Goodbye to Old, Hello to New.

[Sakume]

OoC: This is a fic that's just a chapter. It's more to tie things together that are unsaid, so people understand what's going on in lives and all. It didn't have enough potential for a roleplay, but needed to be said.

Goodbye to Old, Hello to New.

"I hate you. You know that, don't you?" she asked, venomously as if hoping to spit poison at him.

"I know." Raziel gently smiled at his sister, hands securely on her shoulders as he led the blindfolded werewolf towards the mansion. “Keep going, you’re almost there.”

“Would you just tell me what all this is about? You haven’t planned a surprise party or told anyone, have you?” she snapped.

“No, dear sister. I’ve told no one about your living with father for now, nor about Shinu and your planned future.” Raziel tickled her stomach a little, perhaps going a bit too far. Surprisingly, she didn't bite or claw or even punch him.

“Good. Then where are we going?”

“Alright. You can take it off.” Sakume removed the cloth covering her sight to see a beautiful angel and a blonde in front of a huge house; it must have been a mansion. “Before you say anything, I thought you needed a little friendship. You’re going to be cooped up inside Dad’s cabin for a while, so I took the liberty of inviting you over to talk with a few new people, friends of mine, of course.”

“Hello, Sakume. I’ve heard so much about you.” The woman gave her a soft smile, her voice soothing. "It seems only fitting to have a friend before you seem so cooped up for so long. So Raziel asked us to come over."

The blonde removed his glasses and rubbed them on his shirt. “Yes. I’ve heard a lot about you, as well. I’ve also heard you’ve traveled quite a lot. Might I trouble you to ask about your journeys?”

Sakume seemed surprised, so much so that she looked back at Raziel as if asking his permission.

“Go ahead. It’s good for you,” Raziel encouraged. “I’m going to be gone for a while, going to get something fixed in town. I’ll be back in a while, I promise.”

“Whatever,” she grumbled, following Mark and Selene inside the mansion where they could talk better.

Raziel set off to town, deep, troubling thoughts in the back of his mind. Lucien was dead. Raziel remembered their last conversation as if it had happened only days ago, though it really had been weeks. His hand moved involuntarily to touch the now dull pearl about his necklace.

“You can’t die… you aren’t done… you promised you’d finish your business before you went. I didn’t even get to know you that well.”

“I am finished, Raziel. I released Johnathan’s soul, thanks to that strange man that assisted us. That was what I was supposed to do. He’ll be put to rest soon enough. I’ve begun the process. I can’t stay now. My soul is going to die.”

“But how? Can’t you explain?”

“I can’t. Even I don’t understand it. The magic of my ancestors is not understandable in itself. But, before I leave you, which I’ll do soon, I can tell, I can give you a little bit of advice.”

“What’s that?”

“Lay off the ladies.” Raziel laughed in response. “Oh, and my pearl? You can keep it. To remember me by, with my sword.”

“Your sword? But what of the handle? It’s poisonous to anyone but you.”

“I’m sure you can mend that. It’s a beautiful blade. You’ll do good with it, I know.”

“A sword? Your sword. I’ll do good with it, I promise.”

Raziel dwelled on these thoughts while the clang of the hammer against his new hilt echoed in his ears. “It’s going to take longer than thought,” came the response of the female blacksmith to his stare. “If you like, you can pick out a new weapon while you wait. Those are the ones in the corner I’ll let you take. Pick something, as my apology for your wait.”

The werewolf chuckled as he surveyed the pile of junk. Nothing she offered for free stood out to him. Until, that is, his eyes caught a glimmer. He dug through the pile of dull weaponry and pulled out a mediocre ax, slightly rusty where it connected to the wooden handle. “I can fix this. This is good. I’ll take this.”

“Oh, that piece of junk? Okay, then. Here’s your new hilt.” She returned his sword, shaking her head. “You don’t need to give me a tip. I took long enough as it is.”

Raziel had the axe in one hand, and the sword returned to a sheath on his back, the handle no longer poisonous coral, but now clear, smooth steel, black with a gold outline. “Very nice. You did a very good job here. I’ll keep you in mind if I ever need a future job done.” For now, he had to return to his sister.

- Back at the Mansion-

“Did you really travel all the way from that region?” Mark asked, fascinated with the stories Sakume began to share.

“I already told you I had. What’s the matter, are you deaf?”

“I can’t believe it. It must have been breathtaking to see the waters at night. I’ve heard the stars look like diamonds in the lakes and all…”

“Mm. They are beautiful.”

“I love beautiful things,” Selene commented, the same happy facial expression on as Sakume carried, though hers seemed hidden.

“Well, once you’ve seen enough, you’ve seen enough,” Sakume commented with a shrug.

“You’re telling me.” Mark shook his head. “Some of the things I’ve seen trouble me… speaking of which, someone’s been entering my mansion lately and looking at things they shouldn’t be looking at. I might have to do something about that…”

“Like what?” Selene asked, interest waning from speaking of beautiful things to Mark’s problem.

“You could hire someone as guard,” Sakume suggested, shrugging.

Mark paused, putting a finger to his lips. “That…” He moved it across his chin. “That sounds like a good idea, actually. I’ll try that, I think. Thanks.”

Sakume managed a half smile. “You’re… welcome, I guess. Anyway. I’d better be going.”

“Yes, I suppose you should be. I’ll walk you home.” Raziel said from the front door, arms crossed and a smirk on his face. His sister was finally opening up once again.

“Alright. But you’re not doing me any favors.”

“Wouldn’t think of it.”