Chptr 1: Meet the Cross "The evil of mankind can be worst than any nightmare we can conceive." Ryan woke to the sound of angry voices. Not now ,not this .anything but this. Ryan prayed as he began to forcefully coerce his mind to fall asleep. Suddenly two angry foot steps could be heard ascending the stairs while their owners continued to bicker. " Dear gods please oh please." Ryan began to whisper as he jumped out of the bed heading outside towards the balcony. It was a thirty- maybe forty foot drop looking down below. A sudden yet terrifying image of himself splattered across the pavement refusing to leave Ryan's mind. " Oh well maybe I'll live." Ryan said to himself. Suddenly his oak tree bedroom door buckled from the sheer strength of the monsters he called his sisters. " You wretch he's my boyfriend you-" Eva and Cah'lia de' Cross stared at their brother mid sentence. " What are you doing?" Asked Eva her dark red eyes narrowing as if she where tracking a prey. " Who me? Oh you know the weathers so nice I decide to go for a swim." Ryan said smiling with one foot on the hand rail. " Off the balcony?" Cah'lia asked questionably the breeze from the balcony tousling her chestnut hair. " Yea you know just getting ready for the trials and all-hey when did ya get so clo-" Ryan was cut off by the sound of a two handed slap. " Sit down remember you tried that stunt last time, keep doing those things and we'll began to think you don't like us." Ryan rubbed his cheeks together, why the hell where they so mean to him. " We need you to decide something for us Brother." Ryan's eyes widen in sheer panic. Oh god not this maybe if I run fast enough I can get to the door he reasoned to himself. Ryan began to shift his body to face the door but stopped when he gazed into the terrifying eyes of his sisters, ah well he'd never make it. " So who's more suited to be Raphael's girlfriend?" They both asked then stopped and glared at each other with extreme hatred of a thousand super Novas. " Errrrrr, jeez I can't decide how about you girls ask Marcus." Ryan said nervously. " We already did." Cah'lia replied pouting like a little five year old. Another wave of panic hit him. Oh they got him too! I'm so sorry I wasn't there. Rest in peace my brother. He felt pain as he silently whispered a prayer for his fallen brethren wondering what torment he endured. " And what did he say." Ryan said " He said to ask you." Sara replied Damn him! damn him to accursed oblivion of hell! Ryan seethed with anger as he steeled himself to the next three hours of bickering and fighting. After nodding into a self induced trance he'd used during the first thirty-min of fighting Ryan woke. Wiping he's eyes he swept his gaze across his room taking in the busted door, broken furniture, and destroyed belongings that made up his room. On the floor lay his sisters, still clutching their weapons as they slept, apparently ,wore themselves out as they fought. Ryan sighed at least his bed survived this time. Ryan quietly stepped over his sisters slumbering bodies walking out towards the west-Grand hall, realigning the door he turned around and channeled a bit of power and snapped his figures in an instant the returned the room to its former glory. "There we go." Ryan murmured as he inspected the now repaired door. He turned back around and noticed Marcus creeping into his room adjacent to his. " YOU BASTARD I'LL KI-!" Ryan yelled at his brother but was cut off as Marcus clamped his hands over his Brothers mouth. " Sssssshhhhhhh do you want to kill us all you fool they just stopped fighting." Marcus whispered with a hint of fear. Ryan smacked his brothers hands. " How could you sell me out your own brother does are blood mean nothing to you!" Ryan seethed as he began to usher his brother down the hall. " Oh like you didn't try to sell me out, I just beat you to it before you could turn them on me." Marcus said as he began to talk in his normal rough voice. " I .....did......not..." Ryan said hesitantly he couldn't one-hundred percent deny it as he did try earlier. They entered the main Terrance overlooking the main hall passing servants as they milled about their daily tasks. Marcus turned, his dark brown hair, permanent grin was his most notable features but the fact that such regale and expensive clothing was stained so badly stood out even more. " You know Father is gonna make a ruckus don't you." Adam said glancing up from the accounting binder that rested on his palms, startling Ryan and Marcus. " Eh, so what, all he's gonna do is throw whatever he has in his hand and lecture me about good hygiene and blah blah blah let the servants do their job blah blah and then he'll storm off and get a drink." Marcus retorted. Adam sighed closing the binder , handing it to Selies the Head butler. " Do you forget what day it is?" Adam said as he pushed back a lock of his golden brown hair. His reddish brown eyes piercing into the souls of those he gazed at. " Course not , what man would I be to forget this magnificent day!" Marcus laughed slapping Adam on the back. "Do you know how many women are looking for a charming , strapping , young hunk of a man today!" Marcus said grinning like a wild man set free. "Where I don't see one." Ryan said jokingly. Marcus shoved Ryan playfully. Adam let out another sigh. " Whatever just make sure your here tonight for the ball and not off at some nameless women's house." Adam said with a resigned tone. "Hey there not all nameless!" Marcus retorted. Ryan watched Adam take his leave then turned toward Marcus. " So shall we deal with father now or?" Ryan asked as he beckoned a servant for a glass of water. " Nah, I'll deal with him don't you have somewhere to be." Ryan's eyes widened in panic. DAMN I TOTALLY FORGOT!!!! Marcus held out a hand to halt his brother from racing out the double doors as he reached into his pocket, fishing out a bag of coins. He tossed it to Ryan. "Go take these and get her something nice." Marcus said as he patted Ryan's shoulder in support. Ryan smiled and laughed. " Ha thanks brother." Ryan said as he ran through the duel doors. Marcus waited until Ryan had reached the gates then turned to seek out Mikhail, family friend and The stranger from some far off land of sorts, if anyone knew what the coming days held it would be him. "So you didn't tell him did you." Came a voice from behind. Marcus grinned. " Of course not Mikhail." Marcus said turning to face the man, for reasons unknown he had a knack for appearing as if on cue, at times it paranoid Marcus because only high end magi where supposed to do that. "He must know that your being shipped out to the front line, so should your other brothers and sisters." Mikhail said. "Sooner or later he'll know, it's better if his favorite brother told him first before the corpsman do." Marcus dropped the grin for a few seconds and sighed before returning back into the care free man. Marcus gazed across the entire the main hall entrance, absorbing every detail from the silk sheet blinds, hard Elvin oak to the massive mosaics and flower arrangements. Marcus would miss it all, but more than that he'd miss his brother. "Listen Mikhail, I just want to spend what little time I have with my family,without everyone acting as if I'm dying." Marcus scoffed. Talking with this man was always infuriating because he was always right. "Fine, be it so there is something you want to ask me don't you?" Mikhail said with a smug grin as he turned and beckoned for Marcus to follow. Marcus had one terrifying thought as he quicken his pace behind Mikhail. He's seen something.