SHIFT 2 - Purgatory

Gathering

Once back at the castle, Nagisa went to his room. He stripped out of his clothing. Pulling on the dark blue fighting gear, he slipped his feet into protective shoes. Then, he pulled the sword to his back, the belt wrapping around his waist was another weapon. Not to mention the daggers, darts, needles and knives attached to it. He slipped the braclet whip that Wyvern had given him onto his wrist. Stepping back into the hall, Collin was equally dressed, if not quite as heavily armed.

Xavier met them at the door. Lucifer held out one more weapon to Nagisa. The teen ground his teeth.

"No." He barked.

"That isn't an option." Lucifer insisted. He slammed the sword onto the small teen's back harness.

"I told him I would never fight with it again!" Nagisa snarled.

"Don't you understand?" It was surprising to hear such a mature sounding tone coming from the party nymph.

"That sword, it's Marcus' most prized possession. He gave it to you, makes you think differently about it." Xavier offered.

Nagisa hissed. "Its not that I don't like it..." He muttered.

"Than what is it? The witch took it from you time after time, so what." Coldar huffed.

"Each time, you picked it back up! It helped protect you." He added.

Nagisa hung his head. They didn't understand. He didn't feel as if he was worthy of the sword any longer. Finding out that it had belonged to Marcus' mother, Reginald's true mate, the sword should be Faraday's. He asked why their older sister never claimed it.

"Faraday hates swords. Her mother was so skilled with it, that she decided to never learn how to use one. She wanted to make her mark, differently." Xavier smiled deceptively.

"Well, she did that." Nagisa offered.

"You're going to make us run, aren't you?" Xavier whined.

"Ride the damn horse, if you're that lazy!" Nagisa snorted.

Fenn transformed to his centaur self. Xavier bounded to his back. Lucifer met Nagisa's gaze. The werewolf howled. Collin laughed. Together, they ran toward the school. The crisp evening air smacked them in the face. Nagisa loved this feeling. It was the closest he had ever come to flying, on his own. He raced his cousin and best friend. They dodged through the towns, cut across farmer's fields, then he halted on an overlook. The school laid out below him.

"So, you think we will have to fight our way out?" Collin asked as Fenn galloped up beside them.

"I hope not." Nagisa sighed.

With that, they set a slower pace, walking down on to school grounds. Nagisa led the way to the vampire dorm. He paused just before entering. The stillness of the place, had his nerves on edge. Pushing the door open, he stepped into the blood red scene.

The lights were red, dousing the room into an eerie macabre glow. Nagisa ignored this. It was just how the vampires liked it at night. It also freaked the witches out, so they had kept it. He moved inside.

"Oh look, the little Romanari freak has returned." A slurred voice called out.

"Great! Of course we would meet him first." Nagisa huffed as Articus moved toward them from the dark eer.

"Why aren't you off supporting you dragon cock whore?" Articus went on, waving a glass of wine about.

He stumbled into a chair, falling down in the seat. The look of surprise on his face, made Xavier chuckle.

"You're an idiot." Another voice spoke.

Seamus came out of the kitchen, drying his hands. He tossed the towel aside. His electric eyes taking in Nagisa's appearance. He strolled over to his brother. Bending over him, he hissed something in his ear, then knocked him out. Catching the wine glass, he set it on the table.