- The Beginning to a New

The cave was clear and cold, hollowed out by years of erosion - water from the stalactites dripped down from the ceiling.

-Drip! -Drop! -Drip! -Drop!

The rhythmic pattern was clear and concise, echoing in the empty chamber.

-Drip!

The water fell down from the hanging stone, falling through the empty air towards the ground.

-Drop!

The droplet hit a pool of red water, blood splattered across the ground and soaking into the small pools of water.

Two men stood in the center of the cave, the walls rising up around them, while areas and sections of the cave were raised, small wooden structures had been built to support them.

Bridges lined the taller parts of these raised areas, while ramps had been formed through wood and stone in order to reach them.

The entire area has a well worn feeling to it, a feeling that told the two men this had been a base long before this gang took it over and fixed it up.

On the floor before them, on his knees, sat a man, his face full of fear and contempt, as he dared not to look up at the people before him.

But these two men didn't seem to take any care in noticing him, and instead, their eyes were focused on one of the raised platforms, high above the ground below where they stood.

"Did you put him to sleep?"

Kal asked as he casually glanced over at Cain who was scratching his chin embarrassed.

"Well…not really."

"Then what did you do? Or did he just pass out from the sight of you?"

Kal asked sarcastically, as if mocking the idea of such a thing happening.

"Don't say that. You know it's happened in the past as well."

"True."

Glancing back at the raised bit of stone, he narrowed his eyes.

"Then what did you do?"

"Well, I may or may not have healed myself in front of him."

Kal sighed instantly, holding his head in his hands.

Cain of course paid no mind to this, as he knew it was entirely his fault for such an effect to take over the boy he was supposed to be protecting.

"I didn't think he would pass out or anything."

"Normally they don't. But Cain, he's a boy. Of course he would pass out from seeing your arm regenerate."

"It's not my fault. Lia never would have passed out from something like that so I didn't think to dumb it down a notch."

Kal sighed again, his head throbbing.

"Well, normally not everyone is as abnormal as she is."

Nodding his head, Cain agreed.

"You're right, but still, I had reasoning. How was I supposed to know they had a summoner with them? If that was the case, I would have doubted my own intellect, seeing that Krill was still in charge when we killed him, yet they had a summer here. It didn't make sense?"

Kal nodded, finding his words agreeable with, while the man on the floor flinched at the knowledge that his boss, Krill had been killed.

Normally, if a summoner had a summons of enough power to injure Cain in the first place, then they would have been the one in charge of this gang, and Krill would have long since been killed or made a subordinate of.

"Is it possible our suspicions are correct, or can we just assume that Krill was being used."

Cain held his chin in his hands, deep in thought of Kal's words.

"Hm…considering the latter, and the absurdity of that happening, seeing as Krill was the one to meet with an important figurehead himself, I suppose we can rule out the possibility that he even knew of this summoner to begin with."

"Then what do you suspect?"

"The former. The idea that Krill didn't know he had a summoner in his midst seems the most logical reasoning I can make of it. But…"

Kal turned his focus to Cain, not wanting to miss any of the information he was about to let loose.

"...These people are exceptionally greedy. There's no way one of them - if they had the power to take it - would let Krill continue sitting on his throne."

"A puppet then?"

Cain again shook his head.

"No, Krill isn't the type to be a puppet. It's safe to assume that our suspicions are correct."

They both simultaneously turned to the man on the floor, his body shivering though barely from the ropes that were tightly wrapped around him.

Feeling their gazes, the man flinched, his eyes full of fear as if two monstrous demons were looking at him.

Simultaneously, as they were looking at the tied up man before them, both Cain and Kal spoke.

"There's a third party involved."

***

Ryzler woke up to the sounds of muffling screaming, the sounds of pain filled gasps and shouts muffled by someone's hands.

His eyes were foggy and hazy, and he felt nauseous as he attempted to stand up. Instead however, his knees felt like water, and he fell to the hard wooden ground.

Wait.

'Wood? I thought I was outside?'

Rather than try and stand up again, he decided to crawl around, waiting for his eyes to return and adjust to the dim light.

When they finally did, he was mesmerized.

'This…this is…'

The Cave.

Or as he and the other children in the Camp called it, the Demon's Den. A place he and the others were told contained the top fighters and most trusted individuals in their gang.

A truly monstrous place that meant no one would survive if they went in uninvited.

He and the others often daydreamed of the time when their achievements would be known, and they would be accepted into the Cave, as a fully fledged member of the gang.

"I can't believe I'm here…"

He muttered as his eyes passed over the large stalactites and the carvings of the cave, its crevices, and its large pools of dripping water.

"Grr…Gah!"

From the dim lighted silence, Ryzler heard the sounds of muffled gasps of pain, more vivid than before.

As he crawled closer to the edge, his eyes adjusted much better than they did before, peering into the dimly lit darkness.

Fireplaces that once lit up the place were put out, torches were thrown to the ground, and everything that made the Cave look like a warm place to live was gone.

But not because of these small things.

No, it was because of something different.

The bodies of dozens and dozens of men and women who he had looked out with fear and respect, were now sprawled on the ground. People he recognized as tyrants who would beat him and his friends out of frustration, had their entire bodies pinned to stalactites, the tips protruding from their chests.

Pools of once clear and beautiful water that seemed to glow, were now soaking in red and murky blood from the bodies thrown into their cool bodies of water.

The scene was that of a massacre.

And in the center of that massacre were two men, and a bound body. The very same two men who had spared him, brought him here, and had promised him a better life both for his friends, and himself.

These two men were currently bringing pain to a bound gang member Ryzler knew all too well.

'Its him…'

This very same man he recognized from a few years back, when he was still a trainee in the camp, and not a graduate.

He had very limited friends, as the training they were put through turned children into more monsters than humans, beings that had frayed eyes and bodies, bodies that shivered in the dark, while their eyes were wide and inhuman, looking for anything that would kill them.

It was because of these untamable children, ones who grew mad from the training, that so many would end up dying. Choosing death on themselves, then death on another.

During these times, he had three friends. Lucas, Morris, and Abigail.

Abigail.

She was his closest friend, and they had even been taken from the same village. They were close as brother and sister, but secretly, on the inside, they loved each other.

It was on a winter morning, when members of the Cave had to stop by their camp in order to resupply after a large raid on a nearby merchant's caravan.

Their information was false and vague, leading to many of them being killed or heavily injured. Because of this failure, several gang members couldn't keep it together, and took it out on these 'mad children.'

Abigail, though completely sane, was one of these unlucky few.

Ryzler still remembered the feeling of watching her being taken away as he was held back by other gang members.

She had been scared in the face from several training measures, and so he wasn't worried about certain things happening to her, but he was still afraid.

And his fears were well met, as he didn't see her for days, slowly turning into weeks, until finally, at the end of the month, when the gang left, he found her.

To relive their anger and frustration, the men and women in the gang beat her, taking pleasure in breaking bone after bone after bone, laughing all night as she howled in pain.

She was in such pain, as she was laying here that he…he…

…he did what he had to do to relieve her from pain, and drew his dagger.

That was the last he saw of Abigail and those who hurt her.

But now, as he watched this man wiggling and squirming in Cain's hands, he felt an unimaginable rage.

However, as his eyes made contact with Cain's - who glanced in his direction - his rage was quelled into fear.

This man…

…he would do more than Ryzler could ever imagine.

Turning back to the man, Cain paid no attention to the boy, solely focusing on his mission at the moment.

"Tell me where they are."

"I…Grhh…I-Guk!"

Cain squeezed harder around the man's neck, tracing his finger down his left arm, a trail of burned flesh following behind it.

His finger at the moment was hotter than some steel place in the fire. In fact, it was somewhat of a living fire that flickered at the tip of his finger.

"Before you tell me, I have not the patience, nor the time to go through your entire long list of refusals. 'Bastard,' 'Monster,' 'I'll kill you.' I've heard them all. So just speak and let's be done with this."

"F-F*ck off!"

"Hm, not a first and even less surprising."

"Gha!"

Cain took the man's elbow and broke it, a responding and haunting 'Snap!' echoed through the chamber.

"Mm! I-Hmm!"

The man's mouth was covered by Cain's hand, preventing him from saying anything at all, which Cain seemed to note more than anything else.

"What? Are you ready to talk now? Too bad since I'm not done with you yet."

A small flicker on Cain's fingers, and suddenly the man's right arm was engulfed in flames, burning skin and flesh, bone and all.

Yet, no matter how fiercely the flames raged, they never crossed his shoulder, and only set to damage the arm they were attached to.

"Mghh!!"

The man's eyes showed he was in immense pain and Cain set himself to make it worse, but was interrupted mid sentence.

"What, did you think I was done?! I was just starting-"

"Cain, don't lose yourself."

Cain stopped, and immediately the flames dissipated, leaving behind a charged and destroyed arm.

"Whoops. I guess I got too engaged."

Cain laughed it off as he dropped the mangled body of the man, who was barely holding on to his life as it slipped away from his grasp.

"We have a job. Please stay focused, Cain, for Lia."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. Gods, I can't have any fun anymore."

Squatting down, Cain grabbed the man's chin, and turned his head to focus in on him, their eyes meeting one another's.

"Tell me where your gang was keeping them, and I'll let you live."

Through raspy breathing, a pain filled voice spoke.

"They…th-they kept them…i-in the back…Pens."

"The back pens. Good. That wasn't so hard."

Cain patted the man's cheek and stood up, his senses telling him someone else was watching.

Slowly he turned around, making eye contact with Ryzler, who was now standing and sarong at the charred up arm.

"Wh…why did you make me…watch this."

He said through shivering gulps.

Cain knew the boy was afraid, but after signaling to Kal, who disappeared down a nearby tunnel to confirm the man's words, he spoke.

"To teach you a lesson. You can either do one of two things in this life, kid, and those two things don't leave any options to get through life without blood on your hands."

"Options?"

"Yes. Either you go through life, killing to protect others. Or, you die to defend another. You kill or you die."

He grabbed the man by his throat, lifting him up in the air with ease.

"Choose."

Ryzler looked at the man, the man who had taken Abigail from him, who he knew was the cause of her death. But as he looked down at his own hands, tears began forming in his eyes.

'I killed her, not him. I should be the one dying not-'

However, his thoughts were interrupted by a mans' voice, clear as day.

"Don't go through life blaming yourself for the peace you give others. Go through life blaming those who didn't give her peace."

As Ryzler looked to Cain, his mind filled with questions, one stood out among them all.

'Did he know? This whole time?'

But he quickly threw out that thought, as his eyes passed over the man in his hands.

"Choose, kid. If you hesitate like this when your in command then-"

"Kill."

Cain stopped and stared at the boy, who answered without hesitation, not daring to take his eyes off the man struggling in his grip.

He smiled.

'His eyes have changed. He'll do well.'

As he turned to look and the struggling man who appeared to be begging for his life, Cain smirked.

"I always keep my promises, however, I'm sad to say this, but the kid's the one killing you here, not me."

And with that, his grip tightened on the man's neck as he squirmed in his hands.

Cain never broke eye contact, and his red crimson eyes were the last thing this man saw.

-Crack!

The body dropped to the floor as Cain brushed his hands against one another, cleaning off the dust and spit.

"Go follow Kal. I'll join you shortly."

Cain nodded towards a tunnel, and Ryzler didn't hesitate to acknowledge him, running off down the tunnel himself.

As he watched the boy disappear down the tunnel, Cain's smile disappeared as he began slowly walking up the ramps, the scaffolds, and down several different tunnels.

He appeared to know well where he was going, and didn't miss a single turn. Eventually, he came to a small wooden door, iron encrusted and pushed it open.

Inside the well lit room was a large desk, several bookshelves with books and papers scattered around. Beside the table, on an easel stood a painting covered in cloth.

Cain ripped it off to reveal a half finished painting to a man and a woman.

Though the woman looked older, he knew she was only in her twenties, while the man was somewhere far off in his fifties.

Smiling, he eyed the painting, as the room filled with shadows that danced along the walls. The room grew hotter, and Cain knew the fire he had set to rage in the main chamber was drawing near.

But still he continued looking at the painting, smiling.

Just as the flames licked at the open door, passing through the room in a large cyclone of fire surrounding him but not burning him, did Cain finally speak at the melting colors of pain and oils.

"Like father, like daughter."

He said as he looked deep into Katlina's well painted blue eyes. They had captured her beauty perfectly, but it mattered not to Cain.

He silently grabbed a stamp off the flaming table, as the cyclone of flames engulfed him and everything around him.

But as the flames dissipated, he was gone.

***

"They're gone."

Kal said as he and Cain, who had appeared from the shadows only moments before, looked out over the empty stone ditches - pens used to keep the beast contained.

"Yes…they are."

His voice was cold and angry, something Kal could sense easily.

"Take the boy to the camp and gather all those who will serve him. Kill anyone who goes against him."

Kal nodded as Cain handed him the stamp he had stolen from the table.

"Do so quickly as I might need you for something."

"I understand."

Before Cain walked away, he tilted his head, hearing something.

'Cain…!'

His mind screamed the message of Lia calling out to him.

She knew he was elsewhere at the moment, but she was calm, calmer than she had been in the beginning. But that wasn't what shocked him.

'She was fighting…so that's where they went.'

He sighed, straightening his head.

'Have at it girl.'

Kal glanced his way, just as Ryzler came running down the tunnel behind them.

"Lia?"

"Sadly, yes. It seems I'll be a bit busy in a few moments. Hurry."

Kal nodded his head, and activated [Drifting Winds] speeding back down the tunnel, grabbing Ryzler and pulling him with him.

Cain stood in silence for several moments before the dust around his feet began to move, float, and swirl around him.

In the silence he spoke.

"I know Silence first as my best friend. Family. And it was Silence that offered a cold hand to me in the darkness. A hand I took willingly."

He heard the sounds of screaming and wails of pain as he focused his power on one specific point.

"It's so loud."

He closed his eyes, his mind racing as he thought back to Lia and the beast she was fighting against.

'It takes a monster to kill a monster.'

He opened his eyes, the wind fluttering against his back. The sounds of destruction and death surrounding him, as the sun pierced his dulled eyes.

The darkness was not kind to him, but neither was the light.

As he looked over the scene before him, he spoke with cold and merciless malice.

A horde of beasts running around town square.

"Let's see how well you fare against these monsters, girl."