Surat Public Park

Surat Public Park

When it was first built, it was a wide expanse of wilderness in the midst of the city. It included vast swaths of grass, many different types of trees, walking paths, a children's playground, a huge greenhouse of exotic plants, and, at the park's center, a tiny lake stocked with fish. The name of the park was given in honor of the man who donated money to the city to have the park built twenty-five years before.

Now, the park is crumbling into the first stages of ruin. People to swept up in their technological lives have, for the most part, stopped visiting the park. Unused, the government has stopped paying for groundskeepers to keep it clean and neat. Without any keeps, the park's grass has grown over long, the trees have blanketed everything in layers upon layers of leaves, choking the thick grass in palces. Vines run rampent and the green house has turned into a sweltering glass box of rotted vegetation. The only thing that seems much the way it was is the pond, cool and clean and teeming with fish and insects.

Abandoned and neglected, the park has turned into the city's hiding place for any who do not want to be found.

Valentin walked around in the vast park marveling at all of the beauty. This was one of his favorite places to visit, a haven in the middle of a teeming city. He made sure that he bought a high rise apartment in Strid if only for the public park. He went to the abandoned greenhouse and looked around for any flowers that he didn't have in his own home garden. He came upon a small budding plant he had never seen before.

"Ah hello little one." He pulled a plastic baggy out of his pocket and lovingly dug the plant roots and all up and placed it lovingly in the baggy. The little bud stuck out of the top awkwardly. "There you are! I must study you and put you in my garden." He put the little open baggy in his front coat pocket with the bud sticking out and smiled.

Kaoru rushed into the park through the broken gates, passed the over grown playground and headed towards the abandoned greenhouse. She stopped when she arrived and plopped down on the leaf covered ground sweaty and panting. She laid back and closed her eyes. Artemis walked over to a small pot full of water and drank. She didn't notice the man standing in the greenhouse or anything else for that matter. She hoped Kanas made it.

Valentin looked up as a young girl who had to be in her 20's ran towards the green house at full speed and eventually stopped when she reached it. She laid down on the ground and her cat was drinking happily from a pot full of water. He smiled and walked out of the disheveled greenhouse and stood beside the panting girl.
"You know you shouldn't lay on the ground here. It's covered with broken glass." Valentin said in his deliciously velvety voice.

Kaoru yelped at the voice and sat straight up. She gripped the bo staff at her side and looked up to see a well dressed blond man smiling down at her. She stared back at him and didn't know what to say.

Kanas arrived a bit slower than expected, but was just in time to see the blonde man startle Kaoru. He knew their type only too well; finely dressed as if from the 1800s, beautiful pale appearence, and a smooth velvet voice. When Kanas landed, he pulled the hilt out of his pocket and pressed the button. A bright blue blade as wide as the hand-gaurd emerged, humming delightfully that it had finally been released.

"Piss off, vampire," Kanas growled, "This one is not for you. Go find a soldier to suck dry or a criminal, but if you touch her, I swear you'll find out how this blade makes blokes such as you burst to flames." He knew vampires were stubborn, but it didn't affect him. He was instinctively defensive and was not about to let the vampire brandish his venemous teeth into her neck to make her a parlor meal. The thought sent ripples of rage along his spine.

Ceberus remained quietly hidden among the trees. He didn't want to interupt this interesting dispute between a vampire and human over who the girl should belong to. He always loved to watch arguements to some degree until the began to become utterly foolish. The human, however, he knew very well. Kanas Froothgar was one who gave many of the idiot demons below him much trouble. A demon hunter, as he was called. He found it amusing.

He stayed in the shadows, waiting for the oppertune moment to reveal himself to the unsuspecting crowd. It would be unwise to draw much attention to himself. Rather, he only needed Kanas and his female pet as it would seem. They would play a tedious role in his careful plan of assuming more power. Ceberus rubbed the spider tatoo softly, tracing its careful outline and remembering ever so clearly the feel of the sealing kiss that bound his heart to his masters. He was certain it would be a few days before she awakens again. In that time, he would prepare for the events to come... The war of the races. For this, he needed to gain many companions. They would be neccessary in victory over the several nations on this waste of a continent, in which he would assume his reign under his master for the following ten thousand years.

"Silly boy..." Valentin knelt down beside the girl and took her chin into his hand. "what vampire would drink from a lovely maiden." He smiled at her stood up. He looked and the boy and smirked saying "Anyway I only drink bagged blood. Drinking straight from a human is so vile and violent." He turned away and plucked a white rose from a nearby bush and held it out to the girl.

"You're going to have to prove it to him, vampire," Ceberus said, not being able to withstand himself any longer. He had to join in on some fun. What would a job be without any? "This particular human happens to be one of the deadliest demon hunters, and I assure you, vampire does fall under demon catagory in human terminology."

Ceberus turned to Kanas and smirked. "Likewise for you, Kanas, it would be completely unwise, however dull and boring, to settle this dispute through violent means. I would suggest speaking to the vampire through a normal conversation rather than threats. I mean, honestly, what has the bloody chap done?" He asked. He watched them both with a spark of interest in his eyes.

"Ceberus..." Kanas growled as he glared over at the demon. It didn't matter to him anymore of the vampire. Compared to this abomination, the vampire was like a brother to him. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?" He looked over at the vampire and looked into his eyes. Strangely enough, they showed no hidden intentions, no sign of lying. He was telling the truth.

"In point of fact, Ceberus, I do not require this vampire to prove anything to me. His eyes are proof enough. I do ask, politely however, that you would not attempt to swoon Kaoru. We're going somewhere, and now it's to escape this demon here," Kanas explained. He looked over at Kaoru, to see what her reaction to this whole set of incidences was.

Kaoru stood up and smirked at the dashing man. "Keep your flowers. Do I look like the type of girl to be wooed by that?" She readjusted her backpack from where she had laid on it. She dusted dirt and leaves off of her clothes and picked up her bo staff.

Kaoru looked at the new comer. Cerberus was the name that Kanas called him. She waited patiently to see what would transpire but kept her stance light and her staff at the ready for anything that might happen.

Valentin laughed at the girl's comment and stood up placing the rose in his front coat pocket along with the tiny plant already in there. "This is true." he said to her and then looked at the young boy with the glowing blue blade. He made sure he made eye contact and then reached into the inside pocket of his coat and pulled out a sealed half drunk bag of blood dangling it in his fingers. He then looked at the newcomer and said "Just so you know I always carry a bag with me when I'm not in my house." He stuffed it back in his inside pocket and rested his left hand on the sheath of his long sword at his left hip. He waited for the two men to either fight or retreat.

Valentin didn't much like that demon comment much. Especially coming from a demon. He was far more civilized and in control of his dark desires than they. He was ready to defend himself with his vast array of skills learned from the hundreds of years he's been alive. He just recently won the annual competition for mixed combat in Adustren. He was prepared.

Kanas looked a little more at the detail and features of the vampire that stood before him. He felt he knew him somehow, but wasn't certain. And he would be a damned bloody fool if he embarassed himself in front of Ceberus, who kills all who are incopitent.

After studying harder, he came to the assumption that this was the infamous Valentin Jaus. As a human, he sheltered his ancestors from trouble and he remembered now that he was merely a child when he was first introduced to the cunning vampire. Valentin, as Kanas assumed, lived in the house they were headed to and sheltered a few other renegade friends of his. Of this he was certain.

"Bloody hell, are you Valentin Jaus?" Kanas asked, silencing and putting away his blue saber. "I don't know if you recall me, but I presume you live near Restual, correct? My name is Kanas Froothgar. I was one of the renegades who you politely allowed sanctuary as I was searching for a place to live. Please accept my apologies, noble sir, I didn't recognize you."

Ceberus exhaled with frustration. Now Kanas knew the f***ing vampire! What's next, are they going to sit down for a tea and a fag? Or perhaps some flat cakes! Ceberus hated when the friendly things began to errupt in conversation and people became all happy and frilly. It was rather skiddish.

"Oh, you blokes a such bores! Very well, I shall return to finish my business with you, Kanas. For now, I have other matters to attend," Ceberus said as he turned and walked out into the forrest. His temper was beggining to flare and he needed to find a release. It occured to him he may just need to pay a visit to his dear Savvy and Llydia...

(To The Eastern Sea)

Valentin watched Cerberus leave and turned to look at Kanas and the girl. "Ah the little rebel group. Yes I remember you." He smiled arrogantly. "In fact I have a few places in Strid and one of them is in Restaul. I happen to have a high rise apartment in the upper part of Strid just on the other side of the park. If you'll follow me there I can have my driver take us to Restaul." Valentin turned to and started walking the opposite direction that the two youngsters had come from.

Kaoru watched as the pompous vampire turned to leave. She looked at Kanas and whispered "Are you sure we can trust him?" She was a little scared because he was a vampire but the bagged blood comforted her a little.

Kanas looked at her and nodded. "Aye, he's trust worthy. He's one of the few who are," Kanas whispered back as he followed the vampire. "This vampires house in Restual was the house I was referring to. I forgot he was the owner."

"Mi'Lady if you don't find me trustworthy you may abandon your quest here." Valentin kept walking as he said this. He walked passed the lake and through the rest of the forest of a park. He neared the elaborate gates of the edge of the park on the elite side of Strid. He casually crossed the cobble stone street with confidence. No cars were on the road and so he walked straight up to his high rise condo. He held the door open to the lobby for Kanas and the girl.

Elite Part of Strid

Kaoru was a little embarrassed at being heard by the arrogant vampire. He intrigued her a little. Artemis started following Valentin and so had Kanas. She caught up to them and followed Valentin to the other side of the park. She had only been in the super rich part of Strid a few times and only to deliver animals to the super rich customers that the shop she used to own catered to. She was always amazed at how clean it was. She followed the vampire to the high rise across the street from the park. He held the door and she followed Kanas in with Artemis just in front of him. As she passed the vampire she could tell he smelled of well she really couldn't place it.

Elite Part of Strid