South

The southern part of the city has a chic family-oriented sort of charm to it. Here, small locally owned shops run rampant, neighbors often know each other by name, and the monthly socials are an event not to be missed. In the South, children can often be seen safely playing in the park or on sidewalks and in the weekends, families often take to the beach to enjoy the warm waters surrounding the city.

What You'll Find Here

Ascension Center of Equitation
Hyde Park
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
The Outskirts
The University of Sacrosanct

Ascension Center of Equitation

The Ascension Center of Equitation is the epicenter of the Dark Hunter Cavalry Unit. Originally a high-class facility for show-jumping, Ascension now caters entirely to the Cavalry Unit. Here the Dark Hunters learn how to ride and fight upon the backs of horses - many of which are Were's themselves.
Home of: The Cavalry

Hyde Park

Hyde Place takes up a large part of the Southern side of the city and includes a large playground, several fountains, and a small garden. The park is open from five in the morning till midnight though many shady characters may visit this place while it's technically "closed". The park has also been a venue for several concerts and hosts many holiday-related events. Under a full moon, witches are often seen here for the sacred ground beneath the iconic Weeping Beech.

Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium

The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (PDZA) is an award-winning combined zoo and aquarium located within the Southern Part of Sacrosanct. Situated on 92 acres in Sacrosanct's Hyde Park, the zoo and aquarium are home to over 9,000 specimens representing 367 animal species. Point Defiance is also widely known for its conversation efforts regarding the breed and release program of Red Wolves.

The Outskirts

Beyond the city limits and over the bridge lies the deep, dark, and almost impenetrable forest. Often seen as a way to guard this magical city against the world that surrounds it, many are entirely ignorant of the evil that may creep between those tree trunks. Many were-creatures use the forest for the transformations of their newest members and some even take to hunting here. It isn't particularly peculiar for people to go missing within this forest but once you get through, the rest of the world awaits.

The University of Sacrosanct

The University of Sacrosanct offers some of the top programs in the nation with its outstanding campus and specialized faculty. The University places a high focus both upon educating future generations but also on research to help revolutionize the world. The University welcomes the talent of students across the world to enroll and unlock their unlimited potential. With applications from across the nation, classes fill up quickly.

PhD in Plant Biology Abigail Hughes

bite me


Posted on April 18, 2020 by Erik Tolgan
South


He knew he couldn't begin to understand everything Sorcha went through in her fight with her magic and with the coven who aimed to control it. He didn't know the struggles of mortality or how it could wear supernaturals down who didn't have the luxury of never aging or dying by normal means. He wasn't a vampire who aimed to build the vampire race. He'd heard of others who thought themselves born Makers who liked to bite and leave their prey, making vampires as easily as one would tear out a sheet of paper. He didn't even want to turn Maria when she asked, but the thought of losing her was unbearable. He'd made the mistake of getting attached and she used that against him, cutting her own wrists to show him that if he didn't want to lose her, he had no other choice. It was wrong but it was just like her and he still loved her for it.

Losing her the way he had was the hardest thing Erik had ever had to face. Sorcha said that her affinity was earth and asked if that meant she would taste like dirt. He couldn't help but chuckle at that, running a hand through his hair again as he shook his head. "I very much doubt that. It would probably mean that you'd taste....earthy, natural. Not tainted by the ilk of necromancy or the burnt taste of a pyro." It was hard to explain and he wasn't sure how far she wanted to go down this rabbit hole. He could of course tell her exactly how the necromancers he'd drank from tasted like dead blood, rotten and foul on his tongue. He could tell her how a witch whose affinity was water tasted refreshing and cool, like it was rejuvenating his body. A witch who controlled fire could taste like burnt toast (or what he assumed burnt toast would taste like) if she overused her powers but one who had only scratched the surface merely warmed his throat going down and soothed him like a comforting hug.

When he caught her grin, she actually grinned harder, even giggling and his brow just lifted higher in response. Whatever she was thinking, it had to be pretty damn entertaining, but it looked like she wasn't letting him in anytime soon to know what it was. She merely shrugged and he took that as his confirmation. She wasn't talking. He only smirked in reply, leaving her to her thoughts. When he told her that he didn't speak much to women, she teased him, saying he could have had her fooled, calling him a smooth talker and he shook his head. "I have just learned how to read body language and adapt my words accordingly so they'll be received in the best light. It's a matter of many years of observation more than time actually spent talking. Believe it or not, I'm not a people person." She would probably laugh if she knew he spent the first 200 years of his life in the wilderness avoiding all civilization on purpose.

The rest of it, he started to learn how to blend in, how to slump his shoulders and put his hands in his pockets, duck his head, anything to make him just another face in a crowd, not someone who would stand out or call attention. He only spoke when necessary, never going out of his way to start a conversation. He was more of a watcher and a listener. Just like how he could watch her for hours and never tire of it. Her expressions, the way her body reacted to him at times; it made him feel more alive than he'd felt in a long time. He could feel it when her breath hitched or when her heart kicked up a notch. He could see the veins in her slender neck jump and the blink of her eyes as if surprised by the brazenness of her own body.

As they moved out of the diner, he followed her lead, smirking when she said her cat would definitely remember Adele. He was sure his house keeper would be thrilled to know he ran into Sorcha. She'd been asking about her ever since she left, though less and less as the time went on. He was sure she could see how pensive it made him when she did ask, because he would start wondering all over again what she was up to and whether she was okay. He nodded. "She still looks for him in the hallway as if thinking he'll trip her up again." He chuckled at the memory. He was snoozing in the sunlight that filtered through the window right there and Adele came through carrying a laundry basket. She didn't see the cat and accidentally tripped over him, sending everything flying and he yowled and ran. She spent the rest of the week buttering up that cat with food and treats, trying to buy his forgiveness.

He could still see the sad look in her eyes when she would go to step around that corner and pause as if to make sure he wasn't there. Sorcha suddenly asked what he'd been up to and again teased him about going to fast food places for the smell. He laughed and shrugged. "Not a whole lot of anything. I hang out in the park a lot. Walk the city, watch people. Go home, sleep, repeat." It probably sounded like the most boring life ever. He left out the parts where he looked for Dark Hunters in particular and interrogated any new faces he saw, still looking for clues to Maria's killer. He wouldn't rest completely until she was avenged. Even while they walked, Erik was always a predator at heart so he kept well aware of their surroundings and any dark areas they walked past, knowing well that other predators of all species wandered the nighttime.

He was in his prime and could hear a nervous heartbeat a mile away or the sounds of harsh breathing when someone was getting themselves prepared to do something big. The click of a gun or running footsteps would be easy enough to pick up on before they would even begin to become a threat. Luckily they made it to the apartment without a mishap and he felt himself relaxing a little as they stepped into the safety of the building and went up the stairs to the second floor. He waited patiently as she opened the door and called out to the cat, his expression softening as the spotted cat came into view. "Hey buddy." He said in a low voice, standing perfectly still to let the cat sniff him before Darwin started to wrap around his legs just like he used to do every time he came back home. Erik smiled at the memory, reaching down to run his fingers down the cat's back like he knew he liked.

He watched the cat then go back to Sorcha and she picked him up and buried her face in his fur. Erik's smile only grew. At her comment, he smirked a little. "I guess not." His eyes twinkled as he watched her cheeks grow pink again. He would never get tired of seeing that. Then she gestured to the rest of the apartment and he had to force his gaze away from her face to look around. He nodded. "It's homey. I can tell you put some personal touches into it and the light colors make it look bigger. Maybe you've got a calling as an interior decorator." He said with a playful smirk before his face sobered. "You've done good for yourself, Sorcha. I knew you could, but I'm glad to see you living the dream you wanted for yourself." His eyes shone with sincerity as he said it.


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