So much for meditation.....

The sky torn, the ground moist with the falling rain, lighting cracked fourth to part the clouds. The winds ripped at the buildings in the International District, as the drops assaulted the earth on masse. A spill of green code poured out from the hardline as he emerged, Sai Kung Central, one of the best known and most used hard lines in the international district.

Brushing himself off in his usual fashion, as though the code had left some sort of residue, he stepped out of the booth and headed across the small bridge. The water that flowed through this district had risen from the heavy rain. Stepping across the small walkway he moved along the wall of the Dojo, casually glancing at the amateur market square to his left, littered with Vendors.

To the unawakened they were merely merchants of software and other assorted things, most people weren’t even bothered by the ones with weapons upon their rugs, they would just keep walking. Continuing his slow walk along the white walls of the dojo, the words "We know kung fu" on the windows, amusing on levels beyond casual observation. Continuing around to the front he walked in between the pillar and tree, brushing the tree softly as he past it the due misted though the air, he smiled as the cool moisture touched his skin.

Moving to the door he opened it and stepped though, closing it behind him he moved between the partially askew sliding rice paper doors. The dojo was quiet, the way he liked it, moving slowly along the outer rim of the ring. He looked around admiring the swords and the overall purity of the dojo as a hole. He stoped at the door leading into the back rooms, he started up the few steps when the sliding doors he had left open closed behind him.

As he got inches from the door he stopped. Resting his hand on the door he closed his eyes and took a deep breath...

"Can I help you?" he voiced out to the seemingly empty room...... He hoped it was merely a nosey red pill coming to bust his chops about what he was doing, he was never that lucky.

Silence filled the room, but it was painfully obvious that he wasn’t alone, he could feel the presence of the other being but he wasn’t there. Turning slowly he scanned the area, nothing was different, nothing changed from before, everything was the same, no code disturbed or even altered, yes the doors were closed but every thing was - no, it hit him as his eyes caught the sword rack, there were 3 swords present upon the 4 slots of the rack.

Less than a second passed after his notice of the missing sword, when streak of black flew from the ceiling at him, the only thing not midnight black from this figure was the shining katana as it ripped through Darminians coat. Crimson splashed across the ground as the figure stood upon the bloodied boucher coat.

Darminian 

The final blow.... the blood spilling fourth from the body now going limp, oozing fourth as he staggered, it had come from beyond consciousness, he hadn’t even thought about it, it was merely instinct, in that second -that nanosecond he had acted and it was over.

The shadow now saw it, too focussed before to have seen in better detail, the stand to his right, his blood pouring fourth uncontrollably. That sword stand he would curse in his final seconds of life, 3 sheaths but only two hilts. Spluttering between the blood from his mouth and his faulted words.. "You....... you..... **bleep**......" His eyes fading from that burning point they had been, his voice less disturbing than it had been.

As his arms went limp, the life draining from him, they fell to his sides, the sword falling to the floor as he looked down to what should have been his victim. Darminians one arm spilling blood on the floor, out of breath, inches from death, he knelt now but not in submission in opposition. His bloodied arm limp and to his own side, his other at the end the sword that was now imbedded within the shadows chest. His blood pouring down the blade slowly, crawling along the steel path till it oozed over Darminians fingers, his life force draining in this literal-metaphor.

The shadow now fell to his knees, eyes locked with Darminians, his shades fallen in the heat of battle, the walls of ice bore into him. The diamond blue eyes would be the last thing the shadow would see. The red infernos turned to dying embers and in seconds did die. Inhaling he closed his eyes as he felt the change on the blade, the blood now warmer.... his eyes opened to see the blood running black and now falling from the wound. The form of this demon, its shape now melted around the blade, going liquid and pouring onto the floor.

Getting to his feet, he stared down at the pool of shadows, and it began to crawl across the floor, as though something were flying over head it moved along the floor and through the crack in the sliding doors. Chasing it out the double doors, he saw it squeeze out the door to the building and emerged outside, the rain now stinging his wound lightly, he spun around.... it was gone, no where to be seen. Gritting his teeth he went back inside to get his coat, the pillars repaired and swords back in their place.

Walking in slowly he grabbed his bloodied coat, the only evidence that the battle happened. He donned it leaving the left sleeve empty as to not stain it more. Reaching inside he came out with a handful of health pills, popping them in his mouth he waited.... the wound continued to ooze and spill. He could feel the scrapes and cuts from the splinters and force of the battle healing but his arm remained open and bleeding. He could feel himself losing energy, more blood spilt now than what could be considered humanly possible.

Outside the dojo he got a call on his phone, another meeting to go to it seemed, hopefully this one would be less messy. As he hung up he realized he was going to meet the infamous vampire herself, and was now a walking meal. shaking his head he crossed the bridge and entered the hardline through the familiar mist of code, as behind him an inky black substance poured into the small bend of water beneath the bridge.

Darminian

((Done