Family...

Gold eyes were all that could be seen behind the whipping of the young man's dark brown hair. When the moon gleamed on it, hints of auburn could be seen glinting back, almost winking in the starlight. A chocolate, leather trench coat was pulled tightly around him, the collar raised around his chin. He smiled to himself, watching the ramshackle house closely. He had been watching it for ages, longer than was necessary if he was being honest with himself. Ayden had had to make sure his little sister was going somewhere safe, after all. What kind of big brother would he be if he hadn't? 

    The thought cut him, deeply, like a knife. Ayden hadn't been much of a "big brother" in over twelve years. Had it really been that long? It had to have been, his memory was flawless, one of the many curses of vampirism. Sometimes, most of the time, he hated his curse. The Council hadn't allowed him to maintain contact with his baby sister; it was strictly forbidden. As a Rouge Hunter, Ayden's position relied on secrecy, stealth, and no one ever truly knowing who he was. Rouges were the biggest threat to the Council; they demanded change, more freedom, for the Nonhuman Creatures of Ceokia. Most everything, from the jobs they could hold to their ability to breed and reproduce, was controlled by the iron fist of the Ceokian Council of Nonhuman Creatures. What those like Ayden (vampires, were-beings, etc.) found unfair was the fact that those who used magic (warlocks and the like) were not nearly as harshly controlled, even though they, as most of the others the Council oversaw, were immortal. 

    The only reason Ayden was allowed this close to his sister was that he had a target that was last seen somewhere near here; a youngling like himself by the name of Nikodemus. According to the intelligence he had gathered, Nikodemus was leading a small band of Rogues to protest one of the Council events that was scheduled near here; the next Autumn Festival. It was there he hoped to encounter this band of rogues, and here where he needed to be so very careful. Paris Graemeyer, and his apprentices, always put on a display at the conclusion of the festival. They also sold potions and pomades for all malaise and maladies under the three suns, and he knew as the old warlocks most junior apprentice, Sid would be left in charge of the stall. Ayden wondered, sadly, if his little sister had outgrown the nickname he once gave her, or if she had decided to go by Absidae. 

    Straightening his stance, Ayden took off into the night, melting into the darkness. He had work to do, something he could not allow himself to forget again. He had often gotten lost in discovering where Absidae was; making sure she was safe, making sure she was fed, keeping rogues who were hunting her off of her trail. The hunt had gotten more intense in the past years, making it harder and harder to divert them. Ayden wasn't exactly sure why, but it was something he often pondered as he hunted. He had even seen a few council employed hunters, like himself, following her. What could she have, or be capable of, that they're so concerned about? He questioned himself once again, as he wandered around Olkmont, looking for his destination.