@DragonSong
"Cheers, Darlin," the barmaid said as she passed him the ale.
Noah Oakley picked it up quickly and carefully from the table, giving a quiet thanks just shortly before his lips found the brim. The woman's eyes lingered on him for a moment longer, smiling briefly, before turning back to wait on other of the bar's patrons.
She probably thought what everybody thought: shy, weak, nervous man. Well he couldn't help that! Look at where he was, for gods' sake! He ordered the ale to calm his nerves, not because his nerves were already calm!
He let out a nervous breath, and then took another sip. He was laser-focused on his beverage, hoping that it would prevent anybody but the help from trying to talk to him.
He hired a thief. Or, was hiring a thief. He had never hired a thief before, or really associated with one without knowing about them prior. He had been robbed several times, though, if that counted for anything. It probably didn't.
He had managed to muster up the courage to ask around town for
"the best thief in the business," which in turn garnered a few laughs, but a few helpful directions as well. After much investigation, "Jynx" was the name he heard mentioned the most.
He really knew nothing about this man, or how he gained such a big reputation as a thief in the land of thieves, but he hoped, he prayed, he could help him. He was going to get his money back and leave this forsaken place once and for all.
It was almost painfully easy to pick her potential employer from the crowd in the tavern. Quite apart from his obvious discomfort and unfamiliarity with the place, he was one of the few people who didn’t glance up when she entered the room and, upon seeing the distinctive scar across her face, immediately look away again.
She smirked. Good. She had a reputation, after all.
Which this man clearly didn’t know. Hm. This might be fun.
Tossing her mass of curls back over one shoulder, the thief strode confidently across the room and propped her hip up against his table, one hand on her waist and the other splayed out over the wood.
“Hey there, stranger,” she chirped, tilting her head and smiling at him crookedly. “You sure you aren’t lost, sweetling? You don’t look fit for this part of town, if you don’t mind my saying. What brings you here?”
He nearly choked on his drink when the woman appeared, but managed to compose himself after only a few seconds of coughing. He held a hand up as to signal her to wait a second, slurred something along the lines of 'wrong pipe' and cleared his throat.
When he finally put eyes on her, he immediately shot his head back down. Then he looked again.
Beautiful girl. Beautiful, gorgeous red hair. Cute freckles. Curves. This was a trap. It had to be. No way in hell this woman would pick him out of this crowd to speak with without some sort of catch. She probably intended on seducing him, and then shaking him down!
No ma'am. Not today.
"I'm uh.. I'm waiting on somebody," he said quietly, looking away from her to showcase disinterest.
He left it at that.
Oh gods, men were almost too easy.
With a little smirk and another flip of her hair, she leaned in and tilted her head so she could peek at him through her lashes--a position which had the added benefit of highlighting her cleavage. She'd seen where he was looking, and she wasn't so proud that she wouldn't use it to her advantage.
Could maybe squeeze a few more coins out of him for this job if he was a little sweet on her.
"Waiting for...who?" she asked, allowing her voice to go sweet and soft as she watched him.
Good gods she had amazing breasts. They were right there.
And her voice was so sweet. Surely she could just be...?
No. Get it together, Noah.
He was too easy. He allowed himself to be looped into the charms of a beautiful woman way too easy. He needed to remember why he was there, and how he got himself in this situation the first place.
He took another sip of his ale, trying not to stare at them. That proved difficult, so he finally returned her gaze. "Just.. someone," was his uncertain reply. "Someone I've hired. A man named Jynx. Have you heard of him?"
She almost choked.
Okay, that was funny.
"Heard of Jynx?" She widened her eyes and leaned back again. "Well of course I have. Most everyone in the lower city has, where you been? Best at the job, word is. What d'ya need a thief like that for?"
Two tables over, she saw a sellsword she'd worked with in the past snort into his drink. She narrowed her eyes at him and, when he looked up and caught her gaze, he went white. She smirked.
Oh, so she had heard of him. Well, that made him feel a little better. He was starting to wonder if the rumors were true, and if he had hired the right guy. Her reaction seemed to tell him everything he needed to know.
Still, what was her angle? Why was she so curious? He had all but convinced himself that was still all apart of the act to take advantage of him.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," he said, trying to be as polite as he could be. "That's really between me and Mr. Jynx."
She groaned and let her head lull back, chuckling quietly.
"Alright," she sighed, raising her hands as though in defeat. "I was gonna keep it on a bit longer, but then you called me ma'am. That's just...blimey, toff, how've you survived this long in Zantaric?" She kicked the second chair out away from the table and spun in around before dropping into it. Arms folded over the back, she cocked her head and smirked, eyes glinting.
"Name's Jynx." One eyebrow quirked up. "So I take it you're Noah Oakley."
He choked on his drink again.
Was she fucking with him now? Was he that vulnerable-looking that she thought she just could outright fuck with him? Did a giant sign labeled 'Rob Me' hang from his neck? No, that couldn't be it. She wouldn't know his name if she wasn't who she said she was.
After he composed himself, he looked at her a little warily. "..You're.. Jynx," he said, though it was more of a question. "I thought.. I'm sorry. I was under the impression that you were a man."
Now he felt sexist. Great.
"That's 'cause you're a man, sweetling." She smiled and propped her chin in her hand. "And a toff too, by the looks of you. Down on your luck sort of toff. Which, I assume, is why you're stooping to hire a professional thief?"
Eyes dancing, she quirked her lips up a little higher on one side and said blithely, "Well, lucky for you, you have picked the best. So. Shall we talk business?"
A toff? What exactly is a toff?
He shook the thought from his mind. It didn't really matter. Probably an insult, or some local term for outsiders like himself. "Right," he breathed. "Please. Sit down."
He nearly rolled his eyes at himself immediately, considering the woman was already seated. He took another nervous sip of his ale and leaned in a little closer, as if he were going to deliver her the most top-secret objective that ever existed in this hellhole of a rock.
"Someone stole all of my money," he began to explain. "I want to hire you to get it back for me."
And so he explained the entire situation to her, embarrassing as it may have been. He started with inheriting his family's vast fortune, and then he told her about meeting Luna back in La'marri, falling in love with her - lingering on his love for her a little longer than he probably should have, moving to Zantaric to live with her and her family, and being robbed and left stranded in a foreign land.
He also informed her that he had no idea where they might be, but he did know that they were somewhere here. The best he could do was offer her a description, a very-detailed description, of Luna. From her dark hair to her fair skin, every curve, her smile, her eyes, quirks and mannerisms.
"I don't have much money right now," he admitted. "But if you get me back what is mine, I'll happily split it with you. I have a lot of money. Had, I s'pose."
When he was finished, he took another sip of the ale, leaving an empty glass on the table.
Yup. Down-on-your-luck toff.
And a fair stupid one, apparently.
Jynx had to resist rolling her eyes no less then seven times through the course of his story; honestly she felt like she deserved some sort of medal or something for the fact that she'd managed it.
She listened to the story, then his proposal, then she was silent. For almost a full minute, she was silent, just staring at him.
When she did speak, it was just to comment, "You should probably leave of the drink there, love. No offense, but you don't seem like the type who can really hold his liquor." Her fingers drummed against the table briefly as she glanced around the room.
If she said yes here, she could count half a dozen other thieves and cutpurses who'd be more than willing to make the job a hassle.
Fixing a winning smile on her face, she reached over to brush her fingers lightly against the back of his wrist. "Well that quite a tale, m'lad. Don't suppose you'd want to give me more of the particulars while I think over my answer somewhere a...little more private?"
Hoping, probably in vain, that he'd be able to pick up on the cue, she flicked her eyes toward a few of the surrounding tables and their less than savory occupants meaningfully.
The hairs on his neck stood up at her touch, and he almost felt his heart flutter loosely in his chest.
Is she... coming onto me?
No. She's probably still playing at an angle.
Of course, this wasn't the best spot to conduct business, given the information he had just told her. They probably should have picked a private spot to begin with, but he felt a little more comfortable meeting someone new, like her, in a public setting for the first time. Even if it was a dive bar in Zantaric.
He nodded in agreement. "Yes," he said breathlessly. "Yes, let's do that."
Once more Jynx had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. Not his fault. He's just some lost dandy in way over his head, keep that in mind, she counseled herself.
"Right then." She beamed another smile at him and got to her feet. "I know a few places. Follow me?"
She said it like a question, but something in her eyes brooked no argument.
He nodded again and was on his feet.
He would be more than happy to follow her to a more private setting. He didn't much like crowded areas in Zantaric anyway. There was usually a scuffle, or some sort of inconvenience thrown his way. Plus, he was ready to get started, and he was silently admiring her.
There was something so dangerous, something so sexy, about working with some beautiful thief with curves that could knock down a building. Maybe, if everything went well, he-
Oh, get out of your own head you stupid pervert.
"Please lead the way."
Jynx smiled again and, without further ado, linked her arm through his to lead him out of the tavern and back onto the street.
It was raining--drizzling, really--and she chuckled dryly to herself. "Lovely night," she commented as she led Noah along down the street, around a corner, ducked through an alley, then abruptly changed direction and made her way down a completely different street.
It never hurt to be too careful. She had no idea if anyone in that tavern would have the stones to actually try and follow her, but better to be safe than sorry.
"So, this Luna." She glanced at him sidelong as they walked. "You happen to get a good look at any of her "family"?"
Where exactly were they going? It seemed as if this strange woman, this Jynx, was walking him around in circles. Maybe she was trying to tire him out for some reason? Many she didn't intend to help him at all? Well, he didn't get tired that easily.
And that was most certainly not what she was doing. He sighed internally, and kicked himself internally too. Get. Out. Of. Your. Head.
"Oh, y-yes," he replied. "I suppose that would be helpful."
He thought carefully, letting the sound of their footsteps occupy the momentary silence. "Her father was sort of a boarish-looking man. Tall, fat, missing a few teeth, with a dark mop of hair. His brothers look much the same, one bigger, one smaller, they all seem to be missing teeth. One of the brothers has a scar across his face, much like yours, but by no means as attractive. And, uh.. I don't even know if she has a mother." He shrugged. "I really don't even know if these people were her real family. Mostly gruff older men and a couple my age, equally as gruff as the older ones but without the extra weight."
When he mentioned the scar she stiffened, just a bit, just for a moment. Then the moment passed and she continued on as though it hadn't happened. She listened to him, nodding along with a contemplative look on her face.
"Probably weren't related," she said when he'd finished. "It's a pretty old scam: find the prettiest girl you can off the streets, train her to be everything a man wants, set her up with a gullible dandy, wait until his guard's down, then strike." She shrugged. "High risk, high reward. Ah, here we are."
Here was apparently a burned out shell of a building that might once have generously been called a "shack". Jynx released his arm to duck in through a dilapidated doorway, then paused to glance at him over her shoulder. "Coming?"
He looked at her, and the.. whatever it was, with speculation. Was this her house?
If this is where she lives, then she must really need that money.
"Um, yes ma'am," he responded quietly before climbing through the aged and deteriorating doorway. Once inside, he immediately looked for a place to sit, but saw no such option at first glance. Just standing around made him anxious. Hell, he had been a nervous wreck the entire night. Dealing with thieves was shady business, but it was now necessary. Unfortunately.
"So, what now?" he asked. "What else do you uh.. need to know?"
Jynx lit a small oil lamp and hung it from the ceiling above them, casting a strangely warm glow over the abandoned interior of the shack. Mostly broken crates and bits of rotting furniture.
She didn't seem to mind. Turning to face him properly, she hooked a stool with her ankle and drew it close so she could sink onto it. "Where'd they rob you might be useful information," she replied evenly. "I mean specifically. Streets and houses nearby, if you can remember."
It was probably the first time he had properly seen her. Not inside the dimly-lit, smoky tavern and not under the shadows of the night sky. The lamp did a surprisingly good job of lighting the room well enough for him to make out her more distinctive features.
She had more freckles than he initially thought, her curves were even finer under the light, her hair was fire, and her scar - it was something else entirely.
"We were several hours outside of the village, I think. Maybe more than that. I remember the forest was thick enough for me to get lost in easily, and mountains."
Hopefully that would suffice, because that was the best he could do at that given moment.
"May I ask," he started before she had a chance to reply. "How did you get that? Your scar."
Robbery outside of town? She only knew a few gangs who operated like that, which helped narrow things down.
Then she went very still, her expression closing down while every line of her body went hard and sharp. "You may not ask," was the only answer she gave him, cool and clipped.
Silence for a moment. Then she pursed her lips and tapped her fingers idly on her thigh. "So. What's the timeframe I'm working with?"
Well, then. That was rude.
Noah let it slide. Not like he had a choice.
"Oh, um," he said, shifting his weight from one foot tot he other in nervous habit. "I really don't know. Just whatever time it takes, I s'pose, but.. the sooner the better."
"Alright then." She leaned back on the stool a bit until her shoulder fetched up against the wall. "You got a permanent address here in the city? Or should I be working out some other way to contact you when the job's done?"
She fully expected him to just fuck off while she did the dirty work. It was what made sense, and honestly even with what little she knew of him she thought such a decision would probably save his life.
He cocked a brow just slightly. "I do, but," he started, still nervously pacing around. "I don't think I'll.. No, that won't work."
There was no way he could trust some thief he had just met with all of his fortune, as if she would just graciously return it to him after she got her hands on it.
"I'll have to go with you," he decided. "When do we leave?"
Hopefully in the morning, when it wasn't dark outside.
Jynx stared at him.
"Nope," she said bluntly, shaking her head. "No, you can't come with me. No offence--okay, full offence: you're an idiot. You're just going to get yourself killed."
Which...would me she could just take the money for herself, she supposed. But she quickly dismissed the idea; it left a bad taste in her mouth.
Noah smirked and even rolled his eyes. Now he was just offended.
She did say "full offense," but still.
"I'm not as useless as I look," he replied flat. It was true, but he'd have a hard time proving that if she didn't bring him along.
She looked him up and down, slowly, then said flatly, "Really."
In a sharp, quick movement, she stood and tossed something toward him that glinted in the lamplight: a slightly worn dagger. "Alright. Prove it. Draw blood on me, and I'll let you come."
She stood back, arms spread wide and one corner of her mouth curled up in a challenge.
He caught the dagger easily enough, not that it would do him a lot of good. He barely knew how to wield a weapon, and if he had to, he would much rather use his own dagger: one that was not so dulled from consistent use.
He took a lot around at the shack. It was open enough to the outside to where he could properly use his magic. If they were in an enclosed space, the best he could do was suck the air out of the room, but since she wanted him to draw blood... Well, he could do that.
Not that he wanted to. He really didn't want do any harm to a lady.
..If you could call her that.
He tossed the dagger back at her, summoning up the powers of the lingering air to throw a gust of wind, quick and forced enough to cut like knives, and it went just to the side of her enough to grave her right arm as it passed, blowing some loose items around in the process.
Really, with his skills, it didn't make sense for him to be robbed so much, but it was the element of surprise that he always fell victim to!
Magic. Huh.
Maybe he wasn't entirely useless after all.
Jynx felt the shift in the air just before the spell had completed and she whirled sideways, barely avoiding the sharp gust of wind. "Come on!" Her eyes glinted and she actually grinned at him as she baited, tossing the dagger aside so she once more stood unarmed. "You've got to do better than that, my love. You think every gang in Zantaric doesn't have a mordecai on the payroll?"
She jerked her chin at him. "Try again. No magic."
That was against the rules! She couldn't tell him what he could and could not use!
Maybe she could. This was a test after all, and he aimed to prove himself.
"You asked for it," he said pretty unconvincingly. With the might of a small cat, he lunged at her, reaching for the small switchblade buried in his pocket.
A firm shove to his shoulder and a slight twist in her stance was all it took to send him crashing to the floor over her hip. Jynx sighed and folded her arms over her chest, just looking at him for a moment.
"Look. The magic is fine. It's good, actually, you've got quite the gift. But if you can't even scratch me without it, then you'll be dead inside two minutes on those streets, you understand?"
She really wasn't trying to insult him, she was being honest. Well--maybe she was insulting him a little, but that didn't make her meaning any less true.
"Magic is a tool, not a crutch." She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Can you stand without it?"
Ow!
He landed rather hard on his shoulder, and he did his best to hide the wincing expression on his face. Despite that, he got back on his feet quickly, determined not to embarrass himself any further and to prove himself to Jynx. "Again?"
Her eyebrows crept up fractionally, the slightest movement, but other than that her expression didn't shift from that same smirk. "Again," she confirmed, once more stepping back and letting her arms hang loosely at her sides, palms turned out.
He didn't move his hand to ignite the wind this time, and without warning it cycled around in different directions. The old stool she was sitting on hit her in the back, more debris was tossed about, and he didn't give her much time to react before he had side-stepped around, tackling her to the ground.
He sat on top of her, his knees on each side of her waist, pinning her to the ground with his hands on her arms, and blushing like the sun the entire time.
So what if he used his magic to aid him in a fight? He wasn't going to take lessons on how to be a good fighter from a thief. Thieves fought dirty, and so would he.
He actually managed to catch her off guard, which was no small feat itself. Still, Jynx wasn't about to waste energy being impressed.
She stared up at him when he pinned her, a slow smile curving at her lips. "That was against the rules," she purred, leaning up slowly onto her elbows to bring her face closer to his. "What did I just say about gangs here having mordecai?"
She paused when their noses were almost brushing, lips curled and just slightly parted--then she twisted her hips to knock him off balance, rolled them over, and slammed her knee into the fork of his legs all in one smooth motion.
Sitting back, she propped her hands on her hips and looked down at him. "Now. One last chance, and no magic. Playing dirty is one thing, and I can respect it, but if you really wanna come along you've got to prove to me that you could handle yourself if one of their mordecais shorted out your powers."
What was black and blue and hurt like all hells? Everything. At the moment.
A heavy grunt escaped his lips when she kneed him, and was soon cradling himself on the floor until the pain began to ease. When it finally subsided, he got back to his feet. Uneasily. Wearily. Shakily. Back on his feet.
"Fine," he replied bitterly, before lunging at her again.
His lunge was much faster, more calculated, and more precise this time - probably because at this point he was just pissed off and didn't mind the idea of causing her a little discomfort. He grabbed her wrist before she could counter, spun her around to where his back was to her, pushed her against the wall, and held both of her hands behind her back as he put his body weight on her to keep her pinned to the wall.
He could move quick, when he put his mind to it.
Jynx didn't put quite as much effort into resisting as she would have normally, rather intrigued to see just what he'd do if he got angry enough. "Not bad," she laughed, twisting her head to look at him over her shoulder. "But I did say you had to draw blood."
She slammed her head back, aiming for his nose, and stomped down hard on his instep at the same time, using the momentum to twist out of his hold and grab his wrists in her own hands.
The shack was small enough that it only just a quick lunge to slam him back against the far wall, wrists pinned above his head. She tilted her head at him and her smile grew. "Go on then, pretty boy. Too scared to scratch little ol' me?"
How angry to you have to be to really fight back?
Noah's face was redder than a beet, his breath a little ragged, and his eyes narrowed. He was so tired of this woman trying to test his limits, push him around, do to him what everyone else did to him. He was fucking sick of it!
He glanced down at the cleavage that was really the only thing separated his body from the rest of hers. "Not that little," he smirked, and then he smashed his skull into hers, headbutting her away from him.
"Shit!"
Jynx reeled away, surprised more than she was in pain. Genuinely surprised.
Huh.
One hand pressed to her nose, she looked him over from a few paces back--and laughed.
"Alright," she conceded, drawing her hand away to reveal crimson smeared across her palm. "Fair enough. I said you draw blood and you can come, so you can come."
Chuckling to herself, she crossed to the back corner of the shack and knelt to open the secret cache in the floor, pulling out a healer's kit she'd lifted some time back and pressing a spare cloth to her nose.
Not broken, somehow, but that was still almost impressive.
"You've got a spark hidden under all that stammering," she noted, glancing back over her shoulder at him as she finished cleaning herself up and got to her feet. She looked him up and down again, appraising, and leaned back against the wall.
Deadpan, she mused, "Y'know, if this job goes off alright, we should really have angry sex."
As if his red face couldn't get any redder, she said that.
He quickly turned away from her, giving himself some space to let his breathing calm, a small groan escaping his lips as his fingertips touched his throbbing forehead. When the rush subsided, he turned back to face her with his latest summoned courage, and cleared his throat.
"I know you're just fucking with me," he said, his lips tight. "But I would very much like that."
Who knows? She could be the one.
Jynx laughed again, and there was almost something genuine in the sound. "Who says I'm fucking with you?" she teased.
But she didn't really give him time to answer. Stowing the supplies back in the cache quickly, she crossed to the door of the shack and stuck her head out for a moment, gave a small noise of annoyance, and drew it back.
"Alright. Well, we're not getting anything else productive done tonight, and since you're coming along on the job I guess that means we should stick together until it's over," she mused, pursing her lips. With a sharp, decisive nod, she added, "Follow me," she slipped out through the back window the the dilapidated structure.
Well, he would have really liked it if he were able to go home first, get a few things for the trip, rest up, change it to a fresh set of clothes.. but it didn't appear as that was going to be an option. He was determined to go with her as she was now his best chance of leaving this cursed place behind him.
He nodded, though she was already on the move. "Uh, coming," he said quietly, climbing through the window after her.
Jynx only waited a moment or two for him to get through the window before she was off again, striding with a cool, calm purpose through the narrow alleys and back streets of Zantaric. She doubled back, made quick, sharp turns, even once brought them in a near circle around a particular building before veering off and heading southeast, and all the while kept silent.
Eventually, they reached a rather unassuming alley behind a strip of what was, on a good day, a market street. She slowed down, brushing her fingers absently along the stone wall beside her.
"You got any supplies or anything where you're staying?" she asked abruptly, not even bothering to turn her head as she just leaned in and seemed to be listening to the stone.
Noah followed diligently. Trying to keep up with her constant maze-like twists and turns was no easy task, but he did it.
"If I haven't been robbed while I've been away," he started, his voice flat. He really hated Zantaric. "Then I have food there. Weapons. Medical supplies. Clothes." He paused for a moment before looking to her. "There's even some women's clothing there.. if you want to take a look.."
Jynx snorted. "We're not going back tonight, sweetling. Just if you've got anything useful, we can swing by on our way out of town--ah. Right."
She put her shoulder into the wall and a section of the stone--previously blended seamlessly with the wall around it--slid in and sideways, just a bit, just enough to allow her to wriggle through the gap into the darkness beyond.
"C'mon, then," her voice echoed back out into the alley, and she reached one hand back to curl her fingers at him beckoningly.
"Oh, O-okay." He wasn't entirely sure he was going to fit. He as by no means a big person, but he was bigger than she was - just without the curves.
To hell with it, he thought. He might as well try. What was the worst that could happen?
He could get stuck. That is the worst that could happen. As he tried to wiggle his way through the crevice, he found himself in a position of vulnerability. He was at the half-way point, and as much as he struggled, he couldn't go any further.
"Shit," he breathed. "Can you help me?"
From the gloom up ahead, a long-suffering sigh echoed back to him. Then Jynx was there, just a flash of red hair and bright eyes in the darkness as she maneuvered to slip one arm around his waist, pressing her hip up against the hidden door as she did.
"Just slide passed," she huffed, rolling her eyes heavenward. Why do I keep taking jobs from idiots?
Because you've got a death wish.
The thief suddenly tensed. She squeezed her eyes shut and just breathed, trying not to let her surprise show too much. Wonderful. As if she'd needed anything else today.
"One. Two. Three!"
Noah shuffled through the slip with the help of the thief, and promptly landed on her in the darkness of the alley, sending them both toppling over.
His fall was not graceful, and once again, though this time by complete accident, his skull crashed into hers.
"OW!"
Well. Nothing like a good old fashioned headbutt to knock the demons out of your brain.
Groaning, Jynx wriggled underneath him in an attempt to shove him off, but found herself rather stuck. With a huff, she stilled and looked up into his face, frowning. "Look I know I made the quip about angry sex, but could we at least wait until we're not on cold, dirty stone?"
He blushed again. Really, all he seemed to do around this woman was blush. He blushed deeply, but didn't move. He was stunned by what had just happened, and just stared absently down at her as internal conflict waged war inside of his head.
"Oh, shit," he breathed once he realized what was happening, and registering what she had said. He quickly hopped off of her, careful not to squish her in the tight space, before getting to his feet and offering her hand. "I'm sorry!"
Jynx rolled her eyes and batted his hand away--not mean, just uninterested in his help. "Oh, don't apologize, you daft toff. Just mind your step from here on in."
She got to her feet and started off into the darkness again. "Come on then! Or do you need me to hold your hand?"
He shrugged lightly, a slight frown on his lips hidden by the shadows that engulfed her movement. He actually wouldn't mind if she held his hand. It was dark out, and he had no idea where he was going. That, and what good-to-do guy would turn down holding hands with a beautiful lady?
"No," he lied, following her. "I-I'm fine."
Jynx snorted quietly under her breath and continued into the dark. After a few steps they reached a set of stairs, which she tossed a quick warning about to him before heading down them.
One hand on the left wall, she paused when she felt a particular dip on the stone. She smiled. “And then there was...light.”
A quick snap of her fingers called a small flame into being, lighting the small torch and setting of a chain-reaction enchantment that lit lanterns all around the small, rather cozy room that they’d entered.
Let there be light. Thank Gods.
Noah's eyes didn't adjust as quickly as he hoped they would have while they were out parading around dark alleys and corners, so this was a welcome change. He hadn't even realized that they were in a room.
"Where are we?" he smiled curiously. "Is this your home?"
She snorted again and tossed him a look over her shoulder. "You think I'm stupid enough to take you where I live? Nah, this is just a hideaway. It'll do for the night though."
She strode out into the middle of the room, gesturing toward a cot pressed up against the back wall. "Bed, is you want it. You should probably rest up."
Without another glance at him she moved toward a smallish desk, perching on the edge of a crate that had been dragged in front of it to serve as a chair—on closer inspection the "desk" itself was also a crate, slightly taller and wider than the other.
He stood motionless for a moment as he watched her. He really didn't think her taking him to her home would have mattered. He didn't have the necessary skills, means, ambitions, or reason to do anything but sleep.
Noah tossed it from his mind and considered her suggestion. He was pretty tired. He hadn't planned on an all-nighter like this. He really thought he'd get one drink, maybe two, at the bar to discuss business with Jynx - who had previously believed to be a man - and then call it an early night. Maybe with a cup of tea. Instead, he became acquainted with more side alleys and sketchy dark paths than he was comfortable with, fought a girl, felt a girl, and headbutted a girl.
"Thanks," he said, accepting her proposal before walking over to the bed.
"Mm." Jynx shrugged the thanks off as she bent over the desk, evidently quite content to remain there while he took the bed.
It wasn't clear where she planned to sleep herself, or if she even planned to at all.
She did glance back at him a couple time, waiting for him to fall asleep. It was a delicate balance, keeping her employer close now that he was coming along on the job, but also not exactly interested in sharing all the secrets of her trade with a stranger.
Noah slept soundly and without incident. He shuffled around softy as he slept due to the dream he was having that involved Luna, Myra, Jynx, himself, a tropical oasis and a giant horse.
He's an idiot.
Jynx leaned back on her seat and sighed, rubbing at her temples. Already she could feel the headache coming on. "Yeah, maybe," she muttered. "But he's a rich idiot."
Is it worth it? The voice slid through her mind, scraping softly and making her shudder. You are wasting what little time you have left, my dear.
She scowled at the wall. "I'm not wasting anything." What else was she supposed to do? Ilieth had baited her years ago with a hint of hope, an amulet... But what good had that done her? She'd never been able to find the damn thing, and now she had less than a year left.
May as well make the year a good one, right?
"N-No.. No, not that way," he muttered quietly, now talking in his sleep. "Don't worry.. Jynxie.. I'll protect you."
Noah tossed and turned in the bed as he slept through wild and exciting dreams, completely unaware that the hired thief seemed to be talking to herself.
The thief turned slightly when Noah started muttering in his sleep, eyebrow raised.
...You sure you don't want me to just eat him?
Despite herself, Jynx had to swallow back a chuckle. "Jury's out," she huffed, getting to her feet and arching her back in a stretch.
With a last quick look at her newest employer, she snatched a dark cloak from where it hung on the far wall and moved toward the staircase that led back up to the streets. It shouldn't be a problem; she'd be back before he woke.
Probably.
Noah tossed and turned a little more, and a little more, and then a single click and he woke up suddenly. The darkness that surrounded him told him that he didn't sleep too long at all, and he could probably doze back off at any minute and it be perfectly fine.
But his throat was dry. He couldn't very well sleep with a dry throat. He grumbled a little bit, rubbing his eyes in his hands. "Can I have a glass of water?" he asked desperately, not looking around to notice that the thief had gone. "Jynx?"
While the thief had left the hideout, she had not left it unprotected. A massive, shaggy creature was curled up near the entrance to the little hidden room, just barely visible in the now dimmed light of the few lanterns.
When Noah moved the animal raised his head, turning bright, crimson eyes on the human with a low growl of irritation. At first glance he seemed most like a large, darkly furred wolf, all pointed muzzle and sloping shoulders.
Then he raised his other head and curled his lips back in a silent warning, poison green gaze locked onto their guest warily.
Noah. Didn't. Move.
Was he dreaming? Or rather, was he having a nightmare? What in all hells was the thing staring down at him? Not just him, but his soul. This thing, this stuff of nightmares, cloaked in shadows.. did it mean to do him harm?
"Jynx," he whispered harshly, pleadingly. "Jynx!"
No sign of the thief.
He was dreaming. That was it. She wouldn't have left. He must've been dreaming.
The creature--and it was a creature, not a hound, not a wolf, a creature--raised both heads a little higher and snarled at Noah, a warning sound more than it was a true precursor to violence.
Still. Two snarling, wolfish heads on a massive body that heaved itself to its paws and stood threateningly in the entrance was hardly the most comforting of images.
This wasn't a dream. He was fairly sure this wasn't a dream. Which meant that that thing he saw was very much real, and it was about as scary as it gets. He thought Zantaric was bad enough, but this?
"I'm s-sorry," he mumbled in a weak attempt to reason with the creature. "I'll see my way out."
He slipped out of the bed cautiously, took one slow step away from it, and then dove into a full-sprint into the direction of which he hoped was the exit.
Considering there was only one way in or out of the hideout, Noah's attempt to bolt put him right in the animal's path.
The massive creature lunges, knocking him into his back. He stood over him, snarling, hackles raised, teeth poised just above his throat—and then he turned and planted his massive rear on the man's chest, effectively pinning him in place.
And he seemed quite content to sit there for some time.
Oh Gods Almighty!
Noah let out a tiny shriek of fear and surprise when the creature sat down on him like a giant lap dog. What to do? He couldn't move. Not that he was too scared to move, but he was physically unable to move from the creature. That, and he was too scared to move.
It didn't seem to be doing anything else though. Maybe he should... wait it out?
Jynx, where are you?"
The two-headed dog was all too happy to sit and wait for his mistress's return--which, luckily for Noah, didn't take much longer than the next quarter of an hour.
Jynx paused at the foot of the stone stairs when she caught sight of the demonic creature sitting on her employer, and a heavy sigh rose up in her chest. "I thought you were sleeping," she noted as she stepped into the room.
The dog's tail wagged and he whined plaintively at her, suddenly transformed into an obedient pup begging for attention. The thief chuckled quietly and clicked her fingers at him. "Janus, up."
The beast sprang to attention happily, trodding rather heavily on various bits of Noah's anatomy as he trotted over to her and shoved one head into her hand, the other sniffing at her hip. Jynx gave both chins a scratch and quirked her eyebrow at the man on the floor.
"Did you really try to run passed a hellhound?"
A little groan and a grunt escaped him after the hellhound all but trampled over him to get to its master. Then, he sat upright with a breath of relief. "Jynx, thank gods," he said uneasily. "I uh.. Yes, I did. I thought you had left and that I was under attack."
He buried his hands in his face, embarrassed. "You left. What was I suppose to think?"
Jynx raised one eyebrow pointedly. "He was sitting in the doorway. On guard. He's a dog." She looked from the massive creature now sprawled happily over her feet to Noah and back. "You were supposed to think he's a guard dog?"
The hellhound--Janus--barked once from one head, then twice from the other, both tongues lolling happily.
"It's really dark in here!" he retaliated weakly. "I didn't know what it was, I wasn't sure how-"
He stopped himself from embarrassing himself any further. He shrugged it off, and stood. "Where'd you go, anyway?" he asked, attempting to change the subject.
"None of your business," Jynx replied with a smile. She knelt to give Janus a few more scritches, then snapped her fingers and murmured, "Return through the Veil."
The two-headed hellhound woofed happily and vanished without so much as a pop.
Straightening up, Jynx started striding toward the cot and said over her shoulder, "Well, if you're not going to use it, I'm going to grab some shut-eye."
"I, uh- She.. He- what"
He fumbled over his words quite drastically. What had just happened? What was that thing? Return through the veil?!
He was still struggling to compose himself and his words when the woman helped herself to the cot. "Oh, sure," he said in quiet defeat. He looked around the dark room and sighed.
Guess I'm sleeping on the floor then.
Oh gods. Not the kicked puppy face.
Damnit.
"Alright, c'mere." She scooted to the furthest side of the cot and gestured to the empty space beside her. Narrowing her eyes, she sat up a bit and added, "But no funny business, yeah? Or I will make you sleep on the floor."
As if the gates of heaven opened, his eyes went wide and he smiled brightly. "Thank you," he said more excitedly than he intended to.
He cautiously crawled into the bed beside her, laying on his back and trying to focus on anything but the fact that he was laying in bed with a curvy redhead. "I'm too scared of you to try anything, anyway," he admitted. "Plus, I'm a gentleman."
"Damn straight," Jynx muttered to herself as she rolled to put her back to him. He should be scared of her; if he was smart enough to be scared of her, he was probably smart enough to be scared of most folks in this city who would have killed him in a heartbeat.
...Didn't mean she always liked people being scared of her.
"If you snore I'm kicking you onto the floor," she warned him, before promptly shutting her eyes and settling in to grab what sleep she could.
"Right, I won't."
He really had no idea if he would or not. The only women he ever shared a bed either robbed him blind or tried to eat him, and they never once complained about snoring. He closed his eyes, hands cupped on his chest, and concentrated on his breathing in an effort to fall back asleep.
It was not the easiest task when side by side with dangerous beauty, but he managed.
He didn't snore, but there was something of a light purr escaping his lips.
Jynx slept lightly, as she always did, and her body was well-trained in waking after a certain amount of hours.
Though there was no way to tell underground, she knew it was dawn when she woke. She sat up and arched her back in a long stretch, then kicked one leg out to nudge Noah with her knee.
"Oi, you. Up."
Noah groaned bitterly and rolled over on his side. "Five more minutes," he grumbled into the mattress. He really was having such a nice dream, after all.
Then he registered where he was and who he was with. "Shit," he grumbled again, sitting up from the bed with a yawn and a stretch that followed. "Up."
"Morning." Jynx smiled at him cheerily, then promptly gave him a shove to push him off the bed and onto the floor.
Standing and stepping over him, she said with a kind of brisk energy, "We can swing by wherever you've been staying on our way out of town today, so up you get. I'll need the address and any landmarks you remember."
"Agh!"
A loud thump as his body hit the floor. A silent groan as he composed himself, getting back on his feet. "O-Okay," he said while dusting himself off. "I'll take you to my house first, and I'll fill you in from there."
He looked around quizzically. "Um," he started. "Though I'm not entirely sure where we're at. Can you bring me to the main part of town first?"
Jynx snorted quietly and rolled her eyes once again. "Yeah, I can do that," she chuckled. Silly toff. "But you'd better throw something on to cover your face." Gesturing toward one of the crate in the far corner of the room, she added, "There should be some cloaks and things in there."
...Cover his face?
He didn't think to ask, or try to argue. It was probably for the best. He agreed to her suggestion and made his way to the corner, shuffling through rags and cloaks until he found one. It was a little too big for him, a little baggier than that of his slim physique, and it smelt... well, not great. But it was the best thing he could find that covered his identity enough for him to walk around with the infamous thief.
"How do I look?" he asked, giving her a playful spin to showcase his new outfit. It failed, as he tripped over the loose wear and stumbled onto his ass.
She snorted again and just stared at him for a moment, almost charmed by his sheer inability to seemingly to anything right.
"Like an idiot," she informed him briskly, then stepped forward and held her hand down to him. "C'mon, on your feet. We can tie the cloak up so it doesn't drag around your feet so much."
He took her hand and hoisted himself back up to his feet. He lowered his face to hide the slight tint of red flushing in his cheeks. "Thanks," he said quietly, positioning himself in front of her so she could help tie the knots.
"Just hold still," Jynx huffed at him, bending slightly so she could hitch the cloak up slightly and use the sewn-in ties in a series of creative loops to hold it in place. "I swear. You used to having your mother dress you?" she muttered, falling back on snark as he mind busied itself attempting to start planning.
His huff was practically a pout, and he folded his arms over his chest as she fixed his clothing for him. "No," he replied flatly. "Though Luna did often pick out my clothes. She liked me to wear brighter colors because she said it brought out my eyes, but I'm pretty sure that was just an easy way for them to pick me out of a crowd."
Once she had finished, and he could move around without causing injury to himself, he gave her a small approving grin. "Ready?"
Jynx scoffed. "Uh, yeah, that'd do it. Tell me, if a pretty girl asked you to wear a target painted onto your back, would you?"
She straightened up and looked him over, then nodded once, apparently satisfied. "Alright. We;re going then."
Without much more than a backward glance, she started for the stairs that led back to street level, still turning a few ideas over in her head. Who this Luna might actually be, where they might make their base, how much demonic intervention this job might need, if any...
Noah hurried after her.
"Well, it depends," he replied honestly. "The woman might have a very good reason for the target to be painted on my back, wouldn't she? If she looked like you, and was nice to me, I don't see why not."
He was half-joking, half-serious. He tried to allow the cloak to keep him masked as they walked, eyeing over his shoulder every now and then to make sure they weren't being followed. He felt so.. dangerous. A real bad boy.
That's what love and betrayal will get you: Noak Oakley, Certified Bad Boy.
"Alright."
She suddenly stopped short, then whirled on him, a whipcrack movement so quick it spun her curls into a wild halo around her face for a brief moment. "See, this is where I think the root of your problem lies. Look at me."
She took a step back, arms spread wide. "What do you see?"
He almost ran her over when she stopped short, but managed to prevent himself from doing so. He cocked a brow, a little confused by the question. He also took a step back and looked her up and down.
No harm in answering.
"Perfection," he said with a slight tint of red. "But to be more specific: curves, red hair, freckles, nice skin. A beautiful woman in a not-so-nice profession. Why?"
Jynx gave a quick, deft flick of her wrists and two small knives slid easily into her palms. "Two blades in the sleeves."
She flicked the knives back into their hidden sheaths and spread her arms out and up, revealing the very slight misshapen silhouettes against her sides. "Two more against my ribs. Two on my waist and one at the small of my back, though you won't be able to see those at all."
She twisted, cocking a hip out slightly to highlight the series of pouches on her belt. "Various poisons and sleeping powders that can be spread on a blade or slipped into food or drink. Some I can even wear over a seal on my lips, if that's my only option."
One foot out, tapping her heel sharply against the floor to slide out the thin blade in the toe. She quirked an eyebrow; didn't feel like that one needed anymore explanation.
Stepping back, she allowed her arms to fall to her sides and just looked at him. "You see a pretty girl. What you should see is a woman armed quite literally to the teeth, and more than ready to cut your throat in your sleep. I am this city, Noah; I'm just a lot prettier on the outside." She tilted her head slightly to the side. "Learn to see the world around you. Every man, woman, and child from here to Serendipity would happily rob you blind and leave you in a ditch. Act like it."
Noah went to speak was literally couldn't find the words. He couldn't find the words because there were none. She stunned him into silence, his mouth slightly agape and his eyes giving away the shame he felt about himself.
After a moment, he cleared his throat, but still didn't speak. He nodded quietly, and motioned her to continue leading them back into an area that he actually recognized.
Taking the silence as an answer in and of itself, JYnx just nodded at him once, then turned to start making her way back up the stairs.
Good. Maybe he'll actually listen to me and stay alive.
She didn't even bother to look back at him, not until they'd reached the top of the steps and the hidden door in the wall--and even then it was only to order quietly, "Keep back a few steps, I'm gonna check to see if the coast is clear."
The walking disaster suddenly stopped walking at her command. "Okay," he choked out, still a little flushed from her complete breakdown and destruction of his character earlier. "Be ca-"
He stopped himself from finishing that, and instead gave her a nod and waited for her signal.
Oh great.
Now he was too scared to even talk to her.
Well. Better scared than dead. Shrugging it off, Jynx pushed the hidden door open just a crack, just enough to peer out into the tiny alley and glance around. With a quick, sharp nod, she leaned her shoulder into the stone to push it back further and slipped out into the sunlight.
Gods, fresh air was nice. Well, as "fresh" as the air ever got in Zantaric. She waved a hand for Noah to follow, clicking her fingers with a small smirk. "Heel, boy."
Noah's brows narrowed in slight irritation, but he left it at that and followed. "Ha ha. Very funny, Jynx," he said as he reached her again.
Out in the open in the shit-stained air that Zantaric was, he gave a quick look around and a confirming nod. "I know where I'm at now," he replied. "You can follow me to my place."
He didn't wait on a response before he pressed forward to the road next over.
Jynx chuckled quietly and fell into step just behind and beside him, a small smirk curving at her lips. "Lookin' for your claws there, kitten?" she teased quietly, too low for anyone passing on the street to overhear. "Why don'tcha lemme know when you find 'em."
"Meow," he said in a flat, sarcastic tone.
He tried to let his new wardrobe cloak him the best it could, occasionally trying to slip off with each gust of shit wind or turn of a shit corner. He really hated this place, and his only friend was someone he hired to be so. Of course, they weren't friends. He definitely wasn't her friend, at least. She, on the other hand, was the most conversation he's had in what felt like ages.
It only took about fifteen minutes or so to reach the small house at the edge of the village once he knew where he was at. He'd be shocked if he didn't walk into an empty house, not that he had much belongings in his current position anyway.
"Make yourself at home," he said as he swung the door opening.
Everything seemed to be present and accounted for on first glance.
Jynx snapped a hand out to keep him from stepping over the threshold, head tilted and eyes narrowed warily. "Wait," she murmured.
She could have checked the room herself--but hell, the guy already knew she was a demonlord, or should have at least guessed. May as well do this the easy way then.
Holding her hand out, she Summoned quietly, "Tiameth, come to me."
In a soft pop of inter-dimensional tension snapping and a puff of the scent of brimstone, the smallish, fox-like creature appeared in the air above her left shoulder, wings flapping quickly. Jynx nodded to the room and muttered, "Take a look, make sure we're alone."
The demon gave a quick bark of understanding and fluttering into the room, making her way around the perimeter.
Noah shouldn't be surprised by anything any longer, but he was. He stopped dead in his tracks and a chill went down his spine as the the little pocket fox was summoned from nothing. His eye brows were raised as the little demon or whatever the hell it was patrolled his house.
No one ever booby-trapped it before, he's not sure why they would now. He was too easy of a target to go through all of that trouble.
The thief watched Tiameth circle the room, squeaking at a few random objects. But the demon returned to her quickly enough, chirping an all-clear, and she allowed herself to relax slightly.
"Good girl," she praised the creature, giving her a quick scratch before whispering, "Return through the Veil."
Tiameth disappeared as easily as she came, with a flutter of wings and the scent of sulfur.
"Alright, place is safe." Jynx stood to the side and nodded inward. "Grab what you need quick-like."
Noah nodded and moved himself into the open room. His house watching much to look at. It was barely a house at all. More like an open hut than anything else, which a few modern luxuries like a wooden front door.
He took a bag from a chest in the corner of the room, and quickly started filing extra pairs of clothes into it. More clothes than would probably be necessary, but he wasn't entirely sure how long they would be out.
Then he turned to the kitchen area, a side of the room where he had his stash of food, and tossed fruit, vegetables, and any other type of road snack he thought they could benefit from.
He gave the space one more look around. If he could help it at all, he would never have to come back to this.
"I'm ready."
"Good." Jynx looked him over, that calculating glint back in her eyes. It was gone in a handful of seconds and she snapped her gaze back to meet his. "So. You remember any landmarks about where these people attacked you?"
He'd said "outside of town", but that really didn't narrow things down much.
"A little," he replied. He stepped out the door, expecting her to follow, and closed it shut once she was out. She would lead from here if he could at all help it.
"Like I said we were on the outside of town, but not knowing my way around and being swindled the way I was, I really couldn't tell you where exactly. It all happened so fast. I remember there being a rather large, hallow cave.. near the mountains that border the village. That help?"
"It's a start." Jynx set off quickly down the street, drawing her own hood up to cover her telltale hair and cast most of face in shadow, which would hide the scar from most casual passerby. "It's not likely that they're still there, but if we're lucky they'll have left some trace. When exactly did you say this happened?"
"Oh, um.. three months. No." He was nearly served for dinner three months ago. "Six or seven months ago at the very latest, I would say. They're probably long gone by now, but I wouldn't doubt it if there was something there, or someone left behind. I don't think they were necessarily trying to hide there whereabouts from me after, they just knew I wouldn't come after them."
"I'm such a fucking wuss," he muttered under his breath with a clenched fist.
"Yeah, you are. But don't worry." Jynx patted his shoulder as she walked beside him, lips quirked into a slanted smile. "Anywhere but here, I betcha that's endearing. Probably means you're a good person or something. Now c'mon."
She quickened her pace slightly, ducking through the side streets that would more quickly bring them to the edge of the city.
Noah bit his tongue in response to her agreement. She didn't have to agree with him, after all.
"That's how I was raised," he said, following her closely and keeping his head low. "I was raised to be kind, to always be a gentleman, and to help others in need if it at all in my power."
"Aw. That's sweet."
Jynx grabbed his arm and pulled him into a small alleyway, pressing him up against the wall as her eyes darted back and forth over the street they'd just vacated. A smallish group of laughing, shouting young men and woman staggered by, evidently drunk though it wasn't even noon yet.
Looking back to Noah, Jynx quirked an eyebrow and noted softly once they'd passed, "It's also what's eventually going to get you killed."
Noah let her pin him while the strangers had passed by, but as soon as they were clear he shoved slightly away from her. "Probably," was his simple response.
He wasn't one to lose his temper much, but this Jynx woman had a knack for doing so - not only once, but twice now. Perhaps more. He couldn't be sure. It had been a whirlwind of emotions since he met her. Was hiring her the right thing to do? Was it really worth the trouble? The only option he really saw was killing himself, and he was too much of a coward to do that.
She'd been moving to leave the alley, but something in his tone stopped her. She glanced back at him, one eyebrow arched upward.
"Are you mad at me?" She sounded positively delighted by the prospect, crooked smile quirking at her lips.
"No. Why would I be?"
The look on his face said otherwise, but that couldn't be helped. "Should we continue now?"
"You are!"
Jynx laughed, evidently tickled by the idea of inciting his anger. She nodded at him, grinning, and stepped back out onto the street. "Good. That's good. Hold onto that."
Noah's face burned hot. He was irritated that he was so easy to read. He really needed to work on that. He wasn't sure what would kill him first, this town or his emotions. Or both. Before she could step full back into the street, he grabbed her wrist and forced her back into the alley. "I will," he hissed, trying his best attempt at being intimidating.
In order to further prove that he meant business now, he did the unthinkable. Brows narrowed, eyes on fire, lips tight, he leaned quickly and abruptly and kissed her on the lips. How would that prove any point? He didn't know. The element of surprise he supposed, plus he just wanted to do it.
Take what you want, right? Seemed like the Zantaric standard.
"We're burning daylight," he then said before letting go of her and stepping into the streets.
Panic. Sheer, blinding panic. Jynx froze against the wall, taking a breath to calm herself before she could follow him out into the street.
Little too close to home there, Jess?
She gritted her teeth. "Shut. Up."
Another breath, then she followed him out onto the street, swinging her arm around his shoulders companionably. "Alright, I see what you're going for, and I suppose I applaud the spirit of the thing." Her grip on his shoulder tightened, nails digging into his arm. "But if you ever touch me like that again without my permission, I'll castrate you. We clear?"
He didn't mind the woman's nails biting into his skin. It wasn't his first time in the company of a woman, or the first time submitted to pain. Somehow he found those two typically went hand-in-hand together. Instead, he looked at her innocently, really feeling his confidence now. "Crystal," he replied simply but giving her a slight frown. "Are you mad at me?"
Take that, Jynx.
"Oh, sweetling. I'm not mad at you."
That was even true. Mostly.
She pulled her arm from around him and quickened her pace slightly. "I want you to stop seeing me as a woman because that seems to be your main problem, but I'm not mad at you."
"I don't just see you as a woman," he said honestly and defensively. "I see you as a thief. I see you as a warrior. I see you as a criminal-for-hire. I see you as everything that is wrong with this gods-forsaken place, and I see you as a symbol for everything I'm against."
He looked away while keeping up his pace. "Yet for some reason I also see you as a friend," he muttered. "I don't have anyone else right now. You're it. I'm sorry I kissed you."
She considered that for a few moments before giving her answer.
When she finally did speak, it was only to say, "I...appreciate the apology."
She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about his perception of her--not that it really mattered, it never did. Still, it was something she turned over in her mind as she guided them ever nearer to the edge of the city. They were in the less populated districts now, the slums of Zantaric... Which she supposed was sort of like saying "the underbelly of the underbelly".
In when he thought Zanataric couldn't get any worse, it did just that. His entire perception of the city was basically just a very large trash can, but now he was in what he thought was probably their version of the slums. What was worse than living in a trash can? This would be it.
"How much further do you think," he asked, keeping his face shielded from stray passerbys here and there.
Jynx shot him a look. "Considering I'm not the one who got robbed at this place so I don't actually know exactly where we're going, I'm not sure," she replied, droll. "Best guess is about a day's walk. We'll have to camp outside tonight."
Which she hated doing, but she didn't see that they had much choice.
He shrugged in response. Regardless of who was robbed, she still would have a better idea of the area than he ever would.
He got the point, though.
"That's not too bad," he continued. "Let me know when you want to stop and I'll set up camp. It's the least I can do."
"No. That's alright. Thanks," Jynx replied shortly. They were moving out of the city entirely, into the strange, ramshackle clusters of abandoned huts and sheds that were starting to be taken back by the wild around them.
They should probably get a little further into cover before camping--something that she honestly didn't trust Noah to be in charge of, not by himself.
Aw, Jynx. No faith in the lad?
"No, actually," she growled under breath, then winced and shot a furtive glance toward her companion, hoping he hadn't heard.
Noah shrugged off her decline easy enough, but then she said no again. No, actually. He tilted his head slightly and looked to her as they walked. "Actually what?" he asked.
"Ah--nothing. Just talking to myself. Bad habit," Jynx replied quickly. She ducked her head and sped up slightly, trying to stave off more questions with, "C'mon, we've probably only got another hour or two of daylight before we should make camp."
Noah's response was a cocked eyebrow and to pick up his pace. Something about that was just odd to him, but he shrugged it off. This is Zantaric, after all. People were odd. She wouldn't be any different.
"Right," he agreed. Camp. Hopefully this time the devil spawn of a dog wouldn't sit on him.
Jynx lapsed into silence as they continued to walk. She kept her hood up and her eyes forward, not bothering to so much as glance at the rare occasional traveler they passed--most people heading into the city rather than away from it.
She did shift subtly whenever this happened though, hand moving toward the blade strapped to her thigh.
By the time the sun was dipping to the ground, however, it had been a few hours since they'd really seen anyone. She figured it might be safe to start scouting for a campsite soon, and told Noah so.
Jynx had decided to remain quiet sometime in between the transition from day to night, so Noah did the same. Finally, she was ready to make camp, and he couldn't be more grateful. It would be getting too late to see anything soon, and he was tired. He really wasn't cut out for this lifestyle, even if all that had really been doing was walking and watching over their backs.
"Whatever works," he suggested, looking at their surroundings.
Jynx tilted her head and stared at him. "Do you...have any idea what makes a good campsite?"
She tried to keep the exasperation out of her voice, she really did, but she was tired, and her head was starting to hurt, and this poor little lordling had no idea how to survive on his own so it seemed like it was up to her to keep them both alive.
"Okay, just...try to look at the level of the earth." She indicated with a broad gesture. "Flatter is going to be better for sleeping, and some place with a bit of natural cover is extra protection, right?"
Noah stopped and looked at her with a tired smile.
"Yeah, flat earth is good. Natural cover is also good. It's best to be relatively near water for cooking, cleanup, and setting up our water supply for tomorrow's journey. We should also find something with not only cover, but that hides us from anybody that may be passing by."
He let his eyes fall from her and peered around again. "If we were expecting bad weather overnight, we would probably need a little higher ground than what we have now, but I don't think we're expecting anything bad."
"Even if we get rain, there's not much we can do about it now," Jynx replied brusquely. "It gets dark quicker out here in the trees. We don't have time to find somewhere else."
She set to work pacing out a border around the small campsite, marking first with just her footsteps, then finding a suitable branch and dragging it along behind her as she walked the circle again, drawing a line in the earth.
Noah shrugged before folding his arms over his chest as he watched her. He wasn't sure if nothing he could do or say would gain him just the least amount of respect in her eyes, or if what he said went completely over her head.
"I use to camp with my parents," he said. "So I'm not completely useless. Tell me what you need me to do and I'll do it."
Jynx shrugged. "Mark out a spot to sleep, if you want to clear the ground for it. And a pit for a fire is probably a good idea," she said as she began pacing out a wide circle around the makeshift campsite.
"Sure. Easy enough."
Noah was grateful to feel even somewhat useful around Jynx, and his confidence was becoming increasingly visible the more time he spent with her. It probably a combination of getting used to being around a particular person, and she chided him enough to rip all the remaining nerves he had from his skin.
Marking a sleeping spot was easy - there wasn't a whole lot to choose from regardless, and setting up a pit for fire took a little time but was still an easy task.
"You know how to start a campfire? Or can you just use magic?" Jynx asked as she finished pacing her circle and took a few steps back toward Noah, peering over his shoulder into the fire pit.