Closed Getting Out of Dodge (Elias)

[Redd]

The young wolf was silently glad that her master had not turned away from her, but instead stood there grinning and she couldn't help as her tongue darted out to gather up some of the blood that coated her maw in a deeper crimson red. She had indeed grown careless due to the fact that she had been only focused upon the fact that she had finally returned back to Elias.

However, he ordered her to quickly shift and she did so without hesitation as he went about turning the other woman away. Why he did, she didn't know, but as the pale red light surrounded her form, she felt the familiar shift of borrowing her human form. This pale red light would then suddenly disperse, leaving her in her pale human form, her brindled red hair flowing around her shoulders in soft, gentle waves. Her once golden hues were now hazel and the blood from the other wolf, still coated her face.

Suddenly, she felt clothes thrust at her by a very hasty Elias and she moved to quickly pull them on. First the simple black pair of pants, the simple black shirt and then the black cloak. Without hesitation, she slipped on her own collar and she heard a soft 'click' as it locked around her throat. Last but no least, was her favourite red scarf that her master her given her and she wrapped that around her neck, covering up her own leather collar.

"Come on, come on." Came her master's voice as he began to hurry them forwards and she briefly began to wonder what all of the rush was about. They had passed the group of people hadn't they? The two grey wolves had sorted that out, so then why was master in such a big hurry? Had the Yoona chick done something to bring attention to them? Her gaze drifted towards the other woman at that thought and she took a quick glance over her, she didn't seem to have been caught in a fight. However, she certainly felt the encouraging shoves that Master Elias was giving them and she continued forwards.

It was then that he brought them to a halt and rounded onto her, her gaze frowning as she watched his own eye sight linger upon her face. She watched as he then pulled out a rag from his pocket and observed as he called upon his djed in order to wet the rag and began to wipe away the blood from her face. The blood that she had forgotten about in the rush to dress quickly. A frown then creased her features as she began to wonder, he was rough in a way with his strokes, had she done something wrong? Was she not suppose to fight back? Did it displease her master?

Suddenly it was as if he began to realize something and he cupped her cheek with his hand, forcing her hazel hued gaze to peer into those muddy depths, the muddy depths that she found soothing. "You did well, Redd. Very well. Your master is pleased." A smile curved her lips at these uttered words, words that were just as soothing as those brown eyes and she felt his thumb wipe away blood from the corner of her mouth. Between his soothing words and those eyes of his, she felt as if she could just lean into him right there, to seek out those lips of his, as she had once done before.

However, his next words brought her out of her daze and she remembered that they still had to cross the lake to get back into the city. "Stay here for a moment, out of sight." Came his words, his gaze then glancing towards Yoona. "And watch her while I go secure passage to the city." The young woman allowed a smirk to slip onto her lips as her master slapped the rag into Yoona's hand and ordered her to finish cleaning her face.

After Elias had returned, Yoona had finished cleaning off the blood and Redd gently wiped a brief hand over her face, just to make sure that the odd woman hadn't left anything behind or done something to her face. Finding nothing wrong with it, Master Elias led them to the boat and she quietly stepped on, watching as Elias forcefully pushed the woman down to sit inside the boat, commanding her not to move. She then felt an arm wrap around her waist, only to bring her to nestle into her master's lap and she did not protest at all. She enjoyed the warm embrace of her master and the close contact.

She rested her head upon his chest, her hazel gaze drifted towards Yoona, listening to her master's words as they rumbled deep within his chest. Gently, she traced over the half black sun tattooed upon the back of her left hand. She felt as if she should say something, but she wasn't exactly sure what. So she settled upon words that she felt was right, her tone soft as she spoke. "Ravok is a safe place. You'll find someone that will protect you and give you a roof over your head, Yoona. Just like Master Elias has done for me."

OOCLol, no problems Elias, I had fun doing it. ^.^

[Yoona]

Yoona couldn't help but let out a short, indignant "Hey!" when she was suddenly turned around, forced to face a bunch of crates and sodden soil as the bowman dug through his bags. After a while, the pushing and rustling ceased, and Yoona dared to twist back around on her own. Her eyes widened as she found herself staring at a red-haired girl who stood in place of the red-furred wolf. The bowman was forcing her into clothes and looking cautiously about. What, had he stolen her, too? Was there another fat man somewhere who was as red-faced and shocked as her trader had been, his goods taken right out from under his nose? No, no, that couldn't be...the man couldn't have gotten her so quickly, but she most definitely hadn't been around earlier.

There was something else...off about her, too. The blood coating her face, while unnerving, was a lot like the blood that had covered the wolf's muzzle. Were the two beings the same, maybe? Was she a shifter of some sort? Yoona recalled hearing about their race, before; a group of beings who spent their lives split in two, both animal and human. Apparently, they could change at will, and came in a wide assortment of furry and feathered beasts. She couldn't remember the name, but knew that they were quite valuable on the slave market alongside "rarities" such as herself. This bloodied woman standing in front of her was, therefore, none other than Redd.

Yoona tilted her head a little, continuing to stare at the woman, the consuming black orbs that were her eyes narrowed. A master deceiver, this woman was, harnessing an unnatural yet undeniably awe-inspiring ability. To go from man to beast...did the transformation hurt? The Chaktawe's mind was already reeling with curiosity, though the more dominant part of her was keeping her alert. Woman or wolf, the shifter was still a potential danger, and Yoona wouldn't be foolish enough to let her guard down.

All of a sudden she was being shoved along, brought towards the center-most area of the outpost and around it as the bowman ushered her somewhere. Yoona scowled but didn't protest, seeing no point in it. That was when they all suddenly stopped and pulled over to a side, just so the bowman could dig a rag out of his pocket and moisten it. Where the water came from, Yoona had no idea, but she stood and waited and forced herself to be as patient as possible as the bowman dabbed at the shifter woman's bloodied face.

The Chaktawe woman watched, however. Now, here was a spectacle. The bowman was being awfully gentle with his slave (that fact was clear by now), giving her soft praises and staring into her eyes as he spoke. It was amusing and a little sickening all at once, and Yoona couldn't help but roll her eyes; at one point, the two looked as though they were about to eat each other's faces. 'Get a petching room.' A chime or two later, however, the urge seemed to vanish from their eyes, and the next thing that Yoona knew, the bowman had walked off and tossed the bloodied rag to her, ordering her to finish cleaning the woman up.

Yoona glared at him as he left before turning her attention back to the shifter-woman, the distrust clear in her expression. 'First he wants me to carry things. Now he tells me to clean. Petching dog...it's his slave, he should do it himself!'

Still, Yoona did as she was instructed to do and mopped up the woman's face, the rag clutched between her shackled hands, making as little eye contact as possible as she did it. By the time that the bowman returned, Redd's face was as blood-free as it could be, though some of the crimson fluid had dried a little and needed scrubbing to get rid of.

Then they were all ushered onto a boat. Yoona tried not to look as astonished as she was as she stepped up onto the floating surface, seating herself a good distance across from the bowman and his shifter-slave. She was relieved of her carrying duties, which both surprised and annoyed her; if the bowman really wanted to do her a favor, he'd get the cuffs off of her wrists, but his bout of generosity seemed fleeting, so Yoona doubted she'd have the full freedom of movement back anytime soon. The Chaktawe woman rolled her shoulders a bit, then slowly blinked at the man and woman across from her, her eyes narrowed, face expressionless.

Smile. Ha. He wanted her to smile. He wanted her to be happy. Did he expect gratefulness, too? Was she supposed to fall to her knees and thank him, with tears streaming down her face? Did he expect that, too?!

The frustration began bubbling up deep inside of her chest, like a stew-filled pot about to overflow. And then came the shifter-woman's words, only adding more heat to that pot.

At times like these, language barriers were truly a nuisance. Yoona had things that she wanted to say right away, things that she could only express in her native language. But these fools wouldn't understand her if she did, and she'd be better off talking to the lake, itself.

And yet, the urge to speak was so strong within her. The Chaktawe woman decided to use her limited knowledge of Common. She knew enough words to say what she wanted to. At least, she thought she did.

Her smooth features hardening, Yoona leaned forward a bit, resting her elbows on her knees as she gazed steadily at the two. "They tell me that Ravok is bad place, looked over by a God of Evil. The people worship him and give their souls away. How can I be happy in place like this...? How can I be happy at all...?"

Then her gaze shifted over to the shifter-woman sitting on the bowman's lap. "And you. A slave. But not like me. We're different. I don't want protection. I don't need it. I can take care of self!"

The frustration was growing, boiling and rising and morphing into a rage that rattled Yoona's voice as she spoke. "This life, being a slave, is yours. Pitiful, weak, and yours! I have a life somewhere else! My own life! Never here, and it never will be, ever! So no, I'm not happy! I won't be! And don't dare tell me to be!"

OOCSweet template, Elias. Lookin' good. And thanks; Photoshop was being a butt, though, so the face paint was too hard to do. lol.

"Tawna" | "Common" | 'Thoughts' | Ruki

[Elias Caldera]

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Now he’d gone and done it. For all the prodding and pushing Elias had forced the woman to suffer through, it was his jovial, half-hearted remark that she show a little less gloom and a little more giddiness towards her new life, that was apparently the straw that broke the camel’s back. Almost instantly, the slave exploded with the long festering heat of her outrage, but not before Elias was given the rather alarming front seat show of her flustered build up. It wasn’t exactly that the slaver felt any sort of regret or guilt for causing the chaktawe her grief, it was just that… if ever there was a place he really did not need her rocking the boat, it was on the actual boat. The craft was only a little bigger than a common fishing vessel, so any quarrel upon its cramped deck would likely see all those involved thrown into the drink, and Elias had no intention of taking a swim today, nor did he enjoy the prospect of diving in after an escaped slave who was foolish enough to think the power of injustice and freedom would save her from drowning while her hands were still shackled in irons. His hypnotic influence may have been waning considerably, but surely she was not so daft or irrational... Plus, He was a mage after all, and that something she had likely pieced together by now. Few people were unwise enough to risk the wrath of a great and terribly magic wielder. Not to mention there was still danger of Redd to constantly consider.

He bit down on the edges of his lip, studying the foreigner with brown eyes that had yet to lose their mirth, even as Yoona lashed out in indignity. Her words threatened mutiny and bordered on insulting, not just of the kelvic seated upon him, but also of his god and city. His fingers bit down slightly upon the flesh of Redd’s hip where they had rested. His countenance had not changed however, nor was he at all upset, it was a just simple reminder for the wolf to keep her calm. He knew how defensive she could be at times, and it was painfully obvious the way she disliked the other slave already. His grip wandered alluringly downward and across the svelte regions below as her master sought to distract the brindled haired slave from any sort of violent rebuttal that she may have been planning. Elias may have had quite the arsenal of helpful tricks and tools that would allow him to capture a slave, but as it dawned on him then and there, listening to the freshly caught woman voice her ‘displeasure’ over her imminent fate, he had never really attempted to break one before. Obviously he was still chiding himself for going overboard with the use of his djed, but still, four hours with this tanned skinned challenge presented an opportunity undeniable. What if he could not only put the chains on her, but make her accept them as well?

It was a silly notion to begin with considering how little time he had and the absolute absence of any experience in such a matter, but as it grew and grew within his curious thoughts, he inevitably relented himself to the excitement and challenge of the task. Elias’s strategy obviously wasn’t going to be one where he beat her, that would just be counterproductive and pointless. He also didn’t have enough left within to truly manipulate her mind like he would have wanted, so that too was off the table. All that left him were his words and his wit. Would it be enough to subdue someone as spirited and insolent as Yoona however, the young Ravokian wasn’t quite sure.

“Seems a cruel fate, doesn’t it Redd.” He asked after a moment of contemplation. His eyes had never left the chaktawe’s seething midnight orbs, even as he allowed her a tick to simmer. “To destine one’s self to a life of misery and sorrow all because of what ‘they say’.” His smothering gaze soon narrowed unto the woman. “You’ve a fire inside you, slave, I won't deny that. Something that tells you to fight and resist, no matter the cost. A fine thing, but one I see heedlessly directed in the wrong direction, and I think has likely caused you nothing but grief for a long time now. You said your home was long gone, many seasons I would imagine. So tell me, if you still ended up here, what good has come from all your fighting?”

The boat lazily titled to side as it banked over a shallow wave. The small sails were fully unfurled by then and the pilot had stationed himself diligently behind the wheel at the aft of the meager ferry. Elias was still innately curious as to how the desert dweller would react to being set afloat among so much water, but it seemed she was either deft and hiding her amazement, or was simply too preoccupied with her own fury to show it. A shame really, both for an interested man like himself, and for the foreign slave girl missing out on the splendor all around her as well. Ravok was meant to be enjoyed and relished as much as it was revered and feared. Elias now wanted little else but to show her that fact before their time together was through. "I wasn't lying when I said Ravok is a great city, you'll come to see that soon enough, but its one wrongly persecuted and slandered because of our diligent struggle against the true purveyor of evil and lies, Sylir... I can tell the story if you'd like. We certainly have the time." He was going to tell it anyway, but it would have proven a satisfying first step if she had said 'yes' at least.

"Rhysol is our patron here, our father and our savior. A god of limitless benevolence who protects his loyal from the dangers that lie in wait outside his domain. Long ago, he was known much differently than he is today however. As it was his nature to be kind and understanding, he had befriended the vile lord of darkness and deceit in an woefully mistaken hope to temper the evil one's disparity. Though they became brothers over time immemorial, Sylir proved he would never change his shameless ways. As the only one who dared to grow close to him, It was Rhysol and only Rhysol who discovered his beloved friend plotting to see the world Sundered five hundred years ago. Though he cared for him deeply, Rhysol knew he could not let the races of Mizahar suffer, and so the two fought a great battle high above, and while one strove to save us and the other raged towards our destruction, in the end it was too late. While gravely injured and weakened after the fight, Rhysol had managed to slay the betrayer, but still the Valterrian had been unleashed. When he saw what he had done to Sylir, and what Sylir had done to the world, Rhysol wept a single tear, one that fell to earth and gave birth to this very lake. It became an oasis of peace and order in world wracked with the death throes of chaos. Though it had come at a terribly large cost to an already injured god, the great one selflessly made the sacrifice regardless. He bid all to flee to safety under his protection, and has ever since watched over us, guiding and loving. The curse of Sylir still lingers however, and his wicked cult continues to spread the lies and deceit of Rhysol's true nature in vain remembrance to their fallen lord..."

Elias was no priest, but as the last of his entirely made up story slithered from his lips, he felt the weight of an imaginary robe fall upon his hallowed shoulders.

You can find more than just despair here, Yoona. You need only allow your a chance to look. Here slaves are not just property, they are an extension of their master, treated with the same respect and privileges of those they bond with. You'll discover that regardless of the roles we are given, slave or master, we all must undergo the trial of chains in one way or another, but here, the rewards are not just contentment, but also purpose.

oocDidn't know how to fill the post out... so decided on random patriotic/religious rant... That'll teach yah to patiently wait for someone to post! >.>
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[Redd]

"This life, being a slave, is yours. Pitiful, weak, and yours! I have a life somewhere else! My own life! Never here, and it never will be, ever! So no, I'm not happy! I won't be! And don't dare tell me to be!" A growl worked its way up onto Redd's lips and she had half a mind to bare her fangs and to bite upon upon the shackled woman's throat, just to prove a point that she was far from pitiful and weak. Who did this woman think she was anyway? As soon as the Ravokian brand/tattoo would grace the back of her hand, she would be no better than Redd. However, Redd figured that this woman did not exactly know how to act when she had to follow other's orders, or even work as a team. Redd had done it most of her life, within a wolf pack and so accepting Master Elias as alpha had been simple. She had been lost, lonely and every wolf knew, that a lone and lonely wolf, was a dead wolf.

It was at this point, where her growl was sounding low upon her lips as she was just about to judge the best way to throw the other out of the boat, that she felt the bite of her master's fingers upon her hip. She would then, settle back down into her master's lap, moving to rest her head upon his chest once more. Her master's behaviour had not changed and she could tell he was not upset with her, for his face did not show frustration or anger, instead it showed only humour within those muddy hues. So he must have simply been reminding her to remain calm, a trait that did not easily come to the young wolf when she had been insulted. Something of which was a trait that she was slowly beginning to learn under her master's guidance. His hand began to drift lower, her attention of the Yoona chick, a little distracted now as his hand began to caress across her leg and he now had captured her full attention once more.

“Seems a cruel fate, doesn't it Redd.” Her master asked after what seemed like a stretch of silence from all parties. Redd had been distracted, but as soon as her master's voice rumbled against her ear, her attention went straight back to his voice, her gaze drifting upwards to view his face. “To destine one’s self to a life of misery and sorrow all because of what ‘they say.'” She took a moment to ponder her own response before she gave a brief nod, not really trusting herself to speak, for if she did, she might actually just become angered once more at the dis-respect the Yoona chick displayed. Her hazel gaze drifted over towards the water that they were sailing across and she couldn't help but relax as the sun dappled across the water. It reminded her of the splash of white upon a fawn's back as it leaped away, careless of anything that may be stalking it. Her master's words, although spoken to Yoona, kept the young wolf at eased, she loved it when he spoke, especially now as the words rumbled through his chest. It was a soothing calm, that she hadn't found in a human before.

[Yoona]

Yoona met the bowman's searing gaze quite fearlessly, even lifting her chin a little as he spoke and directed his words to her. The tone of his response, however, was a bit surprising to her. If anything, the Chaktawe woman had expected him to become angry with her. Or annoyed at the very least. It seemed as though the bowman's unusual giddiness had put a damper on the rest of his feelings, softening his levels of tolerance a bit so that he'd be able to deal with more.

The same, however, couldn't be said for the bowman's pelt-shifting companion. Yoona could see the woman's anger boiling inside of her, the subtle waves of rage building up in her muscles and being reflected in her eyes. She wanted to lash out, right about now. Had she been in her lupine form, Yoona doubted that the bowman would have had an easy time restraining her.

To be honest, that Chaktawe woman wanted the shifter to feel angry. Yoona had no death wish, and wasn't foolish enough in her pride to think that she could survive a scuffle with the wolf-human, but it was satisfying to see just how much she was bothering the woman.

"So tell me, if you still ended up here, what good has come from all your fighting?"

At the bowman's words, Yoona merely narrowed her eyes. Such an air of superiority he held within his tone, the brute...he spoke as if he knew everything there was to know about the hardships she'd suffered. He didn't, and Yoona had the urge to remind him of that very fact, but she held her tongue, instead.

What good came of it, he asked? What good? Plenty good.

'I still have my power, my will,' Yoona mused in response, her eyes still gazing steadily into his. 'I've shown them that their control over my life is little...I do as I please, say as I please, think as I please...and as long as I fight, no one can take that away from me. As long as I fight...'

As long as she fought, she wouldn't have to count herself among the scores of slaves who'd been broken like kindling twigs. Fighting helped her maintain her pride, and in this day and age, where uncertainty was omnipresent, pride was something that the Chaktawe woman cherished greatly. Pride was all she really had left.

When the bowman began to slip into storytelling—she'd only blinked when he offered to tell it, having no interest in it whatsoever but knowing that he'd go ahead and do it, regardless—Yoona didn't even attempt to look interested. For a tick or two she attempted to listen, but this story of the gods just wasn't something that was sticking in her mind, so she merely continued to sit in silence and wait for him to be finished.

The Chaktawe woman snorted at his later comments, particularly those of slaves being treated with respect and given privileges. 'Right. And it was only chimes ago that you were hunting me down like a dog.' A bitter thought, perhaps emphasized a bit by a sudden spike in the intensity of her gaze, but it died down after a moment. Yoona stayed quiet, still staring at the bowman as her expression slipped into one of utter boredom and disinterest. The rage was still there, yes, but subverted now. No longer prevalent amidst her smooth features.

"Such shame that story you tell is nonsense," Yoona commented after a while, her tone casual. "Telling stories is skill revered by my people, but those stories must be good. Have good feeling, good sound. Your words not have good feeling. Too hard, too stiff...all nonsense."

"Tawna" | "Common" | 'Thoughts' | Ruki

[Elias Caldera]

Nothing. He could see it, even in her dead, night eyes. He had accomplished nothing with his poetically stirring story. Not a dash of interest in the city, nor a drop of understanding in his attempt at explanation. In fact, her only response to everything he had said had been about the actual story. Elias was certain if there was a language barrier thicker and stronger than he had initially realized, or if Yoona was just excellent at getting to people’s nerves. As he realized his own disappointment coupled with Redd’s anxious anger, the mage was almost impressed at how the chaktawe woman had continued her fight against them, even without her hands free or a dagger to slash at them with. He and his kelvic may have chased her down, but the fact was, this slave was winning this second round, and her weapon of choice; indifference. Elias frowned, unsure how to respond to the belligerent black stare of a slave who refused to capitulate anything to her captor.

“Well, I suppose I just prefer my stories to be centered on reality -to have a point. I find those that spend all their time trying to make me ‘feel good’ aren’t worth the breath wasted. Unless we come away having learned something from them, why bother. Most people are wise enough to pick up on the maxim trying to be conveyed however. Not all people though.” The mage suspected the connections he was trying to express between her preference of whimsical fantasy, and the lie of rebellion she had somehow managed to construct around her fate as a slave, may have been clear as day to himself, but he wasn’t going to hold his breath and wait for her to come to that realization on her own. His tale could have easily been one of horror and nightmares, of the things done to the hopelessly disobedient and the foolishly heretical. Insolent slaves just weren’t in Ravok, period. They didn’t exist because they rarely ever lasted long. Property had little place to bare its fangs in indignation or pride unless they earned the right to be tolerated. Just as his previous attempt had failed however, Elias was now convinced this lesson too would be lost on the foreigner as well.

How then to reach her? How then to break through that icy shell of captured of scorn and resentment. Perhaps Elias just couldn’t be the one. He did run her down like a stray deer, it wasn’t as if there was much room for cordialness after something like that. That said, after the whole enslaving bit, it was Elias who rescued her from a pack of wolves when all was said and done… Well ok, that was Redd, but Redd was his, so in theory… Maybe a more subtle approach was called for. One that gently slipped into the ideas Elias was pointlessly trying to convey instead of just shoving it down her gullet like a sermon given at the point of a crossbow. What then, would getting her talking and more at ease? Whatever it was, it had to accommodate keeping her captors attention as well of course. This whole charade was just a passing fancy, not his life’s work, Elias wasn’t about to endure a four hour tirade about knitting or the thrilling adventures she had while in a dream once. Gods I hate when people talk to me about their bloody dreams! I don’t petching care what you imagined yourself doing while unconscious, no matter how amazing you though it was! The Caldera cleared his throat, painfully aware of how off topic he had quickly and vehemently ended up.

It fell upon him to break the glaring standoff between them as he tasked his eyes with falling over the rest of her instead. A welcome reprieve from doing battle with those eyes. They troubled, he was ashamed to admit, and they did so a great deal. He had never truly grown accustomed with the void, or the other side as it was called, and Yoona’s embittered stare only rehashed those unnerving feelings more than the almighty slaver cared to openly admit. His eyes hastily laced across her toned frame and tanned skin, trying to discern something of interest he could harp upon for their awkward conversation’s sake. It took him an embarrassing tick to recognize what had been sitting right in front of him the entire time and he had yet to even remark on. “But who am I to judge your tastes. I know as much about your people’s stories as I do you or your people.” He said, suddenly motioning with a nod towards her webbed toes. Those had earned a cocked eyebrow earlier, but one that went unnoticed and unspoken of. “For example, I had no idea they were like that. Are they useful for… swimming?”

[Yoona]

"Well, I suppose I just prefer my stories to be centered on reality."

'Reality, huh? You certainly trudge through a joyless one, then.'

Letting her mind run free, Yoona said nothing in response to the bowman's idle chatter. Had he really thought that his story was interesting? Was there even a speck of truth within those words of his, to begin with? It all sounded like deliberately-woven nonsense to the Chaktawe woman, but it was the bowman himself who claimed a preference for stories that had "a point". So the tale was true to him, if not true in the universally-accepted definition of the term. And as a part of a people who saw greatness in the ability to tell a good story, Yoona knew well enough that all tales had a smidgeon of truth to them, no matter how ridiculous they might sound.

Did knowing this make her anymore interested? No, it didn't. Perhaps if the bowman hadn't been going on and on about feuding gods, she would have felt differently, but the names that flew from the man's lips were foreign to her, much like the seemingly endless body of water currently surrounding her, and the mechanism that they were floating on to navigate through it. They weren't her gods.

To be honest, Yoona had had more than one day of her life when she'd doubted the merit of her own deities.

When the bowman fell silent, Yoona's bored gaze shifted down to her shackles, yet again. The idea of urging the man to remove them was a fleeting one, but she sat and considered it for a good chime before letting it pass. He was a confusing man, that bowman; one moment he's hunting her down like some sort of escaped animal, and the next he's trying to strike up conversations and tell her nonsensical stories.

When the man commented on her toes, the Chaktawe woman looked down at the webbed digits, wiggled them a bit, and was quiet for a moment before lifting her head and returning her gaze to him. The message conveyed by her eyes was unspoken, but clear:

'Are you an idiot?'

"I don't know. We don't swim in desert sands," Yoona replied, her tone flat as she stared at him. Then she fell silent, again. It didn't last long.

"That thing you do, with the fire you throw at the wolves back then. You can make magic?"

Again, the woman's tone was as flat, but she raised an eyebrow as she looked at him. If he wanted idle chatter, he'd get idle chatter. A bonus if the man ventured near enough for her to be able to kick him in the crotch once his guard was down.

"Tawna" | "Common" | 'Thoughts' | Ruki

[Redd]

Yoona and Elias continued to talk, their words drifting over the water as it rippled with the moving boat. In all truth, the area was open and there weren't any walls or trees for the sound of the voices to bounce off, so their voices wouldn't have carried too much unless they spoke really loud. Redd wasn't exactly sure how sound carried underneath the surface, but the beast lurking within the water's depths had a lot of area to cover, so it may not even be near them. Although, there were chances that it could be lurking near by and their voices only aided the beast as to where their location within the lake was. Who would want to swim anyway? You couldn't exactly see too far down to the bottom, even if you could swim. The young wolf most certainly couldn't swim and she didn't really want to swim anyway, it never really held an appeal to her.

A sigh graced her soft lips as her gaze flickered out to watch the lake's surface for anything that may be approaching them. Her master had ordered her to be calm and that was a little bit difficult on her part, however, she would try, like she always did. So she would not take part in their conversation, instead as her hazel hues stared out at the water, she retreated into herself as she thought back to a conversation they had earlier, a memory flashing before her eyes. Home... What did it really mean?

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It was 511 AV and Redd was only two months old, but she was already standing up onto her two feet and walking. Her mother, had been some-what surprised at how quick she was growing and already had sought the counsel of a monk who had told her mother than she was not a normal baby and that she wasn't even human. She had watched her mother make the slow descend from a loving and caring mother, to one that was full of fright. However, Redd just continued on chewing on whatever she could get her small little hands on, this bringing complaints from her mother as she had one day chewed upon a reed pen. Why her mother was becoming frightened by her fast growth, she couldn't picture why, she thought that her mother would be more happy about this.

It was this particular day that Redd had the ever growing want to roll around in her puppy form. She hadn't shown her mother yet, but she wanted to and as her mother ducked out of the room for a moment, the child shifted. Pale red light had surrounded the child and as it faded, a reddish pup, going through its juvenile period stood in her place. It's eyes were not a full deep golden colour yet, but they were a golden blue colour as they were making the gradual change from blue to gold. The pup was still in the growing stages, so her legs were still gangly, but as her mother returned to the room, her ears perked forwards and her tongue rolled out of her maw as she wagged her tail. The response that she had expected was pride and maybe even a gentle pat, but that wasn't what had happened.

Her mother had returned carrying a bowl of water, but as soon as those blue eyes settled upon the pup that stood in the place of her child. The bowl slipped from her mother's grasp as a scream filled the room, water splashing over the floor as her mother scrambled back so then her fingers could find the club that she had kept inside the house for some kind of protection. Redd didn't exactly understand what had just happened and her tail dipped as she angled her head in confusion. However, confusion didn't settle within the pup for too long, as the club came sailing towards her and a yelp of sudden pain made the pup roll along the floor for a moment, shaking her head as she scrambled to her paws. Redd had been lucky at the time, for her mother couldn't usually use a weapon, or swing one, so the hit had been light enough. "Get out you mongrel beast! GET OUT!" Screeched her mother and Redd had ran for the door that had some how found itself open, her tail tucked firmly between her hind legs.

Once the young pup had found herself out upon the street, the door had slammed closed behind her and her nose dipped as a whine passed her maw. Beast? But... She was her daughter...? Wasn't she? Why would her mother chase her out? Did her mother no longer want her any more? Footsteps were then heard and she lifted her head in hopes of seeing a friendly face, and instead she was met with a rock. A rock had hit her muzzle and a whine of pain had her reeling back. It was children! Other children were chasing her and so, the young pup ran, ran as fast as her paws could take her through the city. She couldn't remember how long she had been running for, but she could remember that she hadn't stopped until her sore paws felt the soft fertile earth underneath them and realized that she was no longer inside the city. A city that did not want her, a city that condemned her a beast to be chased out and have rocks hurled at her.

It was the first night that she had spent alone, curled up beside the trunk of a tree and it was most certainly not the last one that she would spend alone...

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As she snapped out of her memory, her gaze turned to the human looking woman and slowly, Redd edged her way out of her master's lap so then she could sit within the actual boat itself. "The word home is a lie, there is no such thing as home." She said softly as she then dipped a hand into the water's surface, her gaze turning to her hand dipped into the cool liquid. "I may only be just a slave and I may only ever just be a slave, just be a kelvic that means nothing to anyone.." A wince crossed her features then as she said those words and remembered her mother and a pack of wolves that had chased her away, "And you may think that you are different to me, but you're not. You look to survive, I do too, but you are more likely to die than to survive. I know, for a lone wolf, is a dead wolf and you don't have a pack, so you are a lone wolf and one day, you will die a lone wolf if you do not find a pack."

[Elias Caldera]

Promising was what it was; watching anger melt away into vengeful indifference, only to have that same feigned apathy finally relent into an eventual interest he could work upon in the end. Satisfying to say the least, but unfortunately for Elias, his break through had come with an inconvenient cost. She had thrown out the word 'magic' with an almost careless abandon, and because of it, the sudden and intense attention of the ferryman behind them all too present upon the suspected mage's head. It wasn't that Elias was afraid of having his abilities announced or even put on display, but that was only when he was working, fighting fires, doing benign and heroic things the reimancer could be remembered for fondly. The word, and word alone inspired nothing but resentment and outright distrust towards his kind when it wasn't mitigated with titles or associations. Elias wasn't Black Sun or Ebonstryfe, all he was was "a mage" which might as well have been pronounced "a problem" for anyone who discovered as much without context. He had hoped Yoona's understanding that he was more than he appeared would result in a more... subtle impression upon her actions and demeanor, but instead, it now seemed he had to deal with the exact opposite. To make things worse, it was also disheartening to see a lack of any real reaction from the sand dweller. Her poker face was impressive, he had to give her that much.

The Ravokian had gone from smiling smugly at the tanned woman's wiggling toes to rigid and surprised in an instant. It took a moment to finally compose himself, but he finally forced out a passable guffaw with about as much startled humor as he could muster. Elias wasn't exactly sure what it was he planned to counter her accusation with -likely a charming and inconspicuous change of topic- but when nothing in particular came to mind, the Caldera was instead relieved when Redd, who had been restrained and absent for the most part, suddenly shifted herself off her master's lap and unto the bench proper. Content until then to simply relax against his chest, Elias had thought little of the apparent distraction he noticed in her countenance as her mind had doubtlessly begun to wander. He wasn't sure what the kelvic had been pondering within her restless thoughts, but while the results of those thoughts had inevitably saved him from having to explain his incriminating arcana, the wolf's following and unexpected revelation disturbed the mage even more.

Her warning towards the black eyed sand swimmer barely registered, just something Elias recognized as a bit of his own wisdom he had passed along when they had first met to better help Redd's mentality adjust to the city life she was now bound to. Most of his attempts to impart a tiny bit of understanding or insight here and there often registered copiously enough with the kelvic, it was instead the implications that had come before that were so incredibly disconcerting. Where had this dramatic lack of self-worth stemmed from? It had never been something he had implanted into her thoughts or their conversations before, but yet here it was, revealed to all, which was quite the unfortunate situation. In front of the other slave, it had simply belittled everything he had been attempting to sway her towards. A potentially embarrassing outburst had Yoona not been shackled and therefore less inclined to have her opinion cared about by anyone of importance. Had it been in front of a citizen on the other hand, something so brash and melodramatic could have very easily seen the wolf's owner far more flustered and upset. Redd was was more than just his personal property, she was a symbol of status, and an extension of Elias whose every action and consequence reflected back upon him. Such morose observations not only painted her master in a poor light as her keeper, it also suggested a much deeper issue was at hand. What had caused it though, was very much a mystery at that point.

It was impossible and equally pointless to hide his expressions for the sake of the conversation anymore, and the hypnotist's deep and perplexed frown beamed into Redd's brindled hair as she gloomily stared out across the lake. Had it been something he had said, or was it another matter? The unhappy introspection lasted for less than a chime before the fire wielding slave catcher managed to assemble a list, albeit a tiny one, of what could have possibly triggered this. At the top sat the latest... Elias cleared his throat loudly to garner the girl's notice, something he had never had to do in the past. "That wolf, the one you killed, was it...?" He left the question purposefully blank, intent on receiving the answer entirely from Redd's lips instead of influencing her with his own. He had likely lost the chaktawe to this, and was resigned to simply selling her now, and no longer desired to additionally see her more accepting of her fate before the inevitable exchange. The loss of one slave however, now threatened to rise to two unless he could somehow assuage whatever was wrong with his favorite.

[Yoona]

A simple answer was what she wanted. And yet it seemed as though the bowman couldn't care enough to give her one. But he was just chattering up a storm a mere chime ago, apparently eager to blab her ear off with his nonsense and unusually happy banter...what the hell was wrong, now? 'Perhaps this is normal. He could be a generally moody soul. And here I am, getting the confusing brunt of it all.'

Then his face seemed to contort, and he began to look...surprised. A little confused, too. Why? It'd been a simple enough question. She'd seen the whole thing happen with her own two eyes; he'd drawn an arrow and ignited it with flames from his mind, sending up a rather pathetic puff once they reached the ground. Yoona had never seen magic-crafting in person, having been subject to stories of such feats and of people who manipulated djed with their minds, able to conjure up a seemingly endless number of magnificent things. Despite everything that had happened, and the uncertainty of the future ahead of her, Yoona was genuinely curious. For all her faults, the Chaktawe woman could be quite the ravenous knowledge-seeker.

All of a sudden, the shifter-woman slid herself out of the bowman's lap, choosing to sit beside him, instead. Yoona titled her head a little.

The woman's murmured words sent a chill through her veins.

"The word home is a lie, there is no such thing as home."

Yoona's eyes widened, becoming void-like moons. A lie...? A lie?! How could she say such a terrible thing? "You...y-you're wrong..." The Chaktawe woman managed to force out after a few ticks, her voice rising no higher than a mutter. "Home is...home is..."

Home, home, home wasn't a lie. Home was...home was all that Yoona had to look forward to, all that she had left to strive for. Home was where her greatest memories were, where her friends and family still resided...home was an unforgiving sun and the ever-changing mountains of sand that covered the land beneath it, and the acacia trees that offered shade, and the glee of finding a stray oasis on an especially hot day. Home was...her everything.

The rest of Redd's words fell on deaf ears, as Yoona soon found herself unwittingly sucked into the woman's hollow void of introspection.

She had a home. She knew she did. It wouldn't go anywhere. And someday, she'd be able to return to that home. Without it...without it...what did she have?

Yoona seemed to furl in on herself a little, just then, lowering her gaze to the floor of the boat. It almost looked as though she had a sudden pain in her stomach, though the real pain seemed to be hammering at her chest and throat. A heavy, throbbing pain.

"Home is..."

"Yoona...? Yoona! What's wrong?"

The Chaktawe woman shook her head, ignoring her guardian's arrival as he came into being beside her.

"Tawna" | "Common" | 'Thoughts' | Ruki