Hollow Repentance

- - - - - Torren's POV - - - - -

I watched blankly as Aldin continued to crush Koerta in his muscular arms, waiting for him to let go. He should have let go instantly, she had asked him nicely and even mentioned that she couldn't breathe. Something was wrong...very wrong.

"Thank you, kiddo. You saved my life."

Oh. Anyway...I knew that the council would be on their way up about now, so they couldn't meet Koerta like this, she would be blue in the face. Pulling lightly on Aldin's bloodstained arm, I cleared my throat repeatedly and started to grow impatient as it had no effect. Okay, so he was injured, but I was sure that his hearing was fine.

"Aldin! She can't breathe! Let go, now. Aldin, let go of my child, now!"

"Your child? That's something I would have never expected to hear from you, Sir Torren. I'm impressed."

I spun on my heel and smiled sheepishly at the council master, hiding the embarrassment from my face. Nodding silently, I turned back to Aldin and watched with a small smile crossing my lips as he dropped Izzy back to the ground, pulling aside to sit down next to the wall. Everybody flinched as he stumbled over and I closed my eyes to await the dull thud of his body hitting the cobblestones.

My eyes jolted open as a high pitched scream filled the air. There was no way that Aldin could scream like that. My attention turned to the small lump breathing deeply on the floor. Izzy... Racing to her side, I sat down beside her and lifted her body to rest against mine, lightly circling my thumb on her palm. I watched as she sniffled and allowed a single silent tear to slide down her cheek. Glancing up at all of the shocked faces above us, I figured that they all saw what happened. I settled my gaze on Aldin, who was leaning roughly against the alley wall.

"What happened?"

"When I started to fall, the poor kiddo took it upon herself to save me again and pushed me back up. In the process, she set my weight onto her back leg and it gave way for some reason. I ended up against the wall and she dropped to the ground."

All of us stared in silenced awe at Izzy for a few moments and, as usual, she burrowed her head into my jacket and shied away from our gazes. Slowly, I climbed to my feet and lifted Koerta up with me, setting her gently beside me as she continued to cling defensively onto my jacket. My hand draped lightly over her shoulder as we stood there, watching the council members slowly approaching.

With each echoing footstep, Izzy disappeared a little further into my jacket. At the rate she was going, she'd have gone before they even arrived. I laughed lightly and pulled her back to my side, practically fusing her hip to my thigh.

"It's alright, Izzy, there's nothing to be afraid of. These are the council members of both Dai Esau and Tolpaza; Calvin Cremers, Rupert Moghill, Arann Ebert and Deacon Pelfrey. Calvin is the council master, or the leader, as you might say. You've all heard of Izzy."

As she glanced nervously at each of them in turn, they greeted her and shook her trembling hand with great care. Motioning Dimi to my side, I passed Izzy over to him and he wrapped his arms around her, watching as I crossed to Aldin's side to tend to his many wounds.

"Calvin, why don't you all get to know Izzy a little bit and lead her to the end of this alleyway while I tend to some of these wounds. My, Aldin, you've certainly reached your limits this time, haven't you?"

My eyes told Calvin everything he needed to know and he nodded sharply. He never showed any emotion on his face; it was almost impossible to tell what he was thinking. As I tended to Aldin's wounds, I listened to the gentle footsteps as the group wandered back towards the street, leaving only Aldin, David and I huddled against one wall in the alley. There was so much blood, I was struggling to hld my composure, as was David.

"David, perhaps you better go with the girls and Dimi. If I'm struggling to hold back, then you must be on the verge of snapping. Go on, send Dimi back in your place and we'll meet you in Le Petite Belle as soon as we're done. There's reservation under my name, just let them know that I'm running a little late."

Without a word, David clambered uneasily to his feet and paced slowly back along the alleyway, his whole body shaking violently. Just before he left, he looked worse than Aldin, and I even thought that Aldin was looking pretty worse for wear. Suddenly, we heard the echoing footsteps of a single person and turned to see who it was. Even Dai Esau wasn't safe when there was a blood scent in the air. Everybody could be after it.

"It's only me; Dimi. Don't go gettin' all stressed and tense just because you hear footsteps."

I relaxed again and turned back to Aldin, pressing my overlapped hands lightly against a gash across his stomach. Wincing slightly, Aldin clenched his fists and threw his head back, struggling against the urge to scream in agony. I smiled softly as Dimi pulled up to my side, pulling surgical thread and a needle from his jacket pocket. Laughing, I shook my head and smirked at him.

"Well, you never know what's goin' to happen. It alway pays to be prepared."

Trust Dimi to carry such things in his pocket and think it is normal! What an unusual man...and a genius. Smiling broadly, I stood up and stooped over, lifting Aldin into my arms. He may have been a lot heavier than I was, but there was a reason that our kind took pride in our fitness. Aldin groaned in disappointment and Dimi and I chuckled at this, wandering slowly towards the mouth of the alley.

"There's no point in staying here. Don't worry. Aldin. If we run at about ninety-five miles per hour, nobody will notice and you can keep your reputation."

Grumbling quietly, Dimi and I laughed even harder and took off at a fair speed into the streets. Dropping slightly behind Dimi, I glanced at the blurs to either side of me, recalling what buildings we were passing. Well, I couldn't trust Dimi to stop at the right place; he was a human after all. As I followed close in pursuit, I spotted the dim blur pass on my right and pulled to a halt, breaking swiftly into the tavern from earlier and into one of the many back rooms.

"Too far, Dimi. You need to slow down and observe the surroundings more often, otherwise you're going to end up missing the mark completely."

I set Aldin down against the back wall and raced from the room, returning back by his side within moments, an extra pillow in my hand. I threw the pillow on top of the others, stripping back the bed sheets and returning to Aldin's side. Taking a deep breath, I slipped my hands under Aldin's arms and dragged him into the centre of the bed, ripping his shredded shirt away from his body, as if it was merely paper.

"Umm, well...You see, I ran too far and I was in a bit of a hurry. I apologise but..."

Wait, what was that? Both Aldin and I heard it, a familiar timid voice faltering from the bar room. Dimi! Pushing Aldin firmly back onto the bed as he struggled to pull himself to his feet, I furrowed my eyebrows at him and turned to the door, slinking into the hallway through the darkness. Leaning against the shadowed doorway, I surveyed the room until I spotted the commotion, and Dimi in the eye of the storm.

Chairs tipped, tables overturned, and a encircling crowd of onlookers jeering and gasping as Dimi edged slowly away from whoever was attacking him.

"I--I don't want any trouble. I told you; it was an accident."

Stupid boy, he was never too smart at this sort of thing. As Dimi backed away from his attacker, the crowd followed, slowly edging towards the back of the room, where I stood casually against the dry wall. Dimi had his back to me when I spotted his attacker; Scipio Ray, one of Roswell's subordinates. After his encounter with an enraged Izzy, I figured he would have changed his lifestyle, yet it seems he hadn't changed from his old ways.

My body stiffened as I sensed what was to come next. Hastily, I forced my way into the centre of the crowd and accelerated, dragging Dimi towards me by his shirt and locking fingers with Scipio as he sliced his cuspidated nails towards Dimi's heart. Everyone fell silent as I appeared in the centre of the commotion, only the raspy breaths of Scipio and Dimi breaking the eerie silence.

"Scipio Ray... I thought you might have learned not to meddle with my companions or, at least, I thought my child might have taught you something when she defeated Macelier."

I glared threatening as Scipio scoffed and spat at Dimi's feet. Nothing disgusted me more than intentional disrespect towards humans, especially when they had made something of their lives in our world, such as Dimi's achievements.

"We no longer serve under Roswell's leadership. He was disposed of swiftly and without fail. Although most of the clan has dispatched now, a few of us remain; I being the leader. If I had known that this pathetic human was one of yours, I wouldn't have spared a moment to slice him open and spill that delectable blood."

I growled and closed my eyes momentarily, my deep blue irises staining crimson as I reopened me eyes. Suddenly, the urge overcame me and I clenched my hand that was locked with Scipio's, breaking more of the bones and causing him agony, my rapidly growing nails cutting into his skin. Smirking, I motioned to Scipio with my head and bared my gleaming teeth.

"Your heart rate is soaring, Scipio. The fear within you is swirling out of control. I suggest that you leave this humble tavern and allow life to return to normal, even if only temporarily."

I glared defiantly into Scipio's hazel eyes and refused to look away. Shortly after our eyes locked, Scipio averted his eyes to the floor and bit his lip slightly. Glancing back up, he turned to the door and spoke quietly, his back to Dimi and I.

"I will retreat for now, but only as I have no further reason to pursue this pathetic creature. Know this, Kiedon Torren; I have many sources in these parts, and your little human girl may find herself lost in our world sooner than you think. That I can promise you."

I shook violently as Scipio headed to the entrance of the tavern, a toothy grin pasted across his idiotic face. My eyes burned brighter and I gritted my teeth, feeling my canines pushing against my gums as I pressed harder. Stepping around Dimi, I pointed to the room Aldin was staying in and turned back to the doorway as Scipio disappeared through the swinging door.

"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch! Nobody shall ever be harmed by the Sparus clan ever again; especially not at the hands of Scipio Ray."

I accelerated and burst through the door in pursuit of Scipio, dodging Dimi's meek efforts to catch my arm. Pausing momentarily just beyond the door, I drew the Swiss knife from the pouch on my leg and flipped it open, my eyes scouring the darkness for any trace of Scipio. I tracked his thoughts to a nearby alleyway and appeared behind him before he could flee.

"I have never done anything to you that you did not fully deserve, Scipio Ray. You only received punishment when it was due to you. Now you shall atone for your sins and repay all of your crimes at the mercy of a human's blade. I'll not waste my powers on such a worthless being as yourself."

Scipio's eyes widened and I swiped the air to my right with the blade, smirking as I eyed Scipio's throat hungrily. In a single fluid movement, I sprang forward and sliced Scipio's throat in an unrespectable fashion, darting back to avoid the filthy blood cascading from the wound. Scipio dropped instantly to his knees, choking on his own blood as I watched his drowning sins drain away.

"Your filthy blood shall not touch me, Ray. With your last moments of life, you should remember those whose lives you have destroyed and you'd best feel repentance for your actions. I have nothing more to say to you. Ciao, Scipio Ray."

At little quicker than a human's pace, I turned on my heel and strode out of the alleyway, leaving the tortured man to die painfully and unattended. I smiled in satisfaction and returned to the tavern entrance, the bloodied knife still clenched in my heartless hand. I had killed many before by this hand, yet never while bearing a human weapon of such pointless ability.

"Torren...You're safe, thank god. Did you...?"

I glanced up to spot Dimi and the usuals - Bill, Misky, Jack and Clayton - crowding the doorway as I approached in the shadows. Nodding silently, I cleaned the Swiss knife on my jeans leg and paused to return the folded blade to its pouch. I would not be needing to wield the blade as a weapon for a long time now, if all went well. Without a word, I crossed through the tavern into Aldin's room with Dimi close behind me, and opened the wardrobe.

I glanced at Aldin sleeping peacefully in the bed behind me and left Dimi in the hallway, slipping into another room to change. Slender black trousers, a pale blue shirt and a long navy tie hanging loosely around my neck. Perfect.

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