I've got 99 problems and a god ain't one. [Blue!]

[Rhindeer]

"Are ya crazy or are ya just stupid?"

"There are several possible answers to that question," Kota told the shopkeeper, who had him by the front of the shirt and pulled up onto his tip-toes. Somehow, he managed to keep a grim, deadpan expression while he said it, too. The shopkeeper was tall. Really tall. And beefy. It would be just his luck that the first vendor he decided to steal from today would be the tallest, beefiest Serenian he'd had the displeasure of meeting in a long while.

And alert as a sheepdog in wolf country. Figured, considering Cerenis was a city of sailors and, inevitably, pirates.

"Well, ain't that just fancy. Now ya better be plannin' on givin' back what ya swiped, or I'm gonna take that back and more."

"I have no idea what you're talkin' about," Kota said automatically, and tried to pry the man's fingers off of him. He may as well have been trying to wriggle out of the jaws of a shark. Honestly, he didn't even know why he said that; the guy had caught him in the act, but even caught red-handed his instinct was to deny, deny, deny.

Because the truth, in all things criminal, rarely set you free. Quite the opposite, from his experience!

The shopkeeper's eyes narrowed to ominous slits. He was not buying it.

Kota wouldn't, either.

Problem was, he no longer had the guy's stuff. Because in what was probably the most ridiculous, most unfortunate series of events ever, some little street rat of an opportunistic brat had zipped on by and snatched it right out of Kota's pocket as soon as the shopkeeper had grabbed him, and the guy didn't believe him when he said he no longer had it.

Kota wouldn't, either.

There was a metallic hiss, and Kota realized he'd drawn a blade. "I oughta cut out your lyin' tongue," he growled. "Now where's my money? I know ya took it! So ya better cough it up 'fore I slit ya open and look myself!"

The blade flashed in front of his nose and Kota leaned away from it, as far back as the fabric of his shirt would let him, the first beads of sweat slicking his skin.

He was so, so unbelievably screwed.

[Blue]

Just then, two sets if ominous, deep growling set up on either side of the men. Like hideous shadows two large beasts had silently crept out into the light, hackles bristling, lips curled back into an ugly snarl that showed white and spit. They were wolves, most probably, but of the biggest breed one could imagine - huge sulking creatures with fur a mixture of black and white. They had sharp yellow eyes, and both pairs were set directly on the man with the blade.
The growling rose an octave, turning into guttural snarling, enough to turn even the bravest of men's blood to ice.
Perhaps more oddly, though posed to strike, neither had yet launched and torn out a throat.
The answer was soon evident, but probably even more strange.

"They have a strong dislike for weapons."
Somebody drawled nearby, their voice cold and not at all friendly. The young man attached to it was no less intimidating than his apparent wolf-pets, though he was slouching against a wall almost lazily. Dressed in black, unusual garments, with one half of his face covered by a sheet of that raven black hair, he looked morose. Moreover, his one good eye was chillingly inhuman, a pool of black with a red iris that held the smallest slit of a vertical pupil.
Even if he seemed unarmed, there was a very obvious air of danger and magic about him.

Normally he wouldn't bother helping thieves. But he had been observing, and had seen the thief get almost instantly stolen from even as he was being captured. A cruel twist of fate, that one. Now, no matter what he said or did, he was essentially doomed. That seemed good enough reason to help him - after all, he himself had to steal a few times already just to help feed himself while stuck in large cities. Not much hunting for his wolves in places like this...well, actually they thought there was plenty, but he wasn't about to go and let them return to their diet of unfortunate human victims.

[Rhindeer]

The shopkeeper went very still and very stiff, and Kota could feel the trembling beginning in the arm that held him.

Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one abruptly scared stiff. The hair all along Kota's arms and the back  of his neck stood on end and a violent chill went through him when he heard those growls, and for a moment he didn't want to look. But morbid curiosity won out and, dreading every moment of it, he turned his head.

And nearly swallowed his tongue at the sight of the wolves.

And the young, ominous man that went with them.

The shopkeeper gave a cry of fright and practically threw Kota away, dropping the knife in the process and bolting back into his shop. With a grunt, thrown off balance by the sudden movement, Kota toppled over and landed on hands and knees.

Then, in horror, he stared at the trio. Unlike the shopkeeper, he dared not move, just in case the wolves were of a nature to chase.

[Blue]

Well, that had the desired effect. He snorted under his breath as the man fled with a cry, and it was all he could do to exert his will over the wolves and deaden their natural urge to chase. Instead, they turned their hungry yellow eyes on the young man now on hands and knees. Still snarling, the one nearest Kota stepped forward, eagerness in its stance.
It was suddenly cuffed about the ear with enough force to knock it's head to the side, and it yelped before cowering to the ground with a growl. Over it stood the young man, standing much straighter now, and easily taller than Kota even if he had been standing. He was glowering darkly at the creature, and the other wolf seemed hesitant to push it's own luck despite not being hit as well.

That one unnatural eye flicked down to Kota, before he stooped and roughly hauled the other man to his feet. He released him quickly enough, but he'd given the other a terse once-over all the same. Not bleeding, didn't seem hurt, just shaken. He was essentially done here, then. His face didn't let up out of the frown, and with such an unusual eye, it was hard to see the concern that was there.
He liked people. He helped them when he could. But they made him uneasy, and he knew he scared them. Rightly so, he thought bitterly.
Turning on a booted heel, he snagged the beaten wolf by the scruff and half dragged it along after him before both creatures knew it was time to leave. They skulked along behind the mysterious dark skinned young man.

[Rhindeer]

Oh no, oh no, oh no!

Just as he'd feared would happen, the wolf lunged for him, faster than he could roll to the side, faster than he could even think to be afraid, and him with no water source nearby to draw his magic from to protect himself.

He was so dead.

But right before the beast's jaws clamped on him, someone smacked the wolf, stopping the attack, and then he was pulled roughly to his feet, still gaping at what the holy spirits had just happened. Pulled to his feet, given a once over, and then...the guy was off.

Just like that.

Thus concluding what was possibly the single most random, bizarre series of events in his life.

What.

For a few seconds, Kota stood there with his mouth hanging open stupidly and his pulse pounding in his ears. Had that...had that just happened? He looked around himself, searching for someone who could validate this whole experience for him and tell him he hadn't cracked, but if there had been anyone around, they'd fled when the wolves came out.

All that remained was the man, and he was getting further and further away.

"Wait!" Before he knew what he was doing, he'd started after him, mindful of the wolves trailing behind him. "Wait! Just hold on a bloody second, will ya!"

[Blue]

Nagendra flinched visibly, his shoulders stooping into a slouch almost immediately. What sort of fool would follow him after all that? He set his jaw, despite the part of him that wanted to turn and answer the stranger. But that part of him was weak and small these days - he'd already learned with much abundance how bad it was for him to linger around others.

Fortunately for Kota, and rather unfortunately, it was again the wolves that intervened.
Both wheeled around eagerly, ears back and malice at the ready. They were forbidden from hunting down these weak hairless things, but if one came after them it was alright, yes? Deciding that it must be so, they both lunged for Kota as if their hind quarters were springs.

Once more, their snapping, spittle-laced jaws came close to Kota but not close enough. Abruptly the tall young man had each in a head lock, one under each arm, an angry grimace on his face. They snarled and snapped and yowled, hind claws scrabbling across the stones of the road as they tried to get some purchase and wrench free from their master. Nagendra looked tall and strong, but not so strong as to be able to wrestle with two such large beasts with the ease that he did, further enhancing the notion that he was certainly abnormal.
"Wretched creatures."
He hissed, before both suddenly disappeared into wisps of black smoke - he'd banished them for now, and he hoped he wouldn't regret doing so for the sake of one idiot stranger.

Still with a look of fresh anger on his face, he barked out his words to Kota.
"What's so important you would die over it fool!?"

[Rhindeer]

With a yelp that was too high-pitched to be called manly, Kota jerked backwards and just about pissed himself when, for the second time in less than 10 minutes, he nearly got his face ripped off by a pair of wolves.

And was once again saved--kind of.

He could only watch in horror as the man wrestled with his "pets", holding them off with a strange, unnatural sort of strength that surely wouldn't hold, and he realized in that moment that following the big man with the really big man-eating dogs was probably not the best decision of his life. Spittle landed on his face and he could smell their breath even from that distance and yet all he could do was freeze in petrified shock.

Right up to the part where they vanished into smoke.

What the...

"Uh..." Kota blinked slowly, legs shaking more than he'd like to admit. "Well, uh...to be perfectly honest, nothing," Kota answered, and swallowed hard. He reached up to wipe at some of the spittle on his cheek with numb fingers. "Just...ya know. Wanted to say thanks? Heh..."

[Blue]

Though seething with obvious anger, Nagendra also noted the absolute terror that had gripped the man just a moment before. His legs were even trembling.
A pang of guilt ran numbly through him, but it had been partially this stranger's fault too given the obvious predisposition of those creatures. Still, it was just another bitter reminder of the fear that followed in his wake.

Thus the thanks, though nervous, knocked the wind visibly out of his sails. It was almost comical, the way the anger was shoved aside by surprise, and then sheepish embarrassment.
He jerked around to give the man his back almost immediately after, so that the look was not seen particularly long. Grumbling, he hunched into the fur collar of his vest, arms crossed.
"You're welcome."
He muttered, before starting to stride away again on booted feet. He couldn't remember the last time somebody had honestly thanked him. And for this man to do it, after his own wolves nearly took his face twice, was quite a feat. It sort of set him off his usual grim demeanor, if only for the  moment.

[Rhindeer]

His reaction only puzzled Kota more. It was like his simple gratitude had punched the stranger straight in the feels gut, and then he was off again, just like that.

It was so...strange. Have someone swoop in, save your life, and then flee all mysterious-like!

Well, Kota didn't like mystery. He liked knowing the answers. Curiosity always got the better of him, even when it probably shouldn't, and that was what made him dart after his strangely dressed, scary-eyed savior.

Now that there were no deathbeasts trailing him, he felt no hesitation in catching up with him and falling in right alongside him. "Soooo...what? You just rescue me and that's it? Swoop in, save the day, then vanish into the sunset? C'mon, mate! You gotta give me a little more than that! Let me buy you some ale, some lunch, something! Seriously, you really saved my bacon, I owe ya at least that much."

[Blue]

Jerking, Nagendra shied away like a skittish animal as the man came up beside him. That look of embarrassment was gone, his usual frown back in place, but he was staring at Kota with some hard to place look.
Honestly, he was startled. And perplexed. This man should have run off by now. Why was he being so persistent??

People parted ahead of him thanks to his brisk strides and grim face, which made navigating the annoyingly energetic streets a bit easier. He didn't like being around so many people, it made him jittery, which was quite obvious by his stiff stature.
"You were caught stealing. I doubt you have the money to waste on me."
His voice was a disgruntled grumble, before finally he whirled on Kota. He turned the full force of that strange eye on the young man, straightening back up so that he looked down on the other.
"Why aren't you scared? It should be obvious by now that I'm dangerous! Are you this town's idiot??"

[Rhindeer]

Kota gave a rich, jovial laugh. For someone so scary and ominous who apparently wrestled deathbeasts for fun and saved the day like it was no big deal, this guy was surprisingly naive. And now here he was, trying to be all intimidating at him, puffing himself up and everything. But Kota had seen a that flash of something else behind the anger and intimidation in that moment when he'd thanked him.

Something that wasn't all rugged and scary, but that was kind of vulnerable.

Kota smiled. "It's your death-hounds I'm scared of. You seem decent enough," he said, sweeping a look up and down him. "And anyway, I have plenty of money. Enough to pay you back with a meal, at least! The stealing, ah..."

His smile turned sheepish. "Well, never mind that."

[Blue]

Again Nagendra was knocked off his usual stable ground of cold and prickly behavior, this time by that laugh. Some odd shiver went straight down to his toes. What a warm, happy sound. His stomach twisted, and he worked hard at removing the look of dumbstruck wonder from his face and returning it to it's frown.
Honestly, what possessed this man??

Finally succeeding, he turned his head way with a growl and grimace.
"Proof you don't know me."
Why was he so insistent on this. It irritated him and made him uneasy. He'd yet to meet a person who so openly seemed to want to spend any time around him. It was like holding water out to a man dying of thirst - he so badly wanted to partake.
But everything in him knew it was a bad idea.
"The botched theft, you mean."
He lashed out darkly, but still hadn't walked away. Damn it all.

"I don't like being around people. I'm leaving the city for the woods."
He bit off his words again, and this time walked off in earnest toward the north exit of the city - the one facing the forest. It was odd he'd announce where he was going, unless it was as good as a 'yes' as Kota would get to the offer of a meal.
If he really wanted to feed him, he'd have to bring it out to him.

[Rhindeer]

Kota stared at the man's back as he headed away, blinking slowly at their exchange. Well! That was utterly perplexing. And yet, he took note of one interesting detail:

The man had told Kota what he was doing.

But he hadn't once told Kota to leave him alone or go away.

And he hadn't rejected the offer of a meal.

Ha! Maybe he was just shy, one of those noble types that didn't like to ask for things?

Kota could have probably spent his time doing other things than chasing some elusive, mysterious stranger with deathdogs, but curiosity was a strong, driving force in his life--part of why he'd left Thanatos and set off across the world. Besides, as a pirate, he was used to danger. Danger often went hand-in-hand with adventure, and he'd met some shady characters in his time. Some of them weren't nearly as bad as they liked others to believe!

Of course, some of them were.

Well, fine then!

Taking note of the direction the man went, Kota headed to the nearest tavern and came out with a small meal of meat, cheese, and bread. Pottage would have been ideal, but this he could carry and it was still hot. Heading in the direction the stranger had gone, Kota stepped out into the woods.

"Hello? Mysterious hero type? You out there?"

[Blue]

Kota's call was at first answered with a silent, solid wall of dark trees. Then there was a harsh flapping of wings, as something large and dark perched on a branch above his head. It was a bird, of course...but one the size of a child and covered with a thick layer of black feathers. Its head was hunched between the shoulders of its wings, and it stared down at the man with emotionless inky eyes.
It screeched at him harshly, then turned itself around on the thick branch, large curved talons gouging the wood. And then it hoped to another branch, hardly needing to open its wings. Pine needles filtered down after the jarring of its weight, and it turned back to stare at Kota. It screeched again, and once more bounced to a branch further into the woods.
It was being as obvious as possible about the man with the food needing to follow.

Not far into the forest is where it eventually stopped, and assuming the young man had followed, he would find himself in a rare clearing big enough for light to reach through the boughs overhead straining for the sun.
'Mysterious Hero' was laying flat out on his back amid the mossy ground, hands resting on his stomach rather peacefully. The ground was pleasantly warm, as was the sun on his skin - he was aware, dimly, that he liked to sun himself because the dark god within him was a serpent. But he'd always like sunlight himself so on some days, like today, he just let it be.
The bird fluttered heavily to the ground and sulked about awkwardly, as large birds often do when on the ground.
Finally Nagendra sighed, opened his unusual eye, and sat up to give Kota a mild frown. He really was persistent...

[Rhindeer]

Oookay. First creepy wolves, then ominous man, and now an enigmatic giant bird that was doing a little "follow me" dance. This whole day was so weird.

Kota watched the bird hop away from him, and it was then that he hesitated. What he'd misread the situation? What if he was wrong? Like the guy even said, he probably should be scared, and now he was being lured off deeper into the woods. It had all the makings of the kind of story children were told to be wary of strangers.

So since he wasn't a child, he ignored the warnings completely.

With a deep breath, he followed, if at a distance; he didn't trust those talons, and if this bird was like those dogs and came from the same place, he didn't trust it at all.

Soon he found himself in a sunny clearing, and there was his new friend, sunning himself on the ground. Kota still hung back, especially as the bird hopped onto the ground, but when the man frowned over at him, Kota returned it with a smile and motioned at him with the wrapped up food.

"You didn't say you didn't want it," he explained.

[Blue]

Nagendra couldn't do much more than let out an irritable sigh, that smile knocking the wind out of his sails. It was hard to maintain a cold demeanor in the face of such unexplainable good will. The huge bird fluttered heavily onto his thigh, and he grimaced as those talons found purchase through his pants and into his skin.
"Shove off, scavenger."
He growled with clear warning, and the feathered lump eyeballed him calmly. They seemed to be at some kind of silent stalemate, and so the odd young man returned his attention to their 'guest', waving him over curtly.

"I'll eat it. And then you can consider your 'debt' repaid."
It was actually making his mouth water though, the idea of properly prepared food. Eating what these black beasts caught, sometimes raw, was not the most pleasant of menus. The huge bird, still clinging to his thigh painfully, seemed more curious toward Kota than his food. It flared it's wings a little in the sun, as if also content to warm itself, gaze focused on the would-be thief.

[Rhindeer]

Kota winced sympathetically as that bird perched on the man's thigh and yet, strangely, the guy didn't try and shove the thing off. Instead, he seemed to be tolerating it.

And while he still felt uneasy with the bird so close, this man had saved him twice already from his helldogs. If he could keep him safe from those, surely a feathered rat was no large feat.

Walking closer, Kota stopped beside the man and took a seat on the ground close by. He set the wrapped food on the ground and nudged it closer. "Deal. Eat up, then, friend! And while I have ya here, why don'tcha tell me what all that was all about? Y'know, the whole save the day and then run away thing?"

[Blue]

"I'm not your friend."
Was his curt reply, before he grabbed the food and unwrapped the warm contents. Yes, finally, real food. The huge bird shifted on his thigh, and blood became apparent on the grass.
"None for you."
He all but snarled it, but the bird still seemed to be considering taking the chance. Nagendra kept a fiercely cold eye on it as he began to stuff the food into his mouth. At this point, he didn't care how unseemly it might appear - he was hungry, and for something other than raw game. This was the best meal he'd had in ages, and while he managed to keep the happiness off his face, the speed with which he was eating was clear enough evidence.

Finally he responded to the rest of Kota's words, barely giving him his attention.
"I wasn't running away you idiot. I was passing by. I threatened a man. I left. I don't like to be in cities, and I was eager to get through that one. The only reason I went through rather than going around was the slim chance I could find proper food. WRETCH!!"
The roar was as abrupt as it was brutal as Nagendra swung out with his arm. The huge bird-beast had yanked a huge chunk of meat out of his hand, opening up bloodied gashes along his fingers with it's beak in it's haste. His elbow caught the bird right in the chest, and it let out an indignant screech as it's huge wings snapped open and it wobbled and lept backward off of his thigh. It hunched angrily and gave all manner of horrific, shrill bird sounds at the man.
Again they seemed at a stalemate, for Nagendra didn't bother retaliating further, though his face was still quite twisted with anger.
"Cursed thing."
He spat, before shoving what was left of the smoked flesh into his mouth. He then gave his bleeding hand a disinterested look. Damnable creature, so greedy...

[Rhindeer]

The guy...was...bleeding, noticeably now. Didn't he notice that his bird pal was kind of cutting him open? Didn't that hurt? How could he act so blase about that? And yet, there he was, eating and conversing like this was just a thing that happened.

It was a bit difficult to carry on a conversation with someone getting skewered and bleeding by a giant death bird.

"Uh, yeah, okay, I guess that makes sense--gah!"

He flinched when the bird slashed him with its beak. That was what it finally took to get him to belt the bird one?

Kota hunched his shoulders and stared at it warily, as though ready to beat the feathered hell beast should it decide to make him its next perch.

"Er...are you okay?" he asked at length, and looked at the man without turning his head so he could keep the bird in his peripheral vision. "I mean, like, maybe you...shouldn't let it do that? Sit on ya and whatnot? The hell is that thing, anyway?"

They seemed awful chummy.

[Blue]

As the tension died down, the huge bird began to preen itself irritably. For now, it seemed it was content enough to stay on the ground.
For his part, Nagendra was polishing off his food despite the multitude of bleeding wounds. At the question, he simply glowered at Kota with his unnatural eye, before licking some of the blood off his fingers.
"They're just scratches, stop your pestering."
He pulled his knees up near his chest then, sitting hunched and looking generally miserable.
It seemed to be a natural look for him.

"It's a litch bird." He finally grumbled at length, looking away.
"...You've repaid your imaginary debt to me. Go away already."