Under the beautiful moonlit night .
A glimmering black lake sits in the middle of a lost garden .
with in the garden many of night dark creatures live lusting
for blood.

A misteryus castle is infront of this amaizing lake
and in it she lies with no hope of love .

She slowly comes to the window and quietly said
" For all the forsaken that are out there ..come in to this castle and live with no fury "

She slowly walks away from the window and opens the door to her manner .

"You are welcome, come in "

A swirl of dust could be seen on the far horizon.. growing larger as whatever was creating such a disturbance drew ever closer.

Eventually the image became a little clearer visually, though it still created quite the mental chaos in the minds of any who happened to catch a glimpse of it. Pounding rapidly along the earth was a giant destrier, a figure crouched low over it's neck with both feet on its back. As the giant war horse drew ever closer, it could be heard, a soft chuckle which sent chills racing up and down the spine. This wasn't a chuckle of mirth, it was a chuckle of insanity. The kind that echoes around in your head for days afterwards, branding the soul and tainting it forever with the madness... festering.

Peering out through a thick curtain of fire engine red hair, Shimmer studied the scenery around her. The villa which she had just come through shortly before had seemed fairly deserted even though there had been a large saloon, no doubt packed to the brim with whores. Finding no excitement there she had carried on through, spotting what appeared to be the tower of a large castle in the distance. Perhaps that was where the party was. Coming up along her right was a large luminous lake, pitch black and twinkling with the reflection of the moon and stars. Directly ahead of her was a rather imposing stone castle. Yellow eyes twinkled and sparkled with crazy glee at the sight she beheld... Indeed this did look like it would be where the party started. She was here after all...

The castle was breathtaking. He took a moment to stop and appreciate it's foriegn wonder, and considered staying there the night, but the town was nearby. The sooner he got to work the better. He had planned to scout out the town a good bit, and figured he'd get a jump on it tonight.

So leading his brown arabian onward he walked past the castle, but at a relaxed pace, taking frequent looks back to appreciate the roofline in the moonlight. Gradually he shifted his glances to the lake, and the moon reflected within.

"So perfect..." he thought to himself, and it was, most assuredly, a perfect moment; the temperature completely comfortable, the breeze just the right strength against his face to feel good, the night sky, and the wonder and beauty and excitement of a strange land, and a completely uncertain future. What to do with such a moment?

"Enjoy it while it lasts, what else...."

No sooner had this thought left his head that he heard the hoofbeats approaching. The cadence was strange to him, but sounded like a sturdy beast. The shadow appeared, drew closer, and formed itself into his vision. He moved casually to his right out of the riders way as the gray shape bore down on him. Slowly he lifted his head, and set his completely calm yet inquisitive gaze upon the figure on the horse's back.

As she thundered along the path, Shimmer spotted another horse and rider just ahead. They moved off to the side of the path and a broad grin split her features. As they passed, she swung around on the back of her Destrier so that she was sitting sideways, and then backwards altogether… waving at the man.

“Hallo!!!! Are you here for the party too???”

Giggling, she swayed from side to side gently with the rhythm of the destrier’s movement, still waving. It appeared as though she might be right for once. This may very well be where the party was. And hopefully she’d get to meet that nice man there once again when the party was started…

Spinning around to be facing forwards again she slowed her horse, looking around with some surprise at how barren the place seemed. Not very much life here for a castle… Maybe it was a lakeside party. With that, she swung her destrier around and headed back towards the ornamental lake she had passed earlier. If she was early perhaps there would be time for a swim.

Koji bowed to the rider as she passed, but upon seeing her eyes, did not take his own eyes off them, and only bowed his head to one side slightly.

He watched her antics as she rode out of sight. "Could it be....so soon?" he thought as he turned back in the direction he was walking. It certainly wasn't impossible....a couple of times the criminals he was hired to catch have walked right into their camp. The silly horseplay...yes, that was all to familiar to him...the arrogance, the belief that they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, to whoever they want. And of course the eyes...a trick of the moonlight? "Not likely..."

He tought of sprinting after her, or of just getting on his horse and following, just to observe, possibly stop her and question her. "No, not yet..." he thought. He had just got here, and here was a land more different from his own than he could have imagined. He could find himself at a big disadvantage in a big hurry.

But as he walked on he heard the same hoofbeats again growing stronger behind him. A strong feeling came over him that the perfect moment he was in was rapidly coming to an end...

* A light shines brightly from the castles north wing as a strange black shadow stands and looks out to the moonlight *

Thundering along the roadway she sensed rather than saw movement from the castle... reining her large horse to a halt she turned and glanced back, sunshine yellow eyes luminous this time in the dark light as she strained to see what figure framed the window...

Unable to see from this distance she whirled her horse about again, halfway around the lake again before something spooked the giant beast and it took her plunging through the bushes. Shrieking a high pitched sound which stabbed into the very soul of any who were able to hear, she landed with a splash in the lake... sputtering and indignant she arose to the surface, flame red hair plastered against her skin, sunshine yellow eyes glittering ferociously as she vowed to find the shadow which had spooked her destrier and shine light upon it. With that in her mind she glanced around for the beast and spotting it grazing not too far off, chose to swim. She'd planned on swimming without her clothes, but they were already soaked so why bother getting out now?

Splashing gleefully around in the lake she sang quietly to herself, the sound enough to halt any wild animal headed that direction in its tracks and send it packing quickly away to a better location. Every note and key and word was horribly off beat, off tune, and yet the maddening cacophony merely continued on...

*The bringt light from the window died quickly with the noise out side in the woods as the silence took over once again *

His heart dropped at the sound and he almost flinched. It didn't happen often...seeing a tiger for the first time and having it roar at him, and of course the first time he saw his mother move so fast...

Immediately his mother's voice came to him; Nothing is to be feared, only understood. Having actual terror in his heart made him feel uneasy, and he scolded himself for it. Now he felt he must face her after all. It wouldn't be the first time he took a risk just to prove himself...the light going out again in the castle made him more suspicious, but he made the decision to go down. "You wanted to do some observing, here's your chance." He turned and walked back the way he came, wincing at the horrendous cacophony she was making."I guess she found her party..."

He left his horse on the road and made his way down to the shore. He stood there in the mud and the weeds for a moment, watching her swim, then cupped his hands to his mouth and hollered out to her,

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

*The Doors of her castle open very slowly giving light to the dark forrest
she slowly walks out the door making her way to the gates.
her long velvet skirt dances around in alow motion and as the hood of the jet black cloak covers her face , She opens the gates of the castle letting a loud sound out all around hte darkness .
she makes her way out and walk slowly to the shore of the lake were the light reveals her red lips .
She comes closer to the gentlemen by the shore standing behind him she says*

"She enjoy's the water ,But she should get out she might catch a cold "
*her lips close and she looks out watching her swim*

From a branch in a tree in this garden sits Isebrilas, a wanderer over the countryside, staying wherever meets his fancy, a great lover of trees and nature he is, this place was facinating to him, he sat from his viewpoint and watched the semi-human drama take place

Hearing the shout from the shoreline, Shimmer paused in her cacophony and studied along the trees. There was light spilling forth from the castle now, it appeared as though finally the party had been roused. Glossy black lips parted and yet another odd sound ripped loose from her lungs...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pulling herself from the water a distance away from those who observed her, she clambered up a nearby tree, pulling herself rapidly up through the branches with ease. Frowning somewhat, she sensed yet another one at her own level, watching her. Glancing back over her shoulder she caught the outline of yet another figure in another tree, not all too far away.... Eyes widened and before she could even shriek she tumbled out of the tree, a quiet "Oomph!" escaping her with each branch she hit.

Sitting there a moment she furrowed her brow, lips curving in a sultry pout... not at all impressed with this new development. Obviously the tree was not her friend. Baring her fangs, she hissed at it, then rushed it, teeth and claws bared, in full attack mode....

She'd conquer this enemy... she always did.

Isebrilas watches the strange being with interest, noticing it attacking a tree, cocking his head to one side in confusion he looked on more, one hand idally reaching into his pouch

"Oh my, I think the party may be starting" Koji thought as the light spilled out of the castle. His prediction was further supported by the ungodly shreik he got as an answer(?) to his question from the late-night swimmer. He watched this new one ("...another one?") approach, but did not reply when she spoke. "Do these things even feel the cold?" he asked himself. The question hadn't even occured to him before. There was so much he didn't know...he suspected there were many questions of that sort...

His thoughts were broken by another commotion of noise from down the shore. The noise was very unnatural to him. Deciding to investigate further (but keeping an eye on the new one) he jogged down the shore aways untill he could see her. His eyes went wide when he saw what she was doing.

The power of this being was evident in the shreds of bark and wood flying off the tree, and he got a good mental image of what those claws could do to his flesh. He also got a good look at the contempt for life this being had, for there seemed to be no purpose to her actions; he doubted if she was planning to build a fire.

It seemed a bit foolhardy to risk one's self for the life of a tree, but all life was precious to him. In a calm, almost soothing voice, he asked, "Is that really necessarry?"

By the time the words of the stranger reached her conciousness, already a large patch of bark had been stripped away from the tree. When the softer greenwood had been exposed, Shimmer smirked triumphantly, using one claw to engrave her name. Stamping her victory on the very heart of her enemy.

Turning to the one who had approached her in her fury, she shrugged slightly an' gave a puzzled frown.

"But it attacked me..."

"laughs from his treetop and then clamps a hand over his mouth... he had just given away his position*

The lunacy of her reply just had time to sink in when the laughter reached his ears, "Yes, just what I was thinking... and he glanced up to find the one who was obviously well versed in concealment as well. He looked back down on the one who was defending herself from a tree-attack, and felt a momentary disgust at her response...like so many he's heard before. ".....then again..." he thought, "If these creatures have already proven themselves to exist, a tree prone to violence can't be too far behind..."

All these thoughts went through his head in a matter of seconds, then a more pressing thought came to him; "It's getting crowded here, too many strangers at this party." He looked into those bright yellow eyes once more, just to read her intentions, and without a word he simply turned and started to walk back towards the road where, hopefully, his horse still was.

*Isebrilas quickly produced a blowpipe from his pouch and a odd looking dart, inserting it and firing it at the horse that he could see*