"I swear I don't understand why he wants to meet in the dead of the night. What could be so damn important that he would wake me this late?" The messenger had just left her room at the Inn and she quickly ran a brush through her hair and tied it back into a loose ponytail. She muttered quietly as she quickly pulled on a pair of skin tight, black leather pants, wiggling her way into them as there was another knock on the door. "Who is it?"

"Ah yah reedy yit Mizz Fordyze?"

Behind the door there was a crash as she stumbled into the table while putting her steel toed boots on. And with a grunt, the woman answered the messenger. "Give a woman a damnable minute, can't ya?"

"Yez'm Mizz Fordyze."

Muttering, she slipped into the tight black leather t-shirt with the words, "I dare you" glittering in dark purple. She quickly grabbed the black trench coat and her "friends" slipping a pair of them into their place within the straps of the coat, another pair to her outer thighs and then grabbing her keys, she hauled the door open and grunted when the messenger boy fell backwards at her feet. Scuffing near him, but not directly into him she hissed. "Get up and lets get going. I've got better things to do with my time then to meet with this scum of a lawyer at this damnable hour."

"Yez'm Mizz Fordyze."

They weaved their way through the drunken patrons inside the bar and through the doors, the rush of the night air, hitting her full in the face as she breathed in and hissed at the messenger. "Be quick or I'll slit your throat."

"Now now Mizz Fordyze Iza juz doin muh job."

"Then be quick about it, and you've nothing to fear from me."

The odd pair made their way through the Streets quietly and quickly moving in the shadowed parts when it was best kept and he stopped suddenly and pointed to a door.

"There."

"Last time you took me to a strip bar, you'd better pray you're right this time or it will be your blood spilt." She slipped through the door and cursed softly as she entered it to look on a few gathered people in what seemed to be a combat Arena. "Damn it to hell." She turned on heel and stormed back through the door, pale blue eyes searching the shadows for the little bugger and her fist met the door as she saw him nowhere in sight. When she looked to the left, she saw the map and snatched it up and began to wander through the streets and towards the scum's supposed office.

--------------------------

She didn't bother knocking when she reached the door, she hauled it open and stepped inside the dimly lit room that smelled of stale cigars and cheap booze. The wisps of smoke coming from behind the desk, told her that she had found his new-found office and she leaned against the nearest wall, crossing an ankle over the other as she glared at him. "This had better be good."

He clasped his greedy little hands together as he nodded enthusiastically towards her. "Oh it is my dear, it is. Seems the couple that found you on their doorstep many years ago left you quite a nice chunk of change when they passed on."

"What in the hell are you talking about Mike, there was nothing. They were as poor as my mother was when she left me there." She looked out the smoke stained window to the left, crossing her arms over her well developed breasts.

"That's where you are wrong Cheyenne, they were not as poor as they led on to be."

He carefully slid a piece of paper towards her and she quickly snatched it up from the corner of the desk and read the figures as she snapped pale blues up towards him. "Are you telling me, that for the past three years, I've been working the darkest parts of Rhydin, selling secrets and this has been mine all this time?"

He gulped quickly. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Mike, I swear to god if you are lying, I'll slit your throat here and now. You had better pray that you are not." She tossed the paper carelessly back onto his desk as she leaned on the corner of the desk.

"Why do you think it's taken me this long to close out the case and the financial mumbo jumbo? Don't forget Chey that we come from the same streets. Even though you've got this money now, don't forget who you are." He rustled some papers on his desk and sighed deeply as he looked at her back.

She hissed at him. "How could I forget Mike? I see it every day I look in the damn mirror. And to be honest I could care less about the damn money, yeah it'll help me out and get me outta the alleyways, but it won't change who I am. I'm not some dumb broad who's gonna let it go to her head. When will it be accessible?"

"First thing in the mornin Chey. Send me a message if you need my services for anything else. You're a grown woman now, I'm not gonna tell you what to do with ya life."

She nodded as she stood from the desk and strode toward the door, pausing she glanced over her shoulder. "I suppose you'll be moving again as always." She paused as she contemplated her words, "Thanks Mike." Before he could answer she had pulled the door open and was gone as quick as she had come.

-------------------------

Her heart raced as she closed the door to her room, tossing the keys onto the table as she slid down the door and curled into a ball, pulling her knees close to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She breathed deeply and laid her chin ontop of her knees and silent tears slipped down her cheeks as she watched the moonlight glitter off the picture frame in the windowsill. Only a few minutes had passed before she was up again and silently mocking herself for letting her feel the emotions she had locked away for years, wiping at the wetness that stained her cheeks as she shrugged out of her clothes and slipped between the crisp sheets for the last time. She laid there, wondering about the place she had stumbled across in her midnight journey and made a note to return there later tonight as she closed her eyes and the nightmares were quick to greet her in sleep.

The next night...

Cheyenne just had to come back to the Arena, the talk about Wards that healed you when you got out had caught her curiousity and the people there seemed to be of a different sort than those she had known of all her life...those that had brought her up until recently, of course she had to return...and return she did. So donned in her normal skin tight black leather pants, three chains around her waist, a different black lacy spaghetti strapped bra, black tank top and black tshirt with the red glittery words "Bite Me" on it she made her way down the stairs, to the bar in search of a bottle of brandy and a fight.

He'd caught her by surprise answering her call for a fight and of course she had accepted, thinking nothing of it or the fact that the caller, Max had previously announced it was "Saturday Night Strip Dueling." And of course, Cheyenne being somewhat gullible and naive thought he was just merely full of it and into the ring she went, and of course, not knowing what the hell she was doing was off to a horrible start, down two and a half points and technically supposed to be down three pieces of clothing but so far she had managed to break the rules until he decided to speak up...

"Hey Max.....You neglecting your own rules?"

And as he spoke she took the advantage and stepped off to the left and then swerved thattaway and sliced into his torso to score a point and in turn demanded a piece of his clothing in good fun to the game, hardly thinking the man would actually have shedded a piece of his clothing, she offered him a sly grin as she spoke. "I believe you owe him" a nod over her shoulder towards the caller "a piece of your clothing." And imagine the surprise when she watched his jacket fall to the ground outside of the ring, Cheyenne blinked in surprise, but what would surprise Cheyenne even more was his reply to her jesting statement that had begun the whole charade.

"You owe me two pieces....Well...three actually."

Well, fair was fair right? Cheyenne removed her trench coat and her "Bite Me" t-shirt, tossing them outside the ring. And there went another piece of clothing, but in this she got smart and began to remove the chains, one by one of course until Max had to pipe in his two cents.

"Hey hey, all the chains count as one."

Another groan as she slipped the last of the chains off and had to think a minute or two, standing there in her tank top and smirked and deftly removed her bra tossing it on top of the clothing, yet still would be showing nothing as she moved to the next round. A movement caught her eye just outside the ring as she watched Max snatch up her bra! She huffed and threw a fit, knowing there was not much that she could do while in a fight to get her bra back and shook her head at the perverted caller, though the newest caller had hit a nerve in her with her would be snide comment.

"Who wears lace bras to duel in? Sports bras. Sheesh. If you're going to whore up my rings at least be practical."

Cheyenne decided to simply ignore it, though her opponent did not...boy was he full of surprises and this as well surprised Cheyenne beyond belief.

"She might have plans later?"

Her keen hearing she had adapted to in her years on the streets allowed her knowledge of whatever was going on around her, but he had caught her attention. There was something that had drawn her to him aside from the comment that he had made, something that had intrigued her about him. The Arena had all but emptied out after the caller had shut down her rings for the night and she found herself there, alone with him. The street smart part of the woman told her it was time to go, but the curiousity of the Rogue caused her to stay...and so stay she had, well into the early hours of the morning they sat and talked in the vacated Arena, well aware that it was only the two of them there. They had started to talk of this and that and Cheyenne found herself allowing herself to open up to him, to begin to tell him about her...something this Rogue never did with anyone. She'd not told him much at all, but it was more than she should have and she knew it, she stopped herself, intent on changing the subject.

"But anyways." She'd moved off to a vacated area of the Arena to look at something and to think, she had wanted to thank him for what he had done for her earlier, but Cheyenne was not one to thank anybody...for anything. She'd been alone all her life, despite the fact of the two that had adopted her, she'd still felt alone but she found herself drawn to thank him...a rarity for sure for the Rogue. "Thank you Artemus for earlier. You did not have to stick up for me." He'd answered with a nonchalant wave of his own hand, dismissing it, seemingly it was just business for him...a shame she thought and shrugged it off inside herself as more probing questions pressed at her mind, like why he felt that he needed to defend her after only knowing her for a span of twenty minutes.

Feeling quite uncomfortable, yet more comfortable than she had in a long time, she turned the conversation and watched him as she leaned against the wall and listened to him talk of his brother and why he was here alone, at this hour instead of at home. He had told her that his brother's love had been kidnapped and he was waiting for their return, she nodded. The way he had had talked of the pair, had brought Cheyenne to talk of the bonds of love and such, and in that divulging more of herself than she should have once again. Silently the Rogue damned herself and her quick tongue and so she did what she did best... "Do you not think you might be in the slightest of dangers?"

He sighed deeply, "Danger is an old lover...I have been with her many times.....she is no stranger to me.....If and when danger comes..I can only stand firm, hold to my beliefs and face it with everything that I am...."

The Rogue watched him, noting that he was not going to make this easy for her, "Perhaps she is an old lover, but yet you keep company with a woman you've only met this evening and know little to nothing about. Within the confines of these walls, and only two of us within them there would be no one to know of anything if danger were to be lurking here."

"The shadows will alert me to any danger...I have lived among them for many years..."

"And I have lived among them all my life." And again the Rogue found herself backed in a corner and tried to quickly weave a clear path, changing the subject again to that of a colder nature that she was accustomed to.

The two bantered and chatted back and forth for another hour or so and he did not stop with his persistence to befriend the lone Rogue and she had let her guard down slightly, she flirted with him, as was a Rogue's nature. She'd done it countless times with a number of men in her life, it was busniess to her, harmless, but this...this was different, almost like the many childhood tales of love and fantasy that her mother told her when she was young. Cheyenne suddenly felt like she had been caught in the middle of one of these such tales and her theory was most proved when she felt his arms slide around her waist, his lips pressing against hers. He took her breath away and Cheyenne didn't know whether to reciprocate his tenderness or pull away, but she soon found that she returned his kiss and was left quite breathless when it was over. She was at a loss for words, he spoke only two before he had made his way towards the stairs.

"I'm.....sorry."

Later that night...

She'd competed in the Talon and was dropped as quick as she'd entered, though it didn't even bother Chey, she'd known she hadn't stood a chance in the Talon, but it was alotta fun for her and that was all that had mattered. Though it hadn't helped that her thoughts were elsewhere while she was trying to fight and attain some ground in the ring but that was just not happening. Her mind wasn't where it should be and she was obviously lacking the proper sword etiquette needed here in these parts. She left the ring and slumped against the bar, eyes darting towards the door every now and again as she proceeded to cheer Sylus on in the Talon tournament and waited.

The hours passed and the tournament progressed, there were only men left now and she laughed at the irony of that. She'd still not seen any sight of Artemus, her heart sank but yet the Rogue didn't understand what she was feeling and why it hurt when she reached for her third beer of the night. Chey was content for the moment just listening to the conversations around her, she'd come to know if you just listened, you learned a lot more than going about asking questions when you were new to these parts.

She watched the fights, continuing to cheer for Sylus as she nursed her beer, stealing glances to the door and sighing when she saw no sign of him. Another hour or so passed and it emerged with Sylus becoming the new Talon thingie and she cheered but it seemed her heart was not all there as she noted the time with a distraught sigh. There was trouble brewing as the Rogue sat back and watched the sights unfold in front of her, content on not getting involved just yet. Before she ever got involved with anything that did not directly involve her or anybody she was fond of, she had to know all the details, of course that was a Rogue, afterall. It was getting even deeper now as she heard the slight raising of voices and Chey slipped out quietly and headed over towards the Annex to wait for him, so with her fifth beer in her hand, she headed up the stairs and through the door, mebbe it would be quieter there she thought...

-------------------------

Her head was slightly lowered, beer in hand as she sauntered through the door and headed towards the bar, the scent of jasmine and vanilla left in her wake as she ran a hand through her tousled blonde hair. Cheyenne didn't even realize how dead the Annex was until she slipped onto the stool and groaned slightly letting pale blues look around and grunted at the man, almost daring him to start with his smart mouth again.

"Well, well."

"Well what ya bleeping asshole?" She drank from the beer and withdrew something from the left pocket of her leather pants and unfolded it with care and didn't even grace him with a look as she re-read the words on the parchment.

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

She didn't even look up, her face quite expressionless as she spoke. "My mother is dead ya asshole so it wouldn't matter, now would it?"

"No, I guess it wouldn't. It would be difficult to kiss her through six feet of dirt and a casket, I suppose."

She rolled her eyes, still holding the parchment in one hand and the beer in the other, "Do you really enjoy being an asshole or do you get paid well for the job?" She silently damned herself again for letting him antagonize her, yet she was grateful for the slight distraction from her thoughts as she bickered and bantered with him for a few more minutes, each to their own as they threw insults back and forth.

"You know, you might be attractive if you didn't have something smart-assed to say to everything that happens around you."

"Like it matters much to you. Do you think I care if you find me attractive or not? Hardly."

"What if I find ye attractive?"

Cheyenne hadn't even paid much attention to the new addition to the small crowd and with grace of course, she fell offa her stool, beer saved in one hand the parchment in the opposite. "I beg ya pardon Miss?"

With a grin, the woman answered. "Nothin'."

-----An hour or so later-----

They'd all left her and she looked at the time, silently telling herself one more hour and she was going to go home. Nursing her seventh beer of the night, she turned her back to the door and put her head in her hands. When a voice caused her to sit straighter on the stool, but she did not turn.

"Chey?" A brief pause. "Cheyenne?"

This time she knew she was not hearing things as she turned slowly to face him. Her heart was beating quicker in her chest as she watched him approach her...it was late, very much later than they had agreed on, but he'd come...and this is all that was going through her mind as she watched him.

An hour or so later that night...

She'd been sitting as quiet as she could, and it was a valiant effort from the Rogue as trouble stirred heavily around her, the pregnant woman and her now not flaming husband disappeared and things settled down for a few minutes until that Vampire typa guy decided to spout off and Cheyenne had to let out some steam...

"You and your brother are fools, and I only think you as self-delusional and crazy as everyone else. I just have less care for your "feelings"."

"You're an asshole. Why don't you just shut the hell up and do us all a bleeping favor."

"Why don't you test me, girl."

"Test you? Don't know ya bleeping alphabet? Ya got ya ass kicked, go back home with ya tail between ya bleeping legs no one gives a bleep about you."

"Why don't you put your fight where your mouth is?" There was a pause before he'd spoke again. "I thought as much."

The Vampire had Cheyenne's temper flaring and she felt Artemus slip away from her and she watched him head towards the bar and standing Chey glared at the Vampire with steely pale blue eyes. " And why the bleep do I wanna fight you for? You ain't worth my bleeping time." She had heard his approach more than anything and felt the impulse to look into the Vampire's eyes, felt something calling her, willing her to look into his eyes and slowly Chey found herself lifting her eyes to meet his. There was a flash much like a movement of electricity by Chey and his voice started her causing her to look to him instead of Vanion.

"Do not look Cheyenne.....he'll roll your mind..."

Her answer was quite blank as she blinked, looking into Artemus' eyes. "What?"

"A vampires gaze can hypnotize if you look into their eyes directly...."

She was a bit dazed from whatever hypnotic attempt Vanion had used on her as she blinked a bit, feeling fingers on her chin, guiding her to look up. Then Chey felt a hand clamp down over her eyes and Chey snapped and stepped back from the contact, shaking her head a bit. She couldn't see, the hand was still over her eyes and she felt the slightest of impacts and blinked beneath the hand. She could hear the two of them talking, feel her body being tugged back and forth between them, but the hand was relentless that covered her eyes. She was spun and was disoriented as she smelled him and looked away.

"Enjoy the arms of your boyfriend. The sense of false protection. There are nastier creatures here than I am, and others far less kind."

She blinked and growled but something else had caught her attention as the Vampire walked away from her, Chey thought to herself it was damn good that he had, he was beginning to agitate her nerves, she started flailing and squealing as a weird mist started to circle around Artemus but he seemed to pay it and her no mind as the mist and he interacted, flailing and babbling more he asked her to stay put and she huffed but did as she was asked, though after a few minutes of watching she resorted to finding a deserted rock and trying to figure out which rabbit hole she'd stumbled on when she saw his troubled look. Rising quickly she asked, "What's the matter?"

He smiled at her as he answered, "Nothing you need concern yourself with."

Chey was confused as she watched him, she had been trying to sort out her life, get it straight and figure out what to do with it and in a night he'd upset everything and now she had been trying to figure out what she was feeling with him, for him and without him and this just made it worse as she looked at him, searching for the right words..."If it concerns you, it does me as well, no?" She watched as he had crossed his arms and answered with a firm, "No" and her heart dropped and her anger flared. She thought she knew where she stood now as she moved to untie the cloak he had given her earlier in the night as she watched him, emotions careening and crashing in her like a huge tidal wave. She had seen him lean in but had paid him no mind until she felt his hot breath against her ear and heard his words. His words sent a different chill through her body as she looked at him, they spoke quiet words and then he left to take care of pressing matters and she sat on the rock again and was left to her thoughts.

He wanted to protect her, but protect her from what? She didn't even know the woman or why she'd been taken or what even in the hell was going on with that and what made him think that the people that took the other woman would harm her? She was tired, she hadn't slept and she decided she'd go home and she started off to find the exit and came to the abrupt realization that she'd stumbled on the place through a weird door and now she had no idea how to leave, there were no doors, no nothing and Chey was left rather confused and the people left on the Isle were either chagrined about it or paid her no mind and then he was there as she had silently wished he was to at least show her how to get the hell offa this weird beach thing that had only traumatized the poor Rogue and hand in hand they had left and a string of obscenities flew from Chey's lips as she swore up and down that the hole had not been there a second ago.

-----The next night-----

She quite literally fell through the glowing hole in the air, a string of obscenities announcing her presence if any had missed her stumbling as she stood and dusted off. "Goddammit sonofafreekinbitch. bleeping weird. Bleeping hole almost swallowed me." Once Chey had calmed down she sat on the sand, she'd had nothing else much to do and found the beach to be beautiful, she watched the fights and watched the drama going on around her not really caring for much. She'd been thinking, couldn't stop thinking and trying to come up with a plausible explanation that would make sense to her of what the hell was going on inside her and outside her and all around her but nothing was making much sense as she buried her head in his cloak and inhaled his scent and sighed. She'd had a headache from no sleep in the last four days and the drinking she'd been doing lately wasn't helping much either when she felt arms slipping around her naked waist and a warm breath against her ear...immediately Chey panicked and started flailing but the grip was tight around her body as he held her closer to him and spoke gently to her. They chatted briefly over this and that and that and this and Cheyenne found that she was quite disturbed with the things on the beach but the beauty of the beach was enough to change her mind.

-----A few hours later-----

That damnable Smelly Drunken Ashtray had antagonized and pushed Chey again and she'd let him push her buttons, mebbe for another break from the emotions that Artemus had stirred inside her, mebbe from sheer curiousity of the magic fights, she knew nothing of the magics...er well she did but she knew she had little to no magical talent whatsoever and as she found herself inside the ring with him she came to that realization quite quickly and didn't know what to do, she pulled the cloak tighter around her body and felt a small bump and started to rummage in the pockets and started throwing things at the Smelly Drunken Ashtray.

She had fought her second magic fight thingie and though she had been using things from inside Artemus' cloak she ran towards him from the ring, she'd been thinking the whole time while fighting and watching and not sleeping and fighting and talking and had come to a decision, well not really it was more spur of the moment Chey let it off to herself as. If she'd actually admitted it to herself she probably would not have allowed it as he lifted her and twirled her in the sand, the moment seemed to perfect, to right and she looked deep into his gray eyes and uttered one, soft word to him. "Yes."

It was well after six a.m. when Chey made it back to her house, immediately making her way to the bathroom to wash the blood from her...to wash the scent of the hunt from her body, to re-compose herself before her lesson with Stick in a few hours. So much had gone on and now, now the hunt was on and she would not rest until she was satisfied, but when would that be? There was more at stake now, then ever in her life. She cared for him so much it made her head spin, made her lose all sense of anything and everything, he'd aroused something deep inside her and she'd be damned if she'd lose the chance to pursue this...this...this whatever the hell it was.

She slipped into the steaming water and started scrubbing the blood from her hands as she continued to think of a plan, a way to find this "Bloodspeaker", this woman with the mask that she was hunting for. She didn't give a damn what happened to her anymore, as long as he was safe. She was not a typical Rogue, she'd been well educated in fighting, arts of throwing a dagger and such of the likes, she'd even been taught magic, but tended to never resort to it. She was a well-educated woman, though most would have never known that. All "they" thought was that she was an un-educated street dweller, all the better. Shaking her head, he'd promised her that he'd be alright, but she knew the magics, she knew the darker side. More than once had Cheyenne encountered the darkness that was now washing over him. She'd decided to investigate the blood that still dripped on the wall, she'd thought that if merely touching the dagger would taint him, then the blood...the blood had to have done the same thing, but two times did he stop her from it. Grunting she started to wash her body. "Damn you Artemus Kurgen, damn you and what you've done to me." She could only hope that that linotaur guy kept his word and found the cure fast enough for Artemus.

Her fist impacted against the water, causing it to splash around her. She'd let herself get close to him, let her emotions start running wild. She shook her head, and shuddered at the thought, she'd had hoped to keep him from their touch by intercepting the glinting object that had flown towards him, but he'd still been touched...She cursed him silently again, she'd warned him but he'd assured her that it was fine, it was protected and bound by magic, but evidently the magic in the veil hadn't been enough, because the liontaur saw it...he saw the taint in him. "Damn you Artemus and damn you, you freeky woman. I'll find you, I swear it." But in the meantime Cheyenne had more training to attend to. She needed to clear her mind again, there was so much going on, so much to deal with. Cheyenne became a very busy woman all of the sudden, yet she'd have it no other way. It was going to be a long day and a long night to follow. She couldn't wait to start this "training", she'd been so exasperated meeting Stick, and then to have her offer to teach her! Oh Chey couldn't wait, it couldn't be that bad...could it? Either way, she needed the release, and one could never have enough training, now could they? Smirking to herself, she ducked beneath the hot water.

-----A coupla hours later-----

Her trench coat flared out behind her as she raced through the alleyways of Rhydin, headed towards the street on the paper she gripped in her hand, weaving and swaying like the wind through the small pathways. She skidded to a halt, looking down at the building off to the left, "Shishi Mesu Do Girls' Academy." That had to be the place, checking once more she nodded to herself as she jumped down from the rooftop and adjusted the chains on her slim but toned waist, she was dressed no differently today than any other day, she tucked the paper back into her right back pocket and lifted her hand and rapped on the door, hooking her thumbs in the two front belt loops and waited...

The ghost whispered through the streets and alleys, following the woman Cheyenne as she went to and fro changing her clothes like some sort of uncertain yo-yo. But now the ghost knew where to find the woman, and this would be useful in the future.

Artemus had gone to Badside, but had not been fooled into believing the headless body was that of Alais.

Well, he did not know that there would be a new body in store for him.

As the woman opened the door, the ghost slid into the dwelling in a rush of cold air and began an inspection while the woman changed clothes yet again.

((Originally posted by Legendazona))

Purity......how can is truly be measured?

Is it measured by the strength of ones' heart?

Is it measured by a person's virtue?

Or is it something more?......Something that cannot be easily described, nor easily judged?

I do not have the answers to such a question at this time and I most likely never will. Though I am not pure....I am now more pure than I was before. The enchanted sleep of the jade circle has made me confront the demons within me and the horrors I have made in the Kurgen name. Though my power to manipulate shadows has been severely diminished I am still strong enough to protect those that I now care about.

Though my powers have lessened my awareness of what is wrong with Rhydin has grown tremendously. Even in my sleep I sensed that Cheyenne was in danger, and I knew who from....Legendazona.

I have done nothing to that spirit and yet she wishes me gone and now threatens the first being to ever ensnare my heart. All because of Sylus and Alais. All because Legend will not rest until she sees the Eldarie bloodline made pure.

I have much to do and much with little to no time to do it in. Priority numero uno is to see Chey safe and make her as untouchable to Legendazona as can be......

Legend has no idea of the monster she is dealing with in me...Artemus Allon Kurgen......

((Originally posted by Artemus A Kurgen))

She had never asked anybody for help, that just wasn't who Cheyenne Tyler Fordyce was. She was a loner, a misfit, a rogue...a creature of the darkest nights in Rhydin. She found herself tracing over the material of the cloak long after the spectre had left her home, the burning sensation still fresh on her skin. Shuddering she knew what she had to do, she had no choice. This spectre was much beyond her knowledge of the dead and beyond, much beyond her simple knowledge of magics. Artemus had caught her heart, of this Chey was almost certain and if not her heart, he had caught something inside the lone rogue and it was worth trying to find out what exactly it was, so she was privy to keep him around. Her mind was made up, Cheyenne Tyler Fordyce was going to ask for help, for advice on how to take care of this matter and if she could at all help it, without him getting involved.

It was a half hour now before the fights were to open and she could only hope that Sylus would be there tonight, she would confide in him and go from there on what to do about the annoying little ghost that had found want in Cheyenne.

-----Later that night-----

She'd gone to the Annex that night to find peace of mind inside a few fights and had hoped that Sylus would be there. She very much had wanted to see Artemus as well, though she had hoped it were Sylus that she would see first and not Artemus as she knew he had had enough on his proverbial plate as of late and cared not to really trouble his mind with this little Casper incident. So a few fights and beers later, she was relieved to see that Sylus' latest fight had ended and she flailed him down...quite literally as she related her troubling news to him.

The rogue had dressed in her normal attire, black leather pants, steel toed boots, three various chains, assortment of "friends" hidden on her person, tight black tshirt and her trench, though the collar pulled tightly around her neck to hide the burnmarks of which she now showed Sylus. It surprised the rogue that Sylus knew immediately of who had inflicted the burns on her and she was quite baffled but continued to blurt out her entire story and then sat back and listened to Sylus as he filled in the gaps for the rogue. She was confused and baffled, it just didn't all fit together, and yet it did. It made perfect sense to her why Legendazona wanted the Kurgen brothers out of Rhydin. But Cheyenne would still not be swayed. "It is simple, I will take care of it my way even if I die doing it. I need to find that damn ghost, and I need to find it now." There was a danger in the rogues normal pale blue eyes, almost a fire that burned deep inside her.

"You will do nothing. You are not strong enough to battle that pesky poltergeist."

Cheyenne was not accustomed to people protecting her, people telling her she couldn't do anything, those people did not live very long. So she found herself torn between Sylus' words and the truth that he was probably right, but Cheyenne was not a quitter, and she would not give up. If she died trying to kill it and managed to kill it or seal it some paranormal sealant jar, then good...at least he was safe...at least they were safe. It didn't matter what happened to her. "I have no choice, it enters my house of it's own will. In one week's time she will find me again and then is when I give her my final answer. There is nothing that can be done of it. So if I find it first, mebbe I'll stand a chance." And again she was slapped with the reality that her powers and training, though well bred into her, were not the ways of this Ghostbuster's Wanna-be Slimey thing...for once something had the upper hand on Chey and that nearly brought her to her knees. There was nothing this rogue couldn't do on her own, nothing she couldn't over come but this and the masked woman, proved to be breaking all those boundaries as she shot daggers at Sylus, it wasn't his fault, but right now...Cheyenne was in that mood. "I need another beer and another fight." She'd had enough talk and evidently from his tone and actions, he had too and he was quick to oblige her with a way out of her insanity...for now.

-------------------------

Chey'd been so absorbed in her thoughts after the fight that she'd not even paid attention to the now stunningly beautiful woman that was near her at the bar and Sylus behind it until the woman spoke and nearly caused Chey to fall offa the stool she'd been sitting on.

"Ah dae 'ear ye've 'ad a run in wi' soomeone Ah ken verra well."

Once Chey could figure out what the woman was saying they talked for awhile and Chey had to relate the entire Carrie incident to her, though she'd heard Artemus speaking of the woman and a bit and a piece of her from Sylus, she didn't know whether or not she could trust the woman, but the fact that the spirit was an old friend of Alais had caught her attention and the mere fact that the Kurgen brothers had gone to hell and back to save the woman meant a slight bit to Chey as she revealed the tale in full and showed her the marks on her neck that Legendazona had left earlier that day. Chey's gaze inadvertently snapped to the woman, a fury burning in them at her words.

"Yer nae tae seek th' ghost oot lass. Ah mus' needs dae 't, an' yer nae a party tae this."

Oh now that had did it for Cheyenne as she rose with a fury before Alais and glared at her. Who the hell was this woman to tell Cheyenne she couldn't do something. First it was Sylus but at least he'd made sense of it and this woman, this person who knew a dime about Chey was telling her she couldn't get involved because it didn't concern her? Well to hell with her, this concerned her as it did anyone else...because it concerned Artemus. Her words were clearly spoken, though the growl surrounded the three there, "I am a part of this as much as anybody bleepin else, it threatened the man I love!" She'd not realized her voice was so strong as it rose and she blinked at her own words, flushing horribly as she stood now on shaky legs, pale blue eyes scurried over the gathered, as she back-stepped away from them, trying to find a clear path to the door or even a window. She had to go, had to get out, had to find Legendazona before she found her. "I gotta go, gotta get the hell outta here. Gotta find that damn ghost." She cringed as the woman's graceful voice rose with an authority that shook Cheyenne's core.

"CHEYENNE! Ye'll nae seek th' ghost... dae 'Ah 'ear ye art, Ah shall lock ye away whence ye'll ne'er get oot 'ntil 't ist done. Th' ghost ist mine friend Cheyenne, an' there fore, mine tae deal wi'"

"Do you wish to keep Artemus safe? Yes or No?"

The question burned in her mind as she saw flashes of Artemus, her skin warmed at the tenderness she felt when with him and her resolve broke as she spoke quietly with Sylus. He had surprised her when she had said that she needed to seek advice and confidence in Artemus' thoughts on this all and a bond that brothers shared was shown to Chey that night and totally weirded her out but again her resolve broke as she broke down and told Artemus everything through Sylus and her last words to him, shocked her as well, though her voice was barely above a whisper she trembled to her knees. "Artemus I think I love you." She was startled as Artemus' essence faded and Sylus' voice returned.

"I think you should talk of this with Artemus in person...."

And Chey of course did what she did best of all thing's, Cheyenne Tyler Fordyce tried to dance her way outta that meeting. "I well um I donno if that's such a good idea yasee I just remembered that I um have to um." And her pale blue eyes quickly searched for a clear path the hell outta the Annex for the second time that night, and then there was a hand and some mumbo jumbo from Sylus and more lude curses from Cheyenne as he spirited her away.

She knew that when she was in the presence of magic that it bled. She'd watched it sometimes at night for lack of better things to do and watched as it crawled and seemed to shift with a life of it's own. She'd never thought much of it, just a mark it was to her. Nana had told her all her life it was a gift from her real mother, that one day if they ever wanted to find her again that that was how they would find her, by the brand that Chey had on her outer right ankle. To any normal eye it looked like a tattoo or a simple brand, a solid black rose, with two serpents wrapped around it, a dagger pointed downward through the middle...all black.

She was going to be twenty-three this month and all her life she'd hidden the brand. Before now, only three had known that she had even had it, Nana, and the couple that had found her on their doorstep...until now. She'd never gotten close to anyone, didn't want to answer all the questions about the mark. What was the difference in hiding it now? She'd fallen in love, that was the difference. Sooner or later she would have to tell him about it, but so far she'd manage to avoid staring eyes or probing thoughts, so far Chey had hid the brand for a very long time, until that little cute, damnable wolf had to tell her secret...a secret she didn't even know, a secret she didn't even understand.

They'd been on the beach that night and lately the brand had been bothering her a lot, causing her to favor her right ankle and as much as she had tried to deny Artemus, the wolf had told her secret when it snuck it's muzzle between Chey's pant-leg and boot, it's muzzle stained with crimson as it whimpered and looked up at Chey and Artemus. She'd shown him the mark that had branded her for as long as she could remember. Though her simple story did not convince Artemus or his brother and his lady friend. Now there would be four more that knew of the mark, a harmless wolf, two brothers that held a special place in her heart and a woman that everyone had risked their lives to save.

She'd argued pointlessly with them all that it was nothing but a simple brand, but yet the questions was posted by them all that Cheyenne had asked so many times in her life as well and had never gotten an answer for..."Why then does the mark bleed in the presence of magic?" Hell she'd asked that question all her life and never had known the answer. Quite frankly Chey'd just figured it was a fault in her or something and that was when she'd been told that they'd seen the mark before. She couldn't believe that the mark could have meant more than what Nana had told her all her life, what she'd been brought up to know all her life. Oh no, the mark was much much more than Cheyenne had ever thought possible.

He'd told her that he'd seen it before and that there was a Tome in the library at the keep that bore the same brand on the cover and Cheyenne spat out a slew of profanities and even had called him a liar, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Since she'd grown of age, people had been trying to kill her, that was nothing new to the rogue as she had wronged many people in her life, so what was the difference in them trying to kill her? There seemed to be a grand difference now as she listened to him. She was dumbfounded at what he spoke of, yet her heart soared to know that she did have some sort of past, yet her heart sank at the thought of what she was. She was bad before, but the sounds of this was even worse.

They left the beach that night and Cheyenne had a lot of reading and studying to do...and a lot of thinking...

"Assasin Mages? Powerful? Last descendant?"

Thoughts raced through her mind as she sat there and listened to what he was saying to her. For the most part it had made sense, though she still could not believe that she was the last descendant of some powerful Order. Were they certain that her brother as well had been killed? She had a brother. Chey had remained expressionless as she listened to him tell the tale she had waited to hear since that night on the Isle with her and Artemus, and of course the snooping lil wolf she had come across. She'd not moved her position either, and now hearing the last bit of what Drew was telling her, caused her face to pale slightly and her expression grew cold, her eyes took on the glint of the hunt as he spoke, another nod offered to him for him to continue on as she lowered her knees and sat indian style on the couch in front of him.

"Tyler, I did not want to hide it from you when we were young, but now you have discovered your heritage. Or at least a part of it, so now I have to be honest with you. You asked how it was possible I came across all of this information so quickly, it was because I have known ever since we were children, but the Taine's swore me to secrecy. They knew as well Tyler. We all wanted to give you the chance to live a normal life and to possibly escape the fate that met your family." He set the beer on the table and looked at her, moving from the couch to a kneeling position in front of her, his fingers guiding her to look at him. "Tyler I am sorry that I did not tell you earlier, but you must understand that my word is my honor. To lie to you and keep things hidden from you for so long, killed me. There is one more thing I have to give you, and this will help you to fully understand who you are Cheyenne Tyler Fordyce, last living descendant of the Order of the Black Rose." His voice grew softer and he looked away, it was almost like he was fighting himself from saying more. Removing his fingertips from her chin, he slipped a silver necklace from around his neck, a lone silver skeleton key hung from the center...the engraved words on that key read "Cheyenne Tyler Fordyce." An outstretched hand to her. "Here you will find answers to any and all questions. This is the key to the Fordyce Sanctuary. Think Tyler, in the darkest alleyway of Rhydin, there is a hidden path. On the wall you must press a series of stones to allow the wall to shift and let you in. Left, right, left, left, center right. The wall will shift and your questions will be answered."

Her body trembled as she listened to him, he had hidden the truth from her! He'd lied...to protect her. He'd been sworn to protect her at all costs. So she could live a normal life? What the hell was normal with killing people, stealing from people? What the hell was normal with the life she'd led this far? Absolutely nothing. She looked at the fireplace and the flames that flickered inside, she seemed hypnotized by their dance. Chey had never heard Drew leave her house.

-----A few hours later-----

It was like she'd been cast under a spell. She blinked and turned to talk to Drew, it was like time had been frozen. His beer was still there, the smell of his cologne was still in the air, but Drew was nowhere to be found. Dazed and a bit confused, Chey stood up on shaky knees and called out for him, "Drew?" but no one would answer her calls. He'd disappeared into the waning darkness of the morning, she knew now that she'd never see him again unless she hunted for him and she looked at the key that was in the palm of her hand and sighed. She flopped back onto the couch and shook her head. "Unflippinbelievable man. Things just keep getting weirder and weirder and christ Imma kill someone." She let out a low whistle and groaned when she looked at the time, Stick...Dojo...training...Dammit. She streaked through the house and grabbed her duffle bag and clad in her silk boxers and tanktop, Taz slippers completed the ridiculous outfit, she raced towards the Dojo, late again...100 laps she thought to herself, damn. Mebbe with her luck, Stick wouldn't even notice.

The cold ran through her again but she fought it off. Icey blue eyes glittered with danger, but there was something else hidden in the depths of them as she watched the man, head tilted still, she knew the voice, but it had been so long, she wasn't quite sure if it was the same person. It'd been years upon years since they'd seen each other, could it really be? She'd almost made the motion to throw the dagger at his throat when she saw his arm draw near to her head, but for some reason, she felt no danger...confused Chey was quite baffled. "Forgetful? What the hell? I don't like games buddy and ya two inches from gettin an ass kickin."

"Yer just lookin' fer a fight tonight huh? Fine, if you don't remember me. Troy Macnameyera. Maybe that'll ring a bell."

Her jaw almost dropped but she did well to hold it in place, smirking as she shifted slightly, chin tilted to him. Troy, she remembered him alright, though it took awhile with all that had happened in the past months, her memory slow in returning to normal, but she'd remembered him alright. "Ya, I remember. I remember kicking ya ass when we were little too. What the hell are ya doin out in my part of town?"

"Don't you go layin' claim to somethin that ain't yers, Chey. I been scopin this place for a while...you're treading on my part of town." His arm shifted and his body moved a little closer, lowering his head to watch her eyes.

She half snorted at him. "Layin claim to somethin that ain't even mine. Damn are ya mistaken Troy, and don't call me Chey. Ya lost that privilidge when ya bailed on me three years ago. This is and always will be "my" part of town." Icey blue gaze locked onto his, almost daring him to challenge her.

He pulled the dagger from behind his back, though the pommel was facing her. "Pretty sure this is yours...was a bitch ta dig outta my back too."

She snorted and scoffed at him this time. "And just what the hell is that supposed to mean? Ya bailed on that job and I almost burned for it. Ya ain't made a damn notion to contact me since and here ya are creepin up on me in the middle of the night and starting shit."

"I was looking for a way out. You had to go and take charge for some reason. Bleeped up the whole plan."

Fire burned in those icey blue eyes as she clucked her tongue, shifting her lean on the wall. "It was my boost! I took ya along to show ya the ropes and now "I" bleeped it up? Ya were the run that was ready to cut tail and bait but I bleeped up?" Her voice barely grew more audible as she hissed through the words. "Thirty seconds, I told ya that was all I needed to finish up but no, ya had to run out like a new blood and tripped the alarms."

"Imagine what ya will...But I think you owe me..." Growing a smirk, his hand leaving the wall and lowering against her neck.

Her body tensed at the contact and she pulled away, spinning around to his other side, she'd not forget her reason for coming tonight, lifting her chin to him. "Ya moves worked on Trin but they ain't gonna work on me." Smirking. "Will take a lot more than moves to score with me. Ya should know that. Plus" pausing and looking at the wall like it was a foreign object and then lifting the thin chain with the key still attached, "I've got business to attend to."

A flick of his wrist sent the dagger just past her, his other hand taking advantage of the distraction and grabbed for the key.

She'd caught the movement of his hand just a split second before the dagger was thrown, she pivoted slightly which caused the key to easily be taken from her hand, snapping the chain with a soft "plink", growling towards him. "Ya ass. I need that."

"But now I've got a bargaining tool. See...ya still know me Chey...yer just hidin' from how we used to be."

Growls, "Why do ya insist on still calling me that?" And then a blink. "How we used to be? What the hell is in ya head Troy? We used to be partners, nothing more, nothing less."

Inspecting the key as he smirked. "I suppose you're right. We could be partners again, you know. But I'm in charge...and you want me." Starts down the alley again.

Growls louder. "Ya arrogant asshole. That key is not a treasure trove, ain't no boost money, ain't a damn thing worth to ya. Do ya even know what it is?"

Dangles it over his shoulder. "It's gonna get you to come with me."

And there went the slew of street slang cussing Rogue blooded hood rat she was as she watched him, growling she took to the roof tops and followed beside and above. "Ya are still as much of an ass as I remember. Why do ya want me to go with ya? I got to find out what's behind the meaning of my background Troy."

"Ya like finding that kind of stuff out alone?"

Damn him, he had a slight point, a miniscule one at that, damning him, she leapt soundlessly from the rooftop to the ground a pace in front of him. "Fine, where're we goin?"

Sliding the key into a pocket. "Well you seem to have a lot of energy to burn off...you lead. Besides...rather ya be in front of me...know where yer daggers are that way."

Snorting, just to piss him off, she fell a pace back, even with him and directed him thattaway as they were headed to the Fordyce house. "Fine. Ya got a place to stay or am I assumin ya coming home with me like a bad headache?"

"Headache...aspirin...yer gettin' the whole package sweetie."

"Sweetie? Don ever call me that again Troy or I'll slit ya throat right here, right now."