darkstalker: rise of the hunter

The dawn's first rays of sun fell over the forest,making beautiful shadow plays on the ground...Corvhinus Alexion, one of the forest's only human inhabitants stood at the door of his home. One made of mud and rocks but a home nonetheless.It was built by his parents when they settled here...and he had lived here after they had passed away a few years ago.But all that didnt matter to him now.As he did every morning, he stood at the door to his home,his eyes wandering over the ground,the trees and the canopy above...marvelling at the beauty of the light falling through.
As he drew a long and deep breath, he thought to himself "another fine day in this world...this rivals the beauty of the world that the night mother creates".He didnt follow the religion of christianity..but he followed something far older and more primal.He stretched out with a loud yawn and went to the brook nearby for his morning bath picking up a towel as he went out.



His boots crackled small twigs as he stepped on them...
sending a small sound ringing through the air which quickly died away and was rapidly replaced with another,and another.He enjoyed the sounds as they combined with the sounds of the woods.
As good as this day was turning out to be,something did'nt
quite sit right with him.He had a feeling, a bad feeling.
A real downright sense of dread.But that feeling was quickly washed away by the sheer beauty of the day.
He arrived at the brook and smiled to see its waters sparkling in the sunlight as it flows happily along as it has done every day of his life and would keep on doing long after his existence ended.

But with a light shake of his head ,he banished those thoughts from his head and began undressing getting ready for his bath of the day.But unbeknownst to him a girl was crossing the small bridge over the brook not far from where he was undressing.As he did, she enjoyed the sights and sounds of the woods on her way from her parent's manor to the church in town.Her attention soon enough shifts as she catches sight of Corvhinus's bare chest as he removes his boots.Her eyes flow over the skin on his back as she leans on the handrail,staring at him.
As he turns around suddenly and catches sight of the girl looking at him,he feels the need to have a little fun.
Running his hands over his muscular chest.Grinning as he flexes his muscles,the girl seems to almost dream away at the sight of him.

"Wat a sight for a young girl's eyes you are stranger...i have never seen you here before.where do you come from?" She asked curious about him.
Turning around at the question, he saw the girl staring at him from the bridge."Im Corvhinus Alexion,a humble resident out here in nature's beauty.I was just about to take my bath when this pleasant surprise came along."
His eyes went over her,taking in the sight of the dark blue dress she was wearing.It fit her form very well he noticed.The dress made her pale skin stand out, her blond hair flowing down her back.But what struck him most
was the bright blue color of her eyes.They stood out from everything else.They intrigued him to the point he almost forgot where he was and what he was doing.

"Ive never seen you before and i must say its a real shame..."Not realizing that she said it out loud,she continued looking him up and down."Oh my seems like the virtuous girl is being a little tempted..." The thought went through his mind, causing him to smile."Well i am sorry to have robbed you of your fun milady" Saying this he took a bow.This snapped her out of her daydreaming.Blushing at her realization, she immediately covered her mouth with her right hand which did little to conceal her embaressment."I wasnt minding my words good sir.im a very well behaved girl and should not think or say such things.". She did not want to give in to the temptations she felt just by watching him."Well i surely did not intend to tempt you, all i wanted was my bath.". As he said this, the churchbells started to toll,sounding through the air and trees.He looks up smiling."Well i do think thats the call of the church bells calling the faithful to service."

Startled, she gasps."Oh my lord!! i must be going now!!".But with a curious look on her face,she looks back to him with her head tiled slightly to the side.
"But do you not go to the house of the lord for worship Corvhinus?".He had expected that question sooner or later.Everyone had to be a christian in order to live peacefully amongst others without fear of persecution.
"Well to answer that, i have chosen not to follow the word of god.I follow one of the primal spirits of existence.
but enough of that.You must be going now or youll be late.". He may not have been a christian but he did not want her to get in trouble for being late for worship.

"Oh your right.i had best be going.I hope to see you again some time.Your a very interesting person". She gives a wink and a smile as she turns to walk away,resuming her way to church.Her dress sways gently as she folds her hands together in front of her.
A large smile grows on his face as he watches her walk away."Nows theres a beautiful girl,she seemed to think good of me too..".
He brings back the image of her back into his mind.Her dress swaying with every movement she made along with her hair...it seemed to have a hypnotic hold of him.As he continued undressing himself for his bath , he found himself unable to stop thinking of her.As he waded into the river's waters ,the coolness of the water rising as he waded further into the river,his thoughts stayed with the girl hed just met.Even though he did not know her name he wanted to see her again.He just had to...but for now,he thought no longer about it..and relaxed in the waters.But whilst he relaxed in the cooling waters,unbeknownst to him someone was planning his undoing.

Antonio Regali,the town's new priest, was finishing preparations for today's services.As he went about his duties, he was harboring sinister thoughts.Thinking about furthering his own ambitions, he always sought people who could be of use to him as scapegoats,those he could sacrifice to further his position within the church.Hed heard about a man living out in the forest,amongst the peace and tranquility of nature.He was already contemplating ways of using this to his advantage.His mind raced with possibilities as he dressed himself, preparing for the impending service.
He always was more interested in furthering himself than serving any deity.The church was an easy way of doing so.He did not adhere to the rules of the cloth at all.He regularly sampled the pleasures of the flesh,and enjoyed it.His face had an evil grin as thoughts crossed his mind.
'This poor fool..helping the poor with healing and care if they need it...so very easy to portray him as the devil's servant,out to corrupt the innocent sheep that are gods followers". Seeing it was time to commence the service.he made his way to his place.

The town's people flowed into the church,their heads down and their hands folded together as if in solemn prayer.As they make their way to their seats,he looked down on them from his place in the pulpit,feeling somewhat like a king staring down on his subjects.A grin crossed his lips but he cleared his throat as he was ready to start his sermon.

"Good people of Ingaelo , i am father Antonio Regali.I am to be the new priest in this fine town and i hope you will accept me as your new shepherd.I may be a strict priest but i am forgiving where it is possible if you are truely penitant." At the mentioning of the word "forgiving" he almost chuckled.He wasnt a forgiving man by nature,that was just an act he played whenever he was with his congregation.In reality, he was a spiteful man,to the point of being vindictive.His skill at playing his role of kind and forgiving priest had always served him well.Fellow priests,bisshops...all men of the cloth commended him for his kind and forgiving manner to the people.He had been planning this from the beginning, his rise through the ranks of holy men.If only people knew what he really was.But his mind wandered.He returned his thoughts to the work at hand and the beginning of the end he had planned for Corvhinus. That would exalt him to bishopdom.That would happen all too soon...

His arms raised into the air ,his voice sounding through the large church . "Let us join together in prayer...". His hands lowered and folded together as he led the people in prayer,their hands folded together,their eyes closed and their heads down.As he recited the prayer,his mind once again began to wander."These people...nothing but sheep following the word of someone they see as righteous and true." His eyes wandered over the crowd as they prayed,hoping god would look kindly on them for their faithfulness."I speak and they follow ,mistaking my word for that of god...the fools." As he thought this,he finished the prayer with the traditional words "In the name of the father,the son and the holy spirit amen". A bellowing amen arose from below as the congregation responded with an "Amen" And the making of a cross.Their eyes now looked upwards,looking at their priest as he would be holding his sermon.

regali breathed a heavy sigh as he placed his hands on the railing of the pulpit.a solemn look on his face betrayed that what he was abut to say was of a most serious nature.
"my children, it is most unfortunate that i have to bring this up in my first mass for you but it concerns the safety and sanctity of your fair town." with those words came a sudden outburst of voices talking through each other,wondering what he could possibly mean.
as they died down, the priest's voice sounded again.
"there is someone amongst you, someone with dark and malicious plans for this fair town.to lure you over the darkness...to satan's dark realm to serve him and his evil minions.but i will seek him out and send him back to his dark master." his arms raise up and his eyes close."Where there is hope,there is always salvation.i will rid you of this scourge on your town.Let us pray..."His hands folded together and he held them to his forehead,his lips uttering words of prayer.yet in his mind, he only saw images of what he could reach, the glory that would be bestowed on him, if his plan worked."now is not to time to rejoice at future gains,i must keep up my role as kind priest ."with these thoughts,he turned his full attention to the service.

Meanwhile, elsewhere corvhinus was tending to a small garden of herbs close to his home.

he had finished his bath and gone straight to work...
carefully removing the herbs from the soil and into a basket,he collected what he needed for the normal load of medicine to tend to the town's ills.briefly his mind wandered to the girl hed met.her dark blue eyes,contrasted by the golden sheen of her hair...for some reason he could not forget it.but the brief distraction was enough for his knife to slip and cut his finger. "Blast it!!"
he dropped his knife and immediately put the cut to his mouth ,sucking on it with a hurtful look on his face.