Oct 24, 2013.hack//Sign: The story so far (with images) There is a version of this post that is text only. Then the story cuts to Venice (Mac Anu) where Subaru, leader of the Crimson Knights, is talking to the head knight Tsukasa ran from earlier about some big shots in the game (Orca and Balmung) who are looking into some concerning activity which. Mac Anu is an iconic city of canals, gondolas and tranquil atmosphere. Beautiful fountains and Gothic architecture defines it. The sounds and the scenery will bring you peace. Jun 24, 2019  I made this map, all the models and restored all the textures, based off the city of Mac Anu from the.dot//hack infection series. I did edit gravity textures. No real thanks to give out maybe besides browedit and its development team and gravity for textures. I use alot of client features, I did.

C.M.D: Well, would you look at that, I finally got around to updating this thing! Jeez, and here I was hoping to have an update every month, and the last time I posted something for this fic was... umm... five months ago -_-; Right, definitely need to work on that. Anyways, as per usual... THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING: Kyuubi, ben4kevin, JessieKage, Raina Death, kitsunova, o and Axl01! Sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out, but I'm glad to know you were all enjoying the story thus far. I hope you'll like this update just as much as the others~

Mac Anu

Warm, afternoon sunlight descended on the bustling town of Mac Anu, bathing it in a veil of muted orange and coppers. Down by the pier, the city thrived; merchants and fishmongers filling every space of the lichen-covered cobblestone pathways. The din they created was almost unbearable, but between the sashaying of the waves and the harking call of mothers attempting to collect their children, it was a sound that comforted and soothed many a soul.

It was a sound like home.

Following the dingy paths from the riverside marketplace, several roads snaked up towards the higher hills that made up the city. White limestone walls sparkled in the dying light; majestic and strong with their wide-set columns, open archways and piercing towers. Bathed in the calm orange of a setting sun, Mac Anu was a picture of serenity and prosperity. The library especially was a crown jewel of the city.

Located near the pinnacle of the riverside metropolis, beyond two stone wall gates and across a bridge where water flowed below, coming from a stream that poured out into the sea. Stained glass window panes near the top of the building reflected the sunlight, making it shimmer brilliantly, as if living flame was trapped within. But that was only the outside... past the double, gold-clad oak doors was something even more magnificent: row upon row of leather-bound books and aging tomes on ivory shelves, that continued for miles and further below the main level of the building.

It unfortunately was not a sight many were privy to.

Hunched on the limestone steps sat a cloaked stranger. The hood was pulled low over his eyes; dirty hands clenching the tattered flaps close to his form. Richly dressed people passed him up and down the stairs, heads turned sharply forward as they ignored the filthy traveler, giving him wide berth as they went. With distant eyes, Silabus watched the other humans move by him, catching the scowls and disgusted half-glances they spared him. He understood that he was a blight on their 'perfect world'; an unsightly smear of mud and filth upon the city's most illustrious landmark.

He had not meant to be...

The clanking of armour drew the brunet's attention. Slowly, he looked over a shoulder, watching the sentry approach. The red-clad knight placed a gloved hand upon the pommel of his sword; eyes glittering almost unseen behind the visor of his helm, and a scowl fixed onto his visible lower jaw. 'You're blocking the path,' the sentry said lowly.

He wasn't really, Silabus knew. The staircase leading up to the library was wide enough to accommodate a throng of several hundred people.

'Move.'

He couldn't just leave though. He had to get inside that building; needed to speak to either the Records Master or else browse the tomes himself for answers to the questions he bore.

'I said, 'move' scum!'

Silabus groaned lowly as he was kicked forward, the skin of his palms cutting and bleeding as he thrust them forward to stop his sudden descent. Lifting his head, the young man was dismayed to find multiple sets of eyes on him suddenly. Nearby, people had stopped walking, hands to their faces as they whispered back and forth to each other; cold gazes fixed on the brunet.

'Get up,' the sentry growled. 'On her Majesty's order, you will leave these steps vagabond, or be dutifully escorted away. There are no scraps for you to pick here.' The knight was as true as he was vicious. He would sooner manhandle Silabus away from the library then let him rest in peace.

Seeing no other alternative, Silabus shakily got to his feet, hobbling down the steps and away from the library. Once he was past the throng of nasty glares and curled upper lips, the young man took refuge in the shade between the two gates, huddling into a corner as he inspected his wounded hands. They were shallow cuts, he knew, but they bled black through the dirt and grime covering his skin. They would get infected if he did not clean them soon. With a silent sigh, Silabus wiped his hands on a corner of his cloak, until the bleeding stopped.

'Sorry. Sorry, pardon me! Oh, my sincerest apologies!'

Amber eyes lifted to see what all the commotion was about and was startled when he saw a squat mole stumble under the first stone gate's archway. It was a bonified Beast! Since coming to Mac Anu, Silabus had not yet seen hide nor hair of their kin, and seeing one now almost amazed him with its presence. The mole tripped over his long robe as he tried to evade smacking into yet another pedestrian, crashing to the floor. The books and scrolls he held scattered across the ground, his tiny spectacles bouncing off the bridge of his nose.

'Oof...,' the Beast whimpered softly.

The humans around him sneered at his misfortune, quickly moving on. Not a single one bothered to help the little mole. Unable to resist seeing another hurt, Silabus moved forward, until he stood just before the blind creature. 'Let me help you...,' the brunet mumbled, bending down and assisting the mole onto his feet.

'W-why thank y-you,' the Beast stuttered. Silabus collected his cracked frames from the floor, dusting them off a little before handing them back to the other. The mole took them gratefully, setting them firmly at the base of his nose. 'O-oh my!,' he gasped, squinting behind his glasses. 'Oh, sir, I did not mean to trouble you so! Please, forgive me for dirtying your hands and-'

'You have no need to apologize,' Silabus quickly cut in. Why was this noble creature being so contrite for? He had done nothing wrong. 'I have been this way since leaving my home... though, there are some new additions...' He held out his palms, fingers spread to show the ragged skin.

'Oh my...,' the mole gasped again. He carefully touched the young man's hands, fingers prodding just around the torn areas. 'The sentries... sometimes, they are more aggressive than they need be. Come, let me clean those for you. I would not wish for you to get them infected.'

Silabus quickly withdrew his hands again. 'No, no... it is alright. I don't need-'

'Nonsense!,' the Beast cut in, silencing anymore of the other's protests. 'You have been considerate, worrying for my well-being; let me return the kindness.'

Hack Sign Mac Anushka Shetty

'...I suppose...,' Silabus mumbled back. He watched as the mole bent to retrieve his fallen items, reaching forward as well to help. The Beast cried out in alarm though when he did, stuttering apologies as he quickly snatched the scrolls out of the human's reach.

'I-i'm so sorry, sir, b-but I can not allow th-these sc-scrolls to be dirtied,' he explained anxiously. 'N-not to say that y-you are dirty, b-but w-with y-your hands...'

'Don't worry about it,' the brunet replied. He smiled wearily. 'I understand quite well.'

The mole straightened up, shuffling on his paws nervously. 'Right, well, follow me,' he finally said, turning to the stone wall. Silabus furrowed his brow, confused. There was only a wall before them; how was he supposed to- The young man's thoughts were derailed as he watched in amazement as the Beast reached forward, pressing something unseen on the limestone, causing a section of the wall to retract; revealing an opening large enough for a being of his size to enter. 'Come along,' he smiled back at Silabus. 'Mind your head.'

Silabus looked a moment or two longer at the hidden entrance, before he followed after the Beast; ducking to be able to fit into the smaller doorway. There came the cranking of gears as the wall behind them started to slide back in place; covering the door once more. 'Just keep close to me now,' the other said. 'The lights get dimmer the further we go in, but they'll brighten up once we reach the main room. My name is Bartholomew by the way.'

'Silabus,' the young man replied. He kept a firm eye on the mole in front of him, before darkness swept in and robbed him of his sight.

They had walked for what felt like hours through the darkness, twisting and turning down invisible tunnels, heading deeper and deeper with every step. His muscles were just beginning to cramp up from being stooped so long, when a soft, white glow up ahead announced their exit. 'Here we are,' Bartholomew smiled, and surely they were. The mole skittered off ahead to set down his scrolls and books before going to search for medical supplies, allowing Silabus a chance to study his new surroundings.

The room most have been giant. Stone columns were dispersed intermittently throughout the room, reaching up to the ceiling -or, well, what the young man thought to be the ceiling. There was only a veil of darkness up above him and making up all the corners of the room. It was like he was living in another realm, just within this tiny bubble of light, from the few oil lamps sitting on the couple of long, wooden tables set on either side of him. If he strayed from the this circle... would he find some dark creature waiting for him in the shadows? Silabus wandered a little to the edge of the light, peering into the black.

'I've got it!'

The cheerful voice actually startled the brunet for a second. Hand held to his chest, Silabus slowly turned around, looking at Bartholomew. The Beast seemed suddenly taken a back that he had frightened the other -he quickly bowed his head, mumbling apologies. 'L-let me see your h-hands,' he said, gesturing for the human to come forward.

Silabus did so, holding his hands out for the mole patiently. He waited until the other had wiped the dirt from his wounds, before voicing the questions buzzing around in his mind. 'Where are we? How far did we travel?'

'Hmmm, oh, not far,' Bartholomew answered, pulling clean linen from his small, wooden box of supplies. 'We are in the library's catacombs, just under the Hall of Records and right above the Archives. This is where I and the other advocates work, repairing the tomes or otherwise cataloging the materials. Mac Anu has a vast collection, but it takes a lot of work to maintain it all.'

Silabus couldn't believe his luck. 'Bartholomew...,' he whispered, leaning in closer. The mole finished knotting the last of his bandage, looking up at the brunet. '...Do you know anything of the one named Skeith?'

The Beast's pale visage lighted to green, little nose shivering and tiny eyes widened behind his spectacles. 'H-how do you know that name?,' Bartholomew questioned, quickly stepping away from the human. 'Y-you shouldn't know that name. I-it's not possible, I mean-'

'So you know it! Please, Bartholomew, you must show me which book talks about him,' Silabus begged. 'I need to know what this thing is. It's the only way I can finally be at peace.'

'N-no,' the mole choked, shaking his head quickly, 'No,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no.'

'Please!,' the young man pleaded again. He rushed forward, grabbing Bartholomew by the shoulders. 'Please, you must help me! At the very least, direct me in the right direction; I can search for the book myself.'

'I c-can't!'

'Bartholomew!'

'N-no, y-you don't understand, I-i-i really c-can't,' Bartholomew protested. He lifted teary eyes to Silabus. 'There is no book, that is why. The being that you speak of... he is not written in any text, tome or scroll. There is no documentation of him because he simply does not exist within Human mythology. He is one of the Ancients... the Gods that used to rule this world.'

'That... that can't be,' Silabus mumbled to himself. He released the mole, shuffling backwards, collapsing onto the nearest table stunned. 'H-how... how can I be chasing something that doesn't exist?'

Bartholomew played with his fingers timidly, looking about himself anxiously, before he rushed to the young man's side, gripping his hands. 'Listen,' the Beast hissed in a low whisper, 'I will tell you as much as I can, but then you must leave. The Gods... they come when they hear their names called. You Humans have multiplied and taken over the world that is rightfully theirs; eradicating their temples and statues from every plain that you touch. These Gods are cruel beings to begin with, and even moreso, their hatred has been stirred by this blatant dishonour. But Skeith... he is probably the worst.'

'Even the other Gods fear him...,' Bartholomew hurriedly explained. 'A terror, he stalks the world, lustful for his next kill. Many call him a God of Death because of his battle-lust. Everywhere he treads, a path of fire and ash is left behind; a trail of dead and lost souls mounted high like mountains. When compared to him, the other Gods are saints.'

This... this was too much! 'And... and what if one has been marked by him?,' Silabus asked, licking his lips nervously.

The look of pity he was given was enough to tear the young man's last hopes to shred. 'Then may it be swift and painless,' Bartholomew answered softly. 'Those who are marked by Skeith... are hardly seen of ever again.'

Silabus jumped to his feet, walking away from the mole. Anxiously, he paced back and forth along the edge of the circle; suddenly afraid to tread back into those shadows. This couldn't be true! How was any of this fair? The brunet's mind denied the things that he was just told, reasoning that there had to be more. 'Please...,' he started, turning again to the Beast, 'There has to be more! Something that you are not telling me!'

Bartholomew shook his head sadly, paws at his side. 'I'm afraid there is nothing more that I can tell you. We have tried to remain diligent to the Gods, but Humans have made it hard. Their tales, passed by word of mouth, have been segmented since the loss of our tribes. What I share with you now, is all that I know,' the mole explained. 'And others... they will not be as sympathetic to share with you what they know of the legends. The Gods are always here, but they are neither benevolent nor merciful, and some are too afraid to even draw their attention.'

'You...,' Bartholomew continued, darkening Silabus' thoughts with his final words. 'Are on your own, my friend.'

'I see...,' the brunet mumbled. He held in the sob that wanted to rise, pulling his cloak tighter and turning to the shadows. 'Show me the way back out please. I must get going again.'

The mole was silent behind him for a moment, before he shuffled forwards, pausing just by Silabus' side. 'Follow me,' he instructed regretfully, leading the way into the darkness again, and up through the tunnels to the library's sub-entrance.

When they emerged above ground again, it was night. The moon sat full and heavy upon the sky, like the swollen belly of a woman about to give birth. Its largeness swallowed at least a quarter of the sky, bathing the entire world in silver. Under the pale light, and with its bustling streets void of any life, Mac Anu looked for all intent and purposes like a ghost town. Still burdened by the horrible revelation shared with him, Silabus half expected ghouls to seep from the walls and fly at him.

'I'm sorry...,' came Bartholomew's pained apology. The brunet had almost forgotten about the Beast's presence. Silabus turned his head, glancing at the other. 'I really am,' the mole continued, brow furrowed in distress. 'If there was anything more that I could tell you... I would, please know that. You are a good man and I weep for your fate.'

Silabus said nothing, turning his head back to the sky and its glittering spread.

'But if you are insistent on seeking out the truth,' the Beast was saying still. 'Then head North-East, to the old remains of the great, nameless Cathedral. In its bowels you will find the answers you wish for.'

Hack Sign Mac Anubis

Amber eyes widened at the directions, the brunet whirling about to face the mole. But Bartholomew had already disappeared, the wall closing across the secret entrance once more and separating him from the Beast. Heart pounding with the slightest bit of terror, Silabus turned his feet to the North.

Hack Sign Mac Anuradha Paudwal

He knew he had felt the tugging in his soul to head in that direction before... and now, the reason seemed as clear as day.

He was beckoning to the call of a God.

Hack Sign Mac Anuradha

C.M.D: The thing I hate the most is when I've got the first half of the chapter written out... and then it takes me like forever to get the second part cranked out. Especially when the ideas are swimming right there in my head! Just... putting idea to paper... it's so difficult a task sometimes. *pout* Well, in either case, I promise a swifter update than last time, and maybe -just maybe- Skeith will finally make his appearance~
Be kind; give me your mind. REVIEW, please?