Spirits of the Earth

@DragonSong

---

"Stay away from me you fucking bastard!"

The man ran down the docks of Suna and Amaya followed. He knew there was a bounty on his head, but he really didn't think anyone would come after him for the small fee placed for his petty crimes - especially not the infamous Amaya Midgar. Damn Serenian trash running a muck in Thanatos.

"Oh, but where would be the fun in that?" Amaya called out to him as he ran away, a sly smile on his face as he paced forward. He was unarmed, his arms folded over one another against his chest he strolled down the dock. "Why are you running? This dock ends. What are you going to do? Swim?"

"To hell with you!" he spat, almost out of breath. Shit. He was right, the dock had ended. He whipped around to face Amaya and pulled a knife from his pocket. "Okay, hot shot. This ends here!"

The bounty hunter was in no hurry to reach the man at the end of the dock. He continued to walk forward at a leisurely pace. "Huh, what am I going to do for food today?" he asked himself, contemplating. "Getting pretty hungry. Maybe I will hit the tavern or something. Ugh, their food is trash, though. Well, at least this guy won't take up too much of my time."

"The hell you say?" the man spat again, both panic and irritation in his voice. First he was after his livelihood, and now he was after his pride!

"Oh, come on," Amaya said snidely as he closed the gap between the two. "That's rude. I wasn't talking to you. Say you're sorry!"

Without hesitation, he leapt forward at his bounty. Ducking out of the way of the man's retaliating dagger, he threw a right hook that landed square into the man's chin.

The man tumbled back, hazed from the blow, and dropping his dagger in the process.

Now's my chance.

Amaya grabbed him from behind, wrapping his arm around his neck and putting him in a choke hold. "You know, this would be alot easier if you didn't strugg-"

The other man started pushing back until the both of them went tumbling off of the dock.

"Fuck!" Amaya yelled as they fell over.

Splash!

---

"Got another one for ya."

Drenched from head to toe and dripping on the stone floor, the bounty hunter slung his unconscious captive to the ground before the Khans. There was a loud thud as the man's body hit the floor and was immediately followed by the exhale of removing a heavy load.

"What happened exactly?" the man standing opposite of Amaya asked. "Why are you all wet?"

"Went for a little swim," the bounty hunter shrugged. "Had to cool off somehow after chasing your boy around."

The man knew it was pointless to question Amaya any further on the matter, and thus decided to change the subject. "I have another job for you," he said slowly, eyes scanning the unconscious man briefly. "Not your average job either. This would could prove to be dangerous."

A grin tugged at Amaya's lips. "I'm all ears."

She didn't like risking the forays into the small villages around the base of the mountains, but sometimes she just didn't have any other choice. Foraging was all well and good, but she needed real supplies-- and she was no hunter.

Keeping her eyes down and overall just trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible, Yona darted about on her errands in the early morning light, before most people were really up and about. Hopefully it would limit her chances of being seen.

Of course, even if she was seen, she had no idea who might recognize her, or what they'd do if they did. Still, not a risk she enjoyed taking, if she could at all avoid it.

---

Pack newly resupplied and the sun reaching mid morning, Yona finally had a moment to breathe. She ducked into the first tea shop she found, tucking herself back away in a corner and ordering a single cup.

Amaya never had a jungle beauty as a bounty target before. Not that that mattered, he was never the man to discriminate based on race, sex, gender, or religion - they were all just money in his pocket at the end of the day. However, this one may prove to be different.

Yona. He didn't get a last name. Hells, he didn't know if there was one. From the way the Khans described her, she was a tiny little thing with tan skin and with a build that would give someone just enough strength to get out of bed in the morning. Not much to go off of, he thought.

Maybe she would slip and reveal herself to him. They told him of her great elemental abilities, so perhaps if he saw a woman lighting a man's face on fire he would have found his mark. Wishful thinking.

He knew he needed to be careful, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't tingling with the thrill of the chase.

"Might as well find something to eat first," he yawned, making his way inside a nearby tea shop on the corner.

The soft chime of the bell above the doorway had her jumping every time it rang-- though luckily the shop was small and out of the way enough that it didn't happen too often.

Yona still found herself flinching as the newcomer entered the tea shop, and she glanced up warily over her half finished cup of tea.

Hm. A foreigner. That was interesting...

But none of her business. Quickly dropping her eyes, the ex-priestess returned her attention to her now lukewarm tea. She needed to finish up and be on her way, quickly. She'd wasted too much time here already.

It must have been his lucky day.

How coincidental it would be that the first shop he went into, there was a woman matching the description of his target. Of course, he showed no sign that he even acknowledged her presence as he made his way into the tea shop and over to the front counter. Surely he couldn't be that lucky that Yona was not only in town, but in the same shop that he was in - an establishment he very rarely frequented.

Only one way to find out.

Ordering his beverage and a breakfast pastry of sorts, he tossed the worker behind the counter a coin tip. "Thanks," he said casually before turning on his heel. As he made his way out, drink in one hand and pastry in the other, he acknowledged each of the few patrons before his eyes landed on the girl. Offering up a polite smile, he went to sip his tea before tripping over his feet.

Playing the dumb klutz came all too natural to the bounty hunter, so much that he was starting to believe he actually was a klutz. Taking a dive forward, his pastry lunged out of his hand and the contents of his cup slung through the air in Yona's direct path.

"Shit!"

"Ah!"

Caught entirely by surprise, Yona could do little more than throw an arm up in an attempt to shield her face as she was soaked with tea. It wasn't scalding, thankfully, but it was still plenty hot.

Gasping, she shot to her feet, trying desperately to shake hot liquid off her skin and clothes.

Thud!

The sound of his body collapsing onto the hard ground could be heard from every corner of the shop, and it was followed by a convincing groan of pain. Convincing, of course, because it was real. Sometimes the act had to become real to pass off as genuine.

"Ow," he grumbled, sloppily getting to his knees. "My gods, that hurt."

After shaking off the fall, he peered up to meet the woman he just soaked with his tea and his eyes quickly shot wide. "O-Oh!" he said with a shameful glance. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine." She had to hiss it through gritted teeth, subtly trying to magically cool the tea that had landed on her without drawing attention. Still shaking at her robes, Yona shook her head as she looked up at the stranger.

"Oh, ah, forgive me, are you alright?"

"Oh, I'll be alright," he said with a shrug before getting back to his feet. "I've been a klutz long enough to get use to the fall. My breakfast on the other hand," he trailed off, an embarrassed grin slipping into his lips as he looked upon the fallen pastry and spilled beverage contents.

"Looks like I need to make another order," he finally said. "Can I get you something? It's the least I can do after.. that," he motioned to her soaked clothes.

Yona resisted the urge to shrink back and instread forced a polite smile, glancing around the shop, praying people wouldn't pay them too much attention. "No no, it's alright. I'll just-- excuse me, please, I don't mean to-- I don't want to cause trouble."

Head lowered, she tried to dart passed him toward the door.

Going so soon?

Amaya was tempted to throw his arm up to block her path, but it was too early days to cause a scene in a public setting. At least, no more than he already had. Rather, he sunk back into the awkward state of a man who just embarrassed himself and was all too eager to let the situation fizzle out.

Shifting his weight from side to side, he momentarily avoided eye contact with the woman and cleared a path. "Of course," he finally said, defeated. "Sorry again."

The sly eagle doesn't kill at whim.

With a breath of relief for the clear line of escape, Yona mumbled a quick, "Right sorry it's okay, thank you," and all but fled passed him back out through the door of the shop and onto the street.

She nearly barreled into a woman carrying her washing on her hip, who served to avoid the slender girl with a sharp curse and a glare, but Yona only had time to gasp out a brief, stammered apology before hurrying on her way down the narrow dirt lane that led back out of town.

She followed the small road for nearly an hour, keeping a wary eye out for anyone who might have spotted her in town. Finally, near a bend where the road curved past the ever-thickening trees, she paused just long enough to glance up and down the road to make sure she was alone before darting off into the trees.

The bounty hunter's sly smile hinted at excitement as his eyes followed the direction she darted off to. He had a general idea of where she was going, and he would eagerly follow-up, but not right away. Chasing her down immediately might just give him away.

He went for another pastry - better to fill up now. Returning to a seat with a replenished breakfast, he took each bite absently as scenarios played out in his head. He'd give it a couple of hours, and then he'd bump into her again.

---

People that whistle are so obnoxious. That was his thought as he whistled obnoxiously, though fluently, which each step taking him further from town and closer to the thick of the forest. When he wasn't whistling, he was singing, and those two transitioned back and forth with intentional cringe. He continued this stride for some time until he was sure he would've drawn attention to everyone and everything in his nearby surroundings.

It was getting near nightfall.

"Well," he said aloud, just loud enough for eavesdroppers to hear, but quiet enough as to not be so obvious. "Guess I'll set up camp here tonight."

The whistling was really quite irritating.

Yona found herself glaring in the general direction of the sound from where she had set up her small nest in the fork of three branches of a massive tree, her pack still slung over one shoulder as she had just been preparing to settle down.

Stupid foreigners. Even this far away, she could hear the thick accent in the muttering voice--well, it probably wasn't muttering, it just sounded like it from her current positioning. Grumbling to herself, she curled onto her side in the crook of the tree and squeezed her eyes shut determinedly.

She needed to rest for a least a few hours before she kept moving again.

As if on cue, the bounty hunter began to sing with loud authority, basking songs of beautiful women and daring adventurers. He had collected some wood for a fire, and promptly got it lit as he took his seat in the dirt to enjoy the warmth of the flames as his voice rang through the air.

After a moment of amusing only himself, he chuckled and looked aimlessly to the sky. "You can come out now," he called out - detecting the woman prior to his antics. "I promise to stop singing if you do, and I would love the company."

Yona froze.

Keep calm, keep calm. Okay, he knows you're here-- that doesn't inherently have to be a bad thing. He was a foreigner, right? Maybe he was just...traveling.

...

Okay, she couldn't even really convince herself of that. Still, she found herself debating the merit of climbing down from her little nest: on the one hand, it was clearly a risky move. On the other, he already knew she was there, and if she stayed in the tree she might just end up cornering herself.

Oh...fuck. Hissing a Thanati curse under her breath, the young woman slipped down from her perch and dropped to land almost soundlessly on her feet, creeping forward through the underbrush toward the circle of light from the stranger's campfire.

"Oh hey, you again," he said almost nonchalantly, barely meeting her eyes as his gaze lingered on the flame. "Take a seat. The fire's hot, and the night's just right."

Stretching his arms out behind him, he peered up at her and shot a friendly grin. "You got any food?" he asked shamelessly. "I'm starving."

She hesitated, and then almost immediately felt guilt swamp her for the hesitation.

"Wealth is measured not by what we have, but by what we give away." Ruka's voice echoed in her eyes and she shut her eyes, letting out a short, sharp breath. True, she had only just resupplied in town, but that meant she actually did have a little extra food.

She'd just...have to be more careful about rationing the rest, that was all.

"Here." Yona dug in her pack for a moment before coming up with a small loaf of bread, which she easily broke in half, handing the slightly larger piece out toward the stranger with a small, shy smile.

It didn't occur to her to perhaps be wary of bumping into the same stranger twice in one day-- at least, no more wary than she usually was.

"Thanks," he said with the uncanny ability to be both carelessly absent and appreciative. The portion of bread was in his mouth just as quickly as she handed it over, and it would be hard for anyone to think he was enjoying his food the way he gulped it down ruthlessly.

Still, once he was finished, a satisfied smile twinkled on his face, and he nodded at her with another show of appreciation.

"So tell me a little bit about yourself," he started, being as relaxed as one could be sitting in the dirt. "Who you runnin' from?"

Yona stiffened. She felt her magic suddenly rise up, pulsing just beneath the surface of her skin, as fight-or-flight pounded behind her eyes.

"What makes you think I'm running from anyone?" she asked, working hard to keep her voice as even as she could manage. Her eyes flickered toward the trees, judging the distance. If she ran now...

He could feel the panic in her chest as if it were his own, and the timbre of her voice  had changed just enough for him to know he struck a nerve.

He shrugged carelessly before laying down on his side - his face propped up by an open palm as he looked at her curiously. "Oh, c'mon," he almost teased. "I know someone on the run when I see one. Hey, I'm in hiding too. The only difference between you and me is I hide in plain sight, and you're just bad at it."

His words, though may come across as harsh, were delivered in a light, friendly tone.

"My name's Kalen," he lied. "What's yours?"

The elementalist just stared at him for a long moment. She had absolutely no reason to believe this man was being at all truthful with her-- if he was running from something, why would he just tell her outright?

Unless he was really that stupid.

Yona bit her lip, glancing toward the thicker forest behind her once again, calculating.

"Listen to the voice in your heart, little one. One soul in need will always hear another."

Once more Ruka's voice floated to the front of her mind and she gritted her teeth. Damnit, Sister. She wasn't a priestess anymore-- she never really had been! Why did those maxims haunt her so much?

"I'm...Kana," she lied, her voice just a little too tight to pass off as casual. "And if you're trying to hide in plain sight, what are you doing out in the jungle?"

"Oh, I just decided to take a stroll, it got late, and decided to camp out for the night. I'll head back into town first thing in the morning."

There was no real way to tell if the bounty hunter was lying or telling the truth. That sort of action would not be out of the ordinary for him, so it was easy for him to say it with the casual assurance that made him seem genuine.

"Look," he said. "I'm not sure who you're running from, but if you act nervous and panicky like the way you did in the cafe this morning, you're going to draw attention to yourself. People will always look for the worst in folk, and you - first impressions - strike me as the person who has something to hide."

"I'm just loud," he continued, smirking at the thought. "Loud, clumsy, but with a certain amount of charm if I do say so myself."

Following that, he sat back up to face her. "I'm also a very good liar," he said with a wink. Extending his hand, he shared a cheeky grin in hopes that she would return the shake. "Come on. Let's be friends. My name's Amaya," he said, this time telling the truth. "What's your real name?"

Yona just stared at him in silence, making absolutely no move to take his offered hand. "You just told me you're a very good liar," she pointed out softly. "Why on earth should I trust anything that comes out of your mouth? Why should I give you my name?"

Her whole body was tense to the point of trembling, every instinct urging her to just run back into the trees. This foreigner wouldn't be able to find her in the jungle, once she got deep enough in...

Amaya laughed at the truth of that statement.

"Yeah," he said, scratching the side of his face with sheepish glee. "You probably shouldn't. Buuutt.. ask yourself: what could it hurt?"

He knew that alone would not be enough to sway the girl, so he continued. "What do you have to lose by telling me your name? And honestly, isn't sharing the company with someone with similar circumstances better than being alone, in isolation, if only for a moment?"

He took his hand back - no hard feelings on the girl not returning the gesture. He couldn't really blame her, after all.

"Tell you what," he said calmly. "How about I tell you my story? I'll give you all the juicy details on why I'm in hiding in exchange for your real name. You don't have to tell me any more than that."

She scooted just a little bit further away, clutching her pack to her chest and still eyeing him warily, but she didn't move to run. Not yet, at least.

"...Yona."

She glanced away, worrying at her lower lip with her teeth. "I'm not... I'm not trading my name for information. I'm just telling you. It's Yona."

Gods but it actually felt nice to simply say her name aloud. It must have been weeks since she'd done that-- maybe months?

Amaya noticed her small movement away, but didn't think much of it. Instead, he flashed an appreciative grin and gave her nod that all but said now we're getting somewhere.

"Beautiful name," he replied. "Now doesn't that feel nice?"

Well, there was the confirmation he needed.

"I know it feels nice for me to tell you my name," he added, though not necessarily true. "So it's settled - we're friends now."

Before she could answer, he leaned forward a little more and stared at the woman intently. "You're really pretty," he said bluntly. "Not sure how you've gone unnoticed with looks like that. You got a man somewhere?"

Yona stiffened. Her eyes cut across to his and suddenly there was something sharp and steely in her gaze, something dangerous.

"I do not see how that is any of your business, gaijin," she hissed, using a stylized dialect of Thanati to dub him "foreigner", separating him from herself.

"Hey, easy."

His tone was apologetic, but the bounty hunter could never bring himself to apologize - especially over something as minuscule as that.

"You're right," he admitted, shrugging off the tension. "It's none of my business, but how do you find out anything about a person without asking? Why sit with a stranger you don't know, in the middle of the woods, if you don't want to have a conversation and learn a little bit about each other?"

Knowing full well what the woman was capable of, what exactly she has done to garner such a hefty bounty, the man should have proceeded with caution. However, though it may not have been the wisest trait he had, he did not fear a thing. And work aside, he was actually enjoying her company.

She gave him a dry look. "Why sit with a stranger I don't know, in the middle of the woods, at all? Particularly one who seems to know that I am hunted," she pointed out. Her head tipped slightly to one side. "What makes you think I will share any information about myself with you simply because you ask?"

Of course, despite what she said...she still made no move to leave. Not yet, anyway.

"Beats me," came his near-instant, flat reply.

His eyes finally left the woman, and found themselves resting on the fire. He wasn't tired, but his eyes looked it. He was alert, but his body looked relaxed. He was finding it more difficult to carry a conversation with this woman as the night went on, but he could milk it for hours if need be. Hells, days even. Not that she would want him around that long.

"S'pose you don't have to," he said. "But why not? Why not share- Wait. Do you hear that?"

The man was interrupted by the sound of rustling leaves. It wasn't very close, but not too far off either, and he was pretty sure the wind wasn't the culprit. The sound was just precise to set off his internal alarm.

Yona was on her feet in an instant, skittering back toward the treeline and grabbing for her pack frantically as she did.

Wide eyes snapped toward Amaya, sparking fire. "What did you do? Who is that?"

"Don't look at me!" he shouted in defense, getting to his feet. "I'm not the one so obviously on the run!"

He peered over his shoulder, and then in front of him, and then all around them again. With a smirk, he cracked his knuckles and positioned himself to strike. "Hope you're ready for a fight," he said smugly. "Someone's coming."

A fight?

Yona felt her stomach drop down into her toes and she jumped to her feet, scrambling backward. "Are you insane?" she hissed. "We have to run!"

She turned to dart away into the trees, but a rustle in the foliage stopped her short. They were surrounded.

There was no where to run.

It was too late to run even if they wanted to.

The unwelcome guests soon made their appearance, through the thick of the brush and in position to where they had the two completely surrounded. Amaya held his tongue long enough to get a quick look at every single one of them. There were at least... ten. Ten men. Bounty hunters. Proper bounty hunters. Not the loose canon, devil-in-disguise who could quite frankly give a fuck bounty hunter like Amaya.

These guys took their job seriously.

"Yona," one of the men said as they circled in. "You have a high price on your head, ma'am."

"Boy, I don't know who you are," another started, focusing on Amaya, "but if you know what's best for you, you'll get out of here now. This woman is incredibly dangerous."

"If you don't we'll kill you too," the first guy chimed back in with authority. "No sense trying to take this one alive."

"You fellas must be mistaken," Amaya finally said, his stance both confident and on the defense. "This is my wife Abigal. You've got the wrong person."

He spun around to keep watch on the hoard the best he could. "Best get the fuck out of here," he hissed, playing the act of a husband losing his temper.

Yona just stared at him.

Abigail?

Almost despite herself, she glanced down at her own form, then back up at Amaya incredulously. She was quite clearly a native to Thanatos-- Abigail? Really?

The hunters took a choreographed step forward, closing them in, and her heart jumped into her throat. "W-wait."

"Courage is not the absence of fear, little one," Ruka's voice sounded in her head. "It is merely a judgement that there is something more important than your fear."

Taking a breath, Yona drew herself up to her full-- admittedly tiny-- height and lifted her chin defiantly. "I'm the one you want here," she said, locking her eyes on the lead bounty hunter. "This-- this man is just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Just...let him go."

The bounty hunter's eyes could've rolled right out of his head after the woman completely blew their cover. Oh well. He knew it was a long shot, but still.

"Like hell," he smirked.

Stepping up to bat, Amaya cracked the knuckles of his right hand with the open palm of his left, and then vise versa. "Seems like I was at the right place," he said. "At the right time."

He moved between the lead hunter and Yona, a twinkle in his eyes and a cocky smile tugging at his lips, with his towering figure looming over the opposition. "This is how this is going to go-"

The last word hadn't completely rolled off the tongue when the man grabbed the lead hunter by the scalp, forcing his head down to meet a thunderous knee to the nose, and followed through with a left hook across the rest of his face.

It happened in less than an instant, and their leader was on the ground.

A collection of swords unsheathed around them.

Yona froze again, eyes wide as she looked around. They were completely trapped, hemmed in on all sides.

"Are you mad?" she hissed at Amaya. Why had he gone and provoked them?

More importantly-- how in all hells was she supposed to get out of this? She'd tried just turning herself in-- though honestly in retrospect that was a terrible idea-- but she highly doubted the bounty hunters would be at all pleased to simply take her quietly now.

"Aren't we all?" he replied, all-too-excited to be in the middle of a brawl they had no chance of winning.

As one of the men charged him, he grabbed the man who's face he promptly broke, lifting him and hurling him at the oncoming attacker. As the chaos rose, and shouts could be heard through the thick of the trees, Amaya spun on his heel and made a quick dash to Yona.

Here goes nothing.

Nearly tackling her, he hoisted the woman over his shoulder and ran as fast as he possibly could - removing them from the disadvantage of being surrounded.

Yona shrieked, instinctively starting to kick and flail as she was all but knocked off her feet and scooped up into the air. Thankfully her brain caught up with her body and she managed to hold herself still, though she clutched awkwardly at Amaya's back.

"What in all hells do you think you're doing?!"

"That's a stupid question," he responded as his stride took them further away from the bounty hunters. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm getting you out of here!"

Amaya had the uncanny ability to appear and speak calmly even though he was carrying a woman and in a full-on sprint. When he was sure he put enough distance between them and their pursuers, he let the woman to her feet.

"Right," he said, turning around to face away from her. "Better get out of here now. I'll hold them off. Look me up in the future if you ever wanna do this again."

He gave her a quick grin over his shoulder before running back into the direction of the hunters.

"You-- but-- wait--!"

Aaannnnnd he was gone.

Yona was left frozen where she stood, eyes wide and jaw slack as she stared after him. He was...going back? Why? They'd already gotten some distance, surely they should have just kept running...

She hovered, torn. Escape and safety were so close, all she had to do was keep running. But-- but Amaya had helped her, and he was running back into danger. Could she really just leave him?

Sorry boys, that bounty is mine.

Amaya was an excellent brawler, but a shit mage. For someone born and raised in Serendipity, he was truly shit at anything magic-related. Of course, he did pick up a few tricks that he could sometimes pull off, and outnumbered as he was he felt he may have had no choice.

"Over here!" he yelled as he neared their pursuers, taking a sharp turn and leading them thicker into the woods.

His feet slapped the dirt below him as he ran, a thunderous sprint under the dark sky, when he some how managed (and elegantly at that) to mix some type of potion with a stout whiskey. Muttering a spell under his breath, he tossed the bottle over his shoulder.

It landed just before the other bounty hunters, and Amaya - timing it just right - snapped his fingers.

BOOM!

A small explosion ignited, the men screamed, and their bodies were flung in every direction.

Of course, he didn't get all of them, and they were closing in.

The sound of the explosion snapped Yona from her momentary paralysis. With a cry of shock and fear, she turned on her heel and raced away into the jungle.

Guilt tugged at her chest with every step she took, but it seemed that fear was a stronger motivator, at least in this moment.

It's-- it's fine. He seemed like he could handle himself, I'm sure he's fine...

They were on him quicker than he anticipated after that explosion, but he managed to tumble out of the way in time to just have the tip of the blade cut him, rather than slice him completely in half. He hissed with the jolt of pain, but it only served to fuel his adrenaline even more.

The same hunter struck again, but this time Amaya was ready. Dodging the attack, he wrapped around the man, disarmed him while simultaneously taking the blade, and held it up to his neck.

"Don't move!" he shouted with authority. "I would think long and hard about what you do next."

There were only four of them now. One in his grasp, and the other three in front - contemplating their next move.

Yona could only continue to run, putting one foot in front of the other as her breath started to come in deep, ragged pants. She had been raised a priestess, and it was clear that she was woefully lacking in a certain level of physical fitness that would have greatly aided her in such a scenario.

"D-Don't kill me," his captive pleaded, clearly shaken.

"Relax," Amaya said, though not very reassuringly. "I'm not going to kill you. Yet."

"Who are you?" one of the others demanded, standing their ground.

"Amaya Midgar."

There was a moment of silence. They knew the name, and they knew the reputation. There were a collection of looks exchanged among the remaining bounty hunters - not knowing whether to retreat or attack.

"What kind of self-respecting bounty hunters group up and pick on a little girl like her?" he asked, taking one step back with his hostage. "You should all-"

He wasn't able to finish his sentence before his body screamed, the piercing pressure of cold steel jolting into his body. Involuntarily, he let his captive go as he reacted to the abrupt pain. Looking down, he saw the first bounty hunter, the one who he thought he had dealt with in the beginning, on the ground but with his sword planted into his leg.

Fuck. Off.

This was bad. This hurt like hell. He was at a disadvantage now.

He had no choice.

He slung the blade he was holding in the other men's direction to distract him, knocked the grounded bounty hunter off him, and drew the weapon out of his leg. Turning on his heel, he ran as fast as he could.

---

It had been a couple of hours since the incident, but Amaya managed to lose them. He could only hope Yona was able to do the same. Losing strength, and blood, he found a quiet spot to hide before collapsing onto the ground.

"Fuck," he hissed. "I really don't want to die here."

This would be, by his standards, the dumbest way he could possibly go out.

This was stupid. So very very stupid.

But it was also the right thing to do.

Arguing silently with herself, Yona had been picking her way back the path she had come for the last hour or so, trying to retrace her steps back toward where she had left Amaya.

The trail of blood was not entirely surprising, but it made her stomach clench guiltily.

Raised a priestess she might have been, but Yona was a half-decent tracker, and a wounded man was not the most difficult quarry to follow. It didn't take her too much longer to stumble upon him, and her breath caught in her throat.

No. She didn't have time to feel guilty. Steeling herself, the elementalist hurried toward the tree he was collapsed against and knelt beside him, slinging her pack to the ground to better root through it for the supplies she needed.

"Amaya? Can you hear me?" She couldn't even tell if he was still conscious.

"Ain't dead yet," was all he managed to say as his head slightly shifted to face her. He had trouble keeping his eyes open, unconsciousness just a breath away as he struggled to keep himself together.

Amaya Midgar. Feared bounty hunter. Killed in the woods by some loser with a knife.

Well, it wasn't a knife, but it might as well of been.

This was so stupid.

He was just out of it to not even realize who was there beside him.

Yona breathed a small sigh of relief and smiled quite despite herself. With a soft huff, she set to work, tearing Amaya's trousers so she could get at his wound, smearing a poultice before wrapping strips of linen around the wound in deft, practiced motions.

"Don't you get handsy with me, young lady," he slurred, almost drunk on the pain that coursed through his leg. "If I lose my ability to use this leg when we're done I'm going to kill that guy."

Finally coming to some of his senses, he realized that it was, in fact, Yona at his aid. Thank Gods. She got away.

Did he really want to collect the bounty on the woman saving his life? Dirty business, he supposed, but he could think on that later. "Glad you came around when you did," he said, hoisting himself up a bit with his elbows.

"Yes, I expect you are," Yona replied with a small smile. She tied the bandaging off and sat back. "Is it just the leg? Are you hurt anywhere else?"

She rather hoped not-- her last stop in town had been to restock on food, she was running low on healing supplies. But she couldn't very well leave him if he was still injured.

"Nope," he breathed into his response. "That'll do me."

He looked up and down at the bandages she had wrapped him in, her handiwork, with a small sigh of relief escaping his lips as he did so. "Thought I was done for," he said quietly. "That would've been embarrassing."

He took a quick look around before returning his gaze back on Yona. "I shook those guys a while back, so that should buy us a little time if they're still looking for us. Most likely, they think we're long gone from these woods by now."

"You must be a hot commodity," he said shortly after. "I've never seen that many bounty hunters after one person. I knew you were on the run, but Gods, you must have an extremely high price on your head. You don't have to tell me what you did - I really don't care. But tell me this, why'd you come back? I gave you the chance to escape."

"Because..." She paused, drawing her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment before she continued, "Because you risked your life to save me. If I had left you, it..."

She frowned and glanced away, sitting back on her heels. "It would have been a shame on my people. On me." Another sigh, then she looked back to him and added, softer, "And I never would have been able to live with myself if you had died saving me."

Amaya couldn't help but grin. Couldn't help but laugh.

"You're sweet, then," he said. It was a minor struggle, but he got on his feet. "And naive. You should've left me to die. You'd be better off."

He took a few steps forward, testing the waters after she doctored up his injuries. Not too shabby, he thought. "I'm not the type of guy you wanna get caught up with," he continued. "Lot of blood on my hands. Lot of hearts broken because of me. Trouble seems to follow me wherever I go, and I tend to follow it right back."

In his rare moment of vulnerability he shared a rare moment of honesty.

"Anyway, let's get moving," he said rather abruptly. "No sense in wasting time here. We have some serious ground to cover if we're going to get out of here before those knuckleheads catch up to us."

That...was a bit of emotional whiplash.

Blinking, Yona scrambled to her feet behind him, already hurriedly swinging her bag back over her shoulder. "Wh-where exactly are you planning on going?" she asked, because of what he'd said that was all she found she could really focus on for the moment.

"The next town over maybe," he called out, his stride already strong enough to where the man's long legs were putting distance between the two. "Somewhere to lay low. I'll know when I find."

He peered behind his shoulder and tossed a grin. "C'mon, don't fall behind. You need to come with me. We can split ways when things have cooled off a bit."

"I... But--" He didn't understand. Well of course he didn't. He couldn't. It wasn't just herself she was protecting by keeping to the jungle; her power was dangerous, and she could not risk staying in populated areas for too long.

If only she'd listened to the priests when she was a girl.

"I can't go into a town with you," Yona mumbled, but she hurried after him even as she said it.

"Sure you can," he replied back quickly, hearing her well enough as he paced forward. "Or, by all means, stay here and die. I don't think I'm in the position to protect you again right now, so if that's your thing lady-"

He stopped talking for a moment, letting the steps forward continue their path before peering over his shoulder at the woman. "Come on, we won't stay long. But we can't stay here."

"But, but I..." She hesitated a moment longer, almost swaying in place as she warred internally. "It's not— I'm not...safe," she finally whispered, her arms coming up to wrap around her middle.

"Yona!"

Amaya whipped around to face her, his mouth in both awe of her reluctance and his impatience. "You're safe. I promise. I won't let anything happen to you."

Yeah, he knew what she really meant, but he couldn't let that be known. He knew what could happen, but he had every intention of making sure that it didn't.

Yona flinched back from the sudden volume of his voice and stared at him with wide eyes as though she was worried he might suddenly attack.

Honestly, a part of her was.

She set her jaw and narrowed her eyes. "N-no." Though her voice shook, she held firm. "You don't understand, I can't go into town. I can't."

"And why's that?"

The bounty hunter folded his arms over his chest, a brow furrowed as he eyed the woman more so in curiosity than suspicion. He was curious, that is, to see if she'd open up and tell him the truth. Her truth. He knew the other side of the story that put a bounty on her head.

"I—!"

She stopped, clamping her mouth shut and staring at him balefully. "I'm. Not. Safe," she ground out, trembling slightly now as she clutched her arms even tighter around her body. "If I'm around a lot of people... Someone could get hurt. I can't risk that."

"Fine. I'll bite."

Walking back towards her now, he swept past her but grabbed her hand in his in the process, leading them out of the clearing and more into an isolated, hidden area. "Come on then," he said, letting go of her and taking a seat into the dirt. "Tell me your story. What did you do to get such a high bounty on your head, and why can't you be you be around people? C'mon, I nearly died saving you - you owe me an explanation."

Yona opened her mouth to tell him that she owed him precisely nothing-- but then he reminded her that he had indeed risked his life in helping her.

Damnit.

"I..." She frowned and looked away, her arms still wrapped around her middle, though her posture had relaxed somewhat. "There was... It's sort of a long story," she sighed, reaching up to drag a hand down her face. Her eyes were tired when they flicked back up to meet his. "I have...abilities," she finally muttered. He was foreign, right? He wouldn't know how sacrilegious her power was--but she still couldn't find it in herself to say it aloud.

"I have abilities," she repeated, a little stronger. "And I-- I can't always control them. Not the way I want to. It makes me...dangerous."

"Just learn to control them then," he said with a purposeful ignorance. "And how dangerous are we talking?"

He motioned for the woman to join him on the ground. If they weren't moving, might as well get comfortable.

"What happened the last time you weren't able to control your abilities?"

She glanced toward the offered patch of earth when he gestured but did not move to sit, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

Why on earth was she telling him this?

Maybe it was a sick sense of guilt, as though by listing her crimes, acknowledging them, she could somehow...she didn't even know. Begin to atone? Or maybe she'd just been on her own long enough that any interaction was like a drug, addictive and nearly impossible to deny.

"Someone...died," she whispered, gaze fixed on her feet. Then she sighed and closed her eyes, her jaw tensing. "A lot of people died."

I didn't mean for it to happen, I just wanted them to leave me alone, I was scared, they threatened Ruka... Dozens of excuses ran through her mind, but she knew that's what they were. Excuses. So she didn't bother to voice them.

He watched her intently as the woman moved nervously from side to side, telling him his story in the most vague way as possible. His mouth would have been agape from the utter shock of hearing something like that, but he already knew all of that.

"Okay, first off," he started in a tired voice. "You're going to give me an anxiety attack moving around like that. You need to sit, right now you're practically target practice."

He did not wait for the woman to respond in any type of way before continuing.

"Secondly, it really doesn't sound like this was your fault. Yeah. It really sucks that people died because of you, but it doesn't sound like you meant for it to happen." He shrugged and sighed. "Guess that doesn't matter, though. I could put a knife in a man's heart and say 'oh I didn't mean to' and I'd still be locked up. So, how many people died?"

Yona rooted her feet to the ground, but she didn't sit. She just stared at him for a long moment, silent.

"...Fifteen," she said eventually. Her eyes itched and she blinked, looking quickly away. "You're right. It doesn't matter. I did something wrong, I made a mistake, and people died. That's what matters."

She dashed the back of her hand angrily over her eyes. A deep breath in an attempt to center herself. "So. Maybe I came back for you because I--I owed it to them. I don't know."

Fifteen. That was it? This girl truly was as innocent as she acted. He got that impression from their first encounter, but he really couldn't confirm anything until he spent a little more time with her. Hells, he still couldn't count it out that this was all a ruse. He was doing that very thing, after all.

Maybe he wouldn't take her in. If she was as honest as he was starting to believe, she didn't deserve the punishment that would be waiting for her. Torture, execution, the works.

No, he needed a little more time to mull things over.

"Hey, I'm sorry," he finally said after letting silence separate them for a moment. "I'm sorry I asked - that sounds tough. But you shouldn't blame yourself for something like that."

He leaped up, given up the thought of her joining him in the dirt. "So, where to then?" he asked as he folded his arms over his chest. "We gotta go somewhere."

She stared at him. "You...what?"

He just...accepted that? She'd just told him she'd killed over a dozen people, and his reaction was Okay, what's next? And how could he tell her not to blame himself-- he had no idea of the circumstances, no idea just what she'd done and how she'd done it.

Unable to fully process what was happening, Yona stammered out, "I-I've just been keeping to the jungles. I only go into town what I absolutely have to..."

He couldn't help but chuckle at the woman's reaction.

Again, either she's as honest and innocent as they come, or she's one damn good actor. If it were the former, she'd be scared shitless to learn how much blood was on his hands.

"Sounds like a bad idea," he said bluntly, walking past her and expecting her to follow. "You can only do that for so long. What reasons do you usually go into town for?"

"Well...food," she admitted in a mumble. "I can-- I can gather most of what I need, but I'm...not a very good hunter."

She normally just forewent meat entirely, but sometimes she'd be in a rather poisonous part of the jungle and just had no better options-- which meant subsisting off of meat and rice cakes from local markets.

"Yeah, me either," he lied. "So it's decided then. To town we go - at least to get some food. And then we can plan our next move."

He stopped walking for a moment to peer over his shoulder, wanting to make sure the woman would follow him. "I won't let anything happen. Trust me."

Rather despite herself, Yona found her feet moving to follow him, slow and cautious.

"Why...do you want to stay with me?" she asked slowly, utterly bewildered. She didn't bother to continue arguing about going into a town, at least not now; she could just hang back in the trees when he reached his destination, she supposed.

Amaya shrugged and continued walking forward.

Who knows.

To learn more about her. To see if she was the real deal or not. To see if the price on her head would be worth it. He almost felt a certain kinship with her, one out of familiarity, or for the weight they both carried in their respective situations. Of course, they were nothing alike, and neither were their circumstances.

"Guess we're just in this together now," he finally said after some thought. "I put my neck, and my name, out there back there, so now they're going to be looking for both of us. Better we stick together for now, right?"

"I--I suppose that's true..." Yona continued to trod after him warily, always a few steps behind, and she tilted her head at his back.

"...Why did you, by the way? I mean...you're right. If people think you helped me, they'll assume you're my accomplice or something. Why risk that?"

"It's not like I had much choice," he replied over his shoulder. "We were already together when those knuckleheads showed up. It goes against my nature to just walk away from something like that."

He stretched and let his hands land on the back of his head, assuming a lounging position even as he pressed forward. "Guess we're accomplices now. So, what should call our gang?"

Yona narrowed her eyes at his back. "That's not funny," she muttered. "How can you...be so calm about all this? Don't you care?" She reached up to drag her fingers back through her hair, a nervous habit. "If they catch us, you'll probably be killed."

She didn't bother to mention her own fate. There would be more ceremony for her; not only was her crime far worse, but she was native to the isles. Amaya was simply a foreigner in the wrong place at the wrong time, and would be swiftly executed as such.

Amaya smirked.

"No," he replied honestly. "I don't care about much, Yona. Haven't you figured that out about me?"

It was true. There were very few things the bounty hunter cared about. He lost the ability a long time ago back in Serendipity. He supposed the only thing he really cared about now was staying alive. He didn't like the idea of not being able to control how and when he dies, and would choose the time and the place himself when the time came.

"You're kind of a nervous wreck, you know that?"

Her jaw dropped open. "Excuse you?!"

Alright, so she was skittish, and maybe a little flighty. But she thought that understandable, damnit!

Folding her arms, the elementalist looked away and muttered something under her breath about "rude foreigners".

Amaya had to muffle a laugh, and continued pressing forward. They would continue their stride for some time before they reached the next town, and he finally slowed down long enough for her to catch up when they were just outside of the gates.

"Okay, game plan," he said, spinning on his heel to face his skittish companion. "Let's go in as quietly as possible, get some food, and hit the road. Just stay close, and everything will be alright."

He meant that. Though he was still undecided as to what to do with her, he was becoming more open to the idea of helping her, rather than hunting her.

Yona could do little but hurry in an attempt to keep up with the near-stranger. Though when he gave her his plan, her eyes widened a bit in fear and she instinctively started to shake her head.

"I don't-- I can just wait in the trees?" she tried desperately. "I, um, I have a bit of money I could give you..."

The words were barely out of her mouth when she realized what a spectacularly bad idea that was. She knew next to nothing about this man, why on earth should she trust him with coin?

With a sigh, she dropped her eyes and nodded assent. "Alright."

"Great," he replied with a bit of impatience. "Stay close."

---

The two entered the city and he found the best grocery merchant for their needs: hidden away, out of the limelight, poor-lit, and just a tad bit shady. Any establishment that housed merchant goods and a bar in a bad part of town was good enough for him, he thought.

"Go ahead and get what you think we'll need," he said as they entered. "I'm going to go out back and take a leak."

Manners was not his strong suit.

Even if Yona had not been a fugitive, she thought she probably would have been just as skittish in this place. She'd been raised in a mountain temple for gods' sakes, she just wasn't built for-- for this.

She wanted to protest Amaya's absence, demand that he stay with her, but before she could work up the nerve he'd already gone. She huffed out a breath and all but pouted at his back, feeling a tingle of wariness crawl up her back.

Trying desperately not to call attention to herself, she began sorting through the available goods, shoulders hunched and eyes lowered.

"Did you see that?" one man whispered from the bar just a few feet away from Yona. Small as she was and minding to herself, neither of the two patrons seemed to notice her. "Is that who I think it was?"

"Yeah," the other man, his voice gruff and lowered, answered. "That's Amaya Midgar."

The scene was tense. The first man's face went pale with worry, and the other was on alert - overly cautious for man trying to enjoy his ale.

"What's a bounty hunter doing at this place? I thought it was common knowledge that this was a safe haven for fugitives? A no-go zone for people like him!"

The other man shrugged. "He comes in here all of the time," he answered, taking another sip of his drink. "I think he just likes to make people nervous."

"I've never known anyone to get away from that guy once he had his sights on them," the first man said, his voice shaking as much as his hand on his glass. "He got Red, y'know? Red."

"Yeah, I know," the second man replied. "I hear he use to run with a really mean gang back in Serendipity. Like, cut out your eyes and send it to your family kind of mean."

"Gods," the other guy all but gasped. "Fuck this. Let's get out of here."

The two didn't have a chance to make another move before Amaya returned through the back of the bar, giving the boys a playful wink as he passed as greeting them with a quick 'Gentleman' before returning to Yona.

"We ready?"

Yona had gone very, very still, every line of her body taught and sharp. Amaya's voice earned just the barest twitch of her head in his direction. She could feel magic pounding through her blood as though it was trying to break through her skin.

I can't, I can't, it's too dangerous...

You know what? Fuck it.

She twisted to face Amaya, hands flying up as she did, bringing with them a blast of air strong enough to throw him back against the wall.

Then she turned and ran, her pack forgotten on the floor behind her as she fled back to the jungle.

"SHIT!"

After his unexpected collision with the wall, he jumped to his feet and tried to compose himself. What in all fucks just happened?! Scanning the room, he saw the two bar patrons with guilty eyes - trying to avoid all contact with him.

"Did you tell on me?" he spat before walking over to them.

Without a moment's notice, he grabbed both men by the back of the head - each in one hand - before slamming their skulls together.

Now that that was taken care of, he high-tailed it out of the establishment and set off for the woods. That's where she would be. He was sure of it.

Her magic was buzzing along the surface of her skin, anxious and hungry and...volatile. It sensed that she was in danger, and it wanted to protect her.

No no no no no. Yona bore down on the power as she ran through the trees; she wasn't doing a particularly good job of hiding her presence, too focused on trying to wrangle her errant magic back under control.

She never should have used it in the first place.

Amaya was fast on his feet, despite his injury that should have prevented him from even walking. He was also a lot tougher than Yona probably knew, but would start to understand soon enough. Cat was out of the bag. Fuck.

"C'mon Yona," he called out as he ran through the thick of the woods. "It's not that big of a deal! Why don't you come down here and we can talk about this?"

She could already hear him calling. Damn, he'd caught up faster than she would have hoped.

Not really thinking clearly, Yona managed to stagger over a massive tree root and shouted aimlessly, "St-stay away from me!"

Her magic writhed and roiled through her body, curling into a tight ball just beneath her chest. "No, no, stop, please stop," she whispered, stumbling to a halt and clutching at her chest with one hand desperately.

Amaya huffed a breath of aggravation. Gods dammit. Gods dammit all. He was this close to gaining the girl's trust, and what's worse is he was actually all but over the idea of collecting a bounty on her. He actually wanted to help her! Now this. Wonderful.

"Don't you think if I was going to take you in," he started, trying to keep his voice level as not to spook her further. "I would've done so already?"

Yona was hunched over, backing away from his voice-- she couldn't see him with her eyes clenched shut as they were. "Leave me...alone!"

She backed up another step. She was panting now as she struggled to contain the magic. "Why should I believe anything you say?!"

Amaya through his hands up in the air in further frustration. "Well, I never said I wasn't a bounty hunter," he said, his voice clearly irritated. "You never asked what I did for a living."

She's going to garner us some much unwanted attention.

He could just leave. He really could. He had pretty much decided to drop the bounty and help her instead, but if she didn't want to be help, there was nothing more he could do. He could turn around, walk away right now, and let her fend for herself.

Gods dammit.

No he couldn't.

"C'mon Yona," he said again. "Yeah, you probably shouldn't trust me - but I promise you I'm on your side. Let's talk about this."

The very air around her started to shimmer, a heat haze shivering around her form. The earth beneath her feet seemed to ripple, just slightly, a tremor that started from her heels and spread out through the trees around them.

"Please, just..." Yona finally managed to open her eyes, power and fear warring for control in their depths. "It's-- it's not safe. J-just leave me alone..."

"Yona, please don't make me start climbing trees."

His voice was less annoyed and more the tone of an adult getting onto a young child for wrongdoing. He sighed, thinking it through.

"Found you!"

Oh gods dammit fuck.

Amaya jerked his head around to see the hunters from before, quickly filing into his vision with their blades drawn, and a few more recruits were now in their numbers. "Where's the girl?!" they demanded.

"Don't know," Amaya lied calmly.

He wasn't in the condition to fight them, but he would if he had to.

Yona's eyes snapped open with a sharp gasp.

Only a thin band of trees separated her from the bounty hunters down. She could feel it, could sense their footsteps on the earth, their passage through the air, the water in their blood...

"Leave. Me. ALONE!"

The earth beneath the enemy hunters exploded upward, sending them flying into various trees with a series of sickening cracks. The trees themselves seemed to bend down toward the young elementalist as she stood shivering in the small clearing, her arms wrapped tight around her small frame. Wind whipped her hair, and the barest hint of flame licked at her fingertips.

Holy fuck.

So this is the power he was told about. This is what gave her the bounty on her head. It finally made sense. He wouldn't lie that seeing the hunters before him launch in front of him was not only a huge relief, but pretty amusing to watch. He's just damn lucky he wasn't in the mix of it.

But then the sound bones cracking followed. The sounds of cries abruptly ended from the impact of wherever their bodies landed. She killed them. She killed all of them.

"That's fucking crazy," he thought to himself aloud, mouth slightly agape and eyes wide as he tried to contemplate what happened.

"Okay, Yona," he began cautiously. "You've got my attention. Now come down. I'm not going to hurt you. Hells, after that, I don't think I can."

He didn't need to tell her to come down. The effort of struggling with her magic, the backlash of the sudden release of it, had utterly drained her.

Yona collapsed to the earth, just barely managing to avoid hitting her head off a rock when her body slumped against one massive, gnarled tree root at an angle.

It almost looked as though the root had curled specifically to catch her.

"Ah, shit," Amaya said as the woman fell.

He quickly ran to her side, kneeling down next to her and immediately checked to see if she was still alive after a fall like.

Okay. Still alive. Close one.

"Okay, c'mon," he said, hoisting the woman up to cradle in his arms, before making his way out of those woods.

---

Amaya never said he didn't have a home in the city. It was a shack on the outskirts of the main population - small, but effective for what he needed it for. A place to crash from time to time or a place to lay low. Right now, he needed both.

He had laid Yona on the bed over in the corner of the room, a glass of water on a table right next to it for when she awoke.

"Hey," he said after some time, his voice booming. "Wake up."

Yona came to slowly, and with a groan. Her head pounded, she was starving, and her whole body was weak; she was barely able to lift a hand to her face to press against her temple. "Wha...?"

Blearily she opened her eyes, and found herself in entirely unfamiliar surroundings. "Wh-where...? What's going on?"

Amaya raised an eyebrow and examined sleeping beauty herself. "Easy there," he said, sipping his tea from the other side of the room. "You made quite a fuss back in those woods."

He decided against getting up and moving to her - better not to set her off anymore than she probably already was. "We're at my place. Don't worry, it's safe here," he said before motioning to the glass next to her. "Drink that."

Yona stared at him for a long moment in silence. "Safe," she repeated at length. "What's the word even supposed to mean, with you?"

Amaya shrugged before taking another swig of his drink.

"Suppose I deserved that," he said with a devil-may-care attitude. "So, what do you want to know? If you have questions now would be the time to ask them. I didn't turn you in, i didn't kill you, I didn't abandon you back there, and we're now in my home where you're recovering in bed and I didn't touch a hair on your head, sleeping beauty. You're safe."

He opened the door behind him and chunked the remaining drops of his beverage out the door. "I see you still haven't drank your water," he said as he closed the door behind. "So, ask away."

She turned her head on the pillow to see the glass of water. Gods, she was parched. Slowly, she forced herself into a sitting position, wincing with every small movement. She was sore everywhere, and even the smallest motion felt like it took far too much effort.

"...Why didn't you turn me in?" she asked eventually, cautiously reaching for the water. She subtly sniffed at the glass before bringing it to her lips; Amaya had a point, he could have harmed her any number of ways by now, but she still didn't trust him. "You're a bounty hunter, aren't you? This is what you do."

Finally. Maybe we were getting somewhere now, he thought.

"Changed my mind," he replied simply. "Gotta be honest, Yona, I wasn't sure if I was ever going to turn you in. Figured I'd hear your side of the story first, and then I got to see it with my own eyes. You didn't mean to hurt anybody. No sense in throwing a girl like you to her execution over something she can't control."

"I wasn't always a bounty hunter, y'know," he continued, crossing one leg over the other and folding his arms in front of his chest. "That's really just something I do around here to get by. It's easy work for me. I'm Serenian. I'm not from Thanatos. I'm really only here to lay low, on the run from my own past back in Serendipity. That wasn't a lie."

Even through her headache and fatigue, Yona managed to shoot him a dry look. "I know you're Serenian, gaijin," she muttered. Okay. Not the most polite--but she was still rather peeved with him!

She fell quiet again for several long moments, turning his words over in his mind. When she finally spoke though, it had nothing to do with what he'd said.

"What happened to the others?" Her voice was soft, eyes fixed on the floor. "The men in the woods, the other bounty hunters...what happened?"

Amaya took the kettle off of the table and poured himself another glass of his tea. He didn't answer the woman right away, taking a sip or two as he thought of the best way to tell her. Hells, there was no easy way to tell her what she already knew.

"You know what happened," he finally said, his eyes lingering on the contents of his glass. "Like I said. You can't control it. It's not your fault."

He was well aware that he didn't have a way with words, especially when they needed to count for something. "Tea? Coffee?" he held up the kettle, blatantly changing the subject.

He was right. She had known. But hearing it confirmed was like a blow to the gut. She doubled over, burying her face in her hands and swallowing back a sob that threatened to swamp her.

"Oh gods..." She clenched her eyes shut and tried to breathe.

Unnatural. Dangerous. Abomination.

Monster.

Unable to even comment on Amaya's desperate bid for a change in topic, she just shook her head when he offered a drink. Her knees drew up toward her chest and she wrapped her arms around her legs, hiding her face.

"That's good, cause I think I just finished off the tea," he said, mostly to himself. "And I don't have any coffee."

Wise ass.

He stood from his chair and stretched. "I'll leave you to your thoughts for now. I'll come back in a little bit to discuss our next move. Don't go running off again or I will turn you myself this time."

He didn't wait for a response before heading out the door.

Yona managed to wait until she heard the door close behind him before she broke down completely. She somehow managed to keep herself quiet, but sobs still wracked her frame, shaking her shoulders and sending little tremors through her whole body.

Considering how powerless she felt to stop it, she just allowed herself to cry for several minutes. Finally though, she managed to wrestle herself back under some kind of control and raised her head, swiping angrily at her cheeks.

Never again.

She'd been lax. She'd allowed herself to grow complacent, to use her powers for little things. Not anymore. She couldn't risk it anymore.

Amaya took an hour to himself, giving her the space to deal with.. whatever .. she needed to deal with. He didn't go too far. He didn't need to. In fact, he was just outside of the door, "meditating" as one one call it while she remained inside crying her eyes out.

'Amaya you can be a cold-hearted bitch sometimes,' he thought to himself.

It didn't matter - there was nothing he could do for her then, but perhaps there was something he could do for her now. They couldn't just travel from town to town, forest to woods. It's too dangerous, and too close to home. Sure, he would be fine, but she wouldn't.

After the hour had passed, he walked back into the house. "Okay," he said loud enough to break any concentration she may have had on anything else. "I'm taking you to Serendipity. You'll be safer there. You can't stay in Thanatos anymore."

Yona started so violently that she knocked the still half-full glass of water to the floor. Jaw dropping open, she stared up at him in baffled silence for several long moments.

"You...what?!"

"Hey, calm down," he said, not knowing what the big deal was. His eyes looked at the glass on the floor and then back at her. "Clean that up, will ya?"

Opening up a chest near the bed, he began pulling out a few different garments for the road, stuffing them in a small bag that he then slung over his shoulder. "Going to Serendipity," he said again, tossing her a puzzled look as to say why aren't you getting read?

She continued to just gape at him, making no move to get off the bed. "You--but--I can't!"

She'd never left Thanatos; she'd never even left the island where she was born. Hells, she'd only left the temple a year ago!

"D-didn't you just say you were running from Serendipity?" she tried desperately, eyes huge in her face.

"Sure am," he replied casually. "Doesn't mean I can't go there. Look. I know some people there that'll help you out. They'll make sure you're safe, and might even be able to help you control that.. whatever.. you got going on. Serenians are good at that sort of thing."

He pushed the door open. "C'mon," he urged her. "Time to go. Once I've got you to a safe place, I'm going to have to head back this way."

Amaya didn't wait for an answer before he walked outside.

...Learn to control it?

Yona stayed where she was for several moments longer, feeling as though she was caught and pulled in two different directions.

Then she was out the door, hurrying to catch up to Amaya. She didn't speak, just fell into step beside him as he walked.

Amaya was happy to see the woman finally cooperating, even if she wasn't entirely eager to do so. The two traveled by ship - he knew some of the crew and they were able to stow them away in a cabin. The ship itself was just transporting goods between Thanatos to Serendipity, and their route usually took them a little over a month to make land.

Amaya and Yona shared a cabin. He let the girl take the bed and he usually slept on the floor. Just because he was an asshole didn't mean he couldn't be a gentleman at times.

They were about halfway through their trip...

Amaya needed some air. He had left their cabin some time ago, roaming the different aisles of the ship before landing himself on the deck. Tonight had a cool breeze and the smell of salt sprayed into his nose as he placed his hand on the iron railing. The waves crashed gently against the ship, rocking them in a motion that could either put you to sleep or make you hurl.

Shuffling through his pockets, he pulled out some papers and a tiny little bag of a tobacco-like substance. He rolled it promptly and elegantly, and with a spark of his fingers that lit the flame, he burned into the papers. The smoke was smooth and full of flavor, and he inhaled it into his lungs, and then exhaled into the crisp air.

Serendipity. It had been a long time since he had been there.

He only smoked when he was stressed.

Yona hated the ship. It was cramped and crowded and it rocked too often and she was seasick all the time. As a stowaway, she had to hide out in the cabin to avoid being seen whenever possible.

The only chance she got for a breath of air was at night, when even if someone saw her she was just another shadowy figure on the deck. She'd managed to make her way to the bow of the ship earlier in the evening, and for once the motion beneath her feet did not make her want to throw herself overboard into the sea.

She smelled the smoke before she saw the light, but even that little flash of fire was enough to highlight what were now familiar features. She didn't move from her spot on the rail, but raised her voice just beyond a whisper so he could actually hear her when she said, "The priests always told me that's bad for you, you know."

Amaya grinned. Their trip out at sea wasn't as colorful as how they first met, but he had spent enough time with her now to feel even the smallest connection with her. She was a peculiar girl, a pain in his ass, more trouble than she was worth, and he would probably miss her a little after he got her settled in Serendipity.

"Bad for your health, good for your soul," he replied dryly before dragging more of the smoke into his lungs. "You just gotta decide for yourself which one of those is more important to you. Care to try?"

She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "No. Thank you."

Though she had never been trained as a priestess herself, she had been raised in such a lifestyle, and the warnings of her elders rang clear in her head; she would avoid toxin if she could.

Looking back out over the water, she fell silent again for several long moments. When she spoke, it was just a soft question: "Do you know how much longer this trip will last?"

Damn. Watching her smoke the substance would have been quite entertaining. Probably a smart move on her part, though.

"Guessing.. we're about halfway there," he replied thoughtfully. "So, about the time we've been on here now is about how much time we have left. Still sea sick?"

Yona groaned and dropped her head onto the rail. "Yes," she moaned pitifully-- though actually the last day or so hadn't been nearly so harsh on her stomach.

Didn't mean she wasn't going to complain about it.

"So." She lifted her head and propped her chin on her arms. "Where exactly are you planning to dump me in this foreign country?"

"Beats me," he said while flicking the paper from his fingers and into the dark sea. "Can't you tell when I'm lying? I just needed to go to Serendipity, and figured you'd mind want a change of scenery. I'll probably just drop you off wherever."

He started to walk away with a devilish grin on his face.

Was he lying? Probably. Was he a jackass at times? Definitely. Would he reveal any of this right then and there? Not a chance. She was too easy.

Yona puffed out her cheeks, then released the air in a sharp exhale as she watched him go. "Ass," she muttered to herself, turning her gaze back out over the ocean.

She still didn't know what to make of him. Nearly a fortnight in each other's near constant company, and she still had no idea what to think of this strange man who'd both saved and entirely uprooted her life.

Or, well. Whatever semblance of a life she'd had for the last year, at any rate.

Amaya stopped before he completely walked away from her, but never turned to face her.

"Coastal Serendipity," he said firmly. "That's where we're going. You'll be safe there."

And the Riverlands is where he would need to avoid.

"I'll see you back at the cabin."

He didn't wait for a response, per usual, before leaving her alone on the deck.

"Oh. Um...okay."

She watched him go, brow furrowed in puzzlement. Who the hell are you, Amaya?

Neither the stars nor the sea answered her.

With a quiet sigh, Yona pushed away from the rail and made her way back below-decks to their cabin.

The second half of the trip at seas was just as uneventful as the first half. Gentle waves, no bad weather, Yona getting sick, Amaya making fun of her for it, and then they were there. It was early in the morning when they landed at the docks in Coastal Serendipity. The sun hadn't come up yet, and the air was still cool from the overcast.

Amaya scouted the outer parameter before returning to the cabin. He popped his head in to find Yona. "Land ho!" he said almost cheerfully. "Get your stuff, it's time to go."

Sitting on the bunk with her head between her knees, Yona jerked slightly at the sudden volume of his voice and looked up at him blearily.

"Stuff...?" What stuff? She didn't have stuff. All she had was the clothes on her back and a desperate hope that the last month of trust she'd placed in the bounty hunter hadn't been wildly foolish.

Gods help her.

Groaning, she got to her feet and stagger after him out of the cabin. If nothing else, she was almost religiously grateful for the idea of steady, dry land.

"Try to keep up," he said over his shoulder as he made his way down the hall. "We have a good little walk ahead of us once we get to dry land."

His heart beat just a little faster with each step closer he took to disembark. Serendipity. How he did not miss you.

Once off of the ship, the sun was beginning to rise and its warmth along with it. "Right, just stay close and we'll be alright. We may need to stop in a cafe and get a bite to eat along the way, but we'll be there soon enough. You ready?"

---

It the distance, the familiar smell of a specific tobacco drifted through the crisp air, and a pair of spying eyes watched the two with intrigue.

"Um, r-right. Ready." Yona pressed closed to his side as they disembarked. She didn't even think about it, assaulted on all sides by the New and Strange.

Quite unconsciously, she reached out and wrapped her fingers around his wrist, staring around with wide eyes and a slightly slack jaw.

It wasn't hard for the pair to move around. It being so early, not many were out and about yet, and those that were out were not awake enough to really know, or care, who was strolling down the road. That, and the streets were less busy.

Serendipity was always busy. Something he dearly did not miss from his time spent here.

They made one stop at the cafe, as Amaya expected they might, and were shortly back on their feet until they reached their destination.

The house was small and hard to find. Down several alleys, around several corners, and hidden in shadows even during the day time.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The bounty hunter knocked three times, an eager grin on his face. There was a muffled sound on the other side of the door, feet shuffling and quick, last-minute straightening up he assumed, before the door swung up.

"Richard!"

"The fuck?!" the man, bald on top and red on his face, looked stunned to see the man opposite of him. Without warning, he grabbed the man by the shirt, and yanked him inside.

Every single thing she saw was new, both fascinating and terrifying. With no other recourse, Yona was left to tail Amaya as closely as she dared-- once or twice she actually reached out to grab his sleeve, but quickly snatched her hand back when she realized what she'd done.

Which left her rather bewildered and more than a little scared as Amaya was hauled into the house by the strange man, leaving her hovering in the doorway. "Um...Amaya?"

As if on cue, a slender woman entered the door frame and yanked Yona in before slamming the door.

---

"You must be out of your damn mind to come here!" the man who Amaya referred to as Richard yelled, just inches away from the bounty hunters face. "Were you followed?!"

"No, I wasn't followed-"

"You're absolutely sure?!"

"Yes! I'm sure!"

The moment was incredibly tense. The two men were staring daggers through each other while the room remained silent. Several moments had passed and then they both abruptly smiled and laughed, throwing their arms around each other in a warm embrace and patting each others backs almost aggresively.

"Amaya, ya dumb cunt!" Richard roared. "What are you doing here?"

"Richard, you ginger bastard," Amaya replied in a sly tone. "You know I couldn't stay away for too long."

The two laughed some more before Amaya turned to give the woman who pulled Yona inside a hug as well. "Amy, how the hell are you?" he said as his arms wrapped around her. "Keeping this old fool in line?"

"Trying," she replied with a smirk. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh! Right."

Amaya looked over at Yona, who probably had at least a hundred questions by now, and gestured her to move a little closer to the group. "This is Yona," he said, looking back at the couple with rare happiness he hadn't shown in a long time. "I need a favor."

Yona could do little more than squeak and stumble over the threshold as she was yanked inside.

She just stared as the reunion unfolded before her, wide-eyed. When Richard and Amy's attention turned to her though, she swallowed nervously and stepped back, her back fetching up against the door as she tried to shrink in on herself.

Maybe if I pray very very hard, I'll just shrink out of existence...

Amaya watched the girl slowly, ungracefully, back herself into a corner. "...Yeah. She's pretty strange. It's fine."

He then explained the situation to his old friends. Sure, they were interested in what he had been doing all of this time, where he had been hiding, but the bounty hunter assured them that there would be time for that later and right now he needed their help with Yona.

He told them about the bounty, how he was hired to track her down, what she did, what she was capable of, and what he saw with his own eyes.

He also explained that he truly believed that none of it was her fault.

"Does that just about cover it?" he asked, peering over at Yona after some time.

Truly and utterly bewildered, Yona just nodded jerkily when he turned to address her. She'd been silent through his explanation, feeling even more at sea now than she had in the past month spent on the ocean.

"That...yes." Her eyes flickered nervously from Amaya to his friends and back. "But I don't...I don't understand. H-how can you...help?"

"Don't worry, lass," Richard boomed, taking a sip of ale. Yeah, it was day time, and he was drinking. He really liked his red ale. "We can train you to control those powers of yours, or we can try - not making any promises."

He took another sip and Amaya shot him a glare. Perhaps not the best way to end things, he thought. "But I have high hopes," he continued. "And nevertheless you can hide out here for a little while."

"A little while?" Amaya asked, his face showing how annoyed he was becoming.

"You can stay as long as you want, dear," Amy chimed in, forcing a cup of warm tea into her hands. "Drink that. It'll calm you down."

Yona yelped quietly but managed to accept the teacup and even murmured her thanks.

Alright. Tea was familiar. Tea she could handle.

Her eyes flickered to Amaya as he and Richard seemed to banter. “So...you are staying then? For a while, at least?” she asked softly.

Amaya grinned and gave her a quick thumbs up. "Yeah," he said. "I can't stay too long, but I'll stick around long enough to make sure you get settled in. Now, get some rest, you'll need it."

"I'll show you to your room," Amy said, before motioning her to follow.

---

It was late. Later than they really needed to be up, especially for the days ahead if they were actually going to train Yona. Amaya and Richard shared a drink and a smoke at the kitchen table, trying to stay quiet as not to wake the women in the house.

"Can't believe yer' still alive," Richard admitted. "When I didn't hear from you.. I assumed the worst."

"I didn't have a choice," Amaya replied softly. "And you were right to assume the worst. A part of me did die back then. It's hard to come back from that life, y'know?"

"Aye."

"What about you?" Amaya asked. "How you holding up here?"

Richard shrugged and sipped his ale. "Amy's restless. Scared. I am too some days, but for the most part we manage."

"That's no way to live, Rich."

"Not much else we can do right now. Tell me, have you heard any word on Sin?"

Amaya took a long, heavy drag of the tobacco, letting the smoke slip from his lips in circles as he stared aimlessly at the ceiling. "No," he sighed. "Don't plan to."

Yona couldn't sleep. She tried, she really did, but...everything was just so different. Not that she hadn't been expecting that, exactly, it was just...a lot.

She rolled onto her side on the borrowed bed, squeezing her eyes shut as though forcing sleep would actually work.

I've never been so far from home...

With an irritated sigh she sat up and looked around, lips pursed. Fine. Sleep wasn't happening, so-- well, maybe she could slip outside for a moment. Fresh air sounded good.

Quietly as she could she slipped out of bed and tiptoed down the hall, pausing when she heard voices in the kitchen. It sounded like Amaya and Richard, she couldn't hear Amy's voice in the mix. She hesitated, not sure if she should just head back to bed or grit her teeth and continue to the door.

Dash Sinfold. Sin. That's what everyone called him anyway. Amaya called him Dash, but Amaya was the only person that knew him well enough to be comfortable with that back then.

"Probably still in the Riverlands," Amaya said after some time. "I don't follow the politics anymore, or the news, but it's kind of hard to when you're wasting your life away in another country."

Richard nodded gravely. Just the mention of the man sent shivers down his spine. "I'll never forget what happened back then, Amaya. That mansion. All of those bodies. Just.. hanging there. He just.. He-"

"Went insane? You're telling me," Amaya replied, nearly choking on the smoke now. "I think he always was, we were just young and stupid enough to believe in his bullshit." Amaya paused, eyes unfocused as he recalled harsh memories. "I think about it every day, you know?. Those kind of scars don't just go away. It's fucked to think about. It's not easy bouncing back from that - being left for dead by the man you considered your brother."

"We all thought you were dead," Richard said.

Amaya managed a small laugh. "You can only kill me so many times, Rich," he smirked before taking a sip of the stout ale. "Hell, I'm not so sure I'm not dead. A part of me wonders if I'm just alive enough to settle the score."

Richard almost spit his drink out of his mouth. "You're not thinking of-"

"No," Amaya interrupted. "Not any time soon."

They both sat in silence for a few more moments, sipping their drinks, passing the lit tobacco back and forth for each other to enjoy.

"So, what's Thanatos like?" Richard inquired, changing the subject.

"Not bad," the bounty hunter admitted. "Beautiful women as you've already seen. Easy money. Very simple - that's really all it has going for it, but right now I think that's the best thing for me."

Yona really had had every intention to either creep back to bed or try to sneak passed to the front door. She didn't mean to eavesdrop. She really didn't. But she found herself rooted to the spot as she heard more and more of their conversation, her eyes going wide and a hand coming up to press over her mouth.

She pressed back against the wall, frozen in place now. She couldn't risk moving, she'd been here too long—either way she went, Richard and Amaya would realize she'd been listening. She just had to hope conversation would start up again and cover her footsteps if she snuck away.

Amaya sighed and put the papered tobacco out in a little glass jar that was placed in the middle of the table.

"You can come out now, Yona," he called after, peering just slightly over his shoulder.

Her eyes widened further and she instinctively pressed back even closer to the wall— though that was apparently a rather useless gesture.

Biting her lower lip, she poked her head around the doorway and shuffled into the light, her arms wrapped loosely around her waist. "I, um...it was an accident," she whispered, eyes downcast in a rush of shame.

As if on cue, the pair of old friends burst into laughter. Accident. Cute. Though Amaya picked up that she had been listening in for the last bits and pieces of their conversation, Richard did not. He was a little weary to begin with, but then, like Amaya, thought it really didn't matter. And her reaction to being called out? Priceless.

He was off her comment as to say 'it's fine' and motioned for her to join them at the table. "How much did you hear?"

Yona flushed darkly when they laughed, but she shuffled forward warily when Amaya waved her to the table. She didn't sit though, just shifted her weight from foot to foot and kept her eyes on the ground.

"Not much," she murmured eventually. Which was actually true-- she had no idea how much of what she'd heard was even relevant, let only if it classified as "a lot" or "just a bit". "You, um...people here think you're dead?" Her eyes flickered toward Amaya briefly.

Amaya chuckled. "I couldn't be that lucky," he said. "Most do, but the ones that matter know I'm still around."

He stood from the table, stretching his bones after sitting for longer than he was typically used to. "You don't have to worry about any of that, though. You're safe here."

With a strange little jolt, Yona realized that she hadn't actually been worrying about her own safety. She'd been worried about his.

Well. That was probably stupid.

Rather than voice the unfortunate realization, she dropped her eyes again and mumbled something along the lines of, "I know, thank you."

She shuffled back a step, trying to avoid getting in Amaya's way when he stood from the table. "I'll just, um...I should go."

"Yeah. Go to bed," he agreed. "You've got a busy day tomorrow. I'm going to get some shut eye myself."

Amaya stepped past the woman and starting to go through the doorway that led to the hall of rooms, but stopped. "Thanks for the drinks and the conversation, Rich," he grinned, shooting him a little glance. "Let's not wait so long to do this next time."

With that, Amaya disappeared from the frame and went off to the room Amy had prepared for him.

---

Morning came early for them. Hovering over the bed that Yona had slept on, Richard banged two tin pots together in the loudest, most obnoxious manner that he possibly could. "Time to wake up!" he roared. "We have a lot to do today, young lady!"

Caught in a strange dream about arguing with both Amaya and Ruka over which teapot they should have been using for one of the temple ceremonies, Yona started awake so abruptly and violently that a burst of wind actually shoved Richard back from the edge of her bed.

"Gods!" Eyes wide, she stared at him for a moment in utter bewilderment. Then she cursed and scrambled to her feet. "Oh, oh I'm so sorry, I didn't mean--! Are you alright?"

The wind not only knocked Richard away from the bed, but send him far back enough that he was thrown against the wall. Somehow, he immediate reaction was laughter. Loud, roaring laughter, to the point to where he didn't hear the girl's question. "Aye, we've got lots of work to do then!" he cheered, getting to his feet. "Go clean up, breakfast is on the table, and then we start."

And he trained her to the best of his abilities. Over the course of going on two weeks, Richard and Amy did everything they could to help the girl understand, maintain, and harness her "potent abilities" as Rich would say. They kept her safe too.

They made sure no one was looking for her, had spies on each corner of town listening to any passing conversation that may raise suspicion, kept a roof over her head, and tried their best to make sure she was happy with what she had giving her circumstances.

Training was primarily in open fields, but sometimes even in the house when they really wanted her to restrain her powers. It may not have seemed like much to Yona, they couldn't be sure how she felt, but they could certainly see a difference. Something like this cannot be learned overnight.

Rich trained her the most, but Amy did her part too. When they were not training, they basically kept to the house for food and conversation - the everyday life that the couple learned to know in their past few years of hiding.

Rich was a bit crude, a bit older than Amaya, but also had more manners about him than the bounty hunter did.

Amy was picture perfect politeness to her guest, but obviously wore the pants in the relationship and made the big decisions.

Amaya hung around like he said he would, but was mostly absent for her training sessions. Every so often he would disappear for days at a time.

It had two weeks and Amy was prepping the meal for the evening. She usually prepped hours in advance, by chance that she may have to go into town and gather a few missing ingredients. This was the case today, and she kissed Richard on the cheek, told them "I'll be back soon," and left the hideaway home without another moment's hesitation.

Yona, sitting at the kitchen table in one of the rare breaks she was afforded these days, perked up slightly when Amy mentioned that she needed to run to the market for some extra ingredients.

"Do you want me to go with you?" she asked almost hopefully-- half the time Amy actually said yes, which meant she could get out about an hour or so of the endless repetitions of drills they'd been having her run.

But the older woman was already out the door and she huffed out a breath, deflating slightly in her seat. 

"Well don't look so bummed to hang out with your ol' pal Amaya!"

The bounty hunter was in the chair next to her, sipping on coffee out of a tin mug. Amused was an understatement watching Yona. Clearly she had taken a liking to Amy. Not that he could blame her, Amy was a real sweetheart, and generally charmed anyone she met. The same couldn't be said for the girl's present company.

Amaya had managed to keep a lower profile while in Serendipity. The way he saw it, he had no choice but to do anything but, yet it was still surprising that he hadn't stirred up some kind of trouble one way or another.

He did get enough information while he was out on his three-day excursion to know that Dash was still in fact in the Riverlands, practically running an underground militia instead of the small number of rebels he ran with back in the day. Rebellion was a nice way to put it, when deep down he knew they were really terrorist - fighting for no cause other than chaos.

So. He'd stay away from the Riverlands. For now.

The elementalist resisted the urge to make a rude gesture in his direction. Instead she sniffed primly and lifted her own cup to her lips-- tea for her, she'd never really taken to the mainland coffee-- while repeating a mantra the priestesses had taught her in her mind.

I am the softness of clouds and the flexibility of bamboo. I am the solidity of stone and the firmness of the oak.

She caught a glimpse of Amaya's smug smirk as he watched her, looking far too amused.

I will not punch Amaya in the face.

"Well, I can hardly expect that to be a permanent endeavor now, can I?" she noted coolly. "You're hear and gone faster than a spring breeze, most days."

"What can I say, Yona?" he asked dryly. "I'm a busy guy. Things to do, people to see, you know the drill."

For such a good liar, Amaya could be a really bad liar when he's put on the spot like that. He stood from the table, took his coffee along for the ride, and took a stroll to the front door. "Don't worry, Amy should be back soon."

He really didn't have the energy to skirt around the truth of his situation. Yona didn't need to know any more about that than she already overheard, and she was way too stubborn to find out now. At least, if anything were to happen.

Yona pulled a face at his back but didn't say anything. She sipped at her tea, taking longer to finish the cup than was really necessary.

Without Amy around, Richard tended to get a little...stringent in his teachings. He wasn't cruel, just...strict. And enthusiastic.

It had been several hours since Amy had left for the ingredients and Richard was becoming noticeably worried. Sure, given the circumstances, he always worried about his wife when she went out alone. He hated for her to go out alone, but she would have it no other way.

It was usually safe, though.

But as those several hours passed, he felt a slight tugging at his stomach that something was not right. "It never takes her this long," he muttered under his breath, his leg shaking violently under the table in uneasiness.

"Hey, Rich, relax," Amaya said, giving him a concerned look. "I'm sure she's fine. Probably picking up a little extra for the next couple of days while she's out, y'know?"

"Yeah," Richard reluctantly agreed, though he wasn't sold on it yet. "You're probably right."

"If she doesn't come back soon, I'll go-"

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"See! That must be her!"

Before Amaya could even finish that sentence, Richard was up on his feet. If it was Amy, why would she knock? Unless she had more ingredients then she originally set out for, which wouldn't be completely out of the norm.

But the knocking didn't sound like a balled up first tapping on wood. It sounded like a hammer, and the third knock is what secured the nail into the door.

Richard swung the door open, but saw nothing.

Amaya saw it first, and his heart sank.

Then Richard saw it.

Panic was the first thing that hit him, followed by angry, inconsolable sobs.

Nailed to the door was a human finger with a ring. Amy's wedding ring.

"Oh gods..."

Yona stood frozen behind them. She had been worrying herself, though she tried not to let it show, not wanting to make things worse for Richard.

It seemed she shouldn't have bothered.

Yona's stomach turned, threatening to rebel, and she swallowed quickly in an effort to force it still. Carefully, she moved to Richard and reached up to lay her hands on his shoulders, then took a step back, trying to guide him back into the house.

She looked back over her shoulder at Amaya, a veritable pageant of emotions playing across her face: fear, disgust, anger, panic, grief, sorrow-- and then her expression settled into something cold and stony, something unreadable.

"T-t-they have h-her, Amaya!" Richard screamed. His face was pale, his body was shaking violently, he was crying, screaming, sobbing, shouting, and struggling to breath from the panic holding him by the neck. "THEY HAVE MY WIFE!"

For the first time in a long time, Amaya didn't know how to respond. He couldn't be cool, calm, and collected about this. He knew he should've been angry or sad, but the only thing he felt in that moment was fear in guilt. Fear that Richard and Yona might be next, guilty of the fact that if he hadn't of come here, this probably wouldn't have happened.

Dash. They're responsible. It couldn't have been anyone else.

"T-they have her, you bastard!" Richard shouted from the top of his lungs. Without warning, he turned on Amaya and shoved him into the wall, holding him by the collar with tears in his eyes. "This is your fault!" He slammed Amaya against the wall again, keeping his grip on the bounty hunter's shirt.

Amaya's eyes were practically lifeless as he allowed his old friend to abuse him like a rag doll. It was his fault, after all.

But Richard stopped, broke down into further tears, stronger sobs, and buried his face into Amaya's chest.

"..I'll get her back, Rich," Amaya managed to say, his voice a harsh whisper.

"N-No!" Richard snapped. "I'm going. She's my wife!"

"You don't stand a chance against them you dumb bastard!" Amaya yelled back - his voice more angry at the situation than at him. "You haven't been in a real fight in a decade! You're going to go up against an army?! This is my fault, so I'll fix this!"

Amaya pushed his way out of the man's hold, adrenaline pumping, before he stormed toward the door. "Keep him here," he boomed at Yona, his voice a different tone than she probably had ever heard. "And do not follow me."

Amaya began his trek to the Riverlands.

"

"Stop, stop!"

Guilt so thick in verged on shame rose in her throat. Desperate, Yona tried to drag Richard off of Amaya, though with her slight frame she was little more than extra weight on his arm. She tried to get in between them, but by then Richard had broken down further and in her attempt to put herself between the two men she wound up supporting him under the arms as he all but collapsed forward. 

"What-- wait, Amaya!"

The bounty hunter was already out the door. She growled and hissed a voice choice curses in Thanati under her breath as she dragged Richard back toward his and Amy's room, forcing him to sit on the bed and murmuring a quick but gentle, "I'll be right back."

She ran to the kitchen, searching the cabinets for the herbs she needed. She found them all, but she didn't have time to wait for the water to boil--

Oh. Right.

For perhaps the first time in her life, she used her magic with barely a second thought; not training to control or suppress, not lashing out in defense or anger. Just a flick of her wrist, a call to fire and water, and in an instant the kettle was whistling. She poured hot water over the herbs, stirred quickly, and rushed back to Richard.

"Here." She had to guide his hands to wrap around the cup. He seemed to have gone into shock, not moving without prompting. "Drink this. It'll help."

She managed to get him to down about half the concoction before she saw it starting to take effect. It seemed her old temple skills were still useful after all; what was a soothing tea in small doses could be used as a powerful sleeping draught.

She she just barely waited until Richard was unconscious before all but sprinting out the door. New city, new country be damned, she was going to find Amaya and she was going to help him get Amy back.

Because the realization had struck her while they were arguing: Amaya wasn't to blame. He never would have come back if not for her. If anything happened to Amy, that was on her.

That is one more death I will not allow on my conscience.

Gods dammit this is so fucked.

I'm going to make you pay for this one, Dash.

Amaya didn't want to think about what Amy was going through. What they were putting her through. Or worse, what they put her through. They had no way of knowing how long they had her as a captive, but knowing them, chances were she wasn't alive.

Dash wouldn't keep her alive. He didn't operate like that. He killed her to send a message. He killed her to taunt Amaya, to provoke him enough to pay him the long overdue visit they haven't had in years.

And it was working.

Amaya was alert for anything and everything but Yona, so it was no surprise that he hadn't realized the girl was tailing him at every turn.

By the time he reached the mansion, it was night, and not a star was out.

Six floors in the old mansion, and it was as creepy as ever.

She couldn't let him go in there alone.

She's managed to keep her presence relatively hidden all the while she was tracking him, but Yona knew if she let him walk into that mansion without knowing she was on his tail, chances were pretty good she'd accidentally startle him and he'd attack on instinct before he realized who she was.

So she gritted her teeth, drew on the last of her courage, and darted from her hiding place toward the bounty hunter. "Amaya," she hissed, slowing down before she reached him. "Amaya, you can't do this alone."

Rolled tobacco hung loosely between Amaya's lips as he stared down the nightmarish mansion. He was tense, but his eyes were calm, and the smoke that filled his lungs was thick when it slipped into the air.

Lot of sleepless nights over this place and what happened here.

"Gods' sake, Yona," he complained bitterly, not actually turning to face her. "Don't you ever listen to a gods damn thing I say?"

The papers dropped from his mouth, and he put out the leftover embers with his boot, swaying it from side to side.

"Go back to Rich," he muttered as his stride began toward the entrance. "You don't need to be here for this."

"Yes I do." She lengthened her stride in an effort to catch up with him. "If-- if anything's happened to her, that's as much my fault as it is yours. I'm the reason you even bothered coming back, I have the same responsibility-- gods damnit will you fucking listen to me!"

Anger, grief, guilt, and frustration all seemed to culminate into a swirling, white-hot ball in her chest and she grabbed his arm, jerking him around to face her. She scowled up at him, going to far as to rock onto her toes in an effort to get in his face.

"You don't have to do this all on your own!" she whisper-screamed, giving him a firm shake as thought that might make the words actually settle in his mind. "You don't have to do everything on your own! I know you've lost something, I know you blame yourself for it, but you can't just go charging off on some suicide mission trying to martyr yourself for it!"

By the time she realized what the hell she'd just done she was panting lightly, flushed with both passion and magic. Her eyes widened and she quickly jerked her hand away from him, stepping back sharply.

"Hmph."

Amaya let his gaze linger on the woman for a good moment, eyes narrow and lips in a slight frown in speculation. Slowly, that frown turned into a smile, both dry and defeated. "Didn't think you had that in you, Yona," he said, turning back to the entrance. "Fine then. Come along. Just watch your ass - I can't protect you here."

Only a fool would bust into the main entrance of the syndicate's mansion. Only a fool would try to take on the syndicate alone, without a weapon. Only a fool would go in there at all.

Amaya was a fool, and he would have it no other way.

"You may want to prepare yourself for what you might see in there," he warned her. "If hell exists, this is it."

Yona let out a sharp breath, a strange mixture of relief and trepidation rising in her chest. She didn't answer him verbally, just nodded once, firmly, her jaw set.

Evidently she was as determined to follow him as he was to go.

Amaya kicked the door in with authority and walked in with a level of confidence no one should have in a place like this. The bottom hall was an large open-designed room, with large columns throughout the sides supporting the upper floors. In the back of a room was a spiral staircase made of metal that looked like it went up for an eternity, but branched off every other loop into the hallways that decorated each floor.

And then the smell.

The smell of decaying flesh was a lot like rotting meat mixed with cheap perfume, or a hundred dead rats that had all died in their own shit one hundred days earlier. Take that, and multiply it times a thousand, and you had the welcoming smell of the syndicate's hideout.

There were an indescribable amount of bodies in the main hall, some decomposed, some fresh, all dead. Some with their stomachs ripped out, some with their eyes ripped out, some a combination of both and hanging by their necks from a rope tied to the raptors.

But none of them were Amy, as far he could tell. That meant there was still hope for her, or she was at the top and Dash wanted him to work his ass off just to find her dead in another room.

He could've gagged from the smell. It wasn't always like this, so it was never something he had to get used to.

"You okay?" he asked Yona in a muttered voice, stepping over bodies with each movement forward he made.

When Yona finally managed to find her voice, she rasped out a horrified and emphatic, "No." She followed Amaya's path through the carnage, her stomach threatening to rebel with every step. She raised a hand to cover her nose and mouth with her sleeve in an effort to block some of the smell.

But she still followed. It didn't even occur to her to turn and run.

Amaya's sights were set on the spiral staircase in the back of the room. If Amy was still alive, she would be at the very top. He knew that because he knew Dash would be at the very top. He always had a flare for the dramatics, after all.

...Which meant getting to the top would be more than just a trek up six floors. There would be obstacles.

"Move!"

That was the only warning he could squeeze to the woman before he lunged, tackling her on top of one of the corpses as an explosion of fire crashed into the ground mere feet away from them. He couldn't wait for the next attack, and quickly had to get back onto his feet, standing in Yona's way the best he could.

"Thought you'd never come," a voice taunted.

Shooting in the direction of the familiar voice, he saw Rune, an old comrade standing on the left side of the outer hallways second floor. He was a gifted mage, specializing in fire power and explosives, and training the recruits.

The recruits.

"Yona, make a run for it," he whispered harshly.

Filing out into both the left and right outer hallways, a dozen men (on both sides) adorned in black lined up and unleashed a raid of concentrated wildfire.

Everything was happening so quickly. She could hardly process one moment to the next--but the hair standing up on the back of her neck and the shiver that raced down her spine were clear enough. Danger.

"Like hell," Yona hissed when Amaya told her to run. She could feel the crackle of magic in the air bare instants before fire exploded through the air.

Dredging up every last scrap of power, she threw herself forward and spread her arms wide with a shout. A veritable cyclone whipped into being around them, keeping a small circle of air free of the flames while at the same time redirecting the fire back toward its casters.

Many of the casters were caught off guard by the woman's powerful retaliation, and it resulted in them lying on the ground or being shoved to the wall behind them. Some dodged the attack, and pressed forward in their own.

Amaya was impressed. She had learned a lot from Richard and Amy, that much was clear.

Spinning around, he could no longer find Rune.

The remaining men on the second floor hallway, those that were not knocked unconscious, died, or currently trying to put the fire out from their clothing, advanced down the stairs in a direct strike.

Like some sort of madman, Amaya smiled. He was actually smiling.

He broke away from Yona as he felt the fire pulsate in his finger tips. Stomping his foot on the ground to stop his quick and sudden dash, he whipped around and placed an open palm on Rune's chest.

"So much for your sneak attack," he winked before a bomb ignited between them, sending them both flying in the opposite direction.

The backlash from the magic hit her hard; two weeks of training only offered so much control, and such a large spell nearly sapped her strength entirely. Yona staggered, gasping, as the wind abruptly stopped.

Her vision was tunneling, and she had to summon up every scrap of willpower she had not to simply pass out.

Then another explosive and she rocked back from the force of it, looking around frantically. "Amaya? Amaya!"

That hurt like a motherfucker.

Amaya was kicked back by his own magic, slung to the back wall, and his shoulder crunched against the stone. Rune, on the other hand, was not as lucky as Amaya to just have broken a bone or two. Scouting through the leftover smoke that filled the air of his (and the others) attacks, he saw Rune laying lifeless on the ground. The explosion burned into his chest, and his leg was twisted in a position that would prevent him from walking ever again.

Pretty sure he's dead, Amaya thought.

And then he heard Yona.

"Over here!" he called, though it was mostly a harsh whisper. With the smoke still separating them from the others, they should have at least had time to regroup.

"Oh thank gods." Coughing violently as she stumbled though the smoke, Yona placed a hand on the wall in an effort to help guide herself toward Amaya's voice. "What— what was that?"

Amaya's response for a mix of a cocky grin and a throbbing wince. Now that his adrenaline wasn't pumping at full speed, his shoulder hurt like hell. He sat up against the wall, holding his hand out in front of him as the glow of red and coal flicked at his fingertips.

"I didn't say I didn't know any tricks," he said through gritted teeth.

The smoke had almost cleared, and the remaining men were closing in. Amaya made a throwing motion with his hand, and the ground rippled beneath their feet, breaking limbs and setting bones ablaze in a short breath.

Yona cried out, stumbling as she just barely managed to avoid the spell. With another wordless shout, she spun and threw both hands up, palms out, summoning another blast of wind to knock back the stragglers.

Through another fit of coughs, she hissed, "What now? We'll be overrun if this keeps up-- magic aside, there's only two of us!"

Amaya's face spoke his pain as moved to stand on his feet again. He took an uneasy step forward, and then another, before finding his footing. "Can't stay here," he said, moving toward the spiral staircase in the back of the room. "Plus, I don't think they'll have that many on each floor.. that was just the welcoming committee. Probably didn't think we'd make it past'em."

He grunted as he walked, taking the first step at the bottom of the staircase. He glanced over at Rune's corpse, eyes near empty as flashes of his history played like a cinema in his mind. He never thought it would come to this. Facing off against old allies, killing each other.. He was scared for the first time in a long  time.

He wasn't scared to die. He was scared of how alive it was making him feel.

"You can always turn back now."

Gritting her teeth, the elementalist forced herself to focus on the path ahead as she picked her way through the carnage behind him.

"Not a chance," she murmured when she'd reached his side, her voice quiet but steely. "There may only be two of us, but that's still better than just you in your own."

Without really thinking about it, she reached out to take his hand. Their fingers had barely brushed against each other when she realized what she was doing and quickly snatched her hand back as though she'd been burned. Jaw set, she looked up the stairs. "...I'm following you."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Amy."

Amaya quirked an eyebrow at the woman Dash brought to the manor that day. She was pretty. She was petite. She looked way too nice to be hanging out with a gang full of criminals like them.

"Lady, have you lost your mind?" Amaya asked, sitting up in his chair. "Do you know where you've landed yourself at today?"

She giggled in response, and nodded. "Very much so," came her short, sharp response. "I'm looking forward to working with all of you."

"You shouldn't," Amaya replied. "We're a couple of bad apples around here."

"And I'm the worst of them," she snickered.

"Now, Amaya, place nice," Dash grinned as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "Richard, cat got your tongue?"

Richard was in the chair next to Amaya. He had remained silent for the introduction, and could hardly bring himself to speak when Dash called on him. He looked at Amy with wide eyes, and even grew a little red when the attention was brought to him.

"S-Sorry," he stammered, standing up to shake the woman's hand. "Richard. Welcome aboard."

She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

---

Amaya and Yona made up about halfway to the top pretty much unscathed. They ran into trouble here and there, but it was nothing the two of them couldn't handle. Upon reaching the fourth floor, Amaya began checking the rooms.

The first three were empty, the fourth was not.

"Heeeeeey buddy," a taunting, yet familiar voice called as the bounty hunter entered the door frame. "Is that you making such a ruckus downstairs? My, how long has it been?"

The guy before him was as tall as Amaya, and even more built. He didn't have a weapon, and didn't have anyone around him. Much like Amaya, he carried himself as an overconfident brawler, but more sinister than the man on the suicide mission.

His name was Vincent, and he taught Amaya everything he knew about brawling.

He cracked his knuckles one at a time, much like Amaya would, and took a step forward. On instinct, Amaya held his arm up, preventing Yona from progressing any further. "Stay back," he whispered, more of a warning than an order. "This one won't go down so easily."

"Yeah, listen to your boyfriend, little lady," Vincent teased. "We've got some catching up to do."

"I--" A protest was ready on Yona's lips, but for some reason she couldn't voice it. She stared the stranger down, felt her magic curling at her fingertips...then she hissed in a sharp breath and nodded, taking a step back.

"See you at the top of the stairs," she murmured, and stepped back, turning to run for the next flight of steps.

"You seem awful chipper today."

Amaya Midgar, right-hand man to Dash Sinfold, leaned cooly against the back corner wall of the study. Richard hadn't known he was there, and his voice was enough to startle the man. "Shit!" he jumped slightly, whipping around to see him. "You're really creepy you know that?!"

Amaya covered the chuckle he had with his hand. "Sure," he agreed. "That's what I'm here for."

Richard had noticed a change in Amaya over the past year or so. He wasn't the ruthless killer that he first met when joining the cause, and he was more open to conversation than he use to be. Of course, he was only that way with certain members of the syndicate.

His eyes were softer, almost sincere, when he wasn't being a total jackass.

"So what's got you smiling like an idiot?" Amaya asked, lighting the tobacco that rested between his fingers. "Amy?"

Richard was hesitant, but nodded. He had known some had their suspicions, though they tried to keep it secret for as long as possible. "Yeah," he said cautiously. "Yeah, we're going out tonight."

"You tell Dash?"

Richard stopped. His face almost went pale. He wouldn't.. no.. he couldn't tell Sin. He wouldn't understand. Dating within the organization would be one thing, but being public? Not a chance. No, he would keep this day to himself.

"I won't tell him," Amaya said before Richard could answer. His face was all the answer he needed, after all. "But I promise you he wouldn't care."

Amaya gave him a soft, playful pat on the chest as he passed him, exiting the room.

---

Being punched by Vincent was like being punched by a brick wall. One strong swing could break a man's ribs. Amaya had seen it happen before. The guy nothing to mess around with, and now he stared into his eyes, meant to face him, with a broken shoulder.

"You sure you want to do this?" Amaya asked as the two began to circle each other in primal instinct. "Why don't you just tell me where Amy is and we'll get out of your hair?"

Vincent laughed. Loudly. "I'm sure," he responded, the two still circling. "I've been waiting a long time for this. Don't you worry about Amy. We're taking good care of her."

Yona could hear their voices as she ran, but the words themselves were indistinct. She forced it from her mind and hit the stairs, slowing her pace just slightly as casting a thread of magic out through the stone beneath her feet, wary of running into an ambush.

The body count was too much for Amaya to tally. The smell of blood was potent, and stained the stale air in the manor like fresh paint. He didn't know what came over Dash that day. He killed... so many. Why? What was the point? He didn't understand it anymore. Growing up with Dash, looking to him as a father-figure and a brother, he always believed in the cause. But.. this? This was just chaos.

"You look troubled, Maya," Dash said, wiping the blood of his long, skinny blade. "What's wrong?"

Amaya wasn't quick to answer. He'd seen death time and time again, and was the bringer of it on multiple occasions, but this caused his stomach to turn, threatening to rebel at a moment's notice. "...What was the point in all of this, Dash?" he finally asked after much thought. "I just.. I don't-"

"Richard and Amy left last night," Dash interrupted. He really didn't care what Amaya was going to say. He was more irritated at the sudden change of heart, and the fact that two of his best employees decided to go rogue. He couldn't have that.

---

Vincent threw a hard bunch and Amaya blocked it with the back of his arms, though the impact was enough to knock him off of his feet. Gods damn. Just blocking a punch from this gorilla hurt like hell.

Amaya's fingertips tingled with magic, the one advantage he had over Vincent, but before he could properly utilize it Vincent kicked his his kneecap. The crunch and the crack of his bones could be heard throughout all six floors, and the flare of the bounty hunter's hand all but dissolved as he toppled to the ground.

Vincent laughed. He always laughed when things were going his way. He stepped away from the bounty hunter and walked to the back wall. "Sorry buddy," he taunted, flipping a switch on the wall. "Orders are orders."

With that, the floor suddenly moved, and a crippled Amaya rose to the top floor in the form of an elevator. In the next room he would find Amy chained to the wall, bruised and beaten, Dash Sinfold, and a heavy door locked with magic that kept Yona separated from the three.

Yona hit a small force at the top of the stairs, only three men; they held her up for just longer than a minute, forcing her to use her magic improvisationally time and again as they threw spells at her that she had no hope of recognizing.

She finally managed to break through the line, praying that she hadn't just been made a murderer three more times over, and sprinted for the next room. There were no more stairs, there was nowhere else to go.

Her hands slammed into the wood but the door didn't budge. Locked. She hissed and tried again, summoning up whatever scraps of power she had left and throwing them at the door.

It still didn't open.

Amaya looked at the blood on his hands, his eyes lingering emptily for several moments before he could register that the blood was his own. He collapsed onto the hard, cobble-stoned ground.

It was raining. He would always remember that it had been raining the day that Dash betrayed him. The day he tried to kill him.

His vision was growing dark when he saw a figure hovering above him.

"Are you okay?"

It was the voice of a woman.

---

Dash Sinfold was a tall man for a human. He was even taller than Amaya, who was by human standards a pretty tall man himself. His hair was silver and fell messily around his ice-blue eyes and scarred pale face. He lips were curled into a satisfied smile, twisted and sinister. The devil of the Riverlands. He was sitting in a chair, arms folded over his chest, with his long, skinny blade resting his his lap.

Next to him was Amy. She was in chains that bound her feet and legs, and another around her torso that kept her locked to the wall. She looked like she had gone through hell, and was either unconscious or dead.

"Too scared to fight me head on?" Amaya asked, coughing up blood in between words. "Had to.. send your goons?!"

Only Dash could look at a man with empty eyes and stare daggers through him. Only he could send a chill up someone's spine just by the sound of his voice. He was still smiling, that sick, twisted smile. "Old friends, you mean," he said, rising to his feet. His hand felt the grip of his blade.

"Old friends, you mean," he said. "Angels rejected by the heavens, turned to devils, doing the devil's work. You're no different, Amaya. We're the same, you and I. Don't you agree?"

Amaya smiled bitterly. "Not anymore," he replied, struggling to his feet. "You're just sad man, Dash. A bad dream I can't seem to wake up from."

"I'll wake you up right now."

"What's the hurry?" Amaya asked, taking one step closer to him. "After all, it's been a while."

"Begging for you life, then?" Vicious asked.

"No, I know better," Amaya replied. "Begging doesn't work on you, remember?"

"She is better off dead. You know that. I know that. A demon without horns is no demon at all, and needs to be put down like a dog. That's why I have to put you down too, Amaya."

That struck a chord in the bounty hunter, and with the remaining scraps of strength he had left, he lunged at Dash and threw a hard right hook into his jaw, magic still pulsating at his fists to increase the impact. Dash was slammed against the wall, but - being the absolute mad man that he was - only laughed with his eyes wide as the bounty hunter pummeled him into stone.

Amaya was in the middle of delivering another punch when he felt the sharp, hot sting of Dash's blade go into his shoulder, keeping him pinned and separated from his old friend. "Do you have any idea what you look like right now?" Dash mused. "You look just like me. You look like the thing you so desperately want to run from. The same blood runs through both of us. You have the blood of the devil, Amaya."

Amaya coughed more blood, wincing with every move. "I've bled that blood out a long time ago."

"Then why.. why don't you die?!"

Dash screamed. He raised his voice for the first time during their interaction, and pushed the blade further through the man until it came out through his back, and leaving the two just a breath away from each other.

"You got too close to the sun," Amaya breathed. "Now you're going to burn."

The hand on Dash's chest ignited the spark, and once again, Amaya was slung backwards from the mild explosion of his own creation, and Dash had done the same.

She could hear the explosion, but she couldn't get through the door. There was nothing she could do, nothing.

"Amaya!" Yona slammed her hand against the door, desperately calling on her affinity for the earth in the mad hope that it might somehow allow her to warp the wood.

Amaya could hear Yona slamming against the door and yelling out to him. Stubborn girl. He admired her courage after everything she had been through. He also admired the fact that she managed to keep herself alive up to this point.

It was probably already too late for Amy. He had come to terms with that before they even made it to the manor, but Yona had to live. He would see it no other way, even if it meant throwing away his own life.

Hey, he had a good life. The small bits of it that he could call his own.

He groaned, stirring on the ground, grunting and grimacing as he made his way up to his feet. Dash was on the opposite side of the room trying to do the same, but it didn't come so easy for him considering the blast sparked from his chest.

Still, he was alive. Figures.

Amaya stepped uneasily toward his old comrade with every intention of putting him out of his misery. He was so dead-set on settling the score, end things for once and for all, that he did not notice that Amy was no longer in her chains.

And then a feeling he wasn't expecting. It was a surprise, so the blade that tore through his flesh felt more like a quick punch in his back. When he realized what it was though, the pain shot through him like a thunderstorm roared against a town, and his hot, thick blood began to seep into his clothes.

"For the syndicate," Amy whispered before pushing him off of her knife.

He stumbled for a moment, but kept himself from all-out collapsing onto the floor. Not Amy, he thought. Not Amy, he prayed. He managed to turn around and the heartbreak was quickly evident in his eyes.

It was Amy. She had been playing them the entire time.

...She must have played Richard for even longer.

"You bitch," he hissed, spitting blood from his lips. "You got me good."

The bounty hunter didn't have any more time to react before Dash stepped before him, rushing him backward and thrusting a kick that sent into the large window. The glass shattered around his body as he went through it, and the six-story drop to the ground outside felt like a lifetime to the man on the brink of death.

The sound of shattering glass mad Yona's heart leap up into her throat. Giving up the door as a lost cause, she turned and sprinted for the window on the other side of the hall, praying that maybe she could at least see what was going on.

What she saw was Amaya, falling.

She had no idea what to do. Her magic was flagging, unused to the constant drawing on her power, and she had no other tools at her disposal.

Yona screamed and the last dregs of her power exploded outward, shattering the glass before her and whipping out in a chaotic storm of wind and fire as she sank to her knees, exhausted.

Yona's explosion of power may have been the thing that saved Amaya Midgar's life that day. As he fell, the gust of wind pushed his body away from the concrete and toward the grass, and it circulated around his limbs to soften the fall. Still, it knocked him unconscious.

On landing, his body twisted into the dirt and rolled over several hundred feet until he was tucked into the shadow of a nearby tree.

With nothing else she could do, Yona ran. Back down the hall, down the stairs, darting over and around unconscious, dead, or just rousing syndicate foot soldiers. She was utterly drained, physically and magically, but she kept pushing.

She was not going to die here.

Amy... She'd left Amy behind. Guilt for that clawed in her chest, but she knew she'd stood no chance of rescuing her by herself.

Her only chance, if she had any chance, was to find Amaya and-- and try again.

Gods.

"Well, Rune's dead."

Dash sent the lift down and Vincent rode it back up. He walked in casually, arms folded over his chest, and with his eyebrows narrowed in an annoyed expression. He was, somehow, the only person left that had hardly a scratch on him. The same could have been said about Amy, if she hadn't cut off her own finger to bait the bounty hunter to come after her.

But Yona? Amy really didn't think he would bring her. Amaya was too proud, too capable, too confident, too stupid, to bring anyone along. If anything, she half-expected Richard to be there to save his loving wife. Good thing he hadn't, she thought. She was never going to see him again now. Dash would see to that. And she was fine with it. She was never actually in love with Richard. Dash had his suspicions about him from the start, and brought her in to keep a watch over him.

Then Amaya. It only made since for her to run away with Richard. They all knew if he were ever to come back, he'd find Richard first.

And he did, and now here they were. Rune's magic eased her pain of the chopped finger, but it still hurt like hell to cut it off.

She couldn't help but feel slightly... guilty... over Richard, but she tried her best to push that out of her mind. He would be dead by morning, and he would never have to know anything about who she really was. It was for the best.

"He's fucking dead," Vincent said again, pounding a fist into his hand. "I can't believe Amaya actually killed'em! Does blood mean nothing anymore?!"

"Calm yourself," Dash spoke. It was direct and cold, and it kept Vincent speaking out of turn. "You didn't think there would be casualties?"

"Against Amaya?" Vincent asked, dumbfounded. "No. No I did not."

Dash grinned something of pure evil that it even gave Amy a shiver. "That was your first mistake," he said, feeling no remorse for the loss of any of his comrades. "Surprised he didn't kill you, too."

"I'm going to kill him-"

"No," the silver-haired devil hissed. "You will bring him to me. Now. But... you can kill the girl."

Yona had no magic left, or at least no strength to call on her gifts. She all but staggered away from the manor, desperately hoping her guess about where Amaya had landed would prove correct.

She finally reached the trees and stumbled, landing hard on her knees and wincing, but pushed herself to her feet again. Keep going, I have to keep going, I have to--

"Amaya!"

He was unconscious, but with a gasp of relief that was almost more a sob she saw he was still breathing. Barely, but he was breathing. She managed to stagger toward him and dropped to her knees once again, laying a hand on his chest to reassure herself that he was in fact alive.

Vincent stomped down the spiral staircase with purpose. He was angry. The well-built man rarely loosed his cool, much like all of Dash's inner circle - Amaya included, but he was angry. He was pissed. He didn't like the fact that Amaya came back and killed Rune without a second thought. Sure, they were.. are going to kill him, but that's beside the point. He left.

"Little girl!" he teased, though his voice coated with irritation and spite. "Come on out, little girl! I'm going to break your fucking neck!"

---

Richard couldn't wait any longer. He awoke, calmer than he had been prior to falling asleep, and immediately left. He didn't heed Amaya's warning to stay put. It was suicide going in there alone. Worse, it seemed Yona had left too, if they hadn't come and grabbed her.

Of course, if they had taken her from his home, he would be dead right now. She had to be with Amaya.

He heard the explosion, and the shattering glass, from a ways away. When he arrived, he found Yona crouching over Amaya's body. "Yona!" he called out as he approached. "Is he dead?! Where's Amy?!"

Her head snapped up, eyes wide and scared. "I--I don't know," she gasped out. "I don't--he's alive, but I can't...I'm so sorry, I couldn't find her, I had to go after him..."

It didn't take more than one look at the two to realize they had already gone through hell. With Amaya down, he doubted how much they could actually do.

But he had to try. Amy was in there.

"It's okay," he said quickly, kneeling next to Amaya. He placed his hands on top of Amaya's body, muttering a spell under his breath for several minutes. It was a very powerful, very thorough, healing spell. He could almost heal bones snap back into place, and the loss of color in Amaya's skin slowly began to return.

"He should wake up soon," he said under his breath, though it wasn't necessarily directed to anyone. "Good luck."

He didn't wait for a response before the red-bearded man ran for the entrance.

He had to try.

"Richard-- Richard, wait!"

Too late, he was already off and running. Yona was frozen in place, looking from the unconscious Amaya to Richard's receding back. She didn't know what she should do, or even what she could do.

In her current state, she feared even brief use of magic would knock her unconscious. A strong enough spell may even kill her.

"Richard! It's been a long time, you bald bastard!"

Just inside the mansion's dreaded bottom floor, Richard was trying his best not to gag, but his stomach was on the constant urge of revolting. As he approached the stairs, he came face to face with Vincent.

"V-Vincent," Richard replied harshly, fear in his voice. "What.. What have you done with Amy?!"

Vincent smirked and then he shrugged. "I could break every bone in your body right now if I wanted to," he said, taking a step closer to him. "I could break your face. I could break your knees. I could break your arms. I could rip off your legs and force feed them to you by ripping open your mouth."

"But I don't have time for you," he said as he walked past him.

Richard was stunned. He stood frozen, not believing what just happened, not knowing exactly why it happened that way. He spun on his heel, face red with anger. "AMY?!" he said again, with as much of a commanding voice as he could muster.

The other man sighed. "Top floor. The old meeting room. You can find her there with Dash."

---

Just outside, Amaya's color had almost fully returned to his cheeks when he gasped awake.

"Amaya!"

She leaned over him, one hand behind his head to help support him and the other pressing to figures lightly to his throat, trying to gauge his pulse.

Unable to help herself, she started babbling, "Amaya, it's Richard, he's here, he's gone inside. I didn't know what to do, I couldn't leave you alone, but he's all by himself, he'll never make it!"

Disoriented, he immediately shoved the girl away from him, flipped around and pinned her to the ground. His breathing was heavy, his eyes were wide, and his face was that of a murderous beast: angry and full of hate.

It didn't take him long at all to come to, and the expression on his face changed immediately. He quickly let go off her, scooting back from her in shame as his heavy breathing continued to lighten. "Shit," he said. "S-Sorry. What happened? You said something about... Richard?"

"Yeah, Richard's heading upstairs to die."

The bounty hunter shot his attention to the source of the voice. It was Vincent. He was walking slowly, like a predator after his prey - much like he himself would do to his bounty - in their direction. "You astound me," he said, clapping his hands mockingly. "I've never known someone so stubborn that they just won't die. Glutton for punishment I see."

Amaya was on his feet in a matter of moments. He didn't have time to question why he was feeling better, why he had his strength back, and why his broken bones felt like they were somehow healed for the most part. "Same goes to you," he said, firmly placing himself in front of Yona. "A cat's only got nine lives though. What life are you on?"

Vincent rolled his eyes. "Shut up," he almost pleaded. "God, you irritate me. Unfortunately, Dash ordered me to bring you back to him. He wants you for himself."

"Oh, well that was nice of him."

"Bad luck about Amy, though," Vincent replied, a sinister grin curled on his face. "Thought you would've known."

Shock and fear thrilled through her in equal measure when the bounty hunter pinned her beneath him and for the briefest instant she thought, He's actually going to kill me.

But then the weight was gone, he was apologizing, asking for explanation. Before she could fully process what had just happened, a new voice--well, not entirely new.

Yona scrambled back even as Amaya placed himself in front of her. She whimpered quietly, eyes darting around in the hopes of finding some means of escape.

No luck.

Not knowing what else she could do, the elementalist moved up behind Amaya and placed her hands gently against his back, pressing as close as she dared in her best attempt at a silent sign of support.

Then her eyes went wide. "Amy?" She tried to peer around him at Vincent. "Wh-what have you done to her?!"

Amaya's eyes were narrow, rigid, and hard, and Vincent's lit up in delight. Between being kicked out of a window from a six story drop, waking up miraculously healed, and now another confrontation with Vincent, the bounty hunter didn't have enough time to explain to Yona the situation, much less process it himself.

And now Richard was on the way up there, apparently.

"Oh. Oh, I see. How sweet," Vincent taunted. "You didn't tell her did you?"

---

Richard's fear is what drove him up the floors. He feared anything and everything that moved in the old mansion, one filled with nightmares of his past, and feared what he would find when he got to the top... but it was also fear of losing Amy that kept him pushing forward.

He didn't know how he would ever be expected to go on. A life without Amy was no life at all. If they had killed her, then he would die too. Right then and there, but not without putting up a fight in the process.

So many bodies. So many dead. He didn't have time to reflect on any of it.

He reached the top floor, placed his hand on the knob of the previously locked door, and turned it.

The door creaked open.

Yona felt her blood run cold. It was as if something in her knew exactly what he was talking about, but didn't want to believe it. Couldn't believe it.

"Amaya...?" Without thinking about it, she pressed closer to his back. "Tell me what?"

"...What do you know, anyway?" Amaya said to Vincent, ignoring Yona. "If you're going to take me back to Dash, you're going to have to kill me first."

The bounty hunter's fingertips pulsated again as he dangled his hand loosely behind his back. He was going to try the bomb again.

"Can't say I didn't try to reason with you," Vincent replied, unknowing of what Amaya was doing.

---

Amy saw him coming. Fuck. He was never suppose to come! She thought Amaya would handle it, but he couldn't even get that right! She watched from the top room in the manor when Richard showed up, and she continued to watch as he ran for the building's entrance.

She underestimated him.

Conflict pulled at her heart strings.

"Go on, Amy," Dash advised. "No need for you to be here. I'll take care of him."

Amy focused on her breathing, embarrassed, and a little scared, to show any type of weakness in front of their leader. "N-No," she replied flatly. "I'm fine. I'll handle him."

And then, the door creaked open, and Richard ran into the room, mostly out of breath.

"Amy!" he cried.

He was too exhausted, too scared, too happy (and shocked) that she was alive, to notice Dash resting in the shadows of the corner. He threw his arms around her, tears rolling down his beet red face. "I thought I lost you."

She could feel the magic gathering around Amaya's hand and her back stiffened. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt and she hissed, "Wait, are you--"

Sense returned to her before she could finish the sentence and she snapped her mouth shut. She didn't know what to do, didn't know if there was anything she really could do. She could feel her own magic buzzing beneath the surface of her skin, but she was so utterly drained that she knew any attempt to call on the power was still dangerous.

Richard was a blubbering mess upon finding Amy. A happy mess. A scared mess. His arms were wrapped around her tightly as if he was never going to let go. He kissed her forhead, and then her lips, and then her forehead again.

"H-How?" he said, his voice shaking. "How d-did.. you.. survive? What happened, Amy?! Where is Dash? How did they get to you?!"

He pulled away from her just enough to meet her gaze. She had a single tear sliding down her cheek, but otherwise her eyes were cold, her expression blank. It was a side of her that was entirely new, as far as Richard was concerned.

"I'm so sorry, Richard," she whispered. "You were never suppose to be here."

"B-be here?" he replied. "What.. What are you talking about?"

Amy knew what she had to do. This is why she was chosen. This is why Dash chose her. No one else could do it. Sure, she never thought she would grow feelings toward Richard in the ways that she did, but after spending all of those years together, it was not something she could help.

She hated it. She wasn't proud of it. But it was there. The affection for Richard was there, and she hated him for it. She hated him for loving her, and she hated herself for loving him. Yet, what they were doing was bigger than them. It was bigger than all of them.


"This was the plan from the beginning."

She stabbed him. She stabbed him with the same knife that she stabbed Amaya with, only this time the attack was fatal. Richard, nearly in shock with wide, tear-filled eyes, stumbled back from her. He let his hands rest on the flesh around the blade, a hot pool of blood boiling under his shirt. "A-Amy.. Why-"

"Because I hate you, Richard. Because I fucking hate you."

Amy didn't waste any time before leaving the room, leaving Dash to watch Richard die.

---

Amaya could only hope that Yona knew what he was doing. In the state they were in, their only chance was to work together on this one. He needed her power, any of it, to throw an attack strong enough to take Vincent down.

"So how are we going to do this, ladies?" Vincent asked and he walked casually toward them. "One at a time? Same time? You choose."

"Yona," Amaya hissed. "Take my hand."

Oh gods.

She could run. She could turn now and run and never look back; Amaya's spell would provide enough of a distraction for her to get away. She could find a boat back to Thanatos and just run.

The thought flickered at the edges of her mind for the briefest moment, but she didn't even really consider it.

Closing her eyes, Yona drew in a breath, connecting the air in her lungs to the air around her, her flesh to the earth, blood to the water, soul to fire.

And she took his hand.

Power scurried down her arm and through her fingers into him, power so intense it arched her spine and she had to bite down on an instinctive cry. She gritted her teeth and pulled, thrusting every last ounce of magic she could scrape together into the mage before her.

Thatta girl.

"Say hey to Rune for me in hell," Amaya hissed. He threw himself forward and swung his fist out as to deliver a punch, but the concentrated energy shot out like a cannon and exploded into Vincent. As the bomb ignited, Amaya twisted around and jumped on Yona, covering her from the impact, and the other man was slung like a rag doll through the air, crashing into the bottom of the manor, leaving a cloud of dust and fire in its wake.

Yona didn’t even have time to process the explosion as Amaya tackled her to the ground. It had taken the last of her strength to give the bounty hunter her magic, and her vision had started to flicker at the edges as she clung desperately to consciousness.

It was a losing battle.

“A...maya...” Her vision went black, then faded back to a blur of color, then black again.

He rhead lulled to the side and she was out.

It was a truly horrifying scene. The manor had caught fire due to the explosion, black smoke filling the skies, and Dash Sinfold stood at the top story window, peering down at him with a headless Richard cradled in his arms.

They've done all they could do. It wasn't a suicide mission, after all. It was a trap. It was a trap, and he fell right into it.

He scooped Yona from the ground, carrying her in his arms, and ran.

---

They made it out of the frying pan and into the freezer. Out of the Riverlands, and into the Highlands. They couldn't go back to Coastal Serendipity, they just couldn't. Dash still had spies everywhere in this country, and that would be the first place they looked. Richard was dead. Amy was dead to him. There was no going back there. He had to bring Yona some place new, and find a way out of the country.

They happened upon a small town. He couldn't be sure which town, but he assumed Northoak or something nearby it. Carefully, he let Yona down from his arms, placing her on a bench on the outside of what appeared to a grocery closed for the night.

"God dammit," he swore under his breath. He slapped the brick wall in front of him lightly, and then punched it hard. "Fuck," he said, this time louder. "Fuck!" He punched the wall again. And then again, and again, and again.

Do you have any idea what you look like right now? You look just like me. You look like the thing you so desperately want to run from. The same blood runs through both of us. You have the blood of the devil, Amaya.

"God dammit, motherfucker," he yelled again, continuously punching the wall. His knuckles broke under the impact, blood splattering from his hand with each blow, but he didn't stop. His eyes were fire, and his heart was stone.

Yona came to slowly, groggily. She had absolutely no idea what had happened, where she was, or how much time had passed; all she knew was her head hurt, her whole body was sore, and Amaya was punching the wall.

Well. Fuck.

With a quiet groan, she forced herself to sit up, then got shakily to her feet. “H-hey...”

She sort of stumbled forward and more or less collapsed against his back. Not knowing what else to do, she wrapped her arms around his waist and held as tight as she could manage—which really wasn’t very tight, she was still incredibly weak.

“I’m sorry,” she breathed. “I’m so sorry, Amaya. But please...please, you have to stop...” wincing in pain, she shuffled around until she stood beside him, one arm still wrapped around his waist to support herself. She reached out to curve her hand around his, wincing again as she felt blood and torn flesh.

Her touch brought him back, if only a little. He stood silent and looked at his bloodied, broken hand.

The silence between them was almost unbearable.

"They died because of me," he finally said. "Richard is dead because of me. Amy is dead. You would have died too if.."

He moved away from her. He knew she needed the support to even stand, but he couldn't stand being touched in that moment. He didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve the sympathy. He didn't deserve the comfort.

He punched the wall again. This time with his other fist. "They're dead," he punched. "Because of me," another punch. "I should have never," another punch, and the crack of his bones. "Brought you here!"

He stopped and collapsed backward onto the ground. Both hands now broken, both covered in blood, and his spirit completely decimated. "It was a bad idea to bring you here," he whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Amaya..." She stumbled when he pulled away, had to throw a hand out to catch herself against the wall.

When he slumped to the ground she followed, sort of collapsing in front of him. Even seated, she swayed slightly, but she still reached out to take his hands again, slowly.

Her eyes flickered over the damage and she hissed a few curses in Thanati under her breath. Then she closed her eyes and reached deep, calling up the barest thread of magic, all she could control.

Flesh to earth. All the elements that made up a mountain were there in a human body, if she could just tweak them a bit... Exhaling, she allowed the magic to scurry down her fingers and into his hands, weakly knitting bone and skin back together.

"It's not your fault," she whispered even as her vision threatened to tunnel again. "Amaya, this wasn't your fault."

The healing spell that put his bones back together almost stung worse than when he broke them. That didn't mean he wasn't grateful. if they were attacked now, he wouldn't be much help as a brawler with two broken fists.

Still, he couldn't respond. He couldn't thank her. He couldn't speak. All he could think about was seeing Richard's head in the window, and the uncontrollable rage that nearly consumed him when he saw Dash. "It is my fault," he finally spoke. "It was my fault the moment I joined the syndicate all of those years ago. And for leaving. Everyone I've ever loved. Everyone I'll ever care about. They'll have a target on their back."

More silence, and he stood. He couldn't face her. It was too hard to break the truth to her and look her in the eye. "Amy was in on it," he said, almost too quiet to even hear. "She was playing us the whole time."

She felt the words like a punch in her gut. "Amy was...?"

Yona swayed. For a moment she feared she might black out again. Then she set her jaw, closed her eyes, and forced herself to breathe.

"...Richard's dead."

It wasn't a question. She knew the answer, though she hadn't seen it. Breathe. Just breathe.

Slowly, shakily, she forced herself to her feet. She still needed to keep a hand on the wall, but at least she was standing. "Amaya." She addressed his back, because what else could she do. "I--I need you to tell me. I need to understand what's happening."

Amaya shrugged bitterly.

"What's there to say," he said. "Amy betrayed us. She was never on our side. She tried to kill me, and she let Richard die. I'd be surprised if she didn't kill him herself."

He felt anger rise into the top of his throat, and his fist clenched, but he stopped himself before giving the wall another pummeling. "Look," he said flatly. "Dash has spies all over Serendipity. He's not just a force to be reckoning with, he is the the force. His influence is too great for anyone to understand. He got me, too, once upon a time.. but.. I.. me and Rich, we were the only ones to make it out."

He sighed. "And I thought Amy did too, but she was just a spy the entire time." His voice was almost buried under his breath. "Think about that, Yona. She shared an entire life with Richard. A life worth living, shared love, for years and years. They got married in private. They lived in hiding together. And.. in the end, she went back to Dash. They were probably in contact the entire time. Waiting for me."

Yona shook her head slowly. "But...why you?" She tried to look up into his face, her hands still on his; her magic wasn't healing him anymore, but she was a little afraid that if she let go he'd start hitting things again. "Why does he want you?"

His head sank back into his shoulders and he sighed. He reached for a smoke in his pocket, but to no avail. He must've smoked his last before the manor.

"That's.... a long story," he said quietly, hoping she would drop the subject.

Yona gave him a very dry look.

"I think we have time," she pointed out. "It looks like we're going to be stuck together quite a bit longer."

"Sure," he agreed defeated. "Looks like we will."

He took a seat on the bench, slow and with a wince, and sighed. He sighed again. He sighed a third time. He really didn't want to talk about it.

"I met Dash when I was a child," he began. "We uh.. we grew up in the orphanage together. He was a little older than me and sort of looked out for me. I don't know why, but he did. He was my brother. We went through a lot of shit together in that orphanage. Even when we came of age, we went through a lot of shit together. We were abandoned as boys and went through hell and back, chewed up and spit back out by the system.. It changes a man. Then we met Jet."

He was talking.

He was actually talking.

As though afraid to frighten him off, like he was a wild rabbit or something, Yona shifted slowly around until she sat on the bench beside him. She kept quiet, glancing up at his face when he stopped talking in a silent encouragement to continue.

He'd kill for a smoke right about now.

"Jet was the leader of the syndicate when we joined. He taught us everything we knew. Well, everything we knew at the time. Dash inherited his vision for how the world should be from Jet, just multiplied and warped it."

"We called ourselves the Scarlet Fangs," he continued. "Stupid name. Most people just knew us as the devils of Serendipity. Unhappy with the system, how we were told to live, our one and only goal was to bring utter chaos to the world and kill anyone in our way."

He paused, needing the breather to collect more from his memories.

Yona continued to sit quietly. If she felt any judgement for what he said, it didn't show on her face.

She had been taught from a young age that every soul in the world carried its own burdens. Even if she disagreed, she wanted to know the extent of the burden Amaya carried before she made a final judgement.

"I'm not like that anymore. I was grew out of it a long time ago. What we did was just... wrong. And back then.."

He trailed off, a hint of a bitter smile curled into his lips.

"I don't know. I was younger then, I wasn't afraid of anything, I didn't think about dying for a second. I thought I was invincible, and I wanted to change the world," he said. "I changed nothing. Then I met some girl and decided I wanted to live."

He drew a sharp breath at the mention of the girl, letting his words sit in the air.

"That's besides the point. The big story is Dash went off the wall. Thought he could do Jet's job better than him. So he killed him, and I didn't like it, but he was my brother. He raised more than Jet did, so I couldn't really say shit to the guy. So Dash became the leader of the Scarlet Fangs and I was his right-hand man."

She wanted to ask about the girl, but she really didn't think it was a good time. So she continued to sit beside him, silently encouraging him to continue with the barest brush of her fingers against the back of his hand.

"About a year before Dash took over, he started seeing someone, another member of the syndicate. Her name was Penelope," he explained, his eyes now closed as he completely emerged himself in the retelling of his story. "I didn't know much about her, other than the fact that she was damn beautiful."

"She wasn't exactly thrilled with Dash killing Jet," he continued. "They argued a lot after that. Richard and Amy had left. The syndicate was falling apart between those that were for Dash and those that were against him."

"And then there was me. Side-by-side with that maniac until the bitter end. Or so I thought." He let out a heavy breath. "I nearly died in an attack gone wrong that he had sent me on. Penelope, Penny, found me, and I'm sure you know how it goes from there."

"We fell in love and we had an affair," he said. "We loved each other as much as young kids could do and, well, Dash found out and he killed her. Another person.. dead.. because of me."

He let his head lean back against the wall the bench was shoved against, eyes still heavily closed. "And then he nearly killed me, but I got away, and I was branded a deserter of the syndicate, which is punishable by death.. a target on my back from that day forward."

"...So why did you come back?"

Yona wasn't looking at him, though she left her hand on his, a light touch that could be withdrawn in a blink.  "If you knew what you were risking, why come back at all? Why bring me?"

If he'd really wanted to just teach her to control her magic, he could have brought her almost anywhere in Serendipity. She was inclined to think he'd just missed his friends--but she wanted him to say it.

He shrugged half-halfheartedly.

"Rich and Amy were the best people I knew to give you the training you needed," he said quietly. "Sorry it didn't work out the way I wanted it too. I didn't think..."

He stopped, burying his face briefly in his hands before running his fingers through the mop on his head. "Maybe I'm drawn to it. This life. Maybe I'm drawn to him," he admitted. "They say a man thinks about the past right before he dies. Well, I've been thinking about my past a lot lately. The things I would have done differently, the wrongs I've wanted to right, the scores I have to settle. Maybe that's why I came back here: to settle the score. Once and for all."

"Amaya."

Her fingers wrapped around his hand, holding tight. She tried to lean around to see his face, forcing him to hold her eyes. "Would it change anything? If you...settled the score, would it really make a difference? Nothing in your past would change."

She paused, a furrow drawing between her brows, then continued slowly, "If you really want to right those wrongs...you have to keep moving. A life cannot be traded for a life, but...perhaps you can help more than you've hurt."

His returned gaze looked flat and uninterested, but he appreciated what Yona was saying to him. Really. He did. "Maybe you're right, but that's a long list of do-goods I'll have to pull." He left it at that.

A cocky smile. A twinkle in his eyes. And then he started to laugh. He actually was laughing now. He let his head lean back against the wall once more, laughing a little louder than he should. "And that's the most you'll ever get me to talk, little lady," he said through breaths. "Come on. We need to find a place to stay for the night."

His tone was different now. Abruptly different. Playful, confident, charismatic. The typical cocky-son-of-a-bitch Amaya that didn't have a single care in the world.

"Amaya..."

She said his name softer now, just watching as he almost seemed to devolve into hysterics. She sighed, then stepped forward to stand in front of him and placed a hand on his chest, fingers spread wide.

"...There's more good in you than you realize," Yona whispered, looking up into his eyes. She simply held his gaze for a moment, then let out a soft breath and stepped away. "You're right. And, I don't know about you, but I don't exactly have any coin on me."

The bounty hunter grinned. "They say lady bounty is very fickle," he said, reaching into his pocket to pull out more than enough of coin to book them a stay at the shadiest inn in town. "But I had some pretty good luck."

Yeah, he collected a couple of bounties when Yona was training with Richard and Amy. He had to do something to pass the time, and it was boring watching the three of them do their routines day in and day out. Of course, now he wished he would've stayed for all of that.

"We can't just go barging into any place," he said the obvious. "We're going to have to be careful while we're still on this rock."

Yona just shrugged. "I only know what you or Amy and Richard showed me," she murmured. "I'm a stranger in this land; if there's anywhere we can stay that's safe, you'd know it far better than me."

He leaned his head down just a little to get a better look at her face. Aside from the damages she took back at the manor, she just looked dead tired. Hell, he was tired too, but she used a lot of energy back there. "Can you walk?" he asked. "Or do you need me to carry you?"

She had enough energy left to make a face at him, accompanied by a few choice curses in Thanati.

"I can walk fine," she grumbled by way of answer. "I should be asking you that--you're the one that took a swan dive out of a sixth floor window."

His eyes narrowed in retaliation. "And I was having the most wonderful dream before you woke me up," he complained, ignoring the fact that his body did burn like hellfire. "Come on then. Let's go."

---

Amaya scoped at several different inns, sticking to the shadows of the alleys as he lead Yona around the small offbeat village. Any of the inns would probably do, just for the night, but he had to be absolutely sure.

What would Amaya do if he was trying to hide? Well, he would probably go the most inconspicuous, less-populated inn in the village. So, he decided to do the opposite of that. It would be a risk, going into a building where more people had a chance to put eyes on them, but if they played their cards right they could slip in and slip out without anyone seeing them.

He opened the door, walking in casually with his head low as Yona followed. "Got a room?" he asked the man behind the counter.

The inn was loud.

Yona flinched back instinctively from the sudden influx of light and noise, and she found herself for the third time that night pressed up against Amaya's back. She really was trying not to draw attention to them, but she couldn't help staring a bit as she dogged her companion's steps to the counter.

The innkeeper eyed them suspiciously. In the loud atmosphere, these two coming in and trying to stay under the radar seemed a little strange. Amaya could sense his doubts, and quickly addressed them. "We're kind of in a hurry," he said with a sly grin. He motioned to Yona with his eyes, his grin widening, and lowered his voice. "My wife thinks I'm at a buddy's house."

This seemed to set the man at ease, and his smile was twisted and gross as he nodded in approval. Sick perv, Amaya thought before tossing coin onto the counter.

"Second floor, third door on the right," the man said as he handed Amaya the key.

The bounty hunter gave Yona a quick look and started for their room.

Yona managed to smother an instinctive shriek of protest, just barely, but she shot Amaya a clearly unhappy look as she followed him up to the room.

When they reached the door, she hissed irritably, "Can we come up with a cover in future that does not involve me being some sort of doxy?"

Amaya smirked in response. "Read the crowd, Yona," he replied under his breath, unlocking the door. He swung the door open, ushered his companion inside, and closed and locked it behind them. "Next time we're on the run from one of the most ruthless killers in an entire country, I'll let you come up with cover story."

She huffed at that but didn't feel the need to say anything.

What she did comment on, voice dry and rather resigned, was: "There's only one bed."

Well right. Of course there was. Why wouldn't there be, if the innkeeper assumed she was his mistress?

He was in the process of collapsing onto the bed when she voiced her concerns. He pretended not to hear her for a few moments, eyes closed with his back against the mattress and face to the ceiling. His breathing was steady, and he was drifting enough to where he could have fallen asleep at any moment and her concerns about their only being one bed would be no concern of his.

He groaned. Fine.

"Take it," he offered, rolling his body off and landing to the floor with a hard thud. "I'll sleep here."

"Wha--now hang on!"

Yona walked around the bed to glare down at him. "You don't need to be so dramatic about it. We can...draw lots, or something. Flip a coin."

He was already rolled over on his side, using the inside of his right arm as a pillow as he let his eyes close again. He waved off her offer. He was fine with the floor. He just needed to sleep somewhere that wasn't completely out in the open.

"All yours," he muttered under his breath.

Yona hesitated, huffed, bit her lip, then rolled her eyes and climbed into the bed. "Fine," she muttered, "but don't you go complaining to me about a sore back in the morning. I tried."

"My back is already sore, Yona."

He rolled around to lean on his other side, facing toward her on the bed. "We can share as long as you promise no funny business."

She scowled at him and tried to will the sudden blush from her cheeks. "I should be saying that to you," she muttered, turning to put her back to him. "...But I don't mind sharing. It's just the one night."

The bed did sound nice. It certainly felt nice the few seconds he was on it.

"Sure thing." He sat up and hissed slightly from the pain that shot through his back. "I'll be a good boy," he announced as sat on the edge of the bed. "Promise."

He didn't wait for a response before he started to kick off his boots.

"Just...shut up and go to sleep."

Yona had gone a little stiff in the bed, and she shifted to try to give him more room. She lay like that for a few minutes, just breathing, trying to force herself to relax and sleep.

And then, all at once, the weight and reality of what had just happened hit her like a blow to the gut. She suddenly gasped and curled forward into a little ball, turning her face into the sheets. She tried to keep quiet as she felt tears building behind her eyes, and for the most part she managed to choke back the sounds of her sobs. Her body still shook, a heavy shudder running through her with every softly gasped breath.

Amaya was out of his boots and full into the bed. He was laying on his back as an empty gaze cast absently at the ceiling. He could hear the  noise downstairs, and he could hear the Yona fight back tears next to him.

Sometimes you just had to cry it out. Hell, he wish he could sometimes.

He opened his mouth to say something, to comfort her in some way, but decided against it. Let her be, he thought. None of this would have happened if it wasn't for him, anyway. She didn't need his pity.

Eventually, she wasn't sure how much later it was, Yona managed to fall asleep—or, more accurately, she cried herself into exhaustion.

Even in sleep she continued to shiver almost delicately as her body began shutting down unnecessary function in an effort to recuperate from the massive amounts of magic she had used: she was going into shock.

Amaya didn't notice anything wrong with Yona. He was too busy reliving the nightmare in his head over and over again. Everything that could have gone different. The first thing he could have done differently was not come back to Serendipity. Not bring Yona. Not try to collect the bounty on her. Not be a bounty hunter.

He let out an exhausted breath and rolled on his side to face her. "Yona," he whispered. "Yona, you awake?"

She didn't reply. She couldn't. Sobs had given way to short, sharp breaths and violet shivers that wracked her whole frame as she lay unconscious, curled up on her side of the bed.

Her skin was a little cool to the touch, though sweat marked her brow, and her lips were slightly open as she panted quietly. But she didn't respond.

He felt her face. Cool to the touch. Her breathing.. was not normal. Was this some sort of Thanati thing? Well that would be all very well and good, but considering what they had just gone through, her body was either rejecting what little powers she had left, or she was dying.

"Yona, wake the fuck up," he said a little louder now, growing a little concerned.

He gave her a shove. Nothing.

He gave her a shake. Still nothing.

"Oh for fuck's sake," he hissed, sitting upright rather quickly. "Don't you go dying on me too, lady!"

He had no idea what he should do, and he didn't have the patience to wait it out and see if she was just sleeping real hard. It didn't seem like "sleeping real hard," it seemed like something serious.

Well, he had been given mouth to mouth before when he was near-death, and he had seen it done or other people. It couldn't be that hard. All you had to do was... lift the chin a little, pinch the nose, and "here goes nothing."

Leaning in, he stopped himself and made a face that spoke volumes of how difficult this was for him. "You're going to kill me when you wake up," he muttered before he began mouth-to-mouth  resuscitation.

Yona's body jerked slightly and a tingle of magic raced over every square inch of her skin, instinctively called to defend against an attack while she was still unconsciously recovering.

The only problem with that: it was excessive magic use that she was recovering from. The power was there, but she didn't have the control or the energy to back it up.

The magic fizzled out within seconds, retreating back to her core, and she jolted awake with a harsh gasp that quickly devolved into a ragged cough. One hand fisted in the sheets, she turned on her side and drew in deep, desperate breaths, still shaking.

Vaguely, she recognized Amaya above her, and some blurry corner of her mind noticed that in turning she had inadvertently curved herself in toward his body, unconsciously seeking heat. "Wh-what...in all...hells?"

Thank fucking gods.

Amaya was breathing a little heavier than he normally would have, a flush of relief washing over him as the woman gave him that small sign that she was probably okay. "What in the hell is right," he said looking down at her. "You tried to die on me just now and you forced my hand. I had no choice but to save your life."

He'd leave out the tidbit of how he thought he had saved her life with.

"Wh-wh-what are y-you--"

She looked up at him, eyes wide and tired in her by now rather wan face. She couldn't stop shivering. Why couldn't she stop shivering. "I'm c-cold," she managed to gasp out, a hint of panic lighting up in her chest now. "I don't...understand..."

She felt weak, weaker than she had even after they'd run so hard and fast to escape that manor. Was...was she actually dying? What that possible? Could a person die from using too much magic?

She'd never heard of such a thing--but then again, her education on magic had been strictly Thanati. She had no idea if such a thing was possible with elemental magic.

A tiny whimper clawed its way out of her throat and she wrapped her arms around herself, still shivering.

"Oh my god, oh my god, just relax," he said impatiently. "You're not dying," he continued, though he wasn't so sure himself. "You're just cold. You're cold because you're weak and it's fucking cold outside."

Nothing in particular crossed his mind when he wrapped his arms around the girl, rubbing a hand up and down her back to awkwardly provide her some warmth.

"St-stop yelling at me!"

Sniffling now, Yona brought her hands up to shove him away--but then the warmth of his body started to seep into her and she found she just didn't have the willpower to do it, winding up with her hands pressed against his chest as she curved closer in search of more heat.

"...I'm not weak," she whispered, clenching her eyes shut as a fresh wave of tears began to stream down her face. "I'm not weak. I'm not."

He sighed, closed his eyes, and let his chin rest on top of her head. He held her a little tighter. "No," he responded quietly. "No you're not."

Her eyes widened slightly. Of all the responses she might have expected from him, that was not one of them.

There was another long moment of silence where she just lay there. Then she sighed quietly in turn and twisted to hide her face against his chest. "Can we...stay like this?"

Her voice was small, tiny really, and already she could feel herself beginning to drift again, that same exhaustion rising up and threatening to drag her under. With his arms around her though, she wasn't so cold; the shivering had almost completely stopped.

His chin on her head shifted just a little bit to form a small, tired smile. "Yeah, why not," he said quietly. He let the comfort of the bed and her warmth allow him to drift, allow him to let his eyes grow heavy, and allow him to let his guard down if only for the night. "Just don't get use to it," he teased. "I've got a reputation to uphold."

With a rather watery little chuckle, she murmured, "Wouldn't dream of it..."

And she was out.

Thankfully, the tremors had stopped. She still shivered every once in a while, and she certainly didn't look healthy, but her body's desperate attempts to recuperate from using those massive amounts of power had calmed somewhat.

It wasn't long after the girl fell asleep that Amaya joined her. His arms around her loosened just a bit, but otherwise he remained motionless.

He would continue to sleep as if he were dead until the innkeeper banged on the door the next day, complaining that they had stayed way past checkout time.

The sudden noise jolted Yona awake with a start and a muffled curse in Thanati. She tried to jerk upright, but found herself quite abruptly reminded of the night before by Amaya's arms holding her loosely in place.

She froze. "Um...Amaya?" She prodded his chest lightly. "You awake?"

He groaned and grumbled. His body was a brick that no one could move. "Is anybody really awake," he said, his voice muffled as his face was buried into the top of her head.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The innkeeper persisted, angrily beat on the door and yelling profanities from the other side. The bounty hunter then heard the slight jingle of keys being pulled from a pocket, and he quickly sat up. He walked over to the door and as the innkeeper unlocked it and began to open it, Amaya placed the palm of his on their side and shut it in his face.

"Give us a minute will ya?!"

Yona was already up, adjusting her clothes slightly and attempting to comb her fingers through the bird's next of her hair. She still didn't look healthy, skin too pale with bags under her eyes and an almost gaunt cast to her features, but she at least felt a little better than she had the night before.

She moved to look for her pack, remembered that they hadn't exactly had time to grab any supplies before fleeing, and stopped herself with a small sigh. "Well. We should be moving sooner rather than later, yes?"

"Yeah, you're right, but-"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The bounty hunter showed his teeth in an ugly snarl. "It's the principal of the matter."

"If you're going to stay any longer I'm going to have to charge you for another night! Last warning!"

Amaya heard backing footsteps from the other side of the door. He was going to charge the door, like that would be any good. Any destruction to his own property would be his responsibility.

And then the sound of the man lunging himself forward in a full sprint, and Amaya swung the door open just in time for the man to fly into the room, crashing down on his shoulder with utter shock and confusion in his eyes.

"Now we're ready," Amaya said flatly before looking to Yona. "Ready?"

He didn't wait for an answer before he left the room.

Well she didn't exactly have much choice, did she?

Sighing quietly to herself, Yona hurried after him, picking her way over the inkeeper with a wince and a muttered, "Sorry," on her way out.

Catching up to Amaya--no easy feat, considering the length of his stride compared to hers--she huffed, "So. Do we have any sort of plan?"

His shrugged response probably wasn't very noticeable as they made their way through the crowded inn. Even after sleeping through the night, the patrons seem to still be at it in the early hours of the morning.

"Nope," he responded honestly. "But that rest did me a lot of good, so we just need to move right now until we figure out a plan.. or, a way out of Serendipity. It's not safe here."

He gave her a quick glance over his shoulder as he neared the door. "How you feeling? You still look pretty rough."

"I feel like I got hit by an avalanche," she replied tiredly. "And I don't know when I'll next be able to use magic without just keeling over. Other than that I'm fine."

She frowned as she spoke. It was starting to feel like everything she'd been taught about her magic before coming here really was true; maybe it wasn't worth trying to learn to control it at all, if she was just going to burn herself out anyway.

"They'll be looking for us if we try to leave anytime soon," he said, though his tone indicated that he was mostly thinking aloud.

They were outside the inn now, and Amaya didn't have any real direction to go, so he just stuck to the alleys. "We'll be ambushed if we try to board a ship today," he muttered. "Hell, we'll probably be ambushed anyway. So, if we do, we would at least need you at your strength... So we need to find somewhere to lay low for a few more days while we recover."

He stopped abruptly and turned to face her. "You were in hiding in Thanatos for a long time, right?" he asked. "How'd you manage?"

Yona glanced up at him and replied dryly, "I managed with an awful lot of uncharted jungle territory between me and whichever town I happened to be avoiding at the time."

She shrugged. She knew that wasn't really helpful; while her knowledge of Thanati geography may have helped them back on her islands, it wasn't likely to do much good here. She knew Serendipity was meant to have a wide array of wild places: moors and forest and highlands and even some mountains. But she knew very little actually about them.

"That's a start, though," he said sincerely. "You're more equipped to hiding like that. I hide in plain sight, but doing that around here will get us killed in an instant. Look, I think I knew of a few isolated areas like that that may be perfect for us to lay low for a little while."

He gave her an encouraging grin, though week and flattened. "I'm not exactly the outdoors-men," he continued. "I'm going to count on you to keep us alive for a bit while I figure things out."

"I-I, um..." She stared up at him for a moment, surprised into silence. Then she set her jaw and nodded once, firmly. "Okay. I can do that."

Gods, she really, really hoped she could do that.

"Perfect. Let's go."

Getting to the forest was a task in and of itself unseen, and he wasn't entirely sure they hadn't been seen, but none of the typical alarms really showed themselves along the way. Burying themselves deep in the woods, the bounty hunter scoped out the parameter not once, not twice, but three times for good measure before he deemed their little hideaway spot suited to camp out at.

Amaya liked excitement, loud noises, mayhem, chaos - it was how he lived most of his life even after he left the syndicate, just in a different way, but for the first time in what felt like a lifetime he was surrounded by none of that. Silence. The invisible, welcome sound.

"Not sure if we should start a fire or not," he admitted honestly. "It would be another way to put us on the map."

Which was a real shame, because as night fell, it was getting quite cold.

"I could--"

Yona stopped herself, lips pressed tight together.

Theoretically, she could have simply heated a pocket of air without actually lighting a fire--but that would require using magic. Magic that she wasn't sure she could, or even should, use.

Amaya shrugged before taking a seat in the dirt. "Guess we'll rough it tonight and see how it goes," he suggested. He pat the ground next to him for her to join. "Take a seat, Yona. Tell me about yourself."

He realized that probably sounded odd, and came completely out of left field, after all that they had been through, so he decided to add onto his statement. "You know way too much about me now," he explained. "I don't know much about you at all. What's your story?"

She jerked slightly, as though his words had been a shock of cold water down her spine. She paused, looking him up and down, then slowly moved forward to sit beside him.

"I still don't feel like I actually know all that much about you," she muttered. "I know about things that have happened to you or things that you've done. Not you."

Yona drew one leg up toward her chest, the other crooked slightly in front of her. She didn't say anything for a few long moments. Then:

"...I was raised in a temple. My parents, they must've...they must have known I had elemental magic, so they left me at a temple. The monks and priestesses raised me."

Amaya chuckled to himself, a genuine feeling of ease washing over him. "You seem like the type that would be raised by monks and preistesses." He was practically teasing her. "All well-to-do and polite. For the shit you've been through you're probably the nicest person I've ever met. Don't you ever get tired of it?"

He shook his head and held a hand up to stop her from answering that. "Sorry. I interrupted. Continue."

She scoffed quietly and glanced up at him, quirking an eyebrow. "You wouldn't say that if you'd ever actually met any of them," she muttered after a moment with a small, crooked smile. "And I'm really not all that nice--I just don't say what I'm thinking most of the time."

Most of the time, except right now, apparently. Her eyes widened a bit, surprised by the words that came out of her own mouth, and she flushed as she cleared her throat and looked away. "Well, I...I suppose that's it, really. That was my life. There's not much else to tell. I lived and worked in the temple--I thought about training to be a priestess, but it would have been... I couldn't have. Not with my magic."

Amaya's smirk was evident the entire time she was defending herself. "Not saying what you're thinking if a way of being nice," he nudged her. "I almost always say what I'm thinking. Gets me into trouble most of the time, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

Pulling a canister from his satchel, he took a quick swig of water before offering her a share. "That can't be it. That may be your history but what about you, Yona? What do you like? Dreams, hopes, ambitions, favorite color, favorite food?"

Yona took the water but leaned back from him a bit, looking him over. "I'd say the same to you," she pointed out wryly. "An answer for an answer."

She took a sip of the water, thought, then supplied, "I like this thing called mochi. I don't think you have it on the mainland, it's a sort of sweet bean paste. It's good."

She handed the water back to him. "You."

He took the water and took another swig.

"I've had Mochi before," he replied with just a touch of wit. "It's damn good. But me? It's hard to beat good salmon. I love fish. Or any kind of meat for that matter. Venison, boar, swan, you name it. But there is nothing that compares to the sweet, succulent, utterly delicious meat of a seasoned woman."

Another swig and back to her with a sly wink. "Kidding."

Yona pulled a face at him and shoved the water flask away. "Not thirsty," she muttered, folding her arms over her chest.

Silence for a moment. Then, into it, she asked rather abruptly, "Is that what you do then? To stop thinking about it. You make jokes."

"Hey, I'm sorry!"

He placed the canister down and raised his hands to surrender in one quick motion. "I'm sorry," he said again. "You're right, maybe I do. Call it a coping mechanism, I guess."

An awkward silence and he shuffled through his bag again, this time pulling out a small silver flask half-full of cheap whiskey. He took a quick shot, grimaced, and placed it down between them. "I don't have a favorite color," he continued, steering their conversation back on course. "Because that's stupid. My hopes are for revenge and my ambitions is to stay alive. A little something about me you may not have known: I really enjoy seeing a play. And you?"

Yona eyed the whiskey, but didn't drink. She's never much cared for alcohol, or what it did to her. With a soft sigh, she drew one leg up toward her chest and rested her chin on her knee, one arm braced to her side and just behind her.

"...I like green," she murmured eventually. "I—I guess I hope I can go home someday. I'd be happy just staying alive until tomorrow. And I..." She sighed, closed her eyes, and finished in a mumble, "I'm starting to think I was wrong to follow you. I was wrong to come here, to try to train my magic. It's better off unused."

That prompted another sip of the whiskey. It burnt his chest but this time went down a little smoother, evident from his lack of changing facial expressions. "Yeah," he agreed quietly. "Yeah, you probably shouldn't have. I really fucked things up this time. I really fucked up. You would have been better off without me."

He looked away from her, bitter eyes on the dirt. "I'm sorry."

"...That isn't what I meant."

She wasn't looking at him. "Yes, I think you were reckless back there. But I don't blame you for what happened. I meant..."

She paused, breathed, tried to organize her thoughts. "I don't know if my magic should be used," she murmured eventually. "I've only made things worse. I--I don't know what to do. What to think."

"I know what you meant."

The bounty hunter shrugged and took another healthy swig of the whiskey. He had retired the water and moved onto alcohol. It was needed and deserved after the past few days they shared together. "And I meant what I said," he continued. "You didn't make things worse. You're the only reason we're still alive right now. Things didn't work out, but that wasn't your fault. Your magic could be used for so many great things, Yona, I'm afraid I'm just not up to snuff to get you there."

He placed the flask down in between them again absently.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked suddenly. "Can't stay here. Probably not the best idea to go back to Thanatos either. Is there somewhere in the world that you've always wanted to go?"

Yona shook her head. She didn't agree, but she didn't think there was anything she could say that would change his mind, not in that moment.

"I don't know," she murmured after a few moments. "I never really--there wasn't anything I wanted to do, anywhere I wanted to go. I was happy just being...home."

But she couldn't go home. Even if none of this had happened, she couldn't return home.

"I don't know," she repeated with a sigh. "Why don't you pick?"

"I heard Yoreiq was nice," he said with a shrug. "Maybe we can go there, if you'll have me."

Truth be told, the bounty hunter didn't know much at all about that foreign land except for stories he heard of how beautiful it was, and that sounded nice to him. He wasn't quite sure how well his bounty hunting business would do there, he really put in a lot of time in Thanatos to make that work, but he would find out one way or another. He'd be a real asshole now if he just left Yona to fend for herself.

"Let's start back up," he said. "I want to know more about Yona. What do you do for fun? Before all of this."

She blinked, a little taken aback, and stared at him for a moment. She debated answering honestly, or answering at all, for a few moments.

Then, with a sharp little exhale, she admitted, "Dance. I used to dance. The priestesses taught me."

Of course, their style of dancing was typically for ceremonial purposes, and she'd never learned those particular steps. But she'd picked up the basic principles.

"That's pretty impressive," he mused. "I basically have two left when I'm not kicking someone or running for my life. Dancing was never a thing for me."

A spark of interest flashed across his eyes, and he looked lazily over at her with cheek in his palm. "Teach me how to dance, then?"

"Wait, what?" She stared at him, eyes suddenly very wide. "You--seriously?"

She laughed. She couldn't help it. It wasn't a mean sound, not laughing at him, she just...laughed.

"I don't know if you would like the kind of dancing I was taught," she chuckled, shaking her head with a tiny smile lingering at the corners of her mouth.

Almost contagious, Amaya laughed and smiled with her. That's what they needed, anyway. A little happiness. So he decided to press it just a little bit more.

"Oh, I think I'd more than like the kind of dancing you were taught," was his retort. "Better than no dancing at all. Shall we?"

"What, now? Really? But..." She looked around, though she had no idea what she was looking for. "But we don't have any music or anything..."

Still, despite herself, she knew her tone was almost--almost eager. It would be nice to pretend, just for a few minutes. To forget.

Amaya's grin was smug and tempting before he took one more helping of the whiskey. He got to his feet and held out his hand to the dancing girl. "Hell yes, Yona," he said. "Why not? Show me your moves, lady."

"Well, I..." She bit her lip, then sighed and relented completely. "Alright. Give me your hands."

She took his hands in hers and stood from her little patch of earth. "Okay, well...I really don't think it's anything like what you'd be used to. It's not--it's not really tavern dancing or anything..."

"Atta girl," he grinned. He gave her his hands as she requested, but didn't wait for the first lesson. He spun her around with one arm, a twirl most people would call it, and brought her back into him, connecting his other hand with hers.

Amaya lied about dancing. He could dance just fine. He just didn't know her dance.

"Something like that?"

Yona yelped, surprised, and just stared up into his face for a few moments, lips slightly parted. "Er, ah...well. That was...interesting. Fun."

She tried for a smile and dropped her eyes quickly. "Not--not really what I'm used to though."

"I was once known as the dancing queen of the Riverlands," he joked before giving her another spin. He let go of her hand when she came full circle, and took a few steps back. "Now you."

"Whoa!" Yona had to stagger a bit to get her balance, unfamiliar with this particular style of dance, and blinked up at him owlishly. "Now me what? This? I--I don't know how to do this!" she laughed, cheeks warm and eyes brighter than they had been in days.

The bounty hunter chuckled.

"No, no, no," he said quickly, waving his hands in front of him. "You don't have to know how to do anything. No one really knows how to dance, after all. Just move to the music."

Clearly there was no music, but that was beside the point.

"What music?" she pointed out dryly, quirking an eyebrow at him. Still, she allowed herself to sway gently from side to side, feeling rather awkward.

This was nothing like the dancing she knew. Those movements were subtle and fluid, meant to be one person telling a story through the flow of their body. This was...

Different.

Amaya folded his arms over his chest and laughed. "You look ridiculous," he grinned devilishly. "How about you show me your dance now?'

He swayed side to side to match her movements. "Or we can keep swaying."

Yona blushed deeply and glared at him. "...Fine. But don't laugh."

Closing her eyes, she turned to put her shoulder to him. This was easier if she just...pretended she was home. If she concentrated, she could almost hear Ruka's bells.

Letting out a slow breath, she raised her left arm to shoulder height and twisted her hand back and forth, turning her wrist in a slow circle. One foot slid forward, toes out, then the other followed, bringing her heels together.

She continued slowly, carefully, each movement measured and graceful. There was nothing showy in the dance, it truly wasn't like anything most mainlanders would see or participate in. Each motion was deliberate, delicate: a dance that told a story.

She honestly had not idea what story she was telling. She hoped it was something nice.

Fascinated by what was unfolding before his eyes, Amaya knelt back down to take a seat, a shot or two of whiskey while he was at it. This was not the dancing he was accustomed to, but he had expected as much.

Contrary to the belief that he was just some bounty hunter brute that only thought was his fists, he actually really enjoyed other cultures and learning more about them. The real issue is he never had time to explore them.

..But watching Yona's dance was a nice step in the right direction. For the briefest moment he thought he could be happy with this, their new life on the run, if they just had little moments like this from time to time. Maybe he could put the past behind him? He certainly needed to, at least, but that was a thought for another day.

"That's nice," he said quietly. "You look great."

She started slightly, his voice reminding her that she was not, in fact, alone. She stuttered to a stop, opening her eyes and twisting to look at him.

Her cheeks were very pink, and much as she'd have liked to blame it on the dancing, she wasn't even short of breath. "Um... Thank you," she murmured, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear and glancing away.

Amaya laughed. Not teasingly, not mockingly, just a laugh. A happy one. "Come on now, Yona," he said slyly. "I think we are way past being shy at this point."

He took another sip of the whiskey and the smooth burn rolled down his throat and into his chest. He was starting to feel nice. Almost nicer than he probably deserved. His grin was steady and eyes focused on her, and he gave her a quick nod. "Continue if you want."

Yona narrowed her eyes at him and grumbled, "Easy for you to say. I don't believe you've ever been embarrassed of anything in your life."

Still, after another moment or two of eyeing him warily, she continued the dance. She wasn't even really sure--or fully aware--of what she was doing anymore.

It had been something of a long few days, and she just wanted to pretend it had never happened.

"I resent that."

He didn't resent that. It was true, the bounty hunter didn't get embarrassed much, if at all, and even if he did, he would never show it. Now, shame? He's been ashamed plenty of times.

He swayed along to the silent music as he watched his target-turned-companion's elaborate dance.

Yona had no idea how long she kept the dance up, but eventually she spun in a half-turn to a graceful stop, breathing just a tad heavier than normal. She looked up at Amaya, feeling suddenly rather raw and vulnerable.

Not quite sure what else to do, she straightened up and tugged nervously at the hem of her tunic. "Right. Well, that's, um...yeah"

"What a show."

Now sitting back on the ground, he motioned for her to join him. "I could watch you dance all night," he admitted with a dry grin and tired eyes. "But we should probably get some sleep now, don't you think?"

Still sort of fidgeting with her clothes, Yona nodded quickly and settled down onto the earth beside him. Still rather flushed from his compliment--or at least she assumed it was a compliment--she curled up onto her side and tucked her arms in close to her body in an effort to preserve some warmth.

"...Sleep well, Amaya."

"Yep. Night."

He sprawled down next to her before turning over onto his side so their backs were nearly touching as they both attempted sleep. He tried to fold his arms into himself - it was cold as hell out. The temporary vices of whiskey and dance had delayed it, but now that he was forced to think about it it was colder than he'd like it to be without a fire.

Fuck it.

He rolled over onto his other side and buried his face into her back. "Cold as fuck now," he muttered into her clothes.

Yona tensed, her head snapping up, and sort of half twisted to look back at him.

Then she let out her breath in a sharp exhale and flopped back onto the ground, pressing back into the curve of his body. "Yeah," she agreed quietly. "Cold..."

She wriggled just a tiny bit closer, still curled into a tight ball, and allowed herself to begin to drift off.

Sometime between them going to sleep and morning, Amaya completely abandoned restraint and wrapped his arms around the woman and completely melted into her for warmth. It was late, it was cold, and he had a few drinks, so he didn't care much for what she might say about it.

Morning came like a blow to the head when the sun peaked through the trees, the birds chirped, and lingering dehydration from several whiskey shots hammered away at the bounty hunter's head when it felt like it.

At least the sun brought a little warmth to his cheeks.

The elementalist hardly noticed Amaya's clinging to her; she was so cold herself that the extra warmth was only a relief.

At least until she blinked her way back toward consciousness come morning. She groaned and twisted slightly, arching her back in a stretch--which inadvertently had her turning in Amaya's arms and sort of arching up into him.

"Oh!" She blinked. Was he still asleep? "Amaya?" she whispered, trying to wriggle herself free as subtly as she could.

"For the love of whatever god you people worship, stop moving around."

Amaya had shut his eyes tight when the sun started to shine through, and he was determined to remain still, stay warm, and wait out the lingering hangover that greeted him first thing in the morning. "Just a little longer, jungle princess," he muffled his pleas, "not ready to get up yet."

Yona glowered at him. "Don't call me jungle princess," she muttered, though she did stop moving, going still in his arms.

She really didn't know what else to do; she knew they should get moving, but frankly she was tired too. And if Amaya didn't seem to think they needed more urgency, then, well...who was she to argue?

"Whatever you say."

He gave it a few more minutes, allowing himself to doze once or twice in that brief time, before he groaned and untangled himself from her. "Well you're quite cozy," he muttered as he got to his feet. He extended an arm to offer her a hand up. "C'mon. We should go."

"Ah...thanks?" She took his hand and let him pull her to her feet, then dusted herself off a bit and glanced around. "So...which way are we heading?"

He grinned almost embarrassingly. Almost. Maybe not the best choice of words. Wouldn't want her getting the wrong idea, is what he thought to himself. Like he told her before, he had a reputation to uphold.

"Somewhere like this that's somewhere else." He shrugged with that. His voice drooled with exhaustion. "I still don't know how we're going to get to Yoreiq just yet. It's too early to make any moves out of the country right now, so we just need to... play it cool, I guess."

"Right. Okay." She stared at him, then gestured vaguely to the woods around them. "So...we pick a random direction?"

That hardly seemed like the most sensible plan to her--but it wasn't like she really had any other ideas to offer.

Amaya's face fell flat. "Give a guy a little credit, Yona," he complained. He folded his arms over his chest and looked at her with disappointment. "We pick a direction that's not the direction that we just came from."

He didn't wait for a response. It was the best argument he had, and he didn't want to discuss it anymore. He felt they were well and truly fucked, but his spirits were high to make it out of there alive. He scooped his bag and began walking.

"So we pick a random direction," Yona grumbled as she hurried to follow him.

It wasn't like she had a better plan--and despite how long she'd survived on her own in Thanatos, she knew her chances were better here with Amaya than without him.

And...well, rather despite herself, she'd grown to almost like the bounty hunter. She wouldn't exactly call them friends, but they were no longer just thrown together by circumstance either.

So she followed him, having to quicken her pace every so often to keep up with his longer stride.

Most of their time in hiding would be spent like that. Isolating themselves away in the thick of trees, everything looking basically the same but moving to a different spot just about every day. It was the longest Amaya had been in hiding, unable to do anything but run, since the first time he fled Dash and the syndicate.

He hated it.

He wanted to collect bounty. He wanted to boast at the bar and drink himself silly or until he blacked out. He wanted to be challenged without the fear of death of his companion. It was wearing on him, and it was noticeable.

He rather enjoyed this time with Yona, all things considered. Sure, they were running. Sure, they were hiding. He just enjoyed that he got to spend that time with her. A lot of ups and downs in their funny little relationship, but slowly she was able to help him forgive himself for what happened to Richard.

She was the perfection distraction from his own issues - all of her quirks and mannerisms, her polar opposite behavior, it just worked.

It had to of been about a month or two, Amaya could not be sure, of running and hiding day in and day out, when he was finally able to piece together a plan.

Much like how they got here, they would have to leave by boat. Much like before, they would be stowaways. Unlike before, this time it had to have been planned just right, and it had to have been the perfect criteria.

The docks where they would board the ship were highly populated, which is exactly what they would have needed. Easier to sneak onto a boat under the cover of the masses, and if they were successful, it would have been easier for someone to spot them out.

They would hide in plain sight, act like they belong, and start a trek to a new foreign land.

His heart was beating rather rapidly as they approached the docks, letting crowds and passerbys separate them for most of the walk so it did not appear that they were together. In a single moment where they crossed each other, Amaya whispered "You ready?" and continued his stride.

Yona kept her eyes on her feet as she moved with the flow of the crowds. When Amaya passed, their arms brushed for a brief moment and she nodded subtly, so slight a move that no one passing should really have even noticed, but enough for him to see if he was paying attention.

Yona was doing much better in the crowd than he expected her to. He caught the nod, and picked his stride up toward their way out of there. There must have been hundreds of people at the docks that day, and he felt that a million pairs of eyes were on him.

Of course, they couldn't just walk right onto the ship, even with the hustle and bustle of the crowd. They would still need a reason to get on, or a distraction. There were too many witnesses around to see a tall man and a foreign girl climb onto the ship from the other side of the entrance.

It had been a while since he used magic, but since knowing Yona he seemed to be utilizing it more and more as time went on. Bombs. Explosions. Smoke. Flashy stuff and flashy distractions. That is exactly what they needed.

Before long they were in line on the bridge, head low and as inconspicuous as possible.

Three, two, one, boom.

An explosion far enough away from the docks, but close enough to have the crowds in a panic, ignited and filled the sky with the glows of a fire and black smoke. "Shit! Come on, on board!" Amaya yelled, disguising his voice. The ship's crew were too in a frenzy to find the source of the bomb and if it all would affect their ship, or if it were a target. Others that were to board the ship also began to board hastily, both in front and behind them, making Amaya and Yona to get inside and situated as smooth as a transition as possible.

Something that big would be sure to raise suspicions, but there were too many ships leaving that day for them to do anything about it.

Yona ran for the boat with the rest of the crowd, casting her eyes around for Amaya in the chaos.

Spotting him, she wove her way through the throng and paused by his side, muttering quietly, "Did it have to be an explosion?"

"No one got hurt," he whispered. He made sure of that, and now the authorities would be investigating the syndicate for it. That was a syndicate trademark, after all.

Some point during the commotion, the bounty hunter swiped a copy of the docket and was able to look it over as they walked through the ship, pinpointing an empty cabin for this journey that should more or less be out of everyone else's way. That should work.

"Follow me," he said, turning a corner and heading down the hall.

With little else she could do--as seemed to be a running theme in her relationship with Amaya--Yona followed him down the hall. She drew the hood of her cloak a little closer around her face and glanced about.

"You sure no one's going to...y'know. Notice us once we're underway?" She blinked up at him. "What if they toss us off halfway to the islands?"

"You sure no one's going to notice us?" he mock teased her like a child on a playground. "Gee, Yona, have a little faith in the faithless."

She was right to worry. He didn't have any real plan up to this. He had no idea how long this trip would take to a country neither of them have ever been to, so he couldn't just say wait it out in an empty room.

"We'll just have to wait in out in the room." He said it anyway.

At the end of the hall, hand on the doorknob, he slipped Yona and himself inside, closed, and locked it behind them.

She glared at him and rolled her eyes, muttering, "You're a grown man, Amaya," as she followed him into the room.

With the soft click of the lock behind them she felt her stomach sink. Great. She was going to be so seasick.

"So...Just sit here. Just us. For a month." She looked up at him.

It was almost annoying how Yona continued to point out the flaws in his little-to-not thought-out plans. Annoying, but necessary.

He sighed in defeat and shook his head. "Yeah, maybe not," he said. "But for now that's the best we can do. I'll make sure we don't starve, can go to the bathroom, all that.. and.. hey, want me to go find some meds for your condition?"

"Condition?" She blinked at him, then realized what he was talking about. Her eyes widened. "They have medicine for that?"

Almost directly on the heels of the first question came an indignant, "Hey! Why didn't you tell me that last time we were on a boat?!"

Amaya's grin was sheepish and he let that question sit for a moment while he scratched the stubble that had been growing on his chin. "Slipped my memory," he said honestly. "Or if you'd rather, you could always spend the next month throwing up whatever lunch for us that I can get my hands on."

Yona muttered something incredibly impolite in Thanati under her breath, then shook her head with a sharp exhale. "Fine. Medicine is good. Thanks," she grumbled, still sort of glowering at him.

"Medicine it is then," he concurred. He shuffled her lightly towards the bed before making his way back toward the door. "Sit down. Try to rest. I'll be back in no time," he said. He opened the door and began to walk out, but stopped just enough to peer through the frame at her with a not-so-amused look on his face. "By the way.. I speak Thanati, and that wasn't very nice."

He closed the door and a a self-satisfied grin returned to his lips. He didn't speak a word of Thanati.

Yona started slightly for that, but she could do little more than glare and make a rude gesture at his back as he closed the door behind him.

He was bluffing. Right? She was pretty sure he was bluffing.

With nothing else to do, the elementalist huffed out a sharp breath and all but collapsed onto the small cot, flopping onto her back to stare blankly up at the ceiling.

Number one rule of hiding in plain sight? Act like you own the place, or act like you own the ship in this instance. Maybe not the number one rule, as there were really no rules in this line of business, but it was Amaya's number one rule.

The vessel itself was too small and cramped to really sneak around effectively, so he had no choice but to act like he belonged there. "Beautiful day," he said as he passed a group of what he assumed were sailors. "Lookin' good, buddy," he said to another. "Hey there, ma'am, happen to have any medicine? I'm just trying to prepare for the inevitable."

The woman he spoke to was at on the deck, arms slung over the rails as she watched the ocean waves take them further away from civilization. Her crimson hair was like fire in the sunlight, only long enough to gently brush her shoulders, and just messy enough to hide her obvious elf ears.

When she turned to face him, there was a slight amused smirk tucked at her lips, and a spark in her emerald green eyes.

"You're one of the stowaways, ain't ya?" she asked, voice both seemingly sweet and sharp. "Don't worry," she quickly added, reading his reaction. "I am too. No one cares. Just don't get in anybody's way and you'll be fine."

Amaya started to deny it, but instead shrugged. "You got me," he replied. "So you got any medicine.. miss..?"

"Regen," the woman said as she went to shake his head. "Regen Wintzel."

Yona waited on her back on the cot, eyes absently tracing patterns and whorls on the ceiling above her.

Surely it can't take too long to find some medicine for seasickness, she thought idly, glancing to the door. Should she risk going out to find him?

"You don't look seasick," Regen noted, tilting her head to the side as to examine the bounty hunter a little closer.

"Not me," he replied before gesturing back to the cabin in which he came.

"Ah. The pretty one," the woman said back before digging into her pockets. "First one's free."

From her pockets she pulled a little vile of what he assumed was medicine for Yona. That was easy enough. It's color was almost pink, and it was clearly a thick substance. Probably tasted like shit, but it would have to do. Better than puking all-day everyday for the foreseeable future.

"Thanks," he said simply enough. He took the vile from her hands and slipped it into his own pockets. "Amaya Midgar," was his half-ass introduction before turning away from her and walking back toward the room. "See ya around."

Normally, he would stay to chit-chat with the pretty elf-woman, especially with one that seemed just as cunning as he, if not more so, but he was a little more worried about Yona and their next move than he was about some strange bird at the time.

He returned to the room shortly enough and tossed the medicine bottle through the air in the direction of the cot. "Catch," he said, dropping his hand to his side. He didn't wait to see if his companion actually caught the bottle - bad luck if she didn't - as when his hand fell and brushed his pant pocket, he felt a noticeable different in weight.

He rummaged his fingers through his pocket and by surprise found an his lips curling into a challenged grin. That woman on the deck.

He'd been robbed.

Yona quickly scrambled to sit up and catch whatever it was he'd thrown to her--a small bottle, apparently--but her attention was quickly drawn to the sudden, strange expression on his face.

"What happened?" she asked warily, scooting to the edge of the bed and narrowing her eyes at him.

Amaya lips curled into a lopsided grin and he shrugged. "Oh, nothing," he lied before walking further into the room. He found the wall opposite to the cot where Yona was sitting and let his back rest against it before sliding down into a sitting position.

"I wouldn't drink all of that at once," he added. Really, if this woman robbed him, it may not have been the best idea to drink it all - but he pegged her more for a thief than anything truly malicious. "Probably potent stuff. Just take it as you need it."

She fiddled with the bottle for a moment before flipping the catch on the lid and taking a quick sniff.

It just smelled like herbs. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Still, she took only one, cautious sip before capping the bottle again and placing it on the small table beside the bed.

"So. What now?"

"You should take it easy," he said in response. "Let the medicine take effect and relax a bit. We're in the clear for a little while, so there's no need to rush into anything."

That was about as good of advice as he could give, and one he intended to follow himself. According to Regen, sneaking around on this ship wouldn't be that difficult, or that necessary, but at the same time he didn't know if he could trust her as fall as he could throw her.

He'd get his money back, that was for sure. He would just let her think she won for the time being.

"Mmmph." Yona rolled onto her side on the cot, resisting the urge to curl into a ball. "If this doesn't work, I'll make sure that I'll throw up on you," she mumbled into the rather thin and tatty pillow, waving one hand tiredly in Amaya's direction.

"If this doesn't work," he repeated the words back to her, "I'm throwing you overboard. The smell of vomit is terrible."

All-too-happy with his little jest, he folded his arms over his chest and cocked a brow at her. "How bout you just focus-"

Knock. Knock.

The quick, nearly-muffled, sound of someone rapping on the door broke his sentence. He peered over at it silently, unsure if he should answer or not. Who could it be?

Yona jerked upright, eyes flicking wildly around the room as she simultaneously searched for a weapon and a means of escape. Coming up with neither, she looked to Amaya, wide-eyed.

What do we do? she mouthed, her hands curling into fists as she gripped the sheets.

Amaya shrugged at Yona's panic.

"It's fine," he said nonchalantly. It would probably be fine, he thought. He walked over to the door like he owned the room and swung it open. "And just what do-"

"Didn't think you'd answer," Regen said as she paraded into the cabin past him. Whew. Just her. His confidence in answering the knock was soley based on the low probability that it would be in fact the thief. "I didn't actually secure a room so I'm going to sleep here tonight."

Amaya was both floored and amused at decision and just stood there with his mouth slightly agape at her. "Oh you're staying here?" he repeated. "How about you give me back that money you stole from me?"

The woman rolled her eyes and dug into her pockets. "For now," she handed over the coin.

The bounty hunter took back what belonged to him quickly enough, holding it in the palm of his fist for the time, then looked between the two women. "This room is full," he said flatly. "Can't stay he-"

"And what's your name, love?" Regen interrupted him again, moving closer to the bed and giving Yona a sly smile. "How's that medicine treating you?"

"I, ah..." Yona looked back and forth between the two of them, wide-eyed. "I'm...Yona?" she offered hesitantly.

Giving her head a brisk shake, she cleared her throat and tried again, more firmly, "Yona. It's...my name's Yona. Who are you again? What exactly is going on here?"

"This is-"

"I'm the one that provided the medicine!" Regen piped proudly with both hands resting on her hips. "My name's Regen. Nice to meet you, Yona."

The bounty hunter sighed with slight aggravation before folding his arms over his chest in a disapproving manner. He took his spot back against the wall and kept a close eye on their guest to make sure she wasn't up to anything. He wouldn't fall whatever she may have been planning for a second time.

Regen didn't wait for Yona to respond, either by talking or offering a handshake - however she may have responded, and crawled onto the cot next to her and got too-cozy-for-comfort near immediately.

"I said you can't-"

"So what brings you two to Yoreiq?" she interrupted once more. Amaya's face was almost red with frustration. She didn't seem to notice, or care, as her attention was fully on Yona.

"Uh-ummm..." Yona scooted quickly to the edge of the cot, wide eyed as she just stared at Regen. "Well, that's...thank you?"

She glanced over her shoulder to Amaya, utterly baffled and unsure what to do, how to react. Why was she so close?

"We're just...going for a change of scene?" she offered, her voice squeaking slightly on the last word.

The bounty hunter's eyes nearly rolled right out of their sockets, and then he sighed with finality with Yona's clearly uncomfortable response. "We're on the run from ruthless killers," he said firmly. "If you hang around us for too long they may come after you too. Better be careful."

"Ooooooooh," Regen practically teased. "Sounds fun, but no thanks. I don't want to be involved in that."

"Didn't think so."

"What's your story?" Regen's attention was temporarily on Amaya, but soon shifted back to the girl on the cot. "Why are you with him? He holding you hostage? You two don't mesh well at all."

Yona looked between the two of them again. She might have tried to scoot further away, but there wasn't any room left on the cot. "We're just...together," she mumbled eventually, shifting nervously.

She didn't know what else to say. That Amaya had been hunting her for a bounty? That he'd risked himself and his friends to take her somewhere safe? That it had backfired spectacularly.

Uncomfortable, she tried to get as much physical difference between herself and Regen as possible, one arm wrapped around her body to hold her upper arm.

This woman is a complete tool. Completely, unquestionably, and unarguably full-of-it. Too confident for her own boots, clever enough to boast confidence, and a demanding presence that no one necessarily asked for. That is what the bounty hunter thought of her, at least.

In reality, Regen Wintzel was the female version of Amaya Midgar, but softer on the eyes and with better manners. She stole people's money for a living, he stole people's livelihoods for a living.  Tomato, tomahto!

"I'm not holding anyone hostage," he intervened. "We're together because we want to be. Simple as that."

Regen shrugged. It wasn't the answer she was looking for, but she decided not to press the issue any further. "Fine," she said with a touch of finality before scooting off of the cot and giving Yona the space she was desperately looking for. "Got some friends in the Isles," she started. "I'm going for a visit. Not quite extravagant as what you two are doing, but I'm looking forward to it."

Is everyone on the run for their lives? Regen couldn't help but wonder. These two strangers situation was more than a little similar to Dinny and Rose.

...Not that she had to concern herself with that.

"That's, um...nice." Yona looked from her to the door, then to Amaya, utterly at a loss. "Well, ah--good luck? With seeing your friends?"

She winced, feeling small and awkward. She could barely handle Amaya most of the time, she had no idea how to deal with two of him.

Hmmm. Regen's response was nothing more than a simple, seemingly absent nod. Nice, indeed.

There seemed to be a long pause between the three after that. A long and uncomfortable silence if you asked Amaya. His eyes darted back and forth between Yona and their guest, debating on new methods of kicking the woman out of their remove without physically removing her.

"Okay," Regen said suddenly. "I can take a hint. I'll leave you two love birds alone."

Oh, well that works.

The half-elven thief offered Yona a quick smile and a wink, and a pat to the bounty hunter's chest before she opened the door. "See ya' around," she said as she closed the door behind her.

".....Well," he said after another moment. "That was strange."

"Wait, what?"

Yona was just opening her mouth to protest that that was not the case, but before she could get so much as a word out Regen was gliding out the door, leaving the elementalist flabbergasted on the cot.

"...What just happened?"

Everyone has an angle.

Amaya didn't immediately answer Yona after Regen left the room, instead opting to remain quiet as thoughts of the thief's angle circulated around his head. Friendly, strange, thief. Surely she came to their room more for just their company. He watched Regen pretty closely through the whole bit and he didn't think she stole anything off of Yona, but he really couldn't have been too sure. She was good, after all.

"No clue," he finally said. "May wanna make sure nothing's missing, pumpkin. She's a bit of a bandit."

Pumpkin because he couldn't pass up a chance to mess with his companion.

The elementalist blinked at him. "Pum...kin?" she repeated slowly, her Thanati accent coming through stronger on the world than usual. "I don't...what is that?"

In the last few weeks her Common had really grown leaps and bounds, but that was a sudden reminder that she still wasn't exactly fluent--no matter how passable Amaya evidently thought she was.

Shaking her head, she sort of patted herself down, hands moving up and down her sides and legs. She shrugged. "I don't think she took anything..."

If his arms weren't folded neatly over his chest, he would have face palmed at her question. He often forgot how different Yona and himself were, and how different their upbringing was. "Don't worry about it," he said with an amused grin. "And good. Maybe take this time to get some rest. It's going to be a long trip to a place neither of us have ever been, so you're going to need your strength."

As if to encourage her to do so, he moved his back toward the door of the cabin, and slid down until he sat against it. "Wake me if there's any emergency."

"Mmm." Yona continued to just stare at him for a few moments, still frowning in puzzlement, but eventually she turned onto her side and curled up as small as she could on the cot, burrowing under the threadbare blanket.

"How am I supposed to wake you if I'm also resting?" she grumbled into the pillow, but it was more for the form of the thing than anything else. Amaya literally had his back to the door, he'd be well aware if someone tried to pull something.