The dark-gray clouds were scattered all over the night sky, never allowing the full moon to shine to its full potential. The fields beneath the ominous clouds cried silently for rain, for no rain had fallen the entire summer. Rain looked promising, for the dark clouds continued to gather and grow even darker.

The small town right next to the fields was very quiet, save for the shops' windows closing and the doors being locked, signifying the end of a day. People hustled into their houses, shut their doors, and let loose the blinds. All was silent now.

Except for the hustle and bustle near the town's bar, many men and women of different races and species crowded into The Nightshade for a night of drinking, gaming, and for some, even more. The bar soon filled out and the drinking and games began.

Not too long after the activities started, it fell quiet, for a tall figure shrouded in a true black cloak stepped into the doorway. It was carrying, or rather, dragging a large bundle wrapped in a dark cloth which was tied many times with thick rope. The mysterious figure said nothing as it walked across the room and sat in a lone chair by a deserted table, drawing stares from everyone.

Soon everyone went back to their own business, save for a trio of human men still looking at the cloaked figure. It just sat there, and occasionally prodded the bundle near its feet.

What was in the bundle?

The "leader" of the trio, Crumel, slide off his bar stool and walked over to the figure. The two others, Kiipal and Gramak, followed close behind, wiping excess beer off of their lips.

"Hey pretty thang," Crumel said to the figure.

The cloaked person did not respond.

He laughed. "Hey, my buddies and I are pretty lonely tonight... why don't you keep us company for a while, huh? We'll pay ya good,"

"Leave me out of your disgusting hobbies, human," the person in the cloak responded. It was a sharp voice edged with annoyance.

"Hey, no one says no to Crumel's requests, whore!" Crumel yelled back.

A waitress came between the two and placed a pitcher of beer in front of the cloaked figure, who picked it up and drank.

"I just did; now leave me alone and go back to your drinking or die right now," the cloaked creature snapped back.

Crumel grabbed the cloak's collar and jerked the hood to his face.

"Say that again,"

He grinded his teeth in anger, and soon he saw the pair of cat-like emerald eyes shine out from the dark hood and stare him directly in the eyes. His entire body felt numb as the giant mouth broke into a wide grin, showing off large sharp teeth. The creature's giant hand suddenly grabbed his. Crumel had bigger hands than the average man, but this creature's hand easily engulfed it, it was twice his size. The creature gave a gentle squeeze, and it completely crushed Crumel's hand. Crumel's cry of pain spread throughout the entire bar, and he started to slide to his knees. As he slide to the floor, he grabbed the figure's hood and pulled it away. It revealed a head that was very closely distinct to that of a tiger.

A demi-human. A Kou-Aeka.

It was Ryayukou, the famous Hunter. Or Assassin, to some.

"It... it can't be..." Crumel choked.

Ryayukou let go of his hand and wrapped her fingers around his throat. She easily lifted him up and tossed him across the bar. He hit a couple of tables back by the far wall, disrupting card games and drinking. The entire bar stopped its activities and watched in awe at what was happening.

"Why you..." Kiipal growled, and reached for his gun. Ryayukou's eyes and reflexes were much too fast for the human, and her tail, swift as lightning, shot the back of his head and gave him a hard whip. He fell like a sack of potatoes to the ground, gone from all conciousness. Gramak just stood there, dumbfounded at what he had just seen in a matter of seconds. The Hunter stood to her full height of seven feet, towering over everyone. She looked down at her last victim, and grinned widely at him. Gramak just ran out the door, running as fast as he could.

The fight was over. Ryayukou turned around and looked at the crowd, completely quiet. No one moved. No one made a sound.

She dug into her pocket and pulled out a bag of coins. She carelessly tossed it to the bartender, who barely caught it.

"Sorry 'bout the mess."

She kneeled down and grabbed her bag. Easily slinging it over her shoulder, she slowly stood to her full height and walked out of the bar.



Ryayukou was now far away from the bar. The clouds had finally broke and rain was pouring down on the thirsty fields. Up in her temporary sancuary, a tree top, she thought heavily on her life.

"So, this is it.... I've been a Hunter and Assassin for almost twenty human years, and now I'm not. What next?"

She tilted her head a few degrees upward, letting the stray drops from the tree's gaping branches splatter on her face. The faces of her two older brothers, Jacquar and Ruuko, came into her mind. Had it been so long since she'd seen them?

Jacquar... Ruuko...

Her fingers idly stroked the pendents on her necklace chain; a jewel in the shape of a teardrop, a tooth from the giant bear, and a tiny bit of fur belonging to a creature she did not know. Both were alike to her brothers' pendents; before they split up almost twenty years ago, they made each other pendents to hold onto. Ryayukou's was the teardrop, Jacquar's was the tooth, and Ruuko's was the fur.

"We'll see each other again, someday. We must keep these pendents, they are all we have now. We can never go back to the mountains."

"Ryayukou... the one without tears..."

She hissed at the thought of the horrible memory surfacing within her. There was no way it was ever going to happen again. She reached down and grabbed the bundle. Inside was her bounty for her last hunt; more money that anyone could possibly need in their lifetime.

"I will find you... even if it means using all of this money... and remembering again. I won't regret it."

She dropped down from the tree and slung the bundle over her shoulders. Ignoring the pouring rain, she walked down the lonely dark path.