The mark of Red X ( River )

He landed upon his father as he made the effort to strike him in the face, of course he missed as his father kicked him off and threw up a pitiful defense. The emotions began to swirl around his mind like a swarm of angry bees. The words his father used to insult his mother stung his heart as she was the only real connection he had to life. Living his only existence as a killer for hire and the reason why he lives was because of his mother.

"You are pitiful and a fool!"

He screamed back at him as he grabbed his father by the collar and threw him out of the cart. He was off balance as he tossed his father out of the cart as he two crashed to the ground. Rolling till he hit a rock, arching his back in pain as his eye sight was blurry for only a few seconds. Forcing himself up and fighting his emotions, all the pain, all of his hatred, and his will power kept pushing him forward. This was a kill he had to preform for him to find peace at last. His wrists snapped sharply as two daggers appeared in his hands. Red X stood tall as he looked at his father get to his feet as well.

"I know you know where she is, tell me or do I have to torture you for the information?"

His personality began to change back into the Assassin he was deep down inside. His voice became emotionless and his eyes became empty. With each word he spoke he added venom to them to make his point much more clearly. Then not really to intimidate but only because it was habit, he flipped the blades through he knuckle. knuckle to knuckle, knuckle to knuckle the blade would move perfectly as he began to walk towards him.

" Do not bother in trying to defend yourself, it would only embarrass you.."

The head gave a gasp as they were flinged from the cart and fell to the rolling ground below. The man's father was old and weak boned - hitting the ground cause more damage to his body than it would've in his youth. The old head master groaned after struggling to catch his breath after hitting the ground. Everything went black, hearing faded to ringing, and the scent of blood filled his nostrils.

The effects seemed to last for minute, though it only really lasted for a few moments. By the time his eyes gave came to, the surrounding scenery. The racing horses pulled the carage off as the head lead on the ground looking around. Sharp pains shot from his neck to his head, repeatedly. Gridding his teeth, he rose his arm to hold his head. Looking around, A man stumbling from the ground caught his eyes. Blinking slowly, he then looked the other way. Hes eyes fell upon a bloody rock that seems to trail a bit. Moving the hand on his head, he touched a tender spot. Curious and slightly fearful he brought head hand out in front of him - Eyes laying upon his fingers covered in blood.

A voice could be faintly heard as the man from before stood over him. The old man's eyes narrowed as he tried to focus on what the man was saying; His ears still ringing.

As he watched the boy's lips his mind picked up bits and pieces. "I know .... where she is, tell me or .. I have ... you for ... information?" Is what the old man amazingly made of his words. The old man thought, trying to think just as the boy continued and the head focused back to his lips to understand. [i]"Do not bother ..... yourself, it would only embarrass you.."

Once againg the man looked confused, "Who ... ?" The head breathed as he could not understand what he was asking or whom he was asking about. If fact, what was going on here, who was this man above him with the intent od killing him and who was he, himself.

With every step the ground began to burn underneath his feet. The amount of heat and energy flowing around his body was nonparallel to the amount anyone could really bend. The mask he wore was one custom made to hide his face, the pipes that broke away from the mask let out clouds of smoke every time he exhaled. His body was pure molten rock and his eyes seemed to the be to gates to the fiery pits people seemed to be afraid of. His pants and boots seemed to be custom made as no other tailor store would make it.

The air around could be seen as the heat would flow around his body. He had just came over the ridge as he stopped and watched two people fight it out. A low growl ushered from his throat as he just kept on walking, with each step and the motion on how he walked it seemed he had a mission in mind.

Red X stood over his father as he was holding his head, his eyes watched the blood flow from his head as it caked his hair. He held out a throwing star as he grabbed his fathers hair placing the blade over his throat but he stopped. Red X looked up and he stared hard at Inferno the walking fire man. He had met him before and lost horribly to him in a fight. He let his father go as he slowly backed away but enough to keep an arms reach on his father.

" What are you doing here?"

The demon just stared at him as he stopped just 10 feet away from Red X's father. He looked down at the man who obviously was losing the fight.

" Shut your mouth filthy human.." he snapped back at him. A large plum of smoke came from his mask as he looked directly at Red X. "This kill is mine...." he said as he wave his arm and a wave of fire shot out over the father to back Red X off.

Red X pulled the old, injured, and confused up by his hair. The old man gave a scretch as he felt his hair pull from his sculp, around his wound. He reached up grabbing the boy's wraist with one hand to easy the pain. Then as Red rose a blade to the man's neck, The head grabbed the wrist that was connected to the hand with the knife.

His eyes widend a bit. "Hey! Boy, What the frail are you doing!?" The voice came out in a fearful instinct as he thought that would be it for him right then and there.

The head turned his blurred vision to the flaming man walking. "Who the frail..." He began as he tried to focus his eyes on this man. The old man wondered if it was all in his head, his eyes playing tricks on him from the injury on his head. The more he watched this inhuman man walk closer and closer, he began to realize that this element man was in fact truely there and real.

Red X let go of The man and then backed away. The two men talked until The fire man shot fire at red. Before he knew it, The old man's arm raisedand began to twist and turn in familiaar patterns. Two colums of dark energy shot up from the man's shadow. One flattend and seemed to shield Red while the other slug straight up at Inferno and knocked him back. Emotions of passion and the urges to protect something flooded his mind.

His facial expression expressed intimidation as he watched this demon. But then after relizing what he just did he was confused. His ears where still ringing and his eyes still blurred. Even through all the pain this old man was in, Why would he cause him self pain and instinctfully protect the boy who wanted to kill him? What was this boy to him?

A few ideas poped into him mind but some sounded a bit absurd but could be legit.

As the wave of fire seem to eat at anything it touched, the hissing noise of the air being absorbed by the fire and the sound of dark bending. What? The shield of dark energy blocked a simple attack by inferno and another went at the demon. The dark energy pushed Inferno back but not off his feet. He slide only a mere 5 feet backwards leaving two burnt drag marks on the ground. Inferno crossed his arms in front of him to absorb the damage, smoke cleared fro his arms as the attack really did not do anything as the man was already drained from the fight.

Smoked pumped out of his mask as he lowered his arms and looked at both Red X and the man.

"filthy muck walkers.."

A small earthquake shook beneath them as fire enveloped his arms as he began to slowly move them in an odd pattern. A crack shot from his legs and moved across the ground towards the two men. Red X knew what was coming and he dove to the left and rolled to a stop and threw two knives at him. The knives his Infernos body but the metal just bent around inferno as he two was an Metal bender. Inferno pointed his fingers at Red X as a blast of hot air slammed into his body sending him crashing into the wrecked carriage that had been damaged by the earlier fight.

" They say the world will end in fire..."

The Demi spirit said as he began to walk towards the old man. Lava began to trip from his arms and hissing on the ground with every drop.

" This will hurt a lot.."

he said as he a wall of earth formed between Red X and the man who had attacked him with dark bending. With every step lava would fall from his arms and with every step the ground would leave a fire footprint that was left behind by his boots. He grabbed the man by his shirt and released a large heat wave from his body hoping to slowly choke the man with heat.

"Are you fire proof?" he said calmly.

The old man was undoubtably frightend of this beast but that feeling compelled him to stand his ground. His head turned around as a wall of rock rose between the old man and Red. Time frooze as he relize who the boy was - that part of his mind had reterned.

The head master's eye softened as he knew this might be it. Time would crawl as The old man looked into Red X's eyes, making eye contact. There was sorrow in his eyes as he looked as if he was sorry. The old man did not know why he was sorry but he was. "Run.. My son." The father mouthed to Red X as he knew he had to protect his boy.

The old man knew not of his crude desisions to banish the boy or his mother but only knew that this was the last time he would see the boy or anything again.

Breathing in deeply the wall extended above his head. This was the right opprotunity for Red to get away.. He had to get away. The dark brown eyes looked back at the flaming demon, elemental man and harded in something that haven't been in this old man's heart for a very long time - Bravery and True honor.

Gritting his teeth the elder then began to give Red X as much time as he could so his son could get away. Dark energies and fire meet, Lava was rotting away at the grass as the demon came closer. The old man stared death in it eyes (Legitlly). The time would come soon and there was mostlikely no way to avoid it.

'My son.. Red.. Red X? No.. I named him Noriyuki... I choose it cause of the meaning - law and happiness... Live my Boy..'

Red X watched as his father just looked at him and mouthed something to him. He knew that he was saving him trying to stall time for him. Red X knew he could not fight this demi spirit at all. He got up and watched as the wall of earth cut him away from his father. Saddness enveloped his heart as he couldn't do anything to help him...he had to return to Osaro and tell him that Inferno was now hot on his trail.

Inferno still carrying the old man watched as Red X ran away. A growl came from his mask as he turned to look back at the old man. The heat was collapsing the mans lungs by now as he watched him suffer.

"Your lungs are melting...how does it feeeeeel ?"
"I hope you are having a good time as I am just getting started.." he said as he kicked out the mans left leg bending it in an awkward angle. Inferno laughed at the sickening sound as he glanced down at the other leg. With one motion he did the same to the other leg and placed him back on the ground. Both legs bending outward instead of inwards now he was on his knees. Inferno grabbed the mans arms and kicked him in the chest as he arms ripped from their sockets.

"DO not die on me yet....I am not done."

He walked over as he grabbed the mans shirt. " I PURIFY THIS ONE !" He exclaimed as he shoved his arm down the mans throat. The lava and fire began to melt everything inside until a large explosion erupted from the mans hips as everything below was now gone and below was a small creator.

Removing his arm from the mans mouth he tossed the dead body aside as he looked to where he last saw Red X...he was long gone. " The hunt continues..." he said as he continued his walk towards the Earth Kingdom.

It was a horride death and not a pretty sight to be held. The old man suffered direly but did not regret his decision. Through the breaking of his legs, the beatings, the burning and scortching, the ripping off of his arms, and finally the exploding of his lower body - This man was at peace.

At the last moments of life, The head master of the Gilrin Noble family, Hikamori Shinto Gilrin, remembered everything. His body was numb and his mind was fading. On that last moment before he closed his eyes, A tear fell from his eye. It rolled down the lashs but avaporated into the air due to the extreme heat.

Far from this brutal scenery, Elarang followed the members of the twin blade clan to safty. Her mind flickery as a few of her fathers men had been following them. Never the less, It wasn't long before they lost their trail. The woman's heart pounded and her lungs struggled to get enough air in take. The party had grown from running to jogging and finally to a steady walking pace.

They were away, Ela was free - Well, Kinda. Slowing down her breathing, The noble followed the group, pulling her loose kimono tighter and closed. Looking down upon herself, her eyes took notice to the once white and clean kimono, now dirty and torn. White wasn't reall her color anyways. Now that she was cut off from her old life she would have to start a new and learn how to survive.

Red x finally opened the door to the hide out as he fell against the wall. His outfit was a bit burnt but overall he was fine besides the emotional scars from Inferno. He noticed a man standing over him as he noticed it was his boss Osaro. His eyes hidden behind his sun glasses but he knew he was staring at him waiting for an explanation.

" Inferno...he was there, he killed my father and now he is after me."

Really it was all he could say to him and nothing else. Inferno was a man or thing he had fought years back and lost terribly. He almost lost his life to this demon only because of the thought of gaining the bounty on this demi spirit. Ever since he had escaped Inferno was hunting him down to finish the job. Osaro looked up as Elerang was sitting with the rest of her guards that followed. Motioning his head over to her as the turned away vanishing into the shadows.

The stone walls of the hideout where comforting in a way. Like the shadows embrace was there to express its love to you. Much like how a mother loves her child, the walls tat surrounded him was like his mother. he felt at home and felt the warmth of mothers love. He stood up and walked over to Elerang and her eyes told him everything.

" It killed him....I couldn't do anything. The elemental killed him, Inferno."

Really all he could say to her, he was not going to lie to her and hold back information. he had to tell her and he was as blunt as he could be without panicking about his overwhelming fear about the Demi Spirit.

Circling back, The group headed back to the hide out. Elarang kept up with them for the moment part - Walking quickly and staying consealed and unnoticed. She was good at that, It was a normal thing back at the head's mansion. Her skill really increased through the numberous times she ran away or sneaked out of the house. The only difference now was she was with others.

It wasn't too long before they arrived at their destination. Elarang followed the squad leader into the building. They were checking their numbers now, making metal checklist of those who made it back, who hadn't come back yet, and those who won't ever come back.

Ela took a seat near the people who accompanied her back to the hide out. There she waited, watching and learning minor things. There was several stares towards her way, and mummers that whispered into the air. There might have been a whistle or two but Elarang turned her attention from them and paid not attention.

Everyone kept talking, conversating, and going on with their business like they would after every raid or fight/attack. Everyone sort of quieted down as the door open. Most looked to the doorway, waiting to see who made it back now. Two quads had come through the door before the next time the door opened. This time it was Red X - tired and oddly looking defeated metally.

Elarang slightly frowned as she narrowed her eyes at him in concern, curious. The Gang memebers fell silent as they too, stared. Time was not wasted as the gang leader made his way to Red. Elarang's stomach fluttered as she anxious as her ears strained, waiting for either of them to talk. Osaro did not speak as he only waited for Red to talk.

"Inferno...he was there, he killed my father and now he is after me." Red murmured as he sounded like he was in shock or something. The members stayed quiet for a moment. Looking to Ela, their eyes turned as the boss waved her over.

The girl's eyes saw the boss waver her over but her mind was tuck on what Red said. Her father.. Was dead? .. Murdered? .. By this man called Inferno. Her eyes just stares, her mouth open, and completeing the shocked look on her face. Osaro Vanished into the shadows and Red made his way towards Ela. Members in that room looked at each other as they too bagan to move to the next room.

"It killed him....I couldn't do anything. The elemental killed him, Inferno."

Elarang stood up - she couldn't believe it. He couldn't be dead, he couldn't. Red was lying, He was lying! "Your lying.." She was in denile. But why did she care so much? He raised her.. She loved him even though he rarely showed it to her, she knew he loved her also. Only 12 or so hours ago, she wanted freedom from him because he keep her prisioner in the mansion. Her life miserable but he mostly likely didn't even know. Did he know? Did he care?

She had questions but none she could speak or form into actual questions. Her eyes jerked left to right and back again as she turned around and sat back down. Closing her mouth, Ela breathed through her nose. The flood gates opened and she began to cry. Pursing her lip together to stop any nose from escaping, the breath staggered as it traveled from her nosrils.