The Fallen Cities

Zei stood there stunned before giving Koko a questioning glance and asking "You know this guy?" he stood there a moment before asking something else before either Koko or Masamune could answer her question "Better question actually, why is he in the alleyways when there are killers on the loose?"

Koko blinked then turned around to answer, in such a way that it gave Masamune a heart attack from down below but before she could answer Masamune beat her to it.

"Im down here cause this is where I live and or lurk, so its normal to see me around here, and as for the killers I saw them run off and one is dead, he's about three or so alleys back that-a way" he spoke pointing to his left.

Giving a small shrug at Zei as to say "There ya have it" Koko swung her legs over the windowsill and jumped landing almost silently on the floor below.

"You coming?" she called up to Zei who was still standing there like a statue in the window, then turned around and gave masamune a bear hug which he returned but also lifting her up off the ground a few inches before setting her down.

Zei snapped out of it after after a few seconds and fumbled his way out the window and unlike Koko he landed in an incredibly clumsy and noisy manner before dusting himself off and grinning nervously.

"Well-" he coughed lightly "well, where to next? I don't think we can stay in the alleyway for too much longer, murderers aside we still have to deal with the guard."

"Masamune, you know these alleyways better then anyone, think ya can get us out of here?" Koko turned asking her question to the other male known as Masamune.

Masamune placed a hand on Koko's shoulder and grinned, "I can only if you bring me something to eat later." Koko stared at him then agreed, "Lead the way."

Giving the air a fist pump Masamune turned away and began walking through the alleyways away from the pack of guards that still hunted through the streets. Koko followed silently, wondering what to feed that man since he was so freaking picky, the best she could offer was a small chunk roast and some vegetables she had bought earlier that week. Shrugging it off to think on later Koko turned around to see if Zei was following.

Zei was following as closely as he could to the two walking in front of him which wasn't very close unfortunately, for as fast as Zei tried to walk it seemed Koko and Masamune were considerably faster walkers, he nearly needed to run just to keep up with them and whenever he had caught up to them he would glare at their legs and then at his before noticing he had fallen behind again.

A few minutes later lead them to the outskirts of the town near the edge of the metal sphere that kept the water at bay. The taller of the two stopped and waited for the last of their little party to catch up before going any further.

"Masamune, how much further?" Koko asked slightly tired from cutting down alleyway after alleyway and hair pin turns and squeezes just to get away from the scene.

Masamune looked around casually before answering "We were being followed by a guard who just happened to see you so I've been trying to give them the slip" he gave a sigh "I think we lost 'em when we did that hairpin turn and squeezed into that space between buildings." Looking around he asked "Um where is Zei?"

"..."

Zei stood there for a moment; he had been following Masamune and Koko, of course that was obvious, but somehow he had gotten lost. Whether it was because he took a wrong turn, or because he slowly lost sight of them, either way he was as lost as he could.

After finally snapping out of his confusion he started to glance about, unfortunately this alley looked like any other alley and unless he had intimate knowledge about alleys he was never going to figure exactly where he was at.

Finally, after wasting a minute or two he finally decided he should start moving to at least make some form of progress, however before that could even happen a voice called out from behind him.

"Hmm, that's interesting; a tad strange to find someone walking around in these alleys yes? especially with murderers on the loose; why it would be such a terrible thing if you were to find or confront said murderers in these alleys yes?"

Taking a look around Koko face-palmed "Oh for the love of-" she trailed off turning around and stalking off back the way they came,

"Come on Masamune we got to find him before anything else does."

he silently followed a slight frown on his face as he wondered where he could have gotten lost, then it hit him like a runaway haystack, timidly he approached Koko's shoulder and tapped it

"Um, Koko? I think we lost him right before the hairpin turn and the squeeze between the buildings, so he probably went on ahead walking thinking ahead we went straight." He recalled remembering how Zei kept falling behind then having to run to catch up to them only to fall behind once more.

Koko's glare could probably kill a man if that was possible, "Damn it, and with a killer or killers still on the loose, only god knows who he will run into." biting down on the knuckle of her index finger while thinking "Your right, lets hurry and find him, before god forbid the killer finds him"

Taking off into a light sprint they made their way back and took a left back onto the way they thought Zei went and stopped Masamune slamming into koko sending them stumbling a little, Zei stood there, with a figure that gave off waves of malice. "Damn it..." she whispered.

"And of course what would be worse is if you died when and if you encounter said killers." The person standing in front of me had a pleased smile on his face as he started to inch closer to me, horrified, I couldn't move.

"Of course that won't be a problem" he chuckled airily as he began to draw his sword from the sheath on his waist "Because of course this little old guard is here to help" the man's grin grew in size as he finally retrieved his sword from the sheath.

"Now of course the question is, what do I do with you?"

Growling almost silently both Masamune and Koko crept up behind the seemingly insane guard and pulled their hidden blades they kept on their persons, placing them against the man's neck from both sides..

"You will do nothing but leave, Guard." Masamune spat pressing the dagger a little more against the neck. Koko stood silently beside Masamune her own blade also against the guards neck,

"Zei, back away a little then come around behind us." her voice a little more calm but still hard.

Zei snapped out of it when he heard Koko's voice, backing off a little he began to make his way around towards Koko.

"Ho ho ho, I'm sorry my little pretties but I simply must escort this little critter, who knows what dangers lurk in this horrid alley" he said as he used his own blade to leverage Masamune's off his neck.

She dug her blade in a little more drawing a small amount of blood "Like yourself?" I dont think so, he is coming with us wither your alive or dead she spoke pulling her second hidden blade out angling it in a way that if she chose to move it, the blade would kill him along with the blade pressed tightly against the guards neck.

Hearing a light thud beside them she turned and saw an albino man she sometimes saw hanging around Masamune pointing an intricate dagger at the guard.
+++++++++

Masamune felt the dagger being moved away, he didnt dare take his eyes off the man in case he tried something. He wanted to laugh when Koko called him out on the statement but refrained knowing if he did the guard might make a move when he wasnt paying attention.
A dull thud landed almost beside him and a glint of another blade came into the side of his vision, the voice that followed make him crack a smirk, it was his brother Ember.
+++++++++

Ember made it to his living room only to hear the sounds of blades being drawn together, his curiosity getting the better of him, Ember walked over to the window ignoring Rozen in order to see what was going on.

Looking down he saw a guard, and two people he didnt know, and Masamune. Three had blades and the other looked rather stocky, a scholar air around him even from the fourth story window. He could see how the guard looked unhinged and was pushing his brother's blade away.

Fearing for his brother's life, even if the woman was capable he turned back and grabbed his dagger and lept out the window, landing with a light thud, pointing the dagger at the guard.

"Dont think about it or your dead."

Zei stood there watching as the albino suddenly landed from above in front of the guard and proceeded to threaten said guard with an ornate dagger.

Zei was dumbfounded as to how things got this way and with each second it almost felt like it was getting more and more absurd.

Standing there watching as the guard stood there locking eyes with the albino Zei felt something soft plop onto his head; after a moment he felt something small and soft resting there in his hair.

Rozen stopped paying attention to his younger sibling when he noticed Ember ignoring him in favor of the window, squeaking for attention didnt work either. Inching over to with window sill Rozen found out what had Ember attention, it was four other people down there. Then Ember jumped out the window and landed next to then and pointed a shiny pointy thing at them, well one of them.

Still ignoring his younger sibling who by now crawled up beside him, Rozen jumped out the window and landed on a rather small persons head and rested there watching.

"Well, it looks like a stray dog has wondered into our little circle of friends" The guard said while he inched the dagger from his neck ever so slowly with his blade.

As the guard stood there with two daggers at his neck and one he was slowly prying away with his sword a dark smile was inching onto his face "Well well well well well, are any other stray dogs going to join this little bundle of fun?"

Her blade started to press into his neck even more as her anger skyrocketed with her annoyance. The other blade in her hand started to poke at his sides sharply, a low growl coming from her mouth, how did a routine trip to meet with some friends turn into a stand off with Zei, Masamune, some guy she's seen a handful of times, and a demented guard? Who the hell knew. she'd be damned if she did, now with her anger getting the better of her she was a few seconds away from killing this guard and being done with it.

+++++++

Masamune kept tabs on both his brother and where everyone was in case of needing to defend someone, but by the looks of it koko and Ember wouldnt need it but the guy tagging with Koko would need all the help he could get. But the guards comment was fraying his nerves quite a bit, he didnt like being called a stray dog when he was younger and he sure as hell didnt like it now, with renewed strength he pushed the two conflicting blades back against the guards neck with a growl. Like hell this messed up guard is going to live if he has anything to say about it.

+++++++++

Ember inched forward ready to kill him if necessary, he already knew Rozen had followed him down here and was sitting on the storks head watching and waiting. He saw the dark smile forming and moved forward letting his dagger rest between two ribs right in front of his lung, if stabbed he'd die of lack of air in his lungs. He may like to be alone and not talk to people but he sure as hell knew how to kill if needed and he knew Masamune did to, by the looks of it that girl had some anger issues that would make her either very dangerous to be around or an issue when it came to fighting, he hoped it was the first.

"Aww now, no response?" his grin grew as he slowly moved and pressed himself against the blade aimed at his chest.

"It's no fun if none of you speak now is it?" the deranged guard toyed with his blade as he stared unerringly at the person standing directly in front of him.

Growling all three of them stabbing the lunatic having heard enough. Blood splattered from where the blades entered.

Masamune being the tall bastard he is only got some blood on his chest and shirt, same with Ember, but Koko got blood on her face and neck in splotches.

"Damn bastard" she spoke taking her knives out of the dying man wiping them on his sleeves to clean them then returning them both to their place, in her boot and at the small of her back.

Masamune cleaned his knife then put it back into his boot then turned to his brother and gave him a hug followed by a noogie "heya bro" he grinned despite being covered in blood and a dead man at their feet.

Ember cleaned his dagger then slipped it into a belt loop to hold it since he left the sheath inside his home when he jumped down here. He felt Masamune trap him in a bear hug then follow with a noogie
"Hey Moonie, its been a long time hasnt it?" Ember responded while getting out of the noogie then returning the hug.

Looking around they didnt know what else to do, let along what to do with the dead body at their feet

Zei coughed into his fist lightly before looking at each person standing in front of him "Sooo, what are we going to do with the dead body? Because I'm pretty sure if we just leave it there and it gets discovered they will say it was a casualty of the murderer."

Stepping forward She kicked the body with her foot

"Wanna drop him into the sea and let the other monsters have some dinner?" she asked thoughtfully a seemingly pointed grin on her face.

Masamune and Ember shared a shiver at the morbid question coming from the girl.

'That girl is like a shark.' they both thought nervously as she continues to kick and nudge the dead body in an almost childish way

Giving one last shiver Masamune straightened his shoulders then looked around wringing his hands together "Any other ideas?" he asked at large.

Ember gave a shrug looking around, then spotted Rozen, and went to pick the small creature up and get it off that poor kids hair. "Rozen..." he chided it trailing off. as the creature and another one that was smaller leap at the dead body and started to bite at the dead man.

"Uh, Rozen?" Ember startled, while masamune watched in a morbid fascination, and Koko just watched not saying one word.

Zei watched the two creatures begin eating through the body before looking up at the others "Sooo, is this normal for all your pets...uh sir?" he asked, they had not been introduced and there was still much of this situation that confused Zei.

Ember looked like he was going to be sick seeing those two creature devour that dead guard like it was a bowl of soup. Masamune came over and gave his brother a slight pat on the back while also starting to look a little sick.

"Rozen has never done this before, at least not that I know of.." Ember spoke in a shaky voice still watching the remains turn into a skeleton wearing armor. Once the two were finished the smaller of the two looked at Ember and darted towards him sharp teeth bared, Rozen slammed into the younger one yelling a high pitched squeal.

Rozen stood before the frightened Ember squealing in anger at the other worm like thing. Having gotten bored now that the guard was just a skeleton Koko, walked up behind the small creature and slammed her boot against it rendering it impossible to move let alone gnaw at her.

"Well what now?" she asked over Rozen's angry squealing and the squealing of the thing under her boot. Looking down she spoke to the thing in question.

"If you shut up ill let you go but you better not attack anyone else of Ill end you."

Zei watched as the small worm like creature quieted under the foot of Koko, he watched interested as the creature apparently figured out that doing what it normally does might not be the best idea.

Slowly letting off the pressure off of the worm like thing Koko backed away slowly placing her hand on the blade at the small of her back just to be cautious should that worm attack.

Rozen also seemed to puff out to look bigger in order to protect Ember should the kin attack. The seemingly little worm creature started growling like no tomorrow surprising the people standing there.

Masamune moved closer to his brother putting himself in front of Ember but behind the defending worm. His hand inching towards his hidden knife.

The younger worm rolled over and shook itself then turned around and sat its rear end down right in front Koko giving off the image that it was smiling happily at her.

The whole group seemingly went quiet and exasperated sighs coming from their mouths.

"Ummm, What the hell!?!" Koko quietly exclaimed

Zei watched this strange display with growing unease, but before much could come out of that he halted that train of thought and shouted to get everyone's attention.

"GUYS! Maybe it's a good idea to maybe relocate our selves from the skeleton sitting there and out of these alleys before any familiarity begins happening? I'd prefer not to run into another guard today."