Practice (for Vivi & Koza)

Sojo was standing in the park. It was nearing dusk. He had gotten River to their new home and now he was training. He was surrounded by will-o-wisps. They were spinning and swirling all around him. His eyes were closed as he focused his magic on the here and now. On the earth beneath him. His necromancer scythe at his side along with the staff he always had (in his picture). He knew it was safe and quiet and solituded enough right now to do this. He mumbled under his breath. The earth beginning to shake as he cast a spell. The earth beginning to split open as a skeletal figure clawed its way to the surface. Following the bidding of the Necromancer. Then at the last second he removed the spell and the earth sealed shut. The skeletal figure going back into the earth.

He opened his eyes and took the scythe. Lightly cutting his wrist. "With this blood I do thee summon. Spirits of the past...come forth into the light!" he called out. A swirling portal appeared and ghosts began to materialize. He kept his eyes closed. The wound he bound. His hand stung but such was the way with blood magic. His eyes opened and were glowing a haunting white. "Dance and rejoice. Then home with thee. This spell is but momentary." he commanded. The ghosts beginning to dance and seemingly rejoice. Then one by one began to swirl and vanish with a pop.

"Dancing airs and screeching hollows. The banshee thus does follow. Appear and show thy face. The hauntings of the night have just begun." He commanded. His eyes glowing white again as a banshee appeared upon summoning. Sojo was pushing himself harder every time. "Speak to me spirit of the damned..." He commanded. Listening to the banshee which to others would sound like nothing more than shrieking and howling type sounds. "Your deed is done. Rest well spirit of the damned. Back home with thee to the land of the dead." The banshee dematerialized.

He was panting a bit. "Just a little more. I need to continue to strengthen. I must protect River with my life." He said to himself. Then again he had been doing various Necromancy, Blood Magic, and Black Magic since noon. It was already around six at night. His hand was bandaged around the palm and across a few of his fingers in the middle of the underside of them. His wrist also tightly bound.

Vivi and Koza was wondering around waiting to be summoned by Jasel. Vivi let out a sigh "Can't believe you got us into this mess Koza, your such a pain. Getting us envolded with a mofia prince and putting his mark on use really." she scolded at him Koza let out a laugh "yeah he kinda freaked me out." he siad he let out a sigh he was still beaten pretty good thanks to the training that Jasel did with him controling his blood cravings. "Besides, Jasel didn't have to take us in like that I mean he is the most feared vampire around." He siad to her Vivi nodded "Yeah, witch has me worried about why he took us in and training you. He not known for letting others do his work for him. So what use would he have for lacks like us. As well as for his girlfriend how dare she insults me like that." she siad growling a bit. Koza smiled at her she was a thinker that was for sure he can see why he teamed up with her. A familiar feeling came over him and he blink and took off running at high speeds leaving vivi behind.

He stopped to see a blonde boy and he blink "It can't be...." he said as he walked up the 17 year old looking male. He had the same look and feeling as his long lost friend..... "So...jo..." he said to him his magic was that of what he remembers from that awful place.

Sojo had stopped the magic. Panting. "Just a little m---" He stopped. He hadn't felt that aura in a long time. Was it...was it possibly Koza? His focus on the magic lost as he started to feel a bit light headed. He now used this magic to protect. He would continue to use the normally evil magic he possessed to protect. Especially protect River. She was his lifeline. She had helped him come back and not diving under or behind things just because a woman entered the room. He had been slowly but surely recovered and was almost to where he was not afraid. The bloody scythe was floating in the air beside him. Magically enchanted by someone to do so.

He heard a familiar voice and a smile crossed his lips. He faced Koza and grinned. "KOZA!" He tackle hugged his friend. Throwing his arms around the guy. "Boy am I ever glad to see you! I didn't think anyone else survived it." He said. Hugging him tightly. His brother friend would always be that. Even if he did work on the opposite side now. He finally let him go and sat on the ground beside him. Sensing another heading this way. "That aura a friend of yours?" He asked. Pointing in Vivi's direction before looking at Koza. "I'm glad to see you again." He said with a smile. Having thought his only family long since gone.

"Its been a few years...since that awful place. I didn't quite escape it until I was almost fifteen. That woman who "rescued" me was really one of them. She made my life hell. Called me a freak and a monster. Told me I was evil and dark because of my magic." he paled a bit as he remembered. Not that it was easy to tell he was paler. He was already even paler than usual due to using his magic non stop for six hours minimum. "I've been training. I use my magic to protect. To protect others. I have a friend I really like named River. She is awesome. She is staying at my house with me. I got a new one. Been traveling. Seen different realms. This is the third new place I've been in."

He smiled at Koza. "I never thought I'd see my big brother friend again." He said honestly. "I thought I had nobody. River has helped me get over that fear of women. You know...the one caused by my mother's abuse then everything that happened at the cover house. Between being used sexually and the experiments...I was terrified of women. She helped me learn not all of them are bad. It wasn't an easy process. Even when I was afraid I protected them." He fell silent for a moment. "I don't think anyone else escaped Koza. I think it was only you and me. I don't think even we were supposed to." He hugged Koza again. "Missed you so much Koza." Finally letting him go and sitting up fully. "Remember when we snuck out and watched comets?" He asked. Looking at the sky as it began to darken. "I do. It was on my birthday. Best night ever!"

He looked back to Koza. "I'm stronger now. I use this cursed magic to protect and help people. To...to prove my evil magic does not make me evil. I am going to continue to get stronger. So that I can protect River from even the strongest of foes. She isn't afraid of me because of it. You ever find someone Koza? Even if she is just a friend?"

Koza fell to the ground when Sojo tackle hugged him and laughed this was kinda new to him. He really haven't seen Sojo this energetic especially after practice. He was taking in a lot of information and Sojo was talking a hundred miles per hour that koza was seeing stars. Finally when it would seem that Sojo would take a breath Koza open his mouth only to speak and answer his questions when he continues to talk some more. Koza rolled his rainbow eyes at him "You look paler then ever." he said he smelled the faint scent of his blood and bite his lip he didn't see the blood so he wouldn't faint but the smell of it and the fact that he only been feeding off himself had trigger a small part of him that wanted it.

"Yeah in away I did make a friend." he siad to him vivi sighed "In away really." she said to him she had walked behind Sojo as he was talking to Koza. "He is a talkive one. I didn't know you had a brother." she said to him "Sojo is the closes thing I have to a family beside you he was the only one that I had in the lab. He my little brother." he said to her "Sojo this is vivi she my friend and took me in after we made that escape." he siad to him he looked and blinked when he said he made a friend and he smiled at the fact that he seem to be doing well then it it him why he looked so pale well paler then normal he smack the back of Sojo head "Idoit I told you to not push yourself so hard focus on one thing at a time, one thing a day. That and no one can bring you back if you die and you can't protect her if your tired out." he siad to him ticked that he pushed himself so hard

(posting for sojo because his account is being weird)

Sojo nodded his head but didn't really acknowledge the paler comment. He heard Vivi behind him and his eyes went wide and fearful. He bolted to behind the now sitting up Koza. Eyeing Vivi warily as she had caught him off guard. If he saw them coming... If he could hear them... If he knew they were there... He was not afraid anymore. Koza would know why he was so afraid. The guy knew the whole story. "Lab covered up by being a whore house." he said with a shudder. Smiling at her nervously. He moved to sitting on the side beside Koza away from Vivi.

"nice to meet you. Koza is the only family I have. We stuck together no matter what. He took care of me when my mother sold me to the whore house slash lab when I was eight. She wanted drugs...anyways...they were fascinated with my magic." He shuddered. "My magic is considered evil but the way I use it is not." He said. Looking at him. "I was afraid you didn't make it. You were thrown off that cliff...I thought you drowned or hit the rocks below." He shuddered. "You told me to keep running and I did. Only to be found by that...by that woman who bought me. She has chased me all around. I believe I lost her back in a realm called Phoenix."

He smiled happy to see Koza again. "Thank you Vivi for taking my brother in. He and River are the most valuable people in my life. My living treasures." He said. He oofed and rubbed the back of his head. The bandaging that was on the hand he used the blood magic from showing in plain view to Vivi. "Owwww...what you do that for." He protested just like a real brother would his older brother's actions. He got an oh crap look. "It wasn't that hard..." he protested. Looking at the sky. "Just some odd um...hours." he said. Okay more like six minimum but that wasn't the point. He looked at him. "I want to be strong enough to protect her from the strongest of evils. I can handle most evils now. One day I'll be a master Necromancer Blood mage...I'll be a force to be reckoned with by any evil." He said seriously

Sighing a bit. "I'm sorry Koza. After River got hurt I decided I needed to speed up getting stronger." Merely nodding his head. "No that is me..." He said sadly. "That is me who deals with the dead and the damned." He sighed a bit. Closing his eyes. "You push yourself just as hard Koza. After...after our friend...you pushed yourself so hard. Why is it wrong for me to try and follow your footsteps when you have always been there for me when no one else would? when everyone was afraid of me you stuck by me. I mean come on even most of the adults in that building were afraid of me and I had only just turned eight." He rubbed the back of his head. "It was only sixish hours...not that long...was it?" He asked.

He sighed. "I must get stronger for her Koza. I like her." His cheeks flushed a bit. "I promise to try harder to stick to one magic. Necromancy or Blood. Promise. I was doing it all today. All of it."

Koza looked away when he said the thing about their friend, that was the first and only girl he was ever attached to and they had him kill her. No he killed her himself because he had no self control when it comes to blood lust and that was the main reason he pass out when he sees a lot of blood, yet when it came to his cravings they took over he loses himself in it. "Sojo...." he said almost a mutter his white hat covers his rainbows eyes. "Kid there is always someone that going be stronger then you no matter what. I don't push myself to get strong to protect them from others but to protect them from myself. You know I can't stand the sight of blood yet I crave it. Thanks to those bastards, I am a mix between light and dark, I been that way since I was born. Those scientist.... they are the real monster and I will get them back for what they did to us. As for you Sojo, like I said take one step at a time. I know, both magic takes a lot out of the users and I can't lose my kid brother." he siad to him and at the end putting him in a head lock made a fist and pushed it against his blonde hair and rubbed it giving him a nuggy.

Vivi looked at the two and closed her eyes she thought on what the kid said and then looked at him Sojo. "I don't see why you would waste your time. You shouldn't be with someone that needs protecting not with your past. People like use are meant to be alone, having a relationship would only put the ones that we claimed to care about in more danger and we can't fight with a clear head because we are to worried about them. Besides, selfless sacrifice is pointless and stupid either way the one your trying to protect will get hurt and have to live with the guilt of the reason they lost you is because they were weak and pathetic to even protect themselves. You should want to be stronger for you, and no one else and I didn't take him in by the way he was the one that wouldn't stop following me he was the lost puppy." she said to him

Koza looked at her he hated the fact that she thought that way but it did have some truths with the words that she said. "Vivi, stop it already. It is not bad to have someone you want to protect and I am happy that he found someone. No one should be alone." he said and then looked at Sojo. "You have grown up a lot you know that from the looks of it she helped you out a lot this River character." he siad to him