Now You See Me (Lucian)

Over all she did not enjoy the slight tugs he gave to her hand in the time from the booth all the way out passed the club. She had wanted to spend more of the evening wasted away to watching the party-goers get drunk and a possible bar fight to break out for her own amusement. As for Lucian however, he held another idea that never was the be answered as she asked a million time where he was taking her. Eden knew she was rambling and hoped it wasn't too much to bother him, but then again, wouldn't he of left if she were too annoying? She had that hence of tendency and cursed at herself for owning such a habit, not that she could help it, it just, happened sometimes, an ability of which she could not control when she was lost in another world of hers. The Regina tried to jerk lightly away from his strong grasp, walking on her own beside him as she wondered where he had planned next on the strange and quick altering schedule of theirs. It had to be almost hitting the tomorrow marker as she looked to her phone that had been in her pocket, clicking the side button for it to sleep after searching the map as to where they were. She then knew that he had planned to go to the Crossroads; a neutral of the many races that was said to be haunted, or some activity of sorts lived amongst the lands.

As much as she tried to pull away from him and walk at her own pace behind him, not knowing better or for worse when it came to certain directions but liking her own way since they were entirely different leaders. There were differences in their leaderships, ones she wished not to explain for the good of her pack and the trust he still had left to gain to know. This was enough for her, a minor adventure to spend with an individual of greater knowledge and age than her to begin with, brought to get by what may seem fate to share each other's facts when it came to their different realms. When doing this, Eden thought back to the rumors and short tales she had heard about the railroads, connecting them together and matching the histories of a majority to get an idea of what it all meant. She knew it was long before her time as well as her race when the so called 'Riders' were founded and lost to their deaths, remembering back to the strange tales she would here to those who have seen them in action by their own eyes. The closer the pair walked, the greater more she became excited, enthusiastic over the plan that worked in his mind to of brought her here. ..He thought about me.. and he was... listening... Maybe they are not all that bad after all... The tigress then smiled up at him, walking slowly closer to his side as the Crossroads came to their view to gently take her hand in his, lightly enough for him to let go if it was uncomfortable for a shifter like her to act in such friendly manners to a werewolf. Her voice was a soft tone, faint to the human ears but a normal to a lycan, "Thank you..." As she loosely held his hand, Eden worked herself over to stand at the center of the rails where the train would usually run right through, taking small hops to each set of wooded planks just for fun.

The type of surrounding and story of the territory sent chills down her spine, jubilation and happiness filling her from the inside out at how accelerating it was to be in the paranormal background. It could bring an easier way for her to discover the ending to her latest novel, one she had been working on for days but never could find that...missing piece. "I've never been here before, just never had the time I guess..." As her words trailed off, she shivered slightly, pulling her hand away to wrap around her stomach with the other in a crossed position. Her body was naturally warm and cozy as a tiger and human, but now that the seasons were at the center of phasing closer to the harsher times, the temperature started to slowly drop and cause her to hug herself to stay warm. Eden reminded herself next time to grab a jacket before she decided on going out late without much to cover herself with, smiling to Lucian a bit sheepishly for her own mistakes.

"This place can get pretty scary if you are not careful enough. Stories say that long ago this very railroad housed the very first train to try and make it out west. Nobody had ever made it alive. Many disappeared and nobody knew why." He walked along the dirt with her, watching her with a smile. He was enjoying their closeness, even though she was not against his side any longer, he knew this place would serve them well. In the short hours he had known Eden, he already knew she was something special, something he should show off to the world, that is, as long as she was to be his. But for now, he would take things slow, to prove he was willing to try for anything. He was not sure if the feelings he felt for Claire were resurfacing, or if they were beginning to rekindle themselves under a new light. Lucian was uncertain to the ways his heart was working, but he knew the feeling in the pit of his stomach was not from the booze or food he had consumed earlier that day. She was something special. Looking at her, he moved to the tracks, stepping on the wooden boards that were still intact. His eyes moved to her form, watching her shiver, he pulled his jacket from his back and wrapped it over her shoulders. "I don't really need it, I'm pretty warm-blooded, but it is my fashion, so don't take it." He joked with soft smile. A quiet laugh escaped from his lips as his eyes locked to meet her crystal lakes of blue and serenity.

"Back to the story!" he said with a hearty laugh. "But there was one man... Umm... Marco Polo or something... No, that's not it.." he said as he tried to remember the name of the guy. "Anyway, for the sake of the story, let's call him Marky Mark. So there was one man that decided he would make the journey across the land and started colonizing out west and bringing them supplies, as well as bringing trade goods back home. People told him he was crazy, that he would never make it. But Marky Mark was so prideful, he had to do it. So he, his men, and the women and children who wished for a new life, boarded that train. A lot of time went by and then the night grew cold in the early hours of morning. The moon was shrouded in the dark color of the fog and clouds. A cold chill fell over the land. Marky Mark could see his own breath right before his eyes. Screams escaped from the cars, but by the time he had made it, people were already dead and stolen. He did all he could to save them, but the riders, they came for lives and they would not stop until they took them. The train was supposed to automatically shift lanes, but the track was stuck and forced the train to ride right off the bridge," using a hand, he pointed to the track that lead to the unfinished bridge. "They were never heard from or seen again. Many say that even years later, they would try to rebuild the bridge, but the riders would come and kill anyone who tried, so even to this day, it is still not built..." Lucian looked back to her with a smile. But as he did so, he could feel the temperatures around them drop increasingly. He was still not cold, but he could see his breath before his eyes. He looked to Eden, and quickly moved protectively towards her. Moving his head beside hers, he whispered "stay close to me."

The four black figures moved swiftly along the abandoned tracks, making the overgrown grasses waving in the air. The shadow in the front came to a stop, letting his hand raise to signal for the others to do the same. Once the sound of hooves ceased, the horse which had the leader on its back lifted up it's head, letting out a low and quiet neigh. It sounded like bones cracking and could send a shiver down anyone's spine who wasn't used to it. Under the veil of his cloak, you could see the slight curve of the corners of lips. The shadows covered the rest of his face, except for the glowing red eyes that pierced through the fog as it swirled around. A chilling breeze went the area and the fog thickened, engulfing the two creatures who stood before this group of Riders. The leader tilted his head slightly, letting himself capture the whispers of stories traveling to him.

He could hear the other three behind him getting restless and he sat up straighter, flicking his hand out to his right, signaling for them to be silent. He observed the pair closely, waiting to see what they would do. Usually anyone he saw were victims It was quite disturbing.. the way he enjoyed seeing them unknowing.. vulnerable. His horse gently pawed at the grove with one of it's hooves. It was ready, and so was he. The thought of power surged through his veins and the thought of no mercy thrilled him. He was pleased that they were unsuspecting of what would happen next.

Her body molded back to press into him firmly as he had taken her to the side, her eyes widened at the gust of visible air and stench of her breath rise to her own sight. The temperature had dropped, for that of which she could feel beneath his coat and sleeves. She shivered, keeping the pin-pointed ideas of that story Lucian had given, laughing here and there at the times he got off track, but stopping abruptly as the sound of movement bristled the small hairs on the back of her upper neck stood. The charm in his voice soon phased to worry, or at least a part of it did to her hearing, and so it be said that these places were haunted after all. Eden stood a clear guard of her emotions and smirked as she felt the readiness of her own dwelling take over, the anticipation growing inside her to see what all she could on this beginning adventure. Looking to the unfinished path of the crossroads, her eyes widened in interest, rearing her ears back as the sound grew louder from behind. Her hand easily slid into the palms of a warmer one, lacing her fingers tightly with his as she felt secure and safe to be with him. There were times like these she would go alone, but when push comes to shove, there was always the best of the opinion to bring along the navigator and guide. She knew the story, the type of land, but her path of finding her way out wasn't as clear as she would hope. The tigress could feel her teeth elongate in instinct behind her pale plump pink lips, standing closer to the lycan as she saw the figures in the distant soon become greater visible.

Training her attention to follow the four figures, they formed into the mass of an eerie shadow-like grace, swiftly clashing the horses' hooves into the earthy dirt below and clink back to say as if they were alive against the metal rails. Her heartbeat pounded louder inside her chest, gripping Lucian's hand carefully even though she knew it would barely hurt him as it is. If there was one thing she did know about the haunting, it was to never mess with them, that is unless she wanted to live another century, then that was a whole another situation. Looking up to meet his command, she nodded and stayed at his side, eyeing the figures move closer, the neighs and whinnies of the dark horses with scarlet dust eyes glaring through her soul. The tale had been true, and is they wanted to run them off the tracks, so be it, but what all could that mean? Here? Now? These questions raced through her mind, disbelief rushing over her and then falling to ashes between the seams that lurked into the ceiling of Hell. She kept her emotions at bay so the wrecked spirits could not sense them, and even if they did, she would not care. What all they could do, she did not know, but as long as she had someone to protect her at all costs, she would do the same to get the Hell out of there in the time needed. There was more to this story, she thought, something missing that could lead to as to why they run them off the road. If only she knew... Whispering into his mind, Eden smoothed her way to the walls barricading it, slithering passed as she trusted him and he did the same,You're seeing what I'm seeing... right....? Her eyes glanced to meet the four pair of glowing red eyes, exchanging small gazes to each one and feeling a rush of adrenaline pump through her veins with every avert.

Instinctively, Lucian shifted to his primal form, standing tall on his hind legs. The pain of doing such wretched through his body, but he ignored it. Eden's safety was his priority. Self appointed protector of the Regina, since he had brought her here. He endangered her life, as well as his own. As the wind blew hard, he could feel the night's chill thing to cut through his thick coat. He released a snarl as he green eyes made contact with an immortal guest. He tightened his grip around the female, holdings her closer than before. Lucian had a couple options. He knew the land well and had never heard of the riders following lost travelers away from the railroads. Perhaps that would be his only option for the time being. For now, he decided he would stand his ground, showing the riders he did not fear them. A deep growl rippled through his throat, pushing his clenched teeth even tighter. "I will keep you safe," he snarled as he knew she would most likely not be able to understand him.

The lead figure stayed still, listening to the snarl of the shifted male. The sight of him wasn't as unnerving as you'd think, seeing as the ghosts were simply that; ghosts. Nothing can harm them, nor could anything penetrate them. All four of the riders let out a disturbing chuckle, making shivers go up the spines of creatures around them. The shadowy figures unknown, terrifying things, and they craved the death of the two. Suddenly, the leader started to gallop, the other three right behind him. He began to circle the pair and a strong breeze sprang up. A whirlwind of dust, leaves, and dirt began, trailing the riders in a frenzy. The dark hues got darker, the eyes redder, the wind colder. Everything seemed to work to the evil creatures' advantage. Suddenly, they all froze, in a position so they could see into the souls of others. They were hungry for werewolf and shifter. The three horseman started to go crazy, thrashing around as the dead horses stood on their hind legs, letting out a loud neigh. The leader stared at them, lifting a fist tediously. A bony finger slowly pointed to the couple, and then there was a burst of speed. The riders charged.

And like that, she watched as something so perfect blossom to what is to be a beast for the first time. It was almost she could not take her eyes away to look up at him, for he was three times her human height, but that was not however the case. He was beautiful, inside and out according to her. There was nothing dangerous to come from it - and so she smiled, only to be removed when the spirits before her started to communicate. Before she could even speak, her instincts finally hit her in bits of fear, trickling down her spine and throughout her body as she freed herself to be in the body of a white tigress. Lining her fur were black stripes, surrounded in a mysterious blank white - her eyes shined upon the ghosts, listening to his growls that rang into her ear from before to repeat over and over again, 'I will keep you safe...' Eden not afraid though, they were simply a strong spirit, whom was caused to do such terrible things to what she knew not. A growl pierced through clenched fangs, baring them to the dark autumn night as she readied herself to run. There was never really an option for her in this case, as a tiger, the possibility of outrunning the horsemen was slight. She was a Siberian white tiger after all, they could only run so much in short bursts at the same of a horse, but it'll have to do. Glancing once to him, she could not stay here much longer, however she did not understand completely as to why she should run. They were the paranormal, couldn't they just go through them? She decided to not place her bets and sprint off, bursting out from underneath the werewolf's legs and down the tracks. Her paws bounced in and out of the wooden planks - and her attention was struck as to see the end of the bridge, a gasp escaped. Eden looked over her shoulder, snarling as she pumped harder into the ground as they were being charged. When caught short of the broken bridge, she turned a deathly angle, luckily not slipping over her feet, and darting into the other direction into the darkness of the trees to hide. Panting, she gulped to keep it down, slowing her heartbeat back down so they could not sense her fear, or pulse.