The Quest for Michael (Neka, Open)

[Anonymous]

Sophie sat on the forest floor in her favourite leafy clearing, wondering what to do next. In her left hand she clutched a letter from her twin brother Michael while her right hand wiped away a few stray tears. She smoothed out the letter and read it once more, hoping that this time the wording would have changed into something more pleasant:

'Dearest Sophie,
I know our father and I have never seen eye to eye on, well, everything, but ... the truth is, I'm in pretty deep trouble. I met a great guy in Cerenis, but he racked up a few gambling debts lately, and now he's gone missing. I promised that I would help pay off his debt, so ... Sophie, you're his favourite, could you ask Father for the money? I swear that I can pay it back ... I'm so scared that Kurt is hurt, or dead. And if he is, I might be next.
Please, please help me,
Love, Michael.'

Sophie thought about her options. There weren't many. Sophie knew well that her father would never help Michael, not after the way they'd parted. Sophie didn't own much money of her own, thanks to her notorious sweet tooth. The only other thing she could think of was to sneak in to the shop after her parents had gone to bed and steal the money.

An hour later, Sophie had made up her mind. She was going to break into the shop, and she was going to go to Cerenis to save Michael. It was dark now, and she knew she could sneak back into town without being seen. She set off, hoping that she wouldn't bump into anyone along the way.

[Anonymous]

The cat had retraced this path again and again, but was only now starting to feel lost- lost in the sense that no matter how long he circled the area, he would never land on his prey.

He stretched his wiry muscles before settling on his haunches and eying a hushed, glowing firefly as it flickered by, casting a dim glow on the surrounding bush. Something had frightened away the young deer he had been chasing, and now it seemed to have vanished from the very face of the earth. Unless his hunting skills had weakened immensely over the past couple weeks of civilization, then the lucky creature was halfway across the forest by now.

In a futile attempt to possibly catch his prey's scent one last time, the jaguar lowered his strong jaw to the ground, his nose twitching and pulling at the long silver whiskers on his face. He was surprised when a familiar smell reached him immediately, as though the creature had been there only seconds before in the leafy clearing.

Human. Small. He craned his neck further along the forest floor. The scent was strong still, and the human had been here for a while. A faint salty scent wafted along in the air as well, though very subtle.

With a loud snort, the jaguar stood. Humans were never hunted by anyone but themselves. There were plenty of rabbits and smaller prey nearby to catch that would feed him tonight- and more importantly, they were close. Very close. Rising to all fours, the cat slunk forward, moving through the bushes like a whisper, his dark coat a shadow among the night. He peered through the foliage until the sight met his eyes, and his stomach churned with hunger.

The rabbit lay on its side in a small patch of dirt, its gut torn open gruelingly. Its eyes stared into nothingness, a sure sign of death. Stalking forward, the cat licked its mouth, but smelled the steel and heard the clang of metal too late.

Covered by a thin layer of loose soil and small leaves, the trap clenched its jagged teeth together sharply, encasing the jaguar's front left paw and chaining him to a nearby tree. A sharp yowl of pain escaped his lips, high-pitched enough that it could sound like a house-ridden dog. Pulling the trap with his other paw, he tried in vain to free himself, thinking of the human who he has smelled earlier. A deep growl rose in his belly, interrupted by another pained cry.

He would rip the one who did this.

[Anonymous]

Suddenly, Sophie heard a cry of pain and nearly jumped into a tree. Not only had it been unexpected, but it was so close! Normally, Sophie wasn't afraid of any creature that wandered the forest, but this time she felt her heart pounding in her chest. A moment later she heard it again, loud and angry, the cry of an animal in pain. It was probably just a rabbit being eaten by something ... but now Sophie was curious. She had to know.

Cautiously she made her way towards the noise, a dagger held firmly in her right hand. She peered into the ever-darkening forest, looking for the source of the noise. She thought she heard a shuffling noise, and headed in that direction ... only to be confronted with an animal Sophie had never seen before. It looked rather like a house cat, but huge, and with a look of such ferociousness on its face that she jumped backwards, tripping over her own feet.

'What the hell is that?' she thought, as her gaze fell to the creature's feet. She spotted a flash of metal and realised the poor creature must be caught in a trap. Sophie got to her feet ... and then stopped. She wanted to free the animal, but ... it looked so fierce, and Sophie remembered full well what happened when an angry animal was released from a trap.

Shaking her head, she walked away reminding herself that she had better things to do. But she felt so sorry for the creature ... 'Fine,' she thought. 'I'll free it, stun the thing, and then go before it can kill me.'

Turning around before she could change her mind again, she headed back towards the animal and knelt beside it, reaching for the trap and hoping that she would come out of this alive. She yanked a small pin from the trap, releasing its grip, and jumped backwards, with her dagger held in front of her.

[Anonymous]

The jaguar waited with an eerie patience as the human approached, surveying the girl with a strange sense of understanding, as though he knew what she was about to do. Clamping his jaw shut tightly, the cat stood still as she disarmed the trap and the metal clamp fell limp. A high-pitched whine of pain and relief came from the beasts' throat and he sat on his haunches, licking at the wound around his leg.

He looked up suddenly to the girl, his piercing blue eyes cold and calculating. Connlaoth isn't safe for a magic-user, the cat thought to himself, blinking innocently. She still didn't know- and maybe she wouldn't have to. He could limp away right now and find a shady tree to curl under and fix this himself. And she would leave, thinking she had helped one more animal, and continue on her way. And no one would be reported, hunted, or captured for magic use.

His course of action decided, the jaguar rose to all fours, only to be greeted by a wave of dizziness. His vision blurred and stars flickered across his eyes, and a jolt of pain danced up his leg. Bearing his teeth he attempted pressure on the injured leg again, achieving the same results and making his stomach more queasy than before. He looked to the girl.

She was pretty, no doubt about it. But she was human. Although the wariness and fear etched in her face made her seem innocent enough given the circumstances, it was always impossible to predict them. Centuries of traveling and meeting odd folk hadn't taught the cat any different. Still, better her than a large hunter here to collect his prize.

If he was going to find some sort of safety in these woods, he was going to need help; a thick bandage and a bucket of cool water could surely send him on his way. But he would need help, and for that, he would need the girl's trust. Slowly, the jaguar hopped forward on his three legs, stopping inches away from the dagger held toward his face. Extending his short neck, the cat sniffed at the blade, and began to lick it, trying to hide his long teeth. A small purr escaped his lips, cut off by another whine.

So far, so good. He continued to watch the girl from the corner of his eye, calculating her expression. Hopefully, she knew a thing or two about bandaging a deep cut. Or dragging animals off to healers.

[Anonymous]

Sophie felt her jaw drop as the huge black cat limped forwards and started to lick the blade of her dagger. This was almost unheard of. Normally, animals in traps either ran away or went mad with pain and kindly bit the hand that had freed them, but this one was acting oddly. Sophie backed up a step, before something occurred to her - this cat, which could not have possibly grown to such a large size in this forest without someone spotting it and mentioning it at the local pub, must be someone's pet. It did seem to be fairly tame.

Slowly, not wanting to startle it and disprove her theory that the cat would not harm her, Sophie knelt down and gently gripped the cat's paw, trying to assess the damage down. But the sun had set fully now, and while her night vision was very good, it just wasn't good enough. After a brief internal debate, she decided to take the animal back into town. Old lady Moira next door was a cat fanatic and would surely be able to help.

With a grunt of effort, she slowly and carefully reached forward and hefted the cat up onto her shoulder, making an abrupt about face and heading home.

[Anonymous]

The jaguar had suffered plenty of cuts and scrapes in his life, and though this was certainly not the worst, something about it- perhaps the heightened scent of his own blood- made his brain feel large and sluggish. It could also be due to the fact that he hadn't eaten since he could last recall, and his energy was waning. Or it was the smell of the human who now strained to carry him, her pink flesh radiating that familiar scent that smothered cities. At least she didn't seem to drench herself in sickening perfumes as many of her kind did.

As the girl continued to move onward, the cat watched her from the corner of one eye, a difficult task from his position over her shoulder. Nevertheless, he could feel his mind begin to wander, and the magic from within begin to flicker and brighten. No matter his state, injured or healthy, the connection to life never ceased to leave him. He could see a faint glimmer of green on leaves like stardust, and the tiny traces of gold that coated insects as they skittered to and fro. Overhead the stars shone with unmatched brilliance, though only through his eyes. Most notable to him, however, was the fine aura of sky blue that shone from the woman's skin, her life-force visible to his eye. As he watched the blue coating waver like an unshielded candle, the colour told the jaguar what little he needed to know.

Magic was found in colours. Reds, greens, yellows- no matter the hue, even a slight tint meant the potential for magic. Most individuals from Connlaoth were either a pure and bland white, while those from Serendipity often made parades of rainbows through the streets. But here in Connlaoth was another person with the Gift. Then it's possible she may not mind a surprise.

Blinking away another wave of dizziness, the jaguar stretched outward with his mind, feeling the flora and fauna shudder at the connection. Steering his thought and intent toward the woman who carried him, he felt his mental state latch onto hers. Unaware if she could even notice such a connection, let alone fight one, the cat decided to test the link abruptly.

"My name is Naekan. Can you hear me?" Even to him, his thoughts sounded scratchy, altered by the unstable magical connection. Still, as he thought the words to himself, they would reach the woman's mind as though he was speaking right next to her, even bearing his strange accent. If he was lucky, she wouldn't panic and could reply back- if not, he would have to return to being 'just a cat'.

[Anonymous]

Sophie was getting angry. The letter from Michael and being frightened by the damned cat - which was growing increasingly heavy - had drained her energy. She wanted nothing more than to drop the cat somewhere, run home, crawl into bed, and ignore all of her problems until tomorrow. She hesitated for a moment, but a small whine from the cat made her continue on. She couldn't leave the creature here - it wasn't at fault for walking into a trap.

Suddenly, Sophie thought she'd heard a voice calling out to her. She couldn't make out what the person was saying, but it sounded plaintive, as though he or she was asking for help. 'Bugger it', she thought, 'I am NOT helping anyone else tonight!'

With a sigh of relief, Sophie spotted a light ahead, and a distinct lack of trees. She'd never been so happy to see Reajh! Her back muscles, not used to carrying such large loads for a long time, started to scream at her. When she finally left the forest and reached the solid, reassuring cobblestones, she obliged. Kneeling, Sophie gently placed the cat on the ground ... and then heard the voice again. It was a lot closer this time, muffled and oddly distorted, and she couldn't quite make out the words.

She hesitated, remembering her earlier thought about not speaking to anyone else. But curiosity won out, as it always did.

Still kneeling, Sophie shuffled around until she faced the way she'd just come. Softly, she called out, "Hello? Is anyone there?"

[Anonymous]

As the girl carefully lay him onto the cobblestone path into Reajh, it became clear to the cat that she could barely hear him, his call only a flicker of sound to her mind. Disgruntled, he flicked his tail in frustration, watching her with a steely gaze. Fine- he would make no further attempt to call her and remain as a cat; she would fix him, and everyone would leave on their merry way.

Having made his mind, he felt shocked when his stomach churned and his vision blurred. The street of Reajh seemed empty at least, but he panicked as his whiskers seemed to grow inward. He couldn't change- not here, not now! Was it his wound, confusing him and making him lose his concentration and grip on this feline shape? Or something more sinister he hadn't realized? While his brain tried with all its might to convince his body to remain the way it was, his heart spoke otherwise.

The girl turned away, and the second she did, the world shifted. Claws shrank into nails, paws into hands, and his tail vanished completely. The dark coat of spotted fur vanished without a trace, leaving bare skin that brightened to a light tan. Within mere seconds, sitting in the jaguar's place appeared a man, draped in worn clothing rather than matted fur. His coal-coloured hair stuck to the sweat gathered on his forehead and he watched the stranger, catching only the very end of her sentence.

"...anybody there?"

Naekan shuddered and looked to his arm. Just where the trap had left a sizable gash on his foreleg, the same cut remained on his forearm, already soaking through the sleeve of his shirt. He gripped the wound with his hand in attempts to stem the flow of blood, and looked back to the girl.

"Just I," he breathed with a faint smile, crossing his legs where he sat and hugging his arm to his chest. He wasn't afraid of any human gutting him here. If she tried to turn him in to the authorities of Connlaoth, he would do so to her as well; her magic, however faint and hidden, was visible to him at least. That, or she might run away in fear, which would leave him free to crawl off into some hole and try to fix this himself.

[Anonymous]

When Sophie had called out to the mysterious voice, she had expected a reply. What she hadn't expected was that it would come from behind her. She shuffled around once again, her knees and back screaming in protest, and then did an odd little bounce backwards, which was as close to jumping backwards as she could get in her current position.

Instead of the huge black cat she'd carried though the forest, a strange man was sitting in its place, gripping his arm while blood seeped through his fingers. Sophie felt her jaw drop, and tried to ask him what the heck was going on, but once again she felt the familiar seizing of her vocal chords as she tried to speak to someone she didn't know or trust. Instead, she settled for shifting into a more comfortable position and glancing at his arm.

After a moment's thought it occurred to her that his wound was similar to the one the cat had suffered ... 'No', she thought, 'it's exactly the same!' Could this man be ... like her? But, no, it wasn't very likely. Everyone knew what happened to magic users in Connlaoth, didn't they?

Sophie sat and stared at the strange man, wondering what to do now. She had made up her mind to help the cat, and now there was someone else (or, possibly the same person) who needed help. She didn't really want to help him, but it was getting late, and her idea of stealing money from her father's shop was starting to seem impossible.

'Maybe if I help him, I can blackmail him into stealing the money for me,' thought Sophie. She wasn't keen on that - she had avoided the Mordecai like the plague ever since she had discovered her ... ability. But, well, he didn't know that, did she? All she had to do was threaten him, she didn't have to go through with it.

Making up her mind - again - Sophie stood up, and walked towards Reajh, beckoning for the man to follow her.

[Anonymous]

Naekan couldn't help but feel a little bit pleased with himself when he saw the young woman rise to her feet and wave for him to follow. So she wasn't going to turn into a mad person and attempt to kill him for his magic use- not so far, anyway. For once in a very long time, things might be starting to look brighter for him.

Stumbling to his feet while maintaining a firm grip on his arm, he trotted to catch up to the woman, making sure to keep a foot or so of distance between them. Who was she, to so ably understand that he had shifted behind her back? Was human to animal transformations something she had seen before? Was there more magic in Reajh than he was aware? Her surprise had been genuine, but her willingness to help him told all that he needed to know; that she was, in some very different way, on his side.

Taking a deep breath, he followed her in silence down the long path toward the city, where soft lights glowed here and there like fireflies among the looming buildings. Cities never bode well with him. The intense noise and the bustle of chaotic crowds was like white noise tearing through his senses, overflowing everything. But if he was going to seek help, this looked like the last resort to do so.

As they continued, Naekan found himself staring at the woman's face from the corner of his eye. She was prettier than she had seemed earlier- possibly due to the fact that he was an injured and deranged jaguar. He kicked himself mentally for thinking such things of humans. Still, he found himself admiring the sheen of her hair in the dim starlight before looking back to the city, dreading its inevitable stench of overpopulation.

"There is an old saying, where I am from," he said slowly, his accent and the pain of his arm causing his tongue to trip a little over each word. "That when a sheep guides a lion into a trap, the lion is too exotic for a sheep to understand how it must be trapped." He looked at her again, his expression indifferent. If this stranger was going to report him to the authorities at Connlaoth, she had a right to know what she was dealing with.

[Anonymous]

Sophie listened to the man's quote without replying, but a tiny flame of fear started to burn in her chest. She was pretty sure now that he had indeed been the cat she'd rescued, so he clearly had some magical ability. Was it possible he could read minds? Had he possibly guessed her intentions of blackmail, or was he just being cautious?

She continued walking, trying to catch glimpses of him without being noticed. He was handsome, certainly. His tanned skin and muscular arms marked him as someone who spent a lot of time outdoors. She watched his face, trying to see something in his expression, but it was like trying to read a brick wall. Sophie thought she saw him peek at her and looked away, blushing.

Fortunately, they had reached the shop where Sophie lived and worked. She made her way to the back, walking quietly and hoping the man would do the same. Listening intently, she heard her mother's snoring, and hoped that her father would be asleep to. Motioning for the man to stay put, Sophie carefully made her way inside, heading straight for the first aid kit in her bedroom.

[Anonymous]

Naekan felt relief seep through his weary bones as the pair entered a small shop at the side of the street. He noticed the stranger's shoulders tense as she eased open the front door and slipped inside, and once the sound of gentle snoring reached his finely-tuned ears, he received the message. His race was bred as hunters and stalkers, the predators of all jungle life. Entering a shop silently was the least of his worries.

After slowly easing the door shut behind himself, he followed the girl further into the store, his eyes alert and absorbing every detail, every escape route- a natural habit that he could never quite get rid of, even for the sake of polite manners. As his feet touched the wooden floor, not a sound escaped. His chest stood still as if he held his breath and no sound escaped his open mouth. Like a ghost he followed the girl, only once making a hushed grunt as a jolt of pain danced up his arm.

Upon reaching the back of the shop that seemed to branch into more rooms, the girl motioned for him to stop. Reluctantly, he obeyed, watching as she vanished further into the building, leaving him alone in the dark.

The shop was of fair size, compared to what Naekan had seen from the occasional city visit. Racks of clothing hung from every available space, the walls decorated in neatly pressed suits with skirts and dresses lined with utmost care along countless hangers. He began to backtrack, wading through long sleeves and trailing pants before arriving back at the large window by the storefront.

The city was different at night- or early morning, it was hard to tell with the thick layer of blackened clouds overhead. Unlike the day, however, everything was finally at rest. Although the occasional drunk or promiscuous individual wandered by, their path dimly lit by the orange glow of street lamps or comfortable inn door, everything else remained still, like an undisturbed pond. Appreciating the quiet of sound and motion, Naekan sighed and leaned against the wall, his shoulders relaxing slightly as he continued to watch the street. To leave now would be unwise- at this late hour, there were far worse people to run into than a young woman.

[Anonymous]

Carefully, taking care to avoid the creaking floorboards, Sophie crept into her bedroom, listening to her mother's snores and hoping that the strange man would have the sense to stay put. He'd walked quietly enough on the footpath, and she was sure now that he had to be a hunter of some sort. She wondered idly where he was from - he certainly wasn't a local.

Her room was dark, but she didn't want to risk lighting a candle, and anyway she knew her way around. Working as quickly as she dared, with occasional glances towards the open door, Sophie grabbed bandages, an empty canteen, a few of her weapons and threw them all into her bag. A few clothes went in, and her sewing kit - just in case.

Hoping that she would be prepared for anything, Sophie snuck back out into the back to see ... he'd moved! Cursing under her breath, she stalked towards the back door, momentarily forgetting to be silent. A tiny sound alerted her to someone's presence and her hand automatically went to the bag of sand at her waist. She raised it in one hand, ready to club anyone who came near her. Thankfully, reality asserted itself, and she realised that it was only the stranger standing by the door. Sophie felt herself begin to blush, and cursed herself for being so paranoid.

She tapped the stranger on the arm and pointed at the counter in the next room. Not waiting for him, she walked in and rested her bag on the counter, pulling out some bandages and preparing to finally help him.

[Anonymous]

Feeling the gentle tap on his shoulder, Naekan turned and followed the stranger, his movement silent. He eyed the equipment as she pulled each item from the bag one by one. Reluctantly, he joined her at the opposite side of the counter and rest his arm on top, slowly untying the leather bracer from his arm and slipping it off, his jaw clenched tightly. Next he rolled up his sleeve, the navy-coloured cloth soggy and damp with blood. With the wound open and ready for treatment, he lay his elbow on the table and kept his arm pointed upwards to make the process easier for the girl.

Glancing around the room to attempt to forget about the pain, the sound of gentle snoring rose in volume, signifying a more peaceful sleep. Who could be sleeping here? It had been easy enough to enter the shop and the girl knew her way around, so she must live here. But who else? A sibling, a friend, a lover? And furthermore, if she had such a comfortable home here, why was she wandering about the forest in the dead of night instead?

Watching the girl as she proceeded to tend to his arm, he allowed the persistent questions to fade away. He could ponder his situation later; but for now, he could let his mind rest and wander. This girl hardly seemed to be a threat- at least, so far. In fact, she hardly seemed different from any other shopkeeper's woman. With the smallest twinge of guilt, he realized how much he must have pressured her, frightened her, with his magical stunts and cold demeanour.

Were it not for the snores and her clear paranoia for disturbing their sleeping company, Naekan might have given his thanks or offered some kind of compensation for her kindness. However, stuck in the silence of the shop, he simply watched her.

[Anonymous]

Sophie worked as quickly as possible, dabbing, washing and bandaging the wound with a practiced hand. She could feel the stranger's muscles tensing under his skin, and Sophie hoped he wasn't in too much pain. She began to wonder why he was so quiet, but assumed he could hear her mother's snoring, and didn't want to wake anyone up.

She tied the final knot in the bandage and took a step back. Looking up, Sophie realised that the stranger was staring at her, and she fought to stop herself from blushing. She glanced around the shop to find something to distract herself, and her eyes fell on the ratty old box that was used to disguise the safe behind it. She wasn't sure, now, if it was a good idea to blackmail this man into helping her. He looked quite strong, and she still had a niggling suspicion that he could read minds. And even in its injured state, his cat form looked like it could do some serious damage. Perhaps she could get the man to go outside, and then pretend to forget something, double back, and break in.

She smiled at the stranger and ducked into the next room, grabbing two handsome leather coats and handing one to the stranger. Sophie wriggled into hers, and then headed for the door, pointing at it and hoping the stranger would follow.

It was bitterly cold outside, now. Sophie watched her breath steam and thought of Michael. 'Wherever he is, I hope he's warm, she thought.

[Anonymous]

Naekan took the coat with an eyebrow raised in confusion. Surely this was her home? So where else would she take him- the authorities? It wouldn't be surprising if she tried to lead him into a trap at this point. Perhaps all along, she was merely trying to keep him healthy so he could endure a good round of torture. It wouldn't have been the first time.

But he had little other choice. If she was innocent of trying to commit him, then he owed her; if she was not, then he had no problem with subduing her. Following the girl outside, he carefully slid on his own jacket, feeling grateful as it covered his wet sleeve. He buttoned up the front- surprised that it fit his form so comfortably snug- and glanced around the empty street, his eyes alert, his body stiff.

He should never have come to Connlaoth. He was following a broken breadcrumb trail, leading him in circles around the places he didn't want to visit. And now it was beginning to cause more trouble than the search was worth.

The two stood side by side in silence for a long moment. Naekan was begging to wonder if she was some sort of mute by choice; she had said maybe three or so words the entire night. It was an unexpected change from the usual humans he encountered, always jabbering about their day or the small annoyances of life. For once, a human with little to nothing to say. It was refreshing, yet saddening in a way he couldn't quite define.

Finally, Naekan spoke, hoping his voice didn't come across as strained or harsh as it had before. But his words were quiet, just above a whisper, as years upon years of living in wilderness and solitude had raised him.

"I owe you a great debt, qastra."

[Anonymous]

Sophie was about to turn and run back inside when the strange man spoke. He owed her debt? Now that was interesting. But ... kwastra? What exactly did that mean?

Sophie realised that she was staring at him, and quickly looked at her feet. Maybe she could talk him into going to Cerenis with her. She'd made the journey before, but it was a long way, and she wanted to leave quickly, before anything bad could happen to her brother.

She worked up the courage to at least ask him, but as soon as she looked into his face oh no, here came the fear, what if he laughed, what if he said no, what if he hurt her ohnoohnoohnooooo Once again, her jaw clamped shut at the very thought of talking to a stranger. Then she had an idea.

She quickly ran inside the shop and ducked behind the counter. Her mother always kept a pad of paper there, along with one or two pencils, in case somebody came in with an order. She grabbed it, and after a moment's hesitation and a twinge of guilt, opened the safe and grabbed a handful of money. It probably wouldn't be enough to save Michael, but she would find a way to earn more money, and her parents might not notice that this small amount had been stolen from them.

She ran outside again, shoving the money into her bag with one hand and awkwardly scribbling a note to the stranger with the other. Ignoring his surprised look, she handed him the note, which said, "Will you come to Cerenis with me?"

[Anonymous]

Frowning at the small note in his hand, Naekan read the words twice to ensure that she wasn't playing tricks on him. Was this some sort of joke? He could have sworn he heard her spoke once before when he tried to contact her mentally- but the connection had been confusing, and he had been a disoriented jungle cat then. Maybe he had heard her mind and she hadn't spoken at all; it seemed quite possible now that she was a mute. Yes... That must be it.

He had heard of strict punishments that Connlaothian soldiers often inflicted on traitors or suspects. Perhaps they had cut her tongue for speaking ill of someone. Whatever the case, he could deal with notes for the time being, although his reading was rather rusty. Once he felt a bit more strong and stable again, he could try the mental link again, but for now, he might as well save his abilities. There wasn't much for him to say, anyway, as his mind was made.

Looking back to the human girl, he hesitated before nodding once. His hunt had run short, and there was little left for him here. The least he could do was accompany the young woman on her journey, that much he owed. Why she could possibly want him to come was unclear- maybe as a bodyguard on the road, or an extra pair of hands- but did he really have a purpose to ask?

With a wary glance down both ends of the street, Naekan pocketed the note and carefully crossed his arms across his chest to keep himself warm. Born and raised among sand dunes and rain forests, heat was most comfortable, unlike the bitter night winds that clawed at any open sleeve. Hoping a bit of movement would help that heat grow, he stepped closer to follow the girl, signalling that it was time to leave. Better to be rid of this city now than later.

[Anonymous]

Sophie watched the stranger glancing around, and noticed that he was beginning to look uncomfortable. Guessing that he was wanted to leave, she turned and headed for the path that lead to the forest where she had first met him. She kept to the stone path, grateful for the soft-soled shoes that muffled her footsteps. Sophie was well known in this part of town as 'that quiet girl who stares too much', and being seen with a strange man would only cause people to ask questions - something Sophie liked to avoid.

It was very cold now, but the moon was full, and the further they got from the lights of Reajh, the easier it became to see where they were going. It wasn't long at all before they were in the forest proper, and Sophie began to relax. As they walked, she began to think seriously about what to do next. It would be a good idea to get as far into the forest as possible before stopping to sleep. A fire would be good, too - Sophie could no longer feel her nose or the ends of her fingers, and the skin on her face was beginning to sting.

After another half hour of walking, Sophie turned back to see how her silent companion was doing. It might have been just an affect of the moonlight, but he was looking awfully pale, and she swore inwardly for forgetting about the loss of blood he must have suffered. Glancing over his shoulder, she spotted a small gap between some trees that wasn't quite large enough to be called a clearing, but it would have to do. She headed towards it, waving at the stranger to follow her. She pointed at a bare patch of ground, indicating that he should sit. She spent the next few minutes scrambling around for wood, piling it up in the centre of the 'clearing'. She rummaged in her bag for her flint, but it was gone.

Sophie looked up at the stranger, and once more tried to speak to him. But her cursed fear took over once more, and she simply hung her head, trying not to cry.

[Anonymous]

Obeying the girl's orders, Naekan stepped into the clearing behind her and eased himself onto the ground. His bones ground together unpleasantly and his muscles twitched in protest, but he forced himself to relax with a series of deep breaths of cool night air. Each inhale was sharper and clearer than the last, swiping away the fogginess of his mind and making his eyes perk up a little. If there was one thing he could deal with about the cold, it was the refreshing impact that kept his senses alert.

As his newfound companion turned away and began to rummage through the bush for something, he looked to the grass as a shimmer caught his eye. Decorating each blade of grass was a light frost, like a string of diamonds clinging to nature. His mouth hanging open in awe, he reached forward and gently ran a finger along one particularly long grass. Instantly, the glimmering light melted and clung to his skin as water, amazingly cool and clear. Was this snow? Had he travelled that far north already?

The girl returned, her arms laden with wood and small dry bush, clearly intended for a fire. She must be planning to stay here for the night, then. But wouldn't it have been safer and warmer to remain in the shop for the night? ...Perhaps she didn't live there, after all. As she set down the wood and began to sift through her bag, a fallen expression grew on her, and she looked away.

Naekan glanced from her to the wood, and quickly understood the problem. Moving onto his knees he inched closer to the pile, pulling back the sleeve of his uninjured arm. Placing his hand on top of one of the dryer branches, the heat under his palm began to swell until a faint orange glow appeared beneath it. He could feel the tattoo birthmarks along his body begin to glow as well, a faint blue pattern of light visible beneath his clothes. When he pulled his hand away, a small flame sat in its place, and the light along his body died away. Bending over, he blew softly at the flame until it spread, and then sat back down, enjoying the heat on his face.

After watching the fire until he felt confident that it wouldn't fail, he looked to the girl, and then to the sky. The stars seemed eerily bright along with the moon, casting a hushed white light over the world. With a weary but contented sigh, he reached forward and placed both of his hands inside the fire. There was no better way to get warm quickly.

While the girl remained standing, he gestured to the ground next to him. Maybe having a silent companion would be nice for a change; though her awkwardness seemed strange. Was she embarrassed for something? Did his foreign and magical nature intimidate her? Whatever the reason, she seemed intent on making camp and getting to Cerenis, so she might as well stay warm.