Vladimir Soukup

The Impaler (as an insult); Hellspawn (by his uncle when drunk); Artemis; Vlad

25; born April 3rd

Obelisk of Kindness

Alucard - Hellsing

6’7

185lbs

At 6’7 and a slim 185lbs, Vladimír is more of a lithe feline than a brick house. For the most part, his skin is smooth, soft and rather pale with a complexion that would make a model envious. While he does tan with relative ease, he claims that dark skin is unattractive and does his best to maintain his paleness. The truth is that he does not like revealing his body, due to the extensive number of burn scars that litter it – constant reminders of his uncle’s cruelty. Vladimír has high, round cheekbones and a slender jaw that tapers to a rather sharp chin. An aristocratic nose sits above full lips that can express a host of emotions with a single upturned corner. He often has a mustache and goatee, which he keeps neatly trimmed and perhaps a little sculpted. However, he does go through phases where he prefers being clean-shaven. His jet-black hair comes down to his chin at its greatest length and is slightly wavy, with longer bangs that fall slightly in his eyes and frame his face. His eyes are almost as dark as his hair with slanted cat-like pupils – though this is impossible to tell, due to the iris color – and can look either warm and inviting or violent and foreboding, depending on his mindset. He looks as though he should be a model or a movie star from a bygone era. This belies the impressive strength and hunter mentality that he possesses thanks to years of harsh, unforgiving training.

But perhaps the most distinguishing feature about Vladimír is his outfit. Wherever he goes, his attire attracts attention. His wardrobe is something out of a novel set in Victorian England. He generally wears custom-tailored charcoal suits, leather riding boots and a flamboyantly knotted red cravat. Over this, he wears a full-length frock overcoat and a short red cape. He rounds out the entire affair with a floppy wide-brimmed red fedora. Of particular note are his unnaturally pristine, soft white gloves with five-pointed seals on them. The gloves are older than they appear, being something of a family heirloom. They were once worn by his father, were never far from his mother’s reach, and now Vladimír always keeps them on or near him. Each item of his wardrobe is made of the highest quality materials money can buy by some of the finest craftsmen in the world.

• Swimming
  
• Animals
  
• Gardening
  
• His mother
  
• Playing with and styling hair
  
• His paternal grandparents
  
• God
  
• Humanity
  
• A good fight
  
• Those who take pride in their humanity

• God
  
• Arrogant fools
  
• Weaklings
  
• Those who kill without purpose
  
• Cold
  
• Physical contact, particularly if it’s meant to be affectionate
  
• When people compliment him on his looks
  
• People who abuse children or animals
  
• Fire
  
• His uncle

• Can be cold and somewhat disdainful when around strangers
  
• Cocky about his abilities
  
• Insecure about his looks, to the point where he is obsessive about being perfectly put together before anyone is allowed to see him.
  
• If he decides to be flirtatious, he is a complete tease – winding up men and women alike before slapping down any serious attempts at romance
  
• Genuinely believes that his only worth lies in his ability and willingness to fight for the Consecro
  
• Ruthless in battle

• Devoted to the Consecro
  
• Warm and kind, especially to the people he serves with
  
• Gentle and compassionate towards children, animals and anyone who has been abused
  
• Strong sense of justice
  
• Resolute in the face of hopeless odds
  
• Patient
  
• Pious

Because of his uncle’s extensive collection and frequent use of firearms, Vladimír developed a keen interest in them. Such is his fascination that he had two pistols custom made for him by his maternal family’s armory. These are the Hellsing ARMS .454 Casull Auto and the Hellsing ARMS 13 mm Auto Anti-Freak Combat Pistol: Jackal. These guns were designed to be used in conjunction with one another, as the Jackal ejects shell casings on the left and the Casull ejects them on the right.

The Casull is a classic semiautomatic handgun, based on pre WWII handgun designs by Colt. It is 10 inches in length, weighing approximately 13 lbs unloaded. It fires custom-made .5-inch rounds that are either explosive or full metal jacketed. Both types are made of steel and the melted silver of a Christian cross from Lancaster Cathedral. The gun holds seven rounds, alternating between the standard and explosive bullets.

The Jackal, on the other hand, is a completely customized and massive pistol crafted specifically for Vladimír’s use. With a length of 16 inches, a weight of 35 lbs, and a black gunmetal construction, it is a truly devastating weapon. Its unique design makes it seem as if it doesn't have a pistol slide; however, the entire upper assembly is the slide, and moves only a minimal distance compared to other guns’. It fires armor-piercing .5-inch bullets. The rounds are jacketed with blessed Macedonian silver, tipped with a hollow point which contains an explosive charge of pre-blessed mercury, and use Marvell’s Chemical Cartridge N.N.A.9. However, the immense size of these high-caliber bullets limits the Jackal's magazine capacity to six rounds. Engraved on the side are the words “Jesus Christ is in Heaven Now.”

name: Voia lui Dumnezeu (Will of God)

item: The pristine white gloves play host to what the Soukups know as Voia lui Dumnezeu. These gloves have been handed down to the oldest son for generations, dating back to the ancient Romanian bloodline that the Soukups married into. These gloves have served as a Fullbring for numerous Soukup sons, due to the generally high levels of reiatsu found in the family – the primary reason the Romanians wedded the Soukups to begin with.

ability: Lava summoning/manipulation.

For: Voia lui Dumnezeu
Name: Respiratia lui Dumnezeu (Breath of God)
Type: Offensive
Cooldown: 1-4 posts
Cost: Low to Medium
Range: Mid to Long
Description: Vladimír takes a breath and exhales through his mouth. As he exhales, a stream of lava shoots from his mouth for up to thirty feet in whatever direction he aims it. The more breaths he takes, the longer he can keep the stream going – lasting up to 4 posts.

For: Voia lui Dumnezeu
Name: Furia lui Dumnezeu (Wrath of God)
Type: Offensive
Cooldown: 3 posts
Cost: Medium
Range: Short to Long
Description: Vladimír compresses the lava into 100 small balls resembling musket rounds. He then fires them at a target at high speed. The rounds splatter on impact. He can fire them individually or together in a collective strike from any angle. Though his attack is more precise and swift when he concentrates on one or a few rounds, collective strikes cause greater damage. The rounds last for three posts.

For: Voia lui Dumnezeu
Name: Îmbrățișați al lui Dumnezeu (Embrace of God)
Type: Defensive
Cooldown: 5 posts
Cost: High
Range: Self
Description: Vladimír gathers lava near his body and forms it into a layered armor. Due to the intense heat, he is forced to cool the lava near his body to create an insulating layer between him and the rest of the lava. He then cools the top layer of the lava to seal the rest in. Îmbrățișați al lui Dumnezeu is primarily used to defend against physical attacks (if opponent’s HAK is less than his SEI). The problem an opponent then faces is the molten hot lava underneath the top layer. It can also repel up to 3 reiatsu-based attacks (so long as opponent’s SEI is no more than 3 above his SEI). The downside is that he cannot move or attack until the top layer of the armor has been breached. Lasts up to 3 posts.

For: Voia lui Dumnezeu
Name: Disciplina lui Dumnezeu (Discipline of God)
Type: Offensive
Cooldown: 2 posts
Cost: Medium
Range: Self
Description: This is a modified version of Îmbrățișați al lui Dumnezeu. Vladimír only wraps the lava around his forearms, hands, lower legs and feet – creating an insulating layer between himself and the lava – to add a bit of heat to his hand-to-hand combat. Lasts for two posts.

Family: Vladimír XII Soukup (father; deceased) is of Czech/Romanian descent and the oldest of fifteen. Helena née Hellsing (mother; deceased) is of English descent and the youngest of five (four girls, one boy).

Vladimír’s story begins where his father’s ends. Nearly 26 years ago, Vladimír XII and Helena Soukup were swimming in the small lake that bordered their farm where they raised sheep. They had been married for only a few years, but they could not be happier in the small town some kilometers north of Prague where they had decided to settle. Life was simple and sometimes tough, but they had each other and the Soukup family was extremely supportive. They thought they had nothing to really worry about, far from the city in which spirits and monsters lurked in equal measure.

They could not have been more wrong, for on this particular sunny day they were not alone in the lake. A frog-like Hollow lurked beneath the surface and, upon sensing Helena’s strong reiatsu first, it struck swiftly. There was a brief shriek as Helena was dragged beneath the suddenly turbulent waters. Though she struggled wildly against the vice-grip that sought to drown her, she was not strong enough to break free. Vladimír cursed his luck, for it was one of the few times he didn’t have his gloves with him. Only his swift reaction and skill with reiatsu freed her from the Hollow’s grip and he brought her back to the surface with him. But even as they staggered to shore, the Hollow returned full force and snatched Vladimír back into the watery depths - never to surface again. His last words were a plea for Helena to run. Were it not for Vladimír, Helena would have died with him.

Helena was distraught and bereft from that day forward, to say the least. But her misery would only be compounded a few months later when she learned that she was pregnant. Her entire pregnancy was spent in an internal battle over whether to continue living for her husband’s child or to end her life and the baby’s in order to spare them both the pain of a world filled with darkness and monsters. She clung tightly to the soft white gloves that her husband had often worn, fighting her indecision day by day. During this time, Vladimír’s family was a great source of strength for the bereaved widow. His parents Romana and Vladimír XI went so far as to move in with her for a time while their sons tended to the Soukup farm up the road. Their compassion and love kept her afloat during the pregnancy, through childbirth and much of the first four years of Vladimír’s life.

Initially, Vladimír’s life was simple and happy. He had a huge “family” consisting of his mother, aunts, uncles, cousins, his grandparents and the farmhands. Every day brought new adventures with the sheep and the countryside. And he loved his mother deeply. He always toddled around after her, doing his best to help her out once he was old enough. All he wanted was to see her happy just like him, because he thought her smile was the prettiest in the whole wide world. And he liked to help her put her long, beautiful blonde locks into equally beautiful hairstyles - always held in place by a beautiful jade comb that Vladimír XII had given her one anniversary. It soon became a ritual every morning for young Vladimír to come into his mother's room and help her with her hair while she absentmindedly stroked the cloth of her husband’s gloves. What he never quite understood was how deeply that simple ritual pained his mother, for it had been something that Vladimír XII had enjoyed doing too.

Eventually, the growing resemblance to her husband began to overwhelm Helena. Day by day, she fell deeper and deeper into depression until she simply could not endure it any longer. On Christmas Eve, Helena finally succumbed to her suicidal wishes as she watched her son sleeping peacefully in bed. He was practically a mirror image of his father and it pained her too much. She glanced out the window at the fierce snowstorm raging outside and all she could think was how easy it would be to just walk into it and disappear forever. She left a tender kiss on her son’s forehead, tears slipping down her cheeks as she tucked the gloves into Vladimír’s hand. After that, she walked into the storm’s cold embrace and out of her son’s life forever.

When Vladimír woke up on that Christmas Day, he was surprised to find the comb and gloves clutched in his hand. He immediately got out of bed and went to his mom’s bedroom, but Helena wasn’t there. He frowned, but just went through the whole house looking for her. But the more he looked, the more scared he became until he was in tears and calling out her name. The only response he got was the home phone ringing. He clambered onto a chair to answer it. Crying pitifully, he told his grandparents - who had simply called to ask when he and Helena were going to arrive at the Soukup-Hellsing gathering - that he couldn’t find his momma anywhere and he didn’t know what to do. Alarmed by the news, Helena’s older brother Albion was sent out to pick Vladimír up. Just as the boy had said, Helena was nowhere to be found. What followed was the saddest Christmas of Vladimír’s life as his family immediately gathered together and went out to try and find Helena. But though they searched all day and even into the night for as long as they could stand the cold, they never found her.

This left the question of who would raise Vladimír now. For the first few months after Helena’s disappearance, he lived with his Soukup grandparents. But they were quite old at that point. It was hard enough keeping up with the farm, let alone watching over a small boy. Though he was almost old enough, school was still a ways off. Both the Soukup and Hellsing families held long discussions over what would be best. Eventually it was agreed that Vladimír would go with Albion. As a highly successful businessman stationed in Prague, it was believed that both the change of environment and the added comfort would make it easier for Vladimír to move past the grief caused by his mother’s disappearance. He was still young enough to more easily adapt. That was the theory at least and it was fairly sound. Unfortunately, it would ultimately prove to be a mistake.

The first two years were okay, with Albion showering Vladimír with toys, clothes and pets - anything to try and distract the boy from his sorrow. While it succeeded in turning Vladimír's attention from mourning, it mainly served to turn his attention to just how...uncomfortable his uncle made him feel. He had not failed to notice how physically affectionate his uncle was with him, nor how Albion’s hands always seemed to stray and wander whenever touching Vladimír. And the boy noticed it was even worse when his uncle's breath smelled of sour alcohol. Albion would always say that he just couldn't stand to think that no one else would ever love Vladimír as much as Albion, that no one else would ever see just how beautiful Vladimír was because the boy was just such an unholy Hellspawn just like his father.

When Vladimír entered school, he always shunned physical contact with others because it only reminded him of his uncle Albion. Whenever kids would say they liked his hair or his eyes, he would tell them his features were nothing special. When he was about six, he even started pulling away whenever his uncle tried to touch him - angering Albion immensely with each occurrence. The more Vladimír resisted, the angrier Albion got and the more heavily he started drinking. Shortly after Vladimír’s seventh birthday, Albion finally snapped. Cornering the boy one night, he pinned Vladimír down and began the first of what would become a series of near-nightly burnings and rape. Whenever the boy would resist, he would be pistol-whipped with one of Albion’s guns or severely burned wherever Albion could reach. If that didn't stop Vladimír, the threat of killing one of his pets always made him docile. To keep from crying out or fighting back, the boy would cling to his father’s gloves and praying for the nightmare to end.

This continued for two years, with Vladimír growing steadily more withdrawn and skittish whenever he was at school. The absolute worst day left the boy severely burned, bleeding and weeping over the remains of his favorite pet - a Cesky Terrier named Ziv. The feisty little Ziv had managed to get into Vladimír’s room while Albion was raging and, ever defensive of his young master, had attempted to protect the boy. This only served to infuriate Albion further and in his rage, he threw the little terrier against the wall. Terrified and angry, Vladimír tried to keep his uncle away from Ziv - going so far as to punch and kick Albion. He blacked out soon after that from how brutally Albion beat him, but when he came to sometime later the first sight that greeted him was the bloody, battered body of his faithful Ziv.

The next morning, Albion buried Ziv in the backyard and called Vladimír in sick to school. The bandaged Vladimír did not go into school at all that week, too catatonic and weak to notice much of anything, let alone move. At the end of the week, Albion left for work like he always did - leaving Vladimír alone as usual. But that day, a loud knock came at the door. At first, the boy just ignored it. He was still shocked enough to not want to answer. But the knocking persisted and somehow Vladimír managed to drag himself from bed to answer the door. He was surprised to find Romana and Vladimír XI there with one of his father’s many brothers. They had come all the way into the city to check up on Vladimír, as Albion had informed them that the boy was quite ill and wouldn't be coming out that weekend to visit. This had finally roused their suspicions because Vladimír had never missed a chance to visit his grandparents’ farm.

Shocked by the bandages, they asked Vladimír all sorts of questions. The boy only said, “Uncle was mad at me.” Horrified, they packed some of his clothes and took him home with them – assuring him that he would be safe there. Vladimír was not so confident, but he was nevertheless happy to be with his grandparents once more. But he wasn’t even given a full day of respite before Albion was pounding on the door of the Soukup home, demanding that Vladimír be returned to him. This had been anticipated, of course, and all 14 of the remaining Soukup boys were there to make clear in no uncertain terms that Albion would not be getting Vladimír back. This started a legal battle between Albion and the Soukups over the boy’s guardianship. This was ultimately a mistake on Albion’s part, as it brought to light the whole sordid mess of Vladimír’s life under Albion’s questionable care. At the end of the investigations, Albion was sentenced to two years in prison, his assets seized and turned over to Vladimír as compensation, and Vladimír’s guardianship was transferred to the Soukups.

Vladimír considers the two years spent with his grandparents to be the most peaceful of his life. Here, he was given physical, emotional and spiritual healing. His grandmother was always gentle and kind to him while his grandfather was strict and fair. The boy was reluctant to leave his grandparents’ home for schooling, but they both insisted that he would be better for it and that he would be safe so long as he was in the country with them. His grandfather walked Vladimír to and from school every day, telling the boy all sorts of stories about his uncles and his father and mother. When Vladimír wasn’t in school, he was out with his grandfather and uncles on the farm taking care of the cattle and sheep that the elder Vladimír raised. For the first time since Helena’s death, Vladimír was allowed and encouraged to return to the Christian teachings of his mother and father. He found solace in his grandparents’ religion and the loving God they worshiped.

He had finally begun to truly heal when it all came crashing down around him once again in the summer of his eleventh year. That was the year that Albion was finally released from prison to a tarnished reputation and a company in shambles. Furious at how his life had been ruined, he began to plot how he would get his revenge. At the height of summer in the dead of night, Albion arrived at the Soukup farm and set fire to the homestead and barns. The Soukup brothers out in the fields watching over the sheep saw the flames and split up to both contact the village firemen and start putting the flames out themselves.

But before either group had gotten very far, there was a burst of overwhelming energy and the flames eating away at the homestead suddenly vanished. They stared in wonder before they turned as one towards the homestead and sprinted for it. As they approached, the flickering light of the fiery barns illuminated the area in front of the house - where Vladimír stood between his shivering grandparents and the unmoving form of Albion. The entire area looked as though a rainstorm had blown through and drenched it before completely dissipating. The only solid evidence of something strange was the fading red light coming from the seals on the gloves in Vladimír’s hand - and the drowned corpse of Albion. Pushed to the limits of his patience and endurance, Vladimír had finally discovered his Fullbring – Voia lui Dumnezeu.

Though his family became very cautious around the boy for a while, they never condemned him for what happened to Albion. They assured him that he had done nothing wrong, but Vladimír was not so sure. He eventually approached the village priest, confessing what had happened and asking for answers. He was terrified of the power he apparently held. He needed to know that he was not the monster he felt that he had become. The priest did not really have solid answers, but he promised that he would speak with his superiors. The priest’s questions were passed along until they reached the ears of the Consecro. Kyrillos the Guardian of Templstjen – an old stronghold located 174 km south-east of Prague – was sent to assess Vladimír’s usefulness. Kyrillos himself was a Fullbringer and immediately recognized the signs of a fellow from the moment he met the young boy. He spent several weeks assuring Vladimír that the boy’s powers were not monstrous and that he was not the only one in possession of such a gift. The Guardian answered every question the boy could think of and more with infinite patience and unfailing kindness. At the end of Kyrillos’ visit, he approached the Soukups with a proposal. It had become very apparent to the Guardian that Vladimír held great potential and that his faith in the Lord was strong. He was certain that the best route for the boy to take would be to join the Consecro. With them, Kyrillos argued, Vladimír would not only be able to take control of his powers but he would also be able to use them in service of God.

Romana and Vladimír XI were reluctant at first. They had never heard of this “Consecro,” though they certainly didn’t think their priest would lie to them about such a thing. They asked that they be allowed to think it over and Kyrillos said that he would return in the spring. Fall was nearly over by that point, but that still gave the Soukups a few months to figure out what should be done. From the time Kyrillos left until his eventual return, there were many discussions – and outright fights – held on Vladimír’s fate. During a particularly tense standoff near the end of February, Vladimír decided he’d had enough of the arguing. He stood in the middle of the family room and told his aunts, uncles, and grandparents that he wanted to go with Kyrillos in the spring. His life would never be peaceful or easy unless he could somehow gain control over this strange power. What better way to do so than in service of the Almighty? Why would God have let him be cursed with this power if it was not meant to be used for Him?

That was all his family need to give their blessing. It was the first time since living with Albion that Vladimír had ever shown a determination to do something with himself. They couldn’t find it in themselves to say no to him. When Kyrillos returned in the spring, he found Vladimír packed and ready to go. The boy had only one condition – he wanted to remain in the Czech Republic and be allowed to stay in contact with his family. Kyrillos laughed, assuring Vladimír that he wasn’t being spirited away to some distant land. So long as he did not speak about his training or business relating to the Consecro, he could see and speak with his family as much as he wanted. Kyrillos couldn’t guarantee that Vladimír would always remain in the Czech Republic, but he could promise that the boy’s training at least would occur there. All that mattered was that the boy had the resolve to follow this path through to the end, for it was not a decision to be lightly made.

Anxious but determined, Vladimír agreed and left for Templstjen. The next several years of Vladimír’s life were spent on the compound. As Kyrillos had said, the path Vladimír had chosen was not an easy one. Day after day, night after night the boy was continually pushed to his limits in every sense of the word. His body was conditioned for battle against the spiritual enemies of the Lord; his mind conditioned for the stresses of such a noble cause; and his heart’s resolve tested in an often unforgiving training ground. Yet never did Vladimír feel more alive. Never did it feel as though he had chosen the wrong course. It didn’t matter what they threw at him – he took it, overcame it and came back for more. With Voia lui Dumnezeu, he knew he could make it. And make it he did. After six grueling years of training and taking control of his Fullbring, Vladimír was finally initiated into the Consecro at the age of 18 as a Proxy. He had grown from an insecure, shy child into a resolute, ruthless warrior whose sole purpose in life was to fight for the Consecro.

During his training and after initiation, he showed little interest in friendship, romance – basically anything involving intimacy. He was there to fight and serve the Almighty; everything else was just a distraction. He was never particularly cruel to anyone, but he was insistent on ensuring that everyone knew where they really stood with him. This combined with his flirtatious attitude in his teens, his forceful rejection of physical contact, and his exceptional cruelty in battle soon earned him the unflattering nickname “The Impaler.” This bothered him immensely and he went to great lengths to try and earn a different nickname. The very few he became close to during his training soon called him Artemis for both his affinity with nature and his love of hunting evil spirits. He quickly lived up to this much more complimentary nickname, building an impressive track record of success during training and wherever he was stationed. The praise loosened him little by little and though he was undoubtedly cocky about his abilities, he was nonetheless kind to the people he served with – eventually earning their respect and admiration. He clawed his way to Guardianship, eventually joining Kyrillos’ post in Templstjen. After some time spent there, he was eventually given control of the Karakura division - a task he found both vexing and rewarding in its own way. One of his first tasks was to take a Proxy who had been deemed a “dangerous problem” and attempt to guide the boy, showing the Proxy a kindness that had hitherto been completely foreign to him.

But even with his successes, Vladimír never imagined that he would ever be destined for more. So when news reached them the need of seven powerful members to stands as Virtuous Obelisks against the Sins of Hell, he was surprised that his mentor Kyrillos had recommended Vladimír as a candidate. At first, he protested. What virtue did he possess that would make him worthy of being advanced to such a high position? He was broken and tarnished by his past; the only thing of worth in him was his willingness to fight. Kyrillos couldn’t have disagreed more and apparently the Micans Nitore agreed, asking Vladimír to become the Obelisk of Kindness.

Yukiko sat on a beach outside a small Fire Nation coast town she was hiding near. Beside her were her sword and a rucksack. She sat in a meditative pose to watch the sunrise, as she often did these days. For once, she was utterly relaxed. The quiet of the morning soothed her as little else did. Looking at the slowly pinking sky, she thought that this sunrise would be one of many in her new life. The thought made her smile softly. “Free at last,” she whispered.

Nearly a year ago, she had fled her grandfather’s home in the capitol. And already that life was a distant memory. She was glad for that. Everything she valued was either on her person or in the rucksack she had brought along. She was content to sit here in peace for the moment. At least here wasn’t in the capitol — with her family. She jerked her thoughts from that particular path, focusing her attention on the scene before her. Several minutes passed before she noticed something odd. She leaned forward slightly, not quite trusting her eyes. There, not even a league out, was another island. “That wasn’t there before… Where did it come from?” She stared at it for quite some time before abruptly turning to stow Kano away. After tying her pack up securely, she placed it on her back and rose. The tide had just left and would remain low for several hours yet.

Unsure of what was driving her, Yukiko slowly entered the water and struck out for the island. In what felt like an incredibly short time, she reached the island and pulled herself up onto its beach. She opened her pack and laid out her few possessions to dry in the warm morning sun. She briefly glanced around, noting a cave not far inland. “I’ll probably be able to stay there if the weather worsens. And it’ll definitely do for the night.” Satisfied, she stretched out on her back and gradually fell asleep. She was awakened several hours later by the earth shifting beneath her. Jerking away, Yukiko rolled until she could get her feet under her and shifted to a crouch. Her jaw nearly dropped when her eyes meet with the apparent source of the shifting. Staring at her with bright red eyes was what appeared to be a large lizard with wings. She just stared back.

What are you? And why are you on my beach?

She looked around wildly for the voice she’d just heard. But there was only the creature before her. She looked back at it.

Well, are you going to answer or not? I really don’t have all day, you know.

“Are…are you speaking to me?” she asked it. It rolled its eyes and snorted.

Of course I’m speaking to you. Do you see any other dragons around?

“But aren’t you…a dragon?”

Yes. Now kindly answer my questions. What are you? Why are you here?

Yukiko took a deep, shuddering breath. This was incredible! She’d thought dragons were just a myth. What a day this was going to be! “I’m a human. And I felt...drawn here, I guess. My name is Yukiko.”

The dragon hissed at her. A human? The sand began to shift once more. Humans are not welcome on this island. You should not be here. It continued watching her, albeit warily.

Yukiko shrugged. “I suppose I’ll just leave, then.” She slowly stood and stretched before looking across the water. She immediately froze, shocked. The open ocean was all she could see. She ran to the edge of the water. “Where’s the Nation’s mainland? Where’s any land?” She whirled around to glare at the dragon. “How am I supposed to get back?”

The dragon looked at her calmly. The island moves around constantly, to ensure the safety and survival of the dragons. What did you expect?

EL-0

HAN: 15
REI: 16
HAK: 20
SEI: 21
BUK: 21
HOH: 20
Points Earned: 3
Total points: 113

Ellie if I'm at home. Ell if I'm at work or on the go.

Colin Ualas
Sayuri Ualas