Volatile - Revisited [M]

[MorningStar]

@DragonSong

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Soft reboot of our old thread: https://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=25340.0

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"Stay away from me you fucking bastard!"

Sprinting along the docks of Suna, the man fled, and Amaya pursued. Aware of the bounty hanging over his head, he had underestimated the consequences of the relatively modest sum assigned to his petty crimes—never anticipating someone of Amaya Midgar's notorious reputation would pursue him. Cursing the Serenian presence stirring up trouble in Thanatos, he pressed on.

"Oh, but where's the fun in that?" Amaya taunted as the man sprinted away, a sly smile gracing his face as he strolled forward. Unarmed and with arms casually folded over his chest, he advanced down the dock. "Why the rush? This dock has an end. What's your plan? Take a swim?"

"To hell with you!" the man retorted, nearly out of breath. Panic set in as he realized the dock had indeed reached its limit. Whipping around to face Amaya, he hastily retrieved a knife from his pocket. "Okay, hot shot. This ends here!"

The bounty hunter, in no hurry, continued his leisurely approach. "Hmm, what to do for food today?" Amaya mused aloud, seemingly indifferent. "Getting pretty hungry. Maybe I'll 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 once more, a blend of panic and irritation in his voice. First, his livelihood was under attack, and now, his pride!

"Come on," Amaya snidely remarked, closing the gap between them. "That's rude. I wasn't talking to you. Say you're sorry!"

Without hesitation, he lunged at his bounty. Swiftly evading the man's retaliatory dagger, Amaya delivered a powerful right hook that struck the man's chin square on. The force of the blow sent him reeling, dazed and dropping his dagger in the process.

Now's my chance.

Amaya seized the opportunity, grabbing the man from behind, wrapping his arm around his neck, and putting him in a chokehold. "You know, this would be a lot easier if you didn't strugg—"

The other man resisted, pushing back with unexpected force until both of them went tumbling off the dock.

"Fuck!" Amaya shouted as they plummeted.

Splash! The sound echoed as they hit the water, their struggle continuing beneath the surface.

---

"Got another one for ya."

Drenched from head to toe, water cascading onto the stone floor, the bounty hunter nonchalantly slung his unconscious captive to the ground before the Khans. A resounding thud echoed through the room, the release of a heavy burden palpable in the aftermath.

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

"Went for a little swim," the bounty hunter shrugged, a sly grin playing on his lips. "Had to cool off somehow after chasing your boy around."

Aware of the futility in questioning Amaya further on the matter, the man chose to redirect the conversation. "I have another job for you," he declared slowly, his gaze briefly scanning the unconscious man. "Not your average job either. This one could prove to be dangerous."

A gleam of excitement flashed in Amaya's eyes. "I'm all ears."

[DragonSong]

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.

[MorningStar]

Yona. His next target.

He didn't get a last name, and it remained uncertain if one even existed. The Khans' description wasn't particularly vivid – a petite figure with tan skin. How helpful.

No matter. Research and mingling with the locals would reveal the necessary information. While strolling through the streets, a little tea shop caught his eye, and the growl of his stomach signaled it was time to satiate his hunger. With limited leads at the moment, he figured getting a bite to eat couldn't hurt.

"She can wait," he muttered to himself as walking into the shop.

[DragonSong]

The foreigner drew attention, as they always did. Yona was simply grateful that the attention wasn't on her, most of the tea shop's patronage glancing to the door when it opened and then watching with either curiosity, wariness, or a combination of the two.

With any luck, he'd stay long enough that she could finish her tea and then slip away again before anyone took an interest in the lone young woman all but huddled in a back corner.

[MorningStar]

The bounty hunter's foreign presence was conspicuous in the cafe, attracting the attention of many locals. He was accustomed to the stares, and it didn't bother him. Often, he would respond to their curious glances with a sly grin or a playful smile.

He placed his food order and leaned against the bar, surveying the room for a vacant table.

There wasn't an empty one, but he did spot a table with a spare chair, occupied by a pretty young woman who somewhat matched the description of his current bounty target. It couldn't be her, though. Things could never be that easy, or then this line of work wouldn't be any fun. Nevertheless, he thought, might as well introduce himself.

Navigating through the crowd, he confidently settled into the seat across from the woman, casting her a devil-may-care smile with a glint of charm in his eyes. "Hi there," he greeted. "What's your name?"

[DragonSong]

Yona's head jerked up and she pressed herself back to the edge of her seat when the stranger just...seated himself across the table from her. She glanced from side to side, as though expecting him to be addressing someone else.

Was this a normal thing on the mainland? Just...walking up and talking to a stranger?

Granted, it could very well have been a normal thing in Kunata--she'd spent so much of her life in the temple that her idea of "normal" was perhaps a little skewed--but she'd never seen it before. And now people were staring.

Mostly at the foreigner, granted. But still.

"I--" She looked around again, this time for some sort of polite method of escape. Finding none that wouldn't make her look suspicious, she slumped slightly in defeat and murmured toward the table in her heavily accented Common, "My name is Chiori."

She hated lying, but she didn't have many options.

[MorningStar]

Amaya grinned, his eyes radiating a soft and carefree demeanor as he observed her initial reaction. Her discomfort was apparent, whether caused by his confident nature, an aversion to unfamiliar men, shyness, nervousness, or something else entirely.

What he found interesting is that she lied about her name. That was clear. The question is: why?

"I figured I'd join you, hope that's alright," he said, unabashed. Leaning in, he rested his elbows on the table, chin resting on his knuckles, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Couldn't help but notice you from across the room. You seem like you might be the one I've been searching for."

[DragonSong]

"I...suppose." Years of an ingrained fear of being rude prevented her from telling him that she'd much rather be left alone, thanks all the same.

Her eyes widened a bit further when he went on, and she leaned back on her seat, trying to put some fraction of more distance between them.

"I'm...flattered," she said slowly, eyes flicking toward the door. "But I'm no one, really. No one of interest."

Oh sweet mercy, how long did she have to sit here before it would socially acceptable for her to flee?

[MorningStar]

Despite his seemingly carefree and careless demeanor, he keenly observed her every move and mannerism. The subtle hints in her voice hinted at a touch of panic, while her eyes repeatedly darted towards the door, suggesting a desire for a swift exit. Flashing another grin, he leaned in a bit more, mirroring her retreat to maintain a constant distance between them.

"I wouldn't say that," he remarked with eyes sparkling with curiosity. "You are definitely someone. Not Chiori, but someone."

[DragonSong]

Tension made every line in her body go rigid. She stared at him, working hard to keep her expression from showing fear.

"What...would make you say that?"

[MorningStar]

His grin, sly and understated, accompanied a gaze of keen interest fixed on her. "You're a bad liar," he remarked, tapping his finger on the intervening table.

Unaware of the woman's identity, he sympathized with the discomfort he caused but recognized the need for unconventional tactics to gather leads.

"Could your name be Yona, perhaps?" he inquired.

Approaching from behind, the server delivered the bounty hunter's ordered plate of food.

[DragonSong]

She stared at him for a moment--and bolted.

Several tea house patrons cried out in irritation and surprise when she barreled through them and back out onto the street, but she didn't slow. She just had to get away. Once she was back in the safe cover of the trees, she was confident she could loose any pursuers.

Especially a foreigner who didn't know her island like she did. She hoped.

[MorningStar]

"Shit!"

I guess that's a yes, he thought to himself as he began his pursuit.

With his plate of food almost reaching the table, it came as no shock when Amaya collided with the server, sending his meal and various items soaring through the cafe before crashing on the floor. Equally unsurprising was the cascade of chaos that ensued as the bounty hunter rushed through patrons right after the bounty did.

It wasn't common for Amaya to encounter a bounty capable of outpacing him, but this one certainly could and was certainly doing so effectively. He chased her until his sight of her ended in a wooded area.

"This is fun," he remarked to himself while scanning the surroundings.

[DragonSong]

Not wanting to leave a trail on the ground, Yona had taken to the trees once she was deep enough into the jungle. It slowed her down considerably, but she hoped it would make her more difficult to find.

She kept creeping along from branch to branch, heading back toward her most recent campsite in a meandering path even while she continuously glanced down to check to see if the bounty hunter--she had to assume he was a bounty hunter of some kind--was on her trail.

[MorningStar]

Amaya's sprint gradually decelerated, transitioning from a brisk pace to almost stillness. Her adept maneuvering skills allowed her to effortlessly outpace him, a challenge that brought a genuine smile to his lips. Finally, a target worthy of his pursuit, he mused.

His eyes meticulously surveyed the wooded surroundings, focusing keenly on the ground for any subtle signs of life—footprints, rustled leaves, snapped twigs—anything that might reveal her presence. Following a momentary pause, he deduced that she wasn't at ground level and shifted his gaze upward into the trees.

It was there, in the distance, that he spotted her.

"Hello again," he called out to her in a playful tone. "Why the hurry? Was it something I said?"

[DragonSong]

Yona froze, an instinctive, hunted-animal part of her taking over her body and telling her that if she just held very, very still, he might not notice her.

Which was of course ridiculous, and it only lasted a moment. Cursing under her breath, she leaped from her current perch into the next tree, scurrying up the twisted branches to better hide herself in the canopy.

It was more dangerous to travel this high up, there was a much better chance the branches might break, but it would be less visible from the ground.

[MorningStar]

He let out a sigh, but a gentle smile adorned his face.

"Still doing this, eh?" he whispered to no one in particular.

Amaya observed Yona with a sense of awe as she gracefully leaped from branch to branch, displaying a serene concentration that captivated him. The agile movements and unwavering determination of the woman to elude capture left Amaya both impressed and intrigued. Appreciating the intricate dance between predator and prey, Amaya decided to test his own skills. Retrieving a dagger with practiced ease, he calculated the trajectory of Yona's next leap and, with a swift and precise motion, sent the blade soaring towards the targeted branch. The tension in the air hung momentarily as the dagger found its mark, showcasing Amaya's own prowess and adding a thrilling dimension to their woodland pursuit as the branch was cut from the tree.

[DragonSong]

Her foot just barely brushed the branch before it gave way underneath her. She plummeted through the trees with a sharp yelp, grabbing wildly at smaller branches that whipped passed her and scratched at her face and arms.

She managed to slow her fall just enough that she didn't break anything when she hit the ground, but she still crumpled. It was a waste of precious seconds to scramble back to her feet and keep running--and while she may not have broken anything, her left ankle twinged painfully with every step.

Shit.