Scarlet found herself in a forest just before nightfall. There was no way she was going to spend the night just lying in the dirt, it was very unladylike. Her first order of business was to find shelter. Grabbing a few good sized limbs, she quickly threw together a lean-to and placed a bedding of fallen leaves inside to serve as a place to sleep. Next, she would need a fire. She quickly set herself to gathering suitable material to start one.
((OOC: OMG D8 I can't believe I didn't reply to this! I didn't bookmark it and it slipped through the cracks. I AM SO SO SORRY))
Leon yawned, trudging through the forest. He was heading back through the woods, taking a shortcut and he was starting to get a bit tired. Probably gonna have to set up camp soon, though some movement and rustling caught his attention.
Creeping closer, Leon caught sight of a pretty red head messing around with sticks. Never one to leave a damsel in distress, he headed over, beaming, "Well, hello there! Can I help?"
((OOC: No worries, I was out for a bit anyway. I'm just glad you didn't have to wait on me.))
Scarlet was startled by the man's voice, as she had not heard him approach. He was a tall, lean fellow, though he had somewhat soft features. He did not look like much of a threat, but Scarlet was suspicious. She found herself both attracted to him and cautious of him.
"Sure," Scarlet said with a smile, "I just need a little help getting a fire going. If you could help me gather some wood and kindling, I would greatly appreciate it."
"Oh yeah. That I can do. You just rest your little head darlin'. Leon here will take care of ya!" Nothing Leon liked more than helping out a pretty lady. Her look was a little odd, but she was far too pretty to be a witch. Witches were hags and stuff.
He searched the area around the camp and soon had an armful of wood and a bit of kindling. He squatted down next to the attempt at a fire and gave the woman his best, winning smile, "Here. I'll get this started real fast."
Leon wasn't bad at building a fire, but he wasn't as good as he bragged to be. Soon he had the structure built up and fumbled around his pockets for a bit of flint.
"Please do, it'll get chilly when the sun sets." Scarlet looked up at the sky, that would not be long from now. Just the thought of being cold made her wish she had stayed at that nice inn back in Northwatch. Hopefully her new friend would have the fire going before it got too cold.
Scarlet watched as he pulled the flint from his pocket and began to strike a spark off of it, but the kindling did not seem eager to burn. "So, what brings you through here?" Scarlet asked. She was still not very sure about him.
((Sorry, haven't had power in almost a week. Stupid storms knocked it out.))
It took a few more tries, but eventually Leon got a small light going. He had to ignore her question for a moment as he managed to get it to stay, building it up slowly. Once it seemed like it wasn't going to die, he sat back and grinned, "Just headin' back home. Been on a very important mission. Huntin' down a witch!"
A Mordecai had needed some extra help and he been one of the people who had gotten picked. It had been easy enough, only a few injuries and no deaths. Well, besides the witches.
Scarlet was glad to see a fire. Even if it was just a small dancing flame, it was a fire at last. There was a draft along the ground and it most certainly was not going to get any warmer on its own.
Scarlet was so glad to have a fire started that it took a second for her understand what he said. "A witch? That sounds dangerous." She walked up next to him and sat with him by the newborn fire. "You weren't hurt were you?"
"Oh yes. Very. They can steal souls and stuff. And like, they birth monsters that can rip a man apart." Leon nodded, leaning a little closer, eyes sliding along Scarlet's form. She was quite pretty and Leon wanted to impress her.
"I wasn't injured, but it was close. Some of the others were badly wounded. But I was able to slay the bit-uh...beast." He was too used to being around the soldiers and needed to remember to watch his language.
She listened as he described the evils of witches. Scarlet had seen many worlds, and had seen many magics. Some of what she had seen, she wished she could forget. Such evil magics that she had lost sleep after witnessing their effects. That is why she never cared to learn more than simple magic, and nothing was more simple than throwing fire. It was practical, effective, and even intimidating when needed.
She noticed his eyes tracing the curve of her body and blushed a little. Not that she was embarrassed, just that she hoped he would notice it. She could not place why she seemed so interested in him, but he might end up sharing her shelter tonight if he kept smiling at her like he was.
She felt another draft and shivered. Suddenly, everything got darker. She looked over to see that the fire had gone out. "Shit." She had been too distracted to notice when it happened. "Now I'm going to freeze." She began searching the dirt for the flint her new friend had used earlier. She could start it herself, but he did not seem too fond of magic.
"Huh? Fuck! Er...sorry about that." Leon gave Scarlet a lopsided grin as he bent over and started searching for his flint again. It wasn't too hard to find and soon he was crouched back in front of the cold fire, striking the flint against his dagger.
"Should have been paying more attention. Though, if ya like, I got a blanket and we could, you know, snuggle under it and keep warm that way."
Scarlet blushed again at his offer. However, she was not about to go without a fire. "Well... If it's a choice between cuddling or fire, then I choose both." She gave him a wink before approaching the fire pit. Her patience had run out, and she was tired of being cold.
She extended her hand over the lifeless fire pit for a brief moment, and a small tongue of flame shot from her palm to the firewood. The fire was instantly alive, and burning stronger than it had been earlier. "Now, let's hurry and build up the flame so we can get under that blanket." She gave him another quick wink along with a smile.
Things had been going well with the pretty lady when all of a sudden she stretched her hand out over the wood and SHOT FIRE OUT OF HER HAND![/b]
Jumping back, Leon's hand went to his sword, eyes narrowed, "Mage! You are a tainted one! Surrender quietly and I wont hurt you."
He unsheathed the blade, pointing it at the red clad woman.
Her hunch was right, he was not fond of magic. However, she never expected him to threaten her. That was a mistake, as she did not take threats well. He was just fortunate that she liked him.
Hoping to avoid a confrontation, she decided to try to talk her way out of this. "What's the matter?" she asked with a smile. "I got the fire going for us. How is helping us to stay warm a bad thing?" Her face became the cutest pout she could manage. "Do you think I'm an evil witch too?"
"All witches are evil." Leon spit to the side, wanting to ride his mouth of the taint of the words they were speaking, "You go against nature and God."
She was pretty, but Leon wasn't about to be swayed by looks alone. He had heard all about witches and their tricks!
He was not calming down. Scarlet prepared to defend herself, drawing a knife hidden in her sleeve. At this hour, he was surely fatigued from his day. He also said something about fighting recently. Perhaps she could just wear him down and escape. Hopefully she could avoid hurting him, but she would if she must.
"We don't have to do this. We can just forget it happened and go back to setting up camp for the night." She took a step back, and prepared for his answer.
Leon spit again, "Witch!" He quickly made a warding sign with his hand, then charged the woman. The fact she was female didn't make him hesitate at all. She was a magic user and it was his duty to bring her down. He couldn't believe that he had been flirting with a twice damned poxy witch!
Leon was a good swordsman, but he was tired and it slowed his swings, made his reflexes sluggish.
As he approached, Scarlet focused all her attention on his sword. She was too tired to use her ability for very long, so she would have to disarm him if she hoped to end this without hurting him.
Her eyes began to glow faintly as she sped herself up, causing everything around her to slow. She dodged each swing as the sword slashed at her in slow motion. Readying her knife to counter, her free hand seized his wrist. She quickly pulled downward in an attempt to slam his hand into her knee, hopefully forcing him to drop the blade.
Of all the tricks Leon had been expecting, someone suddenly going super fast wasn't one of them. He attacked aggressively, but he couldn't keep up with her speed, each attack finding air instead of the woman.
When his wrist slammed into her knee, Leon tried to keep a hold of his sword, a startled cry escaping him. But his hand wouldn't listen and the sword dropped from his numb hand. Damn!
His left hand groped for his dagger, drawing it awkwardly. He wasn't letting this cunt win!
Scarlet kicked the sword away, sending it into the darkness beyond the light of the fire. Her eyes never left Leon. Their ominous glow starting to fade as her energy was depleting. Her speed would slow marginally with each passing second. She had to get that dagger away from him while she still had the advantage.
In the time it took for a blink, she closed the distance between them. She held her dagger ready to defend herself, but also planned to use the handle to strike him. This charge was intended to knock him to the ground, where she would pin his wrist in an attempt to disarm him.
((OOC: I just noticed you've become an Admin. Congratulations!))
The charge staggered Leon, but he didn't go down, awkwardly groping for the woman, wanting to pin her if he could. He had size and mass on her and she was way to fast for him. And judging by her glowing eyes, the whore was using magic.
Grunting, Leon slashed with his dagger, his aim off with his left hand.
((OOC: Thank you 8D You're actually the first one to say anything <3 I'm super excited!))
Scarlet jumped back from Leon's strike. She could see the reflection of her eyes in the blade as it passed by her face. Her advantage was fading, and it was becoming more noticeable with each passing second.
Without hesitating, Scarlet grabbed for his extended wrist. If she could get a secure grip, she would twist his hand behind his back. Hopefully, when she had him held, she could get him to surrender.
((OOC: Really, the first? 8D Well, then allow me to be the first to say that I think you will be a great Admin.))
As it was his left hand, it wasn't hard for Scarlet to get the lock on him. Swearing, Leon dropped to his knees, trying to lesson the pressure she was applying to his joints, "Bitch! Rot cunted whore! Let me go!"
"Not until you calm down!" Scarlet spoke the words harshly. "Can't you see that I'm trying not to hurt you?" She loosened the tension on his arm to relieve some of the pain, but was sure to keep a good grip on his wrist.
"It's getting late, and there's no telling what lurks in these woods at night." Scarlet was still using her harsh voice. "It would be beneficial to both of us if you would calm down and cooperate. If you can't do that, then I'll be forced to restrain you until dawn."
"I AM CALM!" Leon struggled against the woman's hold, though he still couldn't break it, "But I'll never cooperate with a filthy witch! My soul is clean! Not even your pretty face is going to tempt me!"
"I'm not interested in your soul!" Scarlet was not holding back with her voice any longer. It now sounded so harsh that it was like talking to a completely different person. "All I need is for you to agree to behave for the evening! If you don't think you can do that, then I can tie you to a tree and leave you there all night! So, do you want to sleep horizontal or vertical!? The choice is entirely up to you!"
"I'm not listening to any of your lies witch!" Leon struggled against her hold. The change in her voice only proved she was some demonspawned whore sent to tempt men. He wasn't going to let her taint or tempt him and he prayed she didn't kill him out in these woods. But at least that death would be honorable!
Scarlet tightened the grip on his wrist. He was really struggling now, and she did not have the energy to restrain him again if he were to get loose. She had to tie him up, or risk him attacking her again.
"You leave me no choice." Her face went blank, hiding her emotions. Scarlet pulled Leon's arm back and up, the pain of the hold would stop his struggling momentarily. "I'm sorry." She brought up the hand that held her dagger and quickly swung the handle towards the back of his head. She hoped the first strike would knock him out. She really did not want to hit him repeatedly if she did not have to.
All she needed was the one blow. With a soft grunt, Leon's eyes rolled back and he slumped forward, no longer resisting her hold on him.
Scarlet released Leon's wrist, gently lowering him to the ground. She turned and walked over to where they had been sitting by the fire. Leon had placed his gear close to his place by the fire. There, she found enough rope keep him restrained.
After binding his arms and legs, she placed him just outside the door to her shelter. Being that close to the shelter and fire would keep him warm and safe. She only wished she had something for the headache he was sure to have in the morning.
Scarlet was exhausted by this point. She crawled into her shelter and closed her eyes. The sounds of the fire crackling and the various sounds of the forest combined to create a symphony of soothing sound. It was not long before sleep came over her.
Leon stayed out for the rest of the night. When the morning light started to filter through the trees, he woke up slowly. Everything hurt. His head throbbed and his body was stiff from being stuck in one position all night, his muscles tight from the cold.
He could already tell that moving was going to hurt. A lot. But he was still bound. Slowly shifting, Leon attempted to wiggling and twist to try and reach the knife he kept in his boot.
Scarlet's eyes opened, greeted by warm sunlight. She sat up and stepped out of her shelter, allowing the sun to warm her skin. The fire pit was still smoldering, though the flame had died down quite some time ago. She reached into the dirt and tossed a few handfuls over it to be sure it would stay out.
Remembering her friend from last night, Scarlet turned to check on him. Hopefully he had calmed down over the night, but, somehow, she doubted it.
When the witch came out, Leon stopped going for the knife. No point in announcing he had it. Instead his blue grey eyes tracked her, his expression dark. Flame haired cunt wasn't going to get the best of him.
Scarlet was relieved to see that he was awake, but he was staring at her like he was watching a wild animal. Keeping eye contact, as if afraid to take his eyes off of her. It was safe to say he had calmed down, but his mood had not improved at all. The only thing she could do was try to talk to him again. "So... you okay?"
"Curse you witch! I'll have nothing to do with your poison tongue!" Leon narrowed his eyes, spitting at her feet. He had been bested by her and that stung. A woman and a witch had managed to overpower and tie him up.
"So you're still on about me being a witch, huh? Oh well, I tried." Leon seemed to be getting more upset the longer he was around her. Fortunately, there was no need for him to be around her anymore. Scarlet drew the knife from her sleeve as she walked closer to him. "Guess I can't change your mind about me after all."
"You can kill me but I wont give in! My soul is clean of your taint!" And with that, Leon began to pray loudly to Ansgar and any Saints that would hear him. He had always known he was going to die, all soldiers had to come to terms with that fact and while he hadn't wanted to die this young, he wasn't going to go without honor, without dignity.
Scarlet could not help but giggle when she heard him. "I'm not going to kill you, silly boy." She reached down with the knife, slicing the ropes she used to restrain him. "I already told you, I'm not some evil witch, and I won't hurt you." She extended her hand in an offer to help him up. "You don't have to believe me, but I would appreciate it if you refrained from attacking me again. If you behave, then so will I."
She might not be planning on killing him, but he was going to kill her. If he could have, he would have exploded out and attacked her, but his arms were numb and he could hardly move. Swinging them awkwardly, he attempted to wake his limbs up, still glaring daggers at the witch and refusing to speak.
"Well, I guess I'll take the silent glare as you agreeing to behave." Scarlet withdrew her hand, and thus her offer to help him up. This guy really was angry, over something as trivial as her starting a fire. "Well, you won't have to deal with me too much longer. I'll be heading back south soon."
Scarlet began to gather her things, she did not want to waste too much time here. She managed to get far enough away from Jack, so now she needed to start working. A few mercenary jobs, and Jack would eventually pick up on her trail. It would not be any fun for her if he did not catch on at some point. She could not help but wonder what he was up to at the moment.
She could think that all she wanted. Leon continued to watch her, angry and wary. She seemed nice enough, and Leon was sure she was. But she was weak and dangerous. She was messing with the universe and bring magic's taint into their land.
For the sake of her soul and to keep Connlaoth safe, Leon was going to kill her.
He sat up slowly, wincing as the blood rushed back into his limbs, body screaming in protest at the movement.
Scarlet continued to gather her things and contemplate various ways of toying with her pursuer, Jack. Their little game of hide-and-seek was now underway, and she was planning on having quite a bit of fun this time around.
"I'm sorry for leaving you tied up all night," she said to Leon. Just because her company was not feeling very friendly at the moment, did not mean she was going to be unkind. She was almost done retrieving her belongings, and would soon be on her own. She might as well try to enjoy the company while she had it.
"Fuck you ya poxy cunt." Leon sprung forward then, limbs awake enough that he could move again, though he was still clumsy. As he moved forward, he drew the knife in his boot, readying himself for a final attack on the witch.
Scarlet was startled by his sudden outburst. She could hear his feet as he approached. She instinctively sped herself up, her eyes glowing brightly with the activation of her ability. Turning at a an inhuman speed, she swept her foot along the ground, kicking up a cloud of dirt and dust. Her hand pulled the knife from her sleeve, and she prepared her defense behind her wall of dust.
Leon went down at her blindingly fast kick, but his free arm snaked out, gripping her arm and pulling her down with him. That speed made it hard to fight her, but he did his best to try and roll her under him, using his larger mass to his advantage.
Scarlet felt her foot connect before the dust blocked her view. Through the cloud of dirt and dust came the man's hand, gripping her arm as he fell. The sudden pull of his weight surprised her, her loss of concentration causing the world around her to suddenly return to normal speed. She fell into the dust cloud, unable to see her assailant. She hit the ground, landing on her back, as the dirt and dust falling against her began to settle.
She opened her eyes to find Leon on top of her, pinning her to the ground. She had dropped her knife, and it had been buried under the settling dirt. This was definitely not what she had planned.
"Get off of me!" she screamed as he began wiggling violently. Her eyes began to glow as she reactivated her ability, turning the wiggling into a rapid vibration, in the hopes of shaking him off.
That was a really, really weird sensation and Leon had to struggle to keep his grip on the girl. It was hard when she moved in ways he just wasn't used too and his arms and legs still felt heavy and weird after being tied up all night.
Gritting his teeth, he concentrated on trying to keep her from wiggling free, "Give up! You can at least save your soul!"
"My soul is fine!" Scarlet's knee came up at inhuman speed, repeatedly striking him at his side. After several hits, she managed to force him off of her.
While he lay there holding his side, she rose to her feet, anger bubbling up inside her. "I already told you... I didn't want to hurt you." She kicked him in his side, the same spot her knee had just abused. "Why did you have to go and change my mind?"
Scarlet was usually only cruel with her words, but get her mad, and you would see that she could be cruel in other ways as well. She placed the heel of her foot firmly into his chest. "Now, I would like an apology. That is, unless you want to keep making me angry." She began to increase the pressure of her foot on his chest. She would make him sorry that he attacked her from behind like that.
Sharp, vicious pain exploded in Leon's side. He curled around it, gasping for breath. He was going to be pissing blood after this.
Fuckfuckfuck but this was not good! When the woman rolled him onto his back, Leon cried out, glaring up at her. He narrowed his eyes, panting and hurt, "Your soul is gonna rot away cunt. Enjoy your hell. I will never apologize."
Scarlet lifted her foot from his chest, and brought it back down hard. "You will apologize!" His attitude and insults did not bother her. Just the fact that he would dare try to attack her for no good reason made her furious. "I did nothing to you. I offered shelter and a warm fire, and you attacked me. I tried to be nice about it, to dismiss it and leave you alone, but you attacked me again."
She stomped on his chest a second time, and had to resist doing it a few more times. She did not understand why he was so adverse to just ending this stupid fight. "Just get it through your head that you've lost, and apologize for attacking me like that." She was beginning to get her anger under control, though she still had a cold, harsh tone to her voice.
Leon cried out, coughing roughly, gasping for air as her foot drove the air out of his lungs. He couldn't have apologized even if he wanted too, unable to speak. Once he was able to speak again, he croaked out a gasping, "Eat shit witch."
Scarlet managed to get her anger under control. This poor guy had no idea how close she was to just stomping a hole into his chest. She lifted her foot from his chest, placing it back as she stepped away from him. "You will be sorry, one way or another."
She turned around and grabbed the rope again. Though some of it was cut, it would do for what she had planned. She jerked his arm up, holding it in place as she wrapped the rope around his forearm. "I'm going to give you one last chance to apologize." She held the rope tightly in her free hand. "If you say no, then I'm leaving, and you will be sorry you were so rude to me."
"I ain't apologizing! Just do yer worst, mage scum!" Leon knew it was a bad idea to piss this woman off. She could do all kinds of awful things to him, but he wasn't going to break. The flesh might be weak, but at least his soul would be clean.
He coughed again, pain racing through him. His chest felt like fire.
Scarlet grinned. "Fine, then no more chances." She pulled the rope coiled around his arm away at blazing speed, dragging it along his flesh. The rope snapped with the force of a cracked whip before falling to the ground. The rope left a whelp so red, it was practically glowing. Scarlet could almost feel the heat coming off of it.
"While you think about how you could have avoided all of this, I am going to collect my things." There was not left to collect, but she took her time anyway. She was no longer sorry about her presence causing any more pain for Leon.
Leon screamed at the rope burn, curling around his arm. The pain was intense and he couldn't think for several moments, making loud pain noises. Fucking bitch! If he ever found her again, he would end her. Witch!
(Thread end?)
((Yeah... Thanks for another awesome thread Rina.))