11 Cov Lin

'Scarlet Strings Of Destiny.'

Night Eleven...

Getting off the train turned out to be a pretty big hassle Brave realized. She had to clutch the hand of the man in the blood suit as he hundreds of people all tried to get off. She saw several that were like them. Men in suits holding the hand of children. And also just like them many of them were covered in wounds and scars still bleeding...

Guess that was normal or something in this world, as sad as that was to think about...

"W... Why are there so many people?" Brave asked.

Williams let out a small hum. "I told you already. School is starting soon. Around less than a month even. We Professors have a few jobs. The most basic ones is we're still Wakes and do odd jobs hunting Mares and are hired by humans. The second job we do is teach at schools but only Professor Wakes do that. And our last job is discover talents out in the world like New Bloods or the rare wandering Steel Bloods."

"S... So all these kids are people who will be taking the test?" Brave asked with wide eyes.

"Well. Some. Not all will be taking Heavens test. And some could be people who lost family members and are being placed at an Orphanage."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... Remember what happened to you when you awakened aura... Your family was attacked and you had two powerful Imps who were guarding you in the form of Leena, and Darvin, Larison. Not all New Bloods are so lucky... Sadly it isn't uncommon for many of them to have their families killed before they're saved..."

"T... Thats horrible..." Brave said with wide eyes.

"It is. Thats why we Wakes seek more people to fight. Its our job to stop that. Thats why we need people with talent. Ones we can rely on."

Brave let out a small gulp. "And... You think I'm one of those people?"

"Well... We'll see. As I said... If you can pass the test you'll become a Wake able to keep the world safe. But if anyone thinks you can't cut it for a moment you'll be dropped. It's up to you to pull your weight."

"But let us worry about that at a later date. For now we have to deal with this city..." He said calmly staring at the city.

They stood on a massive metal platform that was the train station. Past it was the massive metal walls to the city. It wasn't pretty... The buildings weren't that large. Only small metal buildings and many of them were lined on top of each other likes row. It was very tight... Closed off. Small roads which were filled with way to many people walked back and forth. Almost all the buildings looked the exact same. Only a few stood out, those being factories and schools, and the bank. It didn't even seem to have a hospitals. It was like taking people when they were just learning how to build cities, and giving them the tools to build modern cities. Brave figured they'd make something like this...

It didn't look like home.

Just staring at it was enough to send the small flickers of sadness through her.

She really didn't like it...

At all...

"Oh joy..." Brave said eyeing it up. "You... Called this place the black market?"

"Imps call it Brothers Wicked, the place in which they can get their tools. Humans call it the Black Market, and can get anything shady. Weapons, guns, slaves-"

"Slaves! Whoa, whoa, whoa! What kind of crazy dark world am I getting into?"

"Well actually thats the human part. Imps are more interested in the weapons. We want weapons we'll just make more Steel Bloods for the war."

Now that she was staring at the city she also noticed several of the Ghosts- Or rather the Blanks as they were called all moving through the city. There also seemed to be several normal humans as well here though many looked like they were very shady...

"Stay away from any humans here Ms. Larison..." Cliff Williams hummed holding her shoulder. "These ones aren't like other people... They know a little about the world of the Imp. Not much but they know enough to know how good of body guards or assassins Imps make. They're just here to try and recruit some people for dirty jobs... And don't worry about the blanks either..."

"Why do I get the sense there is a lot of shady stuff that hides under the surface of this strange world..." Brave sighed shaking her head.

"Come along Ms. Larison. I told 'her' to wait at the entrance so we shouldn't keep her waiting-"

"Father!" A voice cried out making them both turn.

"Ahh good. She's here." Williams mused.

Brave followed his gaze and saw a very pretty girl walking towards them. She had pale skin much like the Professor, and black hair that fell down her shoulders. Her hair was tied back with two black ribbons. Bright golden yellow eyes gazed at Brave for a brief second before she turned her attention to the man. "Father you're finally here." She nodded giving a respectable bow. "I waited here as you told me to."

"You have a Daughter?" Brave said with wide eyes.

Williams gave a small nod before placing his hand on Brave's shoulder. "Fate. This girl here is named Brave Larison. She is a New Blood. I've taken her here so that she can get gear for the up coming test. Much like you she will be taking the Heaven Entrance exam. Brave. This is my Daughter Fate Williams. She is your age, and is a Common Blood. Just like you she will be taking the Heaven Test this year."

"H... Hi... Nice to meet you..."

"You managed to actually find someone father?" Fate asked frowning. "You've never been able to convince a New Blood to join Heaven Before?"

"I... Its kind of a long story." Brave said sheepishly scratching the back of her head. "I'm still not really sure about this Imp world. I'm only going to Heaven for a Year just to see what its like and learn my aura... Plus... Theres something I was wondering about which your father said I would learn at the school."

"Oh. I see." Fate hummed nodding her head. "So he had to bribe you."

"Yep!"

Williams eye twitched as he stared at the two girls. "Maybe having them meet wasn't such a good idea after all... Perhaps I should have brought Kale... Fate. Ms. Larison is... Shall we say a special case. I would like you to watch over her if you can when I'm not around."

"I'm special?" Brave asked a bit of excitement in her tone. "How?"

"Don't get a big head."

"Aww."

"Now. Come along children." Williams hummed. "We should be off. I need to stop at the bank first." Before Brave could ask more Williams began to march forward followed closely by his daughter Fate. She jogged after them trying to keep up.

An awkward silence hit them as they walked before she tried to break the ice. "S... So... Fate... You're my age right?"

"Yes."

Brave waited a few moments expecting Fate to say more but the raven haired beauty remained silent. Fate didn't say anything as they walked forward. "S... So do you like playing games or anything?"

"No."

"O... Oh... Well I like to play games sometimes. My siblings got my hooked on this one with these... Well..." Brave waited but Fate didn't say anything more and didn't seem to be listening to her. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well... What do you like to do?"

"I read, and train." Fate said still not looking at the girl next to her who quickly became embarrassed. "I must be ready for any attack at any moment from a Mare. They are tricky and dangerous and cause lots of cruel problems in the world... It is my goal to stop them all." She nodded. "I must be ready at all times."

"You... You're really serious on this aren't you..." Brave asked frowning a bit.

"Of course." Fate nodded. "I am not Fathers biological kid. He is sterile and as such adopted. It is up to me to earn the title of Williams and carry on Fathers legacy."

"Oh... I see... You remind me of Lumo."

"Hmm?"

"She's my sister. She is so smart, and so strong. She was always ready for almost anything. I really look up to her even though I'm older... Sometimes I feel so pathetic for having to rely on her so much... I'm the big sister but... Well."

"Hmm..."

Brave let out a small sigh realizing it was pointless to talk to this girl. Fate was clearly like her father Williams, and not one for pointless talking, or showing that much emotion. Still she wondered just what kind of life must this girl have lived to have such stunted emotions. Brave felt a bit of sadness to the girl. It was kind of sad seeing someone so... Well she really didn't know what Fate was... Just off?

"Here we are..." Williams said finally stopping. Brave and Fate also both stopped and stared ahead at a large metal building ahead of them. It was the bank. "We'll stop in here so I can pick 'it' up as well as wit draw some Bells from my account to buy your things Brave."

"Y... You're buying my things for me Professor?"

"Don't think its free. I'll have you pay me back before the end of the year." He grunted.

"R... Right."

"You two stay out here. I'll be a while." He hummed entering the building and closing the door behind him.

'Great... He left me with his daughter...' Brave thought letting out a sigh. It wasn't that she really disliked Fate. More like she just found the girl a little weird. Fate was someone she didn't see becoming friends with. Brave was silent as he told her this. "Those... Mares... How many people do they kill..." She asked after a few moments.

"To many to count..." Was Fates blank response.

"R... Right. I figured as much. So uh... Why do you want to become a Wake I guess?"

"You ask a lot of questions don't you..."

"S... Sorry."

"Hmm... Why do I want to become a Wake..." Fate was silent for a few moments her mind slowly pandering over the question. "I guess if I had to answer that... I'm doing it for my brother."

"Brother? Oh you have a brother?"

"Is it so strange? After all you have a sibling." Fate said in a simple tone. She stared ahead not looking at Brave at all. "My brother is... He can be a bit of an idiot... I... Would like to keep him safe."

'She wants to keep her brother safe...' Brave thought for a moment a tiny smile on her face. Her mind went to her siblings for a moment. 'So she's like... Me then...'

"...Why is it you want to go to Heaven academy." Fate asked a tiny bit of curiosity in her voice. For a moment she turned to look at Brave.

"If I'm a Wake... I get to help people? I get to fight the Mares?"

"For the most part. You'll spend five years studying at Heaven Academy. Afterwards you join a Squad."

"Right... Well for that most part thats all I need. I just want to help people and keep my family safe from the Mares. I'm... I'm not really sure if I'm becoming a Wake though. I'm going to go for just one year. I was told there are some schools in which Imps go to where they're taught her to keep their aura calm and then they are allowed to rejoin human society. I was also told Heaven will teach me how to do that anyways. So I'll be going for just a year so I can learn more than the basics... That way I can help some people and also if any of my siblings have a chance to awaken aura then I can keep them safe also. Plus... Who knows maybe I'll like the school and stay we'll see."

"So you want to help people and keep your family safe..." Fate nodded. "That makes sense." Brave wasn't sure if the girl liked the answer or not. Fate didn't really seem to react to it and had once again gone back to her blank face.

Brave deflated a little. 'I guess I just don't interest her.' Brave thought letting out a sigh.

"I don't think its that you don't interest her. I think she just doesn't know how to respond to you I suppose." A voice said casually making Brave jump a little.

Brave and Fate both turned. The two of them were still standing outside of the bank. They had been for a while now. They weren't the only ones though. Many men in suits entered it leaving kids like them on the steps. Most of the kids seemed to be standing there awkwardly or were talking amongst themselves.

This one had actually spoken to them though.

He was a young thirteen year old boy much like Brave and Fate. He had blonde hair that was nearing white, and silver eyes. He wore a black deerstalker as well as a black winter cloak. In his hands he held a small hand held game console which he was playing on his eyes never leaving it.

Fate stared at him with a confused look staring at the device he held while Braves eyes filled with stars.

"Hey isn't that a Zank-Bow?" Brave asked. "Those things are really expensive!"

"Zank... Bow?" Fate asked frowning. "Imps don't usually have normal tech like that so I've never seen one... What kind of weapon is it."

"Uh... Its not a weapon. Its a gaming console?" Brave frowned. "Geez Imps are weird." She sighed shaking her head. For a moment her mind replayed the boys words. Not once did he bother looking up from his game. "Hey uh... What did you mean earlier... It was like you read my mind... Fate can Imps read minds!?"

"I didn't read your mind..." The boy said blankly pushing more of the buttons on his hand held device. "My name is Cov Lin. I'm a New Blood like you I suppose..."

"O... Oh well how do you know what I was thinking?" Brave asked.

"I'm just good at reading people I suppose... I wouldn't have said anything to you if I knew it would start a conversation I suppose..."

"Why do you keep saying I suppose?"

"You ask a lot of questions I suppose..."

"Why does everyone keep saying that!"

Fate stared at the boy for a moment. "Are you going to a Wake school?"

"Heaven I suppose."

"Oh?" Fate nodded her head. "I see. So which Professor found you?" She asked.

"Professor Sigmore I suppose."

"Seriously why does he keep saying I suppose..." Brave asked frowning.

"It's a bit of a habit he picked up." A smooth voice announced. Brave, Cov, and Fate, all three turned finding Cliff Williams as well as another man standing with them now. This man had messy red hair and a bit of a red beard as well as fiery orange eyes. He seemed to radiate an almost fire like nature about him. Much like Williams he was also in a suit but his was a snow white. "Hello." The man said giving a bow to Brave and slowly grabbing her hand and giving it a shake.

"Stranger danger-"

"My name is Defiance Sigmore. I'm a Professor at Heaven Academy. I teach battle Lessons and also Economics. This little guy here is Cov Lin. Found him by pure chance. He had a ton of aura and after begging him for hours he agreed to try Heaven out for at least a year."

Williams let out a sigh. "Children. You'll come to learn that not all things are equal. In this case you'll learn that Sigmore and I are very different teachers. One of is good at teaching and the other is... Well..."

"Williams!" Sigmore said with wide eyes. "Thats very rude. You're an amazing teacher. There's no need to compare either of us."

"See what I mean..." Cliff said flatly.

"Well Fate. Its been a while." Sigmore said waving.

'He knows Fate? Well I guess he is friends with Professor Williams or rather they are coworkers so that makes sense.' Brave thought.

Williams frowned for a moment. "Well children. I already got what I came for." He stated holding a brown suit case up. "I also collected the Bells. We can go and finish up your supplies now Ms. Larison."

"I also got the Bells we'll need for you Cov!" Sigmore announced. "Mind if we join Williams?"

"Yes."

"Thank you!"

"...I meant I do mind if you- You know what never mind. I don't want to deal with you right now." Professor Williams sighed. "Well. Brave, Fate. Lets go. I know the perfect place to start."

Meanwhile...

"Wow... So that was the girl those two were keeping safe?"

On the roof tops staring down a man could be seen...

Tik...

The Mare.

His face twisted into a grin filled with rows of razor sharp teeth. "I wonder what makes her so special... Maybe I'll ask her myself..." He smirked.