled a knife he looked away stunned with a red face and hand over his eyes to not come across as a pervert. He was embarrassed and hadn't been expecting that. She had a knife this whole time? How? Who was this woman?
"So, an accomplice. Let's find out just who you are." Tyrah mused in a tone that sent shivers down his spine. She knew, she knew what he had done. Tyrah was bold. He watched her dash forward, she was fast. The woman appeared from the shadows and flicked her hand at Tyrah as if tossing something. The ground shook making Tyrah's footing unstable. She almost stumbled but most definitely slowed. Movement from the corner of her eyes caused her to turn her head to see what was coming. When she made eye contact with the shadow chargring her, all she could do was brace for impact as best as she could in the few seconds before it hit her.
The shadow plowed into her, knocking the both of them into the bushes as it bit down on her shoulder. It would have bitten her head if she hadn't moved her head to the side in time. She'd much rather have her arm ripped off then her head. She as they fell shoved the knife into its eye as they hit the ground. It reared its large wolf like head and cried out in an ear piercing howl of pain, but as it did that, a bullet sailed through its head killing it. As the shadow turned to ash, she told herself she would have to thank Lowen later. She knew it must have been him who had shot it.
Getting up quickly, she noticed the blood dripping from her arm freely. She ignored the pain and stepped out from the bush that had been damaged, and stared right at the women.
Ignoring the pain she heard the women hiss. "Shadow hunter!" Tyrah tipped her head in an amused way, "so you know of our existence. But I've never heard of someone Helping the shadows. Are you perhaps derived from them?" Contemplated Tyrah. "This must be why the women can't be found. They are all dead."
Tyrah felt the rage bubble up inside her as she spoke the words. She could heard Griffin suck in a stunned breath. He didnt know. Or perhaps maybe he feared her. Tyrah didnt really care about him being afraid of her though. Most people were after all. "Tch. You'll never understand." The cloaked figure hissed out bitterly. Tyrah clutched the large knife in her hands as she stared down the cloaked figure. "Kill her griffin! I command you!" Tyrah turned her cold blue eyes to look at Griffin who didnt look willing, Fear or perhaps something else. "I can't." Griffin said shaking his head. "I will not kill her." He refused. The cloaked figure let out a frustrated snarl "Do it, or He dies!" Tyrah watched stunned as black mist coagulated beside the figure, then dispersed leaving behind a young man no older then fifteen or sixteen. His eyes were glazed over. His body stiff as if he was not in control of himself. Who was this boy? She saw the way Griffin stiffened, and pailed.
Whoever it was, the boy meant a lot to him. "Don't!" Cried out Griffin desperately as the women held a knife to the boys neck. The boy didnt even move. It seemed as if he didnt even know what was going on around him. She wondered what kind of nefarious spell had been placed on the boy. Whatever it was, it was strong.
"Don't!" Griffin called out taking a step forward. Sweat lined his brow. "Then you'll do as I say!" Bellowed out the cloaked figure. She was not about to let this shadow hunter live. Tyrah realized that the figure wasn't aware of Lowen. She silently and mentally applauded Lowen for not being seen or Sensed yet. Unwilling, but having no choice, tyrah watched Griffin pull the thin sword from its sheath. She had thought it was decoration for the night as all the men had been wearing them. But apparently, his was the real deal.
But she had come to the conclusion that he wasn't willing to be doing this stuff. It was this, or the person he cared about, died.  Griffin moved a lot faster then she had been exspecting, though she could tell he didnt have any exspirence in fighting in a real battle like she had. She was quicker, and managed to side step his first attack. As he passed she stuck out her foot enough for him to trip and stumble over it. The jolt though made her injured arm hurt. But shed think about that later. As she turned to watch him stumbled, he managed to stay on his feet, and that surprised her a little bit. He was stronger then she gave him credit for. She wouldn't underestamte this man. That could be dangerous after all.
He sent continuous attacks at her trying to wear her out, but the longer they went at it, the more frustrated the cloaked women got. Tyrah was able to deflect many of his swipes at her, using her long knife. She could feel the air shift a little, and knew Lowen was acting.
She sensed lowens shot before she heard it. The bullet slammed into the cloaked figure and out the other side, knocking her off her feet and away from the boy. Her body slid across the ground with black blood that oozed out of her. The earth split as soon as the figure let out a scream that hurt Tyrah's insides. The earth opened in a giant fissure leading down into the darkness. The earth split and the ground caved in under her and Griffin's feet. She spotted lowen grabbing the boy who hadn't moved but he wasn't fast enough to get away.
The shaking of the ground was so violent, it knocked down trees and she was sure that it probably broke windows at the duke's mansion. Griffin made a quick choice as they began to fall, grabbing hold of tyrah he pulled her close to his chest to try and shield her from damage. She heard Lowen scream her name as they all fell into the blackness of the earth.

The sound of water dripping into a pool of water was what woke Tyrah up from her sleep. As soon as she opened her eyes, she felt an ache in her head. She knew she must have hit it some point on the way down. She felt unexpectedly warm, and not as sore as she should have been. Frowning a little she looked down to the warm mass she happened to be laying on. It was the Duke. She was in fact laying on a man.
She wasn't sure how she felt about that. Awkward for sure. Shaking her head to try and clear away some of the fog from her drowsy brain, and hoping she didn't have some sort of concussion, she got to her feet carefully. Making sure not to step on the still unconscious duke, she examined him for any injuries. She saw some blood around his head. Crouching down, she examined how badly he was hurt. Some cuts, bruises. She wasn't sure if the head one was a serious one or not. She knew head injuries tended to bleed a lot more then regular cuts.
Sighing she wondered if she should just leave him there. After all he was the enemy. She looked up at the air and saw they were completely blocked in by stone. Looking back to the man on the floor she sighed. He had protected her from the fall as best as he could, and really, he was a victim in this whole issue. Tearing the bottom of her dress she began to patch him up with the scraps of her dress. Some soft light caught her attention from the corner of her eye, she walked over quietly and softly brushed off the loose dirt from it and uncovered it. Light softly surrounded the area making her look around some more for the rest of the stones. She was impressed. She spotted more stones close by and decided to collect them all and put them at the center so they would have plenty of light to work by. She figured they were in some sort of tunnel system, there was an exit by them leading possibly further into the was an exit by them leading possibly further into the tunnels.
Tyrah wondered if maybe they had fallen down a mine shaft of some sort. Her mind drifted to Lowen and the boy, and she hoped that they were okay. The slight groan from the Duke caught her attention and made her look over to him. He was covered in dust, just like herself from head to toe. Moving over to examine him again, she crouched at his side as his eyes fluttered open and a moment of confusion filled his eyes. After a moment that confusion cleared away and was replaced with relief. "You're safe." He said looking at her with a little smile.
She was surprised that had been the first thing that came out of his mouth, and even more surprised he even cared about that. "I'm fine." She said with a little sigh. She felt a little guilty that she had been thinking of leaving him there after all. The dripping of the water close by reminded her of the water source they would have if they ended up trapped in the cave. "You hit your head, so don't move too much." Tyrah wouldn't get too close now that he was awake. She didn't trust him yet after all.
"Ill be fine. I've taken worse beatings." Replied the Duke as he carefully sat up. He leaned himself carefully on the stone around them. The rubble was big, and she was glad they hadn't been crushed by it. He let out a sigh as he looked around the room carefully. "How far did we fall?" He asked as he frowned. His eyes gaining more clarity now that he was focused. Shaking her head she let out a light sigh. "I dont know. " Tyrah noticed Griffin looking down at the blue fabric used as bandages around his stomach and leg where he had some nasty cuts, then to her whom sat just out of arm's reach. He looked at the torn bottom of her dress that was the same blue of the fabric on him.
"Thank you." He finally said. And he really was grateful,  And that surprised her. "Who are you really?" He asked her as he crossed his arms. She wasn't a normal person. She was tough, and didn't bat an eye at the creature she had faced above ground. "My name is Tyrah May Lynn. I work for an organization that protects people from creatures called Shadows." She continued on when she saw the frown that came to his lips. "A shadow is created from the negative emotions humans feel. Anger, hatred, sorrow." Tyrah turned her gaze to the glowing pile of stones in front of them. "Their mission is to kill all. When they kill enough, their forms change. They get bigger, smarter." He frowned thinking about what she said. "Who controls them?" He asked. Looking back over, Tyrah had a little frown on her face. "I dont think anyone controls them."
Thinking about what she said, he decided to ask a different question. "How long have you been working with this company?" She held his gaze in silence, thinking about if it was wise or not to be giving him this information. But in the end, she decided it was harmless info, so told him anyways. "Ten years." She said simply. He looked surprised to hear this,
"Why do this work?" He asked her. He wanted to understand her thinking to some degree. Giving a wry smile she looked away back to the stones. "Maybe to run away." She quietly mused. "That was at first. But now? I do it because it's the only thing I'm good at. Destroying, just like the Shadows." She leaned her head against the cool stone thinking about what she had said. Griffin examined tyrah thinking about what she had said, and how he understood in a way, and felt a connection with his Women who should have been his enemy. "I'm not doing these things because I want to." He finally said after the silence in the air had hung around for a while. "They have someone important to me. Whoever it is who has my nephew, is trying to frame you."
Tyrah looked over surprised at what he said to her just then. She pointed to herself confused, her brows furrowed under the mask. "What? Me?" She looked insulted, and just ridiculous enough that he had to try hard not to laugh at her cute confused face.
"Why?" She wondered. "The only bad thing I ever recall doing in the last ten years was accidentally blowing up a forest." She muttered dully. Griffin let out a light laugh. "What? How did you do that?" He asked amused as he examined her. She really wasn't anything like what he had come to expect.
"Yeah no, I don't really like to talk about that one." She replied Solemnly. She wiped her hand over her forehead, and realized the room was just getting hotter. "Enough chit chat. Are you okay enough to walk?" She asked. In answer Griffin stretched out each arm and tipped his head side to side to get a feel of how he felt. Then he flexed his legs. "Yeah no worse than sparing with the knights." He replied with a shrug. "Sore but workable." He replied calmly.
Tyrah was on her feet examining the rocks that glowed, and thinking about whether or not they might need them. "We should take a few of those. It will be dark." Griffin said, getting to his feet. "But first, why don't me and you come up with a plan?"