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@Koga !
She knew it was a mistake. Black Scorpion, or so her 'lady night' name was, had only just joined the group after having eaves dropped on one of Candy's conversations with their leader, Starlight. And she was relatively knew to the Peach as well. At the Peach, she was called Poinsettia, like the flower, and tended to wear lingerie of the same color- to accent her black hair and red eyes. Though those few who got close to her, knew her by her given name of Ursula Deigh.
And sure, Ursula was a strong girl, heck, she was the tallest one of their group! And if Candy had to put her two cents in, she might even have to say she was more stubborn than Starlight, or even herself! And it was that evening, when a rare storm dropped gallons of water, even hail on the city, thus dampening any sales for the evening, as well as the Ladies plans. But it was the perfect time to at least plot, and the girls of the night had gathered into Starlight's room, (for it was the first time in ages she hadn't a patron, but she also hadn't even performed for the night- due to lack of a crowd). And it was here Candy brought up a lead she thought they should look into, however, from her sources, the lead would be leaving the city before the morning.
Seeing how the weather was, Starlight said for them to forget this gig. They couldn't help everyone, and as the girls all turned in for the night, Ursula approached Candy and inquired more about the lead. And that's what lead Candy, or more appropriately- 'Card Trick'- to be out on such a horrendous night. And she was beginning to regret every decision she had made that night. Her tuna sandwich had made her queasy, she ran out of her own soup and oils and used Starlight's, which made her skin itch and left sparkling residue that was hard to rub off, to her revealing the more intimate details about this lead.
A certain man by the name of Tress Westley owned and operated the Mill on Harbor Lane. Though turns out, when he took over ownership over a year ago, the MIll was doing more than grinding flour. Turns out it was a hub for some underground activity, ones that sold potent drugs that were not only illegal in Ketra, but most of the world. And had Candy known Ursula had a personal history with the drug, (who most knew as the Snake Wine)- whichw as basically a drnk with as much venom as the human body could handle that would put the mind into a sensational high. However, too much of the poison caused death, and it was something the body was easily addicted to. So Candy could have kicked herself. She had almost forgot that was why Ursula was sold to the Peach. Her brother, she said, had a history of drugs, and was soon in the poor house and with no other family or means of money, he sold his sister without a second thought.
Now she said he was dead. And Candy knew for sure she was out here for revenge. And now thoroughly soaked, despite her attire, 'Card Trick' blindly moved towards the mill. And the rain was so thick it came down in sheets. She couldn't see more than a foot infront of her, and that, coupled with the winds and the sudden bits of hail that were falling, she knew she had to hurry- and fast.
No one would be on the roads at such an hour, let alone out in such weather, but apparently she was wrong, because as she rounded the bend to take a small reprieve in the alcove of a building just nestled into the alleyway- she hadn't seen that someone else had the same idea, and the soaking wet, cross dressing woman couldn't stop herself from suddenly tumbling into the young man standing there, and falling right into his arms!
"Of course the one day we come to Adela, it bloody rains!" Wildfire complained as he walked through the empty city streets in the pouring rain. A pout grew on the young mans' face, while raindrops dripped off his crimson red hair and down his cheeks. Behind him, a massive red bird with soaking wet feathers cawed back at him, seeming equally displeased. The rainy day filled them both with a sentiment of rage. Wildfire always hated the rain, ever since he was a small boy. The way it felt on his skin, the feeling of water dripping from his hair, down his back, and worst of all the heaviness that came with wearing soaking wet robes. "Ugh" Wildfire groaned as he shook water off his soaked sleeves. Fire and water just didn't mix.
The Phoenix behind him felt no better than he did. She shivered throughout the entirety of their walk, cawing and whining while Wildfire looked for an inn for them. Not an easy task, not many people would allow a Phoenix in their stables, let alone inside their establishment. Normally the Fire Mage would just set up camp somewhere in the woods, but tonight the ground would be too muddy and Wildfire feared rain would get in his tent. Besides, Fia wouldn't fit in the tent with him anyway and he didn't want to leave the Firebird out in the rain.
Yellow eyes flickered toward each building they passed, looking for any signs of a inn. At this point in the night, the two of them just wanted to go to sleep. It had been a long time since Wildfire had been to Adela, and though it was his home country he was still having trouble finding his way around. As a boy he grew up in a small mountain village in the Thunderblacks. He had on rare occasions visited Ketra during his time as a squire for his father. However, that was a long time ago and Wildfire lost his sense of direction in this city. Memories of his childhood filled his mind with each step he took on the rocky ground, he hated being here, partly because of the rain, and partly because he was frightened of running into his father. In fact, he wouldn't have even stopped here if it wasn't for the storm. Wildfire tried to avoid Adela as much as possible, he had honestly hoped he'd never have to come back here. However, Fias' feathers had gotten wet, and though she had a layer of oil within them to protect her from the rain, they were just a bit too wet to continue flying and so they were forced to stop.
Luckily for him, it seemed that no one was on the streets. It was unlikely that he'd run into his father tonight. Still, he found no signs of an Inn anywhere, and if there was one nearby Wildfire didn't know how to get to it. It wasn't until then that he felt the hail, tiny rocks of ice began to hit him on the head. "What the..." Wildfire looked up at the sky, feeling the ice hit his cheeks. A shiver crawled up his spine. "Hail!? Seriously?!" His eyes met with Fia, who simply tilted her head. Then, he looked over to a nearby alley-way in the recess of a building. With a shrug, Wildfire and Fia walked into the alleyway, hoping to take shelter from the rain.
They weren't expecting the girl. In fact, Wildfire didn't even see here until the moment she was directly in front of him. Soaking wet arms reached out and embraced the tumbling woman, just barely managing to keep her up. "Ah-wha!?" He shouted, before tossing the young lady out of his arms instinctually. The girl had frightened him, when he walked into this alley way he didn't think anyone else would be in there with him, but apparently he was wrong. His breath grew heavier as he struggled to catch it, his eyes looked down to the girl. Only then did he realize what he had done. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" He reached out a hand to help her up, and smiled somewhat awkwardly. "Are you okay?"
Well, that was not what she was expecting- to be tripping over her own two feet one moment, and in the same breath being shoved back onto the ground. It was dizzying to say the least, and the rain's made the ground extra slick, and impossible for her to even try to catch herself as she hit the hard cobblestone and cringed. The fall stung her palms and knees, but at least she hadn't fallen on her face, or something equally as embarrassing, and from the fall her yellow leather mask had snapped off, becoming soggy in a large, dirty puddle nearby as she rested a hand to her temple to keep the world straight.
It was only then that she realized with a gasp, her mask was gone and her face completely revealed as she dropped her head, short pink hair suctioning over only part of her face.
"Y-yeah, you just startled me," the young woman stuttered. "And I didn't know someone was there." And though she was trying to avoid direct eye contact, it was impossible for her NOT to suddenly gawk at the enormous bird at his side. She just hoped it was friendly! She really didn't want her eyes pecked out!
When the mask flew off, Wildfire tried to get a look at the newcomers' face, but it was still rather dark outside. He noticed the pink hair, but anyone could have pink hair really. Fia backed away from the woman and cooed fearfully. Wildfire couldn't help but chuckle a bit, "Don't worry, she doesn't bite." he said, still offering his hand to the fallen person. The Firebird stood behind him, tilting her giant head at the newcomer curiously. Then lowering her head, and nuzzling it into Wildfires' side, seeking sanctuary in his protection. With a free hand, Wildfire caressed the birds' neck and smiled lightly. "She's more afraid of you than you might think."
"We didn't see you there either." Wildfire looked at the girl, when he heard the voice he began to question her gender, but couldn't hear enough to be sure of anything. Regardless, she seemed to be quite a bit flustered at the moment. "Where were you headed in such a hurry?" He asked, looking around him. "Is something wrong?" He peeked out the alleyway, and down the street the woman had come from. If there was trouble going on in the city, there was definitely a chance a Knight could show up to stop it. Wildfire needed to remain out of the way from any commotion. Had his father, or anyone else who might recognize him show up, things could go a bit haywire. Unfortunately, Wildfire was an easily recognizable person. Stealth wasn't exactly his style, but he'd have to work with it for now.
Despite not knowing a lick about birds, aside from the obvious (they eat worms and stuff!), she knew how to read gestures, and that apparently translated into animals, too. Seeing how the large bird cowered some and kept near it's 'master', Candy couldn't help but smile a little, despite her predicament. "She has pretty feathers," she commented, admiring the bird for a second before her thoughts were jarred by him asking if something is wrong?
She found herself looking up at him before quickly dropping her gaze and cringing.
"Er.. you could say that. But who wouldn't want to rush when the weather is this bad?"
Nice save, or so she told herself. But who knew if the man would buy it.
The Firebirds' crimson eyes met with the newcomer, and she cooed happily, seeming to understand her compliment. With a ruffle of her flaming red feathers, she shook off some of the water from her body, and nuzzled her head softly into the girls' stomach. Wildfire couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, "She likes you!" he said happily. Fia wasn't necessarily good with strangers, but she liked this one for some odd reason. Perhaps it was because most people the bird met would cower in fear of her, or simply run away. However, this girl had a different attitude than most. While she did seem a little startled, the Phoenix could tell that she meant no harm to Wildfire or herself.
A gust of wind blew through the alleyway and sent a shiver down Wildfires' spine. The Fire Mage hugged his arms together in order to keep warm and then placed his back against the wall, shaking in the cold. He truly hated this weather, and found himself day-dreaming about volcanoes, and deserts, and beaches. Wildfire loved the heat, and he'd much rather be pretty much anywhere but here right now. His thoughts were broken upon hearing the girls' excuse for her hurry.
"Er.. you could say that. But who wouldn't want to rush when the weather is this bad?"
Wildfire couldn't help but bare a suspicion. The cringe on her face just gave it away, and while he would normally just let something like this slip by and forget about it, Wildfire found something of interest in the girl. His curiosity got the better of him. "An excellent point." He said, scratching the stubble on his chin. "But that begs the question: what is someone like you doing out so late at night, and in the pouring rain?"
"Awww, she's as sweet as sugar," Candy cooed, and moved to ruffle the firebird's feathers affectionately. "Does she have a name?" she asked, smiling up at Wildfire before over hearing his question. But that made her frown.
"Ain't you awful suspicious," she went on, narrowing her eyes at him. "But I could ask you the same question, hun. And with your bird, no less! And she don't seem too enthralled to have her feathers all wet!" And that's when Candy's attention turned to Fia. "Ain't that right, sweet beaks?" she went on, tickling a scratch beneath the bird's chin. "I bet you'd love to be all warm and comfortable by a fire..."A nd then at the thought, she peered over at Willdfire. "You two lost or somethin'?"
((SORRY!! such a late reply. I was so sure I posted days ago, but I guess I forgot >.<))
Wildfire nodded in response, "Yup! That's Fia." The Firebird cooed, and gently pushed her head into Candys' chest. The Mage couldn't help but laugh playfully at the sight. "Oh Fi! Leave the nice lady alone." He said trying to pull her back, but the Phoenix refused to budge. Wildfire couldn't tell if it was because Fia liked the girl, or just because she was warm. When the girl asked her question Wildfire couldn't help but sigh. No, they weren't lost. In fact they knew exactly where they were, they just didn't want to be here. "No.. You see, we were flying over Ketra on our way to Serendipity, but Fis' feathers got a too wet to fly and well, we had to stop." A few stray drops of ice fell through the alleyway and landed perfectly on Wildfires' head. A chill traveled up his spine, and the boy shivered once more. A soft squeal escaped his lips before he finished his statement, "And unfortunately, we can't find an inn that'll let poor Fi here stay."
The Man shook his head from side to side, before looking back at Card-Trick. "So, that's our story. What's yours?"
Candy.. or rather, 'Card Trick', was more than elated at the bird's affections. She continued to pet the bird and let her stay close. She didn't mind. This sort of attention was infrequent and was the sort she preferred over...
Well, what her job pertained.
Hearing his story, she nodded but had to cut in, "And you didn't see those large black storm clouds you were flying into?" She gave him a curious look as her eyes laughed. But when the questions came backt o her, she looked away from him and continued to fuss over Fia pretending not to have heard his most obvious question.
"We did, we just thought we could make it through." Wildfire laughed slightly at their overconfidence. This wasn't the first time their pride brought them into a terrible situation. Though, this one was not as bad as it could've been. God forbid they were to be struck down by lightning, or blown away by the wind or something. Things could definitely be a lot worse than they are now. However, the two of them still loathed the rain.
"Buuutttt you didn't answer my question, mister evasive." The Mage said, laughing to himself afterward. "C'mon we don't judge, besides maybe we can help! After all we've got nothing better to do." Wildfire looked around the dampened
alleyway with discomfort. Anything that would get his mind off of this storm was fine by him.
Candy smirked and finally looked up from Fia.
"What if I told you I was just out for a stroll?"
He looked gentlemanly enough.. maybe he wouldn't press the issue, but this was her business, anyway. And she came out in this weather on purpose to work alone!
"Odd weather for a stroll, don't you think?" Wildfire asked, suspicion was heard in his voice but he pressed the issue no further. Curious yellow eyes narrowed on the girl, searching for her true purpose, but finding no avail. He then peered outside the alleyway, and noticed the rain was starting to lighten up slightly. "Well, I'm off to find a decent inn." He said, walking past her and out the alleyway. "Have a nice stroll." He continued sarcastically, and Fia trailed behind him. They made a sharp left turn upon exiting the alley, and stopped when they found a low window sill.
The Fire Mage had given up on interrogating the girl, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to follow her. Curiosity had gotten the better of him. He gripped the window sill firmly, and pulled himself up with his arms. Fia gave him a boost with her head, and Wildfire whispered down to her, "Stay close Fi, I'll call if I need you." Inch by inch, Wildfire scaled the building until he eventually reached the top.
She couldnt' deny she was a bit sad to see the pair gone. But with them out of the way, it would make her job a lot easier. She waited a while, the rain having already soaked her through, before judging the best way for her to get down to the docks.
There wasn't a lot of time if she wanted to get to Ursula before something bad happened, and as the roads began to get steeper as they lead towards the river, she heard the familiar squeak that was the mill. It was just outside it she paused in the shadows of a nearby building, as she began to study the place from afar.
It seemed vacant, but she had a feeling that wasn't so. But even with the sound of the rain drowning out almost all else, she had hoped to have seen, or heard, at least something to verify .. well, anything! But it seemed Candy would have little choice, and after adjusting her yellow leather mask so it fit better over her face, she slowly stalked around the building, looking for a way to make a silent entry.
The Fire Mage trailed slightly behind her, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, using his fire to boost him whenever a ledge seemed too far. He made sure not to allow the woman to leave his sight, while also keeping his distance. Stealth wasn't normally his style, but there was something awfully suspicious about the way this person was acting, and Wildfire knew the only way he'd find out exactly what was going on was if he followed her undetected.
When they reached the Mill, a perplexed grimace took over Wildfires' face. This was where she was headed? This place looked abandoned, almost certainly empty. But maybe not? All The Mage could hear was the sound of the pouring rain while he studied the windmill. If there was something in there, he couldn't hear it. What could her reason be for coming here? His curiosity grew stronger as he watched the girl pace around the mill as if she was looking for something. For just a moment, he glanced behind him and saw Fia standing aclove to the building he was on top of. He smiled down to her, and placed a finger lightly on his lips, telling her to remain silent.
When he looked back to the mill, he lost sight of the girl. Cursing himself quietly, the Fire Mage darted across the rooftop, and lept off the edge of it, using his hands to blast fire behind him and send him flying straight for the windmill.
Thankful she wasn't a large girl, Candy found a loose window she was able to shimmy open with enough space to barely squeeze through. Though her ass got stuck half way, leaving her kicking a few moments before she managed to wriggle her way inside and landed ina painful, unceremonious heap on the cold, dank floor.
Yep, as it appeared, this room, at least, was vacant. She let her eyes adjust to the dark and studied this floor of the room to where an opening in the floor lead to a staircase that would take her below, to where the mill wheel could be accessed. And then she continued to look more, and saw a second stairway nestled in the back of the room that went up.
Peering up at the rafters, she wondered if she should chance her luck going up? Or down...
Latching onto one of the rotating blades, Wildfire dangled helplessly as the blades moved downward. This obviously wasn't one of his better ideas. "Damn it damn it damn it..."[/color] He muttered to himself, as he glanced down to the ground beneath him. It was a big fall from here, he was sure to get hurt if he slipped up. Wildfire found himself struggling to hold onto the wet blade as it reached the bottom of its rotation. His hands were slippery with rain, or was that sweat? The boy couldn't quite tell. However, mustering up all his strength he managed to hold on as the blade rotated back to the top.
Then, Wildfire let go of the blade and landed on the roof of the windmill. He took a moment to catch his breath, before studying his surroundings. Looking down from the roof of the mill, Wildfire noticed an open window with a feminine looking ass dangling from it. He couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. So she is a girl! He kept a smile on his face as he watched the girl practically fall through the window and into the mill.
Now it was time for his entrance. Wildfire dug his fingertips into the mesh of the rooftop, and began to kindle a small flame atop it. The fire sizzled in the rain, but managed to burn a hole large enough for him to squeeze through. So, Wildfire disignited the flame and hopped right into the mill.
((Posting on cellphones is near impossible xD))
Hearing a noise, her breath caught in her throat as she looked up. Well, there was definitely something up there. And as hastily and quietly as she could, she made her way towards the stairs that spiraled down into the bowels of the mill, keeping her eyes ever alert.
And as soon as she descended, she found herself stepping beneath a low draping of thick and dusted cobwebs. Frowning, she realized that perhaps this was a sign there wasn't anything to find down here. That was, until she turned to spot a figure in the darkness.
Was that...
"Ursula?"
And the events that happened next were anything but what she expected, as a blast came out of the darkness from a concealed gun, and blasted right into Candy's shoulder. Her eyes widened, and the force of the bullet sent her to her knees.
"Oof!" Wildfire grunted as he landed in a pile of hay. He shook his flaming-red hair out, and found himself spitting out pieces of straw. It was a roughy landing, but definitely not the worst one he's had in his life. Upon pushing himself back to his feet, Wildfire heard. A rather loud, sudden noise that he had only heard a few times before. Could it be... A gunshot? Here? That was awfully strange. The Fire Mage bit his lip, beginning to wonder just what exactly he was getting himself into.
Then he looked back up at the hole in the ceiling, knowing that there was still enough time for him to turn back and forget he ever saw anything. Yet oddly enough he found himself worrying about the girl. And so, Wildfire stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled as loudly as possible, before raising a clenched fist and striking the ceiling with a fiery blaze. If Fia couldn't hear the whistle, she'd definitely see the burning windmill. With that done, Wildfire darted down the stairwell as quickly as possible.
When he'd make it to the main room, everything would have gone silent again. And no one would be there.
But down below, in the bowels of the mill, Candy was on her knees, gripping her shoulder as it bled warmly through her fingers. And she heard a voice, something raspy from the dark.
"You shouldn't have come here." And as she peered up, she saw it was Ursula, and not a second later when their eyes met did her boot meet to Candy's face, and the woman was knocked over, yellow leather mask falling askew over her eyes.
Though he found nothing on this floor aside from an open window, Wildfire could hear voices coming from down below, and they didn't sound friendly. Without so much as a second thought, The Mage ignited fire into his hands, and sent a beam of flames crashing down onto the floor. He stood there for a moment, strengthening the fire, and watching the floorboards burn before making his way for the stairwell.
Slowly and stealthily the man crept down the stairs, avoiding the low hanging cobwebs and dusty walls. This place had obviously not seen a lot of use in the past few years, whatever was going on down here had to be far from legal. Yellow eyes peered out from the stairwell, noticing the two girls. One of which, looked like she was in a lot of trouble. Wildfire raised a hand in the air, and then lowere in down swiftly. The fire above them followed his movements, and burning wood began to fall onto the one called Ursula. With any luck, they'd notice the fire before they noticed the Mage.
Wildfire was lucky. It was the fire they noticed first as the woman swore and managed to leap out of the way. Though it was an awkward feet, and the area around where the mill wheel fed into the building was nothing but unleveled dirt, that began to crumble beneath her boots as she made her way to a safer place.
But then when her eyes looked for the source, she bare her teeth at him and shouted, "TRESS! WE HAVE TRESPASSERS!"
And all the while the fire and smoke began to crackle and swell over head, Candy found, much to her surprise, she was no longer being attacked. Blinking,s he looked around and caught sight of Wildfire and found herself blinking.
"You?" Had he followed her!?
"Y'know, some how I just knew you were up to no good!" The Fire Mage shouted with a sly smirk on his face. Flames ignited on his fists as he looked over at Card-Trick, and then to her attacker. Knowing very well about her gun, Wildfire decided it was best to keep moving. He ran to the side, trying his best to stay out of her line of sight. His presence was already known, but perhaps if he moved fast enough she'd become disoriented. Suddenly and without hesitation, Wildfire darted at the woman, zig-zagging from side to side in order to avoid the possibility of getting shot. However, just when he got near a loud crash stopped him in his tracks.
The ceiling above caved in with a blast of fire. Standing inbetween Wildfire and the woman was a giant ball of flames, and was that wings atop it? A wizened smile formed on his lips, the Mage made a full 180 in his tracks, ran up to Candy and tossed her on his shoulder. "Someone's got some explaining to do." he teased, before making his way for the burning stairwell.
Candy let out a yelp as she was tossed over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Me explain what? If anything, you're not off the hook from following me!" she said, hoping her voice was head over the roaring flames.
"Hey you should be happy I followed you!" Wildfire shouted, making his way up the flaming stairwell. The roars of the Phoenix were heard behind them, there was definitely an intense battle going on down there. Wildfire bit his lip, worried about the Firebird. Hopefully, she'd be okay. She just needed to hold the woman off until Wildfire and the girl were a safe distance away from the mill. When they reached the ground floor, Wildfire noticed a gaping hole in the ground from where the Phoenix crashed in. Down below, he could see the Firebird and the woman in battle.
"I'm expecting an explanation for all this once we're safe lass." Wildfire said, with a certain emphasis on the word "lass"
The Mage tried to stay close to the wall as he walked across the floor. The burning wooden boards crackled beneath his feet. The boy gulped as he took a light step forward, and the wood broke beneath his foot. Quickly he pulled the foot back and then looked forward to the window across the burning hole. It was their only possible exit, and getting to it was not going to be easy.
"Any bright ideas..?"
She frowned.
"I would have thought you had a plan. You kind of lit this place on fire!" she shouted, but blaming him would do neither of them any good as her eyes darted around the place frantically. But it seemed just about every way out was blocked...
Until she noted the moving mill and the water it was constantly dipping into as it moved about in it's endless cycle.
"There." She pointed to the water. "I think it's our safest option. We just follow the water and let the mill throw us out."
Sounded simpler than it probably was...
considering it would dump them out into it's falls- but even that seemed more appealing than burning to death. Over the cliff side, at least they stood somewhat of a chance?
"Plans aren't really my style!" Wildfire shouted over the roaring flames. It was true, he was never the type to plan ahead. He usually just runs head first into dangerous situations, making things up as he goes along. He was good at it, but it has definitely gotten him into worse situations. Yellow eyes reflected the image of burning flames. In an instant he could make all the fire disappear if he wanted to, but that would not undo the damage to the wooden floor beneath them.
Then he heard shouting from outside the mill. "THERE! THERES' PEOPLE INSIDE!"
There stood several city-guard armed and staring at Wildfire and Card-Trick. Without another word, the Mage whistled as loudly as possible, to draw the attention of Fia below and then jumped into the flowing water with the girl in his arms.
Candy let out a yelp, and barely had a chance to draw in any water before the pair were plunging beneath the waters. And the loud, gurgling roll of water around them mixed with the chugging creak of the mill's wheel drowned out just about everything else.
And the rest happened a bit too fast for her to really know what was going on-
Because one second she was in the cold waters and being held close by the Fire Boy. And the next? The next the current was sweeping them in like a vacuum and then roughly the two were josteled together and scooped up into the mill rather than being taken underneath it.
And as the wheel went up, Candy coughed and sputtered and blinked her eyes, trying to figure out what just happened. But the second she realized it, they were already at the top of the wheel and it began to tip the other way- and soon she was clinging to Wildfire again as the two were dumped out, along with the water, clean off the cliff.
As the two fell, Wildfire couldn't help but look down at the approaching ground beneath them. A sensation of fear overtook him, and he did the only think he could think of to escape this crisis. Placing two fingers in his mouth with his one free hand Wildfire let out another loud whistle. If Fia somehow heard it over the roaring flames, she'd come to their rescue. Wildfire could only hope that the fire from the mill had dried her wings.
Things were beginning to seem hopeless as they fell close and closer to the ground. Wildfire held onto Candy for dear life, if he was going to die today at least he wasn't dying alone. He shut his eyes as he saw the approaching ground below. They were only a few meters away from it now, and Wildfire could almost feel the life drifting from his body already. When he reopened his eyes, all he saw was red. The Fire Mage was disoriented, and it took him a few minutes to truly understand what had just happened. He felt the softness of Fias' feathers beneath him. She must have flown down after them when she heard the whistle, but how?
The dampness was still in her feathers, how could she possibly be flying? It was then that Wildfire realized that she wasn't flying, she was gliding! However, the trip down still wasn't necessarily smooth. The sudden change of weigh on Fias' back caused her to glide down more swiftly, and before they knew it all three of them went crashing down onto the rocky ground. Thankfully they only suffered minor injuries. Wildfire groaned as tumbled down right on top of Candy."Sorry.." He whispered as he struggled to push himself up. When he finally arose, he immediately ran up to the Firebird and embraced her in a giant hug. "What the bloody hell would I do without you Fi!!?"
Candy had been clinging to Wildfire for dear life. She hoped the water might break their fall and not break them at the bottom, but when they were suddenly air born, she opened her eyes for but a moment and gasped.
Her cling to the young man tigthened as her stomach felt as though it were up in her throat, and when the landing came and he landed roughly ontop of her,s he was too winded to respond, and also, too stunned to believe they had such luck!
"Oh.. oh my God... did we just... did we just fly?" And a half cocked smile appeared on her lips.
Fia cooed with delight as her damp feathers tickled Wildfires' face. "Sort of.." Said the Fire Mage as he released Fia from his embrace. "She's definitely had much greater flights than that one... and much better landings." As the rain fell down, Wildfire walked back over to the girl and offered her his hand. Then, he looked back up to the top of the cliff -- toward the burning mill. His vision was hindered by the smoke, but he was sure there were guards up there, not to mention the woman who attacked Card-Trick in the first place.
"I doubt they can see us now, but there's definitely a chance we're being followed." He said with his eyes fixed on the mill. Someone was bound to have seen the Firebird burn the mill to a crisp, and fly off the cliff. She was too big and bright to simply pass by completely undetected. "We should keep moving if we do not wish to be arrested." He turned away from the mill, and gave Candy a wink before walking into the forests away from the cliff. "C'mon now, I think a little pink-haired girl has a story for us Fi!" The Boy said with a playful tone, followed by laughter. The Phoenix turned around, and began to walk though the forest with him.
Candy couldn't believe he was joking at a time like this! And at her expense! But she couldn't help but smile, just a little bit, as she followed after clumsily. Her legs did feel like jello, and the landing had been rough.
"I think our best bet is to stick to the wooded path here and just keep going. It'll be harder to follow us and keep us from the city."
But of course, that lead to a bit of a problem....
"Before morning, I do need to return to Ketra. I... kind of have another job to do."
Wildfire raised a brow, "Another job?" He asked as the trio walked along the wooden path. Rain still dripped down onto them, but it was beginning to die down now. A smirk grew on his face before he continued his sentence, "Alright, story time!" A soft chuckle left his lips, "For starters, what's your name and what were you doing in that mill?" He asked, looking back at her for a moment. Realizing that she was having trouble following him, he walked back to her and threw her wounded arm over his shoulder.
"And don't lie!" He exclaimed, helping the woman limp along the trail. "And don't think I won't know if you do, because I will!"
Candy made a face.
"Its really none of your business, but since you saved my life, the least I can do is tell you I probably shouldn't have been there and well... this," she made a gesture, for whatever 'this' was, "This isn't exactly a real job anyway. Besides.."
She grit her teeth.
"You don't need to know anyway."
How was she to explain she was a whore? She didn't exactly want her cover blown, and part of her didn't want to have the man an dhis bird thinking any less of her than they already probably did.
"It might even be best you forget about the mill and continue on to... wherever it is you were goin'."
"Fine! You don't wanna tell me, then you don't have to!" Wildfire whined, as the two hobbled along the pathway. "I don't know how you plan on working anywhere with a wound like that on your arm, but so be it." The melodramatic Fire Mage pouted and looked away from the girl disdainfully. However, he continued to help the girl along. The Girl may have refused to explain herself, but that didn't mean that she didn't need help. Besides, Wildire wasn't ready to let this go yet. "I don't think we'll be going just yet." The boy said with a sly grin on his lips. "We'll get you away from this city, and escort you back on the 'morrow." Snickering slightly, he continued on, "obviously we can't trust you out there all alone." When his laughter died down, Wildfire sighed.
"So can we at least get your name?"
Candy grimaced, and tried to smile through it all, but she was very exhausted after all that occurred. She even laughed along with him, though mockingly and jestfully so. But it was evident she wasn't in the mood, and when he asked her name, she paused and blinked.
"I thought I told you my name."
"No you didn't!" Wildfire nearly shouted, his temper was clearly starting to get the better of him. It just bewildered him how one person could be so evasive; he couldn't even ask for her name without being questioned. The young Mage may have slightly insulted her, but in truth he hadn't realized it. He was simply trying to make some sort of conversation. Kodas' lip quivered, and a small growl could be heard from his lips.
He was just about to open his mouth, with the intent of making some sort of rude remark, when he felt Fias' head nudge against his back. "Whaaat?!" He shouted, but the Phoenix clawed back at him just as loudly. "But she started it..." Wildfire replied to the bird, however Fia was having none of that. She simply cooed, and Wildfire sighed. "Fiiiiiine."
The Fire Mage turned to face Candy, and held out his hand. "My name is Koda Loghaine, but my friends call me Wildfire."
Candy chewed on her lip. Damn. She didn't want to use her real name but she could just feel the frustration oozing from him.
"Candy." she said. She shook his hand once, firmly. "At least most call me that." Not that her real name was even valid anymore. Besides, she couldn't see this man ever stopping at The Randy Peach. So her stage name there would do, and was more or less her name now.
"There we go!" Wildfire smirked to himself. "Candy's a fine name! You didn't have to be so scared of telling us!" He chuckled a little bit, and then nudged Fia with his elbow. "Someone's finally opening up a little bit, huh Fi?" But the Firebird merely ignored him. It seemed that she was getting tired of all this walking, after all her legs were not nearly as strong as her wings. Wildfire caught on to that immediately, and found himself wondering how much longer they could walk before they would have to stop for Fia.
"Say... do you know where this path even leads anyway?" The Young Fire Mage asked, only just now realizing that they had been blindly walking through the woods for what felt like hours.
"To be honest.." she blushed. "I really wasn't paying attention."
And what did he mean Candy was a fine name? To her, it was the most stripper sounding name around! Then again.. she supposed he could presume she, or her parents, had liked candy.
"Well.... shit." It had been dark for quite sometime now, and Wildfire and Fia never did find that hotel room. The Fire Mage yawned, after everything he went through during the night alone, he was exhausted. If he forced himself to walk much longer he was bound to pass out eventually. "Whataya say we camp out in the woods tonight, Fi's getting tired." Wildfire forcefully laughed a bit, trying to cover up a second yawn. He placed a hand on Fia's saddle pack. "I've got a tent in here. It's a little small, and probably a little damp, but it's looking like the best option we've got."
Candy winced. Her arm hurt like hell, and she hadn't slept for a good while now. Although she knew she should be getting back to the Peach, trying to do that at this time of night and in her condition weren't exactly the smartest ideas. So she nodded at his suggestion.
"I could use an hour or two of shut eye," she admitted, but then gave him a nudge. "I bet you could too. ANd if the tent's too small, let's try using those pine trees over there. They keep rain out pretty good and they look wide enough to accommodate at least some of us. And if Fi's tired, let's give her the luxury sweet." Well, the luxury sweet being the tent. She couldn't assume her and the fire boy being able to fit in it- then again,s he wasn't sure how large a tent he had. She smiled and gave the bird's feathers a good scratching.
"Alright, but only because you and Fi are tired." Wildfire smiled. "I've got another hundred miles in me! I could walk for the next THREE DAYS if I had to!" That definitely wasn't true, but from the look in his eyes, it was clear to see that Wildfire really believed that. He would keep walking until his legs gave out on him if he had to, and even then he'd probably try to find a way to walk on his hands.
The Mage opened up Fia's saddle pack, removed the little red tent, and walked over to the pine trees. He then began setting up the tent next to the trees. The process only took him about 5 minutes, since he's done this hundreds of times before. "A fine tent! Jusssst big enough for two people, or one Phoenix." After the tent was set up, he pointed an open palm to the ground beneath the pines, and out from his hand shot a ball of fire. "That should keep us warm for the night!" Wildfire said with a smile, he hated the cold.
"Did you hear that, Fi?" she cooed to the bird, giving another generous scratch to her feathers. "Wildfire's got you a nice cozy tent to stay in! Why don't you check it out? Here, I'll show ya!" And she playfully lead Fia into the tent. "Its red, just like your pretty fluff feathers!"
Fia hobbled into the tent as Candy led her to it, cooing drowsily all the way. After she managed to fit her large body into the tent, she turned around in a circle and sat down with just her beak protruding from the entrance. Wildfire smiled softly at the sight. He sat down next to the fire, and playfully manipulated it with his fingertips. He made the fire into a long stream, and had it dance around in the sky beneath the pines like a snake in the sand. The area around them began to warm up, and Wildfire yawned. Then he blinked, and his eyes lit up as if he had just remembered something important.
"How's your arm?"
Candy nestled in beside Fia, still giving her attention as the bird settled in for the long night. She seemed to really like her feathers begin pet and scratched, and Candy didn't mind giving up her time for it.
But her attention was robbed when Wildfire inquired about her arm. She gave a shrug.
"I'm not dying, so I guess that's a good thing," she told him with a smirk, moving her fingers to gently stroke the bird's cheeks.
The Firebird cooed with delight, and nuzzled her head into Candy's lap. Her breathing slowed, and her eyes shut. She was well on her way to that deep slumber. Fia loved getting pet and scratched, and really wanted to thank Candy for easing her into her sleep, but she was far too tired. Sure enough, the Phoenix was soon sleeping like a baby.
Wildfire on the other hand was feeling a bit restless. His body was tired and aching, yet his mind raced on and on. He found himself thinking about his old life, before he hit the road. He had seen his home city today, and was probably just within a few miles of his father. He thought about where he might be now if his life had turned out differently. Would he have been happier if he stayed with his family? His eyes looked to Fia, and then he remembered why he left. A smile grew on his face. No, he couldn't be happier.
"Good to hear, try not to get shot again!" He joked.
"I make no promises," she told him with a smirk. "Besides, I've got Fia now to protect me!"
Wildfire let the fire he was manipulating in the air return to its pit, and let out a long drawn out yawn. It had been a long day, and now that Wildfires' mind was completely eased he felt himself drift off into a slumber. "Good...night... everybody... see ya tomorrow..." Soon enough, both him and Fia were silently sleeping. The forest seemed much quieter now, and all that could be heard was the fire cackling, bugs chirping, and leaves rustling.
She didn't realize how tired she was until she too, had passed out for the night. But she awoke before the sun rose and found her current companions still fast asleep. Moving quietly and as quickly as she could, she began to tip toe away from the pair, hoping to make her exit as quietly as she could. She did, after all, have to get back to work, and she was certain Wildfire and Fia had lives to get back to as well.
A single orange-red eye popped open as Candy tried to sneak away in the morning. A soft yawn, followed by a light chuckle was heard over the sounds of chirping morning birds and the rustling of leaves.
"See ya later Candy." Wildfire said, just hardly loud enough to be heard, before closing his eyes and falling right back asleep. Though he hadn't had the chance to really befriend Candy the way he knew he could, he also knew this wasn't going to be the last time they met. He didn't have a worry in the world. Whether either of them knew it or not, Wildfire and Candy were two lost souls, who were bound to wander into each other again eventually.
See ya later, indeed! She left it at that. It was a good way to part anyway. Although Wildfire was sure they'd run into one another again, she was rather certain they would not. Making her way back to The Randy Peach, Candy found herself with an earful from her boss-
and her close friends as well.
It wasn't that she was surprised for the reprimand, but rather, she was too tired and didn't want to deal with it. Even still, she let her friend rant and her boss punish her. Seemed she was on kitchen duty for the week. Although she was lucky she had gotten off so easily. She supposed the Randy Peach was doing well enough one whore less wouldn't make a difference.
But it was strange. It seemed the rain that had been going on yesterday was continuing on just as heavily today. She peered out the window, into the alleyway and thought about what had happened last night, all the while sudsy up one dirty dish after another.