It had only been upon returning to the balcony that she could see a shape approaching the front door, from the gleaming sword in hand at it's side it was probably Bryce returning though it had been a good amount of time, 10, maybe 15 minutes of searching for her.

Seeing that the person did not try to use any degree of stealth it probably wasn't one of the two men that fled. She could just make out the body on the ground here at the front of the house, their was a corner that she could not see around thus the front door of the house was unseen though a short time later she could hear someone in the house on the lower floor.

She could hear someone ascending the stairs to the second floor ...

There were noises coming from inside, it's been a while since she faded into her thoughts. Not knowing how much time had passed, she peeked into their bedroom as she opened the door the slightest to listen closely. With no doubt someone was coming for her. Still, she was wondering how she was supposed to react to all this.

Ryu held her breath as she sneaked back into their house through the balcony door. Not scared, but rather insecure and concerned she managed to move through the room by making the least amount of noise possible. It wasn't helping that Bryce was her desire, her everything, but wasn't human at all. Come on Ryu, there's nothing to be worried about. She reached out towards the remaining sword hanging on the wall and slid it off. If there would be an attacker, this would definitely help her, if it would be her husband .. she'd have to see about that.

Cautiously, her red eyes stared into the darkness of the hallway, waiting for whoever might return. The door partially closed, she hoped it would give herself cover while the being coming from the stairs had to expose itself completely. Her heartbeat increased moderately while she felt something strange in her stomach, but she promised herself she would not retreat.

Someone definitely was coming and while she prepared for the worst one of the first things that she noted was the fact that the sword she was now wielding was far heavier than the rapier she grasped on the ship. False memories implanted in her mind of a childhood she never had relayed that the swords were used differently too.

A rapier was a lighter weapon designed for finesse and as such was a thrusting weapon (primarly) and required little strength to wield. One could use more motion with the wrist to use it to cut. This blade that she grasped was primarily a slashing weapon requiring greater strength to use generated from the shoulders.

It was slower too but did more damage when it connected though the rapier was quicker and could, on average, get two thrusts in to the one of the broad sword. Of course the broad sword was double edged whereas the rapier was only sharpe at it's point and had less of a cutting area.

But the sound of footfalls grew louder in her ears, whomever was out there made no effort to mask their approach. The door handle turned revealing a figure. At first she had not recognized the figure as anyone though she had when the figure strode forward.

It was Bryce and he must have noticed her when he took the step forward as both hands came up defensively as if to ward off a blow. Had he been an enemy she would have had the drop on him.

"WAIT! WAIT! It's me! It's me!"

As Bryce came into view she could barely move but lowered the weapon she might cause pain with. The sword was heavy and although she had prepared to attack an invader she couldn't harm him. No matter if he was more or less human than she thought, her feelings for him grew quite intense in these days she had spent with him in her mind.

Instead she stepped forth and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him as close to her as she could. Joy seemed to pour into every corner of her as she used all the strength she had to keep him with her, sealing her lips with his for a brief kiss. She didn't expect him to refuse.

During this however she dropped the sword and slowly descended the floor, moments before she broke the kiss and could feel a tear rolling down her cheek. Though a touching reunion and a smile on her face, it quickly seemed to fade as her right arm retracted and a fist was brought down on his chest with a firm strike.

"That's for playing dead on me, don't you ever do that again, are you listening?" Her insides were about to bluster as she threw these words at him.

"What's up with all this? Who were these men? And why are you still alive? Not that I hoped for the opposite but I am sure that is quite unusual after you've been stabbed and shot."

He embraced her as they hugged and of course he had not refused her kiss as it smacked against his lips and he had been able to drink her in. The fist slammed against his chest doing little more to him then making him wince a little.

But as she sank down to her knees he did to, sliding an arm about her shoulders as he did so. He looked uncertain, then asked if she were alright before going silent for a moment. The fingers of one hand playing through her red hair absently as he drew in a breath in which to speak.

"I'm sorry but I had to draw them out and find out how many of them there were ... I'm ..." again he paused as he gazed up to the ceiling then back at her. Another breath as he contemplated his words then soldiered on.

"Those men were Razel's agents, they had his stink over them. No doubt they wanted the sword ... they probably came here to steal it, and kill me in the process ... Razel probably didn't tell them either given their reactions ...

"The sword, the broad sword hanging over the fireplace is a replica, a fake. Hidden in the flue of the fireplace is the real thing," he gazed at the sword hanging at his belt. "The only way I know of in killing me though I suppose there are others not privy to me ... but none of that probably makes any sense," he mumbled the last part.

Another pause. She'd probably find this all far fetched. "Razel is, was my boss ... he fell from his position in what must be an eternity ago. He works for a boss of his own now ... Razel, he's ..." another pause, there was no easy way to go about this "... he's a fallen angel, a demon now. He turned against Father and I have been sent here to find him and hunt him down. Bryce ... the one you've known as Bryce anyway, has always been me ... he has been my vessel from about 14 years of age."

Ryu seemed to consider everything he had said, trying to resist to call everything he told her a story he made up with all the breaks and what he said about angels and demons. However, the fact someone had pointed a gun at her and she remembered other odd things in the back of her mind, it made at least a bit sense.

"I'm sorry but I think I'm having a breakdown right now. It seems so .. surrealistic." She shook her head for a second as her hand reached up to his as it played with her hair. Fingers trailed along the back of his hand, feeling him as another tear ran down the other cheek and made it glisten in the dim light.

"B-but .. but doesn't that mean this whole trip was pointless? France for the purpose of hunting a foe of yours down?" While her thoughts were also busy with the real Bryce and what happened to him, she couldn't occupy her mind with just that. It was a total let down that this was all a plain lie. Perhaps they could have started a new life anywhere else, but as it turned out she was brought on a hunt she couldn't take part in.

"Nonetheless .. ", she mumbled as she found herself overreacting, taking a deep breath as an attempt to calm down. "I don't see why I am here if what you are saying reflects the truth. What am I doing here? Why'd you take me with you on the first place? What's so special about that sword that makes it worth to kill for?" Ryu stopped briefly as she restrained the urge to sob a bit. "Most importantly .. what are we doing now? T-those men know you're here and killed one of them .. and that you are still alive. They might send more after you!"

He listened to her as she spoke, nodding slightly as she finished up with a question, his mind seemed sharp as he seemed to know what she was thinking or at least considering. "No, it wasn't a lie ... not really ..."

He drew in a deep breath after a pause. "Let me begin from the beginning, or roughly the beginning. I tracked Razel for milenia after Christ came to live on this plane in fact so a considerably long time. We would have our skirmishes on occasion but in the end Razel would slip through the cracks and go to ground for centuries. The first of demons were those that fell with the Light Bringer, of course but when an angel has been thoroughly corrupted or more commonly a human, then they become one. Razel did, he was tempted with lies whispered in his ear about Lucifer being cast out, how unjust it was because he would not love mortals as he loved God. I was sent after him though as the centuries passed I grew tired of the chase you can say.

"I fell from grace though not to the levels that Razel had. I retained some of my abilities, my invulnerablities for starters, my agelessness and ability to merge with a vessel. I only took Bryce on because he was dying. He beseeched God for aide and I came to him, told him I could heal him and at what cost it would be to him.

"Since then I have inhabited him. During this time though I fell in love with a friend," he smiled, "later on I decided to escape matters by coming here but Razel had other plans. I suppose he grew weary of me chasing him down and came after me for a change but being an angel once he would know that there were few ways at hand to kill me. His sword was taken from him when he was cast out and mine is the only means that he has of destroying me and schemed to get it.

"Not to mention the havoc a demon could wreck on angels when tainting our blades and using them against us."

The red head was careful with the task of wiping those tears off of her face. It cheered her up a lot that he couldn't die in as many ways as a human although the thought of him being an angel made her a bit uncomfortable with the things they had done. Ryu could only smile with him at the mentions of him falling in love, however if his words proved to be true she could get into serious trouble when others tried to claim ownership of the sword he was carrying. Then again he was her husband, her eternal love and it might not be his own body from the beginning, but the personality behind it was just as gorgeous.

It was hard to find words to answer. "I'm just glad you're okay .. I married you because you were yourself the whole time and I'm sorry that I didn't trust you a few moments ago." She would have held him close to her again, possibly for her own or his relief, but she couldn't cope with the fact he was that, an angel. At least not right away.

"This might not make sense, but .. um .. I think it's a bit much to deal with at such a late hour. It .. it's hard to handle something like this in the first place .. Somewhat makes me see the world in a different way, too." Ryu was obviously shy, to interrupt him while he was trying to tell her an important story. It was honorable that he allowed her a glimpse of his background and nothing but the truth. Still, she thought sleep would do the two of them, or at least her after such stress, a favor.

"Please don't get me wrong.", she said as she rose off the floor, the lower side of her breasts to be seen for barely a second past the barely closed gown. It would be naive to think he would adress such matters in that very moment, thus she skipped thinking about it."But I think if you wanted to escape matters you shouldn't bring up all these memories. Neither of us would gain any benefit in this case, plus it would make me worry .. about us, but mostly you."

It may have been human to look or maybe even angelic but as she got up he glimpsed the firm roundness of her breasts causing a little almost mischievous grin to slip over his features. He got up to his feet though and nodded at her.

He seemed to understand the dilemia that must have been going on in her head. "Of course. Rest, I will keep an eye out for the others though they will not be back tonight after failing as they have. I only tell you this because I am incapable of deceiving you any further after what you witnessed tonight nothing could erase what you've seen."

Looking down at his chest both the sword wound and pistol ball had begun to heal. The lead ball from the gun shot had already been pushed and expelled from his body. His wounds at this stage had been closed and reddish looking in nature as if they were just beginning to scab over.

His words made her nod in return as a faint smile adorned her cute face. However, she turned and made her way towards the bed as she unbuttoned the gown lazily, keeping a slow pace with her hips swaying slightly until the garment slid off her shoulders. Ryu then placed it next to her side of the bed where she had found it, leaning forward in the process of storing it.

The only thing he'd see from behind her would be her firm bum hidden by the panties and the sides of her large breasts as one of her hands reached up to cover them. The woman offered him another smile through the darkness as she looked over her shoulder, then after a moment descended into the sheets of the bed while showing off as less as possible.

"Perhaps you should put on another shirt .. I could launder the bloody one for you in the morning .. that is .. if you still want to wear it." How much she wanted him by her side that night, his pleasant warmth and strong arm around her. But she needed rest and it was probably easier to fall asleep and not think about the events of the night anymore.

"This thing is ruined," he announced as he gazed down his body at the fabric that adorned his body. The blood likely ruined it or soaked it though he had no doubts that the material could be stitched back together. He took it off anyway, though even now his wounds had gone from the vibrant red of new wounds to the purplish coloration of older ones.

He disappeared from the room for a moment and when he returned he had dumped the shirt in the trash or so she would assume. His sword had been gone too.

Striding over to the bed he sat down of the edge of it, his ears alert for any sound though there was only the sounds associated with the night so there had been nothing unusual. He patted her leg closest to him as he glanced over at her as his eyes drifted away from the doorway.

Feeling the need to say something, she failed to find any words for what she was trying to tell him. Although he wasn't in the room for a short period of time, she awaited his return as much as the few days she had spent on the other ship before they connected again. Ryu laid back in the sheets, closing her eyes as she was aiming to fall asleep.

Her ears made out every step of his as he returned and soon enough felt him on her left leg, she found herself shifting her body to face the inside of the room as her right arm would serve her head as support. Without the need to open her eyes now that she knew she would be safe for the night, she could drift away into her dreams.

"Good night, sweetheart." A soft sigh elicited by his touch, then the shadows of the night started to surround the sleepy woman.

"Wakey! Wakey!"

She had been slapped awake, the larger man she saw the other night, or was this the same one, had been before her. She had been dressed in a simple gown of white and behind the larger man was the tall man watching things with his hands folded over his chest. His expression rather grim as things transpired.

"Change of plans ... the boss wants to see you," the taller man announced as he glanced towards a door opposite her.

Lacking the pain once more, Ryu showed her short temper as she snarled at the man who had slapped her. At first she wasn't certain what exactly happened, but as she began to stir and take in the room she realized that something had happened to the world around her. Once more she was caught, when her eyes drifted to the men however she was relieved to notice they hadn't harmed her, not at the time.

"All right, all right. Please don't hurt me, I'll do what you want." Quick to raise, she kept her hands up as she walked past the larger man to indicate she wasn't going to try anything, slowly approaching the door which obviously led to the leader of the men who threatened to kill her. Hopefully she'd be offered more enlightenment as to what was going on.

The doorway revealed a lavish hallway beyond, a red carpet ran down it's length while various paintings hung on walls and vases rested upon tables here. At the end of the hall was a window letting in a stream of light from between drawn currents.

Behind her the two men followed her out into the hall as they directed her where to go. They came to a room that seemed to be a study. There had been a table here on which rested half a glass of wine and a huge hound laid at the feet of a man sitting in a chair.

The man sat by a lit fire place, his young face turning towards the door as it was opened. He smiled, his eyes rimmed with silver glasses while his hair was long but tied up in a braid. He wore white gloves and had on a white suit.

"Ah, Ryu, you're up. Please have a seat," he gestured towards an empty seat nearby. "Can I get you a drink?"