Butterflies and Demons (Rhi)

[Xphy]

Traveling around Adela was easily Celie's favorite (and for the most part her only) hobby. It had been since she left the military all of those years ago. To be honest she simply hadn't known what to do with herself at the time. She had given thought to becoming an instructor at the military academy and putting her skills and experiences to good use, but for some reason it hadn't felt right to her. Maybe it was the fact that she felt that she wouldn't have made a good teacher, or maybe it was her pride that had stopped her. Even to this day she really couldn't say for sure.

Regardless of the reason she had found it nearly impossible to sit still since then, and had taken off to see as much of the country as she possibly could. The southern Terrin Mountains, or the Thunderblacks as they were affectionately called, was one of her favorite places in Adela to travel through. Even the rockier parts seem to have their own charm in her eyes. Not the mention the chance of coming across the occasional dragon had always excited her, even if they tended to be rather troublesome.

Currently she was riding down a path she was very familiar with. This particular path led toward a village she had always made an effort to stop in whenever she was in the area. An old friend that had helped her out on her first journey through the area lived there and she always made a point to visit him out of gratitude. It was also a good place to rest up and to pick up some supplies since she didn't intend to go home for a while, at least until she ran out of money anyway.

The sun was almost directly overhead when she came across a valley with a small stream flowing through it, a sign that she had only a few more miles to go. It shouldn't have taken her more than half an hour to forty five minute to reach the village from there, but she knew it was probably a good idea to stop for a bit, if only to let her horse get a drink. The poor thing had been carrying her for most of the morning after all.

After riding a bit closer she dismounted the chestnut colored creature and led it toward the stream. She then detached her canteen from its saddle and took a seat atop a flat stone near the edge to refill it. She had also taken a mouthful for herself of course. Granted she hadn't worked quite as hard as the steed had, but she had needed a refreshing drink herself. It was a shame she would have to wait until she got to the village to get something to eat though. She had eaten the last of her rations for breakfast, and hunger was already starting to kick in again. Oh well...at least she only had to endure it for another hour or so.

[Rhindeer]

He was so damned hungry.

It had been at least two days since Lhakya had eaten anything decent, and it was partially his fault. He had not come prepared for this trip--but in defense it was impromptu, anyway, and he hadn't been prepared to flee for his life like that. His mistake. Nothing good ever lasted and he should have known the peace was just the calm before the storm.

Now here he was, out in the middle of who knew where, but it didn't matter too much. Lhakya didn't have a destination apart from as far away from his old master as he could get.

Having one would have helped, he admitted to himself only after traveling for days without encountering a town, much less a person. He sure wouldn't be stuck in a predicament like this, wandering around blindly--literally--with no provisions or direction. The only thing that saved him from wandering in circles was his strong sense of smell--and spirits help him if it rained.

For a while he had found a road and he smelled humans and horses on it (though the scent was old), so he followed it, figuring it would lead him into a city eventually. It took him out of the woods and he felt uncomfortably exposed, but still he trekked onward, and onward, even as the way became difficult and rocky...

And now he was horribly lost.

With a groan, Lhakya let his walking staff drop and plopped down into the grass at the stream's edge. This was bollocks. It would be so damned ridiculous if he wound up dying out here, not from his bloody stalker but because he was a right fool who leaped without looking. Har har. With a sigh, Lhakya untied his blindfold, brushed his black-and-auburn hair back, and leaned forward so he could splash water onto his face, rinsing off layers of sweat and dirt. He grimaced when he felt the horrible raised scars that crossed over where functional eyes once were, the bridge of his nose, and up onto his forehead and temples. Eugh. Didn't think he would ever get used to that feeling. Once he felt adequately clean, he replaced the cloth and then drank deeply from the stream, both to quench his thirst and fill his belly enough to stave off hunger for a little longer.

Then he just sat there and breathed, knowing he should get up and keep moving before lethargy took hold but not feeling any desire to do so.

What now? Go back? He probably could. It hadn't rained so his scent would still be there. He could do it.

It would just be a waste and pride wouldn't let him admit he'd been stupid.

It was then that he heard something that made him go rigid and he perked up, straining to hear. Foot steps coming from downstream, a horse nicker...

And he felt himself start to salivate at the thought of warm horse flesh, of human flesh, felt his stomach growl and licked his lips. Not yet, though. Don't be a fool and spoil your chance, wait. Right. Find out about a town first then consider killing the messenger.

Lhakya turned his face in the direction of the noise and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Hello? Is someone there?"

Hopefully he wasn't making a huge mistake calling attention to himself--there were demon hunters and the like out there. His saving grace was that on first glance he looked almost elven with his fair skin and pointed ears--it was only when you looked closer that you noticed the retractable claws his hands sported and the wicked fangs he tried to keep hidden when he talked.

[Xphy]

Even as the stream water drained down her throat Celie couldn't help but wish it was something a bit more solid. While the cool liquid did wonders for her thirst it did little to sate her hunger. Hell, if anything it had only made it worst. Oh what she wouldn't have given for a nice piece of meat right then, and it wouldn't have mattered what animal it would have come from either. Pork, beef, poultry etc. were all the same to her when she was hungry.

At least she was able to take comfort in the fact that the village was only about half an hour away, even less if she hurried. Once she made it there though filling her stomach was definitely going to take top priority. Everything else, including securing a place to stay the night, would just have to wait until she was satisfied...

She was just about to lower her canteen again to refill it when something caught her attention. Someone had called out to her, or at least she assumed they had called out to her since she couldn't see anyone else around. The person as she would see was a curious looking man who standing not too far downstream from where she was. If his ears were any indication he appeared to be of Elven descent, but that wasn't what she had found strange about him. It was the piece of cloth that he wore over his eyes that had really drawn her interest.

Was he blind?

As she understood it wasn't uncommon for people who had lost their eyesight to wear things over their eyes to hide them from sight. But if this man was blind what would he have been doing all the way out here by himself? Sure she had heard of sightless people who were able to move around just as easily, if not better than those that were able to see, but she couldn't see how it was possibly safe for him to be out here alone. Perhaps he had gotten separated from his group or something. Or maybe he wasn't blind at all, and was undergoing some kind of special training to enhance his other senses. She had heard about people doing such things.

Whatever the case was the blindfold wearing man had also drawn the attention of her butterflies, the translucent creatures fluttering in his direction even before she had turned her head. Most of them still remained close to where Celie stood, but a few had moved a little closer to have a better look at him.

"My apologies, did I startle you?" was the reply she gave him as she noticed something else that was odd about him. He was cupping his mouth for some reason. Was he ill or was he just trying to hide something about his mouth? She really didn't know. It didn't make her feel too uneasy though. Over the years she had found herself to be quite resilient when it came to disease. Most didn't affect her at all, and those few that did never seem to last for very long.

Taking a few steps in his direction she continued. "I mean you no harm. I'm just on my way to the village. You wouldn't happen to be from there would you?" She could only assume he was, at least if he was by himself. After all aside from the one she was headed toward the nearest village was days away, and the Thunderblacks wasn't exactly the safest place to travel alone. He would've have had to have been a lot tougher than he appeared to manage such a trip on his own.

Then again compared to a human she a lot stronger than she appeared, being half demon and all, so she decided not to write off the possibility.

[Rhindeer]

The voice replied, a female, and Lhakya relaxed a little. He hadn't truly been nervous or anything--well, alright, perhaps a little. His kind were the hunted just as much as they were the hunter, as he knew all too well. He heard footsteps and tried to gauge her distance, but though his hearing was good he still wasn't quite that used to blindness to be able to tell. Trying to look casual, he stretched out his legs and leaned back on his hands, inclining his face in the girl's direction and smiling, lips closed.

"Oh, no. Not at all. In fact, I'm relieved. I didn't think I'd find anyone else out here...wherever 'here' is..." He gave a little shrug, not seeming too bothered that he apparently had no idea where he was or where he was going, which was the truth. The only place he wanted to be was away from him, and wherever that place may be, it was all good in his eyes. Metaphorically.

She mentioned a village and he perked up--then absently swatted at some bug fluttering around his face. It was one of Celie's butterflies, but Lhakya didn't know that, nor would he have cared if he did. Insects were insects--and he rather hated the freaky little things, even the ones people called 'pretty'.

"Village? There's a village nearby?" Another thing fluttered by and Lhakya hissed in annoyance and swatted again, trying to hit it but missing. Blasted bugs! "Actually, I'm looking for a village. Well..." He pursed his lips and tilted his head. "Not looking, exactly, 'cause, well...you know." He motioned vaguely at his face. "I can't look, but--never mind."

Groping around on the ground for his staff, he gripped it and used it to help get him to his feet, then wedged it into the earth firmly and leaned against it while he struggled to get his bearings. He still wasn't fully used to blindness and sometimes it felt like he was just floating in emptiness with no sense of up or down or left or right, all those little things he'd taken for granted once upon a time. Finally, the strange sense of emptiness passed and he was able to focus on the earth beneath his feet, grounding himself. Alright. He'd gotten this far, and he could keep on going. He had to get used to this and adjusted somehow--because the alternative was capture and death.

He brushed hair out of his face. "Listen, do you know where it is? The village, I mean. Gods, you have no idea what a relief it is to run into you. I figured I'd be wandering around aimlessly for a few more days." And starving, too.

[Xphy]

After watching the man swat at the two butterflies that had wandered close to him Celie was glad that she had chosen not to get too close to him. If only two of them were bothering him so much she just knew he would have found the entire flutter to be unbearable. Having been around them all of her life she was more than aware of how difficult some people found it to get used to the tiny creatures.

Hell even she found them to be annoying from time to time.

She was just glad that he hadn't actually connected with them before she was able to call them back toward her. Things could've ended badly if he had. As pretty as they were to look at she knew from personal experience just how hostile they could be toward anyone they believed to be a threat toward her or themselves, and they could be quite bloodthirsty at times. On more than one occasion they had attacked people for some of the simplest of things when she wasn't careful, and she really didn't want this man to unknowingly irritate them. He hadn't done anything wrong after all.

As the two butterflies fluttered back to her she crossed her arms and stared at him, puzzled by the fact that he really wasn't from the village she was heading toward. To be able to survive out here for who knows how long in his condition with nothing but a walking stick and the clothes on his back there was no way this man could've been normal.

But why would he be out here by himself in the first place if he wasn't from the village? Had he been travelling with a group and gotten lost somewhere along the way? She couldn't help but wonder. His expression did seem to brighten when she mentioned the village so maybe that really the case. Maybe he was hoping to meet up with his travelling party there or something. Or maybe he was out here for other reasons?

She really couldn't figure it out.
 
The man rising to his feet and asking if she knew where the village was would bring her back to reality. Even if she couldn't figure out why he was out here by himself she knew she couldn't just leave him by himself if he didn't know where he was going. To do so would be to go against everything she stood for. Besides if she helped him she might've been able to figure out what he was doing.

"It's not too far from here. I could lead you there if you want. I was headed in that direction anyway," she replied, looking back over toward her horse for a second before focusing back on the man. She'd probably have to let him ride and lead them on foot. If they tried to ride together her butterflies probably would've annoyed him the entire way. Besides she didn't really mind walking. It would've given her a chance to stretch her legs.

[Rhindeer]

Lhakya took a deep breath and tried to ignore the hunger pains. Right. Lead him to town. Okay.

The scent of her blood singing beneath her skin was enough to drive him mad in his famished state, but he had to remember to rein himself in and control himself no matter how much he wanted to let get and let those primal urges take over. Town. There would be plenty of food in town. He had to calm down, keep his head low, and not do anything that would attract unwanted attention and make it obvious that a demon was walking around there. He didn't care if the townspeople found out; it would be an inconvenience, and dangerous at that, but while he feared death like anyone else, it didn't scare him as much as what would happen if Kiras found him.

Killing a human this close to town? Yeah, that would attract notice. Word would spread and eventually he'd be found.

He smiled, head turned in her direction--mostly. He was facing a little too far to the left, where there was nothing but air. "I'd really appreciate that, miss," he said, bowing his head. "If it's not too much of an inconvenience? I promise I won't trouble you, any, and I'll stay out of your way." He gave a small laugh. "I've become good at keeping out from underfoot."

[Xphy]

"It wouldn't be any trouble at all," Celie replied, noting that the man wasn't quite looking in her direction. "I couldn't live with myself if I left you out here by yourself." She imagined it must have been quite difficult to pinpoint where everything was when you didn't have your eyesight. Either that or he wasn't quite used to being without his eyesight. She didn't know which was true, and she didn't want to pry so she said nothing about it.

Instead she turned and walked over to where her horse was standing by the stream, giving him a reassuring stroke on his cheek with her hand. She then took hold of his reins and walked him back over to where the man was standing, a thought coming to mind as she did. He was alone now, but had he always been? Could he have been traveling with others and gotten separated from them?

It was probably a good idea to ask. After all, if there were others they might have been worried, and possibly were out looking for him as they spoke.

"Speaking of which, were there others traveling with you?" she asked, taking a moment to stretch her arms and her tail underneath her clothing. After riding all day she would need to loosen up a bit if she was going to walk the rest of the way. "Oh, and forgive my rudeness. I haven't given you my name have I?

"It is Celie. Might I have yours?"

[Rhindeer]

Aww, how sweet. She couldn't bear to leave him, couldn't live with herself if she did.

Under the blindfold, Lhakya rolled his damaged eyes.

While she walked away, Lhakya stood still and listened intently to gauge her whereabouts, but soon enough he heard her returning--and with her horse, too. Ugh. Animals didn't tend to like him much (which he supposed was a wise thing, considering he viewed them all as food) but he kept his trap shut. If the horse reacted badly, it was her issue, not his, and he'd just step aside and let her deal with it.

The girl's next question got his mind right off the horse issue.

Aw, shit. Good question...um...

Lhakya gave a small jolt of feigned surprise. "Huh? How did you know that?" he asked, but then he shook his head. "Oh, right. Never mind. I guess blind people don't wander around alone often, eh? Ah, yeah...my party was attacked on the way here and we got kind of scattered. I'm sure they're alright, though!" he added with a smile, allowing himself a nervous fidget for effect. "They're tough. I'm just hoping they'll know to meet up here; it's the closest village as far I know..."

He let himself trail off, and after a pause he shrugged his shoulders and started to walk. "But enough about that, that's not your problem. I'm Lhakya."